As we all know, nostalgia is in. It's unavoidable in 2026 as the zeitgeist loves the looks of yesteryear, the sound of a decade or two ago, and we're seeing an abundance of remakes. For AtHeart, there's been an immense focus on reimagining the
I’ve been to many KCON LAs, beginning going over a decade ago and only missing one since. I’ve covered KCON for Billboard, Forbes, Grammy.com, and other outlets. This year was the first time in years where I just went to exist, and enjoy, and it led to
The fusion of traditional Korean culture and popular culture via K-pop has been around for years, with acts like VIXX, BTS, Blackpink, Stray Kids, and Oneus incorporating elements and aesthetic of traditional Korean culture and music. Now there's dodree, a duo featuring members NaYeongjoo and LeeSonghyun, who
It’s officially halfway through 2026, and I’m starting to think that this is K-pop’s Year of the Albums. Every year, there are good releases. Usually, we as humanity focus on the singles. The songs that are the primary focus of an artist’s promotional cycle. The
If you are familiar with Yves, there's a high likelihood it's because you know her from the K-pop girl group LOONA. But there's also a chance that you know her as a repeat PinkPantheress collaborator, or, most importantly, in her own right as
If you scroll long enough on Instagram, TikTok, or Youtube Shorts nowadays, you'll probably hear the twinkling opening synths of Wonder Girls' "Tell Me" from their 2007 album The Wonder Years. Why? Because everyone, and even their bunny, is performing it lately. It is a
On June 16, The Grammy Awards announced five new categories for the 2027 69th Grammy Awards: Best Asian Pop Music Performance, Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, Best Traditional Folk Album, and Best Latin Song. According to Grammys CEO Harvey Mason jr.
Thoughts, stories and ideas.
It's Sunday night at 6PM. I have spent the last three hours catching up on all the emails in my inbox. I want to write about K-pop, relax with K-pop or some other form of entertainment, but I am cleaning out my inbox and trying to
A few weeks ago, it became apparent that we’re witnessing a moment of history: there is a narrative change about how K-pop is discussed. For decades, The Dark Side of K-pop has dominated western media coverage of K-pop to the point that it has become a
There are many variations on the fairytale of The Little Mermaid, but in the original one as relayed via Hans Christian Andersen, it ends in tragedy. Disney made the narrative famous by providing the aquatic princess her happy ending. Producer El Capitxn is not sure what the ending of his
BEFORE BTS has gone through many eras of their career. A new one begins at midnight tonight. ARIRANG, the first post-military enlistment hiatus album, truly marks the start of a new era for the group. It’s the era of expectations, of anticipation. It must be so exciting and
2025 was a really weird year for K-pop, in that it felt like everyone in the U.S. was finally talking about K-pop between K-Pop Demon Hunters, Rosé's "APT.", Katseye and BTS's return, but generally it felt like interest in any
On February 18, TWICE kicked off the first of their three New York City area shows at UBS Arena in Long Island. It was a Wednesday night concert that began after 8PM, and it ended close to 11pm. The crowds energy was honestly a bit off that night, likely due
One of the most ill-timed projects of my entire career came out on March 16, 2020: Merch Madness, a Billboard deep dive series into K-pop merchandise, arrived just as the Covid-19 pandemic erupted in the United States. It was a series of deep reporting into business and
If you've followed The Rose's career, there's no question that they're an act deserving a documentary. The Rose: Come Back to Me, in theaters now, was released over Valentine's Day weekend, and centers on the band's trials and
Happy Lunar New Year! 새해 복 많이 받으세요! I am hitting publish on this to go out on February 17, which means are we are well into 2026 as we're literally starting the Year of the Horse today, but I'm still sonically back in 2025. In
ENHYPEN released their new THE SIN: VANISH album today, January 16, in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese versions. A 23-minute long, 11-track album released in not only Korean but English, Japanese, and Chinese, it leans heavily into the immersive narrative surrounding ENHYPEN since day one: vampire romance. Already
Over the past twelve months, K-pop has been fascinating to witness for what it’s turning into and what it’s reacting to. I think this year truly belonged to rookie groups, with many rising acts really getting their presence known in a moment when many more senior acts
I was in Korea last month, and spent a lot of my time running around to have coffee with industry friends. One journalist and I were talking about the success of K-pop Demon Hunters, and what 2026 would bring, and I keep thinking about something he said to me: