USC to offer course on K-pop icon G-DragonStarting in spring 2026, the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles will offer a class focused on G-Dragon's music career and his cultural impact. The class is titled "Crooked Studies of K-pop: The Case of G-Dragon" and will be taught by Hye Jin Lee, a professor in the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. The course is the latest in a string of college classes available on pop culture themes. Yale University and Harvard University have each offered classes based on Beyonce and Taylor Swift’s influence. "Introducing a course on G-Dragon at a prestigious institution like USC, particularly as he marks the 20th anniversary of his debut, is highly meaningful,” G-Dragon's agency Galaxy Corporation said in a statement Friday. “We believe this will further underscore the artistic depth and global influence of K-pop.” G-Dragon debuted in 2006 as a member of BIGBANG under YG Entertainment. The group transformed K-pop with chart-topping hits like “Lies,” “Haru Haru,” “Tonight” and “Bang Bang Bang,” many of which were written or produced by GDec 5, 2025By Kwak Yeon-soo
NewJeans creator Min Hee-jin overwhelmed with audition applicants as she hints at new boy groupInterest in Min Hee-jin’s next move is growing after the former Ador CEO hinted at plans to produce a boy group, with her newly founded label’s first audition attracting a flood of applicants. Min established her new entertainment company, OK Records, in October and completed corporate registration shortly afterward. Recently, the agency quietly launched submissions for a private, in-person audition at a prominent dance academy, quickly attracting aspiring trainees’ attention. According to the original notice, applications for the audition were open online until Thursday at 10 p.m. However, on the same day, the academy posted an update on its official account titled “OK Records Private Audition Notice.” The academy said, “Applications for the private audition exceeded expectations, far surpassing our operational capacity for the day. To ensure a smooth evaluation, we had no choice but to close submissions early.” The update added that the successful applicants would receive individual schedules and further instructions. The overwhelming turnout fueled speculation that Min hDec 5, 2025By Xportsnews
'KPop Demon Hunters' soundtrack ranks No. 2 on Spotify's 2025 most streamed albumsThe soundtrack of the Netflix hit animation "KPop Demon Hunters" has been named the world's second-most streamed album of the year on Spotify, the music platform said in its annual Wrapped 2025 report released Wednesday (U.S. time). The original soundtrack ranked second in Spotify's Top 10 Albums Globally list, overtaking releases by leading U.S. pop stars, including Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar. Its lead track "Golden" placed seventh in the global Top 10 Songs ranking, while "APT.," a collaborative song by BLACKPINK's Rose and Bruno Mars, came third in the same category. In the United States, the "KPop Demon Hunters" soundtrack was the fourth-most popular album, with "Golden" ranking sixth among songs. Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny topped this year's global album chart with "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos." His 2022 album, "Un Verano Sin Ti," also returned to the list at No. 10, underscoring his continued global appeal. Bad Bunny also topped Spotify's list of most streamed artists, ahead of Taylor Swift in second place. Spotify said the most played song worldwide in 2025 was "Die With ADec 4, 2025By Yonhap
Rose's 'APT.' tops Apple Music's 2025 year-end chartsGirl group BLACKPINK's Rose has swept Apple Music's 2025 year-end rankings with "APT.," her collaborative hit single with Bruno Mars, the platform said Wednesday, underscoring her global popularity. According to Apple Music, "APT." took first place in four key categories: Top 100: Global 2025, Top 100: Shazam, Top 100: Radio Chart — Global and Top 100: Most-read Lyrics. The streaming giant praised the song's success, noting it stood out among strong releases from influential artists, such as Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen and Drake. "Golden" from the soundtrack of Netflix's hit animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" also had a strong showing on Apple Music's year-end top songs charts. It ranked No. 15 on the Top 100: Global 2025 and No. 4 on both the top lyrics and top song charts. Produced by global hitmakers Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick and Teddy, the track held the top position on the platform's Today's Top 100 chart for 70 consecutive days — the longest run of the year, Apple Music said, calling it proof of the song's "musical and cultural influence."Dec 3, 2025By Yonhap
Le Sserafim, 'KPop Demon Hunters' singers to join ABC's New Year's Eve showK-pop girl group Le Sserafim and the singers behind Netflix's hit animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" will appear on U.S. broadcaster ABC's annual New Year's Eve show, the network announced Tuesday (U.S. time). ABC confirmed on social media that Le Sserafim will take the stage in Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026, alongside Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami -- the artists who perform as the in-film girl group Huntr/x. The long-running show, a staple of U.S. year-end television since 1972, airs live each Dec. 31 from New York's Times Square to welcome the new year. This year's lineup also includes global pop stars Mariah Carey, Post Malone and Chappell Roan. Le Sserafim will perform its songs "Crazy" and "Spaghetti" during the show, according to the group's agency, Source Music.Dec 3, 2025By Yonhap
