Direct from Korean news and other sources
Once again, K-pop made a strong showing on the United States’ list of the best-selling CD albums of the year! American music data tracking firm Luminate (formerly Nielsen Music), which supplies the data for the Billboard charts, has released its year-end list of the best-selling CDs of 2025. The tracking period for the year began… The post appeared first on .
ALPHA DRIVE ONE’s debut was a smash success! Last week, the new project group formed on the Mnet survival show “BOYS II PLANET” made their highly-anticipated debut on January 12 with their first mini album “EUPHORIA.” By the end of the day, ALPHA DRIVE ONE had already sold over 1 million copies of the mini… The post appeared first on .
The wait is nearly over: Billlie is finally gearing up for their long-awaited comeback! On January 19 at midnight KST, Billlie officially announced their plans to return with their pre-release single “cloud palace ~ false awakening” later this month. “cloud palace ~ false awakening,” which Billlie performed at their fourth-anniversary mini fan meeting “Homecoming Day… The post appeared first on .
The length and terms of K-pop groups’ exclusive contracts with their agencies are rarely disclosed to the public, particularly when it comes to renewal deals. Most groups sign an initial seven-year contract, in line with the Fair Trade Commission’s standard contract for entertainers. However, second and third renewals tend to follow far more flexible timelines, varying by group and even by individual member. In many cases, groups opt for shorter renewal terms of around three years, while individ
BLACKPINK has gone gold in the United States with their latest hit! On January 15 local time, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) awarded BLACKPINK’s 2025 single “JUMP” an official gold certification for selling over 500,000 units in the United States. “JUMP” is BLACKPINK’s third song to be certified gold by the RIAA, following… The post appeared first on .
EXO’s Chanyeol and Block B’s P.O will dish on their childhood friendship on the next episode of “Amazing Saturday”! This weekend, the popular tvN variety show released a sneak peek of its upcoming episode, which will feature EXO’s Suho and Chanyeol as guests. The preview begins with Suho initially expressing confidence in his lyric-guessing skills,… The post appeared first on .
Billboard has published its World Albums chart for the week ending on January 17! Stray Kids continued to dominate the World Albums chart this week, with their latest album “DO IT” defending its position at No. 1. “DO IT” also spent its seventh consecutive week on the Billboard 200 at No. 155. Including “DO IT,”… The post appeared first on .
Since her debut as a member of the idol group Girls’ Generation in 2007, Seohyun has been active as a singer, songwriter and actor. Little was known about her hobbies until last week, when an announcement about her latest activity sparked online debate. On Jan. 14, Seohyun’s agency, Kkum Entertainment, announced that the singer would perform on March 13 at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul as a solo violinist with the Sol Philharmonic Orchestra, an ensemble composed of non-professional musicians. “Instead of the perfection of a professional performer, I will show the pure passion of someone who truly enjoys music,” Seohyun was quoted as saying. “I hope that through my challenge, many people will feel closer to classical music and discover its joy.” The announcement also indicated that she has been learning the violin for five months. Critics accused Seohyun of exercising her privilege as a superstar. “Five months of violin lessons … There are areas you shouldn’t touch. Classical music is a natural talent discovered before the age of six, and it takes incredible effort and tuit
ILLIT’s “NOT CUTE ANYMORE” is the No. 1 song for the third consecutive week. Congratulations to ILLIT! Moving back up three spots to No. 2 is LE SSERAFIM’s “SPAGHETTI.” Hwasa’s “Good Goodbye” rises up one spot to round up the top three. There are no new songs in the top 10 this week. About the… The post appeared first on .
KISS OF LIFE has kicked off the countdown to their next era! On January 19 at midnight KST, KISS OF LIFE unveiled a “GUESS THE NEXT ERA” teaser video announcing their plans to release something new on January 26. Meanwhile, KISS OF LIFE previously revealed that they were planning to make a comeback in April.… The post appeared first on .
MAMAMOO’s Hwasa has snagged a fifth music show trophy for her hit song “Good Goodbye”! On the January 18 episode of SBS’s “Inkigayo,” the candidates for first place were Apink’s “Love Me More,” Hwasa’s “Good Goodbye,” and LE SSERAFIM’s “SPAGHETTI” (featuring BTS’s j-hope). Hwasa ultimately took the win with a total of 6,045 points. This… The post appeared first on .
MBC’s upcoming variety show “The Secret Friends Club” has shared a new teaser! “The Secret Friends Club” is a reality variety show where cast members secretly prepare a special gift for someone without revealing their identities. The first cast includes BLACKPINK’s Jennie, Dex, Choo Sung Hoon, Noh Hong Chul, and Lee Soo Ji. The newly… The post appeared first on .
MOMOLAND is kicking off the new year with a comeback! On January 16, the girl group officially announced their plans to return with a digital single later this month. MOMOLAND’s new single “white spring,” which is said to capture the group’s sincere feelings towards their fans, will be released online on January 23 at 6… The post appeared first on .
The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this month’s brand reputation rankings for individual girl group members! The rankings were determined through an analysis of the consumer participation, media coverage, communication, and community awareness indexes of 730 girl group members, using big data collected from December 18, 2025 to January 18, 2026. IVE’s Jang Won… The post appeared first on .
