K-Pop
ARMY, K-pop Fans Become an Unexpected Ally to American Protesters
As American protesters took to the streets to mourn the death of George Floyd, they found an unexpected ally: K-pop fans. Floyd died May 25 after a police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving. K-pop fans galvanized by police brutality and political disappointments swiftly mobilized, re-purposing their usual platforms and hashtags from boosting their favorite stars to backing the Black Lives Matter movement. They flooded right-wing hashtags and police apps with short video clips and memes of their K-pop stars. In a tweet Thursday to its 26 million fans, South Korean boy band BTS said it opposes racial discrimination and violence and announced a $1 million donation to Black Lives Matter. Fans quickly followed suit with the hashtag #MatchAMil...
BTS Headline “Dear Class of 2020” Post-Graduation Party: Watch
To close out the Obamas’ “Dear Class of 2020” virtual graduation ceremony, BTS and Megan Thee Stallion headlined a post-graduation party. BTS kicked off their mini-set with a high-energy, choreographed version of “Boy With Luv”. They then sat on stools for a soothing version of “Spring Day”, before closing out their performance with “Mikrokosmos”. Earlier on in the event, BTS gave a poignant commencement speech during which he member of the K-pop shared their own memories from graduation day. [embedded content] Meagan Thee Stallion delivered a medley of hits, including “Big Ole Freak”, “Hot Girl Summer”, “Captain Hook”, “Cash Shit”, and “Savage (Remix)”. [embedded content] The five-hour, festival-style event also featured performances from Katy Perry and Malmua. Perry sang her new sin...
BTS Donate $1 Million to Black Lives Matter
BTS aren’t just talking the talk; they’re walking the walk. Days after issuing a public statement in support of Black Lives Matter, the influential K-pop group has now pledged $1 million to the organization. In a statement to Variety, Black Lives Matter confirmed the donation: “Black people all over the world are in pain at this moment from the trauma of centuries of oppression. We are moved by the generosity of BTS and allies all over the world who stand in solidarity in the fight for Black lives.” In a tweet written in Korean and English earlier this week, BTS expressed their solidarity for the movement. “We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together. #BlackLivesMatter.” Along with BTS’...
Lady Gaga and BLACKPINK Drop Collaborative Single “Sour Candy”: Stream
Lady Gaga will drop Chromatica tonight at midnight, and yet the blockbuster star continues to rain singles on us. This morning, she’s unveiled her collaboration with BLACKPINK: “Sour Candy”. Stream it below via YouTube. The South Korean girl group truly takes over the track, allowing Gaga to slink her way in and out. Similar to lead single “Stupid Love” and her Ariana Grande collaboration “Rain on Me”, “Sour Candy” is another banger from the Oscar winner, proving Chromatica will bring the party to our pandemic. As the song suggests, take a bite, take a bite below. Editors’ Picks After a minor delay, Gaga’s fifth album Chromatica arrives tonight at midnight on May 29th. Sir Elton John is also expected to appear on the Joanne follow-up, which is said to be “a return” to Gaga’s dan...
Big Hit Entertainment, Home to BTS, Strikes Deal With Seventeen Label PLEDIS
Expanding its strategy to build a multi-label structure, Big Hit is now the largest shareholder of PLEDIS Entertainment. South Korea-based powerhouse Big Hit Entertainment has become the largest shareholder of record label PLEDIS Entertainment, home to K-pop superstars Seventeen and NU’EST, it was announced Monday. Under the terms of the deal, PLEDIS will retain its independence as a label, though its artists will now receive support from Big Hit’s business entities and support organizations to expand their reach into overseas markets — similar to the way Big Hit turned boy band BTS into a top-charting phenomenon across the globe. The PLEDIS deal is the latest move in Big Hit’s strategy to expand its multi-label structure following the company’s acquisition of Source Music last ...
Big Hit Entertainment Global CEO Lenzo Yoon Talks New Role, ‘Localizing’ In the U.S. & Growing Artist Roster
“Any new service that Big Hit will present all starts from our business philosophy of ‘What content will fans enjoy the most?'” A decade into his tenure at Big Hit Entertainment, Lenzo Yoon is gearing up for some big moves — both in the company and in his personal life. One of the biggest takeaways of last week’s executive changeups at Big Hit Entertainment — the South Korean label home to the record-breaking BTS, Tomorrow X Together and GFriend — came in co-CEO Lenzo Yoon’s expanding his role to Global CEO and soon leading from the United States. The move not only pointed to a more global outlook for the company (which had its biggest year ever with a record $500 million in revenue in 2019), but also that it was official...
Taeyeon Earns 15th Top 10 on World Digital Song Sales With ‘Happy’
The powerhouse vocalist has earned more than 30 top 10 hits as a soloist and in a group. We hope this week’s chart news can make Taeyeon a bit more “Happy.” The K-pop superstar returns to Billboard‘s World Digital Song Sales chart with “Happy” entering at No. 9 this week. The nostalgic R&B-pop track sold 1,000 downloads in the week ending May 8, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. The No. 9 debut for “Happy” marks Taeyeon’s 15th top 10 entry on World Digital Song Sales to date. Since making her first solo appearance in 2014 with the song “Breath,” sung alongside fellow K-pop singer Jonghyun, Taeyeon has been a consistent chart force. The star earned her highest-charting single in early 2016 with “Rain” ...
ASTRO Break Down ‘Gateway’ EP That Is ‘Reintroducing’ the Emerging K-Pop Boy Band
ASTRO returns to the Emerging Artists chart this week with big gains on YouTube and Twitter. Following a busy 2019 that included two album releases and their first-ever U.S. tour, ASTRO is looking to reintroduce themselves with a new EP that looks to transcend their past. Following the release of the K-pop boy band’s Gateway — that ties in everything from surging pop on standouts “Knock” and “Lights On” to playful hip-hop for “When You Call My Name” — ASTRO sees gains across the board to mark a return to Billboard‘s Emerging Artists chart. At No. 49 this week, ASTRO’s re-entry to Emerging Artists can be mostly attributed to their social media presence. Upon the release of Gateway, the sextet gained 75,000 new YouTu...