K-pop holiday playlist: New collabs, festive singles, rediscovered classicsWith Christmas only weeks away, Korea's music scene is easing into its annual wave of festive releases. Seasonal songs have always had a strong foothold in the K-pop market, and this year's lineup includes fresh collaborations and reimagined classics that are already shaping the country's winter soundtrack. From remade global hits to nostalgic favorites rising on the charts again, these K-pop selections will keep your holidays sounding both familiar and fresh. One of the season's standout releases comes from boy group ENHYPEN, who recently reinterpreted pop star Justin Bieber's holiday single, "Mistletoe." The project was produced as a collaboration between the group's label Belift Lab and Apple Music, with ENHYPEN's version premiering exclusively on the platform on Nov. 11. The original "Mistletoe" was released in 2011, when a then-teenage Justin Bieber was dominating global charts. The track reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and quickly cemented itself as one of the most recognizable contemporary Christmas pop singles. ENHYPEN's remake honors that nostalgic familiarity while intDec 2, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
EXO finally unveils 6-member group photo without CBX — ending the ‘logo-only’ eraEXO has revealed its first official six-member group photo without CBX (Chen, Baekhyun, Xiumin), ending months of speculation after the group appeared with only a logo on a major award show poster. The group will hold its fan meeting “EXO’verse” on Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Inspire Arena in Jung District, Incheon. The event marks EXO’s first fan meeting in about one year and eight months, with both sessions selling out during fan club presales — a sign of the group’s continued drawing power. The newly released poster is earning buzz because it is the first time EXO’s six-member lineup has appeared together. The reveal also puts to rest a small controversy from earlier this year, when the “2025 Melon Music Awards” poster showed only EXO’s team logo — prompting viral jokes that “the group had no usable photo due to constant member changes.” The new image finally gives fans what they were waiting for, replacing memes with an actual group portrait. Who’s in — and who’s out A key point of attention is the six members. CBX, who have been embroiled in legalDec 2, 2025By Xportsnews
How K-pop is pushing into children's content worldwideA genre once defined by teen and young adult fandoms, K-pop is now gradually pushing into children's entertainment, stepping into spaces traditionally filled by preschool shows and beginner book series. The expansion introduces the genre to some of the youngest media consumers yet — a development educators and analysts say could have lasting effects on how children form cultural tastes and media routines. One of the latest examples comes from five-piece girl group FIFTY FIFTY. The group's agency, ATTRAKT, said it released a seasonal single titled "Making Christmas Magical" on Nov. 28 in collaboration with Blocks Universe, a children's content IP whose characters — Numberblocks, Alphablocks, Colorblocks and Wonderblocks — are widely used in U.K. classrooms and preschools. According to brand owner Alphablocks, the project marks the franchise's first major cross-brand Christmas release uniting all four properties. The song was produced by Blue Zoo Animation Studio, a long-time Alphablocks partner and a BAFTA- and Emmy-winning, B Corp–certified studio known for its educational animaDec 2, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
Stray Kids scores 8th No. 1 album on Billboard 200 with 'Do It'K-pop boy group Stray Kids has claimed its eighth No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard's main albums chart with its new album, "Do It." "Do It" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the week ending Nov. 27, Billboard said in a chart preview released Sunday (U.S. time). "In September of this year, when 'Karma' opened atop the list, Stray Kids became the first act to debut at No. 1 with their first eight entries in the 69-year history of the chart. With 'Do It's debut, they extend that record," Billboard said. "In addition, with an eighth No. 1, Stray Kids extend their record for the most No. 1s among groups this century (since 2000)," it added. Following the news, the group described the feat as "unbelievable" and thanked its fans for their "unwavering support," saying they serve as "a compass" guiding its way forward. It vowed to "keep moving forward on our own path with quiet determination," JYP Entertainment quoted it as saying. It marks the group's eighth No. 1 on the chart, following "Oddinary" and "Maxident" in 2022, "5-Star" and "Rock-Star" in 2023, "Ate" and "Hop" in 2024, and "Karma" earDec 1, 2025By Yonhap
Why teen K-pop trainee numbers are dropping despite greater investmentJYP Entertainment spent 1.12 billion won ($765,000) last year on developing new talent. The figure appears in its annual business report filed this year. The company operates a dedicated rookie development division that selects trainees through auditions and provides training in vocals, dance and foreign languages. Officials from two major agencies say most companies maintain around 20 trainees. If JYP had approximately 30, this would mean the company spent roughly 3.12 million won per trainee each month on lessons and other costs — a significant investment. From an agency’s perspective, trainees are the engine that drives future growth, making early investment essential. JYP’s spending on trainee development increased by about 30 percent from 850 million won in 2023. Shrinking trainee numbers reveal growing class divide in K-pop K-pop agencies have sharply increased their investment in trainees, yet the number of trainees in the industry is rapidly shrinking. This trend emerged during reporting for a recent story examining how K-pop’s once-prominent “rags-to-riches” narratiDec 1, 2025By Hankookilbo
