K-Pop News Archive | KpopVisage.com

MONSTA X's Kihyun trusts his gut on 'BORDERLINE'

With one day left before deadline, Kihyun of K-pop boy band MONSTA X has yet to choose the title track for his upcoming solo album, "BORDERLINE." The MONSTA X main vocalist had another song penciled in, but a nagging feeling would not leave him. So he did what the album itself is about — he trusted his own instinct and eventually went with "So Good," a rock-based track carried by delicate, technically demanding vocals. Kihyun has anchored MONSTA X as its main vocalist since the group debuted in 2015, with the voice that carries its choruses and its highest of notes across a decade of albums, tours and festival stages. Away from the six-member act, he has built a parallel solo identity rooted in belt-heavy rock, starting with the 2022 single "VOYAGER" and the mini-album "YOUTH." "I chose [the title track] with the mindset of trusting my own choice," Kihyun said in an interview with The Korea Times, Wednesday, at the Starship Entertainment headquarters in Gangnam District, Seoul. "And I think it really was a great choice." That decision anchored "BORDERLINE," Kihyun's second mini-album a

Kihyun

MONSTA X

Kihyun embraces confidence, maturity in ‘Borderline’

Nearly four years after releasing his first solo album, Monsta X vocalist Kihyun is returning not simply with new music, but with a clearer understanding of who he has become. His second EP, “Borderline,” set for release on Tuesday, marks his first solo release in three years and nine months since his 2022 EP “Youth.” The seven-track album arrives after his military service, Monsta X’s group activities and ongoing world tour, and Kihyun said the long wait allowed him to make an album he could fe

Kihyun

MONSTA X

BTS

Monsta X's Kihyun takes bold step beyond comfort in new solo project

SEOUL, July 7 (Yonhap) -- Rock has long been the genre that lets Kihyun sing wit

I-dle brings heat to summer with sensual 'Gimme Dat Love'

SEOUL, July 6 (Yonhap) -- Summer may be synonymous with bright and refreshing up

K-pop group i-dle turns up summer heat with 9th EP 'We made'

K-pop girl group i-dle returned Monday with its ninth EP, "We made," serving up a sultry summer night through Latin-inflected title track "Gimme Dat Love." "We made" marks the group's first release in six months, following January's digital single "Mono (feat. skaiwater)." Hours ahead of the album's release, members Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua met with the press at Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, to share stories behind the album and their thoughts on the comeback. "It doesn't feel real that we're already releasing our ninth EP," Miyeon said. "We've come back with another song that suits summer, but this one fights heat with some more heat. We prepared it with everything we've got, so please give us lots of love and support." According to the members, "We made" carries a pop appeal distinct from the music i-dle has presented so far. The album captures the group's expanded present, some seven years of evolution since its second EP, "I made," released in 2019. "'We made' continues the 'We' series that began with 'We are' after our rebranding, following the

K-pop group KARD to disband after 10 years

Co-ed K-pop group KARD will disband after a decade together. On Monday, the group's agency, DSP Media, announced that KARD will conclude its activities following the release of its first full-length album on July 28 and the completion of its upcoming world tour. "We would like to once again express our sincere gratitude to HIDDEN KARD for staying with KARD over the years," the agency said. "We ask for your continued support and encouragement as each member embarks on a new chapter in their individual careers." KARD debuted in December 2016 with the project single "Oh NaNa" and gained recognition for songs such as "Hola Hola" and "Tell My Momma," building a reputation for their diverse musical concepts. DSP Media's full statement Hello, this is DSP Media. First, we would like to sincerely thank HIDDEN KARD, who have always supported and shown love for our artist, KARD. KARD will release its first full-length album, "Where To Now? (Part.2): NOWHERE," on July 28 before embarking on a world tour. After careful discussions with all four members, we have mutually agreed to conclude KARD's journey

KARD

Big Hit Music ramps up Yeonjun's global solo push with new EP

Tomorrow X Together's Yeonjun will release his second solo EP on Friday before taking another step onto the global stage next month as the second K-pop solo artist to perform on ABC's "Good Morning America" Summer Concert Series, following BTS' Jungkook. According to Big Hit Music on Monday, "No Labels: Part 02" arrives about eight months after the K-pop singer's previous solo release and marks the next chapter in his career, with promotions extending beyond South Korea through the major US tele

