Jeong Da-gyo, official debut with ‘Kind Mr. Shipowner’ OST ‘One Love’

Jung Da-kyo will be debuting in the music industry through the OST ‘One Love’ of the MBC daily drama ‘Kind Sun-joo-ssi’. Jung Da-kyo is an artist who has been recognized for her solid vocal skills through YouTube cover activities and underground stages. She has received many love calls from the music industry, but has been carefully considering a music career while working as a department head at a mid-sized construction company. For this debut, she decided to sing the OST at the recommendation of hit composer Kim Ji-hwan, whom she respects, and this is how she began her full-fledged singing career. ‘One Love’ is a famous song that has been previously sung by Park Sang-min and Choo Sung-hoon, and it is expected to be reborn with Jung Da-kyo‘s unique sensibility and deep voice. In particular, this ‘Kind Miss Seonju’ OST has garnered much anticipation with the participation of outstanding artists such as Byun Jin-seop, Jeon Young-rok, Son Tae-jin, and Heo Chan-mi. MBC’s daily drama ‘Kind

Yoon Se-yeon, joins hands with JL Group to start singing career [Official]

Singer Yoon Se-yeon has signed an exclusive contract with trot label JL Group, drawing attention. On the morning of the 6th, JL Group said, “We have signed an exclusive contract with singer Yoon Se-yeon, who has a refreshing and sweet voice and energy. We will support Yoon Se-yeon, who has the passion and energy of youth, to grow into an artist loved by the public.” Yoon Se-yeon is an artist who has earned the nickname ‘MZ singer’ as a inheritor of the National Intangible Cultural Property Gyeonggi Folk Song and has continued to attempt various musical genres such as composition and crossover beyond traditional music. In addition to winning various national music competitions, she became known through JTBC‘s ‘Pungryu Daejang’, and also won the ‘Best Artist of the Year’ at the ‘Youth in Bloom’, a youth national music incubation project hosted by the National Jeongdong Theater. Since then, Yoon Se-yeon has released fusion national music songs such as ‘Napalbaji’, ‘Open the Door’, and has

‘Debut’ Hearts To Hearts, 8-color freedom… Selfie video released

The selfie video of SM Entertainment‘s new girl group Hearts2Hearts has been released. This selfie video captures the cool visuals and free-spirited atmosphere of the eight members. They utilized the Unlisted function, which allows them to view only through links provided without being directly exposed or searched on YouTube, and inserted a selfie video link at the end of the previously released group call video, sharing the members’ secret moments with global fans and increasing their intimacy. Hearts 2 Hearts, consisting of eight members with diverse charms: Jiwoo, Carmen, Yuha, Stella, Jueun, Aina, Ian, and Yewon, will release their first single ‘The Chase’ on February 24th and debut, and will hold the ‘Hearts2Hearts Debut Fan Showcase ’ (Hearts 2 Hearts Debut Fan Showcase 〈Chase Our Hearts〉) at 8 PM on the same day at Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Hearts 2 Hearts‘ first single ‘The Chase’ consists of the title song ‘The Chase’ and the track ‘Butterflies.

‘God of Performance’ Kim Junsu, Musical Debut 15th Anniversary Fan Meeting “Best Ever”

Singer Junsu Kim will be holding a fan meeting to celebrate the 15th anniversary of his musical debut. According to his agency Palm Tree Island on the 6th, Junsu Kim will be holding ‘Kim Junsu Village 15’ at Kyunghee University‘s Peace Hall in Seoul for two days on the 8th and 9th. This fan meeting is more than just a meeting with fans; it is a meaningful event to commemorate his 15-year career in musicals. Junsu Kim will decorate the stage with a unique concept of composing various characters he has played over the past 15 years into a ‘large-scale complex’. Through the ‘Musical Character Complex’, which is divided into a total of 10 zones,

BLACKPINK Confirms 2025 World Tour [Official]

