BTS' quiet Grammy boycott speaks volumes  SEOUL, July 31 (AJP) - It is hardly Grammy season, but BTS brought the awards debate into the middle of summer with a quiet boycott that produced loud repercussions. On July 29, all seven members of BTS posted the same message on their Instagram Stories within minutes of one another. There was no press conference, no statement from HYBE and no explanation beyond a few lines translated from Korean: they would not submit their comeback album, ARIRANG, for consideration at the 69t July 31, 2026

K-pop trains idols for debut, but not for what comes after SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - If surviving South Korea's fiercely competitive education system seems difficult, try becoming a K-pop trainee. "Once school ends, you go straight to the practice room," one trainee recalled. "There's no time to see friends or even grab something to eat together." For thousands of teenagers, that routine is the price of pursuing one of the country's biggest dreams. K-pop has built one of the world's most soph July 30, 2026

Hanroro revives 'A Cruel Angel's Thesis' in latest J-pop remake project SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) — Singer-songwriter Hanroro has reinterpreted "A Cruel Angel's Thesis," the iconic opening theme from the Japanese anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion," as part of a Korean project reimagining classic J-pop hits for a new generation of listeners. The remake will be released at 6 p.m. (0900 GMT) Thursday, music producer SHgold Networks said. Originally recorded by Yoko Takahashi in 1995, "A Cruel Angel's Thes July 30, 2026

WayV builds new EP ahead of Seoul concerts SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - NCT's China-based unit WayV will return next month with a seven-track EP built around Chinese words that share the same pronunciation but carry different meanings, SM Entertainment said Thursday. The Chinese boy band will release its eighth EP, "Vision Wings," at 6 p.m. (0900 GMT) on Aug. 10, according to SM Entertainment. The album includes Chinese- and English-language versions of the title track, "Vision Wings." Each song is tie July 30, 2026

After BTS comeback year, what's next for K-pop? SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - K-pop continues to debut new groups, dominate global streaming platforms and fill concert halls from Los Angeles to Bangkok. The industry's talent pipeline remains as prolific as ever, producing acts not only in South Korea but increasingly through overseas partnerships and local adaptations. Yet beneath the steady flow of new debuts lies a quieter reckoning. While visibility has never been broader, far fewer acts are reaching the commercial sc July 29, 2026

Red Velvet to roll out 'Surfin' Boy' at Seoul fan concert SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - Red Velvet will perform its new title track "Surfin' Boy" for the first time during a three-day fan concert in Seoul this week, SM Entertainment said Wednesday. The performance comes ahead of the release of the group's new summer EP, its first full-group release in over two years. The group will unveil the song at "2026 Red Velvet FAN-CON ," which runs from July 31 to Aug. 2 at Korea University's Hwajeong Gymnasium. The fan July 29, 2026

ADOR faces police complaint over alleged leak of NewJeans member Hanni's visa information SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - K-pop girl group NewJeans' agency ADOR has been reported to police over allegations that it disclosed private visa information belonging to member Hanni to the media during its contract dispute with the K-pop group. Pop culture critic Kim Sung-soo filed a criminal complaint against ADOR and several of its employees with Yongsan Police Station in Seoul on Tuesday, accusing them of violating South Korea's Personal Information Protection Act. Kim all July 29, 2026

BLACKPINK's Jennie Breaks K-pop's U.S. Radio Barrier SEOUL, July 28 (AJP) - K-pop has long dominated U.S. streaming and album charts, but mainstream radio has remained one of the industry's toughest markets to crack. BLACKPINK's Jennie has now helped break that barrier, becoming only the second K-pop-related act to top Billboard's Adult Pop Airplay chart, Forbes reported Monday, citing Billboard data. Jennie's collaboration with Australian psychedelic music project Tame Impala, "Dracula," climbed to No. 1 o July 28, 2026

Large-scale K-pop festival planned for launch next year with global ambitions SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - A large-scale K-pop event will be held late next year as part of a program unveiled on Monday by the presidential committee for promoting Exchanges in South Korean Popular Culture. The event, tentatively dubbed "Fanomenon," will run from Dec. 2 to 12 next year at Changdong in northern Seoul and KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, featuring headliner concerts, a fandom-focused awards show and industry exhibitions. Those plans were presented at a p July 27, 2026

BTS' 'Butter' becomes seventh music video to surpass 1.1 billion views on YouTube SEOUL, July 27 (AJP) - K-pop juggernaut BTS' hit single "Butter" has garnered over 1.1 billion views on YouTube, their management agency said on Monday. Released in May 2021, the song's music video reached the milestone earlier in the day, becoming the group's seventh video to achieve the feat. It became their seventh music video to surpass 1.1 billion views, following "Dynamite," "DNA," "Fake Love," "IDOL," "Boy July 27, 2026