K-pop Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

This story contains mention of alleged sexual assault.OMEGA X member Hwichan has refuted allegations of sexual assault against the ex-CEO of his former label, SPIRE Entertainment.On March 19, SPIRE Entertainment held a press conference “to announce that [the label’s] former CEO [Kang Seong-hee] is not a criminal but a victim of sexual harassment,” according to Korea JoongAng Daily. Notably, members of the boyband had pressed charges against Kang for “threatening, assaulting and exploiting” the group in 2022, an allegation that the ex-CEO denied.Korea JoongAng Daily also reported that the company’s current CEO Hwang Sung-woo – who is also Kang’s husband – and the company’s lawyer were present at the press conference, however Kang herself was absent.

Big Bang singer Taeyang joined bandmate Daesung on stage during the latter’s fan meeting event this past weekend.Both of Daesung’s Big Bang bandmates G-Dragon and Taeyang attended the singer’s second and final showing of his solo fanmeeting concert at the Blue Square Hall in Seoul, South Korea, held on the evening of March 17.G-Dragon was spotted watching the show among the audience, while Taeyang joined Daesung on stage for a performance of several Big Bang songs as well as the former’s hit solo song ‘Eyes, Nose, Lips’.Taeyang and G-Dragon’s public appearance at Daesung’s show marked the band’s first public reunion in years.

CLC singer Seunghee has left long-time label CUBE Entertainment after nine years with the company.CLC’s Seunghee has been represented by CUBE Entertainment since 2015 both as a musician and actress. The company announced earlier today (March 20) that her contract with the label has since expired and has since left the company after nearly a decade with the K-pop agency.“We at CUBE Entertainment inform you that our exclusive contract with actor Oh Seung-hee, who has been with us for 9 years since March 2015, has ended,” reads the statement, which was released on the official X (formerly Twitter) account for the company’s subdivision for actors.“We express our deepest gratitude to Oh Seung-hee, who has displayed endless passion and talent as an artist under CUBE,” the label added.

Tomorrow X Together — aka TXT — have officially announced their 2024 ‘<ACT: PROMISE>’ tour in support of their upcoming EP “Minisode: TOMORROW.” This time around, Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Huening Kai will play back-to-back concerts at NYC’s Madison Square Garden on Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2.According to The Music Universe, “The new world tour presents itself on a grander scale compared to its 2023 predecessor ‘Act: Sweet Mirage.'”And if you can’t wait to see what the “Sugar Rush Ride” quintet have up their sleeve this summer, you can grab tickets for all 11 arena concerts as soon as today.Although inventory isn’t available on Ticketmaster until Thursday, March 21, fans who want to ensure they have tickets ahead of time can purchase on sites like Vivid Seats before tickets are officially on sale.Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event.A complete calendar including all North American tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below.At the time of publication, TXT most recently performed at Tokyo’s Tokyo Garden Theater on March 8.Here’s what they performed that night, courtesy of Set List FM:01.) “MOA Diary (Dubaddu Wari Wari)”02.) “Our Summer”03.) “Blue Hour”04.) “Ito”05.) “CROWN”06.) “Wonder” (ADOY cover) (Beomgyu solo)07.) “Instead of Saying Goodbye” (RAIN cover) (Soobin solo)08.) “Sk8er Boi” (Avril Lavigne cover) (Huening Kai solo)09.) “Finesse” (Bruno Mars cover) (Taehyun solo)10.) “Guilty” (TAEMIN cover) (Yeonjun solo)11.) “Chasing That Feeling”12.) “Hydrangea Love”13.)

Lollapalooza doesn’t play around when it comes to their massive genre-hopping lineups.Year in and year out, the early August festival brings the best in music to Chicago’s Hutchinson Field at Grant Park for four days of rock, punk, Hip-Hop, R&B, K-Pop and more.The 2024 go-round will be no different. This year, the fest, taking place Aug.

