KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

KPOPWORLD #3

KPOPWORLD #2 (Poster Version)

서울 출신 싱어송라이터 ZIN CHOI는 17살, 데뷔한 지 채 2년이 되지 않았지만 이미 자신만의 방식으로 움직이고 있다. 직접 곡을 쓰고 프로듀싱까지 해내며 음악을 만들어 가고 있다.

ZIN CHOI: 스스로 감당할 수 있다면 들어보세요

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

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

Cortis, is a South Korean boy band formed by Big Hit Music. The group consists of five members: Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon, and Keonho. They debuted on August 18, 2025, with the digital single “What You Want&quot; followed by their first EP, &quot;Color Outside the Lines&quot;. The group’s name is derived from the phrase “Color Outside the Lines,” reflecting their concept of creative freedom and nonconformity. Cortis has been promoted as a self-producing “creator crew,” with members participating in songwriting, choreography, and visual direction. Blending pop, hip-hop, and experimental elements, the group gained early attention for their performance skills, self-produced content, and strong rookie-year sales, establishing them as one of Big Hit Music’s newer generation acts.

CORTIS

CORTIS는 스타일에 돈이 꼭 필요하다는 생각을 거부하는 가사 위에 "FaSHioN"을 쌓아 올렸다. 2억 스트리밍을 돌파한 지금도, 이 곡은 여전히 그들의 가장 분명한 선언문이다

CORTIS의 첫 주년, K-pop 패션 로열티로서의 존재감을 입증하다

Islington Assembly Hall이 문을 열기 전, KANG YUCHAN과 from20이 두 라이징 스타가 무대에 오르기 전의 비하인드를 공개했다

London에서 펼쳐진 KANG YUCHAN & from20의 Body Talk Tour 백스테이지

SM, YG, JYP, HYBE 같은 대형 K-pop 회사들이 여전히 한국 아이돌 산업의 선두 주자로 여겨지지만, 그 밖의 중견 레이블들도 음악과 아이돌 문화 전반에 영향력을 미치는 실질적인 경쟁자로 꾸준히 떠오르고 있다

Beyond the Big 4: K-pop의 중견 레이블들이 장기전에서 승리하는 법

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

SM Entertainment가 MINHO의 솔로 컴백 소식을 전했다. MINHO는 2026년 9월 7일 미니 앨범 Make it Hot으로 돌아온다. 이번 발표는 SHINee의 6월 그룹 앨범 Atmos 활동이 마무리된 뒤 이어졌다.

SHINee의 MINHO, 9월 두 번째 미니 앨범 ‘Make it Hot’ 발매

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

Chungha가 2026년 9월 1일 새 디지털 싱글 “México”를 발매할 예정이다. 이번 소식은 Chungha의 소속사 MORE VISION이 전했다.

Chungha, 9월 1일 디지털 싱글 “México” 발매

CHOI YU REE가 지난해 Stay: One의 후속 EP인 Stay: Two로 돌아왔다. 하지만 이번 작품은 이야기를 이어가는 속편이라기보다, 반대로 되짚어 가는 앨범에 가깝다.

Track-By-Track: CHOI YU REE’s Stay: Two

Stray Kids is an eight-member boy group under JYP Entertainment, consisting of Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. The group was introduced through the 2017 survival program Stray Kids and officially debuted in March 2018 with I Am Not, following the pre-debut release &quot;Hellevator.&quot; Former member Kim Woojin left in 2019. The group&#x27;s identity is unusually tied to self-production. Before debut, Bang Chan had already gathered the members around a team-first concept, and the production trio 3RACHA -- Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han -- became the engine behind much of Stray Kids&#x27; sound. That gave the group a different center of gravity from many idol acts: the music often felt like it came from inside the team rather than being assigned to them. Musically, Stray Kids are known for dense rap writing, aggressive electronic textures, sudden rhythmic switches, and choruses built for performance impact. &quot;God&#x27;s Menu,&quot; &quot;Back Door,&quot; &quot;Thunderous,&quot; &quot;Maniac,&quot; and &quot;S-Class&quot; made their style easy to identify: noisy in the intentional sense, but organized around hooks, slogans, and choreography that fans could immediately hold onto. Their lyrics often return to pressure, self-definition, ambition, and the awkward process of growing into confidence. The members&#x27; contrast is a major part of the group&#x27;s appeal. Bang Chan anchors the team as leader and producer; Changbin and Han give the rap line speed and personality; Lee Know, Hyunjin, and Felix shape the performance image; Seungmin and I.N bring clearer melodic balance. Rather than smoothing those differences out, Stray Kids usually lean into them, making their songs feel crowded, restless, and unmistakably theirs. Stray Kids became one of the defining global boy groups of the fourth generation, with a fandom known as STAY and major touring success across Asia, North America, Europe, and beyond. Their rise helped prove that a self-producing idol group could scale internationally while keeping a specific sonic fingerprint. Even when the group experiments with genre or language, the core idea remains stable: Stray Kids make high-impact pop out of tension, noise, teamwork, and control.

