Ateez to drop new EP 'Golden Hour: Part. 4' FridayK-pop boy group Ateez will drop its 13th EP, "Golden Hour: Part. 4," on Friday. The upcoming release is the fourth installment in the band's "Golden Hour" album series, which captures its most radiant moments of youth, according to the group's agency, KQ Entertainment. The new EP features five tracks, including the main track "Adrenaline" for which members Hongjoong and Mingi participated in penning lyrics, "Ghost," "NASA," "On The Road" and the prereleased "Choose." Through the album, which marks the first release since "Golden Hour: Part. 3" in May last year, the group delivers a heartfelt message about seven years of dedicated collaboration, the agency said. Ateez has launched a marketing campaign ahead of the latest release, drawing huge interest from fans with the "USB Scavenger Hunt," a campaign held in eight cities, including Seoul and New York, hiding USBs containing the members' voices. The eight-member act, known for high-energy performances, debuted in 2018 and gained global fame with songs like "Wonderland" and "Guerrilla."Feb 5, 2026By Yonhap
CORTIS set to make history at NBA All-Star halftime showK-pop group CORTIS is set to reach a new milestone in the United States, becoming the first K-pop act to perform at the halftime show of an NBA All-Star Week marquee event — just six months after its debut. According to the NBA and ESPN on Wednesday, CORTIS will take the stage during halftime of the "2026 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game" on Feb. 13 (local time) at the Kia Forum in California. The NBA and ESPN said CORTIS will be the first K-pop group to headline a halftime show in the history of the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, signaling high expectations for the group’s performance. The All-Star Celebrity Game is one of the signature events of NBA All-Star Week, featuring former NBA players, Hollywood actors, popular rappers and sports stars competing in a lighthearted exhibition match. The game is broadcast live nationwide in the United States on ESPN, drawing significant attention from basketball fans around the world. The appearance underscores CORTIS’ growing presence in the U.S., extending beyond music into the broader sports and entertainment industries. Earlier, the groFeb 4, 2026By Hankookilbo
NewJeans removes traces of Danielle, Min Hee-jin, signaling shift to a four-member lineupGirl group NewJeans has begun erasing traces of ousted member Danielle and ex-label CEO Min Hee-jin across its official platforms. On Tuesday, NewJeans changed its official social media profile photo to an image of its official light stick, the “Binky Bong.” The banner image, previously a group photo, was also replaced with the group’s logo. Search results on platforms now show only the four remaining members when searching for “NewJeans,” with Danielle omitted. On Spotify, the artist bio no longer lists individual member names, and former CEO has also been deleted. The removal of Danielle and Min extends beyond social media to nearly all platforms associated with the group. Although member Minji’s future with the agency remains undecided, the move is widely seen as signaling that NewJeans has effectively entered a new phase as a four-member group. NewJeans attempted to terminate their exclusive contract, accusing Ador of breaching the agreement and seeking to pursue activities independently. However, their path ended abruptly when a court ruled in favor of Ador, confirming tFeb 4, 2026By Hankookilbo
Why K-pop feels engineered: New book breaks down system behind global phenomenonLike many other things in Korea, K-pop rarely pauses to explain itself. New groups debut, concepts cycle, controversies surface and fade. The industry absorbs the moment, recalibrates and quickly moves on. That forward momentum has long been part of its appeal. It is also what makes the system difficult to read from the outside. However, beneath the choreography and camera-ready polish, a quieter question persists: Why does K-pop feel so engineered, not just in sound or style, but in how its artists are trained, presented and sustained over time? That question sits at the center of "Almost Everything You Need to Know About K-pop," a new book by Choi Jung-kiu, published in Korea last December. Positioned as a cultural primer, the book breaks K-pop into its working parts, grounding its analysis in concrete examples drawn from active idol groups, recent releases and everyday industry practice. Rather than treating K-pop as a trend-driven genre or a series of isolated successes, Choi frames it as a system shaped over time, one in which training, production, performance, technology and fandomFeb 4, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
What to know about BTS' free comeback concert at Gwanghwamun SquareWith the confirmation that BTS will hold a massive free concert to mark its comeback at Gwanghwamun Square and the adjacent royal palace on March 21, attention is now shifting to how the K-pop megastars will use the historic backdrop for the spectacle. Current predictions suggest a performance that dramatically fuses Korean traditional heritage with state-of-the-art stage production. According to the music industry and Seoul city officials Wednesday, discussions are under way for an opening sequence of "BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang" set to begin at 8 p.m. that day. The seven members are expected to appear from within the palace grounds, walking through Geunjeongmun and Heungnyemun gates before exiting through the main Gwanghwamun Gate with the three major southern gates of Gyeongbok Palace thrown open, according to the sources. This scenario is supported by reports that the group has secured approval to utilize these three gates as well as the "woldae" — a restored ceremonial stage located in front of the main gate, historically used by kings of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) for roFeb 4, 2026By Yonhap
