KPOPWORLD #6 (Yves)

KPOPWORLD #6 (KEYVITUP X VAYONN)

KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

82Major (stylized in all caps) is a South Korean boy band formed by Great M Entertainment. The group consists of six members: Cho Seong-il, Yoon Ye-chan, Nam Seong-mo, Hwang Seong-bin, Park Seok-joon and Kim Do-gyun. The group&#x27;s name is a combination of South Korea&#x27;s calling code (+82) and the word ‘major’, expressing their desire to become a group that represents Korea. They debuted on October 11, 2023, with the single album On.

82MAJOR

82MAJOR have their first music show win — and SEONG MO, who spent over a year presenting trophies on Show Champion as an MC, finally got to receive one

82MAJOR on HEAT, Their First Win, and What Comes Next

ZEROBASEONE, commonly known as ZB1, is a five-member boy group formed through the Mnet survival show &quot;Boys Planet&quot; in 2023. They originally debuted as a nine-member group — along with AND2BLE&#x27;s members Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyuvin and Han Yujin — under WAKEONE Entertainment, with &quot;In Bloom&quot; setting first-week sales records that demonstrated the massive anticipation built through the survival show. As a project group with a limited contract period, ZB1 operates with an urgency to make every comeback count, and they have delivered with consistent chart-topping releases and sold-out concerts. The group&#x27;s strength lies in their strong individual star power combined with impressive group synergy, cultivated through the intense bonding of their competition experience. Their fandom, ZEROSE, mobilized quickly into one of the most organized fan bases in fourth-generation K-pop. ZB1 represents the continued power of the survival show format to create commercially dominant groups with built-in passionate audiences. On March 15, 2026, they held their last concert as a nine-member boy group, sparking sadness among fans, who had grown fond of the relationship that had developed between the nine boys. As YH Entertainment did not renew the contracts of Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyuvin, and Han Yujin with WAKEONE, ZB1 are now promoting their career as a five-member boy group, with Sung Hanbin, Kim Jiwoong, Seok Matthew, Kim Taerae, and Park Gunwook.

ZEROBASEONE

Seok Matthew and Park Gunwook, members of WakeOne’s ZEROBASEONE, have announced the September 21 release of their long awaited sub-unit project under the duo name ‘EMP’

ZEROBASEONE’s Seok Matthew and Park Gunwook Announce Mixtape Under Sub-unit ‘EMP’

SEVENTEEN is a thirteen-member boy group formed by Pledis Entertainment, debuting in May 2015. The group is organized into three internal teams: hip-hop, vocal, and performance. That structure is more than branding; it explains how SEVENTEEN functions, with members contributing to songwriting, choreography, staging, and the division of energy across a very large lineup. The members are S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino. Their nickname as &quot;self-producing idols&quot; comes especially from Woozi&#x27;s central role in music and Hoshi&#x27;s role in performance direction, but the larger appeal is how the group makes thirteen people feel coordinated rather than crowded. SEVENTEEN&#x27;s early music leaned bright, youthful, and rhythmically nimble, with songs like &quot;Adore U,&quot; &quot;Mansae,&quot; and &quot;Very Nice&quot; presenting them as a group with unusual stage chemistry. Later releases such as &quot;Don&#x27;t Wanna Cry,&quot; &quot;Home,&quot; &quot;Left &amp; Right,&quot; &quot;Rock with you,&quot; and &quot;Super&quot; widened the scale while keeping the choreography and vocal distribution clear. Their best songs often turn teamwork itself into the hook: repeated gestures, fast transitions, and formations that reward watching the whole stage. The group&#x27;s growth into one of K-pop&#x27;s top album sellers came from consistency as much as spectacle. SEVENTEEN built trust through steady comebacks, strong variety content, and concerts that emphasized the members&#x27; humor as well as precision. Their fandom, CARAT, became part of that identity, following a group that could be technically impressive without losing warmth. SEVENTEEN&#x27;s legacy is tied to durability. Few large idol groups have kept such a clear group image while allowing so many individual personalities to stand out. As their scale expanded under the wider HYBE era, they remained recognizably Pledis-born: performance-first, member-driven, and unusually good at turning the mechanics of a big team into something emotionally easy to understand.

SEVENTEEN

JEONGHAN and JOSHUA of SEVENTEEN have announced that they will return as a new sub-unit on October 19, under the name JxJ

