KPOPWORLD #6 (Yves)

KPOPWORLD #6 (KEYVITUP X VAYONN)

KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

SPLAY : CHAPTER 01로 데뷔한 뒤, 5인조 밴드 Splayit은 팬들에게 자신들이 보여줄 수 있는 더 많은 가능성을 선보일 준비를 마쳤다. YOON CHAN, EUN BIN, KYUNG UK, AYDN, EUN CHAN이 함께한다.

Splayit, 자신들의 사운드를 찾고 정체성을 구축해 가는 과정에 대해

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

Mnet의 STEAL HEART CLUB을 통해 결성된 hrtz.wav는 데뷔 이후 몇 달 동안 다섯 명의 개별 음악가가 어떻게 하나의 밴드로 함께 어우러질 수 있는지 배우며 시간을 보냈다. 이들의 첫 미니 앨범 The First Wave는 청춘의 감정과 경험을 바탕으로 한 밝은 팝록 사운드를 선보였다

hrtz.wav, 자신들만의 리듬을 찾아가다

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

떠오르는 스타 Baby DONT Cry가 자신을 표현하는 새로운 방식을 찾아가고 있다. 2025년 "F Girl"로 데뷔한 이 4인조 그룹은 시그니처인 자신감을 넘어 다양한 사운드와 더 넓은 감정 스펙트럼을 탐색하며 영역을 넓혀가고 있다.

Baby DONT Cry, 더 부드러운 사운드 속에서 힘을 찾는 법을 배우다

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

TWICE가 TWICE: THIS IS FOR… YOU라는 새로운 콘서트 영화의 개봉을 발표했으며, 2027년 2월 5일부터 전 세계 극장에서 상영될 예정이다.

TWICE <THIS IS FOR> 콘서트 영화, Bleecker Street의 Crosswalk과 Universal Pictures International 통해 2027년 개봉 예정

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-CBX와 INB100 간의 계약 분쟁이 이어지는 가운데, EXO의 BAEKHYUN이 새 엔터테인먼트 회사 B.EON Entertainment를 설립했다

EXO의 BAEKHYUN, 새 기획사 B.EON Entertainment 설립

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

aespa가 Eartha Kitt의 1953년 오리지널을 재해석한 클래식 크리스마스 송 “Santa Baby” 자신들만의 버전을 공개했다

aespa, 크리스마스 클래식 “Santa Baby” 리메이크 공개

ATEEZ is an eight-member boy group under KQ Entertainment &mdash; Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho &mdash; who debuted in October 2018 with Treasure EP.1: All to Zero, opening a pirate-and-treasure narrative that gave their early work a cinematic frame. What set them apart was performance built on a larger-than-life scale. Without the backing of a major label, they drew attention through sharp facial expression, full-body choreography, live-stage force, and songs engineered to detonate in concert: &ldquo;Wonderland,&rdquo; &ldquo;Answer,&rdquo; &ldquo;Guerrilla,&rdquo; &ldquo;Bouncy,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Crazy Form&rdquo; all share that instinct for big chants, dramatic builds, and choruses written to be shouted back. Their roles reinforce that theatricality &mdash; Hongjoong leads and produces, Mingi anchors the rap line with his low register, Jongho delivers exceptional high notes, and San, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, and Wooyoung carry much of the performance identity. ATINY, their fandom, is known for fierce international support, the force that lifted a smaller-agency group into a global touring act. ATEEZ matter because they show how far a consistent performance identity can take a group. Loud, dark, playful, or defiant, the core stays theatrical and physical. They turned intensity into a worldview rather than a seasonal concept.

ATEEZ

ATEEZ가 GOLDEN HOUR 시리즈의 여섯 번째 파트를 공개했다. 이번 타이틀곡 “UP”에서는 그룹의 데뷔 시절 해적 콘셉트로 돌아간 모습을 볼 수 있다.

