KPOPWORLD #5

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KPOPWORLD #2 (Poster Version)

TNX (an acronym for The New Six) is a five-member boy group under P NATION. Originally debuting as six members, the group was formed through the SBS survival program LOUD, a collaboration project between J.Y. Park and PSY. They officially debuted on May 17, 2022 with their first mini album Way Up. The group’s lineup was finalized during the finale of LOUD in 2021, where Kyung Jun, Tae Hun, Hyun Soo, Jun Hyeok, Hwi, Sung Jun, and Tanaka Koki were selected for P NATION’s upcoming boy group. However, in January 2022, P NATION announced that Tanaka Koki would not debut with the team in order to continue training, leading the group to debut as six members under the name TNX. On their debut day, they also introduced their fandom name THX, meaning “Together with TNX.” Following their debut, TNX continued building their discography with releases such as Love Never Dies, Boyhood, and the digital single &quot;Fuego&quot;, while also participating in the survival competition Road to Kingdom : Ace of Ace in 2024. During this period, member Jun Hyeok temporarily paused activities due to anxiety before later returning to the group. In October 2024, it was announced that member Kyung Jun would enlist in the military and depart from the group following the completion of his service, reducing TNX to five members. The group continued activities with releases including the mini album For Real? in 2025 and the digital single &quot;Call Me Back&quot; in 2026, maintaining their growth under P NATION.

TNX have spent four years building a reputation on performance. With "Die Another Day," they went looking for it somewhere new

TNX Talk Rock, Live Vocals, and Refusing to Hold Back

Beyond K-pop, Southeast Asian genres like P-pop are gaining international attention. Leading the charge is boy band SB19, who are coming to San Antonio to show exactly why

KPOPWORLD Festival Spotlight: SB19

Jay Park headlines the first-ever KPOPWORLD Festival, and if you know his story, that booking makes perfect sense

KPOPWORLD Festival Spotlight: Jay Park

As the second KPOPWORLD Festival headliner, indie-rock band The Rose present a refreshing authenticity

KPOPWORLD Festival Spotlight: The Rose

WHIB is a seven-member boy group under C-JeS Entertainment, consisting of members Kim Junmin, Haseung, Jinbeom, UGeon, Leejeong, Jaeha, and Wonjun. Originally an octet, they debuted on November 8, 2023, with the single album Cut-Out. The group was first teased in November 2021 as the trainee group M.I.C, which stood for “Made in C-JeS.” On September 7, 2023, it was revealed that the group would debut as an eight-member group under the name WHIB, along with introductions to the new members. In 2025, members LeeJeong, Junmin and Wonjun competed on the Mnet survival show Boys II Planet, ranking 12th, 13th, and 62nd, respectively. On October 16, it was announced that member Inhong had departed from the group. WHIB released their first mini album, ROCK THE NATION, on January 29, 2026.

WHIB

Once driven by the need to do everything perfectly, he has learned to trust his own strengths, find his individual style, and enjoy the process more freely

An Interview with WHIB’s WONJUN – The Perfectionist Learning to Trust Himself

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.

The live album captures the 21st century pop icons’ iconic ‘PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE’ tour series

BTS Release First-Ever Live Album Permission To Dance On Stage - Live

WayV is the Chinese-based fixed unit of SM Entertainment‘s ambitious NCT (Neo Culture Technology) project, debuting on January 17, 2019 as the fourth sub-unit of NCT. They are managed by SM Entertainment’s China-exclusive label, Label V. They debuted with the digital EP, The Vision. The group currently consists of 6 members; Kun, Ten, WinWin, Xiaojun, Hendery, YangYang

WayV

The multilingual, genre-blending NCT sub-group takes their signature epic production to another level

WayV explores new musical depth with bold new album "BIG BANDS"

