SM Entertainment Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

RIIZE have made their debut with their new single ‘Get A Guitar’.RIIZE are a seven-member group from SM Entertainment, featuring former NCT members Shotaro and Sungchan. The duo are joined by Eunseok, Wonbin, Seunghan, Sohee and Anton.“I love it when our eyes meet / Ooh, baby, ooh / I love it when I dance with you / Drawing sunshine in the rhythm / Full of dreams in my heart,” the boyband sing on the upbeat chorus of ‘Get A Guitar’.‘Get a Guitar’ is also the title of RIIZE’s debut single album, which include the previously released song ‘Memories’.At a press conference in Seoul for the release of ‘Get a Guitar’, SM Entertainment also announced that RIIZE will also be represented by RCA Records in the US, per Forbes.“RIIZE are ushering in an exciting new era of K-pop,” said Joseph Chang, CEO of SM and Kakao Entertainment America.

aespa’s Ningning has released her cover of Britney Spears’ 2003 hit single ‘Toxic’.In a recent episode of South Korean music TV programme Begin Again, in which a cast of musicians travel around the country to hold busking events, the K-pop idol performed an acoustic cover of the iconic Britney Spears hit.Before singing her cover, Ningning introduced the song, saying: “It’s a very famous song, [I wanted to do something] that showed who exactly Ningning from aespa is, and that’s why I chose it.”“With the taste of your lips, I’m on a ride / You’re toxic, I’m slipping under / Taste of your poison, paradise / I’m addicted to you, don’t you know that you’re toxic,” she sings in the chorus while accompanied by a guitarist.Earlier this month, aespa released their second English-language single ‘Better Things’. The song arrived shortly after the release of their May mini-album ‘MY WORLD’ and its lead track ‘Spicy’.Other songs on that record include ‘Salty & Sweet’ and ‘Thirsty’, which the girl group previously performed at a concert, and pre-release single ‘Welcome to MY World’ among others.aespa are currently on the North American leg of their ‘SYNK: Hyper Line’ world tour, which they kicked off with a concert in Los Angeles on August 13.

NCT sub-unit NCT U have released a music video for their new song ‘Baggy Jeans’On August 28 at 6pm KST, the K-pop boyband released their album ‘Golden Age’, as well as the music video for ‘Baggy Jeans’ by the group’s revolving sub-unit NCT U. The members featured in the track and new choreography-focused music video are Ten, Doyoung, Taeyong, Mark and Jaehyun.“Drip drip, you know what I mean / Yeah boy, I walk a little differently / Ride the beat Bumblebee / Lightly feelin’ so free / In my baggy baggy baggy baggy baggy baggy jeans,” they rap.

K-pop agency SM Entertainment has announced that it will be taking legal action against a fan who allegedly broke into NCT member Jaehyun’s hotel room last year.On August 21, a Twitter user uploaded several clips from inside the hotel room, claiming that had it was being used by NCT member Jaehyun at the time, per Soompi.The clips were taken without permission in a hotel where the NCT 127 members had been staying during their US tour last October, and captured some of the singer’s stage outfits and personal belongings.SM Entertainment has since released a statement announcing its intent to pursue legal action against the fan. “The video is an illegal act that seriously infringes on the privacy of the artist, and the company is collecting data on the first person who uploaded it and all those who redistributed it,” said the agency, per Newsen.It continued: “We will request the cooperation of domestic and foreign sites and legal firms to conduct a thorough investigation through law enforcement agencies.”Earlier this month, Jaehyun released the song ‘Horizon’ through NCT’s ‘NCT LAB’ project, under which the boyband release standalone solo or unit tracks.

Seulgi of girl group Red Velvet has renewed her contract with K-pop agency SM Entertainment.On August 21, South Korean news outlet Star News reported that Seulgi had decided to review her contract with SM Entertainment. The news was confirmed the next day (August 22) by the K-pop agency.In a statement to Xportnews, as translated by Koreaboo, SM Entertainment said: “We have renewed our contract with Seulgi.” This is the second time the K-pop idol has renewed her contract with the entertainment company, after first re-signing in 2021 alongside her fellow Red Velvet members.Seulgi’s decision to renew her contract with SM Entertainment comes after a tumultuous year for the K-pop agency, which saw a number of long-time artists leave the label.

