KPOPWORLD #6 (Yves)

KPOPWORLD #6 (KEYVITUP X VAYONN)

KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

LOONA (이달의 소녀, &quot;Girl of the Month&quot;) is a girl group formed by Blockberry Creative with one of the most ambitious pre-debut projects in K-pop history. From 2016 to 2018, each of the twelve members was individually introduced with her own solo single, music video, and lore before the full group debuted in August 2018. This elaborate rollout created an intricate &quot;LOONAVERSE&quot; mythology that captivated fans who dissected every visual clue and narrative connection. LOONA&#x27;s music spans a remarkable range of styles — from Chuu&#x27;s bubbly &quot;Heart Attack&quot; to the cinematic grandeur of &quot;Butterfly&quot; to the girl-crush energy of &quot;PTT (Paint the Town).&quot; The group gained a uniquely devoted international fandom, Orbits, who turned LOONA into an internet phenomenon long before the group achieved mainstream domestic success. Despite significant company controversies and member departures, LOONA&#x27;s creative ambition and the quality of their discography have ensured their place in K-pop history as one of the most artistically inventive groups of their generation.

LOONA

LOONA에서 솔로 아티스트로의 진화까지, Yves는 2026년 솔직하고 날것 그대로의 대화 속에서 자신의 여정, 창작 정체성, 그리고 성장 뒤에 숨은 어려움에 대해 털어놓는다

Yves의 자아 이미지

KEYVITUP is a five-member boy group under iNKODE, formed through the agency’s INTHE X Project. The lineup—Sena, Hyunmin, Taehwan, Rukia, and Jaein—was introduced step by step through pre-debut content, building anticipation around a team designed with a strong performance focus and a clear concept from the start. As part of a dual-group rollout, KEYVITUP was positioned with a trendy and dynamic identity, contrasting with its counterpart group. This concept highlights a more energetic and performance-driven style, setting the tone for their music and overall image even before debut. They are set to make their debut with the self-titled EP KEYVITUP, marking the official beginning of their activities. With pre-debut exposure, international stage appearances, and a defined concept, the group enters the scene with momentum and a clear direction moving forward.

KEYVITUP

최신 디지털 커버에서는 HYUNMIN, TAEHWAN, SENA, JAEIN, RUKIA와 함께 데뷔, 자신들만의 사운드를 찾아가는 과정, 직접 음악을 쓰고 만들어가는 이야기, 다섯 멤버를 하나로 묶는 케미, 그리고 앞으로 KEYVITUP을 어디까지 끌고 가고 싶은지에 대해 이야기를 나눴다

KEYVITUP - The KPOPWORLD 디지털 커버

KickFlip is a seven-member boy group under JYP Entertainment, consisting of Kyehoon, Amaru, Donghwa, Juwang, Minje, Keiju, and Donghyeon. The group was formed through the SBS audition program Loud and debuted in 2025. The group&#x27;s identity connects JYP&#x27;s idol training system with a more youthful, agile performance image. Because several members were already known from a survival-show context, KickFlip&#x27;s debut carried built-in curiosity around how the lineup would translate from trainee competition to a working group. The fandom is known as WeFlip. KickFlip is still early in its career, with its public identity centered on formation, lineup, and debut positioning rather than a long-established legacy.

KickFlip

KickFlip이 새로운 챕터를 시작할 준비를 마쳤다. 2027년 첫 월드 투어를 앞두고, JYP Entertainment의 신예들이 KPOPWORLD와 만나 새 앨범 KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1에 대해 이야기했다.

KickFlip, 첫 월드 투어를 앞두고 KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1 이야기하다

K-pop 프로모션 사이클에서 가장 핵심적인 요소가 하나 있다면, 바로 음악방송이고, 그에 따른 음악방송 1위다

음악방송 1위란 정확히 무엇일까 – 그리고 그룹들은 어떻게 1위를 차지할까?

