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BTS‘ Suga announced the dates for his first-ever solo world tour on Tuesday morning (Feb. 14). According to a posting on Weverse, the unnamed tour is slated to kick off on April 26 at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, New York before dates at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (April 29), Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL (May 3, 5 & 6), the Kia Forum in Los Angeles (May 10, 11, & 14) and Oakland Arena in Oakland, CA (May 16, 17).
The outing will then head overseas for dates in Jakarta, Bangkok and Singapore, as well as a two-night stand in BTS’ home country of South Korea at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seioul on June 24 and 25 and as-yet-unannounced gigs in Japan.
A release announcing the tour noted that the Weverse post mentioned Agust D, Suga’s other stage name, which caused a lot of ARMY chatter about what fans might expect from the dates; click here for ticketing and Verified Fan information. The rapper and dancer posted a video in December in which he showed off his smooth moves in a hip-hop dance 101 class with the help of a private instructor.
“Hello everyone. At age 30, I’ve come to take dance lessons. Basic hip-hop moves. It’s been about 12 years since I last did this in high school. I’ll give it a try,” he said in the video, telling fans that he felt like he’d taken a trip back in time to his pre-BTS trainee days. “I’m a mess. This is so hard. It’s so hard to do this [basic moves] after a long time. I feel kind of dumb doing this. When I first joined as a trainee I’d never danced before.”
He also updated ARMY on what he’s been up to since the group announced their hiatus in June. “I’ve learned some basic hip-hop moves. I’ve suddenly got an interest in learning at the age of 30,” he said. ”I’m taking all kinds of lessons now. I’ve started playing the keyboard again. I’m also taking guitar and dance and Japanese and English.”
While J-Hope headlined Lollapalooza in Chicago last July and Jin performed his single “The Astronaut” with Coldplay in Argentina in October, Suga’s outing is the first full-fledged solo tour by a member of BTS. The rapper previously released two mixtapes under his solo alter ego, Agust D (2016) and D-2 (2020).
Check out Suga’s tour poster and 2023 solo tour dates:
Courtesy Photo
April 26 — Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena
April 27 — Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena
April 29 — Newark, N.J. @ Prudential Center
May 3 — Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
May 5 — Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
May 6 — Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
May 10 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
May 11 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
May 14 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
May 16 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
May 17 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
May 26 — Jakarta, ID @ Indonesia Convention Exhibition Hall 5-6
May 27 — Jakarta, Indonesia @ Indonesia Convention Exhibition Hall 5-6
May 28 — Jakarta, Indonesia @ Indonesia Convention Exhibition Hall 5-6
June 10 — Bangkok, Thailand @ Impact Arena
June 11 — Bangkok, Thailand @ Impact Arena
June 17 — Singapore, SG @ Singapore Indoor Stadium
June 18 — Singapore, SG @ Singapore Indoor Stadium
June 24– Seoul, KR @ Jamsil Indoor Stadium
June 25 — Seoul, KR @ Jamsil Indoor Stadium
Japan dates TBA
BTS‘ Jimin is getting ready to finally unleash his solo debut. In a Weverse stream on Friday, the K-pop superstar revealed that he’s planning to drop his first solo collection next month. In a translation of the chat provided by Soompi, Jimin said, “I think the album I’ve been working on is going to drop in around March. I’m currently preparing lots of things that I can do together with you guys around that time. I’m planning lots of different kinds of things we can do to have fun together and enjoy ourselves, so I think you can safely look forward to it.”
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Jimin is riding high at the moment thanks to his hit collaboration with Big Bang’s Taeyang, “Vibe,” which recently gave each singer their first Hot 100 solo hit when the song debuted at No. 76 on the Jan. 28-date chart.
In the midst of BTS’ current pause, during which the group’s seven members are either releasing solo material or preparing to enter the South Korean military for their mandatory service stint, Jimin is gearing up to to be the latest band member to drop a solo album. At press time a spokesperson for Jimin had not returned Billboard‘s request for additional information on the album or its release date.
