KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

KPOPWORLD #3

KPOPWORLD #2 (Poster Version)

BIGBANG is a South Korean boy group formed by YG Entertainment, debuting in 2006 and becoming one of the most influential acts in K-pop history. The current profile centers on G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung, with T.O.P and Seungri tied to earlier chapters of the group. The group&#x27;s importance comes from how strongly it changed expectations for idol music and image. BIGBANG made self-production, individual fashion identity, and genre-blending central to its appeal, with G-Dragon&#x27;s songwriting and public style playing a major role in the group&#x27;s reputation. Musically, BIGBANG moved through hip-hop, R&amp;B, electronic pop, ballads, and festival-sized dance tracks without losing a recognizable identity. Songs such as &quot;Lies,&quot; &quot;Haru Haru,&quot; &quot;Fantastic Baby,&quot; and &quot;Bang Bang Bang&quot; became reference points for later idol groups trying to balance mainstream hooks with stronger artist branding. The members also became major solo figures, which helped the group feel less like a standard idol team and more like a collection of distinct pop stars. That individual power brought both longevity and complications, especially as military service, controversies, and member departures changed the group&#x27;s public shape. The fandom is known as V.I.P. BIGBANG is a defining second-generation group whose impact on K-pop music, fashion, performance, and global ambition is difficult to separate from the genre&#x27;s modern history.

BIGBANG

G-Dragon se convirtió en 2019 en el primer rapero asiático en la historia de Nike en lograr una colaboración creativa con el Swoosh: no un rol de embajador, sino una alianza construida por completo alrededor de su propia lógica estética

Cómo G-Dragon construyó la asociación más importante de Nike en la historia del K-pop

KiiiKiii is a five-member girl group under Starship Entertainment, consisting of Jiyu, Leesol, Sui, Haum, and Kya. The group began its rollout in 2025 with &quot;I Do Me&quot; and built its debut era around a confident, self-directed image. As a newer Starship group, KiiiKiii carries attention from the company&#x27;s girl-group history while needing a distinct identity of its own. Their early presentation leans youthful but assertive, with styling and performance choices that frame the members as a compact team rather than a loose collection of rookies. The fandom is known as TiiiKiii. KiiiKiii is still early in its career, but its debut identity is clear: a compact Starship girl group built around self-possession, youthful confidence, and a team image still being defined through its first releases.

KiiiKiii

Ciertos tipos de marketing se han vuelto habituales en la industria del K-pop. Desde las fotos iniciales del concepto y los tráileres con estilo cinematográfico hasta los teasers y mash-ups, los nuevos álbumes llegan con una gran cantidad de contenido para que los fans lo analicen antes del lanzamiento

Una nueva era del marketing de K-pop: por qué funciona el sitio web de viajes de KiiiKiii

El recorrido de David Yong hacia el K-pop no sigue el manual estándar de un idol. Después de descubrir el género a través de BIGBANG y TWICE, el empresario singapurense aprovechó años de formación vocal mientras asumía el estudio del coreano, clases de baile y grabaciones en Seoul

De fan a ejecutivo-artista: David Yong sobre su camino en el K-pop

NEXZ is a seven-member Japanese boy group formed by JYP Entertainment and Sony Music Japan through the Japanese reality show Nizi Project Season 2. The group&#x27;s name means Next Z(G)eneration, and was coined by J.Y. Park to represent the wish for the group to lead JYPE into the future. The final episode premiered on December 15, 2023, revealing the debut lineup, ranked as follows: Tomoya, Haru, Yuki, Ken (So Geon), Yu, Yuhi (Hyui), and Seita. They debuted with the Korean song &quot;Ride the Vibe.&quot;

NEXZ

Cuando NEXZ lanzó "Mmchk" en abril de 2026, el primer comeback del año del grupo de siete integrantes vendió más de 444.000 copias en su primera semana —un nuevo récord en su carrera—, encabezó la lista de álbumes retail de Circle Chart y les consiguió su primer número uno en una emisión musical coreana

NEXZ: Ya no queda más que subir

Más allá de los grupos de K-pop y las coreografías que dominan los titulares, otra ola de cantautores y artistas independientes de la escena musical de South Korea ha ido construyendo su propia audiencia. DORI forma parte de esa ola, aunque llegó a ella desde una dirección poco probable

DORI habla en color

Se invita a influencers a conciertos y eventos de K-pop todo el tiempo a cambio de contenido y prensa, pero ¿en qué momento ese acceso empieza a ir en detrimento de los fans que pagaron por estar allí?

¿Qué pasa cuando la cultura de los influencers interfiere en la experiencia de un concierto para el fandom?

