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

[Exclusive] Fate of 2025 MAMAs unclear, CJ ENM-Hong Kong government meeting delayed

An emergency meeting between event host CJ ENM and the Hong Kong government to discuss whether to proceed with the 2025 Mnet Asian Music Awards on Friday has been delayed, as the city reels from a deadly high-rise fire that has killed at least 55 people and left hundreds missing. The fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in the Tai Po district, about 20 kilometers from Kai Tak Sports Park, where the MAMAs will be held Friday and Saturday. “CJ ENM and the

Nov. 27, 2025

'Endangered Love' sets Lee Chan-hyuk apart in a trend-obsessed K-pop music scene

In South Korea's highly saturated music scene, similar tunes and repetitive hooks dominate the mainstream, and a song's popularity is often measured by the size of its singer's fandom. Lee Chan-hyuk of indie pop band AKMU took a different approach. Many K-pop releases tend to place heavy emphasis on photo concepts and universe storylines. But the 29-year-old's second album "Eros," released in July, delves into the emotional void and inner turmoil that follow the loss of another person. It extend

Nov. 27, 2025

Cortis hits 1m with debut album sales

The first album from boy band Cortis has sold over a million copies, label Big Hit Music said Thursday, citing a local tally. The debut EP “Color Outside the Lines” was released in September and became the first debut album from a K-pop act this year to accomplish the feat. The five-track set debuted on Billboard 200 at No. 15, hitting the highest spot on the main albums chart for a K-pop group's debut effort, excluding project groups. With the mini album, the five-member team generated 100 mill

Nov. 27, 2025

Stray Kids cinch 1st platinum in US

Stray Kids nabbed six certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America, the organization announced Wednesday. “God’s Menu” — which fronted their first LP “Go Live” from 2020 — certified platinum for logging 1 million in single sales, a first for the group. Its fourth full-length album “Karma,” dropped in August, earned gold certification for 500,000 shipments in the US. The band now has six albums to achieve the feat, the most for a K-pop artist. The LP has spent 13 weeks straig

Nov. 27, 2025

Allday Project to drop 1st EP next month

Five-member group Allday Project will release its first EP on Dec. 8, its agency The Black Label announced Thursday. A teaser image fashioned after a project proposal showed that the group's self-titled mini album will consist of six tracks, including the prerelease “One More Time,” which dropped on Nov. 17, and the main track “Look at Me.” The prerelease rose to No. 2 on Melon’s Top 100 after topping its Hot 100, and the music video reached No. 1 on YouTube’s Trending Video Chart Worldwide. On

Nov. 27, 2025

NewJeans logs record triple platinum in Japan

NewJeans have been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for “Ditto,” according to the organization on Thursday. The track surpassed 300 million streams as of October, becoming the first song from a K-pop girl group to reach the milestone, and the second for a K-pop musician. “Ditto” is a dreamy dance tune and a prerelease from the physical single “OMG,” released in December 2022. With the song, the group topped all domestic music charts and debuted on Billboar

Nov. 27, 2025

Poor management of ‘Dream Concert Abu Dhabi’ reignites fears over K-pop’s reputation abroad

Mismanagement surrounding Dream Concert Abu Dhabi, held Saturday at Etihad Park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, has reignited concerns that poorly run overseas shows could undermine the global reputation of K-pop concerts. The one-day event, promoted by local organizer Theory Eleven Entertainment in partnership with Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism and entertainment company Miral, drew widespread criticism from local K-pop fans after a series of operational failure

Nov. 26, 2025

Counting down to 2025 MAMAs: Here's what you can't miss

As the year ends, it is right around time for one of K-pop's biggest nights: the 2025 Mnet Asian Music Awards. This year's event will be held Friday and Saturday at the newly opened 50,000-capacity Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong, featuring spectacular stage productions and world-class performances. The venue is four times the size of the awards' usual location. Now in its 26th year, the awards ceremony has adopted the theme "uh-heung," a Korean expression meaning fun or excitement, to symbolize K-

Nov. 26, 2025

Katseye remains firm on Billboard’s Hot 100

Katseye sat at No. 31 on Billboard’s Hot 100, dated Nov. 29, with “Gabriela.” The single maintained its highest ranking yet, which it reached the previous week, despite the return of winter classics on the main songs chart. "Gabriela" has spent a total of 18 weeks on the chart so far. The track is a B-side track from the group's second EP “Beautiful Chaos” which sat at No. 31 on Billboard 200 in its 21st week, after entering at No. 4. The five-track mini album reached 1 billion streams on Spotif

Nov. 26, 2025

Seventeen collaborates with Smurfs

Seventeen unveiled a music video featuring animated Smurf characters on Tuesday, agency Pledis Entertainment said Wednesday. The new video for “God of Music” is set in Budapest, where a string of the blue characters — from Papa Smurf and Smurfette to Clumsy — dance to the electronic tune. They are later joined by the members of Seventeen. The collaboration was born out of the fact that the single was dropped on Oct. 23, the day the animation characters were created in 1958. A range of merchandis

Nov. 26, 2025