HYBE Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM have performed a new song live for the first time at Coachella 2024 – watch footage of the performance below.During their performance at the Sahara tent on day two (April 13), the group played their first-ever Coachella set, and brought a new track with them. The song is titled ‘Hot And Fun’ and comes after tracks like ‘FEARLESS’, ‘ANTIFRAGILE’ and ‘The Great Mermaid’.The band sing through the chorus: “I like to dance when I party / I like to kiss everybody“.

NewJeans were reportedly paid KRW5.2billion (roughly USD3.7million) each in 2023, according to newly released ADOR documents.This is according to a report by Korea JoongAng Daily, which cites an electronic disclosure by ADOR that has been released amid the K-pop agency’s ongoing dispute with its parent company, entertainment giant HYBE.NewJeans – comprising Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein – were reportedly paid a total of KRW26.1billion (USD19million) in total last year, which translates to roughly KRW5.2billion (USD3.7million) for each member of the girl group.The disclosure also revealed that ADOR earned KRW110.3 billion (USD80million) in 2023, a fivefold increase from the year prior. It also made ADOR the third highest earning label under HYBE for the year, following Big Hit Music (KRW552.3billion) and Pledis Entertainment (KRW327.2billion).ADOR’s revenue in 2023 also helped it earn an operating profit of KRW33.5billion (USD24.3million), following a KRW4.0billion (USD2.9million) loss in the year prior.In related news, HYBE has said that it will file a complaint against executives of K-pop agency ADOR, including CEO Min Hee-jin, over a breach of trust and other allegations amid an ongoing dispute between the entertainment giant and the management of ADOR over control of the K-pop agency.Despite the growing spat between HYBE and ADOR, NewJeans will reportedly still move ahead with plans to release new music next month, according to a source with “knowledge in the matter”.

HYBE has said that it will file a complaint against executives of K-pop agency ADOR, including CEO Min Hee-jin, over a breach of trust and other allegations.Today (April 25), HYBE announced that it would file a complaint against Min Hee-jin, the mastermind behind K-pop girl group NewJeans, and other executives of ADOR.

HYBE has claimed that it has found evidence that ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin is trying to “seize control” of the K-pop agency, while the latter has described such a move as “impossible”.HYBE and Min Hee-jin have been in an increasingly public feud and power struggle over ADOR, the K-pop agency that’s best known as home to K-pop girl group NewJeans. The dispute was made public on Monday (April 22), after South Korean media reported that HYBE had launched an investigation against Min over alleged plans to take ownership of the label.HYBE CEO Park Ji-won has since claimed that it has discovered evidence that Min and other ADOR execs had plans to “seize control of the company” in an email to employees, per Yonhap News Agency, adding that HYBE would “take appropriate actions after confirming more [of the truth] through this audit”.Park added that HYBE’s current top priority is on “keeping its artists and other members safe”.

ADOR and entertainment giant HYBE.This is according to a new exclusive report by South Korean news outlet Korea JoongAng Daily, which cited a source with “knowledge in the matter”. This comes shortly after news that HYBE and ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, the woman behind NewJeans, are in a power struggle over the K-pop agency.“NewJeans will make a comeback in Korea with a new single in May, whether or not ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin cooperates with HYBE,” the source told the publication.

HYBE and ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, the woman behind popular girl group NewJeans, are reportedly in a power struggle over the K-pop agency.Today (April 22), South Korean news agency Newsis reported that the audit team of entertainment giant HYBE had launched an investigation against ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and an unnamed executive of the company. The latter had reportedly been part of HYBE’s investor relations team.According to the report, the two ADOR executives were allegedly caught leaking confidential information in order to attract investors as well as induce HYBE to sell its ownership of the K-pop agency.

ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin has accused South Korean entertainment giant HYBE of “undermining” the success of K-pop girl group NewJeans by creating a copycat version of the quintet.On Monday night (April 22), ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin accused HYBE, which owns the majority of the K-pop agency, of trying to “undermine” the success of its girl group NewJeans. The music executive’s statement came shortly after news broke that Min and HYBE were in a power struggle over ADOR.In her statement, the ADOR CEO accused HYBE of copying the “makeup, costumes, choreography, photos, videos and event appearances” of NewJeans for the new girl group ILLIT, who recently made their debut under HYBE subsidiary Belift Lab.“The cultural success of ADOR’s NewJeans is ironically being undermined by HYBE,” Min said, per Korea JoongAng Daily.

