K-Pop
What’s Your Favorite K-Pop Song of 2021? Vote!
As the year winds to a close, it’s a great time to look back on all the incredible music fans were gifted with this year, and the realm of K-pop is no exception. From BTS‘ “Butter”-y domination to long-awaited solo singles from Blackpink‘s Rosé (“On the Ground,” “Gone”) and Lisa (“Lalisa,” “Money”), some of the genre’s biggest stars continued to reach new career highs throughout 2021. Meanwhile, idols like TOMORROW X TOGETHER, TWICE and Seventeen celebrated well-earned breakthrough moments on the Billboard charts. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news So now, Billboard wants to know: Which K-pop hit was your favorite release of 2021? Did you prefer a boy band like NCT Dream (“Hot Sauce”) or CIX (“Cinema”)? What about a solo star like IU (“Lilac”...
BTS Stop Traffic Performing “Butter” on Corden: Watch
BTS literally stopped traffic during their latest appearance on Corden, blocking Geneese Ave in Los Angeles to perform “Butter,” “Permission to Dance,” “and “Dynamite.” This is becoming a habit for James Corden, who halted traffic over the summer with a reviled flash mob. But if anyone can make spending more time in LA traffic lovable, it’s the Bangtan Boys. For their performance of “Butter,” they sang alongside dancers dressed as sticks of emulsified cream. A sign labelled “BUT” rolled from one side of the street to be joined by “TER” coming the other way, as the K-Pop idols churned through their choreography. Like the product for which it was named, this “Butter” might give you a heart attack. Check out all three performances below. BTS, who after playing a record-setting series of ...
North Korea Has Publicly Executed at Least Seven People for Consuming K-Pop: Report
Kim Jong-un’s efforts to eradicate the K-Pop music that he considers a “vicious cancer” have resulted in at least seven people being publicly executed in North Korea, according to a new report by a human rights group. Via the New York Times, the study comes from the Seoul-based Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), which interviewed 683 North Korean defectors since 2015. The authors attempted to map public executions in the decade since Kim became Supreme Leader in 2011, while also noting that public killings were on the decline as secret executions surged. Of the seven known executions for watching or distributing K-pop videos, six took place between 2012 and 2014 in the city of Hyesan on the Chinese border. Local people, especially students, were brought to view the violent spe...
Every Time BTS Has Set a Guinness World Record
With the help of their ARMY, BTS are known for their record-breaking achievements, including on Billboard‘s very own charts. The guys are regulars in the Guinness Book of World Records, including member V’s recent double achievement as the fastest to reach both 1 million and 10 million followers on Instagram when he launched his individual account on Dec. 6. Below, find the full list of BTS’ Guinness World Record achievements. Explore Explore BTS See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news First K-pop group to reach No. 1 on Billboard 200 BTS released their third studio album, Love Yourself: Tear, on May 18, 2018. The album debuted in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 in the week ending May 24 and appearing on the list dated June 2. With the release o...
10 K-Pop Acts That Dominated 2021
The 2021 edition of our Annual Report continues with a spotlight on some of the best and brightest acts in K-pop. As the year winds down, stay tuned for more awards, lists, and articles about the best music, film, and TV of 2021. You can find it all in one place here. 2021 was another major year for K-pop. What was once a niche corner of the music industry has transformed into a formidable sub-genre in recent years, in part because of its depth and diversity of sound. There’s something for everyone under the K-pop umbrella — the catch-all label refers to South Korean groups (boy and girl alike) and soloists who incorporate a mix of standard-raising production, choreography, and packaging. The music itself pulls from so many different sounds that listeners drawn to rap are able to debate sp...
BTS Perform “Butter” to Celebrate the 1,000th Episode of Corden: Watch
Last night, The Late Late Show with James Corden celebrated its 1,000th episode, of which approximately 999 featured BTS (ok, that’s a slight exaggeration, though Corden undoubtedly wishes it were true). To honor the occasion, the Bangtan Boys returned once again to perform a rendition of their record-breaking hit, “Butter.” BTS sang the song live with a backing track, and if you’ve been following these performances closely, you’ll be able to hear a marked improvement in their English accents from just a few months ago. After a two-year marathon, the world’s most famous septet are getting close to a well-deserved “extended period of rest,” and this iteration of “Butter” was much looser than usual — a bit breathier at times, with slightly more ad-libbing on the mic, and a goofy dance ...