SEVENTEEN’s JEONGHAN and JOSHUA Form New Sub-unit JxJ

TOMORROW X TOGETHER, often shortened to TXT, is a five-member boy group under BIGHIT MUSIC. The group consists of Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Huening Kai. They debuted in March 2019 with The Dream Chapter: Star, becoming BigHit&#x27;s first boy group after BTS and immediately attracting heavy attention. TXT&#x27;s early identity centered on youth, friendship, imagination, and the strange emotional weather of growing up. Instead of debuting with a hard-edged performance image, they leaned into brightness, fantasy, and vulnerability on songs such as &quot;Crown,&quot; &quot;Run Away,&quot; and &quot;Blue Hour.&quot; That made the group feel distinct within fourth-generation boy-group trends, especially because their storytelling often treated adolescence as magical, confusing, and a little unstable. As their catalog developed, TXT added sharper pop-rock, emo, and dance influences through songs like &quot;0X1=LOVESONG,&quot; &quot;LO$ER=LOVER,&quot; &quot;Sugar Rush Ride,&quot; and &quot;Chasing That Feeling.&quot; The members&#x27; strengths map cleanly onto that evolution: Soobin&#x27;s calm leadership, Yeonjun&#x27;s performance charisma, Beomgyu&#x27;s color, Taehyun&#x27;s vocal focus, and Huening Kai&#x27;s bright tone all help the group move between softness and intensity. TXT&#x27;s fandom is known as MOA, short for Moments of Alwaysness. The group&#x27;s significance is tied to how carefully they built a coming-of-age identity across albums, videos, and performances. Rather than defining themselves through a single sound, TXT became a group about transition itself: childhood into adulthood, fantasy into reality, and polished idol pop into something more emotionally restless.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER

When Dolce &amp; Gabbana named SOOBIN its newest ambassador, they led with skincare. Alongside the expected fashion portraits, his debut imagery puts glass skin and product front and center. It's not a random choice

SOOBIN, Dolce & Gabbana and the Growing Power of Male K-Beauty

Rookie groups have taken over this week’s latest K-pop releases with songs that are intense, dramatic, soft, and lighthearted

Comeback Corner: IU, YOUNGTAK, NAZE & MORE

Stray Kids is an eight-member boy group under JYP Entertainment, consisting of Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. The group was introduced through the 2017 survival program Stray Kids and officially debuted in March 2018 with I Am Not, following the pre-debut release &quot;Hellevator.&quot; Former member Kim Woojin left in 2019. The group&#x27;s identity is unusually tied to self-production. Before debut, Bang Chan had already gathered the members around a team-first concept, and the production trio 3RACHA -- Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han -- became the engine behind much of Stray Kids&#x27; sound. That gave the group a different center of gravity from many idol acts: the music often felt like it came from inside the team rather than being assigned to them. Musically, Stray Kids are known for dense rap writing, aggressive electronic textures, sudden rhythmic switches, and choruses built for performance impact. &quot;God&#x27;s Menu,&quot; &quot;Back Door,&quot; &quot;Thunderous,&quot; &quot;Maniac,&quot; and &quot;S-Class&quot; made their style easy to identify: noisy in the intentional sense, but organized around hooks, slogans, and choreography that fans could immediately hold onto. Their lyrics often return to pressure, self-definition, ambition, and the awkward process of growing into confidence. The members&#x27; contrast is a major part of the group&#x27;s appeal. Bang Chan anchors the team as leader and producer; Changbin and Han give the rap line speed and personality; Lee Know, Hyunjin, and Felix shape the performance image; Seungmin and I.N bring clearer melodic balance. Rather than smoothing those differences out, Stray Kids usually lean into them, making their songs feel crowded, restless, and unmistakably theirs. Stray Kids became one of the defining global boy groups of the fourth generation, with a fandom known as STAY and major touring success across Asia, North America, Europe, and beyond. Their rise helped prove that a self-producing idol group could scale internationally while keeping a specific sonic fingerprint. Even when the group experiments with genre or language, the core idea remains stable: Stray Kids make high-impact pop out of tension, noise, teamwork, and control.

Stray Kids

Stray Kids’ <dominATE> World Tour Sets New Records, Becoming K-pop’s Biggest Ever

RIIZE is a six-member boy group debuted by SM Entertainment in September 2023, marking the label&#x27;s first new boy group in seven years. The group — Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Seunghan (who later left in 2024) Sohee, and Anton — launched with the single &quot;Get A Guitar,&quot; a warm, acoustic-influenced track that departed from SM&#x27;s typical electronic sound. Their name combines &quot;Rise&quot; and &quot;Realize,&quot; symbolizing growth and the realization of dreams. RIIZE&#x27;s debut was met with enormous anticipation and commercial success, with pre-debut buzz generating massive social media engagement. The group has embraced a more accessible, &quot;emotional pop&quot; sound compared to SM&#x27;s other acts, appealing to a broad audience. Their fandom, BRIIZE, grew rapidly from pre-debut activities alone. Though a young group, RIIZE has already demonstrated strong momentum with chart-topping releases, and they represent SM Entertainment&#x27;s vision for the next chapter of their storied legacy of boy groups.

RIIZE

 XngHan  launches debut single “Waste No Time”

SEVENTEEN ANNOUNCE WORLD TOUR ‘NEW_’ IN U.S.

