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

From debuting with such a strong start and popular title track in 2017 to slowly disappearing from the public eye and disbanding only two years later, PRISTIN’s rise and fall have been one of the most unfortunate and frustrating trajectories in the last decade

How PRISTIN Went From One of K-pop's Most Promising Acts To a Memory

K-pop has always played with gender – in styling, in concept, in performance. But XLOV's leader Wumuti put a finer point on it recently: genderlessness risks becoming a buzzword, a surface-level aesthetic borrowed for engagement rather than lived with intention

Does “Genderlessness” in K-pop Signal Progression, or Remain a Concept?

Three different disputes surrounding three separate acts are raising concerns over how companies and labels are handling their groups and group activities. Exhausting legal battles between #NewJeans member Danielle and #ADOR continue with new allegations surfacing

Last Week In K-pop, Interpreted (June 29 - July 3, 2026)

Sharing the news at a sold-out INSPIRE Arena in Incheon, &amp;TEAM are returning this September with their second Korean mini album, 'Mark on Me'. Arriving 8 September – less than a year after "Back to Life" debuted to over a million first-day sales

&TEAM Announce 'Mark on Me' and Two Dome Encores as 'BLAZE THE WAY' Reaches Its Peak

Rising from independent label UNBLUE LABELS in 2024, Korean rock band can’t be blue quickly went from a domestic indie phenomenon to a globally recognized act within just two years

How can't be blue Are Dissolving the Line Between Indie and Pop

Two sub-units — #V8 and #UAU — with completely different takes on summer vibes, a new Japanese release from #ONEUS, a surprisingly darker tone for #UDTT, and #OMEGAX offers sound advice for listeners who need to detox from the pressures of life

Comeback Corner: V8, UAU, ONEUS & More

Two years after debuting, ARrC has disbanded. The seven-member group never quite broke through to the wider audience their music deserved – but what they left behind tells a more interesting story than the numbers suggest

The Slow Rise and Sudden End of ARrC

Between BIGBANG’s recent reunion at Coachella, Stray Kids and JENNIE headlining Governor’s Ball NYC, and ATEEZ’s recent show at London’s Hyde Park, 2026 has seen K-pop artists placed at the forefront of mainstream international music festivals across the world

Where Does K-pop Stand at International Music Festivals?

Paris Fashion Week SS27 proved K-pop stars are no longer temporary luxury guests—they are permanent cultural fixtures. From Louis Vuitton and Dior to Celine and Amiri, Paris confirmed that the global fashion industry is now officially building around them

Paris Fashion Week Reclaims Its Position as K-Pop's Luxury Capital

BTS haven't played the UK since 2019 – since then, they've broken streaming records, completed military service, and come back with one of the most commercially dominant albums in recent memory

BTS Are Turning London Into Their World

HEIZE is a free agent. After six years at P NATION – the label she joined in August 2020 – her contract expired on 30 June, and no announcement has been made about what comes next. She arrives at this point with a discography that speaks for itself

HEIZE Parts Ways With P NATION as CHUU Collaboration Arrives Tomorrow

JIHYO is linking up with Grammy-nominated Jamaican artist Shenseea for "Distant Lover," dropping 10 July with an official music video. It's a pairing that actually makes sense – JIHYO's solo work has always leaned into R&amp;B and groove

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