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Members of NewJeans have announced they are parting ways with their label ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE.
In a late-night press conference on Thursday (Nov. 28), the five-member K-pop group, which formed in 2022, revealed that they are severing ties with ADOR due to allegations that the label had violated their contract.
“Once we leave ADOR, we’ll aim to proceed freely with the activities that we really desire,” member Danielle said, according to Reuters. “We really wish to be able to release new music for Bunnies, next year, as soon as possible, whenever,” she added, referencing the group’s fanbase. “We really hope that we have the opportunity to meet you guys from all around the world.”
NewJeans also stated that, after their contract termination, they may no longer be able to use their group name going forward.
In response, ADOR maintained that its agreement with NewJeans “remains in full effect.” The label urged the group to continue collaborating on upcoming projects. “We respectfully request that the group continue its collaboration with ADOR,” the statement read, according to Reuters.
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NewJeans’ announcement comes amid a months-long management dispute between HYBE and ADOR’s former CEO, Min Hee-jin, who also serves as the group’s creative director. Earlier this year, HYBE accused Hee-jin of attempting to take the company independent, a claim he denied. During Thursday’s press conference, NewJeans expressed a desire to continue working with Hee-jin.
Earlier this month, NewJeans sent a legal notice to HYBE outlining a list of demands, including the reinstatement of Min Hee-jin as CEO of ADOR. The group warned that if their demands were not met, they would terminate their contract, according to CNBC. NewJeans was previously bound by a seven-year contract with ADOR, set to expire in 2029, Rolling Stone reports.
In October, NewJeans member Hanni tearfully testified before South Korea’s parliament, alleging she had experienced workplace harassment at the company. The Seoul Regional Office of Employment and Labor announced on Nov. 20 that it had closed its investigation, concluding that Hanni could not be considered an employee under the law.
BTS‘ Jin has cooked up a Thanksgiving treat for ARMY. The singer dropped a new version of his solo track “Falling” on Tuesday (Nov. 26), spicing the finger-snapping, whistle pop tune with some additional vocals from collaborator and ONE OK ROCK lead singer Taka. The B-side from Jin’s recently released debut solo album, Happy, finds […]
Gamma., Kakao Entertainment and SM Entertainment have formed a strategic global alliance to launch British boy band dearALICE, the companies jointly announced on Tuesday (Nov. 26). The pact will include global distribution in the U.S., U.K. and Korea/APAC, along with label services across A&R, production, marketing, promotion, brand sponsorships and global business development.
dearALICE’s formation was documented in the six-part BBC One series Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience, which was produced by Kakao, SM and British production company Moon&Back Media (The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent). The show followed the group’s five U.K. members — Blaise Noon, Dexter Greenwood, James Sharp, Oliver (Olly) Quinn and Reese Carter — as they embarked on a 100-day K-pop-style training regimen at SM. An original soundtrack album from the show was also released.
The parties came together in L.A. to finalize the agreement. Those in attendance included Larry Jackson, co-founder/CEO at gamma.; Joseph Chang, co-CEO at Kakao Entertainment and CEO at SM & Kakao Entertainment America; Jung Min Choi, chief growth officer at SM Entertainment; Kevin Nishimura, COO at SM & Kakao Entertainment; Ben Cook, president of UK & Europe at gamma.; Russ Lindsay, co-founder at Moon&Back Media; and all five dearALICE members.
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dearALICE is slated to release its official debut single by the end of this year.
“I have found that it is a superpower in life to embrace the truth of ‘I know what I don’t know.’ I have always been intrigued by the music and culture coming out of South Korea, and to now partner with Kakao Entertainment and SM Entertainment on dearALICE affords gamma. an opportunity to learn from THE BEST in that culture,” said Jackson in a statement. “We are already finding a special creative kinship with Joseph, Kevin and their teams. Our ideations are very much aligned albeit informed by different life experiences, from disparate corners of the globe.”
Jackson continued, “The cleverness of creating this show, it premiering on the BBC in the U.K., and bringing this extremely talented group to the world by way of it, was their idea, and we are thrilled to be a part of it. Kakao Entertainment and SM have always been purveyors of true, patient artist development in Korea, and I have deeply respected their approach from afar. Expect to hear a lot from dearALICE in 2025.”
“Our partnership with gamma. represents an exciting step in our ongoing strategy for the successful launch of dearALICE,” said Chang. “Collaborating with a label of gamma.’s stature, known for its deep industry expertise and innovative approach, allows us to accelerate our efforts in bringing forward dearALICE to audiences worldwide. dearALICE stands out as a truly distinctive project for our company, blending British roots with the global reach and creative influences of Kakao Entertainment and SM Entertainment. We believe this collaboration will unlock new opportunities for the group to thrive internationally, while also showcasing their groundbreaking artistry to music fans across the globe.”
