KickFlip wants eyes on it with 4th EP ‘My First Kick’
Boy band KickFlip returned Monday with its fourth EP, “My First Kick,” leaning further into the bright, unruly energy the group has been building since its debut into a bolder collective statement. At a showcase in eastern Seoul, KickFlip introduced the seven-track album as a release built around “firsts,” from entering their 20s to taking on new musical and performance challenges. The album is led by the lead track “Eye-Poppin'," a hyper-punk dance song that channels an aggressive, cheeky kind
Seventeen powers through rain-soaked finale, promises future together at ‘New_’ encore
INCHEON — Under flashes of lightning and pouring rain, Seventeen brought its seven-month world tour to an emotional close in Incheon, turning what could have been a disruption into one of the most memorable moments of the show. Held April 4-5 at
KickFlip turns flirting into full-blown concept with 'Eye-Poppin''
JYP Entertainment's seven-member boy group KickFlip returns Monday with its fourth mini-album "My First Kick" and lead single "Eye-Poppin'," once again fully leaning into the group's bright, boyish energy. The comeback follows last September's "My First Flip," which playfully captured the rush of first love, and marked the group's career high with more than 400,000 copies sold in its first week. This time, KickFlip turns the page to its twenties, framing the new release as both a prologue and a first leap into youth. Just hours ahead of the Monday release, the group met reporters at YES24 Live Hall in Seoul's Gwangjin District, greeting the press with the same loud enthusiasm that has defined the group since its debut. Amaru, who halted activities last September due to health reasons, did not attend. "Through variety shows, a lot of people have come to know us," Juwang said. "But we really want to show that we're also a strong performance group." Minje pointed to the team's chemistry as the foundation of that strength. "Our performances come from how close we are as members," he said. "I
Seventeen stuns fans with full-group contract renewal at encore concert finale
Seventeen said all 13 members have agreed to renew their contracts, in a surprise announcement that electrified fans on the closing night of the group’s world tour. The K-pop group made the announcement during a concert Sunday, capping a seven-month global tour that drew more than 900,000 fans to 31 shows in 14 cities, both in person and online. The group said it would continue forward “on the same boat, rowing together,” confirming plans for a second contract renewal with Pledis Entertainment. The crowd erupted as the long-anticipated commitment became official. The group said their decision was driven by their fandom, CARAT. “We want to say we love you to everyone. We will return as 13 members soon, so please wait a little longer,” the members said. They said they would remain active through unit and solo projects. The concert reached a peak as rain poured down near the finale, but the group continued performing, delivering impromptu renditions of songs, drawing an emotional response from fans. The set list also expanded to include hits and high-energy tracks combined with live
Watch: AND2BLE Launches Official Social Media Accounts With New Debut Teaser
YH Entertainment’s upcoming boy group AND2BLE is now on social media! On April 6 at midnight KST, YH Entertainment released an official logo motion teaser for AND2BLE, their new five-member boy group consisting of former ZEROBASEONE members Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyu Vin, and Han Yu Jin, along with former EVNNE member Yoo Seung Eon.…
NCT's Ten leaves SM Entertainment, maintains group ties
Ten, a member of K-pop boy group NCT, has parted ways with SM Entertainment after his contract expired Wednesday. SM said both parties decided not to renew the contract following in-depth discussions with the artist about his career path. The agency said it plans to coordinate with Ten so he can continue participating in activities with NCT and one of its subunits, WayV. Ten addressed fans in a message released Monday following the announcement. “Since debuting with NCT U in 2016, the time I was able to meet you through NCT and WayV has been filled with truly precious and happy memories in my life,” Ten said. He said the decision followed personal reflection as he approached a new stage in his life. “As time passed and I reached the point of turning 30, I found myself asking new questions about who I am,” he said. “After much thought, I felt a desire to take on new challenges in a new environment.” Ten said he reached his decision after extensive discussions with those around him. “After many conversations and deep consideration with the members and SM staff, I decided to conc
BTS tops Billboard albums chart for 2nd week with 'ARIRANG,' a first in K-pop