To date, Jimin has released the solo songs “Lie” (2016), “Intro: Serendipity” (2017), “Filter” (2020) and his 2022 collaboration with Ha Sung-woon on the Our Blues soundtrack song, “With You.” So far, J-Hope, Jin and RM have released solo music, with Suga, Jung Kook and V all saying they are also planning to break out with as-yet-unscheduled solo collections.
A documentary chronicling BTS star J-Hope‘s solo adventures, J-Hope in the Box, is set to debut on Disney+ and Weverse on Feb. 17. The HYBE Original doc will shine a light on the singer’s activities outside the global superstars’ bubble, focusing on the making of his first solo album, Jack in the Box, featuring unreleased, behind-the-scenes footage of “every footstep he took during approximately 200 days of his journey,” according to a release announcing the project.
Among the scenes ARMY will get to see in the doc are glimpses of a private listening party and J-Hope’s groundbreaking slot as the first Korean artist to headline Lollapalooza. To date, the partnership between The Walt Disney Co. and HYBE has produced the 4K concert movie, BTS: Permission to Dance on Stage, as well as the reality travel show In the Soup: Friendcation.
J-Hope was the first member of BTS — which also includes Jung Kook, Suga, Jimin, Jin, RM and V — to break out solo with a full-length solo album with Jack in the midst of the group’s ongoing hiatus during which each man is focusing on solo projects.
Before the doc drops, you can get your hands on a piece of Hope at the upcoming MusiCares Charity Relief Auction on Feb. 5, which will take place following that night’s 65th annual Grammy Awards. Along with lots featuring a Taylor Swift guitar and Eminem sneakers, bids will be open for an outfit worn by J-Hope during his debut solo album photo shoot for Jack in the Box, which includes a black jumpsuit, buckle belt, a black cotton t-shirt and black ribbed bunny ear beanie pegged to bring in between $2,000-$4,000; the ensemble was worn by J-Hope for the “concept photos” for the album track “MORE.”
Take heart ARMY, Jin says things are going okay. The 30-year-old BTS singer recently became the first member of the septet to begin his mandatory stint in the South Korean army and this week he gave fans a positive update on how things are going so far alongside some photos in uniform.
In one image the singer shared on Weverse on Wednesday, Jin is seen standing at attention in the snow in his military camo, clunky brown boots and beret, hands firmly by his sides, as he stares forward with intent. In a close-up from the singer’s first message since enlisting, Jin flashed a peace sign and in a third look he wore a white face mask while looking directly into the lens.
In an accompanying message (translated from Korean) he wrote, “I’m having a good time. I’ll posting a photo with permission from the military. ARMY, always be happy and stay well.” The oldest member of BTS was the first one to enlist for the nation’s mandatory 18-month military service; able-bodied males from 18-35 are required to perform compulsory military stints, but at press time it had not yet been announced when Jin’s bandmates — Jung Kook, Suga, Jimin, RM, V and J-Hope — will begin their service.
According to CNN, Jin has completed his five weeks of basic training and after entering the Yeoncheon training center on Dec. 13, he’s since been selected to serve as an assistant instructor at the Yeoncheon army base in northern Gyeonggi province. In October, the group’s label, BIGHIT Music, said all seven members would serve in the military; last year the group announced that they would take a hiatus until 2025.
See a tweet with the Jin pics below.
BTS‘ Jin was the first member of the septet to begin their mandatory service in the South Korean army last month. But before he left for basic, the 30-year-old singer recorded a special message for the group’s ultra-dedicated non-military ARMY fan group.
“Hello everyone, this is Jin of BTS. I won’t be a civilian by the time the video is out. But I am here in front of the camera, because I wanted to leave you something, even if it is just leaving a message,” said Jin in the minute-long clip filmed in what looks like an alleyway that dropped on Monday (Jan. 9).
He noted that the video was shot during a break from appearing on an episode of the SBS-produced South Korean variety show Running Man, which he appeared on in November; Jin began his enlistment on Dec. 13. “Whenever I am available I wish to leave these videos and records once every few months to share with you as much as possible, even if it’s just checking in briefly,” he continued. “I may not be by your side at this very moment, but I’ll go looking for you soon, so if you just wait a little bit. I’ll be back soon. That’s all for today. Next time when I have the chance, I’ll be back with another video.”
