'Dracula' featuring Jennie climbs to new peak on Billboard 100"Dracula," a collaboration between Jennie of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK and Australian act Tame Impala, rose to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, its highest rank to date, according to the chart uploaded Tuesday (U.S. time). The song moved up two notches from the previous week, the chart showed, becoming the highest-placing track by Jennie on the Hot 100 since her debut. Originally released as a solo track by Tame Impala in October last year, "Dracula" gained renewed traction after a remix featuring Jennie was released in February, going viral on short-form video platforms and climbing up the rankings. Elsewhere on the chart, the collaborative single "Iconic By Mistake" by girl groups Le Sserafim, Illit and Katseye reached No. 49, down six spots from the previous week. The BTS single "Swim" remained on the chart for the 15th straight week, coming in at No. 76. On the Billboard 200 albums chart, K-pop boy group Ateez claimed its third No. 1, with its new album, "Golden Hour: Part. 5." "ARIRANG," the fifth studio album by BTS, ranked No. 19, while the original soundtrack for the Netflix animatJul 8, 2026By Yonhap
InterviewMONSTA X's Kihyun trusts his gut on 'BORDERLINE'With one day left before deadline, Kihyun of K-pop boy band MONSTA X has yet to choose the title track for his upcoming solo album, "BORDERLINE." The MONSTA X main vocalist had another song penciled in, but a nagging feeling would not leave him. So he did what the album itself is about — he trusted his own instinct and eventually went with "So Good," a rock-based track carried by delicate, technically demanding vocals. Kihyun has anchored MONSTA X as its main vocalist since the group debuted in 2015, with the voice that carries its choruses and its highest of notes across a decade of albums, tours and festival stages. Away from the six-member act, he has built a parallel solo identity rooted in belt-heavy rock, starting with the 2022 single "VOYAGER" and the mini-album "YOUTH." "I chose [the title track] with the mindset of trusting my own choice," Kihyun said in an interview with The Korea Times, Wednesday, at the Starship Entertainment headquarters in Gangnam District, Seoul. "And I think it really was a great choice." That decision anchored "BORDERLINE," Kihyun's second mini-album aJul 7, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
K-pop group i-dle turns up summer heat with 9th EP 'We made'K-pop girl group i-dle returned Monday with its ninth EP, "We made," serving up a sultry summer night through Latin-inflected title track "Gimme Dat Love." "We made" marks the group's first release in six months, following January's digital single "Mono (feat. skaiwater)." Hours ahead of the album's release, members Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua met with the press at Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, to share stories behind the album and their thoughts on the comeback. "It doesn't feel real that we're already releasing our ninth EP," Miyeon said. "We've come back with another song that suits summer, but this one fights heat with some more heat. We prepared it with everything we've got, so please give us lots of love and support." According to the members, "We made" carries a pop appeal distinct from the music i-dle has presented so far. The album captures the group's expanded present, some seven years of evolution since its second EP, "I made," released in 2019. "'We made' continues the 'We' series that began with 'We are' after our rebranding, following theJul 6, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
Rejected 3 times: aespa's Winter reveals how she finally joined SM EntertainmentAespa member Winter has revealed that she failed auditions for SM Entertainment three times before finally making it into one of Korea's biggest K-pop agencies. Winter shared the story during Sunday's episode of JTBC's cooking variety show “Please Take Care of My Refrigerator,” where she appeared alongside fellow aespa member Karina. Host Kim Sung-joo said both idols are often described by fans as having the "classic SM look" — a term referring to an image commonly associated with artists from the agency. Karina said she believed Winter best fit that image. "I think Winter is the perfect example of the SM style," Karina said. "She has the fair complexion of seniors like Seo Hyun-jin and Taeyeon." Winter, however, disagreed. "I actually think it's Karina," she said. "I failed the SM audition three times. I kept auditioning until I finally got accepted, while SM sent Karina a direct message first." She jokingly contrasted their different paths into the company. "SM chose Karina, but I chose SM," Winter said. Kim then asked whether entertainment agencies now recruit aspiring idols throughJul 6, 2026By Xportsnews
Jennie headlines 2 major European music festsBLACKPINK's Jennie performed as a headliner at Denmark's Roskilde Festival and Poland's Open'er Festival over the weekend, becoming the first K-pop solo artist to headline two major European music festivals back-to-back, her agency said Monday. The singer performed her hits, including "Mantra," "ExtraL," "Starlight" and "Like Jennie," appearing at the music festivals on Friday and Saturday (local time), respectively, according to OA Entertainment. "Jennie's inclusion reflects current trends and reinforces Roskilde's identity as a festival moving toward the future," said Thomas Soenderby Jepsen, the festival's head of music. Open'er organizers described her as "one of the most influential female artists of this era." Jennie has drawn interest in the global music market in recent months, with her collaboration "Dracula" with Tame Impala reaching No. 10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. She is scheduled to appear at several other major international festivals later this year, including Spain's Mad Cool Festival 2026, Lollapalooza Chicago in the United States, and Japan's Summer Sonic 2026Jul 6, 2026By Yonhap
