Entertainment - The Korea Times

ReviewStars align for TXT in ‘The Star Chapter: TOGETHER’

The boys of K-pop group TOMORROW X TOGETHER, also known as TXT, have always been known for blurring the lines between fact and fiction. Since their debut in 2019, Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Hueningkai have combined their personal stories with mythical lore, cementing their status as preternatural storytellers in the music they’ve put out in their six-year career. In their latest full-length album, “The Star Chapter: TOGETHER,” released July 21, TXT finds themselves at an artistic crossroads, unveiling in eight tracks a search for identity — not just as a band, but as individuals. Bouncy bass and sophisticated synths drive the album’s club-ready opener, “Upside Down Kiss,” where they playfully invite you for a night out together. “Baby girl, let’s get freaky,” the boys sing — one of their more quirky, and mature, one-liners. The album takes a sharp thematic turn with the lead single, “Beautiful Strangers,” an EDM-laden hip-hop track that plays like an ode to TXT themselves. “The Star Chapter: TOGETHER” comes under the shadow of contract negotiations

Jul 31, 2025By Inna Christine Cabel

Stars align for TXT in ‘The Star Chapter: TOGETHER’

BTS’ V and Jimin cause global buzz with unexpected F1 connection

BTS members V and Jimin are drawing attention from global fans and Formula One (F1) enthusiasts alike, thanks to their unexpected connection with the world’s top motorsport. V recently held a livestream on the fan community platform Weverse, during which he discussed his content preferences. “I once thought it would be fun to do a vlog if I ever started a YouTube channel. I even asked friends what they thought I’d do, and they said vlogs, but that sounded too obvious, so I gave up,” he said. Instead, V shared that he prefers watching YouTube over making content, listing movie reviews, food content and F1 racing videos as his recent favorites. The mention of F1 caught the attention of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, who responded on X (formerly Twitter) with a post reading, “Taehyung (V’s real name) likes F1? Send him our YouTube link,” tagging their official channel. The team also replied to a fan referencing V’s Spotify profile with, “Don’t worry. We already follow him,” adding a purple heart emoji in a nod to BTS’ fandom color. They highlighted V’s solo tra

Jul 31, 2025By Xportsnews

BTS’ V and Jimin cause global buzz with unexpected F1 connection

YENA spreads her ‘Blooming Wings’ in 4th mini-album

K-pop singer YENA is back and ready to take flight with her most personal work yet. The soloist unveiled her fourth mini-album, “Blooming Wings,” Tuesday, marking her comeback 10 months after “NEMONEMO.” During a media showcase at Blue Square’s SOL Travel Hall in Yongsan District, Seoul, she revealed the album was born from “deep emotion and creative devotion.” “I poured everything into this album because I was thinking about meeting my fans again on tour with new songs,” she said. “It took almost a year, so I really paid attention to every detail.” “Blooming Wings” tells a story of love and emotional growth, reinterpreted through a more mature perspective. The album spans the innocent thrill of a first crush to the bittersweet farewell that follows, all delivered in her signature “YENA-core” style — a bright, genre-blending sound shaped by clever lyrics and raw sincerity. The lead single, “Being a Good Girl Hurts,” captures the emotional heart of the album. It offers a poetic retelling of a pure, one-sided love that blooms like angel wings, only to fa

Jul 29, 2025By Youn Ye-jin

YENA spreads her ‘Blooming Wings’ in 4th mini-album

'Golden' from 'KPop Demon Hunters' rises to No. 2 on Billboard Hot 100, tops global charts

"Golden," a track from the animated U.S. film "KPop Demon Hunters," continued its chart climb this week, rising to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Sung by Huntr/x, a fictional girl group featured in the Netflix original movie, the song jumped two spots from last week's No. 4, Billboard said Monday in a preview of the upcoming chart. The song debuted at No. 81 earlier this month and has steadily risen through No. 23, No. 6 and No. 4 before reaching its current position. The Billboard Hot 100 ranks the most popular songs in the United States across all genres, based on streaming, radio airplay and sales data. "Golden" also topped both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts this week. Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, a U.S. film studio, the Netflix original film features the popular girl group Huntr/x, who protects the human world from evil spirits. Elsewhere, K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's "Jump" placed second on the Global Excl. U.S. chart and third on the Global 200. Another K-pop girl group TWICE's latest single "Strategy" debuted at No. 92 on the Hot 100, becomi

Jul 29, 2025By Yonhap

'Golden' from 'KPop Demon Hunters' rises to No. 2 on Billboard Hot 100, tops global charts

Monsta X to make full-group comeback on Sept. 1 with mini album ‘THE X’

K-pop boy group Monsta X will return as a full unit on Sept. 1 with their new mini album, “THE X,” marking their first group release in over a year. Starship Entertainment announced the comeback Monday by unveiling a teaser clip through Monsta X’s official social media channels. The video begins with a flip clock displaying years from 2015 to 2025, symbolizing the group’s 10-year journey since debut, before transitioning into dynamic graphics incorporating the number 10 and the letter “X,” evoking the album’s title. The phrase “Do What I Want” appears briefly in the teaser, hinting at the album’s confident theme and heightening fans’ anticipation. Despite the group’s hiatus, members have remained active through solo projects, unit activities and content creation. Member Joohoney, who completed his military service earlier this year, expressed excitement for the comeback during a free fan event, saying, “I’ve prepared the weapon Monsta X will use to shake up K-pop again, so you can expect big things.” The group also premiered a track called “Fire & Ice,” wr