Just before leaving for bootcamp last month, Jin uploaded a photo which showed off that his signature locks — most recently on display in his “Astronaut” music video — were shorn in favor of what’s known as the “induction cut.”
Per national law, all able-bodied South Korean men must serve in the armed forces for at least 18 months with varying lengths of service time. While the draft begins once they turn 18, men may postpone it until age 28. In December 2020, the Korean National Assembly passed a motion (nicknamed the “BTS law”) to allow top K-pop stars to postpone service until age 30 with a recommendation from the culture minister.
Jin is the first of the seven BTS members to fulfill his mandatory obligations.
Watch Jin’s video below.
Two K-pop legends are teaming up for a new single due out next week. The Black Label announced that Big Bang‘s Taeyang will release his collab with BTS‘ Jimin, “Vibe,” on Jan. 13. The news was revealed in a tweet from Taeyang on Tuesday (Jan. 3), which featured a snap of the two on what appeared to be the video set for the song, in which they are seen posing in a cavernous room lit by a ring of yellow light.
“Vibe” marks Taeyang’s first new solo music since his third solo album, 2017’s White Night. But more importantly, the song will be Jimin’s first official solo release since BTS announced that they were going on hiatus to allow the septet’s singers to focus on their solo ventures. Jimin will be the final member of BTS to release a solo project since the band announced that they were taking a break last year.
At press time no additional information was available on the single, which comes on the heels of solo projects from RM, whose official solo debut album, Indigo, dropped last month and Jung Kook, who has already racked up more than 100 million Spotify streams for his single “Dreamers,” which also appeared on the official soundtrack to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Jimin, 27, has previously released the solo singles “Lie,” “Filter,” “Promise,” “With You,” his festive “Christmas Love” and more. Last year, the singer dropped some moody shots from his behind-the-scenes “photo-folio” Me, Myself, and Jimin ‘ID: Chaos‘, featuring 8 images of him portraying his different musical personas.
Check out the “Vibe” tease below.
If you missed out on BTS‘ Oct. 15 show at Busan’s World Expo 2030 bid on Oct. 15 then you’ll have another chance to re-live the magic in early 2023. The on-hiatus K-pop superstars will release BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas in movie theaters worldwide on Feb. 1.
According to a release announcing the movie the footage from the concert has been fashioned into a “special cinematic cut, re-edited and remixed for the big screen,” complete with new close-ups and a “whole new view” of the entire show. The concert in front of a huge crowd in Busan, South Korea featured the band’s members — Jin, RM, Jimin, V, J-Hope, Suga and Jung Kook — playing some of their most beloved hits, including “Dynamite,” “Butter” and “Idol,” as well as the first concert performance of “Run BTS” from June’s Proof album.
The movie presented by HYBE, Trafalgar Releasing and CJ 4DPlex will hit screens for a limited run in more than 110 countries and territories, with a special Feb. 4 event dedicated to “light stick screenings,” during which ARMY members can light up the theaters with the group’s signature glow devices. In addition to standard formatting, Yet to Come will also be released in a number of special versions, including immersive 270-degree field of view ScreenX, 4DX, which mimics the effects of the concert’s live atmosphere and 4DX Screen, which combines both formats.
“We look forward to collaborating once again with the teams at CJ 4DPlex, and HYBE to bring BTS’ awe-inspiring Busan concert to the big screen in this special cinematic cut,” said Trafalgar Releasing CEO Marc Allenby in a statement. “The group’s engagement with audiences has always been perfectly suited to the cinema, and we are excited to welcome fans from all corners of the globe to this must-see celebration.”
Tickets for the screenings will go on sale here beginning Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. ET.
“We are thrilled to announce our second ScreenX collaboration and first 4DX, 4DXScreeen collaboration with BTS,” added Jong Ryeol Kim, CEO of CJ 4DPLEX. “This film is made for both special formats, which fans can experience our movie completely through enlarged screens with 3 different angles and moving motion seats aligning to BTS’s music.”