BLACKPINK is a four-member South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, consisting of Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. They debuted on August 8, 2016 with Square One, led by &quot;Boombayah&quot; and &quot;Whistle,&quot; and arrived as YG&#x27;s first new girl group after 2NE1. From the beginning, the group was presented less as a large idol ensemble and more as four sharply individualized performers, each with a distinct vocal tone, visual identity, and public role. The group&#x27;s name captures the tension that became central to their image: &quot;black&quot; for a harder, more self-assured edge and &quot;pink&quot; for glamour, playfulness, and pop accessibility. Their music often builds around that contrast. Jennie and Lisa&#x27;s rap sections give many songs a clipped, percussive center, while Jisoo and Rosé&#x27;s vocals provide melodic lift and emotional color. This structure made BLACKPINK songs easy to recognize even across different producers, languages, and markets; the group could move from the spare whistle hook of their debut to the maximal drops of &quot;DDU-DU DDU-DU&quot; and still feel like the same act. BLACKPINK&#x27;s rise was also shaped by scarcity. Compared with many idol groups, they released relatively few songs in their first several years, which made each comeback feel closer to an event than a routine promotional cycle. That strategy had tradeoffs, but it concentrated public attention on a small set of songs, videos, styling choices, and stage moments. Tracks such as Kill This Love, How You Like That, Pink Venom, and Shut Down became reference points for a global-facing K-pop style built around impact, visual clarity, and immediately repeatable hooks. Their international growth came from more than chart performance. BLACKPINK connected K-pop&#x27;s idol system with the language of global pop, luxury fashion, digital fandom, and festival stages. They were the first Korean girl group to perform at Coachella in 2019 and returned in 2023 as the first K-pop act to headline the festival. Collaborations with Western pop artists, major fashion-house relationships, and an unusually large YouTube and social-media footprint helped make the members visible to audiences who did not necessarily follow Korean music closely. As individual artists, all four members developed major careers in music, acting, fashion, and brand work, making BLACKPINK one of the clearest examples of a modern K-pop group whose group identity and solo identities reinforce each other. After renewing with YG for group activities, the members&#x27; individual paths became more independent while BLACKPINK remained active as a shared brand and performance unit. Their significance is not only that they broke records, but that they helped normalize a model where a K-pop girl group could operate simultaneously as an idol act, a global pop project, and a set of four standalone celebrity careers. The fandom is known as BLINK.

BLACKPINK

ROSÉ Brings [ROSIE] Pop-Up Store to London This August

BoA Logs Back in as “Peace B” in Meta Comeback Trailer for ‘Crazier’

SF9 (Sensational Feeling 9) is a nine-member boy group formed by FNC Entertainment, debuting in October 2016. The group — Youngbin, Inseong, Jaeyoon, Dawon, Zuho, Rowoon, Taeyang, Hwiyoung, and Chani — first gained attention through the Mnet dance competition show &quot;d.o.b&quot; (Dance or Band). Their early releases leaned into a sleek, sexy concept, with &quot;Roar&quot; and &quot;O Sole Mio&quot; showcasing their polished performance skills. SF9 found broader mainstream recognition largely through member Rowoon, who became one of South Korea&#x27;s most in-demand actors, starring in hit dramas that introduced the group to wider audiences. Musically, the group delivered consistent quality with tracks like &quot;Now or Never,&quot; &quot;Good Guy,&quot; and &quot;Trauma,&quot; blending pop with R&amp;B and dance music. Their fandom, FANTASY, has remained loyal through the ups and downs of the competitive K-pop landscape. SF9 represents a group that balanced idol and acting careers effectively, with multiple members pursuing dual paths in music and drama.

SF9 Are Back: ‘LOVE DAWN’ Tour Set for Europe and the U.S. This Autumn

Stray Kids is an eight-member boy group under JYP Entertainment, consisting of Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. The group was introduced through the 2017 survival program Stray Kids and officially debuted in March 2018 with I Am Not, following the pre-debut release &quot;Hellevator.&quot; Former member Kim Woojin left in 2019. The group&#x27;s identity is unusually tied to self-production. Before debut, Bang Chan had already gathered the members around a team-first concept, and the production trio 3RACHA -- Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han -- became the engine behind much of Stray Kids&#x27; sound. That gave the group a different center of gravity from many idol acts: the music often felt like it came from inside the team rather than being assigned to them. Musically, Stray Kids are known for dense rap writing, aggressive electronic textures, sudden rhythmic switches, and choruses built for performance impact. &quot;God&#x27;s Menu,&quot; &quot;Back Door,&quot; &quot;Thunderous,&quot; &quot;Maniac,&quot; and &quot;S-Class&quot; made their style easy to identify: noisy in the intentional sense, but organized around hooks, slogans, and choreography that fans could immediately hold onto. Their lyrics often return to pressure, self-definition, ambition, and the awkward process of growing into confidence. The members&#x27; contrast is a major part of the group&#x27;s appeal. Bang Chan anchors the team as leader and producer; Changbin and Han give the rap line speed and personality; Lee Know, Hyunjin, and Felix shape the performance image; Seungmin and I.N bring clearer melodic balance. Rather than smoothing those differences out, Stray Kids usually lean into them, making their songs feel crowded, restless, and unmistakably theirs. Stray Kids became one of the defining global boy groups of the fourth generation, with a fandom known as STAY and major touring success across Asia, North America, Europe, and beyond. Their rise helped prove that a self-producing idol group could scale internationally while keeping a specific sonic fingerprint. Even when the group experiments with genre or language, the core idea remains stable: Stray Kids make high-impact pop out of tension, noise, teamwork, and control.