BTS became the first K-pop act to top the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart for two consecutive weeks, Billboard said Sunday (local time). The group's fifth studio album, "ARIRANG," stayed at No. 1 for a second week, ahead of "Bully" from Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Melanie Martinez's "Hades." No other K-pop act had previously led the chart for two weeks in a row. The original soundtrack of the animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" earlier reached the top spot on a non-consecutive basis. The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the United States, measured by equivalent album units, comprising physical album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). "Arirang" ruled the chart this week, earning 187,000 equivalent album units in the week ending April 2, down 71 percent from the album's opening week of 641,000 units, the biggest week of 2026 thus far. Of that sum, 114,000 came from physical and digital album sales, while SEA units accounted for 65,000 and TEA units made up the remainder. Released March 20, "Arirang" explores the identity of B
ZEROBASEONE Unveils New Profile Photos As 5-Member Group
ZEROBASEONE has kicked off a new era with a fresh batch of profile photos! On April 6 at midnight KST, ZEROBASEONE released a new set of profile photos to signal the start of their second chapter as a five-member group. Although WAKEONE has not yet announced a comeback date, numerous industry insiders have suggested that…
Ex-NCT Mark leaves message before quitting fan platform
Mark, formerly of NCT, had a brief chat with fans Monday on a fan communication platform before closing his account. “I wanted to tell you in person before but it was not something I could act on based on my personal feelings … everyone must have been quite surprised,” he said. The idol apologized and expressed thanks, but told fans he would be back soon, trailed by a crying emoji. SM Entertainment made the announcement Friday that Mark will leave NCT and the management company effective April 8
3 fans injured after safety fence collapses at Super Junior concert in Seoul
Three spectators were injured after a safety fence collapsed during a Super Junior concert in Seoul on Sunday, prompting an apology from SM Entertainment, the group's agency. The accident occurred during the last of three Seoul concerts held by the K-pop group at the KSPO Dome when member Ryeowook approached the audience while performing an encore song, according to the agency. Fans surged forward, causing the fence in the seating area to give way. The concert was part of the group's "Super Show 10" world tour to mark its 20th anniversary since debut. SM Entertainment said the injured fans were immediately taken to hospital and treated for sprains and bruises, with doctors recommending two weeks of rest. "We deeply apologize to those affected and their families," the company said in a statement. "As the organizer, we take full responsibility and will ensure thorough safety checks to prevent similar accidents in the future."
BTS tops Billboard albums chart for 2nd week with 'Arirang,' a first in K-pop
BTS became the first K-pop act to top the US Billboard 200 albums chart for two consecutive weeks, Billboard said Sunday (local time). The group's fifth studio album, "Arirang," stayed at No. 1 for a second week, ahead of "Bully" from Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Melanie Martinez's "Hades." No other K-pop act had previously led the chart for two weeks in a row. The original soundtrack of the animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" earlier reached the top spot on a non-consecutive basis. The Billboard
Watch: NEXZ Reveals Comeback Date With “Mmchk” Trailer
JYP Entertainment’s global boy group NEXZ is gearing up for their return! On April 6, a trailer was unveiled for the group’s comeback with “Mmchk.” “Mmchk” is set to be released on April 27 at 6 p.m. KST. Check out the trailer below:
Han Sun Hwa Transforms Into A Passionate Student Teacher In New Comedy Horror Film Poster
Upcoming film “Teaching Intership” (literal translation) has unveiled its first poster! “Teaching Intership” is a high-school comedy horror about Eun Gyeong (Han Sun Hwa), a passionate Gen Z student teacher who administers a deadly mock exam against the ghost of the college entrance test, along with a group of girls in a black magic club.…
Ten To Leave SM Entertainment + Remain With NCT And WayV
NCT’s Ten is leaving SM Entertainment. On April 6, it was announced that Ten’s contract with SM will conclude on April 8. However, he will continue participating in WayV and NCT activities when possible. Read the full notice below: Hello, this is SM Entertainment.We would like to begin by expressing our sincere gratitude to everyone…
Lee Chae Yeon Announces April Comeback Under New Agency
