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Exo

Recap | BTS, Blackpink, Stray Kids, Seventeen, New Jeans … K-pop keeps making headlines all over the world

K-pop has reached all corners of the globe, with the stars and their stories dominating the charts and the news headlines as the world’s media focus on the phenomenon that has become a music industry juggernaut.

6 Nov 2024 - 6:00PM

He ‘wanted to give up on music’ – now he writes songs for major K-pop acts

14 Jul 2023 - 4:15PM

Opinion | K-pop group NCT already has 20-odd members; does it really need more?

6 Jul 2022 - 4:45PM

Why K-pop stars like Nayeon from Twice must wait so long for solo careers

While some performers like Blackpink’s Jennie go solo quick, others like Nayeon, Exo’s D.O., Kai and Baekhyun, GFriend’s Yerin and Lovelyz’s Baby Soul must wait years longer.

24 May 2022 - 7:15AM

Nayeon (centre) of Twice is releasing her first solo album seven years after her group debut. The long wait K-pop fans endure for their favourite group singers to go solo will not get any shorter, says one music critic. Photo: Getty Images

Is Lay leaving K-pop group Exo? Chinese star quits label SM Entertainment

Chinese pop star Lay, also known as Lay Zhang Yixing, took to Instagram and Twitter on the 10th anniversary of Exo’s debut to announce he is quitting the group’s music label.

8 Apr 2022 - 12:38PM

9 times K-pop idols splurged on gifts for colleagues, from BTS to Exo

K-pop idols do love a bit of luxury, but how do they splash out on the glitz and glamour for their bandmates, backup dancers and other staff members?

24 Mar 2022 - 11:53AMvideocam

Which countries’ K-pop fans tweeted the most in 2021? And about which acts?

Twitter saw 7.8 billion conversations about K-culture in 2021, led by tweets about K-pop groups BTS, NCT, Enhypen, EXO and Blackpink. Two southeast Asian countries were the biggest sources of tweets about K-pop.

11 Feb 2022 - 10:40AM

Twitter named BTS the most talked about K-pop group last year among the 7.8 billion K-pop engagements on the site. Photo: @bts_twt/Twitter

The 25 best K-pop albums of 2021, from Aespa to Red Velvet and Kang Daniel

Our 25 favourite K-pop albums of 2021, from Twice’s Formula of Love to NCT 127’s Favorite and Kang Daniel’s Yellow.

22 Dec 2021 - 7:15PMvideocam

Seven K-pop songs that mix Korean traditions with modern choreography

From BTS’ Idol to Blackpink’s How you Like That, K-pop music videos often blend traditional Korean cultural elements – hanbok dress, ceremonies, music – with modern choreography. Here are seven examples.

5 Dec 2021 - 4:15PMvideocam

Old K-pop music videos remastered in YouTube collaboration

A YouTube project with SM Entertainment, home to NCT, Girls’ Generation and Super Junior, to present old music video to a new generation has so far seen videos from H.O.T. and S.E.S. uploaded.

12 Nov 2021 - 4:45PMvideocam

YouTube and K-pop label SM Entertainment are remastering old music videos including one from S.E.S. (above). Photo: SM Entertainment

8 Korean stars being discharged from the military in the coming months

Exo’s leader Suho and rapper Zico of Block B will be let out early next year – should we expect to see more full-group music in the near future?

10 Nov 2021 - 1:10PM

From Vixx’s Ken to Block B’s Zico, these K-pop and K-drama stars will be discharged from mandatory military duty soon. Photos: Netflix, SM Entertainment, Polham

Explainer | K-pop labels flirt with metaverses to extend artists’ online reach

Avatars of Blackpink holding a virtual fan event, fans invited to create music videos based on their idols’ music and moves, girl group Aespa’s virtual members – K-pop’s digital environments are growing.

17 Nov 2021 - 11:41AM

What were these 5 Korean stars like during their military service?

G-Dragon’s eventful time in the military saw him setting a fashion trend with his green army slippers, while Descendants of the Sun star Song Joong-ki was accused of stealing a snack

3 Nov 2021 - 12:51PM

Everything you need to know about new K-drama Now, We Are Breaking Up

The new romance series will see the return of K-drama queen Song Hye-kyo after a two-year hiatus alongside heartthrob Jang Ki-yong, who plays a wealthy photographer

25 Oct 2021 - 12:47PMvideocam

Fans are anticipating the return of Song Hye-kyo to the small screen. Photo: @kyo1122/Instagram

7 male K-pop idols using make-up to express who they really are

From BTS’s Jimin and Exo’s Baekhyun to Stray Kids’ Felix and Shinee’s Taemin, these idols are pushing the boundaries of men’s make-up.

