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BOYNEXTDOOR returned this week with their fourth EP, No Genre, and they’re back to “breaking out of the mold.”
The six-member K-pop boy band — SUNGHO, RIWOO, JAEHYUN, TAESAN, LEEHAN and WOONHAK — debuted in 2023 and has always prioritized being hands-on with their work. This time around, JAEHYUN, TAESAN and WOONHAK are all credited throughout the EP’s track list as songwriters. Following the release of “If I Say, I Love You” in January, the full seven-track No Genre project arrived on Tuesday (May 13) in South Korea along with lead single “I Feel Good” and its music video.
Billboard caught up with the group during release week to talk about the just-released project, working on their music, and what to expect from their debut performance at Lollapalooza, going down July 31-Aug. 3 at Chicago’s Grant Park. Check out our conversation below, and stick with @Billboard socials for more from the septet coming throughout this summer.
What does the title of your fourth EP, No Genre, mean to you?
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LEEHAN: To us, “No Genre” means breaking out of the mold. We’re a group that genuinely loves all kinds of music, and rather than confining ourselves to a single style, we wanted this album to reflect our openness and freedom. By being directly involved in the creative process, we were able to tell fresher and more exciting stories in our own way.
Why is it important to BOYNEXTDOOR to have the group members so involved in writing and producing your music?
TAESAN: It allows us to fully express what we want to say through our music. Writing and producing our own songs lets us tell our own stories in a way that feels real and personal.
WOONHAK: We believe our music is only complete when it reflects our own emotions and real-life experiences. By taking part in the songwriting process, we’re able to deliver honest and relatable stories in our own voice. I feel like that’s what makes our songs feel instinctive and unfiltered.
What are you planning for your first performance at Lollapalooza later this summer?
JAEHYUN: We’re working hard to make our stage feel more interactive and alive. We’ve been studying English to better communicate with the audience, and we’re also trying out new ideas to make our performance even more engaging.
RIWOO: Since Lollapalooza brings together a wide audience of people who love music and the festival experience, we’re preparing a performance that anyone can enjoy.
What did you learn from your KCON LA performances last year that you’ll bring to your Lollapalooza set?
SUNGHO: At KCON LA, we learned how important it is to create a stage where everyone feels like part of the moment. For Lollapalooza, we want to bring that same energy, where everyone can let loose and have fun with us. Since it’s our first time at Lollapalooza, we want to leave a strong impression and make sure people remember the name BOYNEXTDOOR.
The tracklist for SEVENTEEN‘s fifth studio album has arrived, and the surprises it features will have fans bursting with excitement.
As revealed Tuesday (May 13) in a video posted to the band’s social media accounts, Happy Burstday will feature a total of 16 tracks — 13 of which are solo songs, one for each member. Displayed in the clip on stickers pasted all over the inside of a silver phone booth, THE 8’s solo track is titled “Skyfall,” JOSHUA’s is titled “Fortunate Change,” WONWOO’s is titled “99.9%,” SEUNGKWAN’s is titled “Raindrops,” HOSHI’s is titled “Damage,” MINGYU’s is titled “Shake It Off,” DK’s is titled “Happy Virus,” Vernon’s is titled “Shining Star,” DINO’s is titled “Trigger” and S.COUPS’ is titled “Jungle.”
The remaining three solo tracks are stylized in Korean. WOOZI’s translates to “Fate,” JUN’s translates to “Gemini,” and JEONGHAN translates to “Chance,” according to Google Translate.
In addition to letting each of the 13 bandmates shine individually, Happy Burstday will also include three full-group songs. Listed as the first three tracks in the tracklist, the full-band songs are called “HBD,” “Thunder” and “Bad Influence.”
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But that’s not all. The album will also feature collaborations with two titans of the music industry, with Pharrell Williams producing “Bad Influence” and HOSHI joining forces with Timbaland on solo track “Damage.”
The tracklist reveal comes a few weeks after SEVENTEEN announced that Happy Burstday would be arriving May 26, following 2022’s Face the Sun. The latter LP reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200. The boy band has also released three mini albums in the past three years: FML, Seventeenth Heaven and Spill the Feels, which reached Nos. 2, 2 and 5 on the chart, respectively.
Happy Burstday will arrive right in time for SEVENTEEN’s 10th anniversary, which the group plans to celebrate with a performance on Jamsugyo Bridge in Seoul the day before the new album drops.
Watch SEVENTEEN’s tracklist unveiling below.
The lineup for this year’s KCON LA just got even more robust, with aespa, NCT 127 and several more star K-pop acts joining the list of previously confirmed performers in a second wave of lineup announcements unveiled Monday (May 12).
