Author: Samar Khouri

Stray Kids’ latest release, ‘KARMA,’ is more than just an album— it’s a testament to their hard-earned seven-year journey, channeling both their growth and the struggles. Arriving on August 22, the boy group’s fourth full-length Korean album doubles as a victory lap following their record-breaking ‘dominATE’ world tour, which spanned 11 months, 34 cities, and 54 shows, many of them in stadiums, across Asia, Latin America, Europe, North America, and Oceania. Resilience defined The tour became a major inspiration for the project, which is the fourth-generation K-pop group’s first comeback and first album of the year, crafted over the course…

After a four-year break, Red Velvet’s Joy made her solo comeback on Monday with ‘From Joy, with Love,’ a six-track EP centered on stories of love. ‘From Joy, with Love’ Her first mini-album opens with the title track, ‘Love Splash!,’ a dance-pop anthem that captures the exhilarating rush of new love. Following this, Joy delivers an energetic call to embrace the present moment through dance and connection in ‘Get Up and Dance.’ ‘La Vie En Blue’ introduces a bossa nova influence, infusing the track with a nostalgic longing for a past romance. Its smooth rhythms and tender lyrics evoke a…

BIGHIT MUSIC’s CORTIS has officially debuted, becoming the label’s first boy group in six years and joining a roster that includes BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER. ‘Young creator crew’ To mark their official introduction to the K-pop scene, the five teenagers — MARTIN, JAMES, JUHOON, SEONGHYEON, and KEONHO — released ‘What You Want,’ the lead single from their upcoming debut EP, ‘Color Outside the Lines.’ ‘What You Want’ blends 1960s psychedelic guitar riffs with gritty boom bap hip-hop rhythms, creating a sound that feels both nostalgic and modern. The track’s lyrics, including “What I want is something to make it race…

Actor and singer Lee Jun-ho, a member of K-pop group 2PM, is entering a new chapter in his career with the launch of his agency, O3 Collective. New agency The agency describes itself as a “creative collective” operating at the intersection of three pillars—One, Original, and Orbit—shaping a distinctive creative trajectory. “One” represents the artist’s singular identity, “Original” reflects the uniqueness and innovation of the content, and “Orbit” embodies a management system that honors each artist’s path while cultivating new creative currents. “O3 Collective is a collaborative brand system where artists, content, and team equally take center stage. Together, we…

DINO, from K-pop boy group SEVENTEEN, gave fans an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at his highly anticipated solo performance at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025 Opening Ceremony in a new YouTube video. Behind the scenes with DINO The clip offers an intimate look at DINO’s meticulous preparation, including vocal coaching, choreography practice, and outfit fittings for his solo stage. On July 10, DINO — alongside rapper, singer, and producer Duckwrth and Telle Smith of American metalcore band The Word Alive — debuted the tournament’s official track, ‘Til My Fingers Bleed,’ in Saudi Arabia. “I’m not usually that involved when it…

The Korean Cultural Center in the UAE (KCC) and the Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts (DIMA) are set to co-host the first K-pop workshop in Abu Dhabi from August 20 to 22, 2025. Inaugural K-pop academy Taking place at Dee Studio, the workshop, titled ‘Kpop Academy X DIMA Dream School,’ is part of KCC’s broader K-pop Academy initiative, aimed at fostering cultural exchange and collaboration between South Korea and the UAE. It marks the inaugural visit of DIMA, one of South Korea’s K-pop training institutes known for training major K-pop stars, including Sung Hanbin from ZEROBASEONE, Hoshi from SEVENTEEN,…

Filipino boy band SB19 is set to return to Dubai on October 11 for a performance at the Coca-Cola Arena, marking another major stop on their ongoing ‘Simula at Wakas’ world tour. Dubai show This upcoming concert represents the quintet’s third tour stop in Dubai, following previous performances during their ‘WYAT’ tour in 2022 and ‘PAGTATAG!’ tour in 2024. SB19, composed of Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken, and Justin, made their Dubai debut at Expo 2020 Dubai in March 2022. SB19 kicked off their world tour in the Philippines before heading to Taiwan. The tour includes stops across Asia, North America,…

Netflix’s animated action-comedy ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ recorded another rise in viewership, racking up 26.3 million views in its sixth week (July 21–27, 2025), according to the streamer’s latest weekly rankings. Record-breaking run The girls of HUNTR/X danced their way into the top 10 in all 93 ranked countries, claiming the No. 1 spot in 27 of them — including Lebanon, Jordan, South Korea, Greece, Kenya, the Czech Republic, and the UAE. While it has yet to break into Netflix’s most popular movies list, ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ is now officially the most popular animated film in the platform’s history, the streaming…

Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM has officially established its wholly-owned subsidiary, CJ ENM Middle East LLC, in Riyadh, marking a significant milestone in the company’s global expansion strategy. The move makes CJ ENM the first Korean entertainment company to set up operations in Saudi Arabia. Saudi establishment The new entity coincides with CJ ENM’s 30th anniversary, which CEO Yoon Sang-hyun has declared the company’s “First Official Year of Global Expansion.” “Establishing a presence in Saudi Arabia allows us to actively engage in emerging global markets and strengthen our global competitiveness,” he added in a statement. Positioning MENA as a strategic…

South Korean actor So Ji-sub will host his first fan signing event in the UAE this weekend. Abu Dhabi debut Organized by The Maryam Studio, the event will offer fans a rare opportunity to meet the acclaimed K-drama star in person and receive his autograph in Abu Dhabi. VIP fan signing tickets sold out in under one minute, underscoring the actor’s popularity in the region, according to the organizer. This marks So’s first official fan engagement in the UAE, with VIP fan signing tickets selling out in under a minute, according to the UAE-based event company. “The love and excitement…