Girls' Generation's HRS unit to debut with 'Skibidi' singleGirls' Generation's new unit HRS will release its debut digital single, "Skibidi," on Aug. 31, its agency SM Entertainment said on Saturday. The single will contain two tracks — the title song "Skibidi" and "Lowkey in Love." "Skibidi" begins with house music before shifting into hip-hop, with lyrics carrying the message of forging a new path together, SM said. The Girls' Generation-HRS was formed through Girls' Generation member Hyoyeon's personal YouTube channel, "Hyoyeon's Level Up," and includes Hyoyeon, Yuri and Choi Sooyoung.Aug 22, 2026By Yonhap
KATSEYE scores career-best No. 2 on British albums chartK-pop girl group KATSEYE has scored its highest ranking yet on Britain's Official Albums Chart, debuting at No. 2 with its latest EP, "Wild." The U.S.-based group's third EP entered the Official Albums Chart Top 100 at No. 2, according to the latest chart released Friday (British time). The result marked a sharp rise from the No. 55 peak achieved with its second EP, "Beautiful Chaos," released last year. KATSEYE also landed three tracks on the Official Singles Chart Top 100. Pre-release single "Animal" rose four places to No. 12, while "Hootie Frutti," the main track of the new EP, and "Bel Air," also a track from the album, debuted at No. 16 and No. 97, respectively. Released on Aug. 14, "Wild" explores accepting every facet of one's inner self while pursuing instinct and freedom. HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, British pop star Ed Sheeran and producers Omer Fedi and Blake Slatkin were among those who took part in the album's creation. Elsewhere on the albums chart, "ARIRANG," the fifth studio album from K-pop supergroup BTS, ranked No. 68, extending its run to 22 consecutive weeks. On the singAug 22, 2026By Yonhap
'Sincerity, humility, honesty:' Gunil's exit highlights JYP's strict idol character standardGunil left Xdinary Heroes just one day after a controversy erupted over remarks he allegedly made about fans. As the abrupt termination forced the cancellation of major upcoming events, the standard of personal conduct and professionalism that JYP Entertainment founder Park Jin-young has emphasized for years is drawing renewed attention. On Aug. 13, JYP Entertainment announced Gunil could no longer continue group activities and that his exclusive management contract had been terminated. While the agency did not disclose specific details, it previously released a statement saying it "deeply recognizes the gravity of the situation regarding the recent issue involving Gunil." On Aug. 12, allegations by a user claiming to be Gunil's ex-girlfriend circulated on online forums. Because the accompanying voice recording contained profanity, Gunil became embroiled in a controversy over comments allegedly insulting fans. Compounding private life issues with a controversy stemming from profanity and allegations of demeaning the group's core fan base, the situation reached a breaking point. Gunil ulAug 21, 2026By Hankookilbo
From body-shaming to suspected AI fakes: Wendy, Jennie fight backRed Velvet's Wendy and BLACKPINK's Jennie are taking legal action as malicious online content targeting their appearances and bodies raises fresh concerns over the increasingly invasive scrutiny faced by female K-pop stars. Wendy recently drew attention online following appearances at Red Velvet's fan concert and in fan cams of the group's new song "Surfin Boy." Her noticeably slimmer figure prompted some fans to express concern about her health. But the discussion soon went beyond expressions of concern, with posts scrutinizing specific parts of her body and making disparaging comments about her appearance. Unverified and malicious speculation also began circulating online. Wendy's agency, Ascend, responded with a statement warning that it would take action against content that violates the singer's rights. "Acts that sexually discuss or judge specific parts of the artist's body, ridicule or demean her appearance and body, or maliciously spread false information constitute clear defamation that infringes on the artist's dignity and rights and cannot be regarded simply as opinions or freAug 21, 2026By Xportsnews
ENHYPEN returns as 6 with music inspired by Brazilian funkK-pop boy band ENHYPEN said Thursday it kept its attention on the music rather than its reduced lineup, a day before releasing its first album as a six-member group. The Belift Lab act drops its eighth mini album, "THE SIN : BLISS," on Friday, led by the Brazilian funk title track "Bloody Paradise." Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo and Ni-ki met members of the press at a hotel in Seoul's Yongsan District in the group's first media conference since it began promoting as a sextet, following Heeseung's departure in March. "This is our first album as six," Jungwon said. "We always think about the finished work. Rather than the number of members, we focused on how to make the result better, on how the recording sounds and how the performance looks." "We had a show in Australia two or three days after the lineup change," he added. "Fans judge us by what they see on stage, so all we thought about was being professional and putting on a good performance. Whenever we talked about the new album and the result, all we had in mind was our fans." Jay was less measured about where he ranks it. "We prAug 20, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