Lee Chae Yeon is gearing up for her first comeback under her new agency! Back in December, after parting ways with WM Entertainment, Lee Chae Yeon signed with entertainment company DOD (DayOneDream), which is the parent company to subsidiary BTOB Company. On April 6, DOD announced, “Lee Chae Yeon is confirmed to make a comeback…
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Billlie To Make May Comeback With 1st Full Album
Get ready: Billlie is coming back with a full-length album in May! On April 6, Billlie’s agency announced that the group would be returning next month with their first-ever full-length album, “the collective soul and unconscious: chapter two.” Notably, the upcoming album is a continuation of Billlie’s 2022 mini album “the collective soul and unconscious:…
ENHYPEN’s “THE SIN : VANISH” Spends 10th Week On Billboard 200 + Remains In Top 10 Of Album Sales Chart
ENHYPEN’s latest mini album is a stable hit on the Billboard 200! Back in January, ENHYPEN’s “THE SIN : VANISH” debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart, tying the group’s personal record for their highest-ranking album to date. Over two months later, “THE SIN : VANISH” is now spending its 10th consecutive…
P1Harmony, ENHYPEN, BTS, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, IVE, NewJeans, And CORTIS Claim Top Spots On Billboard World Albums Chart
Billboard has published its World Albums chart for the week ending on April 4! P1Harmony’s new mini album “UNIQUE” spent a second consecutive week at No. 1 on the World Albums chart, in addition to becoming the group’s first album to spend more than one week in the top 150 of the Billboard 200. Once…
Girl group Billlie is poised to release its first studio album in May, according to Mystic Story on Monday. “The Collective Soul and Unconscious: Chapter Two” is a follow-up effort to second EP “The Collective Soul and Unconscious: Chapter One,” which included the hit song “GingaMingaYo.” The seven-piece girl group dropped the single “Cloud Palace — False Awakening” ahead of the album release in January. In November last year, attendees at a fan meeting event got a first listen of the song. The
Lee Seung Gi Terminates Contract With Big Planet Made
Lee Seung Gi has parted ways with his agency Big Planet Made Entertainment. On April 6, Lee Seung Gi’s legal representative released the following official statement: Hello, this is attorney Yoon Yong Seok of Hyunmyung Law Office representing Lee Seung Gi. On behalf of Lee Seung Gi (hereinafter, the “Artist”), we would like to state…
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Watch: MAMAMOO’s Hwasa And DAY6’s Young K Will Do Anything To Win In “Running Man” Preview
Get ready for a fun episode of “Running Man” featuring MAMAMOO’s Hwasa and DAY6’s Young K! On April 5, the popular SBS variety show aired a sneak peek of its next episode, which will feature the two singers as guests. As the upcoming episode will have a betting theme, the preview begins with the “Running…
DAY6’s Wonpil More Than Quadruples His 1st-Week Sales Record With “Unpiltered”
DAY6’s Wonpil is soaring to new heights with his first solo comeback! Last week, Wonpil made his long-awaited solo return with his first mini album “Unpiltered” on March 30. By the end of the day, the EP had already sold over 60,000 copies, nearly doubling Wonpil’s previous first-week sales record of 32,167 (set by his…
STELLAR’s Minhee Announces Marriage With Beautiful Photos
STELLAR’s Minhee is getting married! On April 4, Minhee took to Instagram to reveal that she was engaged and preparing for her wedding. Posting several photos of herself in her wedding gown, Minhee wrote, “Yes… I’m getting married too…” Tagging the post “#WeddingPreparations,” Minhee went on to share that the photos were from “the endlessly…
BTS Makes History As “ARIRANG” Spends 2nd Week At No. 1 On Billboard 200
BTS’s new album “ARIRANG” has just achieved a historic feat on the Billboard 200! On April 5 local time, Billboard announced that “ARIRANG,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last week after achieving the biggest week of any album by a Korean artist to date, was now spending its second week at…
SM Apologizes For Accident That Left 3 Fans Injured At Super Junior Concert
SM Entertainment has released a formal statement and apology for an accident that occurred at Super Junior’s concert. On April 5, Super Junior held the third night of their encore concert “SUPER SHOW 10: SJ-CORE” at Seoul’s KSPO Dome. During the concert, safety fences installed next to the audience area unexpectedly collapsed, which led to…
What’s driving the recent wave of K-pop idol departures