Yet to Come is Trafalgar’s fifth release with BTS, following on the heels of this year’s BTS Permission to Dance on Stage — Seoul: Live Viewing, as well as 2020’s Break the Silence: The Movie, 2019’s Bring the Soul: The Movie and 2018’s Burn the Stage: The Movie. The one-off concert in Busan was BTS’ final performance together for the immediate future as the elder members of the group are facing enlistment for South Korea’s mandatory military service: oldest member Jin enlisted for active duty earlier this month.
With 18 years in the industry, Super Junior have much to celebrate this holiday season and they’re showing their appreciation with a seasonal new song to say thank you.
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“Celebrate” is the feel-good, synth-pop single from the veteran boy band that expresses gratitude for memories made together, hopes to continually return to this feeling every winter season, and their wish to dance and party in celebration.
In the wintry music video, members Leeteuk, Shindong, Eunhyuk, Ryeowook, Siwon, Heechul, Yesung, Donghae and Kyuhyun intertwine themselves in cute Christmas scenes from pairs ranging from young kids to senior citizens. By the end of the video, we see everyone take part in the same Christmas dinner and family photo to connect to the song’s message of happily reuniting every holiday season.
Notably, it’s particularly admirable to see the range of ages represented in the music video when most visuals in K-pop focus only on spotlighting young people in their primes. No doubt the decision came in large part of recognizing Super Junior’s impact across generations as they near two decades on the scene.
As the final chapter in Super Junior’s three-part EP rollout for their 11th album, The Road : Celebration comes with five tracks that include several sonic gifts for fans. There’s an “anti-carol” in the harmony-heavy “Hate Christmas,” a dive into country music with “Snowman,” plus SuJu’s take on the ’90s K-pop hit “White Love,” originally released by Korean dance outfit Turbo.
“Celebrate” with Super Junior below:
KPOP, which broke ground on Broadway for its casting and representation of Korean culture, is closing just a few weeks after opening at the Circle in the Square.
The musical, which originally premiered off-Broadway in 2017, will end its run on Dec. 11, the producers announced Tuesday (Dec. 6). Written by Jason Kim and directed by Teddy Bergman with music and lyrics by Helen Park and Max Vernon and choreography by Jennifer Weber, KPOP‘s closure follows 44 previews and 17 regular performances.
The final performance will feature a panel discussion celebrating and reflecting on AAPI representation on Broadway. Those panelists include David Henry Hwang, the first Asian American playwright to win a Tony; KPOP‘s Park the first Asian female composer in Broadway history; Korean playwright Hansol Jung; and actor Pun Bandhu. In support of that final performance, 200 complimentary tickets are being offered to AAPI community members and youth.
The show, which announced last week that a Broadway cast recording would release on Feb. 24, stars Luna, Julia Abueva, BoHyung, Major Curda, Jinwoo Jung, Jiho Kang, Amy Keum, James Kho, Marina Kondo, Eddy Lee, Joshua Lee, Jully Lee, Lina Rose Lee, Timothy H. Lee, Abraham Lim, Min, Kate Mina Lin, Aubie Merrylees, Patrick Park, Zachary Noah Piser, Kevin Woo and John Yi.
The story presents a behind-the-scenes look at various K-pop groups and a massive solo star who have come together to film for a special one-night-only concert. In the process, they find themselves unpacking both cultural and personal issues that threaten to dismantle one of the industry’s hottest labels and their sense of self as artists.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter in early November, producer Joey Parnes acknowledged that the show had struggled to attract early audiences, saying that it has been challenging for producers to attract theatergoers to new or unknown work when some may still be nervous to return. “It’s not surprising that if they’re having to be discerning, they’re going to choose something that is more certain,” Parnes said.
Since it began previews in October, the new musical has often made less than $200,000 a week, ranking among the lowest-grossing in weekly industry tallies. Capacity has remained fairly healthy but alongside a low average weekly ticket price. The quick closing means KPOP will not be able to benefit from the traditional boost in ticket sales that comes around the holidays and for which many shows hold out for.
