HYBE Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

K-pop boyband SEVENTEEN’s performance unit have released a music video for their new song ‘Spell’.Back in April, SEVENTEEN dropped their first compilation album ‘17 Is Right Here’ led by the single ‘Maestro’. In addition to the new single, the record includes brand-new tracks by the group’s performance, hip-hop and vocal units.

HYBE has become the first entertainment company added to South Korea’s conglomerate watchlist.According to reports by South Korean media, HYBE is one of seven business groups that have been added to the watchlist of the East Asian country’s antitrust regulator, the Fair Trade Commission, per The Korea Times. The list currently includes 88 conglomerates in total, with HYBE being the only entertainment company.“The increase in the number of companies on this year’s watchlist came as entertainment, leisure and tourism industries, among others, have grown markedly thanks to the rising popularity of Korean culture and recovering consumer sentiment after the COVID-19 pandemic,” the regulator said.According to The Chosun Daily, conglomerates with assets of 5trillion won or more are classified as “large corporations” and are required to publicly disclose details about interaffiliate transactions, their ownership structure and more.

fromis_9 are currently gearing up to release new music, their label Pledis Entertainment has confirmed.Pledis Entertainment announced that fromis_9 are working on new music in a statement to South Korean news outlet Newsen earlier today (May 13), where the label also outlines a number of the girl group’s upcoming performances and activities.“Love calls from festivals are flooding in for fromis_9,” Pledis Entertainment said. They are set to appear at the Dongyang Mirae University Festival (May 17) and the Spring Breeze on Campus at the Kyunghee University Peace Hall (May 18), followed by the ‘KBS Korea On Stage’ event at the Gyeongbokgung Palace (May 21).Beyond that, the K-pop agency also revealed that the girl group are currently “preparing for a comeback” and that it is “are proceeding without a hitch”.

NewJeans have allegedly spoken out about the treatment of the K-pop girl group in a newly released letter. However, HYBE claims that the letter was actually written by ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin.The letter, allegedly written by the parents of girl group NewJeans’ members, was released today (May 13) by South Korean news outlet eDaily.

ADOR, home to popular girl group NewJeans, is set to hold a shareholder meeting later this month to vote on whether or not to dismiss Min Hee-jin as CEO.The decision to hold a shareholder meeting was announced today (May 10) by legal representatives of ADOR. According to The Korea Times, the move was made “under the attendance of all board members”, which included Min hee-jin, with the meeting set to be held on May 31.The announcement comes just days after the ADOR CEO filed an injunction to prevent HYBE from exercising its rights at the upcoming shareholder meeting, per Korea JoongAng Daily.

SEVENTEEN‘s hip-hop unit have unveiled the music video for their new song ‘LALALI’.In April, the K-pop boyband dropped their first compilation album ‘17 Is Right Here’ and its title track ‘Maestro’. The group’s hip-hop unit – formed by members S.Coups, Wonwoo, Mingyu and Vernon – have now released a music video for album cute ‘LALALI’.The visual opens with a cleaner entering a bedroom where the group slept, only to find that they have burst through the wall and left.

SEVENTEEN member Mingyu has opened up about his time as a K-pop trainee and why he wouldn’t want to relive that period of his life.SEVENTEEN’s Mingyu and his bandmate Joshua recently made an appearance on South Korean singer Jung Jae-hyung’s YouTube show channel, where they reflected on their nearly decade-long career and their time as trainees before debuting in the boyband.The K-pop idol revealed that he “[doesn’t] ever want to go back to that time of my life”, explaining that “all the bad memories of my life are from that time”, per SBS Star. He added: “It was so hard. I couldn’t sleep, you know.

