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Pyo Kyung-min

Korea Times K-Culture Reporter

Stay tuned for Pyo Kyung-min's latest K-pop stories, where she digs into the backstories that matter. She’d love to hear from you — share your thoughts at pzzang@koreatimes.co.kr. After all, every article gets better with insights from those who love the scene, just like she does!

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K-pop

Stray Kids returns with genre-fluid mini album 'THIS & THAT'

K-pop powerhouse Stray Kids returns Friday with "THIS & THAT," an eight-track EP built around the group's ability to move between genres without losing its identity. The release follows last year's mixtape "DO IT," which made Stray Kids the first act to debut eight consecutive releases at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Speaking at a press event in Seoul on Thursday, a day before the album's release, the eight members appeared in coordinated suits to discuss the making of the album and share behind-the-scenes stories. "It's been so long since our last comeback that every part of the schedule feels exciting," Changbin said. "We held concerts in Seoul last month, and I hope we can carry that energy into this album." The members described the title track, "This & That," as a departure from the group's previous singles, favoring a more relaxed and approachable sound over its usual intensity. "This time we went in a different direction — a little more chill and relaxed," Changbin said. "Like the title, we wanted to express the confidence of being good at this and that." He said the group intentio

Aug 6, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
Stray Kids returns with genre-fluid mini album 'THIS & THAT'
K-pop

BLACKPINK marks decade of rewriting K-pop's global playbook

When K-pop girl group BLACKPINK debuted on Aug. 8, 2016, with the double lead tracks "Whistle" and "Boombayah," the quartet arrived under the weight of expectations as YG Entertainment's first girl group since 2NE1. Ten years later, as the group celebrates its anniversary Saturday, that debut reads less like the launch of another idol act and more like the starting point of a structural shift in how K-pop meets the world. BLACKPINK's significance within K-pop rests on a simple distinction — Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa were the first K-pop girl group to be consumed not as a regional phenomenon but as global pop. The numbers built the case. With the 2022 studio album "Born Pink," the group topped both the Billboard 200 and the U.K. Official Albums Chart, a feat achieved among K-pop acts only by boy band BTS. It was the first Billboard 200 No. 1 by any girl group since Danity Kane in 2008, and the first simultaneous conquest of the two charts by a female pop group since Destiny's Child in 2001. In 2023, BLACKPINK became the first K-pop act to headline Coachella, and the group later beca

Aug 6, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
BLACKPINK marks decade of rewriting K-pop's global playbook
K-pop

NOWZ turns to 1980s disco with new single 'Achilles'

K-pop boy band NOWZ released its digital single "Achilles" Wednesday, presenting a Gen Z reinterpretation of disco. The release arrives five months after the group's Japanese debut EP "NOWZ" in March and marks its first Korean release in 10 months. Composed of Hyeonbin, Yoon, Yeonwoo, Jinhyuk and Siyun, the all-Korean quintet under Cube Entertainment debuted in April 2024 as NOWADAYS before adopting the name NOWZ in 2025. Entering its third year, the group declared it would open a new chapter with a more mature, sensual sound. Hours ahead of the release, the members held a press showcase Wednesday afternoon in Seoul, sharing recent updates and behind-the-scenes stories from the making of the song. "We sharpened everything from our visuals to our stage performance for this comeback," the group's eldest, Hyeonbin said. "We hope people look forward to it." Siyun summed up the comeback with the keyword "zero sexy." "Like a zero-sugar cola that tastes sweet without any sugar, we have gone back to our essential charm to present a fresh and healthy kind of sexiness," he said. "Achilles" reinterpr

Aug 5, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
NOWZ turns to 1980s disco with new single 'Achilles'
K-pop

Reshuffled lineups, solo returns, wave of debuts define August's K-pop releases

August is shaping up to be one of the year's most consequential months for K-pop, and not simply because of the volume of releases. Beneath the summer comeback rush runs a set of stories the industry will be watching closely — major groups returning with reshaped lineups, veteran soloists reclaiming the spotlight and a fresh crop of rookies betting on the dog days of summer to break through. Boy band Stray Kids returns Friday with the mini album "THIS & THAT," the JYP Entertainment group's first release since November's "DO IT" extended its unprecedented streak of Billboard 200 No. 1 debuts to eight. All eight tracks, including the self-titled lead single, were written by the group's in-house production trio 3RACHA, and the album arrives mid-stride in a new world tour that kicked off in Seoul in late July. Sharing the date is indie rock band wave to earth, whose album "bad pieces" ends a two-year recording silence. With more than 7 million monthly Spotify listeners, the trio has quietly built one of the largest global audiences of any Korean act outside the idol system, making its ret

Aug 5, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
Reshuffled lineups, solo returns, wave of debuts define August's K-pop releases
K-pop

WJSN's Dayoung, Jay Park spark chemistry in new single 'FLIRTY'

Dayoung of girl group WJSN, who has been steadily carving out a solo career of her own, joins forces with veteran singer Jay Park for the collaborative single "FLIRTY," set for release Tuesday. The track marks the first collaboration of Dayoung's career and her first new music in about four months, following her second digital single "What's a girl to do," in April. According to her agency Starship Entertainment, the singer took part in writing both the lyrics and music. The agency described the song as a pop track capturing the excitement and confident attitude of a budding romance, blending guitar sounds, groovy rhythms and rich pop melodies with touches of R&B and reggae. The pairing traces back to the 2025 Melon Music Awards last December, where Dayoung made a surprise appearance during Jay Park's performance. Dayoung appeared alongside him again at his Waterbomb festival performance on July 25, and a teaser image for the duo was unveiled shortly after the show, fueling anticipation. Dayoung's solo debut track "body" landed on best K-pop of 2025 lists compiled by Billboard, NME and Th