ATEEZ scores 3rd No. 1 on Billboard 200 with 'Golden Hour: Part. 5'K-pop boy group ATEEZ has claimed its third No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard's main albums chart with its new album, "Golden Hour: Part. 5." Billboard reported in a chart preview on Sunday (local time) that "Golden Hour: Part. 5" secured the top spot this week over Olivia Rodrigo's "You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love" and Drake's "Iceman." It marks the group's third No. 1 on the chart, following "The World Ep. Final: Will" in 2023 and "Golden Hour: Part. 2" in 2024. "Dating to its first in 2022, the group has racked up nine top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 and stands as the group with the most top 10s in the 2020s," the music magazine said. The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the United States, measured by equivalent album units comprising physical and digital sales, as well as streaming and digital track downloads. "Golden Hour: Part. 5" earned 228,000 equivalent album units during the latest charting period, with 223,000 coming from album sales. Both figures are the highest it has ever recorded. Released on June 26, the album depicts ATEEZ embracing momentsJul 6, 2026By Yonhap
BTS named La Plata 'honored guest' ahead of Argentina concertsKorean boy group BTS has been named "honored guest" of Argentina's La Plata city, where it is scheduled to perform in October, its agency BigHit Music said Saturday. La Plata's city council unanimously approved the designation during a plenary session on Thursday, granting the group one of the municipality's highest official honors. Under local ordinances, the title is reserved for distinguished visitors and internationally recognized figures in culture and the arts. The K-pop septet was recognized for its global cultural influence, advocacy for youth rights and contributions to international cultural exchange, according to city officials. BTS is set to perform its "ARIRANG" world tour shows on Oct. 21 and 23,24 at the La Plata Stadium in the city, making it the first K-pop act to do so.Jul 4, 2026By Yonhap
Why only Danielle? Ador explains damages suit as NewJeans comeback rumors growAdor has explained in court why it filed a damages lawsuit only against NewJeans member Danielle, even as overseas sightings of other members fuel speculation that the group may be preparing for a return. The Seoul Central District Court held the third hearing Thursday in a damages suit filed by Ador against Danielle, her family and former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin. Ador previously filed the suit only against Danielle among the NewJeans members, while also removing her from the group, saying she had seriously violated her exclusive contract. During the hearing, Ador said Danielle pursued a project with U.S. band Emotional Oranges worth about $175,000 (240 million won). The agency said the music video shoot was halted, but that much of the recording and vocal work had already taken place. ADOR also said Danielle violated her contract by taking part in photo shoots, magazine cover projects and an individual deal with a major watch brand without prior consultation. The agency also raised the issue of an alleged double contract with a company backed by Chinese capital. The company is said to haveJul 4, 2026By Xportsnews
Stray Kids' Seungmin scales back activities as ankle injury lingersStray Kids member Seungmin will significantly reduce his activities as he continues to recover from a stress fracture in his ankle, his agency said, raising concerns among fans after the singer missed several recent events. JYP Entertainment said Thursday that Seungmin is focusing on rest and treatment following medical advice for a stress fracture in his left ankle. As a result, Seungmin either did not participate in some recent filming commitments or took part only to a limited extent, with his injury condition given top priority, the agency said. JYP also said Seungmin's appearance in some upcoming content may be limited while he continues his recovery. The singer was first diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left ankle after visiting a hospital in March due to persistent pain. The injury also forced him to miss Stray Kids' performance at “The Governors Ball Music Festival” in New York City last month. Stray Kids, one of K-pop's biggest global acts under JYP Entertainment, has built a large international fan base through its self-produced music and extensive world tours. While tJul 4, 2026By Xportsnews
'KPop Demon Hunters' star Arden Cho ties knot while wearing hanbokKorean American actress Arden Cho, who gained global attention for voicing Rumi in Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters," recently got married in Italy with a distinctly Korean twist to the dress code. “Ever since we started planning, I dreamed of welcoming everyone to Italy with a hanbok celebration,” Cho wrote on social media on Thursday, sharing photos of herself, her husband and their guests dressed in traditional Korean attire. She said it felt surreal to see her friends and family wearing hanbok and filling the ballroom with vibrant colors. “It was art within art,” Cho wrote. “I never imagined seeing hanboks celebrated like this in Italy, and my heart is so full that everyone embraced this part of our culture with such joy.” Cho married orthopedic surgeon Christopher Lee on June 27 in Florence, Italy. “We’ve been at the villa for over a week, and it felt like welcoming all our loved ones into our home,” she added, teasing that she plans to share more moments from the celebration soon. Cho earned widespread acclaim for voicing Rumi, the leader of the fictional K-pop groupJul 3, 2026By Hankookilbo
