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Boy groups from audition shows stage back-to-back comebacks in May

May is shaping up to be a significant month for K-pop boy groups whose origins trace back to survival shows. Three acts are returning within weeks of each other, each navigating a different kind of transition as they look to establish or redefine their place in the market. Leading the charge is ZEROBASEONE, which debuted through Season 1 of Mnet's survival audition show "Boys Planet" and has since reorganized as a five-member group. Originally a nine-member act, the team wrapped up its original formation following a concert at KSPO Dome on March 15, before reconstituting with members Sung Han-bin, Kim Ji-woong, Kim Tae-rae, Matthew Seok and Park Gun-wook. The group will release its sixth mini-album, "Ascend-," on May 18, featuring seven tracks including the title song "TOP 5," B-sides "Intro.," "V for Vision," "Customize," "Exotic," "Changes" and "Zero to Hundred." With six consecutive million-selling albums to its name, the question now is whether the slimmed-down lineup can sustain that momentum. In a notable coincidence, May 26 will see four former ZEROBASEONE members — Zhang Hao,

ZEROBASEONE

Le Sserafim unveils title track 'BOOMPALA' ahead of 2nd studio album

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

Kazuha

LE SSERAFIM

TWS lands atop Oricon chart with 5th EP

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

Itzy’s Yeji to limit tour performances due to back pain

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.”

Yeji

ITZY

Watch: TREASURE Teases Hip Hop Comeback With Trailer For “NEW WAV”

TREASURE has kicked off the countdown to their June comeback! On May 7 at midnight KST, TREASURE released a comeback trailer for their fourth mini album “NEW WAV.” As previously announced by YG Entertainment founder Yang Hyun Suk, TREASURE’s upcoming mini album will be rooted in the hip hop genre, marking the start of a… The post appeared first on .

BTS’ Jungkook featured in US educational book series for children

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

Jungkook

BTS

Belgian designer accuses Blackpink Jisoo’s team of delayed outfit return

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

Hybe x Geffen’s next multinational girl group nears final lineup selection

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

Rising Singer Brand Reputation Rankings Announced

The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this month’s brand reputation rankings for rising singers! The rankings were determined through an analysis of various rising singers’ media coverage, consumer participation, interaction, and community awareness indexes, using big data collected from March 28 to April 28. HANRORO topped this month’s list with a brand reputation index… The post appeared first on .

Bibi

Dayoung

Hee

Jae

Chanhyuk

AKMU

MAMAMOO Drops 1st Teaser For Full-Group Comeback With “4WARD”

Get ready for MAMAMOO’s long-awaited return as a full group! On May 7 at midnight KST, MAMAMOO unveiled the first teaser for their upcoming four-member comeback. RBW previously confirmed last year that MAMAMOO would be releasing a new album as a full group in June, in addition to embarking on a world tour. Check out… The post appeared first on .

Mamamoo

USPEER’s Yeowon To Leave The Group

Less than a year after their debut, USPEER’s agency has announced Yeowon’s departure from the group. On May 6, MW Entertainment announced that Yeowon, who had been on hiatus since last September due to health concerns, would be permanently leaving USPEER. USPEER first debuted under WM Entertainment last June before parting ways with the agency… The post appeared first on .

USPEER

Watch: NEXZ Takes Tearful 1st-Ever Win On “Show Champion” With “Mmchk”; Performances By TWS, CRAVITY, And More

NEXZ has won the very first music show trophy of their career! On the May 6 episode of “Show Champion,” the candidates for first place were NEXZ’s “Mmchk,” PLAVE’s “Born Savage,” TWS’s “You, You,” TXT’s “Stick With You,” and MAMAMOO’s Hwasa’s “So Cute.” NEXZ ultimately took the win, marking their first-ever win on a music… The post appeared first on .

TWS

TXT

SUPER JUNIOR’s Leeteuk Confirmed To Host 35th Seoul Music Awards

SUPER JUNIOR’s Leeteuk will be hosting the 35th Seoul Music Awards! On May 6, the 35th Seoul Music Awards announced Leeteuk as the host for their upcoming ceremony set to take place on June 20 at the Inspire Arena in Incheon. Leeteuk previously hosted the Seoul Music Awards in 2015, marking his first time returning… The post appeared first on .

Leeteuk

Super Junior

BTS’ ‘Swim’ stays in Billboard global top 3 for sixth consecutive week

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

Infinite’s Nam Woohyun to drop self-written solo song backed by bandmates

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

The Wind’s Kim Heesoo To Go On Hiatus Due To Health

The Wind’s Kim Heesoo will be temporarily halting activities due to his health. On May 6, Pangstar Entertainment revealed that Kim Heesoo had recently been undergoing treatment for symptoms of anxiety. The agency went on to announce that based on the doctor’s opinion that he needs sufficient rest, Kim Heesoo will be going on a… The post appeared first on .

THE WIND

Kim Heesoo

Watch: Yeri (Kim Ye Rim) Meets Kang Sang Jun And Finds The Courage To Pursue A New Dream In Upcoming Drama “Azure Spring”

MBN’s upcoming six-episode drama “Azure Spring” has unveiled a new teaser! “Azure Spring” is a healing youth drama that follows Seo Anna (Kim Ye Rim), who has come to a standstill out of fear of the future, and Yoon Deok Hyun (Kang Sang Jun), who remains trapped in the past and unable to move forward.… The post appeared first on .

Yeri

Jun

Billlie arrives with debut studio album, high-voltage lead single 'ZAP'

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

BLACKPINK’s Jisoo's outfit return controversy: Belgian designer clarifies 'It’s being resolved'

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 breaks into top 5 on Melon chart

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

Listen: Wanna One Sings “WE WANNA GO” For OST Of Reality Show “WANNA ONE GO : Back To Base”

Wanna One has unveiled a new song for the first time in several years! On May 6 at 6 p.m. KST, the group released “WE WANNA GO,” the main logo song of their reality show “WANNA ONE GO : Back To Base.” The song expresses the emotions of the members coming together again after spending… The post appeared first on .

Wanna One

IU And Her Family Share A Rare Heartwarming Moment At Her Wedding To Byeon Woo Seok In Unreleased Stills For “Perfect Crown”

MBC’s “Perfect Crown” has shared unreleased photos from IU and Byeon Woo Seok’s wedding! Set in an alternate universe where modern-day Korea is a constitutional monarchy, “Perfect Crown” tells the love story of Seong Hui Ju (IU), a chaebol heiress who has everything but is only a commoner in status, and Grand Prince Ian (Byeon… The post appeared first on .

Seok

Park Ji Hyun Transforms Into The Charming Center Of Co-Ed Group TRIANGLE In New Film “Wild Sing”

Upcoming film “Wild Sing” has shared new stills featuring Park Ji Hyun! “Wild Sing” is a comedy movie that follows the story of TRIANGLE, a once-popular co-ed trio that fell into obscurity after an unfortunate incident. The film depicts their chaotic journey as they attempt to reunite and make a comeback. Park Ji Hyun plays… The post appeared first on .

Hyun