Day6 have released their new single ‘Welcome to the Show’, their first as full group in almost three years.‘Welcome to the Show’ leads Day6’s brand-new album ‘Fourever’. The music video for the new song captures the band performing the song in a studio, alongside a loose storyline about a couple falling in love.“The future that you’re welcoming with me might be risky / But there might also be tear-filled impassion / Even so, if you won’t let go of my hand / If so, then let’s go, welcome to the show,” they sing on the anthemic new song.Speaking to The Korea Times, Day6 said that they had “opted for a more upbeat song as the title track” as compared to the “melancholic tone” of their previous singles hoping to “exude a welcoming and exhilarating vibe”.

The Straits Times via The Korea Herald. The former singer is said to have had worm a mask and a hat, and did not address reporters stationed outside the prison.The musician was first linked to the now-infamous Burning Sun scandal in March 2019, when it was discovered that Jung had secretly filmed and shared nonconsensual sex videos (known as molka in Korean) in a chat room with several other K-pop stars, including ex-Big Bang member Seungri.Jung, and a number of his acquaintances, was later accused and indicted for raping drunk unconscious women in 2016, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.

Apink member Kim Nam-joo has revealed that the K-pop girl group are working on new music.Apink’s Kim Nam-joo recently released her new solo single ‘Bad’, which comes four years after she made her solo debut with ‘Bird’ in 2020. During a recent press showcase for the release, the singer revealed that the girl group are working on new music.“Apink are currently preparing for a new release this year,” she said, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.

BM of K-pop group KARD has announced his upcoming 2024 ‘After the After Party’ tour.Today (March 19), KARD’s BM and tour organiser Konnect’d Entertainment revealed that the K-pop idol is set to go on his first solo tour of the US, titled ‘After the After Party’.According to the announcement the rapper will embark on his tour this May. Information about the tour, including cities, dates, venues, ticketing and more is expected in the coming weeks.

XG have announced their 2024 ‘The First Howl’ world tour, featuring concerts in Asia, North America, Europe and more.On March 18, XG announced that they would be embarking on their first-ever world tour, title ‘The First Howl’, which will include shows and concerts in Asia, North America, Europe and more.The girl group will kick-off their trek with a two-date show at the Osaka-Jo Hall in Osaka, Japan on May 18. In the same month, they will also play concerts in the Japanese city of Yokohama.While the dates for the rest of XG’s 2024 ‘The First Howl’ world tour in Asia have yet to be announced, they have teased concerts in cities such as Bangkok, Singapore, Taipei, Seoul and more.The girl group have also revealed upcoming legs in North America and Europe, set to take place in October and November this year.

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’.

Flex X Cop for season two, with leads Ahn Bo-hyun and Park Ji-hyun currently in talks to reprise their roles.A representative of the Flex X Cop production team confirmed the news in a statement to Mydaily today (March 18), revealing that season two of the K-drama is already “under preparation”, as translated by Soompi. “Screenwriter Kim Ba-da has already started working on the script for Season 2, and we are positively discussing Season 2 with main and supporting cast members including Ahn Bo-hyun and Park Ji-hyun while sorting out schedules,” the statement read.The news of Flex X Cop’s renewal comes just days prior to its season one finale, set to air later this week on March 23.

NCT leader Taeyong will be enlisting for two years of mandatory military service next month, SM Entertainment has confirmed.The singer’s label made the announcement today (March 18) in a statement to South Korean news outlet Newsen. “NCT’s Taeyong is enlisting in the navy as an active duty soldier on April 15,” SM Entertainment said, as translated by Soompi. “There will be no official events held on the day he enters the recruit training centre, and we ask for your understanding as his enlistment will be held privately to prevent safety incidents due to congestion on site,” the label added.

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.

Loossemble are set to release a new mini-album next month, titled ‘One of a Kind’.The five-piece – comprising LOONA members Hyunjin, Gowon, Vivi, Hyeju and Yeojin – announced the project’s upcoming release through their social media channels today (March 18) at midnight KST.Loossemble are set to drop ‘One of a Kind’ on April 16, according to a “timetable” of teaser releases leading up to the album’s official release.

