KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

KPOPWORLD #3

KPOPWORLD #2 (Poster Version)

2026年10月28日〜31日にAlamodomeを席巻へ

KPOPWORLD Festival & Worldwide Dance Competition

idntt (아이덴티티; read as identity) is an upcoming 24-member boy group under MODHAUS. They are set to make their debut sometime in 2026. The group consists of members divided into 3 rotational sub-units consisting of 8 members each - uneverm8t, yesw8are and itsnotov8r.

idntt

新アルバム &lt;itsnotover&gt; にあたり、idntt はKPOPWORLD と対談し、これまで歩んできた道のり、このグループに求められてきたこと、そして決して手放したくないものについて語った。

idntt: The KPOPWORLD Digital Cover

EPEX [‘i:peks] (이펙스), formerly known as C9ROOKIES (C9루키즈) is a 7-member South Korean boy group under C9 Entertainment, consisting of Wish, MU, A-Min, Baekseung, Ayden, Yewang, and Jeff. On November 21, 2025, it was announced that Keum had left the group. They debuted on June 8, 2021, with their first EP album, BIPOLAR Pt.1 : 불안의 서 (Prelude of Anxiety)

EPEX

三部作を締めくくるのは簡単だ。だが、その物語を実際に生きた人たちの手に返して終えるとなれば、話は別。EPEXの「Youth: Epilogue」は、2年にわたる3枚のアルバムで描いてきた青春の物語を締めくくる作品だ。

EPEX、Youthのエピローグ、主体性、そして成長を語る

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

K-popの契約制度は、1990年代にこの業界が誕生して以来、何度も変化を重ねてきた。13年契約の“奴隷契約”から、再交渉の選択肢付きで7年へと短縮された現在まで

K-popの契約制度を解説――そして、多くのアーティストがBig Labelを離れている理由

K-pop界の王者たちが帰ってきた。1世代目のレジェンドがデビュー以来25年目にして初めてソロで飛び立ち、XIAの新曲を待ち続けた10年越しの思いもついに報われる。今週のComeback Cornerは、なかなかの重量級。全ラインナップを今すぐチェック

Comeback Corner: SHINee, MEOVV, BoA, & More

ONE PACT is a five-member boy group under ARMADA Ent. They debuted on November 30, 2023, with their first mini album Moment. The meaning of their group name &quot;ONE PACT&quot; is a combination of the words &quot;ONE&quot; (Together) + &quot;PACT&quot; (Impact), which means &quot;To come together to make a big impact&quot;. The name of their fandom, &quot;&amp;HEART;&quot; represents the idea of a continuous (&amp;) and inevitable (♡) encounter that defines ONE PACT&#x27;s existence.

ONE PACT

ONE PACTが[OUTSHINE] World Tourをロンドンに届けた――そして、その期待にしっかり応えた。公演前日には、Jongwoo、Seongmin、TAG、YedamがOraceon Dance CrewとともにHyde ParkでRandom Play Danceのバスキングを行い、ファンイベントさながらの盛り上がりを見せた。

Hyde ParkからIslingtonへ：ONE PACTのロンドン初公演は待った甲斐があった

I.O.I is an 11-member project girl group under Swing Entertainment formed through Mnet&#x27;s survival show Produce 101. The group was managed by YMC Entertainment and CJ E&amp;M, and officially debuted on May 4, 2016 with the mini album Chrysalis and its title track Dream Girls. Their name stood for &quot;Ideal of Idol&quot;, reflecting the show&#x27;s premise of creating a &quot;national girl group&quot; chosen directly by viewers. The final lineup consisted of Nayoung, Chungha, Sejeong, Chaeyeon, Kyulkyung, Sohye, Yeonjung, Yoojung, Mina, Doyeon, and Somi. Because the members came from different agencies, I.O.I was always planned as a temporary group. During their short run, they promoted both as a full group and as a sub-unit, releasing songs like Whatta Man, Very Very Very, and Downpour. Despite being active for less than a year, I.O.I became one of the most influential project groups in K-pop. Their success helped prove the power of survival-show fandoms and paved the way for later Produce groups like Wanna One, IZ*ONE, and X1. After their disbandment in January 2017, many members continued in the industry as soloists, actors, or members of groups such as Weki Meki, gugudan, DIA, PRISTIN, Cosmic Girls, and JEON SOMI as a solo artist. In 2026, I.O.I reunited for a special 10th anniversary project, marking their first major group comeback in nearly a decade. The reunion featured nine members, with Mina and Kyulkyung not participating, and included the EP I.O.I : Loop, a pre-release track, and anniversary concerts in Seoul before additional Asia tour stops. Although I.O.I began as a temporary group, their legacy has lasted far beyond their original contract, making them one of K-pop&#x27;s defining examples of how a short-lived project group could leave a permanent mark.