4 Sep 2021 - 7:45PM

Shinee’s Taemin is one of a number of male K-pop idols pushing the boundaries of men’s make-up.

K-pop label SM Entertainment tackles obsessive, invasive fans

The label of K-pop groups Exo, NCT and WayV, SM Entertainment has vowed to take legal action against obsessive fans who stalk their idols, invade their private lives and chase them in taxis.

22 Jul 2021 - 9:30PM

Crazy K-pop scouting stories: which two idols were recruited outside toilets?

Fame can find you when you least expect it – that’s definitely been the case for these six K-pop idols, anyway

22 Jul 2021 - 4:55PM

How Chinese stars helped K-pop become so big in China

From Han Geng to Lay Zhang to Jackson Wang, Chinese K-pop stars have helped Korean pop develop a big following in China. Now it faces growing competition from C-pop.

1 Jul 2021 - 12:08PMvideocam

Chinese stars out of the K-pop world, such as Yuqi of (G)I-dle, are taking centre stage in China. Photo: Getty Images

Best K-pop releases of June 2021, from Twice to Exo and Seventeen

K-pop giants Twice, Exo, NCT Seventeen and Mamamoo all released singles or albums in June, and here are the must-listens from some of the biggest boy bands and girl groups in the business.

1 Jul 2021 - 4:39AMvideocam

K-pop label’s big plans for NCT, Aespa and other acts in 2021

At an ‘SM Congress’, K-pop label SM Entertainment reveals potential plans for new music from NCT, Aespa and other artists – as well as what fans can expect from its SM ‘creative universe’.

29 Jun 2021 - 3:41PMvideocam

Best K-pop albums of 2021 so far -from Twice, Exo, and more

K-pop stars have been busy in 2021, keeping their fans happy with new releases. From Taste of Love by Twice to Exo’s Don’t Fight the Feeling, here are our 10 best albums of the year so far.

18 Jun 2021 - 8:02AM

Girl group (G)I-Dle’s IBurn is one of the best K-pop albums of 2021 so far. Photo: Cube Entertainment

Why K-pop is going sci-fi as BTS, Aespa, TXT and Exo have adventures in space

From BTS’s anniversary celebrations to Aespa’s music videos and Exo’s general concept, the K-pop genre has seen plenty of science-fiction fuelled material as of late.

16 Jun 2021 - 7:46PMvideocam

The K-pop genre has seen plenty of science-fiction fuelled material as of late - like Aespa’s music video for Next Level. Photo: @aespapicss_/ Twitter

Exo release new album ‘Don’t Fight The Feeling’ as Lay returns

K-pop boy band’s new album sees the return of Lay, D.O. and Xiumin, but two members are absent on military service.

9 Jun 2021 - 1:00AMvideocam

Boycotts, hashtags, threatening messages: how K-pop fans took back control

From dissing Lee Seung-gi and Lee Da-in’s relationship with messages on a truck to going silent during SNSD’s Dream Concert performance in 2008 – K-pop fans are as vocally critical as they are supportive

7 Jun 2021 - 4:46PM

K-pop’s June releases: new music from Twice, Seventeen, Exo, NCT 127

New music in June from K-pop bands including Twice, Seventeen, Exo, NCT 127 and Monsta X is sure to get the summer off to a sizzling start.

2 Jun 2021 - 7:53AMvideocam

Monsta X release their ninth mini-album, “One of a Kind”, this month. They are among a slew of major K-pop acts dropping new singles, EPs and albums in June.

K-pop dating tips: 6 ways idols hook up in secret

With agency rules against relationships, stars get creative by meeting potential dates through stylists, sneaking contact details via signed CDs and donning hanboks at tourist spots to blend in

17 May 2021 - 11:47AMvideocam

Did Hyuna and Dawn use any of these tips when they first started dating? Photo: @hyunah_aa/Instagram

Opinion | Human Gucci vs Human Chanel: why luxury brands need K-pop idols

No stars are hotter right now than K-pop stars – and with luxury brand affinities formed young, signing the right idol up now will prove key in hooking Gen Z for decades to come

23 Aug 2022 - 5:55PM

Who is really writing K-pop songs? It might not be who’s credited

A South Korean TV programme reports that K-pop music executives and even professors of university music programmes have benefited by passing off the work of other people, including students, as their own.

12 May 2021 - 7:19PM

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Exo

This South Korean-Chinese boy band is made up of Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai and Sehun. With broad influences that range from pop and hip hop to house and synth-pop, Exo continue to surprise almost a decade into their career.

Industry

Entertainment, K-Pop

Job Title

K-Pop band

last updated:

7 October, 2024