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

滑らかな歌声と鋭いソングライティングで最初に注目を集めた、カナダ出身でソウルを拠点に活動するJUNNYは、韓国で最も個性的なR&amp;Bの声の一つへと成長した

JUNNY：音楽が言葉より雄弁なとき

Refund Sisters was a four-member South Korean project girl group formed through the MBC variety program &quot;Hangout with Yoo&quot;. The group consisted of Uhm Jung-hwa, Lee Hyori, Jessi and Hwasa. Originally conceived after Lee Hyori suggested forming a &quot;dream team&quot; of strong female performers on &quot;Hangout with Yoo&quot;, the project quickly gained public attention and was officially realized under the management of producer Yoo Jae-suk within the show&#x27;s storyline. The group debuted in October 2020 with the digital single Don&#x27;t Touch Me, which achieved commercial success and topped several Korean music charts. Although active for only a short period, Refund Sisters became one of the most notable project groups in South Korea, earning praise for bringing together four established artists from different generations of the Korean music industry. Following the conclusion of their promotional activities, the members returned to their respective solo careers.

Refund Sisters

レビュー：JessiのP.M.Sは折れない女性の肖像

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

Waterbomb のハイエナジーなステージから THE RED のような親密なソロ公演まで、KWON EUNBI は IZ*ONE 時代を超えて、パフォーマー兼ソングライターとしての多彩さをこの五年間で築いてきた

KWON EUNBI インタビュー：ソロ・スターの多面的な表情

深掘り：XLOVの “Biii:-P” — 誰も予想しなかった “Rizz” のカウンターパート

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、ツアー限定のソロ曲を新デジタル配信で公開

EVNNE is a 5-member boy group under Jellyfish Entertainment. They debuted on September 19th 2023 with the mini-album “Target: Me”. The group name is an acronym for &quot;EVENing&#x27;s Newest Etoiles&quot;. The group originally consisted of seven trainees who were previously contestants on the survival show Boys Planet. The members were Park Han Bin, Lee Jeong Hyeon, Mun Jung Hyun, and Park Ji Hoo from WAKEONE; Yoo Seung Eon and Ji Yun Seo from YH Entertainment; and Keita from Rain Company. The group formerly went with the name &quot;BLIT&quot; an acronym for &quot;Boldly Leaping Into Tomorrow&quot; but was changed after fans raised concerns of misinterpretation. On December 8 2025, Jellyfish Entertainment announced that Yoo Seung Eon and Ji Yun Seo would end their activities with EVNNE after finishing the [OUR EVNNEing] fanmeeting in January 2026 and would thereafter return to YH Entertainment.

EVNNE

台頭するスターEVNNEは「SET N GO」ワールドツアーでロンドンのEartHにてイギリス・デビューを果たし、このショー名はまさにぴったりと言えるだろう

ロンドン・リキャップ：EVNNEが' SET N GO 'ワールドツアーで賭ける価値があることを証明

BACK TO REALITYは、K‑indieバンドPRYVTがこの1年の流れから逃げるのをやめ、ついにそれと正面から向き合う瞬間のように感じられる

トラック・バイ・トラック：PRVYTがBACK TO REALITYの層を剥がす

MONSTA X is a boy group formed through the survival show No.Mercy and debuted under Starship Entertainment in May 2015. The group is associated with a powerful performance image built around Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney, and I.M, with Wonho as a former member. Their sound often leans muscular: EDM drops, hip-hop percussion, dark synths, and choruses designed for heavy choreography. MONSTA X became one of the most forceful performance groups of their generation through a run that moved from the breakthrough energy of &quot;Dramarama&quot; to the sharper drama of &quot;Love Killa.&quot; At the same time, their vocal line and later English-language work showed a smoother R&amp;B and pop side that softened the edges without removing the group&#x27;s intensity. MONSTA X became especially important in the bridge between Korean idol promotion and Western touring. They pursued English-language releases, appeared on American media, and built a strong international audience while keeping a clear group identity. Their fandom, Monbebe, is known for loyalty through lineup changes, military service periods, solo work, and long gaps between full-group schedules. The group&#x27;s legacy rests on consistency and stamina. MONSTA X did not need to reinvent themselves every comeback; they refined a recognizable image of power, charisma, and emotional loyalty. That made them a template for later boy groups that wanted to look tough on stage while still building a close, fan-centered identity off it.

