KPOPWORLD #6 (Yves)

KPOPWORLD #6 (KEYVITUP X VAYONN)

KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

Choi Yu Ree는 Stay 시리즈의 마지막 장인 Stay: Two를 통해, 섬세한 송라이팅으로 일상 속에서 형태를 만들어가는 취약함, 사랑, 두려움, 그리고 조용한 감정들을 이야기한다.

Choi Yu Ree는 자신을 있는 그대로 지키고 있다

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

THE BOYZ is an eleven-member boy group formed by Cre.Ker Entertainment (now an independent group), debuting in December 2017. The group gained significant attention for their performance abilities, particularly after their appearance on the Mnet competition show &quot;Road to Kingdom&quot; in 2020, where they won first place with theatrical, visually stunning stages that showcased their storytelling through dance. Their &quot;Road to Kingdom&quot; victory was a turning point, elevating THE BOYZ from a mid-tier group to one of the most respected performance-focused acts in K-pop. Songs like &quot;The Stealer,&quot; &quot;THRILL RIDE,&quot; and &quot;MAVERICK&quot; have highlighted their versatility. THE BOYZ&#x27;s fandom, THE B, has grown steadily, supporting the group through sold-out concerts and strong album sales. The group is widely regarded as having some of the best synchronized choreography and stage presence in the industry. On March 19, 2026, nine members of The Boyz filed for the termination of their exclusive contracts with One Hundred Label, citing issues including unpaid settlements and a breakdown of trust. The agency disputed the claims and rejected the termination, resulting in a legal dispute between the parties. As of April 23, 2026, the court ruled in favor of the nine members, granting the boys an injunction to end the validity of their contracts. The members who were involved are officially free from their ties with One Hundred Label, however the last member still remains as of right now. The group is currently continuing forward as an independent group, being one of the most successful of their peers to make such move.

THE BOYZ

THE BOYZ와 함께한 거의 10년에 가까운 시간 끝에, KEVIN MOON은 데뷔 프로젝트 FREECHILD로 솔로 아티스트로서 새로운 챕터를 열고 있다

KEVIN MOON 인터뷰 – 새장 속 새, 비로소 날아오르다

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

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

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

BLACKPINK의 JISOO가 자신의 솔로 세계관을 스트리트웨어로 확장한다. 싱글 “CLICK”에서 영감을 받은 한정판 Fall/Winter 2026 캡슐 “JISOO CLICK by Off-White”를 선보인다.

JISOO가 새로운 Off-White 협업으로 “CLICK”을 완성하다

IZ*ONE was a twelve-member project girl group formed through the Mnet survival show &quot;Produce 48,&quot; a collaboration between Korean and Japanese entertainment industries, debuting in October 2018. The group combined members from Korean agencies and Japan&#x27;s AKB48 system, including future stars Jang Wonyoung, An Yujin, Kim Chaewon, and Miyawaki Sakura. Their debut mini-album &quot;COLOR*IZ&quot; broke sales records for a K-pop girl group at the time. During their two-and-a-half-year contract, IZ*ONE became one of the best-selling girl groups in K-pop history, with releases like &quot;La Vie en Rose,&quot; &quot;Violeta,&quot; and &quot;Fiesta&quot; achieving critical and commercial success. Despite the &quot;Produce&quot; series vote manipulation scandal casting a shadow over their formation, the group&#x27;s talent was undeniable. IZ*ONE disbanded in April 2021 as planned, but their members went on to lead some of the biggest acts in K-pop&#x27;s fourth generation, including IVE, LE SSERAFIM, and more. Their fandom, WIZ*ONE, remains active and nostalgic.

IZ*ONE

발매 두 달이 지난 지금도 YENA의 "Catch Catch"는 Melon 차트에서 계속 상승하고 있다. 그건 우연이 아니다

두 달이 지난 지금도 YENA의 "Catch Catch"는 계속 상승 중 — 그게 의미하는 바가 있다

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

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

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

KATSEYE가 올가을 WILDWORLD TOUR로 유럽과 북미 전역의 아레나를 찾는다

KATSEYE, 유럽과 북미 전역 아레나 헤드라인 투어 대규모 발표

서로 완전히 다른 두 번의 대응, 그리고 계속 반복되는 하나의 패턴. @chyandblack는 G-Dragon과 RIIZE의 Eunseok을 둘러싼 연이은 논란을 짚으며, K-pop 팬들이 수년째 던져온 질문을 다시 꺼낸다. 무지가 언제 무책임으로 바뀌는 걸까?

K-pop 아이돌이 반복되는 문화적 논란의 당사자가 될 때 — 언제쯤 멈출까?

이번 주에는 총 8개의 신곡이 공개됐는데, 거의 하나도 비슷한 느낌이 없습니다. Taeyong은 군 복무를 마치고 한층 더 세련된 랩 중심의 스타일로 돌아왔고, aespa는 G-Dragon의 참여와 함께 더 어두운 분위기로 방향을 틀었으며, NMIXX는 "Crescendo"에 이어 완전한 카타르시스로 폭발하는 곡을 내놨습니다.

Comeback Corner: Taeyong, aespa, NMIXX, & More

&amp;TEAM is a nine-member Japanese boy group under YX Labels (formerly HYBE Labels Japan). The group was formed through the survival program &quot;&amp;Audition - The Howling&quot; and debuted in December 2022 with their first extended play &quot;First Howling: Me&quot;. The group consists of EJ, Fuma, K, Nicholas, Yuma, Jo, Harua, Taki, and Maki, with EJ serving as the leader. Several members, including K, Nicholas, EJ, and Taki, previously participated in the survival show I-LAND before being selected for HYBE&#x27;s Japanese global debut project. Before their official debut, the group released the digital single Under the Skin, which introduced their storyline and concept. Their debut EP, First Howling,e followed shortly afterward, marking the beginning of the group&#x27;s &quot;First Howling&quot; series of releases. Although primarily active in Japan, &amp;TEAM promoted internationally and later expanded into Korea with Korean-language releases and promotions. Their fandom name is LUNÉ, representing fans who support the group like the moon lighting the night sky.

&TEAM

&amp;TEAM이 첫 단독 돔 콘서트를 개최한다고 발표했다. 이 소식은 5월 13일 K-Arena Yokohama에서 열린 "2026 &amp;TEAM CONCERT TOUR 'BLAZE THE WAY'"의 첫날 공연 도중 전해졌다.

&TEAM, Belluna Dome에서 첫 단독 돔 콘서트 개최 발표

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 “REDRED”로 미래의 히트곡을 만들어내는 데 그치지 않고, 한국 문화에 깊이 뿌리내린 개념들을 해체해 빛 아래에 올려놓는다

CORTIS, “REDRED”에서 순응의 대가를 탐구하다

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.

뉴스