Key, a member of K-pop boyband SHINee, has announced his new mini-album, ‘Good & Great’.Today (August 21), Key announced through the official SHINee Twitter account that he’ll be releasing his second solo mini-album, titled ‘Good & Great’, this September.‘Good & Great’ will be Key’s second solo release of 2023, following ‘Killer’ in February. The latter was a repackaged version of his sophomore studio album ‘Gasoline’, which dropped in August 2022, featuring three new songs.Key’s ‘Good & Great’ will be released on September 11 at 6pm KST.

Girls’ Generation member and K-pop soloist Hyoyeon has begun teasing her new single ‘Picture’.On August 17 at midnight KST, the singer unveiled new teaser photos for her upcoming return. Titled ‘Picture’, the digital single is due out August 22 at 6pm KST.

Taeil of K-pop boyband NCT has fractured his thigh as the result of a recent motorcycle accident.Taeil’s label, SM Entertainment, announced in a press statement that the singer was involved in a motorcycle accident earlier today (August 15) and has suffered a fracture to his right thigh. The agency also said that the singer would be going on a temporary hiatus as a result.“Taeil was on his way home on his motorcycle after finishing his schedule when he was involved in an accident,” SM Entertainment said in its statement, per Soompi.

SM Entertainment has filed a police report against an anonymous death threat sent to aespa‘s Winter.SM Entertainment confirmed the report, per Soompi on Tuesday (August 8) that charges have been filed against the author of the now-deleted threat. According to the agency, the threat against Winter was published on Monday (August 7), and directly resulted in an increase of security manpower.According to reports from CNA, the threat saw the author threatening to stab and kill Winter at Incheon International Airport while on the way to San Francisco for a performance with aespa.“Yesterday, a post threatening Winter’s safety was made on an online community.As soon as we confirmed this, we filed a criminal complaint with the police against the writer of the post in question, and we requested a speedy investigation and cooperation,” SM Entertainment said in a statement, per Soompi.“Additionally, we strengthened our security manpower, and aespa safely departed the country today through the cooperation of bodyguards and the airport police.

NCT are making their full-group comeback this month with a new album, ‘Golden Age’.The group’s agency, SM Entertainment, has confirmed the K-pop band’s return with the ‘Golden Age’ album arriving on August 28. It will mark the band’s first record as a full group since ‘Universe’ in December 2021.While the ‘Golden Age’ album is due for release on August 28, promotions for the record are set to kick off on Monday (August 14).

SM Entertainment has responded to statements that EXO member Baekhyun made in a livestream about new music and the founding of his own company.On Monday (August 7), the K-pop idol went live on his personal Instagram account to address speculation on his finances by Korean netizens. In the livestream, Baekhyun revealed that he had personally founded a company, tentatively named One Signature, with a friend, and that he had taken out a ₩13billion (approximately £77,500) loan for it.“It’s a company I started with my friend Kasper at the thought of wanting to grow many good choreographers and dancers.

Girls’ Generation member Sunny has announced that she has parted ways with longtime agency SM Entertainment.The singer, real name Lee Soon-kyu, took to her personal Instagram page earlier today (August 8) to personally announce her departure from the company. “I want to express my gratitude to SM Entertainment who gave great help so that 19-year-old Lee Soon-kyu could debut as Girls’ Generation’s Sunny,” she wrote in a letter, per translations by Soompi.“Looking back, there are so many people I have been grateful to for the past 16 years.

NCT have shared their upcoming lineup of ‘NCT Lab’ releases, feature solo and unit projects by various members.Today (August 2), the SM Entertainment boyband took to Twitter to announce the launch of the new ‘NCT Lab’ Instagram page, as well as a lineup poster for the project. First launched last February, ‘NCT Lab’ is a series under SM Entertainment’s ‘SM STATION’ project, through which the members of NCT release solo, unit and self-composed tracks.According to the poster, the next ‘NCT Lab’ release will be a solo single by Jaehyun, which has since been confirmed to be released on August 8.