MONSTA X

MONSTA X、雰囲気たっぷりの英語シングル “baby blue” で新章を開く

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

YEONJUNのソロ・デビューは異例の明快さを伴って到来する。大げさな宣言や力づくのコンセプト説明によってではなく、人物がアイデンティティという概念と交渉するのをやめたときに生まれるような明瞭さだ

レビュー：YEONJUNは再発明を拒む — ‘NO LABELS: PART 01’は彼が既に誰であるかを示す

Xdinary Heroes is a South Korean rock band under Studio J, a subsidiary of JYP Entertainment. It is the second group introduced by Studio J in nearly six years after DAY6. The group consists of six members ; Gunil, Jungsu, Gaon, O.de, Jun Han, and Jooyeon, all of whom are involved in writing, composing, and producing the music of the band. They made their debut on December 6, 2021 with the single Happy Death Day. The song debuted at number 12 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales. The band&#x27;s name is an abbreviation of “Extraordinary Heroes&quot;, meaning &quot;anyone can become a hero&quot;.

Xdinary Heroes

Xdinary Heroesは太字で押し付けるメッセージを渡してくるタイプのバンドではない。シングル「Beautiful Life」のように爆発的に胸を揺さぶる曲を書いても、聴き手にどう感じるべきかを指示したりはしない。

Xdinary Heroes: 混沌の中で美しさを見つける

CIX (an acronym for Complete In X) was a four-member boy group under C9 Entertainment, consisting of members BX, Seunghun, Yonghee, and Hyunsuk. Originally debuting as a five-member group on July 23, 2019, with the EP &#x27;Hello&#x27; Chapter 1. Hello, Stranger. On August 4, 2024, C9 Entertainment announced the termination of Bae Jinyoung&#x27;s contract, confirming his departure from both the company and the group. On February 27, 2019, C9 Entertainment revealed the first member of their upcoming boy group, Bae Jin Young (former Wanna One), followed by Seung Hun on March 6, Hyun Suk on March 13, Kim Sehoon on March 20, Yong Hee on March 27, and BX on April 3. However, Kim Sehoon did not debut with the group due to past involvement in school violence. On May 20, 2019, the group&#x27;s social media accounts were changed from C9BOYZ to CIX, which stands for &quot;Complete In X.&quot; A video titled &quot;CIX - Leader Film&quot; was released, introducing the group name and logo. On May 24, C9 Entertainment announced that the members of CIX would star in a 10-episode reality show, &quot;Hello CIX,&quot; to be released on V Live. On June 26, 2019, C9 Entertainment revealed a teaser for CIX&#x27;s debut EP, &#x27;Hello&#x27; Chapter 1. Hello, Stranger, set for release on July 23. The group&#x27;s debut included the title track &quot;Movie Star.&quot; On August 26, CIX signed with Warner Music Japan for their Japanese promotions. On October 30, the group&#x27;s 100th-day anniversary, they revealed their fandom name, FIX, meaning &quot;Faith In X.&quot;

GO Chapter 1 : GO Togetherは単なるCIXの新時代の始まりではなく、一種の宣言の瞬間だ。9月上旬にリリースされたこのEPは8枚目のミニアルバムにあたり、グループのここ1年の着実な創作の成長を受けての作品となっている。

楽園の扉を開く：CIXが『GO Together』で道を切り拓く — インタビュー

RIIZE is a six-member boy group debuted by SM Entertainment in September 2023, marking the label&#x27;s first new boy group in seven years. The group — Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Seunghan (who later left in 2024) Sohee, and Anton — launched with the single &quot;Get A Guitar,&quot; a warm, acoustic-influenced track that departed from SM&#x27;s typical electronic sound. Their name combines &quot;Rise&quot; and &quot;Realize,&quot; symbolizing growth and the realization of dreams. RIIZE&#x27;s debut was met with enormous anticipation and commercial success, with pre-debut buzz generating massive social media engagement. The group has embraced a more accessible, &quot;emotional pop&quot; sound compared to SM&#x27;s other acts, appealing to a broad audience. Their fandom, BRIIZE, grew rapidly from pre-debut activities alone. Though a young group, RIIZE has already demonstrated strong momentum with chart-topping releases, and they represent SM Entertainment&#x27;s vision for the next chapter of their storied legacy of boy groups.

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