SM Entertainment Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

SHINee singer Onew has opened up about his decision to leave long-time label SM Entertainment.In a new interview with (x)clusive Singapore, SHINee’s Onew spoke more about why he made the choice to leave SM Entertainment, after over 15 years with the K-pop agency. The singer left the company this March and signed to Griffin Entertainment earlier this month.“You could think of it as me taking on another challenge, as I aspire to be an artist who looks further ahead rather than being complacent,” Onew told the publication in a new interview, adding that “it was not easy to decide to start anew in a new place”.Elsewhere in the interview, the SHINee singer also spoke about how to keeps his passion for music after being in the industry for so long: “I have become flexible to different situations, and I think that’s the key.”Onew is the second member of SHINee to leave SM Entertainment, following Taemin, who has since signed with Big Planet Made.

Apink, Girls’ Generation and more have allegedly been “detained” in Bali, Indonesia after reportedly filming a show in the country without permit.Today (April 26), South Korean news outlet SPOTV reported that four K-pop idols – Girls’ Generation’s Hyoyeon, Apink’s Bomi, Secret Number‘s Dita and ex-I.O.I member Nayoung – have been detained in Bali, alongside other cast and crew members of the upcoming reality television programme Pick Me Trip in Bali.According to the news outlet, the K-pop idols arrived in Bali on April 21 and were scheduled to leave on April 25. However, their departure from Bali was stopped after local authorities discovered that the show the was being filmed without appropriate permits.All of the cast and crew, which amounts up to around 30 individuals, have allegedly had their passports confiscated and are currently residing in a hotel while the case is under investigation.

NCT Dream‘s Renjun will be taking a hiatus amid health concerns, his label SM Entertainment has announced.In a statement, per Xsports News, SM Entertainment announced that NCT Dream singer Renjun would be taking a break from his scheduled activities for the foreseeable future, following medical advice he’d received from doctors.The K-pop agency said that the singer was told by doctors that he requires “plenty of rest and stability”, after having recently visited the hospital “due to a recent worsening of his physical health and symptoms of anxiety”, per Soompi.“We deemed our artist’s health our top priority and after careful discussion with Renjun, we decided that he would focus on his treatment and recovery,” SM Entertainment said, adding that the company would “make another announcement in the future when he is able to resume his activities”.As part of this newly announced hiatus, Renjun will also miss NCT Dream’s upcoming three-date May concert at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome, as part of their ‘The Dream Show 3: Dream( )scape’ world tour. It’s currently unclear if the singer will join the boyband on the tour’s other dates.In addition, SM Entertainment also added that it will take legal action against malicious commenters who post content involving hateful slander, sexual harassment, defamation and more for not only Renjun but for all SM artists.In other K-pop news, aespa has dropped the first trailer for their upcoming studio album ‘Armageddon’, slated for full release on May 27.

Super Junior‘s Ryeowook has personally addressed a slew of hate comments that have been left on his social media accounts.Yesterday (April 18), Ryeowook responded to a comment on his YouTube channel that called for the singer to “leave the group and open a cafe with your girlfriend”. The commenter also said that the singer should “go on a diet” while also calling him “pathetic”, per Koreaboo. Lashing back at the commenter, Ryeowok worte: “So I looked pathetic to you.

Super Junior have announced their upcoming 2024 ‘Super Show Spin-off: Halftime’ tour, with concerts in Thailand, Singapore and more.Today (April 18), Super Junior announced the dates and venues of their upcoming 2024 ‘Super Show Spin-off: Halftime’ tour. It comes about three months after the boyband first teased the tour in a statement to news outlet News1.The K-pop boyband will kick off their 12-date tour with a two-date performance on June 22 and 23 at the KSPO Dome in Seoul, South Korea.

