SM founder Lee Soo-man returns home with tech-driven double debutThree years after a boardroom battle pushed him out of SM Entertainment, the company he founded, K-pop mogul Lee Soo-man unveiled two new idol groups on Monday in his first music project in Korea since his noncompete agreement with HYBE expired in February. His Singapore-headquartered A2O Entertainment introduced 15-member boy group A2O Soul and nine-piece girl group A2O Lite at a joint showcase at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, where both groups performed live for the first time. Their digital singles, “Superstar” and “Neon,” come out at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The launch also uses an unusual format — two groups debuting at once, linked through a shared fictional universe centered on "Soulite," an alien planet. “The question I get asked most is what makes A2O different,” said Lee, who took the stage at the showcase. “As long as K-pop groups are classified as singers, what a singer needs most is a song. I wanted everything, from the song to the dance, music video, performance and concert, to be different from what came before.” Being different alone is not enough, he adde9h agoBy Pyo Kyung-min
What made T.O.P apologize? Fan frustration erupts after dating newsT.O.P, formerly of K-pop group BIGBANG, has found himself facing unusually public criticism from some of his most devoted supporters, with a fan site that backed him for 20 years shutting down and his agency ultimately issuing an apology. The controversy unfolded shortly after T.O.P, whose real name is Choi Seung-hyun, was confirmed to be dating Nana, a former member of girl group After School who is now an actress. While speculation initially linked the backlash to his relationship, the longtime fan site CHOIDOT said the real issue went much deeper, pointing to years of insufficient communication, limited activities and what it described as an assumption that fans would continue supporting the singer regardless. Saturday, T.O.P's agency, TOPSPOT PICTURES, apologized through its official social media account. "We are taking seriously the opinions that fans have recently shared with us," the agency said. "We deeply apologize that fans who have waited for him have not received sufficient updates about his activities or enough communication, and for the disappointment and frustration this h12h agoBy Xportsnews
Xdinary Heroes explores desire, youth in 9th mini album 'IMPULSE'K-rock band Xdinary Heroes is making a bold return to the global music scene with the release of its ninth mini album "IMPULSE" on Monday. The five-member group — Jungsu, Gaon, O.de, Jun Han and Jooyeon — has established a unique footprint in modern rock with their explosive instrumentals and self-produced tracks. The band has also performed on prominent stages — from Lollapalooza Chicago to opening for British rock icons Muse in Korea. Xdinary Heroes is releasing its newest mini album alongside the lead single, "Obsessed with Youth." Centered on raw instincts, longing and the chaotic beauty of youth, the seven-track project reflects the band's growth both visually and musically. Below, the members share the inspiration behind the album, their songwriting process and memories from their biggest performance milestones. Q: With your new mini album "IMPULSE," you explore instinctual emotions. What message did you want to share most, and how have your music and visuals evolved since your last release, "DEAD AND"? Xdinary Heroes: We wanted to use "desire" as a keyword to express a wide s18h agoBy Jhoo Dong-chan
ATEEZ announces 2027 world tour, sets January kickoff in IncheonK-pop group ATEEZ will return to the global stage in 2027 with a world tour spanning Asia, Europe and the Americas, extending its momentum ahead of a new album scheduled for release next month. KQ Entertainment announced the tour, titled “2027 ATEEZ WORLD TOUR ‘ZERO TO ALL,’” on its official social media accounts on Saturday, unveiling a poster outlining the initial schedule. The tour will open with three concerts in Incheon from Jan. 22-24, before moving to Tokyo on Feb. 2 and 3 and Kobe on Feb. 13 and 14. ATEEZ will then travel to Europe in April, North America from July to August and South America in September, with additional dates and cities expected to be announced. The tour’s name reverses “All to Zero,” a phrase from the group’s debut album, “TREASURE EP.1: All to Zero,” released after ATEEZ debuted in 2018. The title reflects the group’s journey of continued challenges and growth since its debut, while raising expectations for new music and performances on the upcoming tour. ATEEZ demonstrated strong ticket demand during its previous “IN YOUR FANTASY” wor18h agoBy Lee Kyung-min
NCT WISH drops new mini-album 'I SPY' ahead of landmark Gocheok Sky Dome concertBoy group NCT WISH will drop its fourth mini-album, "I SPY," at 6 p.m. Monday, followed by its debut performance at Seoul’s iconic Gocheok Sky Dome in January, according to its management agency SM Entertainment. The six-track album will be available on streaming platforms, with physical copies on sale the same day. Along with the title track of the same name, it includes “We Own This Street,” “UPGRADE,” “Super Major,” “Hubble Time” and “Like A Dream.” The agency described “I SPY” as a hybrid dance-pop song about the moment of falling for someone, when every sense turns toward that person. The lyrics convey excitement, curiosity and a wish to invite the other person into one’s own world, it said. Ahead of the release, the group held a fan event titled “I SPY YOU” on Saturday and Sunday at Korea University’s Hwajeong Gymnasium in Seoul. The three shows drew a combined 11,400 people, the agency said. The venue was set up as a physical version of “WISH LAND,” a fictional digital world used in the album’s promotion, with six rooms — one for each membe18h agoBy Jhoo Dong-chan