I.O.I

I.O.Iは2016年に8か月だけ活動した。だが10年後の今、K-popで最も定番となった2つのパフォーマンス形式――ending fairyとM2 Relay Dance――はいずれも彼女たちに直接たどり着く。

10年経ってもなお、I.O.IはK-popで存在感を保ち続ける

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

CHAMELEONから10か月後、YOON SAN-HAはもう変幻自在に姿を変えることはしていない。3枚目のミニアルバム『NO REASON』は、たった1つの、ほとんど挑発的とも言える前提を軸にした5曲でコンセプトを完全に削ぎ落とす。そこにいるのは、飾らないありのままの彼。それで十分だということだ。

Track-By-Track With KPOPWORLD YOON SAN-HAが“NO REASON”を解説

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

JennieのGentle Monsterキャンペーンが終了し、代わってRay-Banの広告に登場したとき、公式声明は必要なかった。ブランドの乗り換えそのものがすべてを物語っていたのだ。これこそがK-celebrity起用の力だ。韓国では、おなじみの顔がそのまま道徳的なお墨付きになる。

ただの美人顔じゃない: K-Celebrityが広告のゴールドスタンダードになった理由

tripleS is a large-scale girl group under MODHAUS, designed around a rotating system of members, subunits, and fan participation. The full project is built around the idea of &quot;The Idol of All Possibilities,&quot; with members introduced over time and organized into different DIMENSION units. The group stands apart because its structure is part of the concept. Fans known as WAV participate through Gravity votes that can influence unit lineups and other project decisions, making tripleS one of the clearest examples of K-pop experimenting with decentralized and fan-directed group management. Musically, tripleS moves between sleek dance-pop, bright electronic pop, and more experimental unit sounds depending on which members are active in a given DIMENSION. That flexibility is the point: the group can present a full-team identity while also letting smaller units develop their own color. tripleS works as both a group and a system. Its rotating structure shapes the music, fandom, and release strategy, making the project unusual even in a K-pop landscape already familiar with subunits and survival-show teams.

tripleS

tripleSが24人全員で帰ってきた。ASSEMBLE26 &lt;LOVE&amp;POP&gt; pt.1がついにリリースされた。2027年1月まで続く3部作プロジェクトの第1弾であり、グループ史上もっとも野心的な1年になりそうな幕開けとなる。

tripleS、ASSEMBLE26 <LOVE&POP> pt.1 でカムバック

XLOVはこの1年、自分たちが何者なのかをじっくり見極めてきた。「SERVE」――2ndミニアルバム『I, God』のタイトル曲は、その全体像がこれほど完全にひとつになった初めての瞬間だ。

“SERVE” ディープダイブ：XLOVは、何を「SERVE」しているのかをよく分かっている

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

hrtz.wavのドラマーはこれまで一度も素顔を見せたことがない。Hagiwaはマスクの裏に顔を隠したまま活動・競争・プロモーションを行っており、本名、年齢、正体はいずれも非公開だ。

hrtz.wavのデビューが全周波数で“刺さる”理由

SeoulのAfrica Dayは、長年にわたってBlack cultureから借用しながら、その意味と向き合ってこなかった業界への直接的な挑戦だ。今年は、BLACKSWANのFatouがイベントでパフォーマンスを行った初のK-popアイドルとなった

SeoulのAfrica Day 2026イベントが、韓国でAfricanの表現がなぜ重要なのかを示している

今週は、同じ問いを少しずつ違う角度から見つめる3つの話題を紹介する。K-popでのキャリアを、ファン、レーベル、そしてアーティスト本人はどこまで定義できるのか。

先週のK-popを読み解く（2026年5月25日 - 29日）

aespa is a four-member girl group debuted by SM Entertainment in November 2020, consisting of Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning. The group introduced a concept centered on virtual &quot;ae&quot; counterparts, blending real and digital worlds into an elaborate sci-fi universe often associated with KWANGYA. That metaverse-inspired setup positioned aespa at the intersection of idol pop, technology branding, and SM&#x27;s long-running taste for high-concept worldbuilding. Musically, aespa made a sharp first impression with an aggressive, synth-heavy style that matched the digital concept without depending on it completely. &quot;Black Mamba&quot;, &quot;Next Level&quot; and &quot;Savage&quot; used sudden beat changes, metallic textures, and big vocal climaxes to create a sound that felt more angular than most mainstream girl-group pop. The approach could be polarizing, but it made aespa instantly identifiable. The group&#x27;s later singles showed how flexible that identity could become. &quot;Drama&quot; pushed the cinematic side of aespa, while Supernova turned their electronic edge into something brighter, stranger, and more playful. Karina and Winter often serve as the visual and performance center of the group, Giselle gives the rap sections a casual sharpness, and Ningning brings a vocal power that lets aespa&#x27;s biggest choruses land with real force. aespa’s fandom is known as MY, and the group became one of the key fourth-generation acts by making high-concept idol pop feel commercially central rather than niche. Their importance is tied to that blend: they are an SM vocal group, a performance group, a fashion-forward girl group, and a sci-fi pop project at the same time. Even when the lore becomes less prominent, the idea remains clear: aespa turns futurism into a pop language.

aespa

aespaが帰ってきた。2枚目のスタジオアルバム『LEMONADE』がついにリリースされ、これまでで最も幅広い作品に仕上がっている。hyperpop、pop-rock、R&amp;B、electronic dance

aespa、2ndアルバム「LEMONADE」でカムバック

元ZB1とEVNNEのメンバーが、証明すべきものを抱えてAND2BLEとして再デビュー。XLOVはHan Soheeを伴って、初のダンスミュージック挑戦でカムバック

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