KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

KPOPWORLD #3

KPOPWORLD #2 (Poster Version)

Set to Take Over Alamodome Oct. 28–31, 2026

KPOPWORLD Festival & Worldwide Dance Competition

For their new album &lt;itsnotover&gt;, idntt sat down with KPOPWORLD to talk about where they've been, what this group has demanded of them, and what they refuse to let go of

idntt: The KPOPWORLD Digital Cover

Closing a trilogy is easy. Closing it by handing the story back to the people who lived it is something else. EPEX's Youth: Epilogue wraps up two years and three albums of coming-of-age storytelling

EPEX Talks Youth Epilogue, Ownership and Growth

On July 14, inner beauty brand LifePharm announced that genderless group XLOV will become their newest Global Ambassadors. The brand is known for their viral dietary Mood Change Alpha Plus range, described as self-care for K-pop idols

XLOV Announced as Ambassadors for Inner Beauty Brand LifePharm

K-pop’s contract system has undergone many changes since the industry’s inception in the 1990s. From 13-year slave contracts to a reduced term of seven years — with options for renegotiation

K-pop’s Contract System, Explained – And Why So Many Artists Are Leaving Big Labels

The kings of K-pop house are back, a first-gen legend is flying solo for the first time in 25 years, and a decade-long wait for new XIA music is finally over. This week's Comeback Corner has weight to it – our full roundup is live now

Comeback Corner: SHINee, MEOVV, BoA, & More

ONE PACT brought their [OUTSHINE] World Tour to London – and made it count. The day before the show, Jongwoo, Seongmin, TAG and Yedam turned Hyde Park into a fan event with a Random Play Dance busking session alongside Oraceon Dance Crew

From Hyde Park to Islington: ONE PACT's London Debut Was Worth the Wait

I.O.I were together for eight months in 2016. A decade later, two of K-pop's most ubiquitous performance formats – the ending fairy and the M2 Relay Dance – trace directly back to them

Even After 10 Years, I.O.I Maintains K-pop Relevance

Ten months after CHAMELEON, YOON SAN-HA isn't shapeshifting anymore. His third mini-album, NO REASON, strips the concept back entirely through five tracks built around a single, almost confrontational premise: here he is, unfiltered, and that's enough

Track-By-Track With KPOPWORLD YOON SAN-HA Breaks Down “NO REASON”

When Jennie's Gentle Monster campaign ended and she appeared fronting Ray-Ban instead, nobody needed an official statement – the brand switch said everything. That's the power of K-celebrity endorsements: in Korea, a familiar face is a moral endorsement

More Than Just a Pretty Face: How K-Celebrities Became the Gold Standard of Advertising

tripleS are back with all twenty-four members. ASSEMBLE26 &lt;LOVE&amp;POP&gt; pt.1 is out now – the first part of a three-part project running through to January 2027, and the opening move in what looks like the group's most ambitious year yet

tripleS Return With ASSEMBLE26 <LOVE&POP> pt.1

XLOV have spent the past year figuring out exactly what they are. "SERVE" – the title track from their second mini album I, God – is the first time the full picture has come together this completely

“SERVE” Deep Dive: XLOV Know Exactly What They're Serving

hrtz.wav's drummer has never shown his face. Hagiwa performs, competes, and promotes entirely behind a mask – his real name, age, and identity undisclosed

Why hrtz.wav's Debut Hits Different on All Frequencies

Seoul's Africa Day is a direct challenge to an industry that has long borrowed from Black culture without fully reckoning with what that means. This year, BLACKSWAN's Fatou became the first K-pop idol to perform at the event

Seoul’s Africa Day 2026 Event Shows Why African Representation Matters in South Korea

Three stories this week that all circle the same question from different angles: how much do fans, labels, and artists themselves get to define what a K-pop career looks like?

Last Week In K-pop, Interpreted (May 25 - 29, 2026)

aespa are back. LEMONADE – their second studio album – is out now, and it's their most wide-ranging record yet. Hyperpop, pop-rock, R&amp;B, electronic dance

aespa Return With Second Album "LEMONADE"

Former ZB1 and EVNNE members re-debut as AND2BLE with something to prove. XLOV return with their first foray into dance music, Han Sohee in tow

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