Music

BTS will co-headline FIFA's first World Cup final halftime show with Madonna and Shakira

BTS will co-headline FIFA's first-ever World Cup final halftime show on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, joining Madonna and Shakira in a landmark booking that pushes K-pop deeper into the center of global live-event culture.

hello82's Billboard Repeat Signals a New K-Pop Power Layer

Billboard naming hello82 founder Jae Yoon Choi to its 2026 Indie Power Players list again is a sign that fan access, commerce, and event infrastructure are becoming their own K-pop power center.

AKMU's "Paradise of Rumors" just turned a prerelease B side into Korea's second perfect all-kill of 2026

AKMU's Paradise of Rumors scored a perfect all-kill on May 1, then beat title track Joy, Sorrow, A Beautiful Heart on Korea's weekly charts.

K-pop's house wave is now a real chart strategy for girl groups

K-pop house music has become a real chart strategy for girl groups as IVE, KiiiKiii, and Hearts2Hearts prove club-ready production can win mainstream listeners.

Music Bank in Barcelona Confirms Park Bo Gum and a Stadium Lineup Led by ENHYPEN, ATEEZ, and NMIXX

Music Bank in Barcelona is set for September 12, 2026 at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys with Park Bo Gum as MC and a lineup led by ENHYPEN, ATEEZ, NMIXX, NCT WISH, xikers, CORTIS, and ALPHA DRIVE ONE.

KATSEYE Will Perform at the 2026 American Music Awards After Landing 3 Nominations

KATSEYE will perform at the 2026 American Music Awards on May 25 in Las Vegas after picking up three nominations, including New Artist of the Year and Best Music Video for "Gnarly."

Sumi Jo signs with SM Entertainment for 40th anniversary album Continuum

Sumi Jo joins SM Classics as its first exclusive recording artist, with Continuum set for May and a reported EXO Suho duet adding crossover intrigue.

FANTASY BOYS and Doha just deepened PocketDol's crisis

FANTASY BOYS and BAE173 member Doha have won injunctions suspending their PocketDol Studio contracts, widening one of K-pop's biggest agency disputes.

Billboard Women in Music 2026 Spotlights Five K-Pop Executives

Billboard Women in Music 2026 recognized five executives across BigHit Music, HYBE x Geffen, JYP Japan, ONE Label, and SM Entertainment, underscoring K-pop's growing corporate power.

Jennie and Tame Impala's Dracula Remix Hits New Billboard Peaks

Jennie and Tame Impala's Dracula remix climbed to No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Billboard Global 200, giving both artists a new crossover high point.

KATSEYE's PINKY UP Hits No. 14 on UK Official Singles Chart

KATSEYE's PINKY UP has debuted at No. 14 on the UK Official Singles Chart, giving the group its first top-15 hit in Britain and a major new crossover marker.

ENA's The Scout locks Wendy, Young K, and Kim Jaejoong into a stacked master lineup

ENA's The Scout premieres May 8 with Wendy, Young K, Kim Jaejoong, Lee Seung Chul, and Choo Sung Hoon leading a mentorship-first reboot format for already-debuted artists.

KATSEYE Announces WILD EP for August 14 Release

KATSEYE has confirmed its third EP WILD for August 14, with pre-orders already live as the group looks to turn its Coachella heat into a full summer rollout.

Stray Kids' 'Do It' Hits 100 Million YouTube Views

Stray Kids' official 'Do It' music video has crossed 100 million YouTube views, extending the group's streak of major MV milestones in 2026.

The Rose Announces Temporary Break Following New Album and 2026 Tour

The Rose says its upcoming album and ROSETOPIA tour will close this chapter before the band takes a temporary break for solo growth.

hrtz.wav Debuts With The First Wave as Kakao Bets on a New K-Band Lane

hrtz.wav arrives with The First Wave, giving Kakao Entertainment an early shot at building a scalable K-band act instead of another standard rookie idol rollout.

AB6IX Hiatus Starts After May Concert as Renewal Talks Continue

AB6IX will pause group activities after its May 23 and 24 concert as BRANDNEW MUSIC confirms contract expiry on May 25 and renewal talks remain active.