Stray Kids

JYP Entertainment의 Stray Kids가 THIS &amp; THAT으로 Billboard 200 9번째 정상에 오르며, 이를 달성한 역사상 유일한 아시아 아티스트가 됐다

Stray Kids, ‘THIS & THAT’로 Billboard 200 9번째 1위 기록…역사 새로 써

&nbsp;이번 주 Last Week In K-pop, Interpreted는 이렇게 묻는다. 따라잡기 위해 치러야 하는 대가는 무엇일까? V와 Jungkook은 신체적 부담에 직면하고, Gunil의 탈퇴는 레이블과의 불일치를 드러내며, BIGBANG은 완전체가 아니어도 컴백이 가능하다는 걸 보여주고, NCT 127은 4년 만에 미국으로 돌아온다.&nbsp;

지난주 K-pop, 해석하기 (2026년 8월 10일 - 8월 14일)

KATSEYE is a multinational girl group formed through the reality competition series Dream Academy, a collaboration between HYBE and Geffen Records. The group debuted in June 2024 with the single &quot;Debut&quot;. KATSEYE consists of six members from different countries: Daniela Avanzini, Lara Rajagopalan, Manon Bannerman, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza, and Yoonchae Jeong. The group was created to combine Kpop training with a global pop approach, featuring members from North America, Europe, and Asia. The group first gained attention through the documentary series The Debut: Dream Academy (or Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE on Netflix), which followed the trainees&#x27; journey during the Dream Academy project and the process of forming the final lineup. KATSEYE&#x27;s music blends elements of pop, dance, and K-pop-influenced production while targeting a global audience with multilingual promotion and international activities.

KATSEYE

두 KATSEYE 멤버가 6개월 사이에 차례로 그룹 활동을 잠시 멈췄다. 먼저 Manon, 그리고 이제 Sophia까지. 그룹의 첫 다큐멘터리, 세 번째 EP, 데뷔 월드 투어가 모두 몇 주 사이에 맞물린 시점이다.

두 KATSEYE 멤버의 활동 중단이 보여주는 그룹의 현재 상황

K-pop 팬덤은 결코 단순한 소비에만 머물러 있지 않았다. 팬들은 수십 년 동안 콘텐츠를 아카이빙하고, 번역하고, 공유해 왔으며, 이는 접근성을 위한 일이기도 했고 아티스트의 역사에서 자칫 사라질 수 있는 순간들을 지키려는 본능에서 비롯된 일이기도 했다.

K-Pop 팬들은 단순한 관객이 아니다 - 그들은 아카이브다

이번 주 K-pop 신곡들은 최근 SM Entertainment를 떠난 멤버가 있는 두 NCT 유닛, WayV와 127의 컴백을 다시 불러온다

Comeback Corner: WayV, NCT 127, Hearts2Hearts & More

BIGBANG is a South Korean boy group formed by YG Entertainment, debuting in 2006 and becoming one of the most influential acts in K-pop history. The current profile centers on G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung, with T.O.P and Seungri tied to earlier chapters of the group. The group&#x27;s importance comes from how strongly it changed expectations for idol music and image. BIGBANG made self-production, individual fashion identity, and genre-blending central to its appeal, with G-Dragon&#x27;s songwriting and public style playing a major role in the group&#x27;s reputation. Musically, BIGBANG moved through hip-hop, R&amp;B, electronic pop, ballads, and festival-sized dance tracks without losing a recognizable identity. Songs such as &quot;Lies,&quot; &quot;Haru Haru,&quot; &quot;Fantastic Baby,&quot; and &quot;Bang Bang Bang&quot; became reference points for later idol groups trying to balance mainstream hooks with stronger artist branding. The members also became major solo figures, which helped the group feel less like a standard idol team and more like a collection of distinct pop stars. That individual power brought both longevity and complications, especially as military service, controversies, and member departures changed the group&#x27;s public shape. The fandom is known as V.I.P. BIGBANG is a defining second-generation group whose impact on K-pop music, fashion, performance, and global ambition is difficult to separate from the genre&#x27;s modern history.

BIGBANG

YG Entertainment는 BIGBANG이 8월 14일부로 Korea의 항공우주청(KASA) 첫 명예홍보대사로 위촉됐다고 밝혔다.

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