BABYMONSTER have announced their upcoming 2024 ‘See You There’ fanmeet tour, featuring concerts in Singapore, Thailand and more.Today (March 18), BABYMONSTER announced the cities for their upcoming 2024 ‘See You There’ fanmeet tour. While specific dates have yet to be revealed, the girl group will hold events in Tokyo, Jakarta, Singapore, Taipei and Bangkok in the coming months.Ticketing and venue details have yet to be released for BABYMONSTER’s upcoming tour.

SE SO NEON have apologised for performing at SXSW performance amid a boycott over the festival’s sponsorship by the US Department of Defense.Two days after their SXSW set on March 16 in Austin, Texas, SE SO NEON addressed their decision to move ahead with the performance in a statement was issued via the band’s Instagram Stories earlier today (March 18), addressing the controversy.“We would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest regret and apologies for the disappointment and distress that has been caused regarding our participation in SXSW,” the band wrote. They added that they were “unaware of the US military’s involvement” with the festival “due to the lack of coverage of Gaza-related news in Korea”.SE SO NEON also added that they were in the dark about “SXSW’s involvement and the act of the boycott”.

BABYMONSTER‘s upcoming mini-album ‘BABYMONS7ER’ is set to include a song called ‘Like That’, which was a “gift” to the band by Charlie Puth.YG Entertainment uploaded a new video earlier today (March 18) featuring founder Yang Hyun-suk breaking down all the tracks on the girl group’s upcoming record first mini-album, ‘BABYMONS7ER’, including ‘Like That’.“I think this will be a surprise for everyone,” Yang said, before revealing that “Charlie Puth gifted BABYMONSTER a song”. He also shared that Puth’s gift to the band was in response to Ahyeon’s viral cover of his song ‘Dangerously’ when she was a trainee, which has since amassed over 39million views on YouTube.“Charlie Puth is an artist I really admire and the members are also big fans of him,” Yang added.

Chicken Nugget. The streaming platform released several stills on March 14 from the show teasing special appearances from a number of familiar faces, including Squid Game‘s Jung Ho-yeon and GOT7‘s Jinyoung, who previously starred in Yumi’s Cells and The Devil Judge. Helmed by Lee Byung-heon (Extreme Job), Chicken Nugget is billed as a comedy-mystery series following Choi Sun-man (Ryu Seung-ryong) as he tries to bring back his daughter, Min-ah (Kim Yoo-jung), after she was turned into a chicken nugget.

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.

Stray Kids singer Hyunjin has released a brand-new solo track ‘long for you’, as part of the group’s ongoing ‘SKZ-RECORD’ series.The song dropped earlier today (March 15) on Stray Kids’ YouTube channel and is the latest in the band’s ongoing series of releases on the platform dubbed ‘SKZ-RECORD’.‘long for you’ has become the latest contribution to the series, and credits Hyunjin himself as both its sole writer and co-composer, alongside producer and singer Joha. The video also features exclusive cover art that was also created by Hyunjin.The last member to release new material under ‘SKZ-RECORD’ was bandmate Han, who dropped an original, self-composed song titled ’13’ just last week.

Jennifer Lopez has released a new version of ‘This Time Around’, featuring K-pop girl group (G)I-DLE.The new remix of ‘This Time Around’ doesn’t deviate far from the original track, but replaces the song’s original third verse for new lyrics written and performed by the Korean five-piece. The verse includes vocals from Soyeon, Minnie, Yuqi and Miyeon, with remaining member Shuhua currently on hiatus since February.“What is wrong? Our love-hate is bruised with false rumours / It’s not worth it, laugh it all out with heartbreak within gossip / I’m in your arms all night long / We laughed and cried when we were immature, bad love / Yeah you know, they’re sort of doing it the wrong way,” Soyeon and Minnie sing on the new verse.Notably, this alternate version of ‘This Time Around’ credits (G)I-DLE leader Soyeon as a co-composer and co-lyricist alongside others who were involved in the production of the original song, including Lopez herself.‘The Time Around’ originally appeared on Lopez’s latest studio album ‘This Is Me… Now’, which was released on February 16 alongside its accompanying film This Is Me… Now: A Love Story, which is loosely based on Lopez’ love life with husband Ben Affleck.During her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in support of the releases, Lopez described the album as the culmination of her career.