Aug 4, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
WJSN's Dayoung, Jay Park spark chemistry in new single 'FLIRTY'
K-pop

Red Velvet trades midday heat for sunset glow on 'Velvet Summer'

K-pop girl group Red Velvet returns Monday with the mini album "Velvet Summer," its first full-group release in over two years, trading blazing summer anthems for a sunset mood. The five-piece last released music together with "Cosmic" in June 2024. The five-track album is led by the track "Surfin' Boy," a dance number built on crisp, refreshing production and the group's signature dreamy vocal harmonies. In a first for the team, member Joy wrote the lyrics on her own, reminiscing about the hottest summer of one's life and the promise of making more radiant memories. "I was able to pour out everything I wanted to say to Red Velvet and our fans while writing these lyrics," Joy said in a written interview on Monday. "I wanted to convey that whenever we meet again, we can build memories even more beautiful than before. Seulgi even sent me a message praising how singable the lyrics were after mine were chosen. I was so happy I nearly cried," Joy added. According to Seulgi, the song also marks a sonic departure from the group's high-energy summer anthems like "Red Flavor" (2017) and "Umpah Ump

Aug 3, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
Red Velvet trades midday heat for sunset glow on 'Velvet Summer'
People & Events

World's top dance crews face off in Seoul on Saturday

Elite dance crews from around the world will battle it out in Seoul through the International Dance League (IDL), as the Seoul Series, the fourth stop of the league's 2026 season, takes place Saturday at Kyung Hee University. Launched in 2025, IDL is the world's first global professional dance league, with six franchise teams competing across a regular season for the IDL 2026 Championship title. The league has sold out all three of its previous series in New York, Vancouver and Sydney, surpassing 600 million cumulative views and impressions worldwide. Ahead of the Seoul opener, the league gathered IDL co-founder and CEO Connor Lim and the competing teams at a hotel conference room in central Seoul on Friday to share what audiences can expect. For Lim, a dancer since the age of 13, the league is about reframing how dance is seen. "Dance has been on reality TV shows for a very long time, but not presented as a sport," Lim said. "We are controlling all of the creative, all of the sporting aspects and the way that the dancers are represented ... the way that we believe dance should be repres

Jul 31, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
World's top dance crews face off in Seoul on Saturday
K-pop

BTS' 'Aliens' sweeps iTunes charts worldwide after Grammy withdrawal

BTS' "Aliens," a B-side from the boy band's fifth studio album "ARIRANG," has topped iTunes Top Songs charts in 78 regions, propelled by fans rallying behind the septet's decision to withdraw from next year's Grammy Awards. The seven members announced their withdrawal Wednesday through identical statements posted to their individual Instagram accounts, saying they hope their music "can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language." Within hours, the group's official fandom, ARMY, launched a coordinated streaming campaign, sending the track to No. 1 in countries including the U.S., the U.K., France, Brazil, India and Australia. The Korean-language song, which likens the group's journey through the global pop industry to aliens landing on Earth, reflects the identity struggles the members have faced as Korean artists in Western markets. Its lyrics are now being reread as a pointed rebuke of what critics call the Grammys' attempt to place K-pop in a separate "Asian pop" lane. Support has also poured in from within the U.S. industry. Mike WiLL Made-It, t

Jul 31, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
BTS' 'Aliens' sweeps iTunes charts worldwide after Grammy withdrawal
K-pop

BTS spent years chasing Grammys; Now tables have turned

For years, BTS spoke openly of the Grammys as a goal. On Wednesday, the group walked away from them at the very moment it appeared likeliest to finally win. In a joint statement posted to their individual Instagram accounts Wednesday, the seven BTS members said they have decided not to submit anything to the Grammys this year, adding that they hope music "can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language." The announcement came just over a month after the Recording Academy unveiled five new categories for the 69th Grammy Awards, among them Best Asian Pop Music Performance, a prize for performances rooted in Asian markets that make "meaningful use" of one or more Asian languages. The statement did not name the category, but has been widely read as a response to it. The decision carries the weight of history. Between 2021 and 2023, BTS collected five Grammy nominations without a win for "Dynamite," "Butter," "My Universe" or "Yet to Come" and the group's credited work on Coldplay's "Music of the Spheres." Each cycle, the members described the Grammys as

Jul 30, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
BTS spent years chasing Grammys; Now tables have turned
K-pop

Boy band The Wind chases 2nd act with 'Second Wind : S#00'

K-pop boy band The Wind returned Wednesday with its fourth mini album "Second Wind : S#00," launching what the group calls a counterattack by one of the scene's underdogs. Arriving a year and nine months after the band's previous physical release, the album lands as the group's first release since partnering with PPangStar Entertainment. Five of the band members — Thanatorn, Park Hayuchan, Choi Han-bin, An Chan-won and Jang Hyoun-joon — held a press showcase at Ilchi Art Hall in Seoul's Gangnam District, Wednesday, hours before the album's release, to discuss their comeback and the making of the record. Kim Hee-soo, who suspended activities in May due to anxiety symptoms, is sitting out this promotional cycle. According to the members, the "#00" in the album title represents the coordinates where every story begins, the first page on which The Wind's fresh leap is recorded. "We prepared a lot so that fans can feel both the refreshing charm we have shown so far and a confident, hipster side at the same time," Park said of the group's first release under the new partnership. Jang descri

Jul 29, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
Boy band The Wind chases 2nd act with 'Second Wind : S#00'
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