KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

KPOPWORLD #3

KPOPWORLD #2 (Poster Version)

&amp;TEAM is a nine-member Japanese boy group under YX Labels (formerly HYBE Labels Japan). The group was formed through the survival program &quot;&amp;Audition - The Howling&quot; and debuted in December 2022 with their first extended play &quot;First Howling: Me&quot;. The group consists of EJ, Fuma, K, Nicholas, Yuma, Jo, Harua, Taki, and Maki, with EJ serving as the leader. Several members, including K, Nicholas, EJ, and Taki, previously participated in the survival show I-LAND before being selected for HYBE&#x27;s Japanese global debut project. Before their official debut, the group released the digital single Under the Skin, which introduced their storyline and concept. Their debut EP, First Howling,e followed shortly afterward, marking the beginning of the group&#x27;s &quot;First Howling&quot; series of releases. Although primarily active in Japan, &amp;TEAM promoted internationally and later expanded into Korea with Korean-language releases and promotions. Their fandom name is LUNÉ, representing fans who support the group like the moon lighting the night sky.

&TEAM

В нашем печатном cover story для Issue 5 MAKI из &amp;TEAM откровенно рассказывает о том, что значит стать вирусным — и почему на деле всё куда сложнее, чем кажется

IN REFLECTION MAKI: &AMP;TEAM

MONSTA X is a boy group formed through the survival show No.Mercy and debuted under Starship Entertainment in May 2015. The group is associated with a powerful performance image built around Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney, and I.M, with Wonho as a former member. Their sound often leans muscular: EDM drops, hip-hop percussion, dark synths, and choruses designed for heavy choreography. MONSTA X became one of the most forceful performance groups of their generation through a run that moved from the breakthrough energy of &quot;Dramarama&quot; to the sharper drama of &quot;Love Killa.&quot; At the same time, their vocal line and later English-language work showed a smoother R&amp;B and pop side that softened the edges without removing the group&#x27;s intensity. MONSTA X became especially important in the bridge between Korean idol promotion and Western touring. They pursued English-language releases, appeared on American media, and built a strong international audience while keeping a clear group identity. Their fandom, Monbebe, is known for loyalty through lineup changes, military service periods, solo work, and long gaps between full-group schedules. The group&#x27;s legacy rests on consistency and stamina. MONSTA X did not need to reinvent themselves every comeback; they refined a recognizable image of power, charisma, and emotional loyalty. That made them a template for later boy groups that wanted to look tough on stage while still building a close, fan-centered identity off it.

MONSTA X

MINHYUK всегда был известен своей энергией на сцене с MONSTA X, но Reaching показывает и другую, более сдержанную сторону. Основанный на тепле, искренности и простом желании установить связь

MINHYUK о “Reaching”, честной музыке и о том, что будет дальше

BIGBANG is a South Korean boy group formed by YG Entertainment, debuting in 2006 and becoming one of the most influential acts in K-pop history. The current profile centers on G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung, with T.O.P and Seungri tied to earlier chapters of the group. The group&#x27;s importance comes from how strongly it changed expectations for idol music and image. BIGBANG made self-production, individual fashion identity, and genre-blending central to its appeal, with G-Dragon&#x27;s songwriting and public style playing a major role in the group&#x27;s reputation. Musically, BIGBANG moved through hip-hop, R&amp;B, electronic pop, ballads, and festival-sized dance tracks without losing a recognizable identity. Songs such as &quot;Lies,&quot; &quot;Haru Haru,&quot; &quot;Fantastic Baby,&quot; and &quot;Bang Bang Bang&quot; became reference points for later idol groups trying to balance mainstream hooks with stronger artist branding. The members also became major solo figures, which helped the group feel less like a standard idol team and more like a collection of distinct pop stars. That individual power brought both longevity and complications, especially as military service, controversies, and member departures changed the group&#x27;s public shape. The fandom is known as V.I.P. BIGBANG is a defining second-generation group whose impact on K-pop music, fashion, performance, and global ambition is difficult to separate from the genre&#x27;s modern history.

BIGBANG

В 2019 году G-Dragon стал первым азиатским рэпером в истории Nike, заключившим креативную коллаборацию со Swoosh — не амбассадорство, а партнёрство, полностью выстроенное вокруг его собственной эстетической логики

Как G-Dragon выстроил самое важное партнёрство Nike в истории K-pop

Путь David Yong в K-pop не похож на стандартный путь айдола. Познакомившись с жанром благодаря BIGBANG и TWICE, сингапурский предприниматель опирался на годы вокальной подготовки, когда начал изучать корейский язык, брать уроки танцев и записываться в Seoul

