'Golden' from 'Kpop Demon Hunters' soundtrack slips to No. 2 on British Official chart"Golden," the smash hit single from the original soundtrack of the Netflix animation film "Kpop Demon Hunters," dropped to No. 2 on the British Official Singles Chart Top 100 after seven consecutive weeks at No. 1. According to the chart unveiled Friday (local time), "Golden" was overtaken by Olivia Dean's "Man I Need," which had held the No. 2 spot for five straight weeks. Sung by Korean American artists Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami as the film's fictional girl group Huntr/x, "Golden" debuted on the chart at No. 93. It went on to spend eight weeks at No. 1 overall, including a seven-week consecutive run, and has remained in the top 10 for 12 consecutive weeks. The song has also topped the U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 main singles chart for seven weeks. Other songs from the soundtrack also performed high on the British chart, with "Soda Pop," "Your Idol" and "Takedown" ranking fifth, eighth and 76th, respectively. Released June 20, the animated sensation has officially become the most-watched title in the streaming platform's history across both films and TV series.Oct 4, 2025By Yonhap
Xdinary Heroes to release new EP ‘LXVE to DEATH’ on Oct. 24Xdinary Heroes, the JYP Entertainment rock band that has been steadily building its presence in Korea and on the global music scene, is set to make a comeback later this month with a new mini album. JYP announced Wednesday that the band will release “LXVE to DEATH” on Oct. 24, unveiling a teaser poster on its official social media channels. The image, which resembles a pulsing heart made of flickering lights, has drawn attention, raising expectations for the group’s expanded narrative and signature genre-blending sound. The band has earned the nickname “melting pot of genres” with each release, combining diverse styles with a distinct conceptual universe. Their upcoming work is expected to build on that reputation. Xdinary Heroes has cemented its status as a live performance powerhouse this year. Following their world tour “Beautiful Mind,” they staged “Xdinary Heroes Summer Special ‘The Xcape’” at Olympic Park’s Handball Gymnasium in Seoul in July, meeting fans at home. In August, the group made their debut at Lollapalooza Chicago, one of the world’s leading musOct 2, 2025By Hankookilbo
The Boyz, QWER's clash over light stick designs exposes K-pop's gray areasIn K-pop, a light stick is more than just a glowing accessory — it’s a symbol of fan identity. But a fight over two nearly identical megaphone-shaped designs has recently ignited one of the fiercest fan wars of the year, drawing battle lines between boy group The Boyz and rookie girl band QWER. What began as a disagreement over K-pop merchandise has since snowballed into something far more harmful, with online clashes escalating into real threats of violence and growing calls for the industry to set clearer standards. On Sept. 25, The Boyz’s agency One Hundred stepped in amid the mounting uproar with a formal statement, acknowledging the “confusion and discomfort” fans had experienced. The company said it had raised the issue with QWER’s management and requested design changes, but said no resolution had been reached. It added that legal action was now under review. The conflict first erupted Sept. 16, when QWER unveiled its first official light stick ahead of its debut world tour. The design — a white megaphone with the group’s logo in the speaker — immediately drew coOct 2, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
Review'Mamma Mia' proves izna is more than pretty facesGlobal rookie girl group izna came back Tuesday evening with its second mini-album "Not Just Pretty," a project that aims to do more than upgrade the group's already stunning visuals. It positions the six-piece as a force moving well past what initially meets the eyes, delivering a sharper, more confident edge. Born out of Mnet's audition program "I-Land 2: N/a," izna — composing members Mai, Bang Jee-min, Koko, Ryu Sa-rang, Choi Jung-eun and Jeong Sae-bi — had already proven themselves as performers before their official debut. Their journey from pre-debut buzz to their November 2024 first album "N/a" marked steady strides — the title track "IZNA" and follow-up singles "SIGN" and "BEEP" quietly but firmly positioned them on the K-pop map. WAKEONE, the group's label, calls the new release proof that izna "can no longer be defined by a single image." Instead, "Not Just Pretty" is designed to showcase the group's diverse colors that speak to both "growth and possibility." At its center is "Mamma Mia," a title track that packs a surprising punch despite its minimalist beat. Its addicOct 1, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
Demon-hunting HUNTR/X to debut live performance on 'The Tonight Show' next weekNEW YORK — The singing trio behind HUNTR/X, the fictional music group at the center of the summer's massively popular animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” is scheduled to perform live for the first time Oct. 7 on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” The NBC show announced Monday that Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami will perform their smash hit “Golden” from the Sony Pictures/Netflix film that gave Netflix its first No. 1 box-office title in the streaming company’s 18-year history. The film's soundtrack topped the charts. The three will also join Fallon on the couch for interviews. Their appearance will stream the next day on Peacock. Jennifer Lopez is also a guest. The film centers on Huntr/X, the superstar K-pop trio who double as demon hunters. The members, Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong) and Zooey (Ji-young Yoo), must protect their fans and face their biggest enemy yet: a rival boy band made up of demons in disguise. Fans have flooded the internet with art, covers, cosplay and choreography in response to the movie, which continues to be a mainstay on Netflix's weeSep 30, 2025By AP