Red Velvet have revealed plans to release their third studio album sometime this year.Yesterday (August 1), Red Velvet held a livestream called ‘Ladies Night’ to commemorate their ninth anniversary as a group. During the event, the girl group revealed that they are working on their long-awaited third studio album, which they aim to release sometime this year.“We are preparing our third full-length album,” member Yeri revealed near the end of the broadcast.

K-pop girl group aespa have teased their upcoming single ‘Better Things’, which is allegedly an unreleased demo track by English singer-songwriter RAYE.Last week, aespa began sharing teasers for a mysterious new release, which the group later revealed would be a single titled ‘Better Things’, due out on August 18 at midnight local time.Today (July 31), the quartet unveiled a teaser for the song which included an 8-bit-inspired snippet of the track playing over a visual of a retro handheld water ring toss game.aespa 에스파 ‘Better Things’➫ 2023.08.18 0AM (KST) / 0AM (PDT) / 0AM (EST)*Releasing at your local time midnight

NCT Dream have released a music video for their single ‘ISTJ’ and their new studio album of the same name.On July 17 at 6pm KST, the seven-member NCT unit made their highly anticipated return with their new single ‘ISTJ’ and its eye-catching music video. The track is the lead single of the group’s third studio effort of the same name, which was also released at the same time.The ‘ISTJ’ visual begins as the NCT Dream members depart the ‘Real Word’ for the ‘MBTI World’, in which each of them are categorised and studied based on their personality types.

SM Entertainment has shared more details about the contracts for the members of its popular K-pop boyband NCT.Today (July 17), the K-pop agency clarified that none of the contracts for members of NCT are due to expire this year. This is despite the fact that 14 of them – namely Taeil, Taeyong, Doyoung, Ten, Jaehyun, Mark, Yuta, Winwin, Haechan, Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, Chenle and Jisung – are nearing their seventh year in the industry.Most K-pop artists sign seven-year contracts upon their debut, usually leading to speculation surrounding disbandments, renewals and agency moves in a group’s seventh year.

Super Junior have left their long-time agency SM Entertainment.Today (July 14), SM Entertainment announced that members Eunhyuk, Donghae and Kyuhyun would not be renewing their contracts with the K-pop agency after nearly two decades under the company.In a statement, SM Entertainment said that Eunhyuk, Donghae and Kyuhyun “will each be pursuing individual activities”, per Yonhap News Agency and translated by Soompi. But the agency also added that the trio would be “continuing their Super Junior promotions together with SM”.“We will be cheering the three of them on as they take on new challenges, and we plan to communicate closely with them so that they can effectively carry out both their group activities and their solo activities at the same time,” the company added.In the same statement, SM Entertainment also confirmed that the remaining six members of Super Junior – namely Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Siwon and Ryeowook – have all renewed their contracts with the K-pop agency.Donghae and Eunhyuk have both been signed to SM Entertainment since making their debut as members of Super Junior in 2005.

NCT 127 will star in their own documentary series called The Lost Boys, set to debut on Disney+ this August.In a press release today (June 6), Disney+ announced that the upcoming four-part NCT 127: The Lost Boys will follow the K-pop boyband as they “take time to pause and reflect on their success”.The nine-member group – made up of Taeil, Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, Mark and Haechan – will open up about their childhoods and feelings about their international success over the course of the series.Notably, each episode of the docu-series will “focus on two-to-three members of the group as they talk about their past”, alongside never-before-seen interviews and exclusive footage.NCT 127: The Lost Boys is directed by Pak Jayil (2020 short film Georgia), and is created by Cho Youngchul (So Not Worth It) and Yim Pilsung (Persona). The series will debut on August 30 with its first two episodes, with the final two premiering on September 6.NCT 127 member Taeyong made his solo debut with ‘SHALALA’ in June.

