KPOPWORLD #6 (Yves)

KPOPWORLD #6 (KEYVITUP X VAYONN)

KPOPWORLD #5

KPOPWORLD #4

LOONA (이달의 소녀, &quot;Girl of the Month&quot;) is a girl group formed by Blockberry Creative with one of the most ambitious pre-debut projects in K-pop history. From 2016 to 2018, each of the twelve members was individually introduced with her own solo single, music video, and lore before the full group debuted in August 2018. This elaborate rollout created an intricate &quot;LOONAVERSE&quot; mythology that captivated fans who dissected every visual clue and narrative connection. LOONA&#x27;s music spans a remarkable range of styles — from Chuu&#x27;s bubbly &quot;Heart Attack&quot; to the cinematic grandeur of &quot;Butterfly&quot; to the girl-crush energy of &quot;PTT (Paint the Town).&quot; The group gained a uniquely devoted international fandom, Orbits, who turned LOONA into an internet phenomenon long before the group achieved mainstream domestic success. Despite significant company controversies and member departures, LOONA&#x27;s creative ambition and the quality of their discography have ensured their place in K-pop history as one of the most artistically inventive groups of their generation.

LOONA

От LOONA до развития в качестве сольной артистки — Yves откровенно, без прикрас рассказывает о своем пути, творческой идентичности и трудностях, стоящих за ее ростом, в честном разговоре в 2026 году

Самоощущение Yves

KEYVITUP is a five-member boy group under iNKODE, formed through the agency’s INTHE X Project. The lineup—Sena, Hyunmin, Taehwan, Rukia, and Jaein—was introduced step by step through pre-debut content, building anticipation around a team designed with a strong performance focus and a clear concept from the start. As part of a dual-group rollout, KEYVITUP was positioned with a trendy and dynamic identity, contrasting with its counterpart group. This concept highlights a more energetic and performance-driven style, setting the tone for their music and overall image even before debut. They are set to make their debut with the self-titled EP KEYVITUP, marking the official beginning of their activities. With pre-debut exposure, international stage appearances, and a defined concept, the group enters the scene with momentum and a clear direction moving forward.

KEYVITUP

В нашем новом Digital Cover мы поговорили с HYUNMIN, TAEHWAN, SENA, JAEIN и RUKIA об их дебюте, поиске своего звучания, написании и создании собственной музыки, химии, которая держит их вместе, и о том, куда они хотят двигаться дальше с KEYVITUP

KEYVITUP — цифровая обложка The KPOPWORLD

KickFlip is a seven-member boy group under JYP Entertainment, consisting of Kyehoon, Amaru, Donghwa, Juwang, Minje, Keiju, and Donghyeon. The group was formed through the SBS audition program Loud and debuted in 2025. The group&#x27;s identity connects JYP&#x27;s idol training system with a more youthful, agile performance image. Because several members were already known from a survival-show context, KickFlip&#x27;s debut carried built-in curiosity around how the lineup would translate from trainee competition to a working group. The fandom is known as WeFlip. KickFlip is still early in its career, with its public identity centered on formation, lineup, and debut positioning rather than a long-established legacy.

KickFlip

KickFlip готовы начать новую главу. Перед своим первым мировым туром в 2027 году новички JYP Entertainment пообщались с KPOPWORLD о своём новом альбоме KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1

KickFlip говорят о KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1 перед первым мировым туром

CLOSE YOUR EYES (also shortened as CYE) is a seven-member boy group under UNCORE. They were formed through JTBC&#x27;s survival show PROJECT7. They made their debut on April 2, 2025, with the mini album &quot;Enternalt&quot;. PROJECT7 started airing on October 18, 2024, and the finale was broadcast live on December 27, 2024, revealing the group name, CLOSE YOUR EYES, and the seven winners, in order: Ma Jingxiang, Kenshin, Jeon Minwook, Seo Kyoungbae, Song Seungho, Jang Yeojun, and Kim Sungmin. Before joining PROJECT7, Jeon Minwook had already debuted as a member of the boy group BAE173 and the project group A-SIX. Additionally, Ma Jingxiang was a contestant on Boys Planet, while Jang Yeojun also participated in Boys Planet and was a contestant on Wild Idol.

CLOSE YOUR EYES

Он рассказывает о процессе написания финального трека альбома, о том, как вырос с момента дебюта, и о том, что помогает ему продолжать двигаться вперёд

Познакомьтесь с участником: интервью с SEO KYOUNGBAE из CLOSE YOUR EYES — всегда стремиться выше

Он рассказывает о том, как впервые открыл для себя bossa nova, что изменилось для него после коллаборации с приглашённым артистом, и где он чувствует наибольшую связь с остальными участниками группы

Знакомимся с участником: интервью с KENSHIN из CLOSE YOUR EYES — Игривый связующий звено

Короли K-pop house вернулись, легенда первого поколения впервые за 25 лет выпускает сольный релиз, а десятилетнее ожидание новой музыки XIA наконец-то подошло к концу. В этом выпуске Comeback Corner — особенно насыщенная подборка, и сейчас доступен наш полный обзор

Comeback Corner: SHINee, MEOVV, BoA, & More

ONE PACT is a five-member boy group under ARMADA Ent. They debuted on November 30, 2023, with their first mini album Moment. The meaning of their group name &quot;ONE PACT&quot; is a combination of the words &quot;ONE&quot; (Together) + &quot;PACT&quot; (Impact), which means &quot;To come together to make a big impact&quot;. The name of their fandom, &quot;&amp;HEART;&quot; represents the idea of a continuous (&amp;) and inevitable (♡) encounter that defines ONE PACT&#x27;s existence.

