K-Pop
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Idols, rookies and global stars all made our list.
For K-pop girl group TWICE, the second go-round with Megan Thee Stallion is definitely two times dope. The nine-member group dropped their new seven-track mini-album Strategy on Friday (Dec. 6), along with the video for the title track featuring their latest collaboration with the “Hot Girl” rapper.
The brightly colored clip for the bouncy pop bop features members Jihyo, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu striking sultry poses all around the city as they count down the step-by-step process of catching the eye of a love interest.
“Step one, do my highlight/ Make me shine so bright in the moonlight/ Step two, silhouette tight/ Baby, even my shadow looks good, right/ Step three, when I arrive/ Make you look my way with your heart eyes/ Step four, got you on the floor,” Chaeyoung, Mina, Dahyun and Sana sing as they pose and dance their way through shooting ranges and candy-colored downtown streets before the Houston rapper pops in for some real talk.
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“Do you like that?/ When I smack it and you watch it bounce it right back?/ He really lost it when he saw me do the right, left/ I’m a man eater, you just a light snack/ I got him pressed like he’s workin’ on his triceps,” Meg raps from a rooftop before she joins the rest of the crew to share more advice on her slam-dunk love attack strategy.
The JYP Entertainment group spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the follow-up to their appearance on the remix of Megan’s hit “Mamushi,” explaining why the MC’s persona fits their vibe.
“She has a powerful, strong image. We were wondering, would that fit in with our style of music and our image?” Jeongyeon told the magazine. “Once we recorded, we thought we actually fit really well, a lot better than we imagined. I feel like Megan’s style really enhanced our part of the music. When we were shooting the music video, Megan really wanted to learn Korean, so she kept saying like, ‘귀여운,’ which means cute. That ‘you’re very cute’ or ‘that’s really cute.’ She did a lot of Korean-style jokes and those hand hearts that Koreans do a lot to break the ice.”
The bubbly “Strategy”clip is also TWICE’s first to feature another artist, with Tzuyu saying the group’s members were initially “quite shy” about bringing Meg in because “she’s so famous and well-known… [but] Megan really tried a lot to break the ice. She kept trying to learn Korean and make jokes and just kept saying, ‘Let’s just have fun together.’ I feel like the music video turned out very well.”
Watch the “Strategy” video below.
Rosé channels some seriously hot/cold vibes in the new video for her solo track “Toxic Till the End.” The Avril Lavigne-like emo pop single from the BLACKPINK singer’s eagerly anticipated debut solo album, rosie, stars Gossip Girl actor Evan Mock, who plays Rosé’s love interest in the visual about a couple who meet cute before flaming out.
“Call us what we are/ Toxic from the start/ Can’t pretend that I was in the dark/ When you met my friends/ Didn’t even try with them,” she sings over the track’s bubbling synths as the clip offers up the screen couple’s origin story. It opens with pink-haired Mock flagging down Rosé’s car on a country road after his bicycle pops a flat.
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Instantly intrigued, she gives him a ride and soon enough the couple embark on a classic rom-com montage of their early, happy days. They chase each other through the lush gardens of an estate, laughing and sharing romantic fireside snuggles and sharing a tender moment where the singer signs her beloved’s cast after he wipes out on his skateboard.
The song’s urgent lyrics, though, hint at the brewing issues just underneath the shiny facade. “Jealous and possessive/ So manipulating/ Honestly impressive/ You had me participating,” she seethes as the accompanying visuals hint at a fast-growing flame quickly fizzling out as Mock appears to cover his phone to conceal a rogue text that heralds the beginning of the end.
Rosé burns out in her car and laments the betrayal hinted at in the song’s title, raging, “I can’t forgive you for a lot of things/ For not giving me back my Tiffany rings/ I’ll never forgive you for one thing my dear/ You wasted my prettiest years,” even as she hints at a complicated love too hard to dismiss in the Ramez Silyan-directed video
“When I was running out of your place/ I said I never wanna see your face/ I meant I couldn’t wait to see it again/ We were toxic,” she adds as the song climbs to a raucous din, before downshifting as the messy couple appear to make up again and Rosé reveals that their “chance” meeting might not have been as serendipitous as it seemed.
In a chat with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe about the song that was originally titled “The Ex,” the singer said she wrote the tune after discussing the difficult relationship that inspired it with her friends for years. “We’ve talked about the ex a bit too much, it’s about time that we write a song called ‘the ex’,” she said; she later changed the title to something that felt like a “better punchline.”
“It was actually easy for me to talk about it because it was the thing I was talking about all the time,” she told Lowe about the story she “hated” bringing up over-and-over.
The 12-track rosie includes the hit single “APT.” featuring Bruno Mars — which has spent six weeks so far at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 — as well as “Number One Girl,” “Game Boy,” “Drinks or Coffee,” “Stay a Little Longer,” Not the Same” and “Dance All Night.”
Watch the “Toxic Till the End” video below.
K-pop girl group XG have been on the road all year in 2024, kicking off their first world tour, The First Howl, in Osaka, Japan in May. They then made their way across Asia and played a series of sold out shows in North America in October, winding down on Oct. 21 with a gig at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
Along the way, group member MAYA tells Billboard they have been delighted to see their superfans, the ALPHAZ, coming out in huge numbers. “We had so much fun [and] we met so many of our U.S. ALAPHAZ and they were all dressed up with amazing cool outfits, they sang top to bottom… so much good energy from them,” she says of the love they felt from their American supporters in the full video you can watch above.
After completing their Asian swing, HARVEY adds that the seven-member group took that good energy and used to to fuel their performances, saying it was a nice “give-and-take” that has hyped them up in advance of the upcoming European leg of the outing. JURIN says it’s also been nice to add new songs and choreography to the mix along the way. They’ve had a lot of fresh tracks to beef up their set list thanks to a clutch of new songs they’ve released this year, including the Valorant video game soundtrack tune “Undefeated” in April and “Woke Up” in May, followed by “Something Ain’t Right” in July and “IYKYK” in October. They also dropped their second EP, Awe, last month, which featured the latter three tracks as well as the 8-track mini-album’s first single, “Howling.”
“We want each performance to be fresh and exciting,” JURIN says of adding “IYKYK” and “Something Ain’t Right” into the live mix. “Whether they are longtime ALPHAZ or seeing us for the first time.” And no surprise, she notes that even though the songs were brand new when they began the North American swing, ALPHAZ already knew the choreography and the lyrics.
The women also discuss the concept behind AWE, with JURIN explaining the EP that mixes up R&B with upbeat dance tunes and the signature hip-hop/pop style they are known for was inspired by, “the sense of curiosity and shock people experience when they encounter something new. We hope that through our album you can feel awe and experience many surprising and exciting moments.”
Elsewhere the group — member Cocona was not present for the interview — talk about the outer space theme of the “IYKYK” video and how sometimes their own style is inspired by outfits they see on ALPHAZ in the audience. Watch the full interview above.
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 […]