K-pop boyband SHINee are set to release their own documentary film later this year.Today (July 5), SM Entertainment announced that a documentary film for boyband SHINee is currently in the works, and will be released this September to commemorate the group’s 15th anniversary.Titled My SHINee World, the upcoming film will include never-before-seen content from the group as it outlines their 15-year career and journey with their fans thus far.The agency also shared in a press release that footage from SHINee’s recent three-night concert leading up to their comeback at the KSPO Dome in Seoul, along with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews will be included in the documentary film.Last week, SHINee made a comeback with their eighth studio album ‘Hard’ and its lead single of the same name. The album’s release was preceded by a music video for the song ‘The Feeling’ a week prior, coinciding with the 15th anniversary of SHINee’s fandom SHINee World.The 10-track record is also their first group release in over two years, after their repackaged album ‘Atlantis’ in April 2021.

K-pop boyband SHINee have made a comeback with their new single and album ‘Hard’.On June 26 at 6pm KST, the SM Entertainment boyband dropped their eighth studio album ‘Hard’ and a vibrant music video for its lead single of the same name.In the new visual, the members perform to the track from a trippy set modelled after the inside of a piano. In other scenes, solo shots of them glitch into one another as they dance.“Hard like a criminal, hard like the beat / Hard like ma flow (Mmm, tasty) / Yeah, strike a pose, take a bite / Who’s coming? / We go hard, oh, catch a fright?,” they chant on the chorus.Including ‘Hard’, the group’s new studio album comprises a total of 10 tracks.

Girls’ Generation‘s member YoonA has opened up about the long production process of her new K-drama series, King The Land.YoonA recently spoke to Allure Korea about King The Land, which is currently airing on South Korean network JTBC and available internationally on Netflix.During the interview, the actress revealed that filming for the series took 10 months to complete, the longest of any K-drama she has done before. “I think I’ve also forgotten what my everyday life without ‘King the Land’ is like,” she added, per Soompi.King The Land co-star Junho, of K-pop boyband 2PM, said that it was the first time he starred in a K-drama that was completely filmed in advance of its premiere.

K-pop agency SM Entertainment has launched a reporting centre for fans in order to protect its artists.On June 21, the agency took to Twitter to announce the launch of ‘KWANGYA 119’, which it describes as a “reporting center for protecting the rights and interests of SM artists”.The new website, functions as a messaging board where fans can report issues regarding artists under the label directly to SM Entertainment. Fans are able to report instances of defamation, including fake news regarding the agency’s idols, as well as copyright infringement, illegal ticket sales and “corrections and suggestions” for the company.안녕하세요.⁰SM엔터테인먼트입니다.⁰⁰SM 소속 아티스트의 권익 보호를 위한 신고 센터인 'KWANGYA 119' 사이트가 오픈 되었습니다.⁰https://t.co/nDLjraEL63⁰⁰‘KWANGYA 119’는 SMTOWN 아이디로 로그인 후 이용 가능하며, ⁰‘ARTIST 명예훼손 신고’ 외에도 ‘불법 티켓/저작권 침해 신고’와… pic.twitter.com/8FLgjLY7fF— SMTOWN (@SMTOWNGLOBAL) June 21, 2023All posts on the platform are private, though other users can see which artist each report is about, as well as the nature of the complaint.

Karina of girl group aespa has opened up about the amount of free time K-pop idols have.Karina spoke about how she spends her free time in newly released behind-the-scenes footage of the online talk show No Prepare, hosted by rapper Lee Young-ji. The K-pop idol had previously appeared on the May 19 episode of the series.In the newly released video, Young-ji brought up how Karina “finished all [levels]” of the mobile puzzle game Gardenscape, with an graphic adding that the K-pop idol has reached level 9926 of the video game.“Yes, I am the conqueror of that game,” Karina confirmed, per SBS Star. “In fact, I was ranked first in Korea.” Young-ji then asked the aespa member how she “makes time” to play games.“There’s plenty [of time]”, Karina responded.

