KPOPWORLD #6 (Yves)

KPOPWORLD #6 (KEYVITUP X VAYONN)

KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

デビュー作『SPLAY : CHAPTER 01』を経て、5人組バンドSplayitは、さらに多彩な魅力を見せる準備が整っている。YOON CHAN、EUN BIN、KYUNG UK、AYDN、EUN CHANが登場。

Splayit、独自のサウンドを見つけ、アイデンティティを築く

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

Mnetの「STEAL HEART CLUB」を通じて結成されたhrtz.wavは、デビュー以来、5人の個性あるミュージシャンがひとつのバンドとしてどうまとまっていくかを模索してきた。初のミニアルバム『The First Wave』では、若さゆえの感情や経験を土台にした明るいポップロックサウンドを披露した。

hrtz.wavは自分たちだけのリズムを見つけつつある

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

新星Baby DONT Cryは、自分たちを表現する新たな方法を見つけつつある。2025年に「F Girl」でデビューして以来、4人組の彼女たちは持ち味の自信にとどまらず、さまざまなサウンドとより幅広い感情表現を探求し始めている

Baby DONT Cryは、より柔らかなサウンドの中で強さを見つけることを学んでいる

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は、新たなコンサート映画『TWICE: THIS IS FOR… YOU』の公開を発表した。世界各地の劇場で2027年2月5日から上映される予定だ。

TWICE <THIS IS FOR> コンサート映画、Bleecker StreetのCrosswalkとUniversal Pictures Internationalのもとで2027年に公開へ

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.

EXOのBAEKHYUNが、EXO-CBXとINB100の継続中の契約紛争のさなか、新たな芸能事務所B.EON Entertainmentを立ち上げた。

EXOのBAEKHYUN、新事務所B.EON Entertainmentを設立

すべてのK-popグループが成功物語を手にするわけではない。中には、才能があっても最初から不利な状況を背負ってスタートするグループもある。過小評価されたグループ LU:KUS と BULLDOK もそのケースだ。

これらの過小評価されたグループに何が起き、なぜ姿を消したのか？

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.

すべてのK-popグループが、自分たちの核となるサウンドやコンセプト、そしてそれがファンにどう響くのかを理解したうえでデビューするわけではない。2015年にデビューしたボーイズグループVAVほど、それを物語る例はないだろう。彼らの初期の楽曲は、メンバーの魅力を十分に引き出せていなかったのだから。

VAVのマイルドな再起が、いかにして“救済”の物語へと変わったのか

Girls’ GenerationからBIGBANG、PSY、EXOまで、K-popのミュージックビデオは単なるファン向けのビジュアル特典を超え、会話や音楽業界を動かす文化的ムーブメントへと進化してきた。

K-pop史上最も影響力のあるミュージックビデオ

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は10枚目のミニアルバム『BLOW UP』で、スーパーヒーローの物語を正式に締めくくった。ハイパーポップのタイトル曲を軸に、6人組は長く続いたヒーロー・ストーリーに幕を下ろしつつ、全6曲を通して新たなサウンドを探求している。

P1Harmony、10枚目のミニアルバム『BLOW UP』でヒーロー・サーガに終止符

EXOやBTSからATEEZやaespaまで、K-popの世界観は、架空のユニバース、相互に関連する物語、そしてトランスメディア・ストーリーテリングが広がる壮大な世界へと進化してきた

K-Popの世界観ビジネス：ワールドビルディングからファンロイヤルティへ

フォトカードほど、K-popのフィジカルアルバムの重要性を凌駕する消費者文化はこれまで存在しなかった。2000年代半ばにボーナス特典として始まったフォトカードは、今やK-popのマーケティング、グッズ展開、コレクション文化における重要な存在となっている

K-popフォトカードはどうやって「おまけの付属品」から「ファン文化の一大サブカルチャー」へと進化したのか

サブユニットは、フルグループでの活動やソロ活動を補完する、K-pop業界を象徴する存在になっている。選抜されたメンバーを集めて、その集団としての魅力を見せることで

サブユニットの目的と、K-popで定着していった理由

Londonのライブ音楽シーンは活況を呈しているにもかかわらず、増え続けるK-popツアーがヨーロッパ公演の日程からこの街を外している

K-popツアーはなぜLondonを飛ばすのか？

K-popの音楽消費との関係が変化している。韓国国内のストリーミング数が減少する一方で、フィジカルアルバムの売上は過去最高水準に達しており、リスナーがどのように音楽を見つけ、業界が成功をどう測るのかに疑問が投げかけられている。

K-popは韓国のデジタル市場の減速で、より“フィジカル”志向になっているのか？

2000年代後半から2010年代後半にかけて、リパッケージ・アルバムはK-pop業界を席巻したマーケティング戦略だった。1枚のアルバムに新曲を追加し、まったく新しいコンセプトで再発売することで、追加の売り上げを生み出していた

K-popのリパッケージ・アルバムはどうなったのか――そしてなぜ以前ほど見られなくなったのか?

Sungshin Women’s UniversityのProfessor Kim Jung-supによる研究では、1996年から2025年の間にデビューした1,182組のK-popグループのうち、シングルアルバムでミリオンセラーを達成したのは19組だけだったことが明らかになった

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