Inside JYP's trainee system: NMIXX studied everything from table manners to ITLearning to sing and dance was apparently only part of the job for trainees at JYP Entertainment. NMIXX members Jiwoo and Kyujin have offered a glimpse inside the K-pop powerhouse's extensive trainee education system, revealing that their Saturday lessons covered everything from dining etiquette and history to IT — on top of demanding monthly evaluations that could include as many as 11 categories. The two singers discussed their trainee years in a video uploaded Tuesday to chef Park Eun-young's YouTube channel "Bobeunyoung," where they chatted over packed lunches. Kyujin said trainees attended a range of classes every Saturday, including lessons on dining etiquette, history and IT. Park, surprised by the breadth of the curriculum, asked what exactly JYP trainees were taught about eating etiquette. Jiwoo and Kyujin said the lessons went into the differences among Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Western dining settings. "The utensils are different for Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Western food, so we learned the order in which they should be placed and how to use them," they said. They also19h agoBy Xportsnews
Eric Nam bares lonely heart on 1st full album in 3 yearsMany of the songs on Eric Nam's new album took shape in solitary moments — on flights, in taxis and in hotel rooms — which is why the singer-songwriter says releasing them now feels a little like letting people read his diary. "Confessions of a Lonely Heart," Nam's fourth full-length album and his first in about three years, came out Oct. 16 with nine tracks about love, breakups and loneliness. The release also marks a new chapter at home, as Nam recently signed with a Korean agency, all my anecdotes, and plans to perform more often in Korea before taking the album on a world tour in 2027. Born and raised in Atlanta to Korean immigrant parents, Nam was invited to compete on the second season of MBC's "Star Audition" after his YouTube covers drew attention, and his top-five finish led to his Korean debut in 2013 with the EP "Cloud 9." He went on to build a wide fan base as a TV personality before turning increasingly to English-language music and touring abroad. "These are songs I held on to by myself for a long time," Nam said in a written Q&A provided by his agency on Friday. "I hop1d agoBy Pyo Kyung-min
BLACKPINK's Lisa drops 1st solo EP 'Press Play'Lisa of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK returned to the music scene Friday with her new solo EP, "Press Play," marking her first release in one year and eight months. The six-track album, released at midnight, serves as the singer's first solo EP and follows her debut full-length album, "Alter Ego," which came out in February last year. Fronted by the lead track "Tarantino," the EP also includes the songs "Sawadika," "V12," "Cobra," "Cut U Off" and "Sweat." "Sawadika," which was released ahead of the album in September, debuted at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart shortly after its release. It set a new record as the highest-charting song from the artist. The comeback follows a major milestone for Lisa at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles last month. She won the Best Pop award, a major category, for "Dream," a track from "Alter Ego," becoming the first Asian solo artist to claim the prize.1d agoBy Yonhap
BABYMONSTER unveils emotional pop ballad 'DESERVE' ahead of weekend TV performancesBABYMONSTER is trading its signature high-energy performances for a more intimate sound with “DESERVE,” a new digital single released Friday that showcases the K-pop group’s vocals and more mature musical direction. The pop ballad dropped at 1 p.m. Friday, blending lyrical synthesizer melodies and a retro atmosphere with heartfelt lyrics reflecting on past memories and wishing happiness for a former partner, according to the group’s agency, YG Entertainment. The song’s emotional intensity builds toward its chorus, highlighting the members’ expressive singing and marking a departure from the hip-hop and dance-driven tracks that have helped define their stage performances. The release comes about four months after the group’s June single, “SUGAR HONEY ICE TEA,” offering a different perspective on the seven-member act as it continues to broaden its musical range. Its accompanying music video draws on the song’s wistful mood, using cinematic visuals, interconnected character narratives and increasingly dramatic effects to heighten the emotional impact. In a statement ahead1d agoBy Lee Kyung-min
ENHYPEN meets WHO chief, highlights fan-driven blood donation driveK-pop boy band ENHYPEN met World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Seoul to review the results of its global blood donation campaign, the group’s agency said Friday. According to Belift Lab, a label under HYBE Music Group, the band’s six members met Tedros on Thursday at HYBE’s headquarters in Yongsan District, central Seoul. The members are Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo and Ni-ki. Officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Korean Red Cross Blood Services also attended. Tedros noted that many patients who need transfusions cannot get safe blood in time. He also praised the members for donating blood themselves. “Blood is the most precious gift anyone can give to another person — the gift of life. I’m proud of all the members of ENHYPEN for working with WHO and committing to encourage blood donation and save lives,” he said. “The last campaign was a great success, reaching millions of people. ENHYPEN and Engene have real power to influence the world. I’m your fan, too,” Tedros added. Engene is the name of the grou1d agoBy Jhoo Dong-chan
