KPOPWORLD #6 (Yves)

KPOPWORLD #6 (KEYVITUP X VAYONN)

KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

KEYVITUP is a five-member boy group under iNKODE, formed through the agency’s INTHE X Project. The lineup—Sena, Hyunmin, Taehwan, Rukia, and Jaein—was introduced step by step through pre-debut content, building anticipation around a team designed with a strong performance focus and a clear concept from the start. As part of a dual-group rollout, KEYVITUP was positioned with a trendy and dynamic identity, contrasting with its counterpart group. This concept highlights a more energetic and performance-driven style, setting the tone for their music and overall image even before debut. They are set to make their debut with the self-titled EP KEYVITUP, marking the official beginning of their activities. With pre-debut exposure, international stage appearances, and a defined concept, the group enters the scene with momentum and a clear direction moving forward.

KEYVITUP

最新のデジタルカバーでは、HYUNMIN、TAEHWAN、SENA、JAEIN、RUKIAに、デビューのこと、自分たちらしいサウンドを見つけていく過程、自分たちの音楽を作り上げていくこと、5人をつなぐケミストリー、そしてKEYVITUPをこれからどこへ導いていきたいのかについて話を聞いた。

KEYVITUP - The KPOPWORLD デジタルカバー

KickFlip is a seven-member boy group under JYP Entertainment, consisting of Kyehoon, Amaru, Donghwa, Juwang, Minje, Keiju, and Donghyeon. The group was formed through the SBS audition program Loud and debuted in 2025. The group&#x27;s identity connects JYP&#x27;s idol training system with a more youthful, agile performance image. Because several members were already known from a survival-show context, KickFlip&#x27;s debut carried built-in curiosity around how the lineup would translate from trainee competition to a working group. The fandom is known as WeFlip. KickFlip is still early in its career, with its public identity centered on formation, lineup, and debut positioning rather than a long-established legacy.

KickFlip

KickFlipは、新たな章を始める準備ができている。2027年に控える初のワールドツアーを前に、JYP Entertainmentの新星たちがKPOPWORLDに新作アルバム『KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1』について語った。

KickFlip、『KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1』について語る　初のワールドツアーを前に

CLOSE YOUR EYES (also shortened as CYE) is a seven-member boy group under UNCORE. They were formed through JTBC&#x27;s survival show PROJECT7. They made their debut on April 2, 2025, with the mini album &quot;Enternalt&quot;. PROJECT7 started airing on October 18, 2024, and the finale was broadcast live on December 27, 2024, revealing the group name, CLOSE YOUR EYES, and the seven winners, in order: Ma Jingxiang, Kenshin, Jeon Minwook, Seo Kyoungbae, Song Seungho, Jang Yeojun, and Kim Sungmin. Before joining PROJECT7, Jeon Minwook had already debuted as a member of the boy group BAE173 and the project group A-SIX. Additionally, Ma Jingxiang was a contestant on Boys Planet, while Jang Yeojun also participated in Boys Planet and was a contestant on Wild Idol.

CLOSE YOUR EYES

ジャズ・ファンクの名曲を自分たちらしく再解釈したことから、グループとともにパフォーマンスする上でジャズが教えてくれたことまで。JINGXIANGが、好奇心、エネルギー、そしてつながりについて語る

CLOSE YOUR EYESのMA JINGXIANGに聞く「Meet The Member」 ― 好奇心あふれる“カラー・チェイサー”

初めてbossa novaに触れたときのこと、フィーチャリングアーティストとのコラボで何が変わったのか、そしてグループのメンバーたちと最もつながりを感じる瞬間について語る。

CLOSE YOUR EYESのKENSHINに聞く「Meet The Member」──遊び心あふれるつなぎ役

アルバムのラストトラックの制作過程、デビュー後の成長、そしてさらに高みを目指し続ける原動力について語ってくれた

Meet The Member CLOSE YOUR EYESのSEO KYOUNGBAEにインタビュー ― ひたすら上を目指して

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は「Forever July」で、持ち味の高揚感あふれるエネルギーからより柔らかな表現へと舵を切る。眠れぬ夜、雨、そして最後まで答えが示されない問いを軸にした楽曲だ。

'Forever July'で、Sunmiはサマーポップからサマー・レインへ

4年間の沈黙を破り、Choi Yoojungがついに自分が狙うものをはっきりと名指しした。「Perfect Target」は、彼女が自ら作詞・作曲した初のリリース作品だ。

Four Years Later, Choi Yoojung Finally Names Her Perfect Target

K-EXPO INKIGAYOは、82MAJOR、Hearts2Hearts、Stella Jang、MONSTA X、NCT WISHによる熱量の高いステージに加え、Taeminによる圧巻のフィナーレで、世代を超えた豪華ラインナップを届けた