ENHYPEN, titled Fanmade: ENHYPEN.Fanmade: ENHYPEN will be a production between Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and Good-People, and will focus on the K-pop group’s fans by “putting them at the heart of the concert creation process”, per The Hollywood Reporter.More specifically, the upcoming film will follow “five female fans as they co-create new material alongside the band, ignite the fanbase to collaborate, and revel in the joy of putting their passion out into the world”.In addition, Fanmade: ENHYPEN will also “utilise unprecedented and intimate access alongside the band members as they travel across the US” for their latest world tour, culminating at their recent Samsung Galaxy Fanmade concert experience in Dallas, Texas on May 7.Fanmade: ENHYPEN will be directed by Caroline Suh, who also helmed 2020’s Blackpink: Light Up the Sky. The feature documentary is also set to feature an original song called ‘Home’.Speaking about the upcoming feature documentary, Suh said that “in the fun process of collaborating on this film we have all become big fans of the band”.

fromis_9 singer Chaeyoung has shared her frustration over the girl group’s lack of music releases during a recent livestream.fromis_9’s Chaeyoung held an audio livestream yesterday (May 7) on the fan platform Weverse, during which she voiced her feeling about the girl group’s lack of promotional activities and music releases. In a short snippet from the livestream, as archived by fans on X (formerly Twitter), Chaeyoung said: “Why are we the only ones who have to wait a long time to be active?”“Why just us? Just fromis_9? It’s so upsetting.

BTS member RM has enlisted an all-star cast and crew for the upcoming music video of his new single, ‘Come Back to Me’.Today (May 6), BTS’ RM dropped new posters for his next single, ‘Come Back to Me’, which will appear on his upcoming second solo album, ‘Right Place, Wrong Person’. The song and music video drops this Friday (May 10), while the record will be out on May 24 at 1pm KST.According to the posters for ‘Come Back to Me’, the song’s music video will be directed by Lee Sung-jin, best known for his work on the Emmy-winning 2023 Netflix series Beef.

ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin had allegedly “demanded” for HYBE to give her the authority to terminate NewJeans‘ contracts, according to a new media report.The claim that Min Hee-jin had asked to have the authority over the exclusive contracts of popular K-pop girl group comes from a new Yonhap News Agency report today (May 2), which described her request as a “demand” while citing unnamed sources from the music industry.The ADOR CEO had reportedly made the request after negotiations between the executives of the K-pop agency and its owner HYBE over a revised shareholders agreement had hit a roadblock around the tail-end of 2023. HYBE allegedly reportedly rejected the demand, calling it “too much”.Min has since confirmed that such a “request” submitted in a proposal to HYBE, but claimed that it was to “address unreasonable interference [by HYBE], an issue that emerged during NewJeans’ debut, and to ensure independent management of the label” in a statement.The ADOR CEO also denies that the request was related to recent allegations that she had planned to takeover control of the K-pop agency from HYBE.

K-pop boyband TWS are preparing to release new music in June, their label Pledis Entertainment has confirmed.Today (May 3), TWS’ agency Pledis Entertainment told Korea JoongAng Daily that the six-member K-pop boyband – comprising members Shinyu, Dohoon, Youngjae, Hanjin, Jihoon and Kyungmin – are set to release a new album soon.“TWS are currently preparing for a comeback, aiming to pre-release a song in early June,” said Pledis Entertainment, adding that specific dates will be announced at a later time. In addition, according to a report by Ilgan Sports, the boyband are currently in Hong Kong filming a music video for their upcoming single.TWS made their debut back in January with their mini-album ‘Sparkling Blue’, which was led by the single ‘Plot Twist’.

NewJeans have teased the music video for their upcoming song ‘Right Now’, which will be a collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.‘Right Now’ will appear on NewJeans’ upcoming double single album ‘Supernatural’, which will be the K-pop girl group’s first Japanese release. The music video teaser, which was released on May 1, opens with the quintet as their The Powerpuff Girls characters, last seen in the clip for ‘New Jeans’.As the quintet walk through a forest, they come across a flower with rainbow petals, which soon transports them into what appears to be a different dimension, where the girl group appear as characters designed by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.NewJeans are scheduled to release ‘Supernatural’ on June 21.