In addition to the “Whiplash” girl group and the NCT subunit, RIIZE, KISS OF LIFE, MEOVV, NOWADAYS, MONSTA X, KEY, HWASA and YUQI have also been added to the 2025 lineup. The festival also revealed that CHOIHOJUNG, who won Mnet’s dance competition series STAGE FIGHTER, will perform too.
The news comes a couple of weeks after the Los Angeles iteration of the global KCON enterprise revealed the first set of names headed to Crypto.com Arena this year. Among them were CRAVITY, SEVENTEEN subunit HxW, IS:SUE, IVE, izna, JO1, LEE YOUNGJI, NMIXX, P1Harmony, Roy Kim and ZEROBASEONE.
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KCON LA will take place Aug. 1-3 at the downtown L.A. venue, featuring multiple stages such as ARTIST STAGE, MEET & GREET, X STAGE and M COUNTDOWN. The 2025 theme is “KLOVER’S CLUB FAIR,” taking inspiration from the lucky symbolism of four-leaf clovers.
In addition to musical performances and opportunities to see their favorite K-pop artists up close, attendees of the festival will also get to experience different facets of Korean culture through different activities and stations dedicated to fashion, beauty and food.
“This year, [organizer] CJ ENM plans for a more immersive KCON LA 2025, expanding both on-site and digital experiences,” reads a release, which adds that the festival was “designed to help fans connect directly with their favorite idols, discover emerging acts on X STAGE, and join dance and participation programs designed just for them.”
The L.A. installment of KCON is just one of several that take place each year. Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, United Arab Emirates, France, Mexico, Australia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia have also hosted iterations since the inaugural festival kicked 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 virtually.
We caught up with KATSEYE at Wango Tango and they shared their reaction to the public’s response to “GNARLY,” teasing new music coming soon, handling fame and more.
What do you think of “GNARLY”? Let us know in the comments!
Tetris Kelly:
Hanging out with KATSEYE at Wango Tango. How are you doing, ladies?
KATSEYE:
I’m good!
All right, you know what I gotta start talking about right now: “GNARLY.” I mean, you guys, I feel like you did something. You got the Internet a little bit shook right now. So how was it to put the song out and see everything that happened once it was out in the world?
It was definitely a gag for everybody. And this is like what we felt the moment that we first heard the song. So we were so happy when we saw everybody’s reactions, especially after our first performance. We just got back from Korea doing all this promotion. So we’re excited because today is our first performance here in the U.S. So we’re here to gag.
Yeah, no. And, I mean, that’s what it did. Because I love seeing people, like, watch the performance and be like, Oh, the girls that get it, clearly get it, you know what I mean? So how was it just like, get the choreography and see that that was what changed everybody’s opinion about the song.
I mean, it looks amazing.
She’s like the choreography is good. She’s like gang, gang, gang.
No, literally, like we’re shaking ass. We’re having fun. And I feel like the crowd really, like, just saw us being confident and selling it. And so we’re just super excited. And we 100% stand behind the song. We love it, and we mostly love performing it. So we’re really excited.
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To celebrate 30 years of steering the Korean entertainment sphere, SM Entertainment hit Los Angeles with its star-studded SMTOWN Live 2025 concert. Boasting 68 individual artists, representing 13 different groups, all on one sprawling stage at the Dignity Health Sports Park, the showcase brought out a range of K-pop talent that showcases SM’s expansive impact […]
Host Drew Afualo gives flowers to Billboard‘s Women in Music 2025 presenters and honorees, including aespa, Ángela Aguilar, Doechii and more. She also asks them who they give their flowers to, shares fun facts, and so much more!
Who do you give your flowers to? Let us know in the comments below!
Drew Afualo:
Hey y’all it’s Drew Afualo and I am back, yet again, hosting, but this time for 2025 Billboard Women in Music Awards and we are backstage. I am inside the belly of the beast team. Here I’m talking to all of the award winners, the presenters, the performers, everyone and anyone and I’m going to be falling in love with many tonight, and I will catch you in a little. Bye! Here we are again, backstage with the iconic, the legendary Ángela Aguilar. Honored to have you, queen. How are you feeling tonight?
Ángela Aguilar:
I’m so happy. No more nerves. Tequila hit and the speech was good. I feel good.
Period. I could hear the mariachis in the air.
I know!
Stunning and gorgeous. And when they walked out, I said, ‘Period, period, period,’ as they were walking past. ‘Yes, thank you. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Work, it, work, it.’ Love that. I think you’re stunning and amazing. So actually, first I want to ask you, how does it feel celebrating other women in music tonight?
