KPOPWORLD #5

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KPOPWORLD #3

KPOPWORLD #2 (Poster Version)

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

KPOPWORLD Festival & Worldwide Dance Competition

idntt (아이덴티티; read as identity) is an upcoming 24-member boy group under MODHAUS. They are set to make their debut sometime in 2026. The group consists of members divided into 3 rotational sub-units consisting of 8 members each - uneverm8t, yesw8are and itsnotov8r.

idntt

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

EPEX [‘i:peks] (이펙스), formerly known as C9ROOKIES (C9루키즈) is a 7-member South Korean boy group under C9 Entertainment, consisting of Wish, MU, A-Min, Baekseung, Ayden, Yewang, and Jeff. On November 21, 2025, it was announced that Keum had left the group. They debuted on June 8, 2021, with their first EP album, BIPOLAR Pt.1 : 불안의 서 (Prelude of Anxiety)

EPEX

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

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

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

dodree is the first Subunit of the girl group DDDD 25. The unit is composed of members Na Yeongjoo and Lee Songhyun. They debuted on January 21, 2026, with the single album &quot;Just Like A Dream&quot;.

dodree

One Track, One Take is KPOPWORLD’s weekly column spotlighting a single song at a time – not to review it exhaustively, but to pause on one detail, mood, or idea that makes it worth sitting with

ONE TRACK, ONE TAKE: dodree - Just Like a Dream

AxMxP (pronounced A.M.P.) is a four-member boy rock band under FNC Entertainment. The group officially debuted on September 10, 2025 with their self-titled full-length album AxMxP. Their name is inspired by the word &quot;amplifier,&quot; symbolizing the amplification of the members&#x27; voices and their desire to connect with listeners through music. The band was first introduced in 2024 when FNC Entertainment announced plans to debut a new rock band composed of long-term trainees. Prior to their official debut, the members performed as the opening act for FTISLAND&#x27;s 2024 FTISLAND Live &#x27;Hey Day&#x27; concert in Taipei and later made a special appearance at the Love FNC Countdown family concert. Around the same time, the group&#x27;s official social media accounts were launched, while member Ha Yoo Joon also gained attention through his appearance in the drama Spring of Youth. Following their debut, AxMxP continued to establish their identity as a band with the release of their first mini album Amplify My Way in January 2026. In April 2026, FNC Entertainment announced that member Juhwan would temporarily suspend activities after being diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, allowing him time to focus on his recovery. The group later returned with their first digital single &quot;24 Hours,&quot; released on June 24, 2026, continuing to build their discography while showcasing their band-oriented sound.

AxMxP

AxMxP Continue to Sharpen Their Sound on 'Amplify My Way'

Four stories from last week that reveal how power, value, and recognition are shifting in modern K-pop.

Last Week in K-Pop, Interpreted: January 19–25, 2026

A reflective look back at first-generation K-pop girl groups, exploring how the genre’s early frameworks were shaped through experimentation and adaptation rather than certainty

First-Generation Girl Groups, Revisited

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.

In the run-up to BTS' long-awaited group comeback on March 20, 2026, we're walking you through the band's back catalog. Here, Martina Rexrode breaks down WINGS, the band's second album.

The BTS Retrospect: 'WINGS' Reviewed

As BTS return with their first full OT7 global tour since 2018–2019, excitement comes paired with familiar tension. We examine why BTS ticketing feels uniquely stressful – not through fan behaviour, but through the systems unable to manage demand at an unprecedented scale

Why Buying BTS Tickets Feels So Stressful – and What That Reveals About Modern Touring

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

ILLIT Announce First-Ever Tour With 2026 ‘PRESS START♥︎’ Run

ENHYPEN is a boy group formed through the 2020 survival show I-LAND and managed by Belift Lab. The current lineup consists of Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-ki. They debuted in November 2020 with Border: Day One, arriving with a built-in global audience from the show and a concept built around connection, transformation, and fate. The group&#x27;s early work used dark, dramatic imagery to separate them from brighter rookie-boy-group formulas. &quot;Given-Taken,&quot; &quot;Drunk-Dazed,&quot; &quot;Fever,&quot; and later songs in the Dimension and Dark Blood eras leaned into supernatural metaphors, sharp choreography, and a tension between elegance and danger. That made ENHYPEN feel less like a simple survival-show product and more like a group with a continuing storyline. ENHYPEN&#x27;s member appeal is strongly performance-based. Jungwon gives the team a steady center as leader, Jay and Jake bring international texture, Sunghoon&#x27;s skating background informs his clean stage image, Sunoo adds brightness and contrast, and Ni-ki anchors the dance line with unusual precision for a maknae. Their fandom, ENGENE, grew quickly because the group&#x27;s identity invited close reading: fans could follow the music, the lore, and the members&#x27; development at the same time. As a fourth-generation act, ENHYPEN&#x27;s importance sits between survival-show fandom and global idol scale. They showed how a group could debut with a transnational audience already watching, then keep that audience through consistent visual storytelling, polished performance, and songs that made adolescence feel mythic rather than ordinary.

ENHYPEN

ENHYPEN return with THE SIN : VANISH, a mini-album that leans fully into structure, atmosphere, and narrative risk

ENHYPEN Embrace Risk and Lore on THE SIN : VANISH

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.

EXO return with REVERXE, a comeback that feels measured rather than rushed

EXO Return With a Confident Comeback on REVERXE

K-pop didn’t stop making mini albums. It stopped explaining them. From BTS to NewJeans, the ongoing shift from “mini album” to EP says less about format and more about confidence: who K-pop assumes is listening now, and how global its language has become

Bye Bye Mini Album, Hello EP? Inside K-Pop’s Language Shift

For many of us, BoA wasn’t just an artist we followed. She was a constant

News

ONE TRACK, ONE TAKE: dodree - Just Like a Dream

AxMxP Continue to Sharpen Their Sound on 'Amplify My Way'

Last Week in K-Pop, Interpreted: January 19–25, 2026

First-Generation Girl Groups, Revisited

The BTS Retrospect: 'WINGS' Reviewed

Why Buying BTS Tickets Feels So Stressful – and What That Reveals About Modern Touring

ILLIT Announce First-Ever Tour With 2026 ‘PRESS START♥︎’ Run

ENHYPEN Embrace Risk and Lore on THE SIN : VANISH

EXO Return With a Confident Comeback on REVERXE

Bye Bye Mini Album, Hello EP? Inside K-Pop’s Language Shift

BoA’s Departure from SM: When the Constant Finally Changes

The BTS Retrospect: 'DARK&WILD' Reviewed

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