От фаната к артисту-руководителю: David Yong о своем пути в K-pop

2NE1 is a South Korean girl group formed under YG Entertainment, known for their bold musical experimentation, powerful stage presence, and lasting influence on the global rise of K-pop. The group consists of CL, Park Bom, Sandara Park, and Minzy, and became widely recognized for redefining the image of girl groups with their confident, edgy style. 2NE1&#x27;s name is an abbreviation of &quot;New Evolution of the 21st Century.&quot; The group&#x27;s name was created to represent a new generation of music, style, and performance in the 21st century, with &quot;21&quot; symbolizing the modern era and &quot;NE&quot; standing for &quot;New Evolution.&quot; The name was shortened to &quot;2NE1&quot; as a stylized form that became the group&#x27;s official branding and widely recognized name worldwide. From their debut, they stood out as one of the most impactful acts of their generation, helping push K-pop beyond traditional boundaries. They gained immediate attention with their debut single &quot;Fire,&quot; followed by the major success of &quot;I Don&#x27;t Care,&quot; which earned major awards early in their career. Releases such as To Anyone, &quot;I Am the Best,&quot; &quot;Lonely,&quot; and &quot;Ugly&quot; solidified their reputation, blending hip-hop, pop, and electronic influences into a distinctive sound. Their international growth included notable achievements like one of the first global tours by a K-pop girl group and strong chart performance worldwide, including success on the Billboard 200 with Crush, further establishing their global presence. Throughout their career, the members expanded into individual activities while continuing to shape the group&#x27;s artistic direction and influence. Their music, fashion, and concept played a major role in popularizing the &quot;girl crush&quot; image and inspiring a new generation of artists. Even during periods of reduced group activity, their cultural impact and recognition remained strong across both Korean and international audiences. In recent years, 2NE1 has reunited for performances and group activities, marking a new chapter that builds on their legacy while reconnecting with fans worldwide. In 2026, Minzy confirmed that the group would move forward performing as a trio for select stages following controversy and public tension involving Park Bom and Sandara Park, with scheduled appearances including &quot;Special Live in Japan 2026&quot; at K-Arena Yokohama. Despite these changes, the group continues to evolve while maintaining their presence, influence, and long-standing status within K-pop.

2NE1

Sandara Park, также известная как Dara из 2NE1 от YG Entertainment, объявила о новом партнерстве с агентством Power Entertainment, базирующимся в Singapore. После ее выступления на Waterbomb Singapore в 2024 году вместе с агентством

Sandara Park из 2NE1 заключила партнерство с Singapore-based Power Entertainment

USPEER is a South Korean girl group currently under MW Entertainment. Originally formed under WM Entertainment, they debuted on June 4, 2025, with their first single album &quot;Speed Zone&quot;. The group&#x27;s original lineup consisted of seven members: Yeowon, Soee, Sian, Seoyu, Daon, Chaena, and Roa. Their name combines the words &quot;US&quot; and &quot;PEER&quot;, reflecting the group&#x27;s understanding of the nature of the world and their commitment to working together to create a brighter future. In January 2026, after amicably concluding negotiations over the group&#x27;s exclusive contract and trademarks, USPEER&#x27;s management was transferred to MW Entertainment. Later, in May 2026, it was announced that leader Yeowon would be leaving the group following a long hiatus.

USPEER

Ровно год назад USPEER дебютировали под WM Entertainment в составе семи участников с энергичным синглом и названием, построенным вокруг коллективного любопытства. Спустя двенадцать месяцев это уже почти совсем другая группа — другая компания, другой состав

USPEER — уже год, а они всё ещё на ногах

I.O.I is an 11-member project girl group under Swing Entertainment formed through Mnet&#x27;s survival show Produce 101. The group was managed by YMC Entertainment and CJ E&amp;M, and officially debuted on May 4, 2016 with the mini album Chrysalis and its title track Dream Girls. Their name stood for &quot;Ideal of Idol&quot;, reflecting the show&#x27;s premise of creating a &quot;national girl group&quot; chosen directly by viewers. The final lineup consisted of Nayoung, Chungha, Sejeong, Chaeyeon, Kyulkyung, Sohye, Yeonjung, Yoojung, Mina, Doyeon, and Somi. Because the members came from different agencies, I.O.I was always planned as a temporary group. During their short run, they promoted both as a full group and as a sub-unit, releasing songs like Whatta Man, Very Very Very, and Downpour. Despite being active for less than a year, I.O.I became one of the most influential project groups in K-pop. Their success helped prove the power of survival-show fandoms and paved the way for later Produce groups like Wanna One, IZ*ONE, and X1. After their disbandment in January 2017, many members continued in the industry as soloists, actors, or members of groups such as Weki Meki, gugudan, DIA, PRISTIN, Cosmic Girls, and JEON SOMI as a solo artist. In 2026, I.O.I reunited for a special 10th anniversary project, marking their first major group comeback in nearly a decade. The reunion featured nine members, with Mina and Kyulkyung not participating, and included the EP I.O.I : Loop, a pre-release track, and anniversary concerts in Seoul before additional Asia tour stops. Although I.O.I began as a temporary group, their legacy has lasted far beyond their original contract, making them one of K-pop&#x27;s defining examples of how a short-lived project group could leave a permanent mark.