HYBE has dipped following the start of an internal audit of executives from its subsidiary, ADOR.Earlier today (April 22), it was reported that HYBE are reportedly in a power struggle over NewJeans’ K-pop agency ADOR with its CEO Min Hee-jin. The entertainment giant has since confirmed that it has launched an internal audit of ADOR executives over suspicions that they were trying to take control of the company.Since the news broke, the stock price of HYBE has dropped by 7.8 per cent as time of writing, hovering at a price of about KRW212,500 (roughly USD154).

NewJeans‘ Hanni has covered ‘Best Part’ by Daniel Caesar and H.E.R, as part of the girl group’s ongoing YouTube series ‘By Jeans’.NewJeans’ Hanni released her cover of ‘Best Part’, originally released by Daniel Caesar and H.E.R in 2017, on April 18. Speaking about why she chose the song, the singer said: “I really love this song.

ILLIT have dropped a brand-new music video for ‘Lucky Girl Syndrome’, a cut from their debut mini-album ‘Super Real Me’.In the ‘Lucky Girl Syndrome’ video, the five members of ILLIT are seen going about daily life except with a mysterious series of coincidences that cause them to miss potential mishaps by mere seconds, and even open them up to opportunities, including a romantic interest.“I don’t need, I don’t need, I don’t need any golden ticket / All I need, all I need, all I need is to believe in myself / Finally, finally, finally / Everything will come true / Recite the spell every day,” they croon on the pre-chorus.‘Lucky Girl Syndrome’ is a second track from ‘Super Real Me’ to receive a video treatment, following title track ‘Magnetic’. The latter has since gone viral and subsequently made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at Number 91, making it the only debut song by a K-pop act to achieve such a feat.The girl group – comprising Wonhee, Minju, Iroha, Moka and Yunah – were formed through the JTBC reality TV series R U Next?. Prior to their official debut, ILLIT had starred in luxury fashion house Acne Studios SS24 global campaign.In other K-pop news, boyband ZEROBASEONE have released a preview of their upcoming single, ‘Sweat’.

Tomorrow X Together has partnered with General Mills to produce special edition collectible cereal boxes for its brands, such as Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms and more.The collaboration was announced by General Mills yesterday (April 16) via its social media channels, featuring a pictorial of the five idols with the various TXT-themed cereal boxes to be released in May.According to a press release from General Mills, each of the five members will be featured individually alongside brand mascots of the company’s various cereals, namely Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, Cookie Crisp, Trix and Honey Nut Cheerios. Huening Kai, Beomgyu, Yeonjun, Soobin and Taehyun will be featured on boxes of these cereal brands, respectively.On top of the collectible cereal boxes, exclusive versions of Reeses’ Puffs with all five members of TXT will also be made available, exclusive to Walmart stores.

ILLIT have scored their first Billboard Hot 100 hit with their viral debut single, ‘Magnetic’.According to a new X (formerly Twitter) post by Billboard, ILLIT’s ‘Magnetic’ will make its debut on the Hot 100 at the Number 91 spot. It’s the girl group’s first-ever entry on the weekly ranking, as well as the only debut song by a K-pop act to chart on the Hot 100.Aside from the Billboard Hot 100, ILLIT’s ‘Magnetic’ has also been gaining traction on Spotify’s Weekly Music Charts.

LE SSERAFIM member Sakura has opened up about her thoughts on the girl group’s recent Coachella performance over the weekend.In a statement on the fan community platform Weverse, LE SSERAFIM’s Sakura touched on the girl group’s recent debut at Coachella, the reception and the process they prepared for the performance, per Korea JoongAng Daily.The Japanese K-pop idol opened her message with questions about what it means to perform, writing: “What does it truly mean to stand on stage? Is it to present a flawlessly polished image? To bring joy to the audience? Or is it to execute the performance flawlessly, without a single hitch?”“Standards may vary depending on the person,” she added. “But as for me, I wanted to create a performance that, regardless of whether the audience knew us or our songs, they could think, ‘This was fun.

K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM as “Friends of the NBA” in Asia as part of a new multi-year collaboration.The “Friends of the NBA” programme is described by the association as “the league’s celebrity and influencer programme in Asia to engage fans in new and creative ways”, per a press statement released today (April 5).Billed as a “celebration of the intersection of sports and music”, the programme will see LE SSERAFIM attend NBA games and events, collaborate with the association on “a variety of exclusive content” to be featured on both parties’ social media channels, participate in promotional activities for the league and more.In the same press release, LE SSERAFIM spoke of the newly established collaboration in a joint statement: “We are so excited to collaborate with the NBA through its ‘Friends of the NBA’ program. We had a great time watching an NBA game in person last year in LA! We look forward to working together with the league to experience so much more with NBA fans around the world.”Meanwhile, NBA chief marketing officer Tammy Henault also said, “We’re thrilled to team up with breakout K-pop sensation LE SSERAFIM, a young and dynamic group of NBA fans.