Beyond its box office, the musical’s presence on Broadway was historically significant, marking firsts in terms of its subject, its cast and creative team. As the first musical ever about Korean culture on Broadway, KPOP featured Korean representation in the creative team and onstage, including 18 Broadway debuts and only one non-Asian actor in the principal cast. It also featured lyrics for the songs and lines in Korean, with Park not only making history as a first for Asian women but joining just a handful of Asian composers to work on any Broadway show.
Earlier this week, producers Parnes and fellow producer Tim Forbes addressed these milestones while responding to a New York Times review of the show which both called an “insensitive and frankly offensive” take on the musical. In a lengthy Instagram statement addressing the critic Jesse Greene, along with the paper’s theater editor Nicole Herrington and chairman Arthur Gregg Sulzberger, the duo addressed a “cultural insensitivity, underlying ignorance of and distaste for K-pop” present in the review, which they cited with a number of examples as statements that come “across as casual racism.”
They wrote that from the headline to the review itself, specific word choices about the script, choreography, costuming, lighting design and score — coupled with the review’s decision to leave out both audience reaction to the show’s Korean language elements and a lack of discussion about the performers themselves — denied the production’s K-pop performance elements “very legitimacy as part of a Broadway musical” and offered an “implicit assertion of traditional white cultural supremacy.”
“The job of theater critics is to dissect, analyze and ultimately judge work,” the producers’ statement concluded. “We also contend that they have a responsibility to meet a show on its own terms and to be informed enough to know what that even means. Above all, in these troubled times, they have an obligation to do so with cultural sensitivity and absolutely without the casual racist tropes Mr. Green wittingly or not perpetuates.”
In a statement shared with Playbill on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Times noted that after the open letter, the publication “quickly convened a discussion among editors and members of our standards department.” It found that the publication was “in agreement that Jesse’s review was fair” and disagreed “with the argument that Jesse’s criticism is somehow racist.”
This story originally appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.
BTS‘ management company BigHit posted a friendly note to ARMY on Monday (Dec. 5) thanking the band’s hardcore fans for supporting the group while offering them an update on member Jin’s pending mandatory military service. The 30-year-old singer is slated to begin his stint on Dec. 13 as the first member of the seven-man group to enlist, and BigHit warned ARMY that there will be no “official event” to mark the day.
“Jin will fulfill his required time with the military by enlisting in the army. Please note that we will not be holding any kind of official event on the day of his recruitment,” read a note from BigHit posted on the fan community Weverse site about the upcoming big day for the group’s eldest member. “The entrance ceremony is a time to be observed by military personnel and their families only. In order to prevent any issues that might occur from crowding, we ask fans to please refrain from visiting the site. Instead, we ask you to keep your heartwarming words of support and farewell in your hearts.”
In addition, BigHit advised fans to not get “adversely affected” by buying unauthorized tour or product packages that illegally use BTS’ intellectual property in an attempt to capitalize on Jin’s military hitch. “Our company will take necessary action against any attempts at commercial activity making unauthorized use of such IP,” read the note, which ended with a kind thank you for ARMY’s unwavering devotion.
“We ask for your continued love and support for Jin until he finishes his military service and comes back,” it read. “Our company will also strive to provide every support he needs during this time.”
“Jin will initiate the process as soon as his schedule for his solo release is concluded at the end of October,” read a previous statement from BigHit that month, which noted the group will reconvene around 2025 after all their respective military enlistments are concluded. “He will then follow the enlistment procedure of the Korean government. Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans.”
All able-bodied male South Korean citizens must serve in the armed forces for at least 18 months, though the length of service may vary. Draft begins in the year they turn 18, but men may postpone it until age 28. In December 2020, the South Korean National Assembly passed the so-called “BTS law” to allow K-pop entertainers to postpone the service until the age of 30, with a recommendation from the culture minister.
In the midst of BTS’ hiatus, Jin scored his first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100 in November when his single “The Astronaut” debuted at No. 51 in its first tracking week.