BTS

Ten launches creative company Illimnt following SM departure

NCT and WayV member Ten has officially launched Illimnt, a creative company he co-founded, three months after concluding his exclusive contract with SM Entertainment. According to Illimnt, the company officially opened Monday as a creative hub spanning music, culture, visual arts, fashion, original content and brand partnerships. With the launch, Ten is set to begin a new phase of his global career. The Thai singer is expected to pursue a range of projects across music, live performances, conten

NCT

Day6’s Young K to return with second solo LP ‘Youngest’

Day6’s Young K is set to return as a solo artist with his second LP “Youngest” on July 27, according to JYP Entertainment on Monday. The release will mark Young K’s first solo album since releasing "Letters with notes” in September 2023. Alongside the announcement, the agency unveiled a prologue teaser image through Day6’s official social media channels. The image featured fragmented reflections of Young K’s face across broken glass, with a key engraved with the initials “YK,” sparking curiosity

Young K

DAY6

BTS

Rejected 3 times: aespa's Winter reveals how she finally joined SM Entertainment

Aespa member Winter has revealed that she failed auditions for SM Entertainment three times before finally making it into one of Korea's biggest K-pop agencies. Winter shared the story during Sunday's episode of JTBC's cooking variety show “Please Take Care of My Refrigerator,” where she appeared alongside fellow aespa member Karina. Host Kim Sung-joo said both idols are often described by fans as having the "classic SM look" — a term referring to an image commonly associated with artists from the agency. Karina said she believed Winter best fit that image. "I think Winter is the perfect example of the SM style," Karina said. "She has the fair complexion of seniors like Seo Hyun-jin and Taeyeon." Winter, however, disagreed. "I actually think it's Karina," she said. "I failed the SM audition three times. I kept auditioning until I finally got accepted, while SM sent Karina a direct message first." She jokingly contrasted their different paths into the company. "SM chose Karina, but I chose SM," Winter said. Kim then asked whether entertainment agencies now recruit aspiring idols through

Aespa

'Anyone can call themselves a singer': 1st-generation K-pop star Ock Joo-hyun slams Auto-Tune overuse

Singer and musical actress Ock Joo-hyun has sparked debate after publicly criticizing singers who rely heavily on Auto-Tune and pitch correction. "These days, even people who can barely sing use Auto-Tune and pitch correction during live performances. It's really frustrating," Ock said while speaking on a fan communication platform recently. "Singers need to keep studying and improving their live vocals. But now, with excessive pitch correction, performances that make you think, 'There's no way this should be on television,' are being normalized. Honestly, it makes me angry." Ock went on to say, "I don't even want to be in the same league as them professionally. Some people may think that's a rude thing to say, but it's the truth. Looking at the amount of pitch correction used these days, it feels like just about anyone can come in and call themselves a singer." After one fan suggested that her comments sounded overly emotional, Ock doubled down on her criticism. "People shouldn't get the wrong idea that you can become a professional singer even if you can't actually sing," she said. "We

Fin.K.L

Seventeen’s Junghan, Joshua to form duo subunit: report

Junghan and Joshua are preparing to release an album as a duo in October, according to a local media report on Monday. The pair will be the seventh subunit from the 13-member act, with Junghan joining subunit activities for the second time and Joshua for the first. Junghan had teamed up with Wonwoo and brought out “This Man” in 2024, selling over 780,000 copies in the first week, a record for a K-pop subunit until bandmates S.Coups and Mingyu broke the record last year. Focus track “Last Night”

Ateez tops Billboard 200 with 14th EP

Ateez made a chart-topping debut on Billboard 200 with its 14th EP, “Golden Hour: Part 5,” according to the chart preview released on Sunday in the US. The mini album is the eight member act’s third effort to top the main albums chart, after second LP “The World Ep. Fin: Will” did in 2023 and 11th EP “Golden Hour: Part 2” in 2024. Ateez has the third most albums to claim the No. 1 spot on the chart among K-pop groups, after Stray Kids at eight and BTS at seven. The latest extended play is the ni

BTS

BTS fans protest Chile's block on concerts

Hundreds of BTS fans gathered in Chile on Sunday to protest the Chilean government's decision to halt the group's three scheduled "Arirang" world tour concerts in October. BTS' fandom, Army, demonstrated on the streets of Santiago, Chile, on Sunday, wearing purple outfits, waving purple balloons and holding picket signs. The protesters opposed the government's decision to cancel three concerts that were scheduled for October as a part of the group's "Arirang" world tour. BTS was scheduled to per