Tomorrow X Together (TXT) singer Hueningkai recently performed a cover of John Mayer‘s ‘Gravity’ during his appearance on Lee Mu-jin Service. TXT’s Hueningkai made a guest appearance on the April 2 episode of popular music talk show Lee Mu-jin Service. He came on the show to promote the boyband’s newest single ‘Deja Vu’, and also performed several covers of popular songs as a showcase of his vocals.The K-pop idol most notably took on John Mayer’s ‘Gravity’, originally released in 2006 from his album ‘Continuum’.

SEVENTEEN have announced their first-ever compilation album, titled ’17 Is Right Here’, due out later this month.The K-pop boyband first announce ’17 Is Right Here’ at the end of their ‘Follow Again’ encore concerts in Incheon this past weekend (March 30 and 31) to fans in attendance. Teaser for the upcoming album was shared by their label Pledis Entertainment shortly after.The teaser was designed and animated by artist Max Dalton, and included re-creations and illustrations of SEVENTEEN’s past albums as a callback to their discography.

Tomorrow X Together (TXT) have released their sixth mini-album ‘minisode 3: Tomorrow’, alongside a music video for its lead single ‘Deja Vu’.‘minisode 3: Tomorrow’ was released today (April 1) at 6pm KST. The accompanying music video for ‘Deja Vu’ features the five members of TXT caught in different, trippy dimensions, yet still connected through their relationships with each other.“I remember the answer I finally found / My future is you / Say my name, I’ll hug you, as promised on the first day / Like deja vu, you’re like deja vu,” they belt on the song’s affecting chorus.‘minisode 3: Tomorrow’ is the third installation in the boyband’s ongoing ‘minisode’ series of mini-albums.

HYBE, home to K-pop juggernauts BTS, have inked a new 10-year “global alliance” with Universal Music Group (UMG).HYBE – also home to other K-pop groups such as SEVENTEEN, NewJeans and more – announced an expanded agreement with UMG. The new deal will give UMG “exclusive distribution rights” to HYBE releases for the next 10 years, while HYBE’s roster of artists will have access to the former’s “global network”.The new agreement will also see UMG further working with HYBE’s fan platform Weverse, in order to “[bring] more of a direct connection between UMG artists and their fandom[s]”.

ILLIT have dropped a teaser for the music video of their upcoming debut single, ‘Magnetic’.ILLIT’s label Belift Lab, a subsidiary of HYBE, shared the clip yesterday (March 21). The teaser is formatted vertically for mobile phone screens, and feature silhouettes of the ILLIT members performing the choreography to ‘Magnetic’.“This time I want you, you, you, you, like it’s magnetic / You, you, you, you, you, you, you, super attraction,” the new K-pop girl group sing on the song’s upbeat chorus.ILLIT – comprising Wonhee, Minju, Iroha, Moka and Yunah – were formed through the JTBC reality TV series R U Next?. The girl group will be the second K-pop act to debut under Belift Lab, following boyband ENHYPEN.The quintet will release their debut mini-album ‘Super Real Me’ on March 25.

LE SSERAFIM have opened up about their upcoming Coachella debut at this year’s instalment of the annual music festival.LE SSERAFIM are notably one of three K-pop names on the line-up of Coachella 2024, alongside boyband ATEEZ and rock band The Rose. They will follow in the footsteps of BLACKPINK, who headlined the festival in 2023 and also performed in 2019.Speaking to Rolling Stone about their upcoming Coachella debut, LE SSERAFIM singer Chaewon said that being invited to the festival “this early in our career” is something that she is “still trying to grasp”.

Tori Kelly has teased a brand-new song titled ‘Spruce’, which will be a collaboration with Kim Chaewon of K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM.Today (March 19), Kelly released a snippet of ‘Spruce’ on her Instagram Stories, and also tagged the Instagram accounts of LE SSERAFIM and Chaewon. “I’m surrounded by the best,” she sings on the clip, which ends with the K-pop idol saying: “Hey Tori.”The song will appear on Kelly’s upcoming fifth studio album, ‘TORI.’, which will be released on April 5.