BTS Dishes ‘Butter’ on ‘Late Late Show’: Watch
After several years of world-domination, BTS is all set for a hard-earned break to replenish the creative juices and recharge the batteries. But before the lads find a beach and chill out, there’s work to be done. The K-pop phenomenon are regular guests on The Late Late Show with James Corden, and they stopped by once again on Wednesday (Dec. 8), this time to help celebrate its 1,000 episode. What better way to bring up four-figures of late-night TV than dishing out the full spread of “Butter?” On this occasion, there was little in the way of theatrics. Just a dancefloor, with Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook lighting it up for a performance of their chart-topping hit. Explore Explore BTS See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news It’s been ano...
Artist of the Month TOMORROW X TOGETHER on Connecting Through Their Music: “We Want Our Fans to Be Proud”
We’re taking a break from our 2021 Annual Report to recognize our last Artist of the Month of the year! AOTM is an accolade given to an up-and-coming artist or group who is poised for the big time. In December 2021, we recognize K-pop act TOMORROW X TOGETHER, who continue to solidify themselves as 4th-generation leaders in the genre. Throughout 2021, TOMORROW X TOGETHER was frozen in time. The K-pop group (whose name is often shortened to TXT) burst onto the international scene with a remarkable debut in 2019 and quickly amassed a no-skips reputation. The still very young group was poised to explode in 2020 — when the world, of course, came to a screeching halt. It must have been somewhat frustrating for the five members — Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Hueningkai — but if that’s th...
BTS Announce “Extended Period of Rest,” Tease “New Album”
After keeping up a stupefying pace for the last two years, BTS are ready for a break. Through BIGHIT MUSIC, the septet have announced an “extended period of rest,” as they prepare for a “new chapter” — which includes a “new album.” The break follows scheduled performances for “The Jingle Ball Tour” and “Permission to Dance On Stage,” which was one of the best-selling concerts in history. It’s their first hiatus since the one they took in 2019, which lasted for several weeks. In a statement, BIGHIT MUSIC said a break would give the Bangtan Boys “a chance to get re-inspired and recharge with creative energy. It will also be the first time for them since their debut to spend the holiday season with their families.” Advertisement Related Video The statement did not elaborate on how long the gr...
BTS Will Take an ‘Extended Period of Rest’
BTS is taking a well-earned break. The K-pop phenomenon will enjoy a hiatus at the completion of their scheduled upcoming events, which include the BTS Permission To Dance On Stage shows and the Jingle Ball Tour, reads a statement from the septet’s music company, Big Hit. It’s a pause, but not the end of days, insist the Seoul-based business. Explore Explore BTS See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The members of BTS had scheduled a several-week break in late 2019, and returned with all-guns blazing. They’ll need another “extended period of rest” to enable the group to get “re-inspired and recharge with creative energy,” the statement reads. Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook pump the brakes when they’re at the front of the pack. They’re the year...
BTS’ “Permission to Dance On Stage” Was One of the Best-Selling Concerts in History
On any given day BTS are setting some record, but here’s an especially impressive feat: the group’s “Permission to Dance On Stage” residency at Los Angeles So-Fi Stadium was the biggest single venue concert engagement by any act in nearly a decade. According to Billboard, the four-night stand sold 214,000 tickets and grossed $33.3 million. That’s the biggest box office draw at a single venue since Roger Waters earned $38 million over nine shows at Estadio River Plate in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2012. In the US, there hasn’t been a single venue box office total that large since Springsteen’s legendary 10-show run at Giants Stadium in 2003. And had BTS played even just one more show, it’s likely they would have smashed both Waters’ and Springsteen’s aforementioned totals. Advertisement Rel...
BTS Give “Butter” a Festive Holiday Remix: Stream
Ho, ho, ho! BTS have unveiled their festive “Butter (Holiday Remix)” just in time for the Christmas season. To transform their summer smash into a winter wonderland, the Bangtan Boys added a healthy dose of sleigh bells to the buttery proceedings. “Smooth like butter, like a criminal undercover/ Gon’ pop like trouble breaking into your heart like that,” the bandmates sing over jaunty Christmas bells and sparkling production. The holiday remix is just the latest iteration of the K-pop septet’s third No. 1 hit, following in the footsteps of the original version as well as the first remix featuring Megan Thee Stallion. Grab your Santa hat and stream “Butter (Holiday Remix)” after the jump. Advertisement Related Video Earlier this week, BTS returned to America for the first time since the...
