KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

KPOPWORLD #3

KPOPWORLD #2 (Poster Version)

David YongのK-pop入りは、一般的なアイドルの王道ルートとは少し違う。BIGBANGやTWICEをきっかけにこのジャンルに触れたシンガポールの実業家は、長年にわたるボーカルトレーニングを土台に、韓国語の勉強、ダンスレッスン、そしてソウルでのレコーディングに挑んだ。

ファンからアーティスト兼エグゼクティブへ：David YongのK-popの歩み

ソウル生まれのシンガーソングライター、ZIN CHOIは17歳。キャリアを始めてまだ2年足らずながら、すでに自分のやり方で活動している――楽曲の作詞・作曲・プロデュースまで手がけているのだ。

ZIN CHOI

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

NEXZが2026年4月に「Mmchk」をリリースした際、7人組によるその年最初のカムバック作品は初週売上44万4,000枚超を記録し、キャリアハイを更新。Circle Chartのリテールアルバムチャートで首位を獲得し、韓国の音楽番組で初の1位にも輝いた。

NEXZ: 上にしか行く道はない

K-popグループや振付が見出しを席巻する一方で、韓国の音楽シーンでは、シンガーソングライターやインディペンデント・アーティストたちによる別の波が、自分たちのファン層を着実に広げている。DORIもその波の一人だが、意外な方向からその世界にたどり着いた。

DORI、色で語る

ASTRO is a four-member boy group under Fantagio. Originally debuting as six members, the group entered the industry with their first mini album &quot;Spring Up&quot;, quickly gaining attention for their bright concept and strong performance skills. The original lineup consisted of MJ, JinJin, Cha Eun-woo, Moon Bin, Rocky, and Sanha, establishing a well-balanced team recognized for both musical and variety presence. In their early years, ASTRO built a steady discography with releases such as &quot;Summer Vibes&quot;, &quot;Autumn Story&quot;, and the &quot;Dream&quot; series, while also expanding their reach through concerts and international promotions. Their growth continued with their first full-length album &quot;All Light&quot; and subsequent releases including &quot;Blue Flame&quot;, &quot;Gateway&quot;, and &quot;All Yours&quot;, solidifying their place in the industry with a consistent sound and evolving image. The group also explored unit activities, including Moon Bin &amp; Sanha and JinJin &amp; Rocky, further showcasing their versatility. :contentReference[oaicite:0] Over time, ASTRO experienced significant changes, including Rocky’s departure and the passing of Moon Bin in 2023, marking a deeply emotional period for the group and fans. Despite these challenges, the group has continued activities as four members, releasing commemorative and special projects such as &quot;Circles&quot;, &quot;Twilight&quot;, and &quot;Moon&quot;, reflecting both their growth and enduring bond as they move forward together.

ASTRO

YOON SAN-HAは、多くの人が思っているよりもずっと長くこの業界にいる。10代前半でFantagioの練習生として入り、2016年にASTROの最年少メンバーとしてデビューした。

YOON SAN-HAは“自分らしくある”準備ができている

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は、デビュー・ワールドツアーを8月13日と14日に世界中の映画スクリーンへ届ける。LAのYouTube Theaterから生中継され、今回の上映のためだけに制作された30分のプレショーも行われる。

CORTIS、デビュー・ワールドツアーを8月に世界中の映画館で上映へ

SHINee is a boy group formed by SM Entertainment, debuting in May 2008 with &quot;Replay.&quot; The group consists of Onew, Jonghyun, Key, Minho, and Taemin. SM promoted them as a &quot;contemporary band,&quot; a phrase that fit their role as trendsetters in music, choreography, styling, and performance. SHINee&#x27;s catalog moved quickly from the smooth youthfulness of &quot;Replay&quot; into sharper electronic pop and hybrid performance tracks. Later records like &quot;View&quot; and &quot;1 of 1&quot; showed how far they could push taste while staying accessible, bringing deep house, retro R&amp;B, and fashion-conscious presentation into mainstream idol pop. Their dances were often technical without feeling stiff, and their vocals gave even experimental tracks a polished center. The members built unusually strong individual identities: Onew as a warm vocalist, Jonghyun as a songwriter and one of K-pop&#x27;s most expressive singers, Key as a style and variety standout, Minho as an athletic performer and actor, and Taemin as a solo performer whose work influenced later idols. Jonghyun&#x27;s death in 2017 remains an important and painful part of SHINee&#x27;s history, and the group&#x27;s later activities are often understood through both grief and continuity. SHINee&#x27;s fandom is known as Shawol. Their legacy is deep because they were not only popular; they were influential in ways that became part of K-pop&#x27;s basic vocabulary. Later groups inherited their emphasis on difficult choreography, distinctive styling, strong solo identities, and the idea that idol pop could be both polished and genuinely adventurous.