Added Lindsay, “What an amazing twelve months it’s been for the boys! From being cast in December last year, to experiencing a unique and unforgettable 100 days of K-pop training with SM Entertainment in Korea, then premiering a 6-part Saturday night BBC One TV series in the summer, followed by the Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience Original TV Soundtrack EP release and a superb live performance on the UK’s highest-rated entertainment show, BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing! It’s a testament to their incredible hard work and passion that sees them sign a major global recording and distribution deal with gamma., joining a stable with some of the world’s most talented artists and music executives.”
ATEEZ add their second No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as GOLDEN HOUR: Part.2 debuts atop the list (dated Nov. 30) with 184,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 21, according to Luminate. With an opening frame driven largely by album sales — 179,000 copies sold — the set marks the best week yet for the pop ensemble by both units earned or traditional album sales.
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The act previously topped the chart with THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL in 2023. In total, GOLDEN HOUR: Part.2 is the sixth top 10-charting set for the group, all consecutive.
Also in the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200, Linkin Park logs its 12th top 10-charting set with the No. 2 bow of From Zero; Jin’s debut album, Happy, enters at No. 3; Rauw Alejandro achieves his first top 10 with the arrival of Cosa Nuestra at No. 6; and ENHYPEN’s ROMANCE: UNTOLD re-enters the list at No. 7 following its reissue on Nov. 15 (dubbed ROMANCE: UNTOLD -daydream-) with two bonus tracks. The set debuted and peaked at No. 2 in July.
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With K-pop acts ATEEZ, Jin and ENHYPEN at Nos. 1, 4 and 7, respectively, on the Billboard 200, there are three K-pop albums in the top 10 for the first time.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Nov. 30, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Tuesday (Nov. 26). For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of GOLDEN HOUR: Part.2’s 184,000 equivalent album units earned, album sales comprise 179,000 (it’s the top-selling album of the week and debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales; it’s also the sixth-largest sales debut week of 2024 for any title), SEA units comprise 5,000 (equaling 6.43 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. The album’s first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across 29 physical format variants (23 CDs and six vinyl editions; all containing collectible branded paper ephemera, some randomized) and three digital download variants (a standard edition and two versions containing voice notes from the acts as bonus tracks).
As GOLDEN HOUR: Part.2 is mostly in the Korean language, it is the 26th mostly non-English-language album to hit No. 1, and the third of 2024. Two other mostly-Korean-language sets topped the chart earlier this year: on the Aug. 3-dated list, Stray Kids’ ATE become the group’s fifth leader, and on the March 9 ranking, TWICE’s With YOU-th garnered the act its first leader. Of the 26 mostly non-English-language albums to reach No. 1, 17 are mostly Korean, five mostly (or all) Spanish, one mostly Italian, one entirely French, and two mostly a blend of Spanish, Italian and French. Of the 26 mostly non-English-language albums to reach No. 1, 22 have topped the chart since 2018 (the year that K-pop superstars BTS scored their first of six No. 1s, the chart’s first Korean-language leaders).
Linkin Park returns to the Billboard 200 with its first new studio album in seven years, as From Zero enters at No. 2 with 97,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 72,000 (it debuts at No. 2 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 24,000 (equaling 32.18 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; it bows at No. 17 on Top Streaming Albums) and TEA units comprise 1,000. From Zero is the band’s 12th top 10-charting set and the first to feature new members Emily Armstrong (co-lead vocals) and Colin Brittain (drums). The album is the first without vocalist Chester Bennington (who died in 2017) and drummer Rob Bourdon (who departed the group in 2018).
From Zero’s first-week sales were aided by its availability across 11 vinyl editions (multiple color variants, two picture discs and four alternative cover versions), four CD variants (including a deluxe boxed set containing branded merch and a CD, and a Zine/CD package), two cassette editions and two digital download editions. All versions of the album contain the same 11 songs, except for one download album, which boasts three bonus live tracks.
The new album was announced on Sept. 5 during a livestream concert that also announced Armstrong and Brittain joining the band, along with the release of the set’s first single “The Emptiness Machine.” The track debuted and peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the highest charting cut from the band since 2009’s “New Divide” hit No. 6. “Emptiness” also led the Alternative Airplay chart for five weeks, marking the 13th leader for the band on the ranking. Three more songs previewing the album were released before From Zero dropped on Nov. 15: “Heavy Is the Crown,” “Over Each Other” and “Two Faced.”
Tyler, The Creator’s chart-topping CHROMAKOPIA falls 1-3 in its fourth week on the chart, after spending its first three weeks atop the list. It earned 81,000 equivalent album units in its fourth charting frame (down 22%).