SHINee singer Key has announced dates for his upcoming 2024 ‘Keyland On: And On’ tour, featuring concerts in Thailand, Indonesia and more.Today (April 17), SHINee’s Key revealed four new dates for his 2024 ‘Keyland On: And On’ tour. They come about three months after the singer originally kicked off the series of concerts with a two-night performance at the Olympic Handball Stadium in Seoul, South Korea.Key will bring his ‘Keyland On: And On’ tour to the cities of Bangkok, Jakarta and Macau in July 2024, all of which will take place on either a Saturday or Sunday.

aespa singer Winter recently underwent what is being described as a “preventive” surgery for a collapsed lung.In a statement today (April 12), the Winter’s label SM Entertainment confirmed reports that the aespa singer recently underwent surgery for a pneumothorax, which is also commonly known as collapsed lung.Speaking to South Korean news outlet Newsen, the K-pop agency said that because the condition is “prone to recurrence”, the surgery was “carried out as a preventive measure in accordance with her doctor’s opinion, and the decision was made after plenty of discussion”, per Soompi.SM Entertainment added said that Winter is “currently recovering”, adding that the aespa singer’s recovery is their “top priority moving forward” when touching on how the surgery would affect the group’s scheduled activities.aespa are expected to drop new music in the second quarter of 2024, according to a preview of upcoming music release SM Entertainment released in February. It is currently unclear how Winter’s surgery will affect these plans.The K-pop group have also announced their upcoming 2024 ‘SYNK: Parallel Line’ world tour, featuring concerts in Asia, Australia and more.

Minho and Key of K-pop boyband SHINee have renewed their contracts with long-time label SM Entertainment.SM Entertainment announced the contract renewals of both Minho and Key in a statement to South Korean news outlet Sports Chosun, saying that the SHINee duo had re-signed due to a “strong foundation of trust” with the K-pop agency, via Soompi.“We are happy to continue our valuable relationship with Minho and Key,” SM Entertainment added. “We will provide our full support in various ways for Minho and Key to shine not only as members of SHINee but also as solo artists.”In the same statement, Minho and Key also touched on their decision to re-sign with SM Entertainment, saying that the K-pop boyband have “spent every moment together [with the agency] from our beginning until now”.“I think we are who we are today because of the agency staff that we have worked together with for a long time,” the SHINee members added.

BoA has seemingly hinted at plans to retire from the music industry in a cryptic Instagram post.Over the weekend on April 6, BoA stirred discussion about her potential retirement when she posted Instagram Stories that talked about the upcoming end of her current contract with SM Entertainment. “Now that my contract is ending, I can retire, right?” she wrote, as translated by Koreaboo.BoA via Instagram story:— “Once the contract ends, it’s okay for me to retire, right?” pic.twitter.com/IySaDxuN5C— Kpop Charts (@kchartsmaster) April 6, 2024The day after the original post went up, BoA seemingly responded to the speculations about her retirement, revealing that her current contract with long-time label SM Entertainment will only expire in late-2025.“My contract ends on December 31, 2025! Until then, I will do my best as a singer happily,” she wrote.

NCT singer Doyoung has announced the upcoming release of his debut solo album, titled ‘Youth’.Doyoung revealed that he would be making his solo debut earlier today (April 4) through posts on NCT’s social media accounts, where he announced ‘Youth’. The record is set to be released on April 22 at 6pm KST, with more information about the album expected in the coming days.According to SM Entertainment, per The Korea Herald, Doyoung’s upcoming debut solo album will feature 10 songs and will be “full of [the singer’s] honest feelings and emotions” as well as “reflect the emotions that youngsters experience”.DOYOUNG ‘청춘의 포말 (YOUTH)’【청춘의 포말 (YOUTH) – The 1st Album】➫ 2024.04.22 6PM (KST)#DOYOUNG #도영 #청춘의포말#DOYOUNG_청춘의포말#DOYOUNG_청춘의포말_YOUTH#NCT #NCT127 pic.twitter.com/QoXtVgHRis— NCT (@NCTsmtown) April 3, 2024Doyoung will be the first member of NCT go embark on a solo career.

aespa have teamed up with Korean-American DJ TOKiMONSTA on a new song titled ‘Die Trying’.aespa and TOKiMONSTA’s new song ‘Die Trying’ is for the soundtrack of Netflix’s upcoming original movie Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, due out on April 19. The film is the sequel to 2023’s Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child Of Fire, written and directed by Zack Snyder.“See me goin’ psycho / Someone tell me what’s it gonna take / Coming out the gate, I’m a rockstar / I eliminate the imposters / We the last ones on the roster / Never wave a white flag out die trying,” aespa sing on the chorus of the new song, which was produced by TOKiMONSTA.Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child Of Fire was released on Netflix in December 2023.