BTS concerts in Peru projected to generate $19 mil. in tourism revenueBTS’s first performances in Peru drew more than 150,000 fans to Lima and are projected to generate about 25.1 billion won ($19 million) in tourism-related economic benefits for the country, according to a forecast by Peru’s tourism ministry. The group’s agency, BigHit Music, said Sunday that roughly 151,500 fans attended the three shows at Estadio San Marcos on Oct. 7, 9 and 10 — part of the group’s ongoing “Arirang” world tour. The attendance figure far exceeded the ministry’s pre-concert projection of 50,000 visitors to the capital. The Lima concerts marked BTS’ first performances in Peru since the group’s debut in 2013. The members acknowledged the wait from the stage. “We wonder why it took us so long to come to Peru,” they said to the fans during one of the shows. Member V commemorated Hangeul Day, a statutory holiday in Korea celebrating creation of the Korean alphabet, by wearing a specially designed T-shirt bearing handwritten messages during the concerts. The front displayed the name of the host city and his real name, Kim Tae-hyung, in Korean. On the bac1d agoBy Ko Dong-hwan
LE SSERAFIM tops Oricon chart with 'Made My Night'K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM topped Japan's Oricon daily chart immediately upon the release of its new single, demonstrating its strong popularity in both Korea and Japan. According to the band’s agency, Source Music, on Sunday, the five-member group’s second Korean single, “Made My Night,” grabbed the top spot on the Daily Single Ranking as of Friday, the day of its Japanese release. This marks the group’s second consecutive Korean single to tope the Oricon chart, following its previous single "SPAGHETTI,” which was released in 2025. "Made My Night" is a pop dance track that captures the excitement of spending a night with a special person. The single album features two tracks — the title song of the same name and the B-side track "AEIOU." The single has enjoyed huge commercial success here as well. According to Hanteo Chart, a local album sales tracker, the album sold around 200,000 copies on its first day of release, topping the daily album chart on Sept. 11. The title track has also gained significant traction globally. The song landed at No. 14 on Billboard's Bubbling U1d agoBy Baek Byung-yeul
SEVENTEEN's Hoshi drops love song 'Boyfriend' during military serviceHoshi of K-pop boy group SEVENTEEN is dropping a new digital single, "Boyfriend," at 6 p.m. on Saturday, the latest in a string of solo releases since his military enlistment last year. "Boyfriend," according to the singer's label Pledis Entertainment, is an R&B-based pop track about carefully approaching a loved one. Hoshi co-wrote the lyrics, and the song is built on breezy shuffle rhythms and synthesizer sounds. Hoshi enlisted in the Army as an active-duty soldier on Sept. 16 last year, becoming the fourth SEVENTEEN member to begin mandatory military service. He is scheduled to be discharged on March 15, 2027. On the day he enlisted, he released "Take a Shot," a hip-hop track for which he co-wrote the lyrics. Pledis has since continued to put out his music during his service, releasing "Fallen Superstar" in November and "Baby, Honey" in March this year. "Snapback," which Hoshi co-wrote and co-composed, followed in June. Other SEVENTEEN members are also pursuing individual projects as the group works through its members’ military service schedules. Jun released his first Chinese-langu2d agoBy Pyo Kyung-min
Boy group ATEEZ to drop new EP next monthK-pop boy group ATEEZ will release its 15th EP, "Golden Hour: Part. 6," next month, its label, KQ Entertainment, announced Thursday. The upcoming album, set for release Nov. 13, marks the act's first release in five months, following its 14th EP, "Golden Hour: Part. 5," which dropped in June. The previous EP became the eight-piece group's third album to debut atop the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Its lead track, "Bad," also continued a long run on major song charts, topping a local K-pop charting TV program for two consecutive weeks in September, about three months after its release.Oct 8, 2026By Yonhap
I-dle's Yuqi to release self-written Chinese-language mini album '27'At 27, pop stars are often asked to look polished, invulnerable and hyper-curated. But for Yuqi, a member of K-pop group i-dle, turning 27 is an invitation to embrace friction, vulnerability and unfiltered self-love. Marking her solo return after a little more than a year, Yuqi is releasing her second mini album "27" on Thursday. Fully written and composed by Yuqi herself, the six-track Chinese-language project uses the sunflower as a central metaphor: a bloom that holds unspoken anxieties beneath its bright face, yet persistently turns toward the sun. Prior to the full release, the prerelease track "I Like You" signaled strong international momentum, topping YouTube’s daily trending music video charts in Singapore and Hong Kong while entering charts in over half a dozen countries, including Canada and Australia. Ahead of the release, Yuqi sat down for a Q&A to discuss her personal evolution, musical experimentation and what it means to be unapologetically yourself. Q: It has been a year and a month since your last solo outing. How does it feel to be back? A: I’ve been steadily workinOct 8, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