SF9 (Sensational Feeling 9) is a nine-member boy group formed by FNC Entertainment, debuting in October 2016. The group — Youngbin, Inseong, Jaeyoon, Dawon, Zuho, Rowoon, Taeyang, Hwiyoung, and Chani — first gained attention through the Mnet dance competition show &quot;d.o.b&quot; (Dance or Band). Their early releases leaned into a sleek, sexy concept, with &quot;Roar&quot; and &quot;O Sole Mio&quot; showcasing their polished performance skills. SF9 found broader mainstream recognition largely through member Rowoon, who became one of South Korea&#x27;s most in-demand actors, starring in hit dramas that introduced the group to wider audiences. Musically, the group delivered consistent quality with tracks like &quot;Now or Never,&quot; &quot;Good Guy,&quot; and &quot;Trauma,&quot; blending pop with R&amp;B and dance music. Their fandom, FANTASY, has remained loyal through the ups and downs of the competitive K-pop landscape. SF9 represents a group that balanced idol and acting careers effectively, with multiple members pursuing dual paths in music and drama.

SF9 Are Back: ‘LOVE DAWN’ Tour Set for Europe and the U.S. This Autumn

KATSEYE is a multinational girl group formed through the reality competition series Dream Academy, a collaboration between HYBE and Geffen Records. The group debuted in June 2024 with the single &quot;Debut&quot;. KATSEYE consists of six members from different countries: Daniela Avanzini, Lara Rajagopalan, Manon Bannerman, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza, and Yoonchae Jeong. The group was created to combine Kpop training with a global pop approach, featuring members from North America, Europe, and Asia. The group first gained attention through the documentary series The Debut: Dream Academy (or Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE on Netflix), which followed the trainees&#x27; journey during the Dream Academy project and the process of forming the final lineup. KATSEYE&#x27;s music blends elements of pop, dance, and K-pop-influenced production while targeting a global audience with multilingual promotion and international activities.

KATSEYE

FALL NORTH AMERICAN HEADLINE RUN INCLUDES SHOWS AT NYC’S THEATRE AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN AND YOUTUBE THEATER IN LOS ANGELES

KATSEYE ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST-EVER TOUR, LAUNCHING NOVEMBER 15 IN MINNEAPOLIS

LE SSERAFIM is a five-member girl group under Source Music, consisting of Kim Chaewon, Miyawaki Sakura, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha, and Hong Eunchae. They debuted in May 2022 with &quot;Fearless,&quot; with Kim Garam briefly part of the original lineup before leaving the group. The group&#x27;s name is an anagram of &quot;I&#x27;m Fearless,&quot; and that idea became the spine of their image. LE SSERAFIM&#x27;s music often frames confidence as something earned through pressure rather than something simply declared. &quot;Antifragile,&quot; &quot;Unforgiven,&quot; &quot;Eve, Psyche &amp; The Bluebeard&#x27;s wife,&quot; and &quot;Easy&quot; all explore variations on resilience, ambition, criticism, and the public work of becoming stronger. LE SSERAFIM&#x27;s member mix is unusually clear. Chaewon provides leadership and a compact vocal/performance center, Sakura brings long idol experience and international recognition, Yunjin adds a singer-songwriter voice and outspoken personality, Kazuha&#x27;s ballet background shapes the group&#x27;s elegant athleticism, and Eunchae gives the team a younger, brighter counterweight. Their performances often use that contrast: polished lines, athletic choreography, and a cool refusal to look rattled. The fandom is known as FEARNOT. LE SSERAFIM&#x27;s importance comes from how sharply they defined a modern girl-group confidence concept. Rather than relying only on glamour or toughness, they built an identity around self-discipline, public scrutiny, and forward motion, making vulnerability and ambition feel like parts of the same image.

LE SSERAFIM

The fearless quintet’s global tour draws explosive demand, selling out venues across north america in newark, chicago, san francisco, and las vegas

LE SSERAFIM’S FIRST WORLD TOUR IGNITES, SELLING OUT 12 SHOWS ACROSS 10 CITIES IN NORTH AMERICA AND ASIA

First ever K-pop festival at The O2 with 14 ARTISTS for one Europe-exclusive show

Concerts & Tours

Stray Kids’ <dominATE> World Tour Sets New Records, Becoming K-pop’s Biggest Ever

XngHan launches debut single “Waste No Time”

SEVENTEEN ANNOUNCE WORLD TOUR ‘NEW_’ IN U.S.

SF9 Are Back: ‘LOVE DAWN’ Tour Set for Europe and the U.S. This Autumn

KATSEYE ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST-EVER TOUR, LAUNCHING NOVEMBER 15 IN MINNEAPOLIS

LE SSERAFIM’S FIRST WORLD TOUR IGNITES, SELLING OUT 12 SHOWS ACROSS 10 CITIES IN NORTH AMERICA AND ASIA

SMTOWN LIVE 2025 [THE CULTURE, THE FUTURE] makes K-pop history in London

TOMORROW X TOGETHER Announce Fourth World Tour ‘ACT : TOMORROW’

TWICE Announce Ambitious Sixth World Tour ‘THIS IS FOR’ Ahead of New Album Release

WONHO Announces 2025 World Tour Dates in Latin America

HWASA Bringing Her Solo Power to Europe with the [Twits] Tour

BAEKHYUN Announces First-Ever World Tour Ahead of New Mini Album Release

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