genre kpop
KATSEYE dropped their new single “Gnarly,” and they ate and left no crumbs with the new choreography for the song. Keep watching for all the details on KATSEYE’s new song! What do you think of “Gnarly”? Let us know in the comments below! Tetris Kelly: Gang gang! The girls are back, and we’re giving you […]
After spending 18 months in the South Korean military, J-Hope says he is a very different person now that he’s back on the streets as a civilian.
In an interview with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe, the BTS star opened up about his time serving his county leading up to the day he was discharged in October. J-Hope is only the second member of the boy band to finish his enlistment, following Jin; RM, Suga, V, Jimin and Jung Kook will return home from the military this June.
“I think it’s only natural for young people in South Korea to take on this responsibility,” the “Chicken Noodle Soup” singer told Lowe. “I thought it was a very important part of J-Hope’s or Jung Ho-seok’s life. After all, I am a proud citizen of South Korea. I love my country. There are things that I cherish in this country.”
“It’s a different experience,” he continued. “Also, in reality, I’ve learned a different life. And in many ways, I got to meet people from all walks of life and I received a lot of good energy. And I heard a lot of good things. But also, you know, a year and a half is actually not a very short time. That bit made me feel a lot of things. In the end, I think the most important thing was I realized how important the work I’ve been doing for all these years is incredibly meaningful to me.”
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J-Hope, who continued to release solo projects during his enlistment, added, “Even though I was in the service, I think there was a part of me who never really let go of my love for music.”
Their collective service to the military has meant that the members of BTS have been on a break for about two years, last releasing an album in 2020, when Be reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Like Jimin, all of the other Bangtan Boys have also worked on solo releases throughout the band’s time away.
The break will soon be over, however with J-Hope also teasing on Apple Music 1 that he and his bandmates plan to reunite pretty much as soon as possible. “We will quickly get together and talk about what BTS can do in the future,” he told Lowe. “I think it’s going to be a massive energy.”
Watch J-Hope’s full interview with Lowe below.
The first wave of acts locked in to perform at this year’s KCON Los Angeles has been announced.
As unveiled Monday (April 28), the 2025 performer lineup will feature, in alphabetical order: CRAVITY,SEVENTEEN subunit HxW, IS:SUE, IVE, izna, JO1, LEE YOUNGJI, NMIXX, P1Harmony, Roy Kim and ZEROBASEONE. Organizers of the three-day event are expected to announce several more batches of artists in later weeks.
Taking place Aug. 1-3 at Crypto.com Arena in L.A., 2025’s KCON LA will also have a theme: “KLOVER’S CLUB FAIR.” Drawing inspiration from lucky four-leaf clovers, the event will feature different stages and activities that cater specifically to K-pop fans while promising the good fortune of access to their favorite artists. And those who love Korean culture as a whole will have much to experience in addition to music, with stations focusing on fashion, beauty and food.
The L.A. installment of KCON is just one of many that take place annually around the world, with the festival also hosting iterations in Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, United Arab Emirates, France, Mexico, Australia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia since first kicking off in the United States in 2012. In 2024, KCON LA attracted more than 5.9 million fans from 170+ countries, both on-site and through virtual opportunities to join in.
The 2025 KCON LA will be extra special for the guys of P1Harmony, who will return this year after performing at last year’s festival as well. “It’s really a convention to show off Korean culture and what’s hot and upcoming in Korean culture, like K-beauty, music, food,” band leader Keeho told Billboard backstage at the 2024 event.
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He added at the time: “To be able to go there and just be part of that wave of representation, and showcase what’s new, I feel like it’s really really good to take part.”
The members of BTS are just as eager to reunite after their break as ARMY is to see it happen, according to J-Hope.
In a clip from his upcoming interview with Apple Music 1’s Zane Low, which Teen Vogue premiered Monday (April 28), the “Chicken Noodle Soup” singer shared an update on the boy band’s future with respect to RM, Suga, V, Jimin and Jung Kook approaching the end of their respective times in the South Korean military. “I look forward to June when our members will have completed their service,” J-Hope began, according to a close-captioned translation.
The star went on to reveal that the septet’s reunion will be speedy once the final five members finish their enlistments. “We will quickly get together and talk about what BTS can do in the future,” he told Lowe. “I think it’s going to be a massive energy.”
The interview comes a little over six months after J-Hope became the second member of BTS to be discharged from the military, after Jin. The bestselling band has been on break for about two years as they each completed their mandatory service periods, with all seven of the members releasing solo projects in the interim.
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“I think that over time, we each refined our unique identities as each of us work on their own music, come out with their solo projects and do their own thing,” J-Hope said on Apple Music 1. “The funny thing for me is when our identities, which have taken shape in various ways, come together as BTS.”
He added of their upcoming reunion: “I’m curious to see how it’ll look like.”