RIIZE have announced their debut mini-album ‘RIIZING’, slated for release in June, with several singles to be dropped in the lead-up.The boyband officially announced ‘RIIZING’ on social media yesterday (April 3), with a schedule of their activities in the months leading up to the mini-album’s release in June. Promotions for ‘RIIZING’ begin today (April 3), with the digital release of a full version of pre-debut teaser ‘Siren’ – listen to it here:According to the post, the K-pop boyband will drop four more songs prior to the release of ‘RIIZING’.

SHINee singer Onew has signed with Griffin Entertainment, just a month after leaving longtime agency SM Entertainment. Griffin Entertainment announced that SHINee’s Onew had signed with the company today (April 3) in a statement to South Korea news outlet Sports Kyunghang. “We are happy to be together with Onew on his new start,” the agency said, as translated by Soompi.“Griffin Entertainment will not spare any effort so that we can become the artist’s sanctuary,” the label added.

aespa singer Karina and South Korean actor Lee Jae-wook have broken up, their agencies have confirmed.Today (April 2), South Korean news outlet TenAsia reported that aespa’s Karina and Lee Jae-wook have broken up, just a little over a month after the pair went public with their relationship in late-February 2024.In response to the report, a representative from Lee’s agency C-JeS Studios confirmed that the pair have “decided on the breakup in order to focus on the project he is currently filming”, per Newsen via Soompi.“The two decided to remain as colleagues who support each other,” the entertainment agency added. “They will each greet [fans] through good activities from their respective positions going forward.

BoA has responded to negative comments she has been receiving regarding her appearance, telling commenters to “stop wasting your time”.BoA has been the subject of criticism online recently regarding what netizens claim to be a ostensible change in the singer’s appearance, which first began when she made an appearance on the K-drama Marry My Husband.Such comments resurfaced again when she posted a TikTok on March 27 of herself dancing to the chorus of her latest single, ‘Emptiness’.

SHINee singer Taemin has officially signed with Big Planet Made, shortly after leaving longtime agency SM Entertainment.Big Planet Made announced today (April 1) in a statement to South Korean outlet Star News that the company has “signed an exclusive contract with singer Taemin, who is unparalleled in his activities both as SHINee’s main dancer and as a solo artist”, per Soompi. “We will actively support Taemin’s wide range of activities in his music career, and we will do our utmost so that he can soar in broader places and in a variety of directions.

NCT Dream have released their brand-new mini-album ‘Dream( )scape’, which dropped alongside a music video for title track ‘Smoothie’.In the trippy music video for ‘Smoothie’, members of the boyband wield swords while slicing up giant fruits. Other scenes in the clip also feature various fruit-inspired visuals, alongside thrilling action scenes and more.“Smoothie Smoothie Smoothie, shake it all out and grind it / Smoothie Smoothie Smoothie, Smoothie Smoothie Smoothie / Dirty taste, take it,” the band rap on the new song’s chorus.‘Dream( )scape’ marks NCT Dream’s seventh mini-album and features six new tracks: ‘icantfeelanything’, ‘Smoothie’, ‘Box’, ‘Carat Cake’, ‘Unknown’ and ‘Breathing’.NCT Dream are set to embark on a world tour in support of their new mini-album.

BoA has shared a new teaser for her new single ‘Emptiness’, which will be released next week.BoA dropped the teaser yesterday (March 21), which included snippets from its accompanying music video and of the song itself. The clip starts with a shot of BoA lying on her bed, before she sits up and flashes of a mysterious man play before it concludes.‘Emptiness’ and its music video are both due out next week on March 26 at 6pm KST.

aespa have announced their new concert film, aespa: World Tour in Cinemas.aespa’s upcoming concert film will bring audiences back to their first world tour, ‘SYNK: Hyper Line’, which run from February to September in 2023 for 31 shows. The new movie is reportedly based on footage from the London date of that tour at the O2 Arena.According to Billboard, the concert movie will be a 125-minute feature that will include behind-the-scenes interviews with the girl group, solo performances by the members and more.“Since this is our first world tour, it will always hold a special place in our hearts as it gave us the opportunity to see MYs from all over the world,” aespa said in a statement.