BTS’ Jin sees his solo debut project, Happy, bow at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with 77,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 66,000 (it debuts at No. 3 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 8,000 (equaling 10.53 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise 3,000. Happy’s first-week sales were enhanced by its availability across 13 CD variants (containing branded paper ephemera, some editions include randomized items) and seven digital variants (a standard version, two with alternate cover art, and four with assorted bonus tracks ranging from a voice memo to remixes).
Happy is Jin’s first charting album on the Billboard 200, and he becomes the seventh, and final, member of BTS to have achieved a top 10-charting effort. BTS itself has logged seven top 10s, including six No. 1s. BTS is the first K-pop act to see all of its members chart a solo top 10 title on the Billboard 200.
Sabrina Carpenter’s former leader Short n’ Sweet dips 3-5 with 72,000 units (up 6%).
Rauw Alejandro lands his first top 10-charting effort on the Billboard 200 as Cosa Nuestra debuts at No. 6 with 67,000 equivalent album units earned — the artist’s biggest week by units earned. The album’s opening week was overwhelming driven by streaming activity, as SEA units comprise 66,000 of the album’s first week (equaling 87.66 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; it debuts at No. 2 on Top Streaming Albums). Album sales comprise 1,000 (from just one digital download edition of the album) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. Cosa Nuestra boasts guests including Bad Bunny, Laura Pausini, Romeo Santos and Pharrell Williams.
ENHYPEN’s ROMANCE: UNTOLD re-enters the Billboard 200 at No. 7 with 54,000 equivalent album units earned in the latest tracking week (up 960%), following it Nov. 15 repackage and reissue with two bonus tracks. The new iteration of the album is dubbed ROMANCE: UNTOLD -daydream-. All versions of the album, old and new, are combined for tracking and charting purposes. The initial release of the project debuted and peaked at No. 2 in July.
Of the album’s 54,000 units earned in the week ending Nov. 21, album sales comprise 51,000 (up 1,473%, it jumps 26-4 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 3,000 (equaling 4.45 million on-demand official streams of the album’s songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. The set’s album sales were bolstered by its availability across 12 new CD variants and three new download editions, joining its previously available 17 CD editions, two vinyl variants and a standard download album. All physical editions of the album contain branded paper ephemera, some randomized.
Rounding out the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200: Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us (4-8 with 50,000 equivalent album units; down 5%), Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft (5-9 with 49,000; up 2%) and Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (6-10 with 43,000; down 8%).
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
ROSÉ no stranger to a No. 1 hit, and she’s now officially a “Number One Girl” with her latest single released on Friday (Nov. 22) via Atlantic Records/THEBLACKLABEL. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “So what’s it gon’ take for you to want me/ I’d give it […]
V is doubling down on holiday releases this year, with the BTS star announcing a new seasonal duet with Park Hyo Shin titled “Winter Ahead” Thursday (Nov. 21). Arriving Nov. 29 ahead of V’s highly anticipated “White Christmas” collaboration with Bing Crosby, “Winter Ahead” is described in a release as a jazz-pop collaboration inspired by […]
The Seoul Regional Office of Employment and Labor announced on Wednesday (Nov. 20) that it has closed its investigation into a case alleging harassment against NewJeans member HANNI after determining that the singer cannot be considered an employee under the law.
According to a statement from the Labor office, “It is difficult to consider HANNI a worker under the Labor Standards Act, so the case was administratively closed.” HANNI, 20, (born Phạm Ngọc Hân), made her debut as a member of the first girl group signed to the HYBE label ADOR in 2022; ADOR is a sub-label of HYBE, whose other labels support such acts as BTS, SEVENTEEN and Le SSERAFIM, among others.
After the Vietnamese-Australian singer claimed during a YouTube livestream in September that a manager of another K-pop group under the HYBE umbrella (ILLIT) instructed their artists to “ignore” her inside the HYBE HQ in Seoul, HANNI’s fans filed a complaint with the Ministry of Employment and Labor as well as one with a civil rights organization.
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HANNI gave tearful testimony about the alleged incident last month, telling the National Assembly’s Environment and Labor Committee, “We have a floor in our building where we do hair and makeup and, at that time, I was waiting in the hallway because my hair and makeup was done first… I said hello to all of them, and then they came back about five or 10 minutes later. On her way out, [the manager] made eye contact with me, turned to the rest of the group, and said, ‘Ignore her like you didn’t see her.’ I don’t understand why she would say something like that in the work environment.”
In a stunning moment during that testimony, HANNI said the various alleged incidents of disrespect made her realize that, “this wasn’t just a feeling. I was honestly convinced that the company hated us.”
She added that these were not isolated incidents and that she often felt undermined and ignored by her company’s management team, which left her and her bandmates feeling disrespected. “We are all human. I think a lot of people are forgetting that,” she said during her testimony. “I understand that the contracts for artists and trainees may be different [from that of regular workers], but we are all human.”
