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K-Pop

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The first official trailer for Jung Kook‘s upcoming documentary, JUNG KOOK: I AM STILL finds the BTS member fretting about whether fans will accept him as a solo artist as he steps outside of the K-pop supergroup’s massive shadow.

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“I’m suddenly nervous, I’ll do my best guys,” he says in Korean at the outset of the one-minute preview of the film that is slated to open in theaters worldwide on Sept. 18. Amid footage of thousands of fans gathered in arenas and on streets to greet him, he frets, “Without the power of BTS, just on my own, will I be able to receive recognition?”

Reflecting on the success of his debut solo album, 2023’s Golden, which entered the Billboard 200 chart at No. 2 and featured collabs with Jack Harlow, Latto and Major Lazer, among others, he says, “with all these achievements I gained more self-confidence.” Mixing in footage of JK dancing and rehearsing dance moves in the studio, the preview promises to provide “eight months of golden moments.”

Trending on Billboard

With a vow from the singer to “keep going forward,” the trailer then cuts to a run-down of some of JK’s solo chart success and footage from his videos cued to his single “Standing Next To You,” which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. “I’ve never though of myself as a genius,” Jung Kook says at one point, admitting that he’s well-aware of his artistic blind spots, which only push him to get better.

“I just follow my own compass,” he says as the screen fades to black before zooming back in on a clip of JK bounding through a backstage area and shouting out the group’s legendarily fervent ARMY fan group. “It’s always more fun with the fans.”

The promo materials promise that the film will capture JK’s development as a solo act, beginning with his No. 1 Hot 100 hit “Seven” (featuring Latto) in July 2023, followed by the release of Golden three months later via never-before-seen video, interviews and concert performance footage. The doc was directed by Junsoo Park and produced by Jiwon Yoon and is set to premiere in limited screenings worldwide in more than 120 countries and regions on Sept. 18, with tickets on sale today here.

Watch the trailer for JUNG KOOK: I AM STILL below.

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LISA and Rosalía‘s “New Woman” has topped this week’s new music poll that features artists in various genres of music.
Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Aug. 16) on Billboard, choosing the BLACKPINK superstar and Spanish artist’s team-up as their favorite new music release of the past week.

“New Woman” brought in 54% of the vote on the poll, securing an edge ahead of new releases from Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars (“Die With a Smile”), Post Malone (F-1 Trillion), Foster the People (Paradise State of Mind), Hozier (Unaired), and others.

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LISA and Rosalía’s Y2K-inspired single arrived Thursday (Aug. 15) with an equally colorful music video. “Hit it when I serve/ B—-, you better swerve/ Revving up my, uh-uh-uh-uh-aura/ Focus on my mind/ Taking my time/ I’m a new woman,” LISA declares on the catchy chorus.

Trending on Billboard

For her verse, Rosalía adds a bilingual element musing, “Nací pura, sí/ Ni una era será un flop en mi porvenir/ P—, soy la Rosalía, solo sé servir,” which translates to “I was born pure/ There won’t be a flop era in my future/ W—-, I’m Rosalía, I only know how to serve.”

The new song arrives a little over a month after the K-pop icon stepped into a new phase of her solo career outside of BLACKPINK with “Rockstar,” which debuted at No. 70 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 4 on the Billboard Global 200.

Trailing behind LISA and Rosalía on this week’s poll is Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile,” with nearly 36% of the vote. The superstars barely gave fans a heads up before unveiling the collab, the existence of which they only confirmed less than 12 hours ahead of its arrival. 

It’s been a while since either artist has released proper solo music. Gaga’s last album, Chromatica, dropped in 2020, while Mars’ 24K Magic is approaching its eight-year anniversary. The former topped the Billboard 200 albums chart, and the second peaked at No. 2.

See the final results of this week’s poll below. Check out Billboard‘s Friday Music Guide to catch up with more must-hear releases from this week.

An absence of major artist activities caused revenue at K-pop company JYP Entertainment to fall 36.9% to 95.7 billion won ($69.8 million) from the same period a year ago, the company announced Tuesday (Aug. 13).  Although JYP saw gains from global streaming, album sales declined 82% to 13.6 billion won ($9.9 million), and albums’ share […]

BLACKPINK’s LISA is used to being on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans, but when it came to her casting in the upcoming third season of the HBO drama The White Lotus, the veteran performer got those familiar butterflies in her stomach.
“Oh my God, Mike White? I think he’s a genius,” Lisa told Elle magazine about the show’s creator tapping her for her acting debut. “I think I cried. I was with my friends, my mom’s friends, and my mom as well, but I didn’t tell them that I auditioned for it. I’m super excited and nervous, because it’s my first acting project. So I was happy for a second, and then I was like, ‘Oh, wait, wait, how am I going to deliver this?’”

Luckily for LISA, while acting is not on her resumé, she does have some relevant experience. “It’s pretty new to me, but I think it’s similar to shooting music videos. I’m excited for my fans to see it,” she said. As for what the third go-round of the murder mystery dramedy has in store, LISA was, of course, mum to avoid any spoilers. “I feel like people are going to fall in love with Thailand even more,” she said diplomatically.

Trending on Billboard

Production on the as-yet-unscheduled third season was initially delayed because of the 2023 writers/actors strikes, with HBO/Max now saying that it is slated to premiere in 2025. The upcoming season of the show that chronicles the lives of the rich and famous is being filmed at luxury resorts across Thailand, which happens to be LISA’s home country.