BTS

Rapper Penomeco featured on soccer legend Ronaldinho’s new album

Korean rapper Penomeco is one of the artists featured on a project album from Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldinho that released online on Saturday, according to Penomeco's agency Ego Group. The album celebrates both the 2026 World Cup and the launch of Ronaldinho’s music label, Tu Musica, in the spring. The release boasts a long list of global musicians, 44 artists from 18 regions, to be exact, including Jamaican hitmaker Sean Paul, American singer Justin Quiles and British DJ and producer Jonas

BOYNEXTDOOR

BABY MONSTER

Babymonster's ‘Psycho’ passes 200m views on YouTube

Babymonster’s music video for “Psycho” reached 200 million views on YouTube as of Sunday, said label YG Entertainment. It is the group’s eighth video to reach the milestone. “Psycho” is a B-side track from the group's second EP “We Go Up,” released in October last year. The music video was released the following month and was the most-viewed video in 24 hours on YouTube. It also sat atop trending music videos worldwide chart on the platform for three days. Meanwhile, the group heads to Kobe on W

BABY MONSTER

Museum brand Mu:ds posts record first-half sales

SEOUL, July 6 (Yonhap) -- Sales of cultural merchandise from South Korea's natio

RM

BTS

Jennie headlines 2 major European music fests

BLACKPINK's Jennie performed as a headliner at Denmark's Roskilde Festival and Poland's Open'er Festival over the weekend, becoming the first K-pop solo artist to headline two major European music festivals back-to-back, her agency said Monday. The singer performed her hits, including "Mantra," "ExtraL," "Starlight" and "Like Jennie," appearing at the music festivals on Friday and Saturday (local time), respectively, according to OA Entertainment. "Jennie's inclusion reflects current trends and

BLACKPINK

Jennie headlines 2 major European music fests

BLACKPINK's Jennie performed as a headliner at Denmark's Roskilde Festival and Poland's Open'er Festival over the weekend, becoming the first K-pop solo artist to headline two major European music festivals back-to-back, her agency said Monday. The singer performed her hits, including "Mantra," "ExtraL," "Starlight" and "Like Jennie," appearing at the music festivals on Friday and Saturday (local time), respectively, according to OA Entertainment. "Jennie's inclusion reflects current trends and reinforces Roskilde's identity as a festival moving toward the future," said Thomas Soenderby Jepsen, the festival's head of music. Open'er organizers described her as "one of the most influential female artists of this era." Jennie has drawn interest in the global music market in recent months, with her collaboration "Dracula" with Tame Impala reaching No. 10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. She is scheduled to appear at several other major international festivals later this year, including Spain's Mad Cool Festival 2026, Lollapalooza Chicago in the United States, and Japan's Summer Sonic 2026

BLACKPINK

Jennie headlines 2 major European music fests

SEOUL, July 6 (Yonhap) -- BLACKPINK's Jennie performed as a headliner at Denmark

BLACKPINK

BTS

SEVENTEEN’s Jeonghan And Joshua Confirmed To Make Fall Unit Debut

SEVENTEEN’s Jeonghan and Joshua are teaming up for a new unit! On July 6, Xportsnews reported that Jeonghan and Joshua will be debuting as a new unit in October. In response to the report, PLEDIS Entertainment told Dispatch, “Jeonghan and Joshua are preparing with the goal of making a unit debut in October.” This will

INFINITE Announces Stops For 2026 Fan Meeting Tour “INFINITE Rally V”

INFINITE will be going on a new fan meeting tour! On July 6, INFINITE announced the dates and venues for their 2026 fan meeting tour “INFINITE Rally V,” which will kick off at Incheon from August 29 to 30. INFINITE will then visit fans in Macau, Taipei, and Tokyo. Check out the poster below! Are

KARD Announces Plans For Disbandment

KARD will be going their separate ways. On July 6, the group’s agency DSPmedia posted the following statement: Hello, This is DSPmedia. First and foremost, we would like to sincerely thank HIDDEN KARD for your unwavering love and support for KARD throughout the years.KARD will release their first album “Where To Now? (Part.2) : NOWHERE”

KARD