The statement from the Labor office dismissing the investigation continued, “Given the content and nature of the management contract HANNI signed, it is difficult to regard her as a worker under the Labor Standards Act, which involves working in a subordinate relationship for wages.” The reasoning for the ruling noted that the relationship between HANNI and ADOR was one in which, “each party fulfills their contractual obligations as equal contracting parties, making it difficult to consider there was supervision or direction from the company.”
In addition, the ruling noted that, “Company rules, regulations, and systems that apply to regular employees were not applied to her (as an artist)… both the company and HANNI shared the costs necessary for entertainment activities. Both parties bear their own taxes, and she pays business income tax, not employment income tax,” and “HANNI bears the risks associated with generating profits and potential losses from entertainment activities.”
K-pop boy band Stray Kids announced 20 new stadium dates across Latin America, North America and Europe on Monday (Nov. 18) that will take the group to new territories on their world tour.
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The show will be the Stray Kids’ first full stadium run of gigs, following on the heels of their second world tour, 2022-2023’s MANIAC OUTING. The Live Nation-promoted tour will kick off in Chile at the Estadio Bicentenario La Florida on March 28, before moving on to stops in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil, as well as Lima, Peru and Mexico City before shifting to North America.
That run will launch on May 24 in Seattle, WA at T-Mobile Park before hitting stadiums in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Arlington, TX, Atlanta, Orlando, New York, Washington D.C. and Chicago, and winding down in Toronto at Rogers Stadium on June 29. The tour will then hop over to Europe for gigs in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Madrid and a final show slated for July 26 at Stade de France in Paris. The U.S. run will feature the eight-man group making their debuts at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium and Citi Field in New York.
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Presale and onsale date information is available here; North American fans can register for first access to tickets in the artist presale now here, with a general onsale slated for Friday (Nov. 22) at 3 p.m. local time.
The Stray Kids will finish out 2024 with dates in the Philippines, Japan, Bangkok and Jakarta.
Check out the Stray Kids’ 2025 North American dates below.
March 28 — Santiago, CL @ Estadio Bicentenario La Florida
April 1 — Rio de Janeiro, BR @ Estádio Nilton Santos
April 5 — São Paulo, BR @ Estádio MorumBIS
April 9 — Lima, PE @ Estadio San Marcos
April 12 — Mexico City, MX @ Estadio GNP Seguros
May 24 — Seattle, WA @ T-Mobile Park
May 28 — San Francisco, CA @ Oracle Park
May 31 — Los Angeles, CA @ SoFi Stadium
June 6 — Arlington, TX @ Globe Life Field
June 10 — Atlanta, GA @ Truist Park
June 14 — Orlando, FL @ Camping World Stadium
June 18 — New York City, NY @ Citi Field
June 23 — Washington, DC @ Nationals Park
June 26 — Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field
June 29 — Toronto, ON @ Rogers Stadium
July 11 — Amsterdam, NL @ Johan Cruijff Arena
July 15 — Frankfurt, DE @ Deutsche Bank Park
July 18 — London, UK @ Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
July 22 — Madrid, SP @ Riyadh Air Metropolitano
July 26 — Paris, FR @ Stade de France
There were plenty of highlights and unique moments at Tyler, the Creator‘s 10th Camp Flog Gnaw festival at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles over the weekend. But one of the biggest surprises occurred during Matt Champion’s set when BLACKPINK’s Jennie popped out to join him for a run through their collaboration, “Slow Motion.” Explore See […]
Jin‘s Happy tops this week’s new music poll.
Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Nov. 15) on Billboard, choosing the BTS member’s debut EP as their favorite new music release of the past week.
The poll featured a strong competition from all genres, but Jin’s new collection especially inspired fans to make their choice heard, bringing in almost 83% of the vote. Voters this week chose Happy over new music releases from talent including Gwen Stefani, Tate McRae, Linkin Park, Shawn Mendes, Rauw Alejandro, Shaboozey, Lil Nas X and more.
Happy, the long-awaited set from the BTS superstar, has just six tracks, but it’s the longest listening experience fans have gotten from him yet; on his own Jin’s previously released singles only, making him the seventh and final member of BTS to put out a multi-song solo project.
“Putting the album together has allowed me to pause and reflect on just how much ARMY means to me,” Jin recently told Billboard. “As I worked on each track, I thought about what I wanted to convey to them, how I want to bring joy and happiness to them, while also expressing how much I missed them during our time apart.”
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Jin was referring to the break he had from music while completing his mandatory military service.
“Before enlisting,” he said, “I was focused mainly on our group activities, so a solo album didn’t feel right at the time. But with all the members now taking turns serving, it felt like the right time to share something personal with ARMY who have supported us all along. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I’ve enjoyed making it.”
Among the new music trailing behind Happy on this week’s poll is Gwen Stefani’s Bouquet, which came in second place, and Tate McRae’s “2 Hands,” which came in third.
See the final results of this week’s poll below, or here.
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