SEVENTEEN have dropped their first-ever compilation album, titled ’17 Is Right Here’, along with a music video for new single ‘Maestro’.Both the album and the ‘Maestro’ music video dropped on April 29 at 6pm KST. The clip features a futuristic, cyberpunk-themed music video created partially using AI as a statement meant to question the use of artificial intelligence.In the clip, the SEVENTEEN members are seen performing among and fighting against robots and technology-heavy sets.

ENHYPEN will be dropping a brand-new special album next month titled ‘Memorabilia’ for their original webcomic Dark Moon.ENHYPEN announced the new album on April 29 at midnight KST via the official social media channels for Dark Moon, the original webcomic and novel based on the ENHYPEN members. Titled ‘Memorabilia’, the special album is due out on May 13 at 6pm KST.The announcement also included the first teaser image, which features a pile of VHS tapes with various labels, which comes together to spell “What we must never lose”.

NewJeans have released a music video for their latest single ‘Bubble Gum’.Released on April 26, ‘Bubble Gum’ marks the end of a nine-month hiatus for NewJeans. The music video features the quintet spending quality time with one another, teaching each other how to blow a bubblegum and playing by the beach as Hyein records everything on her camcorder.“From its beginning to end, the clip captures the natural sides of the members, who blow bubble gum and play pranks on each other,” NewJeans’ label ADOR said of ‘Bubble Gum’ in a statement, per The Korea Times.

ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin during a press conference where she refuted claims by HYBE has sold out.Yesterday (April 25), Min Hee-jin, the CEO of NewJeans‘ agency ADOR, which is also a subsidiary of HYBE, held a press conference where she denied claims by HYBE that she planned to take over the K-pop label. The music executive also levied other accusations against the entertainment giant.Despite many netizens criticising her appearance and attire during the press conference, others had seemingly taken a liking to the music executive’s outfit with Koreaboo reporting that the sweater own by Min had sold out in less than a day after the event.Her green stripped sweater is the Organic Cotton Long-Sleeve Cut and Sew from Japanese apparel brand California General Store, which retails for 8,800 yen (about £45).

HYBE have refuted claims that were made by ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin in a new statement.Yesterday (April 25), Min Hee-jin, the CEO of NewJeans agency ADOR, which is also a subsidiary of HYBE, held a press conference where she denied claims by HYBE that she planned to take over the K-pop label. The music executive also levied other accusations against the entertainment giant.HYBE has since responded to Min’s press conference in a statement, per MyDaily and translated by Soompi, alleging that “so much [of what Min claimed during the press conference] is far from the truth to the point that it is difficult to go through them one by one”.The entertainment giant also alleged that the ADOR CEO had “distorted the facts by mixing up the timeline”, while claiming that they “can refute all claims with evidence”.

BTS‘ RM has announced the upcoming release of his second solo album, ‘Right Place, Wrong Person’.Big Hit Music announced RM’s ‘Right Place, Wrong Person’ today (April 26) through BTS’ Weverse page. In its post, The K-pop agency also included a teaser image for the record, which features abstract, monochrome doodles of what appears to be an art gallery.Due out on May 24 at 1pm KST, ‘Right Place, Wrong Person’ is being described as an “11-track album that captures some of the universal emotions that we all experience at some point in life, such as the feeling of being an outsider who doesn’t fit in”.It also added that ‘Right Place, Wrong Person’ “falls within the alternative genre, boasting a rich sound coupled with frank, honest lyrics”.

Korea JoongAng Daily, the music executive said that she “was not expecting” the audit of ADOR launched by HYBE on Monday (April 22), claiming that she had initially made an “internal report [about the similarities between NewJeans and Belift Lab group ILLIT]” in hopes of it being “addressed formally by the company”.“My goal has always been to [do] my work in a clean, confident way. That’s been my focus and it’s been difficult for me to talk about the things that interfered with my work,” Min added, while refuting HYBE’s claims that she tried to “hijack control” of ADOR.

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 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“.

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.