Music May 8, 2021
Inside the cut-throat battle to build K-pop's next superstars
by Kang Jin-Kyu
A lot of hard work goes into becoming the next big thing in K-pop. The Blitzers are hoping that their time has come.
Music Apr 22, 2021
NiziU: Made in South Korea, totally Japanese
by Patrick St. Michel
The nine-member pop act NiziU moved from a reality TV show competition to the top of the Japanese music charts with ease — and that was the strategy all along.
Asia Pacific / Social Issues Feb 4, 2021
K-pop for the planet: Fans of South Korean stars take on climate change
by Beh Lih Yi
From petitioning to save forests to raising cash for disaster victims, a growing army of K-pop fans worldwide has emerged as the latest force in the global fight against climate change.
Music Jan 14, 2021
What does 2021 have in store for J-pop?
by Patrick St. Michel
While K-pop and TikTok will sway trends in the music industry, rock looks set to be Japan's best chance at producing global hits.
Lifestyle | CHILD'S PLAY Nov 15, 2020
Upgrade your kids’ home dance parties with a class at Studio Tron
by Danielle Demetriou
For dance-loving children, Studio Tron is the stuff of dreams, with feel-good pop, floor-to-ceiling mirrors and kind, professional teachers.
Asia Pacific Nov 3, 2020
K-pop's social media power spurs Thailand's youth protests
by Patpicha Tanakasempipat
From raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for Thai protesters to inspiring the youths who join demonstrations through dances and social media, K-pop fans have emerged as a potent political force in Thailand's anti-government movement. Earlier this year, K-pop fans in the United States surprised ...
Music Oct 20, 2020
BTS fans have a new way to show their love: buying shares
by Yoojung Lee and Heejin Kim
In the music industry, fans are everything. But when it comes to K-pop, that adage holds more true than ever.
Business Oct 15, 2020
South Korea's Big Hit market debut tempered by reliance on K-pop group BTS
Big Hit Entertainment, the management label of South Korean superstar K-pop group BTS, hit the stock market with a 9.6 trillion won ($8.38 billion) valuation on Thursday before worries over its narrow revenue stream pulled shares below the debut price. Big Hit, which relies heavily ...
Asia Pacific Oct 13, 2020
BTS honored Korean War sacrifices. Some in China saw an insult.
by Tiffany May and Amy Chang Chien
The group's leader acknowledged the shared suffering of Americans and Koreans during a recent ceremony commemorating the war.
Entertainment News Oct 8, 2020
Can K-pop superstars be exempt from military service?
by Ju-min Park
Calls are mounting within South Korea for members of megaband BTS to be granted alternatives or delays to mandatory military service, with some lawmakers and fans arguing they are doing plenty for their country without wearing a soldier's uniform.
Entertainment News Jun 23, 2020
Online disruption of Trump rally highlights K-pop's political hustle
Viral posts on TikTok and Twitter revealed that plans to reserve tickets en masse had been circulating for days, racking up hundreds of thousands of views.
Entertainment News Jun 7, 2020
South Korean boyband BTS donates $1 million to Black Lives Matter
Popular South Korean band BTS donated $1 million to Black Lives Matter (BLM) in support of U.S. protests against police brutality, its music label, Big Hit Entertainment, said Sunday. On Thursday, the seven-member BTS wrote on its Twitter account that they are against racism and ...