She told the magazine that filming in Bangkok and the islands of Phuket and Koh Samui was a great chance for the K-pop icon to “be back home, to have Thai food every day” and have her mother be close to the set.

LISA is slated to release a new single on Thursday (August 15), “New Woman,” featuring Rosalía as the follow up to her previous solo single, “Rockstar.”

Lots of changes are happening for FIFTY FIFTY. Three former members of the K-pop girl group — Saena, Aran and Sio — have reportedly signed with a new label after their fallout with the group’s agency ATTRAKT. Meanwhile, ATTRAKT has announced the addition of four new FIFTY FIFTY members. On Monday (Aug. 12), IOK Company […]

With the newly released version of ATEEZ’s No. 1 single “Work” poised to make crossover impact for the K-pop group via the all-English remix featuring G-Eazy, the rapper’s verses have also sparked speculation among fans online that he used the track to take a jab at his ex-girlfriend, Halsey.

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Released Friday, Aug. 9, the “Part 4” remix of “Work,” which topped World Digital Song Sales in June for ATEEZ’s first chart-topper on the ranking, features G-Eazy delivering a verse that has fans talking: “Actin’ innocent, no, it’s not your first time/We’re far away if Libra is her sign/ Oof, danger, danger (Danger, danger)/Don’t be a stranger (Don’t be a stranger)/ She said no one can save her.”

This particular line has drawn attention due to Halsey’s Sept. 29 birthday, making her a Libra and leading to widespread speculation that the lyrics could be a thinly veiled reference to his experiences and their past relationship. The stars were in a highly publicized relationship from 2017 to 2018 before an abrupt breakup in July 2018. While neither has spoken up directly about what ended their time together, both artists have released music that fans believe alludes to their breakup. Halsey has also previously mentioned being in an “abusive relationship,” though she has never explicitly confirmed if G-Eazy was involved.

Trending on Billboard

After the collaboration’s release, one user on X (formerly known as Twitter) wrote that they “got weirded out when he sings that [because] I immediately remember Halsey…this is ATEEZ’s song why tf did u make it about u.” One X user added, “A collab of all things to make a little diss at your ex,” with another saying, “G-Eazy shading Halsey in a K-pop collab…this was not on my bingo list AT ALL.”

As some fans have noted, the particular lyrics in G-Eazy’s verse stand out against the backdrop of ATEEZ’s original message in “Work,” which is about focusing in on pushing toward your goals and achieving success. One fan on X wrote, “We’re talking about clocking in and he’s over here harassing his ex.”

Indeed, the K-pop group sings about the hustle in lines like, “I like to party when it’s a party/That’s payin’ me to pull up” and the addictive chorus of “Gotta work, gotta work / Gotta make that money, make purse.” G-Eazy later adds, “Work, flex, work, flex, always in the lab/ How I earn checks/ Hundred thousand dollars for a verse, yes/Wouldn’t lift a finger if it were less.”

The collaboration comes after ATEEZ’s established admiration for Halsey. The K-pop group’s fans, known as ANTINY, know the members frequently share music recommendations: Both Wooyoung and Jongho have shared their fondness for “Boy With Luv,” her hit collaboration with BTS, Yeosang has recommended Halsey’s chart-topping Billboard Hot 100 hit “Closer” with The Chainsmokers to fans. Mingi has also praised G-Eazy’s work, notably his Hot 100 hit “Me, Myself & I” featuring Bebe Rexha, and previously recommended Calvin Harris’ Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 album, where Halsey features on two tracks.

Representatives for G-Eazy nor ATEEZ did not return Billboard‘s request for comment at press time.

Even if the potential diss has dominated most of the conversation, it’s important to recognize the latest steps in ATEEZ’s barrier-breaking 2024 that includes multiple “Work” remixes, being named an “Up Next” star in Variety’s Young Hollywood Impact Report, and the ongoing [Towards the Light : Will to Power] in North America arena and stadium tour that just took over New York’s CitiField on Saturday, Aug. 2. This year has also been momentous for G-Eazy with the June 21 release of his seventh studio album, Freak Show, marking his first full-length project in nearly three years, which precedes a world tour hitting North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand through this and next year.

Listen to Part 4 of ATEEZ’s “Work” with G-Eazy below:

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BTS‘ Suga has apologized to fans after revealing that he was charged with a driving under the influence charge while riding his electric scooter. The 31-year-old K-pop star wrote a lengthy X post describing the situation in which he expressed his regret over the incident. “I am deeply sorry and deeply sorry to have to […]

It’s official! LISA and Rosalía’s collaboration, “New Woman,” is arriving this month. The superstar duo took to Instagram to share the fun cover art for the track, featuring the two singers sitting in lawn chairs with racetrack-inspired outfits. The caption indicates that the song will be arriving on August 15 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. […]

BTS‘ Jimin dropped a live video for a pair of songs from his MUSE solo album on Sunday (August 4), including a version of “Slow Dance” featuring a guest appearance from that track’s feature singer, Sofia Carson. In the first half of the six-plus minute clip, Jimin rides his falsetto to the top of a […]

RIIZE are heading to the big screen. The K-pop boy band’s RIIZING Day concert, which is taking place in Seoul, South Korea, on September 13, will be broadcasting live in cinemas worldwide for fans to enjoy, according to distributors Trafalgar Releasing and CJ 4DPlex and reported by NME. Fans will be able to watch the […]