ParisでのK-EXPO INKIGAYO: K-Popの過去と現在が同じステージを共有した夜

ATEEZ is an eight-member boy group formed by KQ Entertainment, consisting of Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho. They debuted in October 2018 with Treasure EP.1: All to Zero, launching a pirate-and-treasure storyline that gave their early music a cinematic frame. ATEEZ stood out because their performances felt oversized in the best way. Even before they had the company power of larger labels behind them, the group built attention through intense facial expressions, full-bodied choreography, live-stage energy, and songs designed to explode in concert. &quot;Wonderland,&quot; &quot;Answer,&quot; &quot;Guerrilla,&quot; &quot;Bouncy,&quot; and &quot;Crazy Form&quot; all show that instinct for scale: big chants, dramatic builds, and a sense that every chorus is meant to be shouted back. The members&#x27; roles support that theatrical style. Hongjoong anchors the group as leader and producer, Mingi gives the rap line a deep tone, Jongho brings unusually strong high notes, and San, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, and Wooyoung shape much of the performance identity. ATEEZ&#x27;s fanbase, ATINY, became known for strong international support, helping the group grow from a smaller-agency act into a major global touring name. ATEEZ&#x27;s significance comes from proving how far performance identity can carry a group when it is consistent. Their concepts can be loud, dark, playful, or rebellious, but the core remains theatrical and physical. They made intensity feel like a worldview, not just a comeback style.

ATEEZ

ATEEZは6月28日、BST Hyde ParkのGreat Oak Stageでヘッドライナーを務めた、K-popアクトとして史上3組目となった。先にこのステージのヘッドライナーを務め、その後ヨーロッパのスタジアム公演へと進んだBLACKPINK、Stray Kidsに続く形だ

ATEEZ、BST Hyde Parkでの出演はヘッドライナーとしてふさわしい完勝

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

BST Hyde Parkで、伝説的なTAEMINは6月28日、ATEEZのヘッドライナー公演に先立ってGreat Oak Stageに2番手で登場した。彼は、この10年で最もよく知られたソロK-popのタイトル曲の数々を詰め込んだ40分のセットリストを披露した。

BST Hyde ParkのTAEMIN：アイドルが憧れるアイドルとはこういう姿だ

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

「7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns」で、TXTはこれまでで最も自分たちらしく聞こえる。切迫感を静けさに替え、テクノ風味のエレクトロニックなプロダクションに身を委ねたことで、グループはこれまでにない探求を見せている

TXTは今も立っている — トゲだらけでも — 8枚目のミニアルバムで

JUSTB, formerly stylized as JUST B, is a South Korean six-member boy group under Bluedot Entertainment. They debuted with their first mini album, Just Burn, marking the beginning of their activities in the music industry. The group was formed following the transfer of several PlayM BOYS trainees to Bluedot Entertainment, with the full lineup revealed sequentially ahead of debut. Prior to their official launch, the members engaged with fans through early promotional content and live audio interactions, building anticipation for their debut. They officially debuted with Just Burn, followed by their first single album Just Beat later that year. In 2022, they continued to expand their discography with their second mini album Just Begun and third mini album = (Neun), further developing their musical identity. In 2023, the group launched the “JUST Be with you” project, collaborating with other artists and releasing various digital and special singles, including “Camellia” and I Luv You Merry Christmas. They also released their fourth mini album ÷ (Nanugi), showcasing continued growth in both concept and sound. In 2024, they released the English digital single “Daddy’s Girl” and participated in the project group The CrewOne alongside ATBO. During this period, member Siwoo temporarily suspended activities before later returning. In 2025, the group released the digital single “Still I Luv You,” followed by additional releases including a digital album and English singles. They also adopted the stylization JUSTB and continued their activities with further music releases, including their fifth mini album Snow Angel, accompanied by a pre-release track.

JUSTB

JUSTBの初のヨーロッパツアーがロンドンに上陸し、Islington Assembly Hallをアリーナのように感じさせた

JUSTBのAQUA HALOツアー：K-Pop界で最もクールなアクトが到来

IZ*ONE was a twelve-member project girl group formed through the Mnet survival show &quot;Produce 48,&quot; a collaboration between Korean and Japanese entertainment industries, debuting in October 2018. The group combined members from Korean agencies and Japan&#x27;s AKB48 system, including future stars Jang Wonyoung, An Yujin, Kim Chaewon, and Miyawaki Sakura. Their debut mini-album &quot;COLOR*IZ&quot; broke sales records for a K-pop girl group at the time. During their two-and-a-half-year contract, IZ*ONE became one of the best-selling girl groups in K-pop history, with releases like &quot;La Vie en Rose,&quot; &quot;Violeta,&quot; and &quot;Fiesta&quot; achieving critical and commercial success. Despite the &quot;Produce&quot; series vote manipulation scandal casting a shadow over their formation, the group&#x27;s talent was undeniable. IZ*ONE disbanded in April 2021 as planned, but their members went on to lead some of the biggest acts in K-pop&#x27;s fourth generation, including IVE, LE SSERAFIM, and more. Their fandom, WIZ*ONE, remains active and nostalgic.

