KPOPWORLD #6 (Yves)

KPOPWORLD #6 (KEYVITUP X VAYONN)

KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

Following their debut with SPLAY : CHAPTER 01, five-member band Splayit are ready to show audiences more of what they can do. Featuring YOON CHAN, EUN BIN, KYUNG UK, AYDN and EUN CHAN

Splayit on Finding Their Sound and Building Their Identity

hrtz.wav is a five-member boy band under Kakao Entertainment. The group was formed through STEAL HEART CLUB and debuted with their first mini album The First Wave. The group’s formation began when Mnet announced plans to debut a new global boy band through the survival program STEAL HEART CLUB, which aired in late 2025. The program followed contestants competing in different instrumental and vocal positions to determine the final lineup of the band. The show premiered in October 2025 and concluded with a live finale in December, where the group’s official name, hrtz.wav, and its final members were revealed. The lineup was determined by position rankings, with Hagiwa as drummer, Dane as bassist, Keiten as guitarist, Riaan as vocalist, and Youn Young Jun as keyboardist. Production of the program was handled by CJ ENM, while Kakao Entertainment oversees the band’s distribution, album planning, production, and overall management. The group made their official debut with the mini album The First Wave, released on April 8, 2026.

hrtz.wav

Formed through Mnet’s STEAL HEART CLUB, hrtz.wav have spent the months since their debut learning how five individual musicians can come together as one band. Their first mini album, The First Wave, introduced a bright pop-rock sound rooted in the emotions and experiences of youth

hrtz.wav Are Finding Their Own Rhythm

Baby DONT Cry, is a South Korean girl group formed and managed by P Nation. The group consists of four members: Yihyun, Kumi, Mia, and Beni. They debuted on June 23, 2025, with the single album &quot;F Girl&quot;. The group was initially teased in early 2025 under the pre-debut name “P Girls” and confirmed as P Nation’s first official girl group later that year. Their pre-debut track “Bet You’ll Regret It” was released on June 16, 2025, building anticipation ahead of their debut. Baby DONT Cry’s debut single “F Girl” presents a bold message encouraging confidence and rejecting judgment based on external standards. The group’s concept has been described as youthful yet assertive, combining pop and performance elements with distinctive visuals. Their creative direction and early production were led by Soyeon, who played a significant role in shaping their sound and image. Baby DONT Cry’s fandom is officially named “Cherries,” symbolizing a community united by growth and joy. The group has since continued activities with subsequent releases, including the digital single “I Don’t Care” released in November 2025.. Although still early in their career, Baby DONT Cry has drawn attention for their fresh approach, strong visuals, and connections to established producers, marking a notable debut in the K-pop landscape.

Baby DONT Cry

Rising stars Baby DONT Cry are discovering new ways to express themselves. Since debuting with "F Girl" in 2025, the four-member group have begun expanding beyond their signature confidence, exploring different sounds and a wider emotional range

Baby DONT Cry Are Learning to Find Strength in Softer Sounds

TWICE is a nine-member girl group formed by JYP Entertainment through the survival show Sixteen. The lineup consists of Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu, with members from South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. They debuted in October 2015 with &quot;Like Ooh-Ahh,&quot; introducing the bright, kinetic identity that would make them one of the central girl groups of K-pop&#x27;s third generation. The group&#x27;s early rise was built on an unusually clear pop formula: big choruses, memorable gestures, colorful styling, and personalities that were easy for viewers to distinguish. A run led by &quot;Cheer Up&quot; and &quot;TT&quot; turned TWICE into a national-level phenomenon in Korea, while their Japanese members helped the group cross naturally into Japan&#x27;s idol and pop markets. Rather than relying on a single vocal or dance center, TWICE worked because the lineup felt balanced as a whole: playful, approachable, and tightly rehearsed. As the members grew older, TWICE gradually expanded beyond the cute and school-age image attached to their first hits. The move from &quot;Fancy&quot; through &quot;I Can&#x27;t Stop Me&quot; kept the group&#x27;s melodic accessibility while bringing in sleeker dance-pop, disco, synth-pop, and more mature performance styling. That evolution mattered because it let TWICE remain recognizable without staying frozen in their debut concept. TWICE also became one of the clearest examples of a K-pop girl group building a long international career without losing its domestic base. Their Korean and Japanese discographies developed side by side, and later global touring brought the group to arenas and stadiums far beyond East Asia. The fandom is known as ONCE, a name that matches the group&#x27;s long-running emphasis on mutual loyalty between the members and their audience. Their legacy is not only commercial. TWICE helped define what a modern large girl group could be: member-driven, visually bright, musically immediate, and durable enough to age into a second phase. They normalized the idea that a top K-pop girl group could keep all members active across many years, shift concepts without abandoning its core warmth, and still feel like a complete team even as individual members developed solo work, acting, modeling, and unit activities.