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.

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.

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.

aespa have teased a brand-new song titled ‘Get Goin”, for the upcoming second season of Apple TV+’s Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock.The upcoming aespa song is described as “Fraggle-pop” by the official Apple TV account on X (formerly Twitter). In its post, the streaming platform also release a teaser video for the song, feature members of the K-pop girl group singing the new track with Fraggle Rock character Uncle Traveling Matt.aespa’s ‘Get Goin” will be released on March 29, alongside season two of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock.

NCT member Lucas Wong will make his solo debut this year, his label SM Entertainment has confirmed.Earlier today (March 8), South Korean news outlet JTBC reported that ex-NCT singer Lucas Wong would be making his solo debut this April, with the publication citing several “music industry officials”.The news was later confirmed by SM Entertainment, which represents Lucas, in a statement to Dispatch. “Lucas is preparing for solo activities next month,” the K-pop agency said, adding that a “detailed schedules will be revealed at a later date”.The former NCT member went on hiatus in August 2021 after a South Korean netizen claiming to be his ex-girlfriend accused him of gaslighting her.

SHINee member Taemin has confirmed that he will be leaving SM Entertainment after 16 years at the K-pop agency.SHINee’s Taemin recently addressed his status as an artist with SM Entertainment in a message posted on fan community app Bubble, where he confirmed that he would be “embarking on a new journey soon”, per Korea JoongAng Daily.“I made the decision to leave the company last year,” the K-pop idol explained, adding that he has also “talked with the other members [of SHINee]” regarding his decision to leave his long-time label.Taemin also spoke about how he had “wanted to break the news carefully to not cause any unnecessary concern”, while also thanking “everyone who has helped me so far” as well as “those who have faith in my decision and support me”.“I believe better things are coming and I will make sure they do,” the singer added. “I ask for your continued support in the future, both as a member of SHINee and as Taemin.”Taemin’s confirmation comes shortly after South Korean media reported that the singer would be leaving SM Entertainment this month after his current contract expires.

SHINee member Taemin and Onew will reportedly leave SM Entertainment sometime this year after their contracts with the K-pop agency expire.Yesterday (March 5), South Korean news outlets SpoTV News and YTN reported in separate stories that SHINee members Taemin and Onew would be leaving SM Entertainment following the expiration of their contracts. The duo have been with the K-pop agency since 2008, when they debuted as members of SHINee.SM Entertainment has since responded to the reports, saying that while “future plans remain unconfirmed” for the pair, they are “actively considering various options”, per The Korea Times.

RIIZE have announced their upcoming 2024 ‘RIIZING Day’ fan-con world tour, with concerts in the US, Asia and more.Today (March 5), RIIZE revealed that they would be going on a fan-con world tour in 2024, titled ‘RIIZING Day’, featuring concerts and stops in nine different cities and territories in the coming months.The boyband’s tour will kick off with a two-day concert at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul, South Korea on May 4 and 5. In the same month, the group will play hold shows in Tokyo, Japan and Los Angeles, California.The following month, RIIZE will bring their ‘RIIZING Day’ fan-con tour to Hong Kong and Taipei, before heading to the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand in July 2024.

RIIZE’s Wonbin has revealed that he nearly quit after his first day as a trainee at SM Entertainment after meeting his then-future bandmates, Sungchan and Eunseok.The rookie boyband uploaded a vlog yesterday (February 29) that captured the band’s time in Paris, France. In one segment, Wonbin and Sohee were chatting about their first impressions of each other and of the other RIIZE members, which led the former to reveal why he had almost given up on becoming an idol.Wonbin recalled feeling dejected after seeing his then-fellow trainees on his first day training under SM Entertainment. “I remember it clearly.