CLOSE YOUR EYES (also shortened as CYE) is a seven-member boy group under UNCORE. They were formed through JTBC&#x27;s survival show PROJECT7. They made their debut on April 2, 2025, with the mini album &quot;Enternalt&quot;. PROJECT7 started airing on October 18, 2024, and the finale was broadcast live on December 27, 2024, revealing the group name, CLOSE YOUR EYES, and the seven winners, in order: Ma Jingxiang, Kenshin, Jeon Minwook, Seo Kyoungbae, Song Seungho, Jang Yeojun, and Kim Sungmin. Before joining PROJECT7, Jeon Minwook had already debuted as a member of the boy group BAE173 and the project group A-SIX. Additionally, Ma Jingxiang was a contestant on Boys Planet, while Jang Yeojun also participated in Boys Planet and was a contestant on Wild Idol.

CLOSE YOUR EYES

CLOSE YOUR EYES의 컴백 앨범 256th Note의 마지막 트랙 작업 과정, 데뷔 이후의 성장, 그리고 더 멀리 나아가게 하는 원동력에 대해 이야기를 들어봤다

Meet The Member CLOSE YOUR EYES의 SEO KYOUNGBAE 인터뷰 – 계속 더 높이 올라가기

7월 16일, JYP Entertainment 산하 INNIT Entertainment는 콘셉트 필름을 통해 회사의 새 걸그룹 OURBIRTHDAY의 첫 3인 멤버를 공개했다. “ERROR 502: Bad Gateway”라는 제목의 이 영상은 소녀들을 소개하는 동시에 호러풍 콘셉트를 예고한다.

JYP Entertainment의 새 걸그룹 OURBIRTHDAY 첫 공개

기억에 남고 창의적인 앨범 패키징은 그룹의 비주얼 아이덴티티를 확고히 하고 팬들이 앨범을 구매하도록 유도하는 K-pop 산업의 핵심 마케팅 전략이다. 처음에는 표준 주얼 케이스가 전부였지만, K-pop 앨범은 점차 그 자체로 소장 가치가 있는 아이템으로 진화했다

SM Entertainment가 K-pop 앨범 패키징의 규칙을 다시 쓰고 있다

NCT 127 is the Seoul-based fixed unit of NCT, formed by SM Entertainment and debuting in July 2016. The &quot;127&quot; refers to Seoul&#x27;s longitude, grounding the unit in the city even as the broader NCT project was designed around expansion. From the beginning, NCT 127 carried the more urban, experimental side of the NCT system. The unit&#x27;s music is known for abrasive textures, unusual structures, and a heavy emphasis on rhythm. &quot;Limitless,&quot; &quot;Cherry Bomb,&quot; &quot;Regular,&quot; &quot;Kick It,&quot; and &quot;Sticker&quot; are not built like neutral pop singles; they use chants, distorted synths, sparse hooks, and strong rap sections to create a sound that can feel challenging before it becomes addictive. That willingness to be strange became the group&#x27;s signature rather than a side effect. NCT 127&#x27;s lineup has included members such as Taeyong, Johnny, Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, Mark, and Haechan. The unit works because those personalities pull in different directions: rap, vocal polish, dance sharpness, humor, and a fashion-forward public image all sit inside one brand. Their fandom falls under the wider NCTzen name, often shortened to Czennie. NCT 127&#x27;s importance is not just that they promoted globally or charted internationally; it is that they made SM&#x27;s most experimental boy-group ideas commercially visible. They turned risk into identity, making songs that sounded unmistakably like NCT 127 even when they divided listeners at first.

NCT 127

7월 15일, SM Entertainment는 NCT 127의 현 멤버 7명인 JOHNNY, TAEYONG, YUTA, DOYOUNG, JAEHYUN, JUNGWOO, HAECHAN이 모두 회사와 재계약을 체결했다고 밝혔다.