TWICE

TWICE have announced the release of a new concert film titled TWICE: THIS IS FOR… YOU, which is set to arrive in cinemas worldwide from February 5, 2027

TWICE <THIS IS FOR> Concert Film Set to Release in 2027 Under Bleecker Street’s Crosswalk and Universal Pictures International

EXO is a South Korean-Chinese boy group formed by SM Entertainment in 2012. Originally debuting as two subunits — EXO-K (Korean) and EXO-M (Chinese) — the group quickly became one of the biggest acts in K-pop history with hits like &quot;Growl,&quot; &quot;Call Me Baby,&quot; and &quot;Monster.&quot; Their synchronized choreography, powerful vocals, and theatrical concepts helped define the third generation of K-pop and earned them the nickname &quot;Kings of K-pop.&quot; Over the years, EXO has sold millions of albums, held massive world tours, and seen their members flourish in solo careers spanning music, acting, and variety shows. Members like Baekhyun, D.O., and Chen have become household names in South Korea. Despite mandatory military enlistments creating periods of group inactivity, EXO&#x27;s dedicated fanbase, known as EXO-L, has remained fiercely loyal, ensuring the group&#x27;s legacy endures well into the 2020s.

BAEKHYUN of EXO has launched his new entertainment company, B.EON Entertainment, in the midst of EXO-CBX’s ongoing contract dispute with INB100

EXO’s BAEKHYUN Establishes New Agency B.EON Entertainment

Not every K-pop group has a success story – some start small with odds already stacked against them despite their talent. This is the case with the underrated groups LU:KUS and BULLDOK

What Happened To These Underrated Groups and Why Did They Fade?

VAV (stylized as VɅV) is a six-member boy group formed by A team Entertainment. Their name stands for &quot;Very Awesome Voice,&quot; reflecting the group&#x27;s focus on performance and music. They officially debuted on October 31, 2015 with their first mini album Under the Moonlight. Originally debuting with a different lineup, the group experienced several member changes during their early years. In 2016, member Xiao departed to care for his father&#x27;s health, followed by Zehan, who left to pursue acting, and GyeoUl, who chose to focus on producing. In February 2017, VAV reorganized with the addition of new members Ayno, Lou, and Ziu, marking the beginning of a new era for the group. Over the years, VAV built an international fanbase through consistent releases and overseas promotions, becoming known for their polished performances and multilingual activities. The group continued promoting with the revised lineup for several years before further changes occurred. On March 10, 2023, A team Entertainment announced that Baron had left the group and terminated his exclusive contract with the agency. Less than a year later, on February 29, 2024, it was confirmed that both VAV and A team Entertainment had mutually agreed to terminate their exclusive contracts, bringing an end to the group&#x27;s activities under the company.

Not all K-pop groups debut knowing what their core sound or concept will be and how it will resonate with fans. Nothing could’ve been truer for boy group VAV, who debuted in 2015 with songs that didn’t quite do the members justice

How VAV’s Soft Reboot Turned Into A Redemption Arc

From Girls’ Generation to BIGBANG, PSY, and EXO, K-pop music videos have become more than just visual bonuses for fans — they’ve become cultural movements that shift conversations, the music industry

The Most Influential Music Videos In K-pop History

P1Harmony is a South Korean boy group formed and managed by FNC Entertainment. The group debuted on October 28, 2020, with the extended play &quot;Disharmony: Stand Out&quot;. P1Harmony consists of six members: Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul, and Jongseob. Since their debut, the group has released a series of EPs and promotional singles under a narrative continuity that explores themes of identity, conflict, and growth, often described as the &quot;Harmony series.&quot; Their discography includes Disharmony: Break Out (2021), Harmony: All In, Harmony: Set In, and subsequent releases reflecting both commercial and conceptual development. The group is known for strong choreography, narrative-driven concepts, and genre versatility spanning pop, hip-hop, R&amp;B, and EDM influences. P1Harmony has promoted both domestically and internationally, performing on Korean music shows and participating in global events.

P1Harmony

P1Harmony have officially closed their superhero saga with ‘BLOW UP,’ their 10th mini album. Led by a hyperpop title track, the six-member group bring their long-running hero storyline to an end while exploring new sounds across six tracks

P1Harmony Close Their Hero Saga With 10th Mini Album ‘BLOW UP’

From EXO and BTS to ATEEZ and aespa, K-pop lore has evolved into a sprawling world of fictional universes, interconnected narratives and transmedia storytelling

The Business of K-Pop Lore: From Worldbuilding to Fan Loyalty

There has never been a consumerist subculture that eclipses the importance of physical K-pop albums like photocards. Starting as bonus inclusions in the mid-2000s, photocards have since become a pivotal moment for K-pop marketing, merchandising, and collecting

How K-pop Photocards Went From Bonus Album Inclusions To An Entire Fan Subculture

Subunits have become a defining feature of the K-pop industry, complementing full-group promotions and solo activities. By bringing together select members to showcase their collective talents

The Purpose of Subunits and How They Became Normalized In K-pop

London’s live music scene is thriving, yet a growing number of K-pop tours are leaving the city off their European itineraries

Why Are K-pop Tours Skipping London?

K-pop’s relationship with music consumption is changing. As South Korea’s domestic streaming figures decline, physical album sales are reaching new highs, raising questions about how listeners discover music and how the industry measures success

Is K-pop Becoming More Physical as Korea’s Digital Market Slows?

From the late 2000s through the late 2010s, repackaged albums as a marketing strategy ruled the K-pop industry, selling additional copies of a single album by reissuing it with new tracks tacked on and an entirely new concept

What Happened to K-pop Repackaged Albums – and Why Are They Less Common?

A study by Professor Kim Jung-sup of Sungshin Women’s University reveals that only 19 of 1,182 K-pop groups that debuted between 1996 and 2025 achieved million-seller status with a single album

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