For J-Hope’s part, the South Korean singer has released multiple pieces of solo music since he began his now-complete military service in February 2023. In March of that year, he dropped single “On the Street” with J. Cole, about a year after which J-Hope unveiled EP HOPE ON THE STREET VOL. 1, reaching No. 5 on the Billboard 200.
BTS last released an album in 2020, with Be reaching No. 1 on the albums chart. The LP features smash hit “Dynamite,” which spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
A new collaboration between Maroon 5 and LISA is officially on the horizon.
On Saturday (April 25), the Adam Levine-fronted band confirmed on social media that they’re teaming up with the BLACKPINK star on a new song titled “Priceless.” While a release date has yet to be revealed, the song is already available for pre-save on Spotify and Apple Music.
“PRICELESS FT. LISA @lalalalisa_m PRE-SAVE NOW,” Maroon 5 captioned an Instagram clip featuring Levine and LISA having fun together during a photoshoot.
The band also shared a 15-second teaser on its Instagram Story of the track, showcasing Levine’s “Oooh” falsetto croon as LISA raps, “Yeah, talk is cheap boy stop it/ Got my love that’s a real big profit.”
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Levine also took to his personal Instagram account to share black-and-white photos that seem to be from an upcoming music video for “Priceless.” One shot features a clapperboard with the names of director Aerin Moreno and cinematographer Russ Fraser, while another image offers an aerial view of Levine and LISA resting against a balcony.
In the days leading up to the confirmation of “Priceless,” Maroon 5 teased the collab by posting an Instagram photo from behind of the lead singer and a mystery woman standing side by side, gazing out of a floor-to-ceiling window at a cityscape. Last week, LISA’s IG Story also featured a clip with audio, showing the K-pop star lying back while seemingly filming a music video.
The confirmation of “Priceless” comes a few weeks after Levine revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that Maroon 5 has a new album — the band’s first since 2021’s Jordi — arriving this summer. Without sharing any concrete details, the Voice coach also mentioned, “There’s a single coming at the end of the month-ish.”
While Maroon 5 gears up for a new album, LISA is wrapping up the rollout of her first-ever solo album, Alter Ego. Featuring collaborations with Rosalía, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, RAYE and more, the project debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and served as the foundation for much of LISA’s victorious Coachella sets on April 11 and 18.
TWS has released their third mini-album, TRY WITH US. The members of TWS — Shinyu, Dohoon, Youngjae, Hanjin, Jihoon and Kyungmin — embody the brave and adventurous spirit of youth stepping boldly into their twenties. The album title, TRY WITH US, symbolizes courageously embracing new and unexplored experiences. It showcases lively and refreshing sounds blended […]
A rare, celebratory moment of LGBTQ+ representation in the K-pop scene took place in Los Angeles on Tuesday night during the final stop of JUST B’s JUST ODD World Tour, when member Bain took a moment to speak to the crowd while performing a section of the concert solo.
“Before I start the next song, tonight I want to share something with you guys,” he told the audience at the Vermont Hollywood, pausing for a moment before declaring, “I’m f—ing proud to be part of the LGBT community,” with the announcement drawing massive cheers from concertgoers, according to on-the-ground footage.
“Shout-out to my queen Lady Gaga for showing me that being yourself is beautiful,” Bain continued through the supportive shouting. “To everyone out there who’s part of the LGBTQ+ or still figuring it out, this is for you guys. And also, this is for everyone. You’re seen, you’re loved, and you are born this way.” The 24-year-old then broke out into a remixed performance of Gaga’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit and LGBTQ+ anthem “Born This Way.” The star later posted those words on his personal Instagram account with footage from the night.
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Bain and his bandmates Geonu, Lim Jimin, Siwoo, DY and Sangwoo launched the U.S. leg of JUST B’s world tour earlier this month after kicking off in Tokyo in March. Over 10 American dates, the group performed singles like “Medusa,” “TICK TOCK” and “Damage,” with each member also performing solo stages in different cities. Bain’s sets paid homage to 2000s pop divas with covers of Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor,” the Pussycat Dolls’ “Buttons” and Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” and “Judas.”
In a final address to the crowd, Bain swam in even more supporting cheers from the audience and his group members.
“L.A., thank you so much,” he shared, per fan footage. “Today, it means a lot to me — I’m so happy that I can be myself,” before one of his bandmates followed up, saying, “We are happy too,” with another confirming with a supportive “Yeah!” Bain closed out by saying, “Until next time: stay bold, stay fierce, and lastly, always, always be your true self,” as his bandmates pushed him to take in the center-stage spotlight.
JUST B debuted on June 30, 2021, under the agency BLUEDOT Entertainment with their first EP, Just Burn, featuring Bang Yongguk of pioneering K-pop boy band B.A.P producing the lead single “Damage.” The sextet has released five EPs and multiple singles to date, including last year’s English pop-punk crossover cut “Daddy’s Girl,” with 2024 proving to be a major year of opportunities for JUST B.
