KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

KPOPWORLD #3

KPOPWORLD #2 (Poster Version)

David Yong의 K-pop 입문은 전형적인 아이돌 데뷔 코스를 따르지 않는다. BIGBANG과 TWICE를 통해 이 장르를 처음 접한 싱가포르 출신 사업가는 한국어 공부, 댄스 레슨, 서울에서의 녹음 작업을 병행하며 오랜 보컬 트레이닝 경험을 바탕으로 자신만의 길을 걸어왔다.

Fan에서 Artist-Executive로: David Yong의 K-pop 여정

Seoul 출신의 싱어송라이터인 그녀는 올해 17세로, 데뷔한 지 아직 2년도 채 되지 않았지만 이미 자신만의 방식으로 음악을 만들고 프로듀싱하며 활동하고 있다.

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

NEXZ가 2026년 4월 "Mmchk"를 발매했을 때, 7인조 그룹의 올해 첫 컴백 앨범은 발매 첫 주에 44만 4천 장 이상 판매되며 커리어 하이를 기록했고, Circle Chart 리테일 앨범 차트 정상에 올랐으며, 한국 음악 방송에서 첫 1위를 차지했다

NEXZ: 위로만 남았다

K-pop 그룹과 안무가 헤드라인을 장식하는 가운데, 한국 음악 신에서는 또 다른 흐름의 싱어송라이터와 인디 아티스트들이 자신들만의 팬층을 만들어가고 있다. DORI 역시 그 흐름의 일부지만, 그녀가 이 길에 들어선 출발점은 꽤 이례적이었다.

DORI가 색으로 말하다

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-HA는 많은 사람들이 생각하는 것보다 훨씬 오래 이 업계에 몸담아 왔다. 그는 10대 초반에 Fantagio에 연습생으로 들어갔고, 2016년 ASTRO의 막내 멤버로 데뷔했다.

YOON SAN-HA는 이제 진짜 자신으로 설 준비가 됐다

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

새 싱글 &amp; 공식 뮤직비디오 지금 공개, SALXCO UAM &amp; DEF JAM RECORDINGS 통해 발매

Lisa, Anitta & Rema, “Goals”로 글로벌 파워 컬래버레이션의 무대를 열다

멀티 하이픈 아티스트이자 싱어송라이터 BIBI가 장난기 넘치는 매력, 자유분방한 분위기, 그리고 그녀만의 능청스러운 보컬이 담긴 궁극의 여름 찬가 "BUMPA"로 돌아왔다

BIBI, 새 여름 싱글 "BUMPA"로 열기 더한다

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.

BTS가 7월 19일 Madonna, Shakira와 함께 사상 첫 FIFA 월드컵 결승 하프타임 쇼의 공동 헤드라이너로 무대에 오른다. 그 의미는 말 그대로 엄청나다.

BTS, Madonna, Shakira와 함께 FIFA 월드컵 하프타임 쇼 공동 헤드라이너로 나선다

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

TEEZ가 Hyde Park로 향한다. 8인조 그룹 ATEEZ는 6월 28일 일요일 BST Hyde Park 헤드라이너로 확정됐다. 이는 상징적인 야외 무대에서의 데뷔이자, 2026년 UK 단독 공연이다.

ATEEZ, BST Hyde Park 2026 헤드라이너로 선정

HYBE x Geffen가 새로운 그룹을 공개했다. 그리고 이미 익숙한 질문을 불러오는 나이 차이도 함께다. Netflix는 대부분이 이미 짐작하고 있던 사실을 확인해 주는 112쪽 분량의 보고서를 공개했다. 바로 한국 문화가 지금 문화적 핫스팟이라는 점이다.

Last Week In K-pop, Interpreted (2026년 5월 11일 - 15일)

Big Ocean is a South Korean boy group under Parastar Entertainment. The trio consists of PJ, Chanyeon, and Jiseok. They debuted on April 20, 2024 with &quot;Glow&quot; and are widely noted as the first hard-of-hearing K-pop boy group. Their performances incorporate Korean Sign Language, American Sign Language, and International Sign, making accessibility part of the group&#x27;s musical identity rather than an afterthought. The group describes its music as &quot;Free Soul Pop,&quot; a label that fits its mix of warm pop melodies, uplifting themes, and sign-language performance. Big Ocean&#x27;s releases include Blow, SLOW, Underwater, Red-dy Set Go!, and The Greatest Battle. Their fandom is known as PADO, the Korean word for wave.

Big Ocean

Big Ocean은 직접 유럽에 갈 수 없었기에, 대신 그 이야기를 담은 노래를 썼다. "Make it up to you"는 5월 19일 공개된다. 최근 취소된 Europe Tour 2026을 기다리다 발이 묶인 모든 팬들에게 전하는 직접적인 메시지다.

Big Ocean, 취소된 투어를 가장 개인적인 신곡으로 바꾸다

HYBE의 최근 리브랜딩은 새로운 미션, 새로운 비전, 그리고 창립 원칙에 technology를 명시적으로 더한 변화로 이뤄졌는데, 이는 갑자기 나온 것이 아니다. 그 출발점은 Weverse였다

HYBE, 기술 중심으로 리브랜딩…음악을 넘어선 변화 신호

Anderson .Paak과 DEAN이 10년 넘게 만에 다시 함께했다. "Aftertaste"는 지금 공개 중이며, Dem Jointz가 프로듀싱했고 .Paak의 Netflix 감독 데뷔작 K-POPS!에서 영감을 받았다.

Anderson .Paak과 DEAN, "Aftertaste"로 재회… K-POPS! 앨범도 윤곽 드러내

HYBE가 걸그룹 제작에만 전념하는 완전히 새로운 레이블 ABD를 출범했다. 창의적 방향을 이끄는 인물은 SEVENTEEN, After School, IZ*ONE, TWS의 탄생을 이끈 Sung Soo Han이다.

HYBE, 새로운 레이블 ‘ABD’ 론칭

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

KARINA와 NINGNING이 월요일 밤 Met Gala에 데뷔하며, 단순히 묻히기 위해 온 것이 아니라는 걸 분명히 했다. 이번 일정은 의도적이다. aespa는 5월 11일 새 싱글 "WDA (Whole Different Animal)"를 발매한다.

KARINA와 NINGNING, Prada와 Gucci로 Met Gala 데뷔

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

TOMORROW X TOGETHER가 5월 24일 전 세계 영화관에서 7주년 콘서트를 상영한다 — 한국이나 일본에 있지 않다면 이것이 라이브로 볼 수 있는 유일한 기회다

TOMORROW X TOGETHER, 7주년 콘서트를 전 세계 영화관에서 선보인다

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;

CIX가 7년 만에 해체한다. C9 Entertainment는 향후 5주 동안 네 멤버의 계약이 순차적으로 만료된다고 4월 29일 확인했다 – BX와 Seunghun은 4월 30일, Yonghee는 조기입대를 앞두고 5월 11일, Hyunsuk은 드라마 촬영을 마무리하며 5월 31일이다.

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