Content warning: This article discusses allegations of sexual assault.South Korean actor O Yeong-su, best known for his role as Oh Il-nam in Netflix’s hit K-drama series Squid Game, has been found guilty of sexual assault.The 79-year-old actor was found guilty by the Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Court today (March 15), and has been sentenced to eight years of prison, suspended for two years, and 40 hours of sexual violence education, per Korea JoongAng Daily and The Korea Herald.The court said that “the contents of the victim’s diary and her records from counselling largely correspond to the case, and the victim’s claims are consistent and appear to be statements that could not have been made without actual experience”, per Korea JoongAng Daily.The victim, who has not been identified, filed charges against O in December 2021, accusing the actor of “hugging the victim while on a walking trail and kissing her on the cheek” in 2017, according to The Korea Herald. The news outlet also reported that the Squid Game actor, who has long denied the charges, plans to appeal the case.In 2022, O became the first South Korean actor to win a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Squid Game.

KISS OF LIFE have announced the upcoming release of a brand-new single album titled ‘Midas Touch’.The band made the announcement via their social media channels today (March 15) at midnight KST, revealing the format, title and release date of their long-awaited comeback. Titled ‘Midas Touch’, the single album will officially drop on April 3 at 6pm KST.The announcement also came with the first teaser image for the comeback: a simple pink graphic of a heart with an arrow pierced through it.

IVE‘s recent concert in Los Angeles.IVE – comprising Jang Wonyoung, An Yujin, Leeseo, Liz, Rei and Gaeul – are currently on the US leg of their first world tour ‘Show What I Have’. Their most recent show was held earlier this week on March 13 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, which was attended by television personality and model Heidi Klum.During the concert, Klum took to Instagram Stories with a series of photos and videos of her time backstage in what appears to be a VIP room, which included a buffet spread to celebrate IVE’s show in the city.

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.

SM Entertainment has announced its intention to take “strong legal action” over rumours about its boyband RIIZE.In a new statement, SM Entertainment touched on the “creation of posts about RIIZE] that cross the line”, which include “[character] attacks, insults, and malicious slander”, calling them “a clear criminal act that severely defame our artist’s character and violate their rights”, per Soompi.In response to the rumours, the K-pop agency added that it is “in the process of reviewing the material we have gathered, and we plan to take strong legal action by suing so that the perpetrators of these illegal acts will be punished, without any settlement or leniency”.Outside of the rumours, SM Entertainment also warned “legal action” against those who are invading the privacy of its artists through “habitual stalking, verbal abuse and swearing, sexual harassment and more”.안녕하세요. SM엔터테인먼트입니다.

BLACKPINK have officially joined Spotify’s ‘Billions Club’ with their hit 2020 single ‘How You Like That’.BLACKPINK’s ‘How You Like That’ crossed one billion streams earlier this week, becoming the first K-pop girl group to reach this milestone. Notably, group member Lisa had previously made it to the list in September 2023 with her viral solo song ‘Money’.The song has since been added into Spotify’s official ‘Billions Club’ playlist, alongside other hit tracks that have also surpassed one billion streams on the music platform.

TWICE recently revisited a number of their old hits and fan favourites for Dingo Music’s popular Killing Voice series.TWICE made their first appearance on Dingo Music’s popular YouTube series Killing Voice yesterday (March 12), where artists are invited to perform medleys of their hit tracks. Other K-pop groups who have appeared on the series include Red Velvet, SEVENTEEN, MAMAMOO and more.During the girl group’s 30-minute-long medley, the nine-member act performed a number of their most popular tracks.

VERIVERY have announced their upcoming 2024 ‘Go On’ fan-meeting tour, featuring shows in the US and Asia.VERIVERY revealed the first batch of dates for their newly announced 2024 ‘Go On’ fan-meeting tour today (March 11) through their official X (formerly Twitter) account. The boyband will kick things off with a show in Seoul, South Korea on May 12.Thereafter, VERIVERY will head to the US in June 2024.