NCT 127 전 멤버, SM Entertainment와 재계약

K-pop의 계약 시스템은 1990년대 산업이 시작된 이래로 여러 변화를 겪어왔다. 13년짜리 노예 계약에서 재협상 옵션이 포함된 7년으로 짧아지기까지

K-pop의 계약 시스템, 쉽게 풀어보기 – 그리고 왜 이렇게 많은 아티스트들이 Big Labels를 떠나는가

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

ATEEZ는 GOLDEN HOUR Part.5를 위해 하나의 비주얼 월드만 만든 것이 아니었다. 그들은 세 개를 만들었다. 럭셔리 포멀리즘, 스트리트웨어 맥시멀리즘, 에디토리얼 보헤미안리즘 — 각각은 패션의 레퍼런스 지도에서 서로 다른 지점에서 가져온 것이다.

ATEEZ가 ‘GOLDEN HOUR: Part.5’에서 가장 야심 찬 패션 서사를 완성한 방법

SEVENTEEN is a thirteen-member boy group formed by Pledis Entertainment, debuting in May 2015. The group is organized into three internal teams: hip-hop, vocal, and performance. That structure is more than branding; it explains how SEVENTEEN functions, with members contributing to songwriting, choreography, staging, and the division of energy across a very large lineup. The members are S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino. Their nickname as &quot;self-producing idols&quot; comes especially from Woozi&#x27;s central role in music and Hoshi&#x27;s role in performance direction, but the larger appeal is how the group makes thirteen people feel coordinated rather than crowded. SEVENTEEN&#x27;s early music leaned bright, youthful, and rhythmically nimble, with songs like &quot;Adore U,&quot; &quot;Mansae,&quot; and &quot;Very Nice&quot; presenting them as a group with unusual stage chemistry. Later releases such as &quot;Don&#x27;t Wanna Cry,&quot; &quot;Home,&quot; &quot;Left &amp; Right,&quot; &quot;Rock with you,&quot; and &quot;Super&quot; widened the scale while keeping the choreography and vocal distribution clear. Their best songs often turn teamwork itself into the hook: repeated gestures, fast transitions, and formations that reward watching the whole stage. The group&#x27;s growth into one of K-pop&#x27;s top album sellers came from consistency as much as spectacle. SEVENTEEN built trust through steady comebacks, strong variety content, and concerts that emphasized the members&#x27; humor as well as precision. Their fandom, CARAT, became part of that identity, following a group that could be technically impressive without losing warmth. SEVENTEEN&#x27;s legacy is tied to durability. Few large idol groups have kept such a clear group image while allowing so many individual personalities to stand out. As their scale expanded under the wider HYBE era, they remained recognizably Pledis-born: performance-first, member-driven, and unusually good at turning the mechanics of a big team into something emotionally easy to understand.

SEVENTEEN

3세대 대표 그룹 SEVENTEEN의 막내 Dino가 자신의 페르소나 Picheolin 이름으로 첫 솔로 앨범 Gilboard를 2026년 8월 3일 발매할 예정이다.

SEVENTEEN의 DINO, 페르소나 Picheolin으로 솔로 앨범 ‘Gilboard’ 발매

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

7월 14일, inner beauty 브랜드 LifePharm이 genderless 그룹 XLOV가 새로운 Global Ambassadors가 될 것이라고 발표했다. 이 브랜드는 K-pop 아이돌을 위한 셀프케어로 소개되는 바이럴 식이보충제 Mood Change Alpha Plus 라인으로 잘 알려져 있다.

XLOV, inner beauty 브랜드 LifePharm 앰배서더로 발탁

KARD is a four-member South Korean co-ed group under DSP Media, consisting of J.Seph, BM, Somin, and Jiwoo. They officially debuted on July 19, 2017 with Hola Hola after a pre-debut project series that introduced the group through &quot;Oh NaNa,&quot; &quot;Don&#x27;t Recall,&quot; and &quot;Rumor.&quot; The group&#x27;s significance starts with its lineup structure. Co-ed idol groups are rare in modern K-pop, and KARD made that format feel central rather than novelty-based. Their performances are built around contrast: male and female vocal colors, rap and vocal handoffs, and choreography that lets the four members interact as a unit instead of splitting into separate halves. Musically, KARD became closely associated with tropical house, dancehall, Latin-pop, and club-oriented pop, sounds that helped them connect quickly with international audiences. &quot;Hola Hola&quot; established the bright version of that identity, while later singles such as &quot;Gunshot,&quot; &quot;Ring The Alarm,&quot; and &quot;Icky&quot; leaned into sharper performance energy and heavier rhythmic production. The fandom is known as Hidden KARD. KARD became one of K-pop&#x27;s clearest examples of a stable co-ed act with a global audience. Their longevity matters because they kept a distinct lane through military hiatuses, changing industry trends, and a market where most idol teams follow same-gender formats.

