K-pop Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Gyubin has released ‘Special’, a brand-new collaboration with NELL’s Kim Jong-wan.‘Special’ is the final instalment of Gyubin’s collaboration project trilogy. The first two releases were ‘Scribble’ with rapper Wonstein in September 2023 and ‘Start To Shine’ which features Dynamic Duo’s Gaekko in December 2023.“I made this track with nervousness, excitement, and gratitude, and it was great to work with Kim Jong-wan of NELL, a senior whom I truly respect,” Gyubin said of the new track in a press release.“Ultimately, ‘Special’ sings hope.

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.

Zico and BLACKPINK member Jennie have released their new collaboration, titled ‘Spot!’.The music video for ‘Spot!’ features Zico and BLACKPINK’s Jennie performing the song on a variety of sets, from a photo studio to a recording booth. Later, the duo gather with friends on a roof-top for a late-night party.“As soon as I finished making the track, I knew it was executed to perfection without a doubt,” Zico said of ‘Spot!’ in a press release.

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”.

OnlyOneOf have announced more dates and concerts for their ongoing ‘Things I Can’t Say LOve’ world tour in 2024.Today, (April 26), OnlyOneOf revealed the cities and date for their long-awaited Asia and Australia legs of their 2024 world tour. It comes after the K-pop boyband announced the Japan, America and Europe legs of the tour over the past few months.In July 2024, OnlyOneOf will hold concerts in eight Asian cities, which include Taipei, Hong Kong, Manila, Singapore and more.

BIBI and Jackson Wang have dropped a music video for their new collaboration, ‘Feeling Lucky’.The sultry visual largely features BIBI and Jackson Wang in intimate close-up shots as they performing the song while embracing one another. It comes just weeks after the duo debuted ‘Feeling Lucky’ live during week one of Coachella 2024, as part of 88rising’s ‘Futures’ set.“Something about the way that it taste / You’re running your mouth at a dangerous race / You know what to do and you know what to say / Even when you’rе away, I’m always thinking ’bout you,” they harmonise on the song.

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”.

Kep1er will reportedly disband in July after discussions about a potential contract extension fall through.Today (April 25), South Korean news outlet Star News reported that Kep1er will disband in July as originally scheduled, with the members returning back to their respective agencies thereafter. The K-pop act were in discussions for a contract extension earlier this month, according to Dispatch.The temporary girl group – comprising Yujin, Xiaoting, Mashiro, Chaehyun, Dayeon, Hikaru, Huening Bahiyyih, Youngeun and Yeseo – were formed through the 2021 reality show Girls Planet 999 and had a contract for two years and six months.Per Star News, the girl group will release new music and hold a concert to bid their fans farewell before their official disbandment.

AB6IX have announced the dates for their upcoming 2024 ‘Find You’ fan concert tour, featuring concerts in South Korea and North America.Today (April 25), AB6IX have revealed the South Korean and North American dates for their upcoming 2024 ‘Find You’ fan concert tour. It’ll kick off next month with a two-date performance at the KBS Arena in Seoul, South Korea on May 25 and 26.The boyband will embark on the North American leg in July, which will feature concerts across the US, Canada and Mexico.

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.

ZEROBASEONE have dropped the music video for their new single, ‘Sweat’, a cut off their upcoming mini-album, ‘You Had Me At Hello’.In the music video for ‘Sweat’, the members of ZEROBASEONE perform the song and its energetic choreography on a stage that’s right in the middle of a water park. Footage of the members by the pool, enjoying the summer heat are also featured in the clip.“Oh baby I’ll make you sweat, sweat, sweat, sweat, sweat / You toward me, burn it up / With your touch, turn it up / Oh baby I wanna sway, sway, sway, sway, sway / Me toward you, dive into you / Following me, like this everyday,” they belt on the chorus.‘Sweat’ will appear on their upcoming mini-album ‘You Had Me At Hello’, which is set to drop in full on May 13 at 6pm KST.

BBGirls member Youjoung has addressed her “sudden” departure from the K-pop girl group in a new Instagram post.Earlier this week, BBGirls announced that long-time member Youjoung would be leaving the group after eight years. The news came shortly after the quartet left Warner Music Korea following “after long and sufficient discussions about future activities”, and subsequently establishing their own label BBGirls Company.Youjoung has since spoken out about what she calls her “sudden” decision to leave BBGirls in a statement on Instagram.

The Atypical Family, starring Jang Ki-yong. Learn everything you need to know about the series below.The Atypical Family centres around Bok Gwi-joo and his family, who are all born with various supernatural powers.

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”.

KARD rapper BM has announced the upcoming release of his first solo mini-album, titled ‘Element’.BM made the announcement today (April 24) through KARD’s social media pages, revealing the upcoming mini-album’s title and release date. In the post, the K-pop idol also dropped the first visual teaser for the record, which features the K-pop idol standing in the middle of an old-school movie theatre.Per Star News, ‘Element’ is bring described as s project that “began with BM’s fundamental curiosity about the reason why various emotions arise between men and women, such as love, separation and jealousy”.

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.

ATEEZ have finally made good on their promise.The beloved Hip-Hop/K-Pop group just announced they’ll play stadiums and arenas all over North America this July and August on their ten-concert ‘TOWARDS THE LIGHT : WILL TO POWER’ tour.Midway through the run, Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho stop into New York’s Citi Field on Saturday, Aug. 3.This quick summer tour comes on the heels of the octet’s historic Coachella performance where they became the first K-Pop boy band to perform at the multi-weekend festival.“We used the best songs,” San said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.And if you’re an ATINY that can’t wait to hear ATEEZ’s best songs live, tickets for all concerts can be yours as soon as today.Although inventory isn’t available on Ticketmaster until Friday, May 3, 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 tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below.On Feb.

(G)I-DLE singer Yuqi has dropped the music video for her new solo single, ‘Freak’.In the music video for ‘Freak’, (G)I-DLE’s Yuqi finds herself haunted by characters from horror music such as Scream, Saw, The Shining and more. But as the weeks go on, she gets used to living with these “freaks”, and soon befriends them and goes on to form a band.“She’s a certified freak / Ten days a week / The way she’s movin’ got me crazy, got me weak,” the Chinese K-pop idol sings on ‘Freak’.

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.

ATEEZ have announced their new mini-album, ‘Golden Hour: Part. 1’, due out next month.ATEEZ announced ‘Golden Hour: Part.

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.

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).

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.

ASTRO’s JinJin has unveiled a new song titled ‘Fly’, featuring vocals from late bandmate Moonbin.ASTRO’s JinJin released ‘Fly’ on April 19, which is the anniversary of Moonbin’s death. The song features rap verses by JinJin, pared by a chorus that features vocals from Moonbin.

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.

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.