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

ILLIT is a South Korean girl group formed through the 2023 reality survival show R U Next?. The group is managed by Belift Lab, a subsidiary of HYBE, and debuted in March 2024 with the EP &quot;Super Real Me&quot;. ILLIT consists of five members: Yunah, Minju, Moka, Wonhee, and Iroha, though former member Youngeso left before the group officially debuted despite making the final line up. The group quickly gained global attention with their debut title track Magnetic, which became a viral hit on social media platforms and achieved high placements on international music charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200. Their sound combines elements of Kpop, electronic pop, and dreamy pop aesthetics. ILLIT&#x27;s concept focuses on youthful energy and individuality, presenting a soft yet modern pop style that has helped establish the group as one of the notable fifth-generation Kpop girl groups.

ILLIT

ILLIT가 돌아왔다 — 그리고 그들이 먼저 움직이길 당신에게 기대하지 않는다. 네 번째 미니앨범 MAMIHLAPINATAPAI가 발매되었고, 리드 싱글 "It's Me"를 중심으로 한다 — 이 곡은 그룹의 첫 테크노 도전이자 지금까지의 가장 과감한 선언이다

ILLIT, 새 미니앨범 MAMIHLAPINATAPAI로 본격 행보

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.

CIX, 7년 만에 해체

데뷔 미니 앨범 [QtoresQ] 발매를 기념해, KB, JISUNG 그리고 NINE이 수록곡 하나하나의 제작 결정, 개인적인 순간들, 그리고 모든 것을 연결하는 제목의 이야기를 직접 들려준다. QQQ의 단독 트랙 바이 트랙 코멘터리가 KPOPWORLD에 공개되었다

KPOPWORLD와 함께하는 트랙 바이 트랙: QQQ가 [QtoresQ]를 해설하다

TOMORROW X TOGETHER와 UNICEF가 'TOGETHER FOR TOMORROW'를 출범했다 – 청년들의 정신건강과 웰빙에 초점을 맞춘 글로벌 캠페인이다. 이 이니셔티브는 TXT와 Korean Committee for UNICEF, BIGHIT MUSIC을 함께 연결해 젊은이들이 자신의 감정을 솔직하게 말하고 필요할 때 도움을 요청할 수 있는 공간을 만드는 것을 목표로 한다.

TOGETHER FOR TOMORROW: TXT와 UNICEF, 글로벌 청년 정신건강 캠페인 시작

HYBE가 1분기 사상 최고 매출인 KRW 698.3 billion을 기록했으며 — 이 수치만으로는 전부를 말해주지 않는다. 예상대로 BTS의 ARIRANG 컴백이 실적을 견인하며 녹음물(Recorded music) 매출을 전년 동기 대비 거의 두 배로 끌어올렸다.

HYBE, BTS 컴백에 힘입어 1분기 사상 최대 매출 기록

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

ATEEZ가 로마로 향한다. 그룹은 7월 8일 Rock In Roma 출연이 확정되어 2026년 첫 유럽 공연일 뿐만 아니라 진정한 역사적 사건을 기록하게 됐다: 2009년 출범 이래 페스티벌 사상 처음으로 K-pop 아티스트가 무대에 서는 것이다.

ATEEZ, Rock In Roma에서 역사 쓴다: 페스티벌 사상 첫 K-pop 아티스트

EXO is a South Korean-Chinese boy group formed by SM Entertainment in 2012. Originally debuting as two subunits — EXO-K (Korean) and EXO-M (Chinese) — the group quickly became one of the biggest acts in K-pop history with hits like &quot;Growl,&quot; &quot;Call Me Baby,&quot; and &quot;Monster.&quot; Their synchronized choreography, powerful vocals, and theatrical concepts helped define the third generation of K-pop and earned them the nickname &quot;Kings of K-pop.&quot; Over the years, EXO has sold millions of albums, held massive world tours, and seen their members flourish in solo careers spanning music, acting, and variety shows. Members like Baekhyun, D.O., and Chen have become household names in South Korea. Despite mandatory military enlistments creating periods of group inactivity, EXO&#x27;s dedicated fanbase, known as EXO-L, has remained fiercely loyal, ensuring the group&#x27;s legacy endures well into the 2020s.