KARD

2016년 프리데뷔부터 곧 발매될 첫이자 마지막 정규 앨범까지, 혼성 그룹 KARD는 K-pop 산업에서 혼성 아티스트가 어디까지 가능할 수 있는지를 끊임없이 도전하며 새롭게 정의해 왔다. 한국에서 라틴 영향을 받은 음악을 본격적으로 개척한 그룹으로도 알려진 KARD는

KARD를 정의하는 9곡, 한눈에 보는 리스닝 맵

세대교체를 맞은 K-pop 그룹들이 이별과 씁쓸한 이정표를 마주한 가운데—WinWin의 NCT 탈퇴부터 KARD의 마지막 앨범까지—업계는 빠르게 변화하고 있다. 한편 Red Velvet의 컴백 포스터에 등장한 AI 워터마크는 이 장르에서 기술이 어떤 역할을 해야 하는지를 두고 팬들 사이에 뜨거운 논쟁을 불러일으켰다.&nbsp;

K-pop 지난주 해석하기 (2026년 7월 6일 - 10일)

NCT, short for Neo Culture Technology, is a boy group project under SM Entertainment. The system was built around multiple units, changing combinations, and regional expansion rather than a single fixed lineup, making NCT one of SM&#x27;s most ambitious idol structures. The project began publicly through NCT U in 2016, then expanded through fixed or semi-fixed units such as NCT 127, NCT Dream, WayV, and NCT WISH. Each unit carries a different role: Seoul-based performance, youth-to-adult growth, Chinese-language promotion, rotational experiments, and the final new-team expansion. NCT&#x27;s music is often associated with dense production, experimental structures, and performance-heavy arrangements. The group&#x27;s system allowed SM to place members in songs by concept, which helped produce very different sounds under the same brand without asking every unit to serve the same identity. The project also made member identity central to the fan experience. NCTzen follows not only the full brand but also unit dynamics, cross-unit collaborations, and individual member activities, which makes the profile more complex than a normal group page. NCT is both a group brand and a structure for multiple teams. That structure shaped how SM approached global boy-group promotion from the mid-2010s onward, making the project as much about organization and unit design as individual songs.

7월 13일, NCT의 5세대 유닛 NCT WISH가 일본 싱글 앨범 YO-I-DON! / BOY MEETS GIRL를 발매했다. 이 앨범은 6월 22일 선공개된 “BOY MEETS GIRL”과 새 타이틀곡 “YO-I-DON!” 두 곡으로 구성됐다.

NCT WISH, 일본 팬미팅 매진 후 일본 싱글 ‘YO-I-DON! / BOY MEETS GIRL’ 발매

2026년 7월 13일, PLEDIS Entertainment는 SEVENTEEN의 13명 전원이 두 번째 재계약을 선택했다고 공식 확인했다. 데뷔 11년 차이자 의무 군복무가 이어지는 가운데, 그룹은 돌아오기를 기다리는 팬들에게 “영원”을 약속했다.

SEVENTEEN, PLEDIS Entertainment와 두 번째 재계약 체결

&nbsp;이번 여름의 열기는 계속된다. RIIZE의 bass house, BABYMONSTER의 dance-pop-country, i-dle의 매혹적인 신곡, Pagaehun의 Y2K teen-crush 무드, 그리고 SEVENTEEN의 V8이 Pharrell과 함께 선보이는 신선한 R&amp;B/hip-hop까지.&nbsp;

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