Shinee’s Minho to drop solo single

Minho of Shinee is poised to release solo single “Tempo” on Dec. 15, label SM Entertainment announced Monday. It will mark his return as a solo musician more than a year after his first solo full-length album “Call Back,” which topped the iTunes Top Albums chart in 14 regions. Before dropping the single, the singer and actor will host two fan meetups in Seoul under the title “Our Movie.” On Dec. 31, he will emcee MBC’s year-end music show for the fourth time, hosting the program with Annie of Al

Dec. 1, 2025

Zerobaseone will stay together for 2 more months

Zerobaseone will continue as a team until March, extending the project group’s activities by two months, said agency Wake One Entertainment on Monday. The nine members have agreed to do so as a way to repay their fans, who have been supporting them since their debut in 2023. Formed through the audition show “Boys Planet,” the nine-member group was set to be active for 2 1/2 years. During its career, the group released six albums, all selling more than a million copies each, from their debut effo

Dec. 1, 2025

Stray Kids become first to top Billboard 200 for 8th consecutive time

Stray Kids landed their eighth consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with their latest EP “Do It,” becoming the first K-pop act to achieve this feat. As of Monday, the album dethroned global pop star Taylor Swift’s studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” which had been on the Billboard 200 for seven consecutive weeks. The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the US, measured by equivalent album units, which calculates overall music consumption, including physical album sal

Dec. 1, 2025

Cortis exceeds 200m Spotify plays with debut album

Cortis has clocked up 200 million steams on Spotify with its debut album “Color Outside the Lines,” according to Big Hit Music. The rookie boy band accomplished the feat in about three months, the shortest time for a K-pop act that debuted this year. The five-track album was released in September and debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 15, the highest spot for a K-pop group’s debut album, before selling more than 1 million copies. The EP is the only debut album in K-pop scene this year with sale

Dec. 1, 2025

Artists pay tribute to victims as Hong Kong fire adds solemn note to MAMAs

The 2025 Mnet Asian Music Awards held from Friday to Saturday at the newly opened 50,000-capacity Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong took on a somber tone, as attendees paid respects to the victims of the high-rise apartment fire in the city that killed more than 120 people. The two-day awards ceremony was held under the message "Support Hong Kong," reflecting the belief that music can bring people together and heal. K-pop singers, presenters and hosts dressed in black or muted colors, offering condol

Nov. 30, 2025

G-Dragon named Artist of the Year at 2025 MAMA Awards

G-Dragon was named Artist of the Year at the 2025 MAMA Awards on Saturday, delivering a heartfelt message as the ceremony unfolded in a restrained tone following a deadly apartment fire in Hong Kong. The BIGBANG frontman accepted the night's top honor at Kai Tak Stadium, reflecting on his year and thanking fans for their support. "Thank you. I made my comeback through MAMA last year, and this year's activities feel different from any other year," he said after receiving the honor from Hong Kong-

Nov. 30, 2025

MAMAs 2025 to go on as Hong Kong mourns, K-pop industry donations pour in for victims

In the wake of the deadly apartment fire in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, K-pop agencies and artists have joined a wave of donations for victims while simultaneously preparing to attend the 2025 Mnet Asian Music Awards set to take place Friday and Saturday at Kai Tak Sports Park, roughly 20 kilometers from the disaster site. Some fans have criticized the decision to proceed with the event, while some industry watchers have defended the ceremony, which returns to Hong Kong for the first time in se

Nov. 28, 2025

Former Ador CEO says she was ‘sacrificed for Hybe’s IPO’

Former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin claimed Thursday that she had been “a sacrifice for Hybe’s stock market debut,” as her legal dispute with the K-pop powerhouse over a put option worth some 26 billion won ($17.7 million) continued at the Seoul Central District Court. The court held the third hearing in two related suits in which Hybe, parent company of Ador, is seeking confirmation that its shareholder agreement with Min has been terminated and Min is demanding payment for exercising the put option. M

Nov. 28, 2025

Twice subunit shares details for 1st Japan album

Twice subunit Misamo's first album will be released on Feb. 4 in Japan, and fronted by “Confetti,” label JYP Entertainment announced Friday. Teaser images released for “Play” Thursday hinted at the album's mood, showing Mina, Sana and Momo dressed to the nines. According to the tracklist, revealed alongside the teaser photographs, the new album will comprise 12 songs. The lead single, as well as “Catch My Eye” and “Red Diamond,” were showcased at last year’s tour in Japan. Separately, Twice cert

Nov. 28, 2025

Stray Kids’ mixtape sells 2m in 1 week

Stray Kids sold more than 2 million copies of its mixtape “Do It” in the first week of its release, said label JYP Entertainment on Friday, citing a local tally. The new set dropped on Nov. 21, sold close to 1.5 million on the day of release, and debuted atop the iTunes Top Albums Chart in 37 regions. One of the two focus tracks, also titled “Do It,” ranked No. 1 on its Top Songs chart in 20 regions and hit Spotify’s Daily Top Songs Global at No. 11, a career best for the group. The other main t

Nov. 28, 2025

BTS’ Jungkook logs record 10b on Spotify as soloist

Jungkook of BTS has surpassed 10 billion streams on Spotify with his solo music — a first for a K-pop solo artist — his label Big Hit Music said Friday. He crossed the milestone on Nov. 25. The record-breaking streaming figures are led by “Seven (feat. Latto),” from his first solo set “Golden,” which has logged more than 2.6 billion — the most for a K-pop song. He has three other songs on the platform with over 1 billion plays, the most for a K-pop solo musician. “Seven” currently holds the reco

Nov. 28, 2025

Monsta X announces international tour

Monsta X will launch a new international tour on Jan. 30, the group's agency Starship Entertainment said Thursday. The group will kick off the tour “The X: Nexus” with a three-day show in Seoul, at the same venue where they held three concerts in celebration of the 10th anniversary of their debut in July. The upcoming gigs will be livestreamed as well. “The starting point where lights gather and a world begins. We share the beginning with Monbebe,” announced the six-piece act, addressing its fan

Nov. 28, 2025

SM Entertainment, K-pop stars donate for victims of Hong Kong fire

South Korea's pop music community on Thursday made donations to support rescue efforts and victims of a large-scale fire at an apartment complex in Hong Kong. SM Entertainment said it will donate 1 million Hong Kong dollars (US$128,000) to the Hong Kong Red Cross to aid firefighting, rescue and daily commodity support. Girl group aespa said they will contribute 500,000 Hong Kong dollars. "We express our deepest sorrow regarding this heartbreaking news," aespa said through their official Weibo ac

Nov. 27, 2025

CJ ENM will proceed with ‘2025 MAMA Awards,’ organizer confirms

CJ ENM confirmed Thursday evening that the 2025 Mnet Asian Music Awards will go ahead as scheduled, despite the recent high-rise fire in Hong Kong that has left dozens dead and hundreds missing. “Believing in the healing and unifying power of music, we have carefully planned the overall stage and program to deliver comfort and hope rather than extravagant performances,” CJ ENM said in a statement. “We hope the music will offer a small measure of solace and courage to everyone.” The organizer als

Nov. 27, 2025

[Exclusive] YG founder Yang Hyun-suk may skip MAMAs amid deadly Hong Kong fire, YG official says

Yang Hyun-suk, founder and chief producer of YG Entertainment, may not attend the 2025 Mnet Asian Music Awards scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park, as the city grapples with a high-rise fire that has claimed at least 55 lives and left hundreds missing at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex, a company official said Thursday. “He has not departed yet and is closely monitoring the situation. The final decision will likely depend on CJ ENM’s official announcement,

Nov. 27, 2025