I.O.I

I.O.I были вместе всего восемь месяцев в 2016 году. Десять лет спустя два самых вездесущих формата выступлений в K-pop — ending fairy и M2 Relay Dance — напрямую восходят к ним

Даже спустя 10 лет I.O.I остаются значимыми для K-pop

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

Когда закончилась рекламная кампания Jennie для Gentle Monster, а затем она появилась уже в рекламе Ray-Ban, никому не понадобилось официальное заявление — смена бренда сказала всё. В этом и заключается сила рекламных контрактов K-celebrity: в Korea знакомое лицо — это моральное одобрение

Не просто красивое лицо: как K-Celebrities стали золотым стандартом рекламы

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

XLOV провели последний год, разбираясь, кем именно они являются. "SERVE" — заглавный трек их второго мини-альбома I, God — это первый раз, когда вся картина сложилась настолько цельно

«SERVE» Deep Dive: XLOV точно знают, что именно они подают

hrtz.wav is a five-member boy band under Kakao Entertainment. The group was formed through STEAL HEART CLUB and debuted with their first mini album The First Wave. The group’s formation began when Mnet announced plans to debut a new global boy band through the survival program STEAL HEART CLUB, which aired in late 2025. The program followed contestants competing in different instrumental and vocal positions to determine the final lineup of the band. The show premiered in October 2025 and concluded with a live finale in December, where the group’s official name, hrtz.wav, and its final members were revealed. The lineup was determined by position rankings, with Hagiwa as drummer, Dane as bassist, Keiten as guitarist, Riaan as vocalist, and Youn Young Jun as keyboardist. Production of the program was handled by CJ ENM, while Kakao Entertainment oversees the band’s distribution, album planning, production, and overall management. The group made their official debut with the mini album The First Wave, released on April 8, 2026.

hrtz.wav

Барабанщик hrtz.wav никогда не показывал своего лица. Hagiwa выступает, соревнуется и продвигает группу, полностью скрываясь за маской — его настоящее имя, возраст и личность не раскрываются.

Почему дебют hrtz.wav цепляет на всех частотах

Africa Day в Seoul — это прямой вызов индустрии, которая долгое время заимствовала из Black-культуры, так и не до конца осознав, что это означает. В этом году Fatou из BLACKSWAN стала первой K-pop-айдолкой, выступившей на событии

Событие Africa Day 2026 в Seoul показывает, почему африканское представительство важно в South Korea

SM Entertainment и Samsung TV Plus делают K-pop-концерты бесплатными для просмотра дома — без билета и без перелёта

Ежемесячная концертная серия SM сокращает дистанцию

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

KATSEYE взяли AMAs штурмом — New Artist of the Year, Breakthrough Pop Artist и Best Music Video за "Gnarly" — а все даты тура WILDWORLD TOUR были распроданы. Все 31

KATSEYE покорили AMAs и распродали 31-дневный аренный тур менее чем за 48 часов

У K-pop давно непростые отношения с дебютами несовершеннолетних наравне со взрослыми — но выбор концепта не менее важен, чем разница в возрасте

Несовершеннолетние в adult-концептах: где K-pop проводит черту?

KATSEYE распродают арены по всей Европе и Северной Америке — 200 000 фанатов в очереди Ticketmaster, уже добавлены дополнительные даты, и впереди ещё третий EP. По любым меркам, их траектория впечатляет

KATSEYE распродают арену за ареной. Так почему же всё кажется незавершённым?

От приглашений K-pop айдолов до продемократических протестов — университетские фестивали в Южной Корее всегда были чем-то большим, чем просто развлечением

Как университетские фестивали стали важнейшим инструментом маркетинга в K-pop

2PM is a South Korean boy group formed by JYP Entertainment, currently centered on Jun. K, Nichkhun, Taecyeon, Wooyoung, Junho, and Chansung. They debuted in 2008 after the Hot Blood Men project, with Jay Park part of the group&#x27;s early history. The group became known for a &quot;beast idol&quot; image that emphasized athletic performance, masculine styling, and stage physicality. That made 2PM stand apart from many second-generation boy groups, especially as songs like &quot;Again &amp; Again&quot; and &quot;Heartbeat&quot; turned their choreography and dramatic staging into a signature. 2PM also developed strong individual careers. Members moved into acting, variety, solo music, songwriting, and international activities, helping the group remain recognizable even through military service and long gaps between releases. The fandom is known as HOTTEST. 2PM became one of JYP&#x27;s key second-generation acts, broadening boy-group performance language while building enough member recognition to last beyond their peak idol-cycle years.

Chyenne Tatum рассказывает о том, как 2PM прошли путь от дебюта с акробатикой и бескомпромиссной сексуальностью в 2008 году до полного переосмысления того, как может выглядеть K-pop boy group

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