Gugak meets K-pop: Tracks that fuse tradition with global pop soundsEvery autumn, Koreans gather under the full moon of Chuseok to celebrate harvest, family and abundance. In that spirit, K-pop has found ways to honor tradition too, by folding the sounds of gugak, Korea’s centuries-old music, into modern pop productions. From royal processions reborn as hip-hop anthems to ballads colored by traditional instruments, these six tracks showcase how gugak breathes through K-pop. And on Chuseok, when families gather beneath the harvest moon, these songs remind listeners that K-pop’s global trajectory doesn’t erase its roots — it amplifies them. BTS — “IDOL” (2018) When K-pop juggernaut BTS dropped its album, “Love Yourself: Answer,” with its explosive lead single “IDOL,” the track stood as one of the fiercest declarations of Korean identity ever made by a boy band. Driven by South African dance beats, trap grooves and EDM drops, the song gains its true punch from “jangdan,” the rhythmic backbone of traditional Korean music, and “pansori,” Korea’s age-old storytelling form. Long associated with folk performance, these sounds landSep 30, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
Kiss of Life’s Julie caught up in leaked footage rumors, agency vows legal actionS2 Entertainment said it will take legal action over online rumors linked to alleged leaked security camera footage of Julie from the girl group Kiss of Life. The agency said Monday that it had identified the circulation of illegally shared videos online. “Although we have already issued a statement, baseless speculation surrounding our artist continues to spread online. We wish to make our position clear,” it said. The company said unverified rumors and reckless speculation were causing serious harm to its artist’s reputation and character, adding that the situation had become intolerable. “Together with our legal counsel, we are gathering and analyzing evidence, and we are preparing legal measures against the dissemination of false information, malicious posts and all acts that infringe on personal rights,” it said. The agency stressed that all evidence collected will be used in legal proceedings and that it will respond strongly without any settlement or leniency. “Illegal leaking and distributing videos, as well as secondary harm and manipulation, may also be subject to criSep 30, 2025By Xportsnews
'Golden' from 'Demon Hunters' tops Billboard Hot 100 for 7th week"Golden," a track from the animated U.S. film "KPop Demon Hunters," has topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the seventh week. Billboard said Monday (U.S. time) in a preview of its upcoming main singles chart that "Golden" retained its No. 1 position this week, marking its seventh week at the top. The song debuted at No. 81 in July and has stayed on the chart for 14 straight weeks. It has held the No. 1 spot for the past six weeks. The Hot 100 ranks the most popular songs in the United States across all genres, based on streaming, radio airplay and sales data. "Golden" earned 33.8 million streams (up 5 percent), 33.9 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 11 percent) and 8,000 copies sold (up 2 percent) in the U.S. from Sept. 19-25. In addition to "Golden," two more songs from the "KPop Demon Hunters" soundtrack secured top five positions. "Soda Pop" claimed the No. 3 spot and "Your Idol" followed at No. 5.Sep 30, 2025By Yonhap
New wave of K-pop girl groups storms US as aespa, IVE and Le Sserafim chase BLACKPINK and TWICE’s legacyA new generation of K-pop girl groups is rewriting the genre’s global playbook, breaking into the American pop market once dominated by BLACKPINK and TWICE. While the two megastar acts paved the way, fourth-generation groups like aespa, IVE and Le Sserafim are now making their own marks with ambitious tours, TV appearances, high-profile collaborations — and in some cases, history-making firsts. Aespa: From YouTube Theater to morning TV SM Entertainment’s aespa has been among the most aggressive in targeting the U.S. market. After signing a global partnership with Warner Records in 2022, the group dropped its first English single “Life’s Too Short” and held a showcase at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles — a symbolic opening salvo for their U.S. expansion. Their momentum has only grown since. The group’s first world tour, “SYNK: HYPER LINE,” brought them to eight North American cities, and their follow-up “SYNK: PARALLEL LINE” sold out every seat across nine stops in North America, from Seattle and LA to Mexico City and Toronto. Recently, aespa performed their latSep 29, 2025By Xportsnews
Beomgyu of TXT voices frustration over KakaoTalk updateBeomgyu of boy group Tomorrow X Together (TXT) and other celebrities are expressing frustration over KakaoTalk’s latest update, which has significantly altered the instant messaging platform’s interface. Beomgyu wrote on fan platform Weverse on Sunday, “Why does KakaoTalk update on its own? I really hate sudden changes, and I can’t stand this update.” He added, “I don’t know if I should be saying this, but it’s really not good. If you’re going to update like this, at least give us the option to go back to the previous version. I’m someone who likes analog things, so such drastic changes at once are really hard for me.” Beomgyu went on to say, “I understand the need to add something innovative. But now it’s harder to use. They’ve only added unnecessary features. I don’t care about other people’s profiles, but now they’re displayed like a gallery.” Still, he tempered his criticism with appreciation for the developers. “Developers might see this,” he wrote, “but I still think it’s amazing that you keep working to create new things and update for uSep 29, 2025By Xportsnews