It feels amazing. You know, I’m very happy to be here, because my mom has always been behind the scenes, and she was always my momager, she was like, helping me since I was very little with like my dress and stuff,
That’s cute.
And they’re honoring her tonight as well.
Oh my gosh, how amazing.
The first awards ceremony that they honor me and my mom, and she deserves it more than I do.
Oh my gosh, that’s so sweet and amazing. What a milestone. Incredible. So for some fun things, I actually am going to give you some flowers tonight.
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Drew Afualo gives aespa their flowers, and they share advice to young women who are pursuing music at Billboard Women in Music 2025. Drew Afualo: Hey everyone, welcome back to Billboard Women in Music backstage. I’m with the iconic, legendary, the stunning and gorgeous aespa. Real quick question: How does it feel to be here […]
SB19 released their newest EP ‘Simula at Wakas,’ and the group is getting ready to head on tour. They sit down and share the creative process behind the “DAM” music video, Filipino karaoke traditions, what they wanted to achieve with this EP, what they’re most excited for going on tour and more! Will you be […]
Jackson Wang shares what fans can expect with MAGIC MAN 2, the creative process behind “GBAD,” his collaboration with Ciara at Coachella, and working with Pharrell on Joopiter. He also hints at upcoming projects with Pharrell’s Billionaire Boys Club (BBC), teases a tour for MAGIC MAN 2, and more!
Are you excited for MAGIC MAN 2? Let us know in the comments!
Tetris Kelly:
Jackson, Tetris with Billboard News ready to get in conversation with Jackson Wang, what’s up man? Thanks for coming.
Jackson Wang:
Hey, thank you for having me.
Of course, you got a lot going on, my friend. So we’re gonna start with the music. Of course. MAGIC MAN 2 you’ve been teasing. You’ve been telling everybody about it, but MAGIC MAN, the first one, debuted at 15 on our Billboard 200 charts.
Thank you. Thank you. Please make me top five.
There you go. See he’s already said what he wants. What made you decide you want to follow up the 2022 project with a second version of MAGIC MAN?
I’ve been working on stop for over 11 years, and I was just like, hey, I need to recharge. I need to refresh and be inspired again. So I took a year off, and I was like, hey, you know what? I haven’t actually made a song for myself. You know, when I was in my youth, I’ve always, you know, wrote songs or produced songs, trying to show everyone, hey, I can do this, I can dance, I can sing, I can perform. But what about me? What do I want to say as a person? So I took that year off and I just started writing diaries and converted them into music.
What was something during that year that you felt like when you look back like you’re like, I’m so happy I took this year off because I had this moment.
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The race to ROSÉ‘s new song is over, with the BLACKPINK star unveiling “Messy” for the F1 soundtrack, along with an accompanying music video, on Thursday (May 8).
In the sleek visual, the New Zealand-born performer walks through various nighttime cityscapes, strutting down a glistening street past a crowd of people and leaning over the terrace of a high-rise building in between shots of footage from the F1 movie. “Baby, let’s get messy, let’s get all the way undone/ Come over and chase me like I’ve never been touched,” she belts over piano and anthemic percussion, sitting on the floor of a blue-lit room as confetti rains down on her. “Baby, I’m obsessed with you, and there’s no replica/ If it’s messy, then you know it’s really love.”
“Messy” is just one of several songs that will appear on the F1 soundtrack, which Atlantic Records announced May 1. Similarly, ROSÉ is only one of many A-list stars who contributed to the project, with Ed Sheeran, Tate McRae, RAYE, Burna Boy, Roddy Rich, Dom Dolla, Chris Stapleton, Tiësto, Sexyy Red, Myke Towers, Madison Beer, Peggy Gou and more musicians also lending their talents to the album.
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Don Toliver and Doja Cat also released a single for F1, “Lose My Mind,” in late April.
Starring Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem and Damson Idris, the Joseph Kosinski-directed film will hit theaters June 27, the same day its full soundtrack drops.
For ROSÉ, “Messy” marks her first release since her debut solo album, Rosie, arrived in December and reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. The LP featured smash hit “APT.” featuring Bruno Mars, which spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200.
The K-pop star is now gearing up to reunite with her BLACKPINK bandmates for the first time since their Born Pink trek concluded in 2023, with ROSÉ teasing back in February that they had new music in the works around the same time the girl group announced that a world tour was slated for this summer. Three of the members — ROSÉ, JENNIE and LISA — were in attendance at the 2025 Met Gala in New York City Monday (May 5).
Watch ROSÉ’s “Messy” music video below.