A recent wave of departures by popular idols — from Heeseung of Enhypen to Mark and Ten of NCT — has surprised fans, with multiple members leaving their groups within a single month. Industry insiders, however, say such moves are not unusual, particularly among idols in the later stages of their careers. They point to a combination of artistic ambition, contract cycles and the growing financial independence enabled by social media. Heeseung announced on March 10 that he would leave Enhypen and t
Ten of NCT and WayV has ended his exclusive contract with SM Entertainment as of Monday, the agency confirmed. “After in-depth discussions with Ten regarding his future activities, we have agreed to conclude his exclusive contract as of April 8,” SM Entertainment said in a statement. “We will continue to coordinate so that Ten can participate in WayV and NCT group activities in the future.” The Thai idol’s future participation in NCT and WayV activities are expected to be arranged on a case-by-c
T.O.P's first solo full-length album reaffirmed his strength across music charts and platforms. His LP “Another Dimension,” released April 3, generated approximately 1.47 million streams on Spotify on the day of release, the most for an album released this year from a K-pop solo artist. It is the first K-pop solo album this year to surpass 1 million streams on the platform. The 11-track set topped the iTunes Top Albums Chart in 15 regions, ranking No. 3 on iTunes Albums Chart Worldwide and hitti
BTS’ ‘Arirang’ tops Billboard 200 for second consecutive week, a K-pop first
BTS’ fifth album has topped the Billboard 200 albums chart for the second consecutive week, becoming the first K-pop album to achieve the feat. According to a chart preview released by Billboard on Sunday, “Arirang” remained at No. 1 on the main albums chart, surpassing new releases including Ye’s “Bully,” which debuted at No. 2, and Melanie Martinez’s “Hades” at No. 3. BTS’ latest achievement marks the group’s seventh No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. The Billboard 200 ranks albums based on a c
All 13 members of Seventeen chose to stay with the group, renewing their contracts with Pledis Entertainment for the second time. Leader S. Coups broke the news Sunday in Incheon at the final encore concert for Seventeen's “New_” tour. He said the members had come to the decision after a long and deep discussion, and hoped to “row hard forward together on the same ship.” S. Coups, on stage with only eight other members, added that “It would have been even better if Hoshi and Woozi were here, too
3 injured after safety fence collapses at Super Junior concert in Seoul
Three spectators were injured after a safety fence collapsed during a Super Junior concert in Seoul on Sunday, prompting an apology from SM Entertainment, the group's agency. The accident occurred during the last of three Seoul concerts held by the K-pop group at the KSPO Dome when member Ryeowook approached the audience while performing an encore song, according to the agency. Fans surged forward, causing the fence in the seating area to give way. The concert was part of the group's "Super Show 10" world tour to mark its 20th anniversary since debut. SM Entertainment said the injured fans were immediately taken to hospital and treated for sprains and bruises, with doctors recommending two weeks of rest. "We deeply apologize to those affected and their families," the company said in a statement. "As the organizer, we take full responsibility and will ensure thorough safety checks to prevent similar accidents in the future."
3 injured after safety fence collapses at Super Junior concert in Seoul
Three spectators were injured after a safety fence collapsed during a Super Junior concert in Seoul on Sunday, prompting an apology from SM Entertainment, the group's agency. The accident occurred during the last of three Seoul concerts held by the K-pop group at the KSPO Dome when member Ryeowook approached the audience while performing an encore song, according to the agency. Fans surged forward, causing the fence in the seating area to give way. The concert was part of the group's "Super Show
Watch: IU And Byeon Woo Seok Push For Their Contract Marriage Despite Noh Sang Hyun And Gong Seung Yeon’s Opposition In “Perfect Crown” Teaser
MBC’s upcoming Friday–Saturday drama “Perfect Crown” has released a highlight video ahead of its premiere! Set in an alternate universe where modern-day Korea is a constitutional monarchy, “Perfect Crown” tells the love story of Seong Hui Ju (IU), a chaebol heiress who has everything but is only a commoner in status, and Grand Prince Ian…
Watch: 82MAJOR Announces April Comeback Date With Teaser Asking “What’s The Fuss?”
Mark your calendars for 82MAJOR’s return! On April 5, 82MAJOR officially announced the date for their upcoming comeback later this month. In addition to revealing that they will be returning on April 28 at 6 p.m. KST, 82MAJOR released a teaser video for their comeback entitled “What’s the fuss?” Check out 82MAJOR’s new teaser below!