SHINee

7月24日、TAEMINはソロカムバック作『PHASE 1 : Soft Violence』を8月31日にリリースすると発表した。アリを描いた謎めいた画像と、低い位置から不安定に撮影された同じく謎めいたティーザー映像が公開された。

TAEMINが『PHASE 1 : Soft Violence』とワールドツアー [LiMiNaL] でカムバックへ

Big Hit MusicのCORTISが、セカンドミニアルバム『GREENGREEN』でトリプルミリオンセラーを達成した。2026年7月23日にCircle Chartが発表したデータによると、このアルバムは5月4日のリリース以降、全世界で300万枚以上を売り上げている。

CORTISの「GREENGREEN」、トリプルミリオンセラーに

2026年10月28日〜31日にAlamodomeを席巻へ

KPOPWORLD Festival & Worldwide Dance Competition

7月20日、HYBEは新たにガールズグループ特化型レーベルABDからデビューする最初のアーティストとしてTUIDEを公開した。7人のメンバーそれぞれのプロフィールとともに、コンセプトティザー第1弾も公開され、「ambition」と「enjoyment」を軸にした方向性が示されている。

HYBE、新ガールズグループTUIDEを公開

BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed by Big Hit Music in 2010 and debuting on June 12, 2013, with the single album &quot;2 Cool 4 Skool&quot;. The group consists of seven members: RM (leader), Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook. The name BTS stands for Bangtan Sonyeondan (“Bulletproof Boy Scouts”), reflecting the group’s original concept of resisting societal expectations and criticism aimed at youth. Members RM, Suga, and J-Hope have played significant roles in songwriting and production throughout the group’s career. BTS first gained widespread attention with the [The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1 era], particularly the single I Need U, which earned the group their first Korean music show win in 2015. Their international breakthrough followed with releases such as Wings and the Love Yourself series. In 2018, &quot;Love Yourself: Tear&quot; became the first album by a Korean act to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The group achieved further global success with singles including &quot;Dynamite&quot;, &quot;Butter&quot;, and &quot;Permission to Dance&#x27;&quot;, all of which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. BTS is among the best-selling artists in South Korean history and has received numerous international awards, while also participating in global initiatives such as the UNICEF Love Myself campaign. Between 2022 and 2025, BTS paused full-group activities as the members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service. The last member, Suga, was discharged in June 2025, marking the completion of service for all seven members. Following their reunion, the group confirmed they were preparing a new album and world tour for 2026. Their tenth studio album, &quot;ARIRANG&quot;, recorded between July and November 2025, was released on March 20, 2026, marking their first group release in more than three years. The album will be supported by the Arirang World Tour, beginning in April 2026.

7月19日（日）、BTSはFIFA World Cup決勝戦で「Dynamite」を披露し、大会史上初となるハーフタイムショーの一環としてパフォーマンスを行った。Madonna、Coldplay、Shakira、Justin Bieberといった伝説的アーティストたちと並び、7人組は83,000人の観客の前で歴史を作った。

BTS、2026 FIFA World Cup決勝のハーフタイムショーに出演

BigHit Entertainmentは、BTSがARIRANGのB面曲「NORMAL」のミュージックビデオを2026年7月17日にSpotify限定で公開すると発表した。ティーザーでは、バスルームで横並びになるメンバーの姿が描かれ、BTSらしいユーモラスなアプローチが見られる。

BTS、「NORMAL」のミュージックビデオをSpotify限定で公開へ

7月16日、JYP Entertainment傘下のINNIT Entertainmentは、コンセプトフィルムを通じて、同社の新ガールグループOURBIRTHDAYの最初の3人のメンバーを公開した。動画のタイトルは「ERROR 502: Bad Gateway」で、少女たちの紹介と、ホラー的なコンセプトの幕開けを担っている。