The group BLACKPINK has announced that they will be holding a world tour in 2025. Their agency YG Entertainment posted ‘BLACKPINK 2025 WORLD TOUR TEASER’ on their official blog on the 6th. This is the first teaser video announcing that BLACKPINK has embarked on a full group comeback project approximately 1 year and 5 months after their [BORN PINK] tour. The wave of pink light sticks that decorated the large-scale concert hall during the last tour and the aura of the four members standing in front of them were truly overwhelming. The irreplaceable presence of the ‘legendary girl group’ that thrilled audiences around the world was once again brought to mind, while the phrase ‘2025 WORLD TOUR’ was engraved on it, making viewers‘ hearts flutter. Although specific information such as the scale and schedule of the tour have not been released yet, expectations are already at their peak. As General Producer Yang Hyun-suk had previously announced BLACKPINK’s comeback, global music fans‘ interes

Zero Base One, 2nd place on Japan‘s Oricon Weekly Chart

The group ZEROBASEONE has achieved two crowns on the Japanese Oricon Weekly Chart. According to the Japanese Oricon News on the 6th, ZEROBASEONE (Sung Hanbin, Kim Jiwoong, Jang Hao, Seok Matthew, Kim Taerae, Ricky, Kim Kyubin, Park Gunwook, Han Yujin)‘s first Japanese EP ‘PREZENT’ ranked first on the Oricon Weekly Combined Album Ranking as of February 10 (aggregation period: January 27 to February 2) with 258,100 points. The Weekly Combined Album Ranking converts CD sales, digital downloads, and streaming counts into points according to each standard and then ranks them. This is the second time that ZEROBASEONE has reached the top of the chart, after their domestically released third mini album ‘You had me at HELLO’. In particular, ZEROBASEONE has become a double crown winner by taking first place on both the Oricon weekly album ranking and the weekly combined album ranking with ‘PREZENT’. They broke their own record for first-week sales,

The second ZEROBASEONE and Eunice are preparing… This year, too, the ‘Audition Group’ boom

With idol audition programs becoming established as a genre of ‘K-content’, the ‘audition groups’ formed through related programs are expected to continue their dominance this year. In particular, with the final members recently formed through SBS ‘Universe League’, JTBC ‘Project 7’, etc. set to debut simultaneously in the first half of the year, the atmosphere of a competition between these groups on the K-pop stage has already been formed.The nine-member boy group AHOF formed through ‘Universe

Park Jong-min, comeback on the 11th… Expect deep emotions

Rookie singer Park Jong-min will make a comeback on the 11th with his new song ‘INSIDE’. On the 5th, Park Jong-min announced the release of his new single ‘INSIDE’ by revealing the album jacket image through his official SNS. Park Jong-min, who officially debuted last November, will make an official comeback in 3 months by releasing his new song ‘INSIDE’. Park Jong-min, who showed off his charming vocals that summoned unrequited love with his debut song ‘Dear My Star’, is raising expectations for what message he will deliver with ‘INSIDE’. In the revealed jacket image, Park Jong-min shows off dreamy visuals against a background reminiscent of a blue sea and flickering lights. In particular, the dreamy expression of Park Jong-min, as if lost in thought, along with the phrase ‘THE BRIGHT LIGHT SHINE ON ME’, raised curiosity about the new song. Park Jong-min is a new musician who proved his skills by winning the final round of Mnet‘s ‘Large Karaoke Survival VS’, which aired in 2023. He th

AOA Chanmi has completely changed… New agency and actress Im Do-hwa ‘New start’

AOA Chanmi has completely changed… New agency and actress Im Do-hwa ‘New start’ Chanmi, formerly of girl group AOA, has decided to use the stage name Im Do-hwa and is taking a new leap forward as an actress. Her new agency Dante Entertainment announced on the 6th through an official press release that they have signed an exclusive contract with Im Do-hwa. They stated that they will fully support Im Do-hwa by seeking various works and activity opportunities so that she can demonstrate her diverse charms and potential. Im Do-hwa received much love for her bright and lively image during her time with girl group AOA. Since then, she has been seeking a new path as an actress and has been receiving constant love calls from the musical and theater industries as her acting skills have been recognized following her music career. She will begin her acting career in earnest through this contract. Im Do-hwa expressed her aspirations, saying, “I am very happy to have signed with Dante Entertainment