ONE PACT

ONE PACT привезли свой мировой тур [OUTSHINE] в Лондон — и сделали это по-настоящему ярко. За день до концерта Jongwoo, Seongmin, TAG и Yedam превратили Hyde Park в фан-ивент, устроив busking-сессию с Random Play Dance вместе с Oraceon Dance Crew

Из Hyde Park в Islington: лондонский дебют ONE PACT стоил ожидания

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

ASTRO is a four-member boy group under Fantagio. Originally debuting as six members, the group entered the industry with their first mini album &quot;Spring Up&quot;, quickly gaining attention for their bright concept and strong performance skills. The original lineup consisted of MJ, JinJin, Cha Eun-woo, Moon Bin, Rocky, and Sanha, establishing a well-balanced team recognized for both musical and variety presence. In their early years, ASTRO built a steady discography with releases such as &quot;Summer Vibes&quot;, &quot;Autumn Story&quot;, and the &quot;Dream&quot; series, while also expanding their reach through concerts and international promotions. Their growth continued with their first full-length album &quot;All Light&quot; and subsequent releases including &quot;Blue Flame&quot;, &quot;Gateway&quot;, and &quot;All Yours&quot;, solidifying their place in the industry with a consistent sound and evolving image. The group also explored unit activities, including Moon Bin &amp; Sanha and JinJin &amp; Rocky, further showcasing their versatility. :contentReference[oaicite:0] Over time, ASTRO experienced significant changes, including Rocky’s departure and the passing of Moon Bin in 2023, marking a deeply emotional period for the group and fans. Despite these challenges, the group has continued activities as four members, releasing commemorative and special projects such as &quot;Circles&quot;, &quot;Twilight&quot;, and &quot;Moon&quot;, reflecting both their growth and enduring bond as they move forward together.

ASTRO

Спустя десять месяцев после CHAMELEON, YOON SAN-HA больше не меняет образы. Его третий мини-альбом, NO REASON, полностью отказывается от концептуальной игры, предлагая пять треков, выстроенных вокруг одного, почти вызывающего посыла: вот он, без фильтров, и этого достаточно

Пошагово с KPOPWORLD YOON SAN-HA разбирает “NO REASON”

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

tripleS is a large-scale girl group under MODHAUS, designed around a rotating system of members, subunits, and fan participation. The full project is built around the idea of &quot;The Idol of All Possibilities,&quot; with members introduced over time and organized into different DIMENSION units. The group stands apart because its structure is part of the concept. Fans known as WAV participate through Gravity votes that can influence unit lineups and other project decisions, making tripleS one of the clearest examples of K-pop experimenting with decentralized and fan-directed group management. Musically, tripleS moves between sleek dance-pop, bright electronic pop, and more experimental unit sounds depending on which members are active in a given DIMENSION. That flexibility is the point: the group can present a full-team identity while also letting smaller units develop their own color. tripleS works as both a group and a system. Its rotating structure shapes the music, fandom, and release strategy, making the project unusual even in a K-pop landscape already familiar with subunits and survival-show teams.

tripleS

tripleS снова с нами — теперь уже всеми двадцатью четырьмя участницами. ASSEMBLE26 &lt;LOVE&amp;POP&gt; pt.1 уже вышел — это первая часть трёхчастного проекта, который продлится до января 2027 года, и старт, похоже, самого амбициозного года в истории группы

tripleS Возвращаются с ASSEMBLE26 <LOVE&POP> pt.1

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

Три истории этой недели, которые с разных сторон крутятся вокруг одного и того же вопроса: насколько фанаты, лейблы и сами артисты могут определять, как выглядит карьера в K-pop?

Прошлая неделя в K-pop в разборе (25–29 мая 2026)

aespa is a four-member girl group debuted by SM Entertainment in November 2020, consisting of Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning. The group introduced a concept centered on virtual &quot;ae&quot; counterparts, blending real and digital worlds into an elaborate sci-fi universe often associated with KWANGYA. That metaverse-inspired setup positioned aespa at the intersection of idol pop, technology branding, and SM&#x27;s long-running taste for high-concept worldbuilding. Musically, aespa made a sharp first impression with an aggressive, synth-heavy style that matched the digital concept without depending on it completely. &quot;Black Mamba&quot;, &quot;Next Level&quot; and &quot;Savage&quot; used sudden beat changes, metallic textures, and big vocal climaxes to create a sound that felt more angular than most mainstream girl-group pop. The approach could be polarizing, but it made aespa instantly identifiable. The group&#x27;s later singles showed how flexible that identity could become. &quot;Drama&quot; pushed the cinematic side of aespa, while Supernova turned their electronic edge into something brighter, stranger, and more playful. Karina and Winter often serve as the visual and performance center of the group, Giselle gives the rap sections a casual sharpness, and Ningning brings a vocal power that lets aespa&#x27;s biggest choruses land with real force. aespa’s fandom is known as MY, and the group became one of the key fourth-generation acts by making high-concept idol pop feel commercially central rather than niche. Their importance is tied to that blend: they are an SM vocal group, a performance group, a fashion-forward girl group, and a sci-fi pop project at the same time. Even when the lore becomes less prominent, the idea remains clear: aespa turns futurism into a pop language.

aespa

aespa вернулись. LEMONADE — их второй студийный альбом — уже вышел, и это их самая многогранная работа на данный момент. Hyperpop, pop-rock, R&amp;B, electronic dance

aespa Возвращаются со вторым альбомом "LEMONADE"

Бывшие участники ZB1 и EVNNE снова дебютируют как AND2BLE — и им есть что доказывать. XLOV возвращаются со своей первой попыткой в dance music, а рядом с ними — Han Sohee.

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