Jul 29, 2025By Hankookilbo

Monsta X to make full-group comeback on Sept. 1 with mini album ‘THE X’

Stray Kids circles globe 7 times in stadium-packed world tour

K-pop boy band Stray Kids will conclude its largest-ever world tour, "Stray Kids World Tour 'dominATE'," with a final concert at Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy, on Wednesday, marking the end of a global run that spanned five continents, 34 cities and 54 performances in nearly a year. Kicking off at Seoul's KSPO Dome in August 2024, the tour took the eight-member group across Asia, Oceania, Latin America, North America and Europe. According to its agency, JYP Entertainment, the group traveled an estimated 285,000 kilometers during this tour, roughly equivalent to circling the Earth seven times, highlighting the tour's expansive scale. The tour was named after the band's ninth EP "ATE," released back in July 2024, and the word "dominate," a nod to the group's ambition to conquer the global music scene. The group performed in 34 venues in total, including 31 for the first time. Twenty-seven of the venues were open-air stadiums, marking a dramatic expansion from their previous tour, "MANIAC," which featured just one stadium show in Los Angeles in 2023. Through a press release on Monday, the a

Jul 28, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min

Stray Kids circles globe 7 times in stadium-packed world tour

ReviewBOYNEXTDOOR goes big but not bold in Seoul finale of 1st world tour

BOYNEXTDOOR, the boy band under KOZ Entertainment and part of HYBE's ever-expanding K-pop empire, officially wrapped its first-ever tour with a sold-out three-day finale in Seoul. Backed by the full force of the K-pop conglomerate, the production successfully delivered on scale, but flashes of déjà vu dimmed the finale's impact. Familiar visuals and staging choices echoed past K-pop spectacles, raising questions about KOZ's creative direction and the group's evolving identity. Launched in December 2024 in Incheon, "BOYNEXTDOOR TOUR 'KNOCK ON Vol.1'" spanned 23 shows across 13 cities, including Tokyo, Singapore, Manila, Taipei and Jakarta, ending with three finale performances that ran Friday to Sunday at KSPO Dome in southeastern Seoul. Sunday's show, the final evening of the run, offered a glimpse into the group's young but devoted fanbase. Students made up much of the crowd — some with hair still in curlers, others casually dressed in checkered shirts. But once inside, the fans all became a single, unified voice, erupting in thunderous cheers as the lights cut out and they were plu

Jul 28, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min

BOYNEXTDOOR goes big but not bold in Seoul finale of 1st world tour

‘KPop Demon Hunters’ star Arden Cho grateful to Cha Eun-woo for duet before enlistment

Korean American actor Arden Cho, who voices the lead character Rumi in the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” expressed thanks for the warm response from fans and K-pop idols, including actor and singer Cha Eun-woo. In a recent interview during her visit to Korea, Cho shared how much she enjoyed reading comments like “Rumi really came to Korea to guard the gate of souls,” referencing the film’s storyline. “That one made me laugh the most,” she said with a smile. “Maybe it’s because I’ve been doing so many challenges with idols lately.” Cho, born in 1985, debuted in 2006 and is known for her performances in series like “Teen Wolf” and “Chicago Med.” She rose to global prominence through the Netflix drama “Partner Track” and is now receiving praise for her voice acting as Rumi, leader of the demon-fighting K-pop girl group Huntrix. Among the many celebrities who showed love for the film, Cha Eun-woo stood out. “A close dongsaeng (younger friend) of mine filmed a dance cover with me before heading off to the military,” Cho said, referring to Ch

Jul 28, 2025By Hankookilbo

‘KPop Demon Hunters’ star Arden Cho grateful to Cha Eun-woo for duet before enlistment

DJ Koo visits late wife’s grave nearly every day for five months

Months after the sudden passing of his wife, Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu (Xu Xiyuan), Korean musician DJ Koo (Koo Jun-yup) is still spending his days at her grave, tanned by the sun and mourning in silence. Koo has reportedly been visiting Jinbaoshan Cemetery in New Taipei City, Taiwan, where Hsu is buried, almost every day for the past five months. Witnesses say Koo has continued to stay by the graveside, even through heavy rain and extreme heat. A Taiwanese netizen shared a personal account on social media on Sunday, writing, “I took a group to Jinbaoshan Cemetery to lay flowers for Barbie Hsu. I saw a man sitting alone in the center of the graveyard. As I approached, I realized it was Koo Jun-yup. He politely thanked us.” The user, identified only as A, added, “It was heartbreaking to see him. I can’t imagine the pain of losing a lifelong love so suddenly. He is the kindest man I’ve ever seen.” A also posted a photo of Koo sitting in a foldable chair, fully focused on something in front of him. His deeply tanned skin drew attention, a sign of the time he’s spent outdoor

Jul 28, 2025By Xportsnews

DJ Koo visits late wife’s grave nearly every day for five months

Astro's Cha Eun-woo begins mandatory military service

Singer and actor Cha Eun-woo is set to enlist in the Korean military Monday, where he will serve in the Army's brass band, his agency, Fantagio, said. The singer-actor, 28, will fulfill his service in the band after completing five weeks of basic training at a boot camp. On Sunday night, Cha, a member of boy band Astro, connected with his fans through a YouTube livestream to share his thoughts. He described the impending enlistment as "surreal" and noted that his new military-style haircut was "the shortest" it had been since he was a toddler. "I will be back safe and healthy. I wish all the best for you all," he said. In Korea, all able-bodied men are required to serve between 18 and 21 months in the military.

Jul 28, 2025By Yonhap

K-pop