Chungha, Music + Visuals All in One Highlight Medley Released

Singer Chungha has released a highlight medley video of all the songs on her new EP ‘Alivio’. The video begins with the sequential release of highlights from ‘Creepin’, an R&B song that delicately captures the inner conflict of trying to deny feelings of being in love, ’Salty (with Sunmi)‘, which contains a message of accepting oneself as is, ’Loyal‘, which tells the story of finding the one person you can trust and be with forever, and ’STRESS‘, which melts positive energy of wanting to fully enjoy this moment. Also, ’Beat of My Heart‘, a fan song that contains a message that Chungha participated in writing the lyrics for, and ’Even Steven (Happy Ending)‘, which perfectly expresses the theme of letting go of the oppressed past and moving on to a new life. Ending))‘, calmly expresses the complex emotions felt at the end of love to the listeners.

All Hours, Appearance on ‘M Countdown’ today (6th)… Comeback Declaration

The group ALL(H)OURS (Gunho, Yumin, Jaden, Minje, Masami, Hyunbin, On) will appear on Mnet‘s ‘M Countdown’, airing at 6 PM on the 6th, to perform for the first time the double title song ‘GIMME GIMME’ from their third mini-album ‘Smoke Point’. ALL(H)OURS, who made a comeback in 7 months by releasing their third mini-album ‘Smoke Point’ on the 4th, will show a stage packed with their signature strongest performance on that day’s broadcast. ‘Smoke Point’ is an album that contains the declaration and confidence that ALL(H)OURS, who have heated up with their first album ‘ALL OURS’ and second album ‘WITNESS’, are finally starting to burn brightly. The double title track ‘GIMME GIMME’ is a dance track with a wild guitar riff as the main theme and an explosive feeling of tight EDM-style bass and drum sounds. It pursues a ‘fun song’ that anyone can easily enjoy by effectively arranging easy repeating phrases. ‘Smo

On and Off, Mature Visuals… First Concept Video + Photos Released

The group ONF has released the concept clip and photos of the ‘FIND THE ROUTE’ version of their 2nd regular album Part 1 ‘ONF:MY IDENTITY’. First, in the concept clip, ONF is showing a serious and agonizing appearance in a space where the floor is a chessboard. ONF breaks the order by becoming the chess pieces themselves and moving, or by placing sofas and chairs on the chessboard. The clip captures the members‘ preparations and concerns in a standardized space. The last part of the clip contains the phrase ‘BEYOND THE GRID, WE TAKE THE FIRST STEP TOWARD OUR OWN PATH’. It foreshadows that ONF will break away from the standardized path and pioneer a new path of their own. Concept photos that show the six members’ more mature visuals were also released. They caught people‘s attention with their suit-based styling and strong colors as accents. Objects that appeared in the clip, such as a globe, a telescope, and a chessboard, also appear and take steps to find a new path.

‘Comeback’ G-Dragon, Headliner for ‘HITC LA 2025’ in May [Official]

Singer G-DRAGON will be the headliner of ‘HEAD IN THE CLOUDS LOS ANGELES 2025’. G-DRAGON has been named to the lineup for ‘HEAD IN THE CLOUDS LOS ANGELES 2025 (hereafter ‘HITC LA 2025’), which will be held at Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on May 31 and June 1 (local time). ‘HITC LA 2025’ is the largest global festival that has been held for several years by the Asian-American entertainment company ‘88Rising’ to introduce Asian artists to the US. Among them, G-DRAGON will be on stage as a headliner on the first day of the festival, May 31st. He previously appeared at the ‘Yellow Coin Collection Charity Event’ in France with a styling that perfectly harmonized glamor and dandyism, and based on intense red.