Big Hit Music has uploaded footage from TXT’s recent fan concert, including that of Taehyun’s exclusive cover of Bruno Mars’ ‘Finesse’.The 2024 TXT ‘Fanlive Present X Together’ was held in person early this month, at Seoul’s Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium from March 2 to 3. The concert also received a Japanese edition, held at Tokyo’s Tokyo Garden Theater on March 8.Last night (March 17), an official video of singer Taehyun’s special solo stage was uploaded to the group’s YouTube channel, which saw him perform an abridged cover of Bruno Mars’ ‘Finesse’.

BOYNEXTDOOR, TWS, ZEROBASEONE, NCT Wish and TEMPEST, girl group Red Velvet, and singers Jung Yong-hwa and Choi Yena. They will be joined by Japanese groups INI, JO1 and ME:1.

ILLIT, the latest girl group from HYBE, have become the new faces of Acne Studios’ latest SS24 global campaign.The luxury fashion house made the announcement on their official X (formerly Twitter) account yesterday (March 14), with a brief 23-second video of the quintet posing in outfits from the brand’s SS24 collection.The clip also notably features a snippet of an upcoming song by ILLIT, credited by Acne Studios to as ‘My World’. The song will be released as part of their upcoming debut mini-album.Introducing ILLIT, the five new faces of #AcneStudios.Starring: YUNAH, MINJU, WONHEE, MOKA and IROHA, the members of rising K-pop band ILLIT, photographed in #AcneStudios SS24 collection.Photographer: Charlotte Wales Stylist: Léopold Duchemin Music: ‘My World’ by ILLIT pic.twitter.com/eGNH05qbLh— Acne Studios (@acnestudios) March 14, 2024The reveal of ILLIT as Acne Studios’ newest campaign stars comes shortly after the band were spotted sitting front-row at the Acne Studios FW24 show at Paris Fashion Week late last month.“Music is a big part of my life and often inspires me; music and fashion are so intertwined.

Glastonbury has unveiled the line-up for its 2024 edition, with boyband SEVENTEEN set to be the first K-pop act to perform at the festival.Today (March 14), the iconic UK music festival announced its much-anticipated line-up for the upcoming 2024 edition, which will be held from June 26 to 30 this year at Worthy Farm in Pilton, England. Glastonbury 2024 will be headlined by Dua Lipa, Coldplay, SZA and Shania Twain.Also on the bill for the main Pyramid Stage are South Korean boyband SEVENTEEN, who will become the first-ever K-pop act to perform at the iconic UK music festival.

Tomorrow X Together (TXT) have announced their upcoming 2024 ‘Act: Promise’ world tour, which will kick off with concerts in Seoul this May.Tomorrow X Together new world tour was announced today (March 11) by the boyband’s label, Big Hit Music. It will kick off with a three-date concert at the KSPO Dome in Seoul, South Korea from May 3 to 5.The kick-off dates of the K-pop boyband’s 2024 tour will be made available for livestreaming, according to an announcement on TXT’s official Weverse page.

NewJeans attended the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards to receive the ‘Group of the Year’ award, saying it was “something we really don’t take for granted”.This year’s Billboard Women in Music awards ceremony took place on the evening of March 6 at Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater, with NewJeans named Group of the Year at the ceremony, making them the first-ever K-pop group to have done so in the awards’ history.After receiving their trophy from country musician Lainey Wilson, Australian-Vietnamese member Hanni expressed in her acceptance speech how starstruck she was to be in the same room with artists the group look up to.“To be here today celebrating Women’s History Month and to participate in an awards show that’s overflowing with such amazing artists is so surreal and it’s hard to believe we’re in the same room as you all,” Hanni said. “I’d like to thank all the artists that are here because without your music, I don’t think we would have been able to grow up so inspired.

NewJeans have teased that they potentially have a tour and new music on the way.NewJeans recently made an appearance at the Billboard Women in Music 2024 event in Los Angeles, where they took home the award for Group of the Year. It’s notably the first time the award has been given out since 2015, when Fifth Harmony won the trophy.Prior to the event, group were interviewed on the red carpet, where they were asked about potential touring plans.

LE SSERAFIM have dropped the official music video for ‘Smart’, a cut from their latest mini-album ‘Easy’.LE SSERAFIM’s label, Source Music, released the new visual last night (March 5) on the HYBE Labels YouTube channel, marking the second track off the ‘Easy’ record to receive a video treatment following its title track.The ‘Smart’ music video features the quintet performing the song’s accompanying choreography in the middle of a large, empty warehouse adorned with numerous large tapestries of art hung from the ceiling and on the walls.“So that’s me-me-me-me-me / I’ll show you, see-see-see-see-see / LE SSERAFIM, leading me to victory,” they sing in the chorus. “I’m a smartеr baby, smarter / Smarter baby, smarter / Whеn I look at someone, up to ten / I see through and break through.”‘Smart’ was originally released on the girl group’s third mini-album ‘Easy’, which dropped on February 19 and was led by a single of the same name.