JYP Entertainmentの新ガールグループ OURBIRTHDAY を初公開

NCT 127 is the Seoul-based fixed unit of NCT, formed by SM Entertainment and debuting in July 2016. The &quot;127&quot; refers to Seoul&#x27;s longitude, grounding the unit in the city even as the broader NCT project was designed around expansion. From the beginning, NCT 127 carried the more urban, experimental side of the NCT system. The unit&#x27;s music is known for abrasive textures, unusual structures, and a heavy emphasis on rhythm. &quot;Limitless,&quot; &quot;Cherry Bomb,&quot; &quot;Regular,&quot; &quot;Kick It,&quot; and &quot;Sticker&quot; are not built like neutral pop singles; they use chants, distorted synths, sparse hooks, and strong rap sections to create a sound that can feel challenging before it becomes addictive. That willingness to be strange became the group&#x27;s signature rather than a side effect. NCT 127&#x27;s lineup has included members such as Taeyong, Johnny, Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, Mark, and Haechan. The unit works because those personalities pull in different directions: rap, vocal polish, dance sharpness, humor, and a fashion-forward public image all sit inside one brand. Their fandom falls under the wider NCTzen name, often shortened to Czennie. NCT 127&#x27;s importance is not just that they promoted globally or charted internationally; it is that they made SM&#x27;s most experimental boy-group ideas commercially visible. They turned risk into identity, making songs that sounded unmistakably like NCT 127 even when they divided listeners at first.

NCT 127

7月15日、SM EntertainmentはNCT 127の現メンバー7人、JOHNNY、TAEYONG、YUTA、DOYOUNG、JAEHYUN、JUNGWOO、HAECHANが同社との契約を更新したと発表した。

NCT 127の全メンバー、SM Entertainmentとの契約を更新

XLOV is a South Korean boy group formed by 257 Entertainment and currently managed by [WM Entertainment]. The group consists of four members: Wumuti, Rui, Hyun, and Haru. They debuted on January 7, 2025, with the single album I&#x27;mma Be. XLOV gained attention for promoting a genderless concept, incorporating androgynous styling and performances that challenge traditional gender norms in Kpop. The group&#x27;s name combines &quot;X,&quot; representing the unknown and negation, with &quot;LOV,&quot; symbolizing incomplete love, while their fandom name, EVOL, represents the completion of that concept. Several members were previously known through survival programs before debut. Wumuti, Rui, and Haru participated in Boys Planet, while Wumuti was also active in the project group WATERFIRE before helping form XLOV. The group is particularly noted for Wumuti&#x27;s involvement in songwriting and production, including contributions to their debut release. Since debuting, XLOV has released music including I&#x27;mma Be and I ONE, earning recognition for their distinctive concept, performance style, and growing international fanbase. In 2026, the group&#x27;s management structure changed following the acquisition of 257 Entertainment by WM Entertainment through RBW. Their music primarily incorporates elements of hip-hop, R&amp;B, and pop, while their visual identity and performances have distinguished them as one of the more unconventional rookie acts of the fifth generation of Kpop.

XLOV

7月14日、インナービューティーブランド LifePharm は、ジェンダーレスグループ XLOV が新たな Global Ambassadors に就任すると発表した。同ブランドは、K-POPアイドルのセルフケアとして紹介されている話題の栄養補助食品シリーズ「Mood Change Alpha Plus」で知られている。

XLOV、インナービューティーブランド LifePharm のアンバサダーに就任

NCT, short for Neo Culture Technology, is a boy group project under SM Entertainment. The system was built around multiple units, changing combinations, and regional expansion rather than a single fixed lineup, making NCT one of SM&#x27;s most ambitious idol structures. The project began publicly through NCT U in 2016, then expanded through fixed or semi-fixed units such as NCT 127, NCT Dream, WayV, and NCT WISH. Each unit carries a different role: Seoul-based performance, youth-to-adult growth, Chinese-language promotion, rotational experiments, and the final new-team expansion. NCT&#x27;s music is often associated with dense production, experimental structures, and performance-heavy arrangements. The group&#x27;s system allowed SM to place members in songs by concept, which helped produce very different sounds under the same brand without asking every unit to serve the same identity. The project also made member identity central to the fan experience. NCTzen follows not only the full brand but also unit dynamics, cross-unit collaborations, and individual member activities, which makes the profile more complex than a normal group page. NCT is both a group brand and a structure for multiple teams. That structure shaped how SM approached global boy-group promotion from the mid-2010s onward, making the project as much about organization and unit design as individual songs.

7月13日、NCTの第5世代ユニットNCT WISHが、日本シングルアルバムYO-I-DON! / BOY MEETS GIRLをリリースした。アルバムには、6月22日に先行公開された「BOY MEETS GIRL」と、新たなタイトル曲「YO-I-DON!」の2曲が収録されている。

NCT WISH、ソールドアウトの日本ファンミーティングを経て日本シングル『YO-I-DON! / BOY MEETS GIRL』をリリース

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

本日、2026年7月13日、PLEDIS EntertainmentはSEVENTEENの13人全員が2度目の契約更新を選択したことを発表した。デビューから11年、そして兵役義務による入隊が進むなか、グループは、帰りを心待ちにするファンに「永遠」を約束している。

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