In January 2024, Bain competed in the Korean singing competition Build Up : Vocal Boy Group Survivor, which saw top male vocalists battling for a spot in a new quartet. In September, JUST B formed a supergroup with fellow rising boy band ATBO called The CrewOne to compete on the popular boy-group series Road to Kingdom: Ace of Ace alongside other next-gen K-pop acts like CRAVITY, ONEUS and 8TURN. The CrewOne placed fifth in the finale, but not before Bain got to show off his vocal chops once again in a special performance of the “Vocal Aces,” where he sang alongside fellow powerhouses.
But while K-pop acts are increasingly courting global audiences, with JUST B earning 6 million on-demand official streams for their songs in the U.S. and 22.6 million for their songs globally to date, according to Luminate, Bain’s announcement has the chance to accelerate conversations about representation and acceptance in the industry — particularly given South Korean society’s traditionally conservative stance on LGBTQ issues.
The moment marks one of the very few times an active artist in the Korean pop scene has come out, with it being all the more rare to come from a boy band arguably at the peak of its career. While individual Korean artists like Holland and Mrshll have been open about their LGBTQ identities from the start of their careers — with former idols like Magolpy and Jiae of girl group WA$$UP opening up soon after their careers began — Bain’s disclosure on a major world-tour stage marks a new moment for queer visibility in K-pop.
Holland, Jiae and K-pop’s first LGBTQ boy band LIONESSES have spoken about facing discrimination and homophobia working in Korean entertainment due to their sexual identities, with the scene boasting a history of celebrities’ careers derailed for publicly coming out. One of the most notable examples came via actor Hong Seokcheon, who came out in an interview in 2000, just six years into his award-winning career, leading him to be fired from his television gigs and forced out of the entertainment business. Despite Korea’s still-conservative culture and society, Hong managed to return to entertainment in TV, hosting, and, eventually, acting with significant support from the younger generation. Today, Hong regularly appears on top Korean programming and features top artists on his own programs — most recently having Tomorrow X Together’s Yeonjun on his Treasure Box series.
While BLUEDOT Entertainment did not reply to Billboard‘s request for comment after Tuesday night’s show, the group’s official Instagram did share Bain’s post with a hashtag #ProudOfBain, proving how these few moments in East Hollywood have the potential to resonate and make change far further than the concert hall.
Tayme Thapthimthong and LISA are close both on and offscreen — but before the pair met for the first time to shoot White Lotus, the actor says he was “so nervous” to meet the BLACKPINK star.
While guesting on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Tuesday (April 22), Thapthimthong opened up about the first time he interacted with LISA, who played his love interest on season 3 of Mike White’s hit HBO/Max series. “It was amazing,” he began. “She was so nice, friendly, kind.”
“The first time I met her, I was so nervous,” Thapthimthong continued. “Before actually getting to know her, I knew her from my daughter. She was 4 at the time, I went to see her at her mom’s house, and she had BLACKPINK on YouTube … I really enjoyed it. I was like, ‘Oh damn, this is good. LISA, her rap — it was like, good flow.’”
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The Skin Trade star went on to say how the Thai rapper’s casting as Mook was one of the last to be revealed to the rest of the season’s actors, noting he only learned who would be playing his primary scene partner with just a month left to go before filming started — and only after he signed NDAs. After getting to know LISA, he says the “Rockstar” artist invited him and his daughter out to lunch.
“She’s got so much going on at the same time,” Thapthimthong told Hudson. “I never wanted to impose, but she was so kind. She even bought [my daughter] a little Labubu doll for her birthday. She still talks about it — but now she calls me Gaitok all the time. She doesn’t call me dad anymore.”
As for whether or not he would ever get in the studio with LISA, Thapthimthong — who also sings and showed off his chops for Hudson on the talk show — said he would “absolutely love” to work with the K-pop idol. “That would be really cool to do,” he added, doubling down on what he previously said about teaming up with his costar on music. (For a taste of what their potential future collab might sound like, check out the pair’s impromptu “No Diggity” duet.)
Watch Thamthimthong gush about LISA on The Jennifer Hudson Show above.
Coachella is officially wrapped for 2025, and we’re taking you through the highlights of everything that happened during weekend 2. From Tyla’s outfit inspo speculation to ENHYPEN revealing a new mini-album, keep watching for everything you missed! Stay tuned for our All Access Tour Stop with ENHYPEN dropping later today! What did you think of […]
TOMORROW X TOGETHER will drop their new digital single, “Love Language,” on May 2. The upcoming song from SOOBIN, YEONJUN, BEOMGYU, TAEHYUN and HUENINGKAI was announced on Weverse on Monday morning (April 21) along with a digital cover image featuring a padlock with the password “Love Language” dialed into it. Explore Explore See latest videos, […]