Attrakt has been cleared of charges in a lawsuit filed by former FIFTY FIFTY members over alleged breach of trust.This is according to a statement given to South Korean news outlet Yonhap News today (March 11) by a representative from Attrakt, who said that the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul has “decided not to transfer the case of breach of trust filed by former FIFTY FIFTY members Saena, Sio and Aran [with no charges]”, as translated by Soompi. The K-pop agency also said that it would “hold those who deceived the members, who do not understand the accounting principles of corporate funds and encouraged them to file a complaint accountable for their actions of tampering [with their contracts] until the end”.On the same day, Attrakt also announced the upcoming return of FIFTY FIFTY, with new faces set to join remaining original member Keena in “June or July this year”, per Korea JoongAng Daily. More details about the group’s new line-up and music are expected to arrive in the coming months.In August last year, FIFTY FIFTY’s legal counsel – led by law firm Barun – officially announced that the idols had filed a criminal complaint against Attrakt CEO Jeon Hong-joon for “violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc.

BLACKPINK singer Jennie has revealed that ‘Slow Motion’, her recent collaboration single with Matt Champion, was made three years ago.BLACKPINK’s Jennie took to her personal Instagram account to share a note about ‘Slow Motion’ shortly after it released on March 8, alongside a polaroid picture of her with Matt Champion. “Can’t believe this beautiful song is finally out,” Jennie wrote.She also shared that she and Champion created ‘Slow Motion’ about three years ago, which is also notable when Jennie’s solo work was still managed by YG Entertainment.“This one’s close to my heart and I’m so excited to share its message with you all,” she added.

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.

NCT member Lucas Wong has announced his debut solo single, titled ‘Renegade’.Lucas’ new single was announced today (March 11) through the singer’s official social media accounts. According to a teaser image for the release, ‘Renegade’ will drop on April 1 at 6pm KST.‘Renegade’ will feature three English tracks, with label SM Entertainment describing the title track as a “rock-based hip-hop song that embodies the ambition to pursue one’s own path without hesitation, embracing change for a better direction and a stronger inner self”.LUCAS 루카스 The 1st Single 〖Renegade〗 ➫ 2024.4.1 6PM KST#LUCAS #루카스 #Renegade #LUCAS_Renegade pic.twitter.com/kzkTWFPeoK— LUCAS (@lucas_official) March 10, 2024루카스 첫 싱글 ‘Renegade’ 4월 1일 오후 6시 발매! 오늘부터 예판 시작동명의 타이틀 곡 ‘Renegade’ 포함 영어곡 총 3곡으로 구성‘Renegade’는 록 기반의 힙합 곡으로 더 나은 방향을 위한 변화와 더욱 강해진 내면을 통해 망설임 없이 자신의 길을 걸어가겠다는 포부 담겨Lucas is making his… pic.twitter.com/1obOW9Lxrs— LUCAS (@lucas_official) March 11, 2024The official announcement of Lucas’ debut solo single comes just days after SM Entertainment confirmed that the ex-NCT member would make his return this year. It marks his first project since he went on hiatus in August 2021 after a South Korean netizen claiming to be his ex-girlfriend accused him of gaslighting her.Lucas would later leave both NCT and its sub-group WayV in May 2023, but would remain signed under SM Entertainment, with the label saying that the singer was “planning on showing his performance though a wide variety of individual works from now on”.Last month, the Hong Kong-born K-pop idol addressed is past controversies in a two-part documentary titled Freeze and Unfreeze.

LOONA singer Chuu in a second trial against her former label Blockberry Creative.South Korean news outlet Xsports News reported earlier today (March 8) the result of a second trial in a lawsuit between Chuu and music label Blockberry Creative, ruling in favour of the former again. A representative of the court told Xsports in a brief statement: “We judged that the conclusion of the first trial was reasonable,” per Soompi. Chuu’s lawsuit against the company was first filed for a provisional injunction to suspend her contract with Blockberry Creative in January 2022, which the court had accepted.