Dos historias examinan críticas válidas a las empresas de K-pop: la cultura de influencers en los conciertos de Stray Kids y la falta de sentimiento detrás del décimo aniversario de BLACKPINK. La tercera explora las agridulces renovaciones de contrato de THE BOYZ y lo que podrían significar para el futuro del grupo&nbsp;

La semana pasada en K-pop, interpretada (3 de agosto - 7 de agosto de 2026)

Cortis, is a South Korean boy band formed by Big Hit Music. The group consists of five members: Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon, and Keonho. They debuted on August 18, 2025, with the digital single “What You Want&quot; followed by their first EP, &quot;Color Outside the Lines&quot;. The group’s name is derived from the phrase “Color Outside the Lines,” reflecting their concept of creative freedom and nonconformity. Cortis has been promoted as a self-producing “creator crew,” with members participating in songwriting, choreography, and visual direction. Blending pop, hip-hop, and experimental elements, the group gained early attention for their performance skills, self-produced content, and strong rookie-year sales, establishing them as one of Big Hit Music’s newer generation acts.

CORTIS

CORTIS construyó "FaSHioN" alrededor de una letra que rechaza la idea de que el estilo necesite dinero: 200 millones de streams después, el tema sigue siendo su declaración de intenciones más clara

El primer aniversario de CORTIS los posiciona como la realeza de la moda del K-pop

NEUK JUN, antes un intérprete anónimo y enmascarado, vuelve a ponerse bajo los focos con THE ARRIVAL, revelando su identidad y su nuevo capítulo&nbsp;

NEUK JUN: Valor de cara

Wonder Girls were a girl group formed by JYP Entertainment, debuting in February 2007. The group — whose most well-known lineup included Sunye, Yeeun, Sohee, Yubin, and Hyerim — became one of the defining acts of second-generation K-pop. Their 2007 single &quot;Tell Me&quot; sparked a national dance craze in South Korea, with the retro choreography being replicated everywhere from schools to military barracks. Follow-up hits &quot;So Hot&quot; and &quot;Nobody&quot; were equally massive. Wonder Girls made history as the first K-pop group to enter the Billboard Hot 100, with &quot;Nobody&quot; charting in 2009 during their ambitious attempt to break into the American market. While their U.S. promotions had mixed results, the group&#x27;s pioneering efforts helped pave the way for future K-pop acts in the West. In their later years, Wonder Girls reinvented themselves as a self-playing band, releasing the critically acclaimed album &quot;Reboot.&quot; The group disbanded in 2017, but their legacy as trailblazers in K-pop&#x27;s global expansion is firmly established.

Wonder Girls

Sunmi deja de lado su energía característica de alto voltaje por algo más suave con "Forever July", una canción construida en torno al insomnio, la lluvia y una pregunta que nunca responde del todo

En 'Forever July', Sunmi Cambia el Pop Veraniego por la Lluvia de Verano

dodree is the first Subunit of the girl group DDDD 25. The unit is composed of members Na Yeongjoo and Lee Songhyun. They debuted on January 21, 2026, with the single album &quot;Just Like A Dream&quot;.

dodree

dodree llama a su sonido "K-rossover Pop" – voces de pansori, riffs de gayageum y movimientos de baile tomados del movimiento tradicional coreano de “line-drawing”, subvertidos dentro de su creciente catálogo mediante el uso de elementos modernos como beats de trap y sintetizadores soñadores

dodree: El dúo misterioso bajo JYP

Cuatro años de silencio, y Choi Yoojung lo rompe diciendo exactamente hacia dónde apunta. "Perfect Target" es el primer lanzamiento que ella misma ha escrito y compuesto

Cuatro años después, Choi Yoojung por fin pone nombre a su objetivo perfecto

El consentimiento se convirtió en el tema definitorio del K-pop la semana pasada, abarcando la protesta de BTS en los Grammys, los debates del Waterbomb Festival y a artistas como Young K de DAY6 acercándose más al público general&nbsp;

La semana pasada en K-pop, interpretada (27 de julio - 31 de julio de 2026)

&amp;TEAM is a nine-member Japanese boy group under YX Labels (formerly HYBE Labels Japan). The group was formed through the survival program &quot;&amp;Audition - The Howling&quot; and debuted in December 2022 with their first extended play &quot;First Howling: Me&quot;. The group consists of EJ, Fuma, K, Nicholas, Yuma, Jo, Harua, Taki, and Maki, with EJ serving as the leader. Several members, including K, Nicholas, EJ, and Taki, previously participated in the survival show I-LAND before being selected for HYBE&#x27;s Japanese global debut project. Before their official debut, the group released the digital single Under the Skin, which introduced their storyline and concept. Their debut EP, First Howling,e followed shortly afterward, marking the beginning of the group&#x27;s &quot;First Howling&quot; series of releases. Although primarily active in Japan, &amp;TEAM promoted internationally and later expanded into Korea with Korean-language releases and promotions. Their fandom name is LUNÉ, representing fans who support the group like the moon lighting the night sky.

&TEAM

En la historia de portada impresa de nuestro Issue 5, MAKI de &amp;TEAM habla con franqueza sobre lo que se siente volverse viral — y por qué es más complicado de lo que parece

Feature