ATEEZ, ‘GOLDEN HOUR : Part.6’에서 해적 콘셉트의 원점으로 돌아오다

IVE is a six-member girl group formed by Starship Entertainment, debuting in December 2021. The group includes former IZ*ONE members Wonyoung and Yujin alongside Gaeul, Rei, Leeseo, and Liz. IVE&#x27;s concept centers on self-confidence and self-love, encapsulated by their motto &quot;I HAVE&quot; -- a declaration of owning one&#x27;s identity rather than chasing external validation. From their first single, &quot;Eleven,&quot; IVE established a style built around poise rather than maximal force. &quot;Love Dive,&quot; &quot;After Like,&quot; and &quot;I Am&quot; strengthened that image with sleek hooks, elegant choreography, and lyrics that frame confidence as something cool and self-possessed. The group stood out in a crowded fourth-generation field by feeling polished early: less like rookies chasing impact and more like a brand arriving already defined. IVE&#x27;s appeal also comes from contrast inside the lineup. Yujin gives the group a strong leader and performance anchor, Wonyoung brings a highly visible center presence, Liz adds vocal brightness, Rei gives the rap line a distinctive tone, Gaeul sharpens the dance and rap texture, and Leeseo adds youthful energy without making the group feel overly cute. Starship&#x27;s presentation often uses that balance to make IVE feel fashionable, direct, and easy to recognize. The fandom is known as DIVE, and IVE quickly became one of the defining girl groups of their generation through a mix of public-friendly singles, strong visual identity, and high-profile members. Their significance is not just that they produced hit songs, but that they helped re-center a graceful, self-assured pop image in modern K-pop: glamorous without being distant, confident without needing to shout, and accessible without feeling generic.

걸그룹 IVE가 최근 발매한 다섯 번째 미니 앨범 Looks Can Kill로 Billboard 200 차트에 데뷔했다.

IVE, ‘Looks Can Kill’로 Billboard 200 데뷔

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

P1Harmony의 10번째 미니 앨범 BLOW UP 가 그룹의 역대 최고 판매 기록을 세웠을 뿐 아니라 해외 매체들의 관심까지 끌고 있다.

P1Harmony, ‘BLOW UP’로 커리어 하이 첫날 판매량 기록

Stray Kids is an eight-member boy group under JYP Entertainment &mdash; Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. Introduced through the 2017 survival program Stray Kids, they debuted in March 2018 with I Am Not, following the pre-debut release "Hellevator"; former member Kim Woojin departed in 2019. Their identity is unusually bound to self-production: Bang Chan had already assembled the members around a team-first concept before debut, and the production trio 3RACHA &mdash; Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han &mdash; became the engine behind much of the group's sound, giving them a different center of gravity from idol acts handed their material. Musically they're known for dense rap writing, aggressive electronic textures, abrupt rhythmic switches, and choruses built for performance impact. "God's Menu," "Back Door," "Thunderous," "Maniac," and "S-Class" made that style instantly legible: noisy by design, but organized around hooks, slogans, and choreography fans could grab hold of, with lyrics circling pressure, self-definition, ambition, and the clumsy work of growing into confidence. The members' contrast drives much of the appeal &mdash; Bang Chan anchors as leader and producer, Changbin and Han give the rap line speed and personality, Lee Know, Hyunjin, and Felix shape the performance image, and Seungmin and I.N supply melodic balance. Rather than sanding those differences down, the group leans into them, which is why their songs feel crowded, restless, and unmistakably their own. Stray Kids became one of the defining global boy groups of the fourth generation, with a fandom called STAY and major touring success across Asia, North America, and Europe. Their rise proved a self-producing idol group could scale internationally without losing a specific sonic fingerprint. Whatever genre or language they experiment with, the core holds: high-impact pop built out of tension, noise, teamwork, and control.

Stray Kids

Stray Kids가 북미, 유럽, 일본에서의 새로운 일정을 추가하며 &lt;RUN IT&gt; 월드 투어를 확장했다

Stray Kids, <RUN IT> 월드 투어의 북미·유럽 일정 발표

NCT Dream is a unit of NCT under SM Entertainment, originally introduced as the project&#x27;s youth-oriented team. The current profile centers on Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung, with Mark tied to the unit&#x27;s earlier history. The unit debuted in 2016 with &quot;Chewing Gum&quot; and was first designed around a graduation system, where members would leave after reaching adulthood. That concept became one of the most important parts of NCT Dream&#x27;s story because fan attachment to the lineup eventually helped shift the unit into a fixed-team model. NCT Dream&#x27;s music tracks a coming-of-age arc more clearly than most NCT units. Their early releases emphasized bright teen energy, while later work grew into more confident dance-pop, stronger sales, and large-scale touring without losing the sense of member chemistry that fans had defended. The fandom connection is tied to NCTzen. The change from graduation concept to permanent unit became central to NCT Dream&#x27;s identity, helping the group become one of NCT&#x27;s most emotionally resonant and commercially powerful branches.

