오늘의 K-POP

Le Sserafim, the K-pop girl group that rose to prominence on a platform of unflinching confidence, announced Wednesday that “BOOMPALA” will lead its second studio album, “PUREFLOW pt.1,” set for release on May 22. The quintet — Kim Chae-won, Sakura, Huh Yun-jin, Kazuha and Hong Eun-chae — unveiled the title and an aggressive two-week promotional schedule via social media and the fan platform Weverse. In a nod to the linguistic playfulness that has defined their branding, both the album and lead single utilize invented nomenclature: PUREFLOW serves as an anagram for “POWERFUL,” while “BOOMPALA” is a coined term intended to pique global curiosity. Their label, Source Music, described the enigmatic title as a deliberate move to spark intrigue regarding the track’s sonic direction. The road to the release begins on May 8 with a mood film titled “Just BOOMPALA,” followed by a conceptual series that includes the “BOOMPALA Pavilion” and three cryptic installments — “BIRCH SCAR,” “YUSU LILY” and “PEONY ROOM” — rolling out mid-month. The campaign cu

KazuhaLE SSERAFIM

TWS headed straight to the top of Oricon’s Daily Album Ranking with its fifth EP, “No Tragedy,” agency Pledis Entertainment said Wednesday, citing the chart dated May 4. The six-member boy group claimed the No. 1 spot, selling approximately 198,000 units on the day of release in the country. It easily surpassed the previous EP, “Play Hard,” which also made a chart-topping debut on the daily ranking. The latest mini album was released on April 27 and reached 1 million in sales in four days, becom

TWS

Yeji of Itzy will have to scale back her performances on stage for two shows in Japan, JYP Entertainment said Tuesday. Yeji has been diagnosed with a lumbar disc issue and was told to minimize movements that could strain her back, the agency added. However, she still wants to do whatever she can for the Tokyo gig, which is part of the group’s eight-city Tunnel Vision tour. The tour is to resume late next month in Hong Kong. During the pause, the quintet will release its 12th EP, “Motto.”

YejiITZY

Jungkook of BTS has been selected as the subject of a US educational book series for elementary school students, becoming the first Korean singer to be featured in the publication. According to Capstone, the book’s publisher, Jungkook will appear in the 2026 edition of the “Brain Candy Books” series, which introduces influential public figures to young readers through accessible educational content. The series has previously featured internationally recognized figures including Taylor Swift, Ari

JungkookBTS

A Belgian fashion designer has publicly accused the team of Blackpink's Jisoo of failing to return clothing loaned to her for an album photo shoot, later clarifying that the matter is in the process of being resolved. Benjamin Bortmans, founder of Belgian fashion label Judassime, initially claimed through a series of videos on Instagram that several garments sent to South Korea for Jisoo’s album cover shoot had not been returned for over six months. The controversy began after Bortmans alleged t

BLACKPINK

A second girl group from the joint venture between Hybe and Geffen Records is nearing its debut, as the survival program “World Scout: The Final Piece” narrowed its contestants down to two finalists ahead of its finale. According to episode 11 of the audition program, which aired Tuesday, Japanese contestants Ayana and Sakura advanced to the final round after competing against more than 14,000 applicants from across the globe. The winner will join already-confirmed members Emily from the US, Lex

BTS is continuing its strong run on Billboard’s global charts, with “Swim” remaining among the top three for a sixth consecutive week. According to Billboard’s latest charts dated May 9, “Swim,” the lead single from BTS’ fifth LP “Arirang,” ranked No. 2 on both the Global 200 and Global Excl. US charts. The song rose one spot on the Global 200 chart from the previous week. Thirteen tracks from “Arirang,” excluding the album’s instrumental interlude featuring the sound of the King Seongdeok Bell,

BTS

Nam Woohyun of Infinite is set to unveil a digital single Sunday to mark his tenth year as a solo singer, his agency Billions announced Wednesday. He wrote the upcoming single, “Boys and Girls,” in which he reminisces about beautiful nights spent together and promises to move side by side toward dreams. It will feature all his bandmates who joined him to celebrate the milestone, as shown in the teaser clip. Nam released his first solo EP “Write…” in 2016, and his fifth EP “Tree Ring” came out la

K-pop girl group Billlie dropped its first full-length album, "the collective soul and unconscious: chapter two," Wednesday, delivering a dark, polished identity unlike anything the team has shown before. Composed of seven members — Moon Sua, Suhyeon, Haram, Tsuki, Sheon, Siyoon and Haruna — the group has built a devoted following since its 2021 debut through standout tracks including "GingaMingaYo" (2022), "DANG! (hocus pocus)" (2023), "BYOB (bring your own best friend)" (2023) and "remembrance candy (prod. IU)" (2024). "The collective soul and unconscious: chapter two" marks the group's first full-length release in five years of activity. Siyoon, Moon Sua and Haram contributed to the album's lyrics, adding a deeper personal layer to the project. "It is such an honor to finally share this album with our fans and more," Tsuki said during a media showcase at SBS Prism Tower in Seoul's Mapo District, held a few hours before the album drop on Wednesday. "Working on our first full-length brought back memories of our debut days. I hope we can show everyone how much more we have grown," sh

Moon SuaSuhyeonHaram

An overseas designer who claimed that he had not received outfits back from BLACKPINK member Jisoo's team has since clarified that it was a “misunderstanding.” Benjamin Voortmans, founder of the Belgian fashion brand Judassime, recently posted on his account saying that he had sent outfits to Korea six months ago for Jisoo’s album photoshoot, but had yet to have them returned. He added that the items were three key pieces from a past collection and were of considerable value. As the controversy grew — given Jisoo’s global influence — the Belgian designer uploaded another video providing further clarification regarding what he described as a misunderstanding involving Jisoo. He said he had been receiving many critical messages and explained, “I never attacked Jisoo. I used her name to get a response from her team.” He also asked people to stop leaving malicious comments. He added that the issue was being resolved and said that a staff member would be dispatched to Korea to retrieve the items. Jisoo’s agency has not released an official statement regarding the matter. This

BLACKPINK

Cortis climbed to No. 4 on Melon’s Top 100 with its new single, "Redred," hitting a career high, according to Big Hit Music on Wednesday. "Redred" entered the chart at No. 98 when it was released late last month and continued to rise on the domestic chart. The single made Billboard’s Global 200 and Global Excl. US, at No. 63 and No. 31, respectively. On Spotify’s Daily Top Songs Global, it ranked No. 36 on Sunday, leaping 45 rungs from the previous day. "Redred" is the main track from the group'

CORTIS