Joy of K-pop girl group Red Velvet is set to resume her activities with the quintet after a short hiatus.Today (June 20), Joy’s agency, SM Entertainment, announced in a statement that the K-pop idol would be resuming all scheduled activities starting tomorrow (June 21) with the filming of TV Animal Farm.“Joy has been resting, and her health has improved a lot in the meantime, and after discussions with our agency and medical staff, she has decided to return to her activities,” SM Entertainment added.“We would like to thank all the fans who gave Joy lots of support and encouragement, and we will do our best to support Joy so that she can continue her activities in good health in the future.”In April, SM Entertainment announced that Joy would not be participating in any planned activities for the time being due to the “poor condition” of her health. “After consultation and examination [at a hospital, the medical staff advised that she needs treatment and rest,” the label said at the time.Joy had been unable to join Red Velvet on the vast majority of their ‘R to V’ world tour from May to early-June due to her hiatus.

Taeyong from K-pop boyband NCT has been named Loewe’s newest global ambassador.Taeyong’s appointment as the Spanish luxury fashion house’s new global ambassador was announced today (June 20) by the brand on Instagram and its official website.In a collaboration Instagram post with Taeyong, Loewe said that it was “pleased to announce the start of an exciting new journey together”. The post was accompanied by new images of Taeyong in a Loewe outfit.A post shared by LOEWE (@loewe)Speaking to Women’s Wear Daily, Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson spoke about the ambassadorship: “We love his idiosyncratic style.

Baekhyun, Xiumin and Chen have reportedly revolved their differences with K-pop agency SM Entertainment over their contracts.Today (June 19), South Korean news outlets Star News and Kpop Herald reported that SM Entertainment and EXO’s Baekhyun, Xiumin and Chen have worked out issues over the K-pop idols’ contracts.Earlier this month, the trio had filed to terminate their contracts with the agency over alleged “mistreatment and unfair contract terms”. At the time, SM Entertainment had refuted claims made by the three EXO members, while alleging that “outside forces” have been cajoling its artists to violate the terms of their contracts.According to a statement by SM Entertainment, per Star News, the two sides have managed to reach a mutually amicable agreement over the “misunderstanding” following careful discussions.“The company and the three artists [have] promised to solidify their relationship in the future by going through a process of mutually equal discussions and corrections,” SM Entertainment said, as translated by Koreaboo.The K-pop agency also said that there was no “outside forces” involved in the contract dispute between the company and its artists, and apologised for “causing concern with our [previous ] announcement”.Meanwhile, EXO are set to make their long-awaited return in July with their new album ‘Exist’.

Song Yuqi of K-pop girl group (G)I-DLE has opened up about why she turned down SM Entertainment in order to join CUBE Entertainment.The Chinese-born singer recently made a guest appearance on the South Korean TV show Radio Star, alongside Epik High‘s Tablo, during which she shared more about her journey to becoming a K-pop idol. Yuqi spoke about how she had always been interested in K-pop and K-drama.“I’ve been a fan of today’s another guest Epik High’s Tablo for ages; from the time when he sang the soundtrack for Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo,” Yuqi said, per SBS Star.

EXO have dropped a music video for their new song titled ‘Let Me In’, the pre-release single from their upcoming album ‘Exist’.Today (June 12) at 6pm KST, the K-pop boyband unveiled a cinematic music video for their pre-release single ‘Let Me In’. The new ballad marks EXO’s first music release as a group in two years, since 2021’s ‘Don’t Fight The Feeling’.In the new visual, the boyband appear in pairs through a series of picturesque settings, slowly finding their way towards one another as a meteor strikes the Earth.

Johnny Suh, of K-pop boyband NCT, will take a break from activities after sustaining an injury.Johnny Suh’s label SM Entertainment has revealed that the singer injured his collarbone last night (June 11), after hitting a studio door during the filming of unspecific content. The K-pop idol was immediately sent to the hospital to be examined.“According to the results, his right clavicle is fractured, and he received medical advice that he should wear a brace to secure the relevant area and to minimize movement until recovery,” SM Entertainment told The Pop Herald, as translated by Soompi.“Johnny will temporarily halt all his scheduled activities and focus on treatment and recovery, and we will inform you of Johnny’s return to his scheduled activities at a later date,” the K-pop agency added.“We sincerely apologise for causing concern to fans with sudden news.