Lee Soo-man's boy band A2O SOUL to release debut album Nov. 9A2O SOUL, the 15-member boy group launched by K-pop mogul Lee Soo-man, will release its debut album "SUPERSTAR" on Nov. 9, less than a month after unveiling a prerelease single of the same name at its global debut showcase. The new album will be available at 6 p.m. on music platforms in Korea and abroad, according to the group's agency A2O Entertainment, Thursday. The five-track EP is led by "SUPERSTAR," which also serves as the prerelease single, and a second lead track, "Dancing in the Dark." The agency describes all five songs as "new synthwave," a genre label the group coined to define its musical identity. Lee, the founder of SM Entertainment, set the album's musical direction and personally picked songwriters he had never worked with before, the agency said. "SUPERSTAR," released Oct. 13, was co-written by longtime SM producer Yoo Young-jin, along with HAAN, who worked on The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber's hit "Stay," and GENT!, whose credits include songs for Drake and Doja Cat. The single climbed to No. 18 on YouTube's trending music chart and made a strong showing on China's QQ Mu2d agoBy Pyo Kyung-min
COVER STORY Kids on stage: How young is too young to debut in K-pop?A2O LITE, a K-pop act that debuted last week, gained attention not only because its debut single "Neon" topped Melon's Top 100 chart about 29 hours after its release, but also due to the fact that three of the nine members — Ayune, Oa and Aijing — are 13 years old. The group, launched by former SM Entertainment chief producer Lee Soo-man through A2O Entertainment, held its debut showcase on Oct. 12 and released its first single the following day. All nine members are minors. The lineup, which notably consisted of members born in 2013, has revived a question K-pop has long left unresolved — whether Korea's protections for child performers, built largely around weekly hour caps and contract clauses, are adequate for children who reach the stage before finishing middle school. Early debuts are nothing new, least of all for Lee. Solo singer BoA debuted under him at the age of 13 in 2000, while SHINee's Taemin and f(x)'s Krystal were 14 when they debuted in 2008 and 2009, respectively. NCT DREAM debuted in 2016 with its youngest members at 14. Culture critic Jung Duk-hyun said Lee's app2d agoBy Pyo Kyung-min
K-pop soars on Asian tour revenue, physical album salesK-pop is riding a surge in concert ticket and physical album sales, two of the industry's key revenue streams, as data released this month showed the genre dominating Asia's touring market and closing in on 100 million album sales for the year. The two businesses sit at the core of K-pop agencies' earnings. At HYBE, concerts brought in 647.7 billion won ($488.5 million) of its record 1.45 trillion won in second-quarter revenue, while albums and digital music accounted for 326.8 billion won, followed closely by merchandise and licensing at 310.6 billion won. K-pop acts took six of the 10 highest-grossing touring spots in Asia over the past year, led by boy band Seventeen, which grossed $97.4 million and sold 661,088 tickets, according to U.S. concert industry publication Pollstar's Asia Focus Top Touring Artists chart. The chart covers shows played between Aug. 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026. K-pop acts filled the chart's top four spots. TWICE came in second with $76.18 million, followed by TXT and BTS, which grossed $49.07 million in Asia as part of the latter's "ARIRANG" world tour. BLACKPIOct 21, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
TWICE's Jihyo leaves JYP after 21 years to launch own agencyJihyo, a member of K-pop girl group TWICE, said Wednesday she has left JYP Entertainment to establish her own agency. In a handwritten letter posted on social media, Jihyo said she had ended her contract with JYP, where she had been for 21 years since childhood. "I have established Emithaus," she wrote. "Through this new home, I hope to freely explore even the possibilities within myself that I have yet to discover." The 29-year-old singer added, "I will approach every future choice and activity with greater care and a stronger sense of responsibility, as I step out of a familiar environment and continue my work in a new way." Jihyo plans to pursue her solo music career under the new agency while continuing activities with TWICE. JYP Entertainment, one of Korea's major K-pop agencies, had managed Jihyo since she joined the company as a trainee before TWICE's 2015 debut.Oct 21, 2026By Yonhap
R&B hitmaker Crush and IU reunite on soulful new single 'Seesaw'R&B singer Crush is back with “Seesaw,” a charming new duet with pop icon IU that captures the delightful awkwardness of falling in love — marking his first solo release in more than a year. Set to be released Wednesday at 6 p.m., the single follows his August 2025 EP “FANG” and its lead track, “UP ALL NITE,” featuring SUMIN. In an interview ahead of the release, Crush discussed the song’s creation, his collaboration with IU and his hopes for the music he leaves behind. Q. What does it mean to release new music under your own name after such a long break? Crush: I’m excited and happy to share new music with listeners again. I’ve spent the past year exploring different musical ideas and thinking deeply about what kind of music I can express most confidently. “Seesaw” grew out of that process, and I hope it becomes a song that stays with people in their everyday lives. Q. What inspired the song, and what did you focus on while making it? Crush: It captures the little misunderstandings and awkward moments that two people experience when they fall in love, in a cute andOct 21, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