Kim Jae-hwan Sets April 22 Return With 'I'll Be There'

Kim Jae-hwan will return on April 22 with digital single 'I'll Be There,' his first official release since finishing military service and his first solo drop since May 2024.

Hook Entertainment CEO Kwon Jin-young Gets Suspended Sentence for 4 Billion Won Embezzlement

Hook Entertainment CEO Kwon Jin-young received a suspended prison sentence for embezzling 4 billion won over 10 years. Here is what the verdict means for the agency and its artists.

Mark Leaves NCT and SM Entertainment After 10 Years

SM Entertainment confirmed on April 3, 2026 that Mark will conclude his exclusive contract on April 8, ending his membership in NCT, NCT 127, and NCT Dream after a 10-year run.

SEVENTEEN to Host 10th CARAT LAND Fan Meeting at Incheon Stadium

The K-pop powerhouse brings their signature fan meeting series back to stadium scale, continuing a tradition that began in 2017.

KickFlip's 'My First Kick' Drops April 6: Tracklist, Pop-Up, and Everything to Know

JYP Entertainment's KickFlip returns with their fourth mini album 'My First Kick' on April 6, 2026, featuring seven tracks including the leader-penned title track 'I Want to Be Annoying'. Here's the full breakdown.

SeeYa Are Back: 'Nevertheless, We' Drops After 15 Years

SeeYa's Nam Gyu-ri, Kim Yeon-ji, and Lee Bo-ram release their first new music in 15 years with 'Nevertheless, We', backed by the company they built themselves.

KCON LA 2026 Full Lineup: NCT 127, TXT, and ZEROBASEONE Headline Three-Day Festival

KCON LA 2026 reveals NCT 127, ZEROBASEONE, and TXT as headliners for the three-day K-pop festival at Crypto.com Arena and the Los Angeles Convention Center, August 14-16.

TWS Named to Rolling Stone's Future 25 List

Rolling Stone names TWS to its 2026 Future 25 list, recognizing the Pledis Entertainment group alongside Grammy winner Lola Young and Latin act Fuerza Regida as artists shaping the global music landscape.

The8 to Headline Midou Music Festival as Final Act

The8 (Xu Minghao) of SEVENTEEN secures the headline slot at China's Midou Music Festival in Nanjing, performing as the final act on May 1-2, 2026. His second major Chinese festival headliner in under a year.

YouTube Dance Prodigy Na Haeun Confirmed for STAYC's Sister Group UNCHILD

Dance prodigy Na Haeun is making her idol debut in 2026 with UNCHILD, High Up Entertainment's first new girl group since STAYC debuted in 2020. Confirmed as the first member via a GQ Korea interview, Na Haeun brings over 5.7 million YouTube subscribers to a debut that could redefine how K-pop groups build pre-debut momentum.

Hiphopplaya Festival 2026: Final Lineup Confirmed With Jay Park, Crush, Lee Young-ji, and More

Hiphopplaya Festival 2026 drops its complete lineup for May 2 at KINTEX: Jay Park x LNGSHOT, the full VVD crew (120 minutes), E Sens, Lee Young-ji, C Jamm x Black Nut, Lil Moshpit, and more.

Kim Jong Hyeon Returns: NU'EST's JR Completes Military Service

Kim Jong Hyeon, former leader of NU'EST, was discharged from the Republic of Korea Army on March 22, 2026. Here's a look at what he returns to.

Netflix and Warner Music Group Ink Multi-Year Documentary Deal: What It Means for K-Pop

Netflix and WMG signed an exclusive multi-year first-look deal for music documentaries. ROSÉ's Warner Chappell deal and BTS: The Return dropping March 27 make the K-pop angle impossible to ignore.

HYO Returns With ‘MOVEURBODY’: Hyoyeon’s Rave Single Drops March 23

Girls' Generation's Hyoyeon is back as DJ HYO with 'MOVEURBODY,' a Brazilian phonk and hard techno hybrid dropping March 23, plus a live rave night showcase in Seoul on March 21.