Jang Song-ho, Happy Birthday (Tropic)

Singer Jang Song-ho is receiving a ‘Trotpick’ birthday event. According to Trotpick, a service that supports people who love trot culture, Jang Song-ho was selected as the event star in a special vote for those born in February. The vote was held from January 15 to January 21. The Trotpick birthday event is characterized by support being provided in stages based on the number of votes. As a result of the vote, Jang Song-ho earned 50,000 points, achieving 100% birthday support. Accordingly, on February 6, the day of his birthday, a congratulatory pop-up will be held within the Trotpick app, an online article release event will be held, and a birthday celebration video will be shown on the electronic billboard in Myeongdong, Seoul. The detailed location of the video event can be found on the ‘Trotpick’ official website. Jeon Hyo-jin, Donga.com reporter jhj@donga.com

Red Velvet Concert Live Movie Released Nationwide at CGV [Entertainment News HOT]

The movie ‘Red Velvet Happiness Diary: My Dear, Level Up in Cinema’, which contains live footage of the group Red Velvet‘s concert, will be released nationwide at CGV on the 5th. The movie contains footage of Red Velvet’s concert in Seoul held in August last year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut. To commemorate the release, they will also hold a stage greeting at CGV Yongsan I‘Park Mall on the 7th. The movie includes performances of Red Velvet’s hit songs such as ‘Happiness’ ‘Red Flavor’, as well as behind-the-scenes footage.

‘Music Source Fraud’ Former Young Tak Agency CEO Detained in Court [Entertainment News HOT]

The former CEO of singer Young Tak, who was brought to trial on charges of ‘music source manipulation’, was sentenced to prison and detained in court. Judge Park Byeong-gon of the 5th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Lee Jae-gyu (49), CEO of Milagro, who was indicted on charges of violating the Music Industry Promotion Act, to 8 months in prison and detained him in court, saying “there is a risk of flight”. Nine people, including entertainment agency officials who were indicted on the same charges, were also sentenced to prison terms ranging from 6 months to 2 years or suspended sentences. They are accused of artificially raising the rankings of 15 music sources on major domestic music streaming (real-time playback) sites for one year starting in December 2018.

Blackpink Jisoo‘s side “Legal response to malicious commenters, no leniency or agreement” (Full text) [Official]

BLACKPINK member Jisoo has declared war on malicious commenters. On the 5th, her agency BLISSOO stated on their official homepage, “Malicious posts and comments that defame our artist Jisoo, such as slander and spreading false information, are continuously occurring.” “We are conducting our own monitoring and data collection with a professional law firm, and we plan to respond strongly to acts that defame our artists. Furthermore, there will be no leniency or agreements in this process.” They added, “We will continue to make active efforts to prevent damage to not only our artists, but also all of the fans who love Jisoo.” Ahead of Jisoo‘s comeback this month, it is interpreted that the agency has taken legal action after discovering continued online malicious comments and spreading false information. Jisoo will make a comeback on the 14th with her new mini-album, ’AMORTAGE.‘ Also, the index was high in Manila, Bangkok, Tokyo, Macau, Taipei, Hong Kong, Hanoi, etc. during the first half

The Boyz Confirms Additional Japanese Fancon

The Boyz announced that additional dates for their Japanese fan concert ‘THE B LAND in JAPAN’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘THE B LAND‘) have been confirmed. As a result, the fan concert, which was originally scheduled to be held at the Tokyo National Yoyogi Stadium First Gymnasium on the 22nd and 23rd, has been extended to the 24th, allowing them to meet local fans for three days. The fan concert ’THE B LAND‘ was planned to reflect THE BOYZ‘s desire to spend a joyful new year with their fans. The three-day Seoul concert from January 31st to February 2nd was successfully concluded, and its splendid stage design, high-quality VCR, and packed set list were widely shared on various social media platforms, receiving favorable reviews from many fans. Thanks to their huge popularity in Seoul, ticket sales continued in Japan, and the concert was extended by one more day to meet more local fans. Also, with the news of leader Sangyeon’s military enlistment being announced, this is another opport

Lisenne, ‘Glow Up’ with a soapy scent

The group Resene is performing the title song of the same name at the showcase commemorating the release of their second mini-album, ‘Glow Up‘, held at Ilchi Art Hall in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 5th. Reporter Joo Hyun-hee teth1147@donga.com

Lisenne, 2nd mini album ‘Glow Up’

The group Resene is performing the title song of the same name at the showcase commemorating the release of their second mini-album, ‘Glow Up‘, held at Ilchi Art Hall in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 5th. Reporter Joo Hyun-hee teth1147@donga.com