KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

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

Ten years ago, the idea of K-pop tours looked very different. A world tour usually meant a couple of Asian arenas, a token US stop if you were lucky, and maybe – if the stars aligned – one night in Europe at a venue that wasn’t built for pop at all

The K-Pop Tours That Defined 2025

2025 in Visuals: The Year’s Most Striking Conceptual Aesthetics

Every year, people say K-pop videos can’t get bigger or stranger, and every year the directors prove them wrong. 2025 didn’t feel like one big trend so much as a lot of doors swinging open at once

2025’s Must-See K-Pop Visuals

NMIXX is a six-member girl group debuted by JYP Entertainment in February 2022. The group — consisting of Lily, Haewon, Sullyoon, Jinni (who later departed), Bae, Jiwoo, and Kyujin — introduced a bold musical concept they call &quot;MIXX POP,&quot; which involves blending multiple genres within a single song. Their debut track &quot;O.O&quot; was polarizing but undeniably attention-grabbing, layering pop, hip-hop, and rock into one unpredictable ride. Since debut, NMIXX has refined their signature sound while maintaining its adventurous spirit, with tracks like &quot;Dash&quot; and &quot;Love Me Like This&quot; earning broader commercial appeal. The group is particularly noted for their outstanding live vocal abilities — widely considered among the strongest of any fourth-generation girl group. Their fandom, NSWer, has rallied behind the group&#x27;s unique artistic vision. NMIXX represents JYP Entertainment&#x27;s willingness to experiment and push the boundaries of what a K-pop girl group can sound like.

NMIXX

NMIXX Announce First World Tour ‘EPISODE 1: ZERO FRONTIER’ with Europe and North America Stops

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

HWASA’s rise has never followed the usual arc. She didn’t debut as the obvious centre of her group, she didn’t slot neatly into K-pop’s preferred image of a female idol, and she certainly didn’t build her solo career on safe choices

A Perfect All-Kill and a Perfect Breakup Song: HWASA Reclaims the Charts

Every year in K-pop is noisy, but 2025 moved with a different kind of momentum — not one explosive moment, but a string of shifts that quietly pushed the industry into new territory

Key Shifts That Defined K-pop in 2025

There’s a particular kind of magic that lives on the “other” side of a tracklist. Title tracks carry the pressure: charts, playlists, choreo, campaign concepts, all the decisions that have to make sense in a three-minute window

Beyond the Single: The 2025 Deep Cuts That Hit the Deepest

Boy groups didn’t just course-correct in 2025 — they recalibrated entirely. The year wasn’t driven by scale, noise, or theatrics, but by intention: songs that felt sharper, hungrier, more self-aware

The 2025 Boy Group Round-up

More than anything, 2025 made it impossible to deny that girl groups are still the engine of K-pop’s most inventive sounds

The 2025 Girl Group Round-up

Meaningful Stone has never been the kind of artist who chases volume. Her work tends to move in ripples rather than shocks, unfolding slowly until you realise the emotional weight is already sitting with you

Meaningful Stone releases "Angel drop live"

The thing about K-pop debuts is that they never arrive in a vacuum. They drop into a landscape that’s already hyper-competitive, and constantly shifting shape in the eye of global expectations. The stakes have never been higher

Rookies to Remember: The Class of 2025

f(x) is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment, centered on Victoria, Amber, Luna, and Krystal, with Sulli part of the group&#x27;s earlier history. They debuted in 2009 with &quot;LA chA TA.&quot; The group became one of K-pop&#x27;s clearest examples of a musically experimental idol act. f(x) often worked with electronic pop, synth textures, unusual song structures, and fashion-forward styling, creating a reputation that was cooler and more art-pop leaning than many girl groups of the same era. Albums such as Pink Tape and 4 Walls helped cement that reputation, especially among fans who valued cohesive concepts and less predictable production. The group&#x27;s image also benefited from the members&#x27; distinct public roles: Victoria&#x27;s performance and variety presence, Amber&#x27;s androgynous image, Luna&#x27;s vocals, Krystal&#x27;s cool visual identity, and Sulli&#x27;s early prominence. The fandom is known as MeU. f(x) has not followed a normal active-group path in recent years, but their influence remains strong because they showed how experimental production and idol-pop accessibility could sit together.

News