서울에서 사흘 동안 3만 2천 명. 멤버 셋이 빠진 상태로도 백만 장을 넘긴 앨범. 군입대, 법적 분쟁, 그리고 오랜 컴백 공백을 견뎌낸 팬덤 — 그럼에도 불구하고 팬들은 모여들었다

읽는 걸 다 믿지 마세요 — EXO는 여전히 K-pop의 파워하우스

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.

BTS는 이번 주말 플로리다 탬파의 Raymond James Stadium에서 'BTS World Tour 'ARIRANG'' 북미 투어를 시작했으며 – 개막 주말 동안 약 19만 명의 관객을 끌어모은 세 번의 매진 공연 중 첫 공연이었다

BTS, 매진된 탬파 공연으로 북미 월드 투어 개막

LE SSERAFIM is a five-member girl group under Source Music, consisting of Kim Chaewon, Miyawaki Sakura, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha, and Hong Eunchae. They debuted in May 2022 with &quot;Fearless,&quot; with Kim Garam briefly part of the original lineup before leaving the group. The group&#x27;s name is an anagram of &quot;I&#x27;m Fearless,&quot; and that idea became the spine of their image. LE SSERAFIM&#x27;s music often frames confidence as something earned through pressure rather than something simply declared. &quot;Antifragile,&quot; &quot;Unforgiven,&quot; &quot;Eve, Psyche &amp; The Bluebeard&#x27;s wife,&quot; and &quot;Easy&quot; all explore variations on resilience, ambition, criticism, and the public work of becoming stronger. LE SSERAFIM&#x27;s member mix is unusually clear. Chaewon provides leadership and a compact vocal/performance center, Sakura brings long idol experience and international recognition, Yunjin adds a singer-songwriter voice and outspoken personality, Kazuha&#x27;s ballet background shapes the group&#x27;s elegant athleticism, and Eunchae gives the team a younger, brighter counterweight. Their performances often use that contrast: polished lines, athletic choreography, and a cool refusal to look rattled. The fandom is known as FEARNOT. LE SSERAFIM&#x27;s importance comes from how sharply they defined a modern girl-group confidence concept. Rather than relying only on glamour or toughness, they built an identity around self-discipline, public scrutiny, and forward motion, making vulnerability and ambition feel like parts of the same image.

LE SSERAFIM

LE SSERAFIM이 투어를 발표했다. 이번에는 지금까지보다 더 멀리 간다. 2026 PUREFLOW World Tour가 막 공개됐으며, 한국·일본·미국·유럽·아시아 전역을 아우르는 30회 이상의 공연으로 구성돼 있다.

LE SSERAFIM, 2026 TOUR ‘PUREFLOW’ 일정 공개

K-pop에서 가장 큰 네 이름이 힘을 합친다 — 그리고 대한민국 정부가 이를 지원하고 있다. HYBE, SM, JYP, 그리고 YG가 현재 “Fanomenon”으로 불리는 대규모 페스티벌을 출범하기 위해 협의 중이며, 2027년 한국 데뷔를 계획하고 2028년부터 글로벌 확장을 추진할 예정이다.

K-pop의 빅 4 음악 페스티벌이 업계에 미칠 영향

이번 Last Week In K-Pop, Interpreted에서는 K-pop 레전드들이 데뷔 20주년을 맞아 준비를 시작한 소식, 설명되지 않은 병역 결석으로 인한 실형 가능성, 그리고 K-pop 역사상 영향력 큰 한 기획사의 명단 감소가 지속되는 상황을 다룹니다 – 전체 분석은 온라인에서 확인하세요

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