i-dle teams with Latin pop producers for new EP 'We Made' SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - K-pop girl group i-dle will release its ninth EP, "We Made," on July 6, Cube Entertainment said Wednesday. The group unveiled the six-track album's full track list through its official social media accounts. "Gimme Dat Love," the lead single, is a Latin pop-inspired track produced by Daramola and Samantha Cámara. Daramola has previously worked with Anitta, Becky G and Jason Derulo. Members Yuqi and Soyeon also took part in t June 24, 2026

K-pop boy band Stray Kids to release 'RUN IT' ahead of world tour SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) -Eight-member K-pop boy group Stray Kids will release a new digital single, "RUN IT," JYP Entertainment said Wednesday. The song was written and produced by 3RACHA, the group's in-house production unit comprising Bang Chan, Changbin and Han. Built around brass, marching drums and world-beat rhythms, the track captures the group's drive and confidence as they head into a new tour cycle. Stray Kids earned their eighth No. 1 on th June 24, 2026

Korea to finance upgrading of local sports venues for K-pop concerts SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - South Korea will spend 12 billion won ($7.8 million) this year to upgrade six regional sports and multipurpose facilities for K-pop and other live music concerts, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday. The program is aimed at addressing the country's shortage of dedicated concert venues by upgrading existing public facilities rather than waiting for new arenas to be built. Many large music events in South Korea are held at stadiums June 23, 2026

BTS' 'ARIRANG' lands on 4 midyear best-album lists ahead of European tour SEOUL, June 23 (AJP) - BTS' fifth studio album, "ARIRANG," has been named one of the best albums of 2026 so far by four major music and culture publications in the United States and Britain, the group's agency BigHit Music said Tuesday. U.S. pop culture outlet Complex included the album on its midyear list on June 11, followed by British daily The Telegraph on June 13, Rolling Stone on June 15 and British music magazine NME on June 16. Released on March 20, &q June 23, 2026

TWICE's Dahyun wins rising star award for first TV drama role SEOUL, June 22 (AJP) - Dahyun of K-pop girl group TWICE won the Rising Star Award at the Global OTT Awards 2026 for her performance in JTBC's "Love Me," her first television drama, JYP Entertainment said Monday. Dahyun received the award Saturday at the Busan Cinema Center's outdoor theater in Busan, South Korea. The Global OTT Awards recognize streaming platforms, creators and productions across 14 competitive categories and five invitational ca June 22, 2026

Hearts2Hearts to release second EP 'Lemon Tang' SEOUL, June 22 (AJP) - K-pop girl group Hearts2Hearts will release its second EP, “Lemon Tang,” at 6 p.m. Monday, its agency SM Entertainment said. The release comes about eight months after the group’s first EP, “FOCUS,” which came out in October last year. The new EP contains six tracks, including the title track of the same name and “RUDE!,” a single released in February. “Lemon Tang” is a dance-pop track with a brig June 22, 2026

Grammys add Asian pop category for 2027 ceremony SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - The Grammy Awards will add five new categories for its 2027 ceremony, including one dedicated to Asian pop music. The new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category will recognize Asian pop performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages. The addition comes as K-pop and other Asian pop genres have gained a larger presence in the global music market June 17, 2026

K-pop sells out the world. Seoul can't always host the show SEOUL, June 16 (AJP) - BTS returned to Busan on June 12 for the homecoming stretch of its "Arirang" tour, but the concert began about 75 minutes later than scheduled. HYBE later apologized, citing confusion in on-site guidance, bottlenecks in fan gift distribution lines and delays in merchandise pickup. Two months earlier, the same tour had opened on April 9 at Goyang Stadium, an open-air athletic stadium in Goyang, north of Seoul, where fans watched the show in the rain June 16, 2026

K-pop boy band RIIZE release new album SEOUL, June 16 (AJP) - A new album by K-pop boy band RIIZE is now available on major music streaming platforms following its release earlier this week, according to their agency SM Entertainment. "II" is their second EP, following "RIIZING" released in June 2024, and features six songs, including the title track "Do Your Dance," a dance song with the theme of moving with confidence and following one's instincts. The song's music video, direct June 16, 2026

K-pop girl group I-dle's prerelease single 'Crow' enters charts SEOUL, June 16 (AJP) - K-pop girl group i-dle's prerelease single "Crow" has entered music charts in Korea, China and other markets ahead of the release of i-dle's ninth EP, "We made," Cube Entertainment said Tuesday. The five-member group, consisting of Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua, released "Crow" on major streaming platforms on June 15. The song entered the real-time chart of South Korean music platform Bugs at No. 8 shortly a June 16, 2026