NCT WISH have made their official debut with the release of their new single, ‘Wish’, released in both Japanese and Korean.The six-member NCT sub-group released the song as part of their debut single album of the same name. The project also includes one other B-side track, titled ‘Sail Away’.

NCT’s Taeyong has released his sophomore solo mini-album, ‘Tap’, along with a music video for its title track of the same name.In the whimsical music video for ‘Tap’, Taeyong, dressed in an oversized business suit, wakes up in the closet of an empty ryokan, which kick starts his exploration of Japan, as he searches for Japanese delicacies such as dango, omurice and more.“Tap, tap, tap, tap, tapping on me / Awkward stare and then slinkin’ away / Looks different now, you got that right / Then I’mma stare back like I know nothing,” the NCT leader raps on the song’s funky chorus.‘Tap’ was co-written by Taeyong, while the album’s five remaining B-sides – ‘Moon Tour’, ‘Run Away’, ‘APE’, ‘Ups & Downs’ and ‘404 Loading’ – also credit Taeyong as a co-lyricist. Most of the tracks on the ‘Tap’ record were co-composed and produced by SQUAR, who also worked with Taeyong on his previous solo work.Taeyong first debuted as a solo artist last June with the mini-album ‘SHALALA’, led by a title track of the same name.

Lucas Wong, a former member of boybands NCT and WayV, has addressed his past controversies in a brand-new documentary titled Freeze. Lucas Wong released part one of Freeze on February 24 to his newly opened YouTube channel, who appears to be making his return to the music industry as an artist under SM Entertainment.

MAY 202402: Seoul, South Korea03: Seoul, South Korea04: Seoul, South Korea11: Osaka, Japan12: Osaka, Japan18: Jakarta, Indonesia25: Tokyo, Japan26: Tokyo, JapanJUNE 202402: Nagoya, Japan15: Hong Kong, China16: Hong Kong, China22: Bangkok, Thailand23: Bangkok, Thailand29: Singapore, Singapore30: Singapore, SingaporeAUGUST 202410: Manila, the Philippines11: Manila, the PhilippinesTBALatin America: August to September 2024US: September 2024Europe: October to November 20242024 NCT DREAM WORLD TOUR <THE DREAM SHOW 3>SEOUL ➫ 2024.05.02-04OSAKA ➫ 2024.05.11-12JAKARTA ➫ 2024.05.18TOKYO ➫ 2024.05.25-26NAGOYA ➫ 2024.06.02HONG KONG ➫ 2024.06.15-16BANGKOK ➫ 2024.06.22-23SINGAPORE ➫ 2024.06.29-30MANILA ➫ 2024.08.10-11LATAM ➫… pic.twitter.com/L6FeXT8dVS— NCT DREAM (@NCTsmtown_DREAM) February 20, 2024In other touring news, K-pop girl group aespa have announced their upcoming 2024 ‘SYNK: Parallel Line’ world tour, featuring concerts in Asia, Australia and more.

Red Velvet singer Wendy has announced the upcoming release of her second solo mini-album, ‘Wish You Hell’.Red Velvet’s Wendy will be dropping her second solo mini-album, titled ‘Wish You Hell’, on March 12 at 6pm KST. Alongside the announcement, the K-pop idol also releases a poster that featured a graph drawn in the shape of a heart with a photo frame above it that reads, “Be You”.More details about the mini-album, including its tracklist, single and more, have yet to be released.

NCT Dream, SEVENTEEN and more taking home the biggest prizes – view the full list of winners below.The 2024 Hanteo Music Awards took place over the past weekend from February 17 to 18 at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul, South Korea. The two-day affair was hosted by TVXQ’s Changmin, and saw the presentation of the ceremony’s four Daesangs (grand prizes).The Hanteo Music Awards are presented primarily based on the global Hanteo Charts from January 1 to December 31, 2023, accounting for up to 50% of the criteria, while global voting scores and judging scores also contributed to the determination of winners.The four biggest trophies of the ceremony were presented on the ceremony’s second day, which saw NCT Dream take home the award for Best Artist, while the Best Album and Best Performance trophies were given to SEVENTEEN and Stray Kids respectively.The fourth grand prize for Best Song was awarded to IVE, for ‘I AM’.