BTS shakes the world before release as ‘ARIRANG’ breaks presave recordsGlobal excitement around BTS is reaching a fever pitch even before the group’s long-awaited comeback officially arrives. BTS’ fifth full-length album, "ARIRANG," surpassed 3 million presaves on Spotify as of Wednesday, signaling explosive worldwide anticipation months ahead of release. The album crossed 1 million presaves just two days after the campaign began, exceeded 2 million by day four and has continued to climb steadily since then. The figure has reignited comparisons with global pop heavyweights. Fans and industry watchers are closely watching whether BTS can overtake the all-time Spotify presave record set by Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, "The Life of a Showgirl," which drew around 6 million presaves. Momentum is also evident on Spotify’s "Countdown Charts Global," where "ARIRANG" ranked No. 1 for two consecutive weeks on Jan. 21 and Jan. 28. The chart tracks presave activity for upcoming albums and singles and is widely viewed as a barometer of global fan expectations. Interest is spilling over into fan platforms as well. After the album release and world tour annouFeb 4, 2026By Xportsnews
BTS is ‘Back in business,’ turning a comeback tease into a global Netflix eventBTS are officially back, and making sure the whole world notices. On Feb. 3, RM posted a photo on his personal social media account with the caption, “BTS is back in business after four years.” The casual phrase instantly went viral among fans, signaling the group’s long-awaited return as a full lineup. In the relaxed selfie, RM wears a mask and brushes back his hair, but the understated image contrasted sharply with the massive scale of what followed. The post gained even more attention because it came just a day after all seven members departed together via Incheon International Airport for Dubai on Feb. 2 — their first full-group overseas schedule in nearly four years. The timing made RM’s message feel less like a joke and more like a declaration. The group is set to hold “BTS comeback live: Arirang” at 8 p.m. on March 21 at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. The live event will celebrate the release of their new album “Arirang” and feature first-ever performances of new songs, including the title track, in one of Korea’s most symbolic public spaces. BigHit MusicFeb 3, 2026By Xportsnews
G-Dragon to headline Dubai music festivalKorean singer G-Dragon will headline the "Krazy Super Concert" in Dubai later this month, his agency Galaxy said Tuesday. The concert will take place on Feb. 17 at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre in the United Arab Emirates. The event is part of a global music festival series previously held in New York and Los Angeles, but the Dubai stop marks its first edition in the Middle East, according to the agency. Other K-pop artists, including Kim Jong-kook, Jay Park and Yerin, are also set to perform at the festival. Before the Dubai concert, the BIGBANG leader is scheduled to hold his first individual meet-and-greet session for fans at Seoul's KSPO Dome from Feb. 6 to 8.Feb 3, 2026By Yonhap
BTS to perform at Gwanghwamun on March 21; show to stream live on NetflixK-pop phenomenon BTS will stage a large-scale comeback show at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square on March 21 to mark the release of its fifth studio album "Arirang," with the event to be broadcast live worldwide on Netflix, the group's agency announced. BIGHIT MUSIC said Tuesday the septet will hold the "BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang" show at 8 p.m. at the square in the heart of the capital to unveil the lead track and other songs from the upcoming album for the first time. The agency said it will be the first-ever standalone concert by a K-pop act at the venue. BTS previously performed using the Geunjeongjeon hall and the Gyeonghoeru pavilion of Gyeongbok Palace near the square as the backdrops for a special "BTS Week" segment on the U.S. NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in 2020. The new show, coming around 5 1/2 years later in central Seoul, is being billed as a symbolic fresh start for the group. The Gwanghwamun event will be streamed live on Netflix in more than 190 countries across the world, the agency said, marking the first time a major Korea-based event will go out in reaFeb 3, 2026By Yonhap
P1Harmony's rise in London signals K-pop's growing footing in EuropeLONDON — As K-pop’s growth slows in Korea, the genre is finding new momentum across Europe, with the United Kingdom emerging as a rising hub of fan activity and live performance. K-pop boy band P1Harmony performed to over 8,000 people in London’s OVO Arena Wembley on Jan. 30, the closing night of the European leg of its “P1ustage H: Most Wanted” tour. “We have some history with this venue, actually,” Korean Canadian leader Keeho said from the Wembley stage, referring to the group’s 2022 participation in HallyuPopFest. “When we first came here for our festival appearance, there was not even a slight thought in our mind that we would be able to come back here to be able to headline our own show.” The OVO Arena Wembley represents a big step up for the FNC Entertainment sextet — Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul and Jongseob — in Europe and Britain. Their London shows have evolved from 3,000-person gigs at the Troxy as part of the “P1ustage H: P1oneer” tour in January 2024 and “P1ustage H: Utop1a” in January 2025, making the Wembley arena show more than a doublFeb 3, 2026By Kayti Burt