Stray Kids

Stray Kids and Tottenham Hotspur’s Unexpected Collaboration Feels Like More Than Just a Jersey Drop

RESCENE is a five member girl group formed by The Muze Entertainment. The group consists of Woni, Liv, Minami, May and Zena. They debuted on March 26, 2024, with the single album &quot;Re:Scene&quot; which featured title track &quot;UhUh&quot; and pre-release single &quot;YoYo&quot;. Known for their fresh concept and visuals, RESCENE is part of the new generation of K-pop groups. Since their debut in 2024, they have released three EPs: &quot;SCENEDROME&quot;, &quot;Glow Up&quot; and &quot;lip bomb&quot;, further expanding their discography and fandom, REMINE. Singles such as &quot;Deja Vu&quot; and &quot;Runaway&quot; have continued their dreamy and fresh aesthetic, solidifying their place as a memorable fifth generation act.

RESCENE

RESCENE Keep Things Intimate With New Single Album ‘Dearest’

AHOF is a 9-member group under F&amp;F Entertainment, consisting of members: Steven, Jeongwoo, Woongki, Shuaibo, Han, JL, Juwon, Chihen and Daisuke. The multinational boy group, formed through SBS&#x27;s survival program &quot;Universe League&quot;, name of AHOF stands for &quot;All-time Hall Of Famer&quot;, representing the members&#x27; bold ambition of one day entering Kpop&#x27;s Hall Of Fame. Their group name has further meaning, with it in Hangul (&quot;아홉&quot;) translating to &quot;Nine&quot;. In July of 2025, they debuted with the EP &quot;WHO WE ARE&quot;, with their title track &quot;Rendezvous&quot; winning the music show &quot;The Show&quot; only 7 days later. Their fandom name, FOHA, was released a few months later, on September 9, 2025. While literally being a reversal of AHOF&#x27;s group name, it also stands for &quot;Forever Our Hope, AHOF&quot;. AHOF continue to develop their musical journey, through wins on music shows, new albums, and unwavering support from fans.

AHOF

AHOF Officially Debut With First Mini Album ‘WHO WE ARE’

KATSEYE is a multinational girl group formed through the reality competition series Dream Academy, a collaboration between HYBE and Geffen Records. The group debuted in June 2024 with the single &quot;Debut&quot;. KATSEYE consists of six members from different countries: Daniela Avanzini, Lara Rajagopalan, Manon Bannerman, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza, and Yoonchae Jeong. The group was created to combine Kpop training with a global pop approach, featuring members from North America, Europe, and Asia. The group first gained attention through the documentary series The Debut: Dream Academy (or Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE on Netflix), which followed the trainees&#x27; journey during the Dream Academy project and the process of forming the final lineup. KATSEYE&#x27;s music blends elements of pop, dance, and K-pop-influenced production while targeting a global audience with multilingual promotion and international activities.

KATSEYE

FALL NORTH AMERICAN HEADLINE RUN INCLUDES SHOWS AT NYC’S THEATRE AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN AND YOUTUBE THEATER IN LOS ANGELES

KATSEYE ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST-EVER TOUR, LAUNCHING NOVEMBER 15 IN MINNEAPOLIS

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

The fearless quintet’s global tour draws explosive demand, selling out venues across north america in newark, chicago, san francisco, and las vegas

LE SSERAFIM’S FIRST WORLD TOUR IGNITES, SELLING OUT 12 SHOWS ACROSS 10 CITIES IN NORTH AMERICA AND ASIA

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

YEONJUN, BEOMGYU, AND TAEHYUN TAKE CREATIVE ROLES ON THE ALBUM SLATED FOR JULY 21

TOMORROW X TOGETHER REVEAL TRACKLIST FOR 4TH STUDIO ALBUM The Star Chapter: TOGETHER

First ever K-pop festival at The O2 with 14 ARTISTS for one Europe-exclusive show

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