82MAJOR Confirms April Comeback: The Self-Producing Group Ready to Dominate Spring

The self-producing K-pop group announces their highly anticipated April comeback with a cinematic teaser, riding momentum from 100K first-week sales and an iHeartRadio nomination.

TWICE Tzuyu Lands First Taiwanese Endorsement With 7-Eleven

TWICE member Chou Tzu-yu partners with 7-Eleven Taiwan as brand ambassador for their Star Rated Cuisine line, marking her first major endorsement deal in her home country.

MODYSSEY Announces April Debut with 3RACHA-Produced Single Album

The seven-member group formed through Boys II Planet will release their debut single album on April 13, with Stray Kids production unit 3RACHA behind the title track.

THE BOYZ and VIVIZ Terminate Contracts: Inside the Big Planet Made Exodus

Nine THE BOYZ members and VIVIZ have filed for contract termination with CEO Cha Ga Won's agencies, citing unpaid settlements and broken trust. The mass exodus follows Taemin's departure and reveals a financial crisis spanning multiple labels.

AmbiO Debuts With 'Boys Be Ambitious' and It's Hard to Ignore

AmbiO (엠비오) made their official debut on March 18 with 'Boys Be Ambitious,' a six-track mini-album anchored by high-energy title track 'SHOWTIME.' The five-member multinational group pulled over 200K YouTube views on debut day.

NOUERA Hits Career High With POP IT LIKE: 240K First-Week Sales and an EXO Collab That Delivered

NOUERA third mini album POP IT LIKE posted 240000 first-week Hanteo sales, a career high powered by EXO Lay executive production and a music video that broke 10 million views.

KGMA 2026 Is Heading to Gocheok Sky Dome for the First Time

The Korea Grand Music Awards is trading INSPIRE Arena for Gocheok Sky Dome, Seoul's only enclosed dome stadium, for its November 7-8, 2026 ceremony.

Four Former ZEROBASEONE Members to Re-Debut as AND2BLE in May

Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyuvin, and Han Yujin are set to debut as AND2BLE under YH Entertainment on May 26, three days after ZB1's tearful nine-member farewell at KSPO Dome.

Seven Years in the Making: Kangmin Steps Out Solo with 'Free Falling'

VERIVERY youngest member Kangmin makes his long-awaited solo debut with first single album Free Falling, arriving March 26 at 6PM KST.

LATENCY Arrives: Former LOONA and Cignature Members Debut "LATE O' CLOCK"

LATENCY drops their debut mini album LATE O' CLOCK today, featuring former LOONA, Loossemble, and Cignature members who left the idol system to form a real band.

K-Pop Takes Over Lollapalooza 2026: Jennie Headlines, aespa and (G)I-DLE Join Lineup

Jennie headlines Lollapalooza 2026 as a solo artist, joined by aespa, (G)I-DLE, and CORTIS for the biggest K-pop showing in the festival's history. Tickets go on sale March 19.

BABYMONSTER Goes Global: Five Continents, First Dome Show

10cm Refunded Every Singapore Ticket for a Show He Finished

10cm performed his full Singapore set despite a sudden throat condition, added a bonus song, shook hands with every fan, then refunded 100% of all tickets. Here is why that matters.

aespa Returns in May With What Could Be K-Pop's Biggest Girl Group Album of 2026

SM Entertainment has confirmed aespa is targeting a May 2026 comeback with what's expected to be their second full-length album, building on five consecutive million-seller first weeks.

Ahn Hyo Seop and Chae Won Bin Are Ready to Close the Deal in Sold Out on You

SBS rom-com Sold Out on You confirms April 22 premiere as script reading stills reveal the bickering chemistry between Ahn Hyo Seop and Chae Won Bin.

ILLIT Announces Fourth EP 'MAMIHLAPINATAPAI,' Dropping April 30 Following Sold-Out Solo Tour

ILLIT drops the curtain on their fourth EP: 'MAMIHLAPINATAPAI,' releasing April 30, 2026 with title track 'It's Me,' announced at the sold-out finale of their first solo tour in Seoul.