SEVENTEEN's Vernon to drop new song marking enlistmentVernon, a member of K-pop boy band SEVENTEEN, will release a new song Thursday, as he begins his mandatory military service. His solo single "I'll Be Back," is due out at 6 p.m., according to music industry sources. Last month, his agency, Pledis Entertainment, announced Vernon will receive basic training beginning Aug. 20 ahead of serving as a social service agent to fulfill his mandatory military service. Vernon made his debut as a rapper of SEVENTEEN in 2015. In June, he and member The8 launched a new subunit and released their first EP, "V8," which marked the sixth official unit within Seventeen.Aug 20, 2026By Yonhap
NCT Dream renews contract as full group with SM EntertainmentAll six members of NCT Dream, a subunit of K-pop supergroup NCT, have renewed their contracts with SM Entertainment, the company said Thursday. "In addition to Haechan who has already completed his contract renewal, members Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, Chenle and Jisung have also renewed their contracts, based on deep trust for one another and unwavering affection for the team," SM said. "With its refreshing energy and passion, NCT Dream has conveyed energy of hope and optimism, turning dreams into reality over the past 10 years," it added, thanking fans for supporting the journey. The contract renewal comes as NCT celebrates its 10th anniversary of debut this year. All members of NCT 127, another subunit, have also renewed their contracts with SM. NCT consists of 23 members allocated to different fixed and rotational units, including NCT 127, WayV and NCT Wish. The multiunit group made its debut in April 2016, when its first rotational subunit NCT U released its debut single "The 7th Sense." NCT Dream debuted in August 2016 and has released hit tracks, such as "Hot Sauce," "Hello Future" and "BAug 20, 2026By Yonhap
BTS' Grammys boycott signals reversed relationship between artists, award showsThe Recording Academy's changed stance over its new Asian pop music category after K-pop superstars BTS opted not to submit music for consideration for the 69th Grammy Awards has shown the shifting dynamics between artists and award organizers, according to critics and industry figures. While acknowledging that such a boycott was possible only because it came from BTS, one of the world's most influential acts today, they say the controversy revealed a relationship in which award shows need artists with vast fandoms more than the artists need them. The Academy announced the Asian pop music category on June 16 as one of five new awards for the 69th Grammys, open to singles and tracks that make meaningful use of one or more Asian languages. On July 29, all seven members of BTS posted identical statements saying they would not submit music for Grammy consideration, expressing hope that music could be heard and embraced for what it is, beyond region or language. As the row grew, Billboard reported Friday that the Recording Academy leadership consulted representatives across the K-pop, J-pop,Aug 19, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
OURBIRTHDAY debuts as 1st JYP-affiliated girl group in 4 yearsK-pop girl group OURBIRTHDAY made its official debut Wednesday with its namesake first single, "Our Birthday," ending a two-stage predebut rollout that split the seven members into separate units. The group held a press showcase at Blue Square in central Seoul's Yongsan District just hours before the release, sharing their thoughts on the debut and future plans. OURBIRTHDAY is the first K-pop girl group associated with JYP Entertainment since NMIXX debuted in 2022, and the first to launch under the company's subsidiary label, INNIT Entertainment. The group's name refers to the members' aim to treat ordinary days as if they were birthdays. "This is a moment all of us have been waiting for, so we're excited," member Cho Hye-jin said. "We prepared hard through the predebut period, and it means a lot to finally be promoting as a complete group." U said the team name shaped her expectations, noting, "When I first heard it, I thought every day would feel happy and special." Baby chimed in, adding the lineup only became real to her at that point. "It didn't sink in that the seven of us were debuAug 19, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
InterviewONEWE talks longevity, fairy tale-inspired 17-track albumONEWE, the K-rock band under entertainment label RBW, did not set out to make a 17-song album. The band's youngest member wanted to make a full-length record, and the idea kept returning. "It was a ball our youngest member set rolling," bassist Giuk said Tuesday at a cafe in eastern Seoul's Gwangjin District, just a day before the release. "It kept rolling until it became a big snowman. We all got more and more ambitious." The result, "面 : Unknown Atlas," closes a work the five-piece band has been building since May. Named for the Chinese characters for point, line and plane, it started with the single "點 : The Quiver" and the digital single "線 : The Wake" through to the full album. Twelve of the 17 tracks are new. The other five, including "Coordinates," "Compass" and "Neverland," carry over from the earlier releases. Every song from the new studio album reworks a fairy tale. "Lilliput" argues against measuring yourself against anyone else. "Laputa" imagines an island that begins moving on its own to protect what it treasures. "Pinocchio" follows a boy growing up while hiding hisAug 19, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