IZ*ONE

YENAの「Catch Catch」は第2世代K-POPを完璧に再現している

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.

BTSが2026年3月20日に待望のグループカムバックを控える中、バンドのバックカタログを時代ごとに振り返ります

The BTS Retrospect：Proofをレビュー

EVERGLOW is a South Korean girl group under CHXXTA Company, currently consisting of E:U, Sihyeon, Onda, and Aisha. The group debuted under Yue Hua Entertainment on March 18, 2019 with &quot;Bon Bon Chocolat,&quot; arriving as a six-member team that also included Mia and Yiren. From debut, EVERGLOW was built around scale: large choruses, high-impact choreography, and music videos designed for global replay. &quot;Bon Bon Chocolat&quot; gave them immediate international attention, while &quot;Adios&quot; turned that early interest into a clearer group identity. Their first music show win with &quot;Adios&quot; helped establish them as one of the more visible performance-driven girl groups of the late 2010s. The group&#x27;s sound often favors EDM, electro-pop, and dramatic girl-crush production, but their best-known moments work because the songs give each member a strong visual and performance role. Tracks like &quot;Dun Dun,&quot; &quot;La Di Da,&quot; and &quot;First&quot; pushed different sides of the same image: cinematic, confident, and built for stages where the hook and choreography land together. EVERGLOW entered a transition period after their contract with Yue Hua ended in 2025, with Mia and Yiren not continuing in the current four-member lineup. The fandom is known as FOREVER. The CHXXTA era continues the group after a major reset, while the original six-member history remains central to how EVERGLOW became known.

EVERGLOW

EVERGLOWが“CODE”で復帰 — YUEHUA Entertainmentを離れCHXXTAのもとで四人編成となってからの初リリース

EVERGLOWが“CODE”で制御されたカオスを伴ってセルフリブート

BLACKPINK is a four-member South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, consisting of Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. They debuted on August 8, 2016 with Square One, led by &quot;Boombayah&quot; and &quot;Whistle,&quot; and arrived as YG&#x27;s first new girl group after 2NE1. From the beginning, the group was presented less as a large idol ensemble and more as four sharply individualized performers, each with a distinct vocal tone, visual identity, and public role. The group&#x27;s name captures the tension that became central to their image: &quot;black&quot; for a harder, more self-assured edge and &quot;pink&quot; for glamour, playfulness, and pop accessibility. Their music often builds around that contrast. Jennie and Lisa&#x27;s rap sections give many songs a clipped, percussive center, while Jisoo and Rosé&#x27;s vocals provide melodic lift and emotional color. This structure made BLACKPINK songs easy to recognize even across different producers, languages, and markets; the group could move from the spare whistle hook of their debut to the maximal drops of &quot;DDU-DU DDU-DU&quot; and still feel like the same act. BLACKPINK&#x27;s rise was also shaped by scarcity. Compared with many idol groups, they released relatively few songs in their first several years, which made each comeback feel closer to an event than a routine promotional cycle. That strategy had tradeoffs, but it concentrated public attention on a small set of songs, videos, styling choices, and stage moments. Tracks such as Kill This Love, How You Like That, Pink Venom, and Shut Down became reference points for a global-facing K-pop style built around impact, visual clarity, and immediately repeatable hooks. Their international growth came from more than chart performance. BLACKPINK connected K-pop&#x27;s idol system with the language of global pop, luxury fashion, digital fandom, and festival stages. They were the first Korean girl group to perform at Coachella in 2019 and returned in 2023 as the first K-pop act to headline the festival. Collaborations with Western pop artists, major fashion-house relationships, and an unusually large YouTube and social-media footprint helped make the members visible to audiences who did not necessarily follow Korean music closely. As individual artists, all four members developed major careers in music, acting, fashion, and brand work, making BLACKPINK one of the clearest examples of a modern K-pop group whose group identity and solo identities reinforce each other. After renewing with YG for group activities, the members&#x27; individual paths became more independent while BLACKPINK remained active as a shared brand and performance unit. Their significance is not only that they broke records, but that they helped normalize a model where a K-pop girl group could operate simultaneously as an idol act, a global pop project, and a set of four standalone celebrity careers. The fandom is known as BLINK.

BLACKPINK

ほぼ4年間フルグループのプロジェクトがなかった後、BLACKPINKはDEADLINEで帰還した――期待感とサウンドが同じくらい作品の輪郭を形作る5曲入りのEPだ。

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