NCT Dream

NCT DREAM은 여섯 번째 정규 앨범 DREAM AFTER DREAM으로 국내외 차트를 휩쓸며, 어제 발매와 동시에 한국과 중국의 음악 플랫폼 정상에 올랐다.

NCT DREAM, ‘DREAM AFTER DREAM’으로 한국과 중국 차트 석권

LNGSHOT (롱샷; pronounced &quot;Long Shot&quot;) is a four-member South Korean boy group under MORE VISION, the label founded by Jay Park. The group officially debuted on January 13, 2026, with their first EP SHOT CALLERS and the lead single &quot;Moonwalkin&#x27;&quot;. Handpicked by Jay Park himself, the members are known for their self-producing capabilities and a &quot;raw&quot; sound rooted in Hip-hop and R&amp;B. Their name represents the act of taking a high-stakes risk and succeeding even when the odds are against them. On April 24, LNGSHOT announced their fandom name, SHOTTIES.

LNGSHOT

돌풍을 일으키고 있는 보이그룹 LNGSHOT이 Kakao Entertainment와 Atlantic Music Group(AMG)의 새로운 파트너십으로 혜택을 받는 첫 아티스트로 선정됐다

LNGSHOT, Kakao Entertainment·Atlantic Music Group 파트너십 첫 수혜 아티스트로 선정

BLACKPINK is a four-member South Korean girl group under YG Entertainment &mdash; Jisoo, Jennie, Ros&eacute;, and Lisa &mdash; who debuted on August 8, 2016 with Square One and its double single "Boombayah" and "Whistle." As YG's first girl group since 2NE1, they were positioned not as a large idol ensemble but as four sharply drawn performers, each with her own vocal tone, visual identity, and role. The name itself encodes that duality: "black" for a hard, self-assured edge, "pink" for glamour and pop accessibility. Jennie and Lisa's clipped rap sections anchor the percussive center of most songs while Jisoo and Ros&eacute; supply melodic lift, a structure recognizable across producers, languages, and markets &mdash; from the sparse whistle hook of their debut to the heavy drops of "DDU-DU DDU-DU." Scarcity shaped their ascent as much as output did. They released comparatively few songs in their early years, which turned each comeback into an event rather than a routine promotional beat. The tradeoffs were real, but attention concentrated on a tight set of songs, videos, and stage moments: "Kill This Love," "How You Like That," "Pink Venom," and "Shut Down" became templates for a global-facing K-pop built on impact, visual clarity, and instantly repeatable hooks. Their reach came from more than charts &mdash; they linked the idol system to global pop, luxury fashion, digital fandom, and festival culture, becoming the first Korean girl group at Coachella in 2019 and the first K-pop act to headline it in 2023. Western collaborations, fashion-house partnerships, and an enormous social footprint carried them to audiences with no prior interest in Korean music. All four built substantial solo careers in music, acting, fashion, and brand work, making the group a clear case of group and solo identities reinforcing each other. After renewing with YG for group activities, their individual paths grew more independent while BLACKPINK continued as a shared brand and performing unit. Their real significance lies less in records broken than in normalizing a model where a K-pop girl group functions at once as an idol act, a global pop project, and four standalone celebrity careers. Their fandom is called BLINK.

BLACKPINK

LISA가 이번 주 YouTube Music 차트를 장악하며, “Tarantino”로 US와 Global Top Songs 차트 모두에서 1위를 차지했다

LISA, K/DA, ILLIT, ATEEZ가 강세 진입하며 YouTube Music 차트 선두 차지

BLACKPINK의 JENNIE와 JISOO가 각각 다른 애니메이션 영화의 사운드트랙에 참여한다는 소식을 전했다. 두 아티스트 모두에게 이번이 처음이다

JENNIE와 JISOO, 새로운 애니메이션 사운드트랙 참여 소식 공개

JYP Entertainment가 수수께끼 같은 소셜 미디어 게시물과 기묘한 웹사이트를 통해 새로운 보이그룹의 데뷔를 예고하기 시작했다

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