KPOPWORLD #6 (Yves)

KPOPWORLD #6 (KEYVITUP X VAYONN)

KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

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

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

그가 처음 보사노바를 접하게 된 계기, 피처링 아티스트와의 협업이 그에게 어떤 변화를 가져왔는지, 그리고 그룹 멤버들과 가장 연결돼 있다고 느끼는 순간에 대해 이야기한다

Meet The Member: CLOSE YOUR EYES의 KENSHIN과의 인터뷰 – 장난기 많은 연결고리

이번 대화에서는 스튜디오에서의 솔직함, 데뷔 초부터 이어져 온 긴장감, 그리고 이번 활동에서 CLOSER가 다르게 봐주길 바라는 점을 함께 이야기한다

Meet The Member: CLOSE YOUR EYES의 SONG SEUNGHO와의 인터뷰 – 흔들리지 않는 스파크

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

Seoul City는 Chang-dong 지역을 24시간 운영되는 K-pop 문화 허브로 바꾸기 위해 19억 달러를 투입하고 있다. 이는 단순한 공연장을 넘어서는 규모다. 2만8,000석 규모의 Seoul Arena와 함께 시는 박물관, 전시 공간, 라이브 스트리밍 인프라, 그리고 세제 혜택과 민간 투자를 이끌어내는 특별 법적 지정까지 추진하고 있다.

서울이 24/7 K-Entertainment 타운이 되는 것이 중요한 이유

Ten은 조용히 자신만의 무언가를 만들어가고 있다. 이번 주 방콕 기반의 프로덕션 회사가 공식 발표 없이도 그의 이름을 전면에 내세운 채 출범했다.

Last Week In K-pop, Interpreted (May 4 - 8, 2026)

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

이번 주 Comeback Corner에서는 두 팀의 보이그룹 데뷔, 걸그룹의 대표 시대를 잇는 컴백, 그리고 10년 만에 성사된 문화적 재회까지 다룬다

Comeback Corner: Billlie, B:DAWN, YUHZ & More

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;

7년, 8장의 미니 앨범, 그리고 한곳에 머물지 않던 디스코그래피 끝에, CIX는 4월 30일 공식 해체했다

CIX를 기억하며: 세월을 돌아보다

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

NewJeans is a girl group launched by ADOR in 2022, originally introduced with Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein. Their debut was unusual: instead of a long teaser cycle, ADOR introduced the group through a surprise rollout led by &quot;Attention&quot;, followed quickly by &quot;Hype Boy&quot;, &quot;Cookie&quot; and their first EP. The group&#x27;s early image felt deliberately low-friction compared with much of fourth-generation K-pop. NewJeans leaned into natural styling, soft choreography, conversational vocals, and production influenced by 2000s R&amp;B, UK garage, jersey club, and light dance-pop. That understated approach became the point: records like &quot;Ditto&quot; and Super Shy were catchy without feeling overbuilt, helping shift the broader sound of girl-group pop toward smoother textures and shorter, replayable hooks. NewJeans&#x27; impact is also inseparable from presentation. Their videos, graphic design, choreography, and fashion choices treated the group less like a traditional idol launch and more like a youth-culture project with a specific visual world. That made the members feel immediately recognizable even when the songs were restrained. The fandom is known as Bunnies or Tokkis. The group&#x27;s later public story became tied to major corporate conflict around ADOR and HYBE, but their musical impact remains clear. NewJeans changed the temperature of K-pop quickly: softer, more casual, more design-conscious, and still massively public-facing. Their catalog is short compared with older top groups, but the influence of their first run is already large.

NewJeans

NewJeans는 거의 2년 동안 음악을 내지 않았지만, 그 사이 지난 2년간의 K-pop 곳곳에는 여전히 이들의 흔적이 남아 있었다. 이제 ADOR가 이들이 Copenhagen에서 새 음악 작업 중이라고 확인하면서, 사람들의 질문은 단순히 언제 돌아오느냐가 아니라

NewJeans의 잠재적 컴백이 K-pop 산업 전체를 어떻게 바꿀 수 있는가

K-pop의 현재 EDM 열풍에 대한 논의는 중요한 한 가지를 놓치고 있다. 댄스 음악은 사실 한 번도 떠난 적이 없다는 점이다. Chyenne Tatum은 이번 최신 기사에서 하우스가 가미된 first-gen 그룹들의 사운드부터 2015년 딥 하우스 시대까지, 이 장르의 전자적 뿌리를 따라간다.

EDM In K-pop은 새로운 트렌드가 아니다 – 하지만 지금 르네상스를 맞고 있다

KPOPWORLD는 매주 헤드라인 너머를 들여다보며 K-pop에서 실제로 무엇이 달라졌는지, 그리고 그것이 왜 중요한지 짚어봅니다

지난주 K-pop 해석하기 (2026년 4월 26일 - 5월 1일)

MAMAMOO is a four-member vocal powerhouse girl group formed by RBW Entertainment, debuting in June 2014. Consisting of Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa, the group immediately stood out for their exceptional live vocals, jazz and retro-influenced sound, and playful on-stage chemistry. Their debut track &quot;Mr. Ambiguous&quot; showcased a level of vocal ability rare among rookie groups and earned critical acclaim. Over the years, MAMAMOO built a reputation as one of K-pop&#x27;s most talented and entertaining live acts, with hits like &quot;Um Oh Ah Yeh,&quot; &quot;Décalcomanie,&quot; &quot;Starry Night,&quot; and &quot;HIP.&quot; Each member has also found significant solo success, with Hwasa in particular becoming a cultural icon. The group&#x27;s fandom, MooMoo, appreciates their authenticity and musicality. Though members eventually moved to different agencies, MAMAMOO has continued to reunite for group activities, proving the strength of their bond.

MAMAMOO

MAMAMOO가 돌아왔다 — 그리고 그들은 아레나를 채울 예정이다. Solar, Moon Byul, Whee In, Hwa Sa는 올해 8월 미국 7개 도시 투어를 확정했으며, 수년간의 솔로 활동을 거친 뒤 다시 모인 이들의 본격적인 단체 미국 공연이다: 뉴욕, 시카고, LA 등 주요 도시가 포함되어 있다.

MAMAMOO, 12주년 및 그룹 재결합 기념 2026년 미국 투어 발표

이번 주 Comeback Corner는 하나의 플레이리스트 안에서 약 15년에 걸친 K-pop의 흐름을 아우른다

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