BTS member Suga has announced an upcoming concert film called D-Day: The Movie, featuring footage from his solo ‘D-Day’ tour.Suga’s label, Big Hit Music, announced the upcoming movie though BTS’ social media channels earlier today (March 6) at midnight KST. It also simultaneously unveiled the film’s official theatrical poster and screening dates.D-Day: The Movie is scheduled for limited screenings in theatres across the globe on April 10 and 13, however “additional screening dates” may vary across different countries.

Tomorrow X Together (TXT) will be making their long-awaited comeback this April with a new mini-album titled ‘minisode 3: Tomorrow’.The group’s label, Big Hit Music, made the announcement yesterday (March 3) though its social media channels, alongside a brief animated clip showcasing the group’s refreshed logo for the comeback.Big Hit Music also posted to fan community Weverse that ‘minisode 3: Tomorrow’, the group’s mark the sixth mini-album so far, will be released on April 1 at 6pm KST / 5am ET. However, other details such as a tracklist, title track and other visuals have yet to be revealed by the group.minisode 3: TOMORROW(https://t.co/ACKvD9fa8f)#투모로우바이투게더 #TOMORROW_X_TOGETHER #TXT #minisode3 #TOMORROW pic.twitter.com/Bt5UHozYtN— BIGHIT MUSIC (@BIGHIT_MUSIC) March 3, 2024The upcoming release of ‘minisode 3: Tomorrow’ will mark TXT’s first music in five months, with their last music being their third studio album ‘The Name Chapter: Freefall’.

V of BTS will be releasing a brand-new digital single titled ‘Fri(end)s next Friday, Big Hit Music has announced.V made the announcement earlier today (March 4) at midnight KST thought BTS’ social media platforms. The label described the upcoming track as a “love song in the pop soul R&B genre”, and included the first teaser for the upcoming song.

SEVENTEEN leader S.Coups has received an exemption from mandatory military service, Pledis Entertainment has confirmed.In a statement to South Korean news outlet Edaily, Pledis Entertainment confirmed earlier reports that SEVENTEEN member S.Coups had been exempted from mandatory military service due to an injury.“Due to a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee joint, S.Coups underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery and anterolateral ligament reconstruction surgery,” the label explained, per Soompi.“Because it was a major surgery, he has been undergoing physical rehabilitation therapy for a long time, starting from last year up until now,” the label added. S.Coups had been absent from SEVENTEEN’s promotions for their ‘Seventeenth Heaven’ as well as the Asian leg of their ‘Follow’ tour since October last year due to the same injury.As a result of the severity of his injury and surgery, the South Korean military classified S.Coups as a Grade 5 during a medical examination determining his ability to serve the military.

ENHYPEN have surprised fans with a cover of One Direction‘s hit single ‘What Makes you Beautiful’.ENHYPEN’s cover of ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ was released today (February 23), in collaboration with the South Korean television talk show The Seasons: Lee Hyori’s Red Carpet. The K-pop boyband’s rendition of One Direction’s debut song is largely faithful to the original, albeit shorter, skipping the second verse and chorus entirely.“Baby, you light up my world like nobody else / The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed / But when you smile at the ground, it ain’t hard to tell / You don’t know, oh-oh, you don’t know you’re beautiful,” they sing on the chorus.

LE SSERAFIM have dropped an English-language version of their latest single ‘Easy’.The new English version of ‘Easy’ comes shortly after the quintet released the original track along with the rest of the ‘Easy’ mini-album earlier this week. The new version of ‘Easy’ was also released alongside ‘Sped Up’ version and a ‘Slowed + Reverb’ version.Meanwhile, the accompanying visualiser is horizontally set for mobile phones, and boasts intricate 3D and CGI animation that corresponds with the visual style of the original ‘Easy’ music video.

LE SSERAFIM singer Sakura has opened up about the girl group’s new single ‘Easy’ and why they pivoted away from their “strong” image.LE SSERAFIM released their third studio album ‘Easy’ earlier this week, alongside a music video for the lead single of the same name. The girl group theme for the record was the “anxiety and vulnerability beneath a confident exterior”, according to their label Source Music.In a new interview with Weverse Magazine, member Sakura opened up about the record’s theme, saying that the group though that “we couldn’t keep repeating the idea of being strong and unwavering”.“Now that we’re into our second year as a group, we thought it was time to show more of a personal, introspective side of us,” she added.