melissa johnson

I know there is something to be said here about agencies debuting idols way too young, but at the same time, that is wild to think about in those terms

YouTube video by MBCkpop KARA - Umbrella, 카라 - 엄브렐라, Music Core 20100227

They also promoted "Umbrella" off the mini-album as well, which, while less memorable and with weirder fashion choices, was a mainstay of their KARASIA setlists:

YouTube video by TV-People 【TVPP】KARA - Lupin, 카라 - 루팡 @ Show Music Core Live

I regret to inform you that KARA's "Lupin" is somehow 16 years old today

(Something I desperately wanted to work into this post, but had no place, is that a young Lee Soo Man hosted the Campus Song Festival a number of times.)

Dream Again Stop me if you've heard this one before — five friends live and work in a small town—in this case, a fishing village in Owase City, Mie Prefecture—but harbor grander aspirations for themselves. Rather...

Wrote about i-dle's jp single "where do we go", their performance on NPOP, and MBC Campus Song Festival:

'Golden' wins Grammy, first for a K-pop song "Golden" (2025) won Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 68th Grammy Awards, becoming the first K-pop track to win a Grammy.

"#Golden" won Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 68th #GrammyAwards, becoming the first K-pop track to win a #Grammy. #Rosé of #Blackpink did not win the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award.

koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2026-02...

(While I admire the gumption, this feels very 2007 Summer SMTOWN, where the album was enclosed in a plastic cover, full of a blue gel to simulate water that did not age well)

Okay, who is going to buy the KiiKii slime?

Q: Will still see the 2025 anime references in k-pop trend continue in 2026?
A:

Shout-out to KiiiKiii and their new website for their continued commitment to emulating the bad graphic design trends of the late '90s/early '00s web, this time with actual GIFs and a 7-second load time

Favorite K-Pop: 2025 Favorite Albums Chaeyoung - LIL FANTASY vol. 1 Wendy - Cerulean Verge ARTMS - <Club Icarus> Yves - Soft Error Joy - From Joy, with Love Heize - LOVE VIRUS Pt.1 Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi -...

The year I really wanted a Red Velvet comeback, apparently (it's my favorite k-pop of 2025 list)

Hard to believe its been 6 years already. We miss you.🤍

With the exception of three villagers, I inadvertently have only kept peppy villagers on my island (I wanted to support their idol dreams!) and it is trying, especially when someone loses something and the description is for a peppy personality 😔

I think this does jive with what I have been observing, where as k-pop has expanded globally, much less attention has been paid to its place in Japan, even though k-pop groups are very active there. I mean, these were the releases just from October

Curious about the lack of fanfare in k-pop spaces around the Kohaku Uta Gassen participant announcement, especially in comparison to previous years

K-Pop Idols Reportedly Forming A Union To Fight Back Against Harsh Industry Conditions A new Idol Union is soon to be set up. It will fight for the rights of various celebrities and idols, and ensure fair treatment.

And for that information in England see this Koreaboo article which pulls from that the FNN article:

'아이돌 노조' 이르면 올해 출범..."잇따른 비극, 이제는 멈춰야" &nbsp; 아이돌을 포함한 대중문화예술인의 권익 보호를 위한 이른바 '아이돌 노조'가 이르면 올해 안에 출범할 수 있을 것이라는 전망이 나온다. 노조는 출범 이후 아이돌의 노동환경 개선과 심리·인권 보호 체계 강화에 주력한다는 계획이다. 아이돌 등 대중문화예술..

For more information see:

🥳🥳

‘King of K-pop’ Lee Soo Man on his career, a global industry and what’s next Lee Soo Man spent three decades trying to bring K-pop into the global market, often bending but never breaking his vision.

(Here is the full Lee Soo Man interview I pulled this quote from:)

Quote from Lee Soo-Man: “But Lee resists the media’s focus on K-pop’s problems. “Should we always weigh the dark side equally with the bright side, the future?” He asked. “Media should consider whether K-pop represents more future or more past that holds us back. Rather than just discussing the dark side and dragging us down by clinging to the past, shouldn’t we talk more about the future?”

Comedian Tim Robinson dressed in a hot dog costume gestures while people watch him with skeptical expressions. The text reads "We're all trying to find the guy who did this."

These two images have the same energy

Final post-trick-or-treat assessment: saw an uptick in Squid Game costumes (more participant costumes than guards), a few more Huntr/x costumes including a Jinu. Also saw a lot of demon hunters from another franchise — hashira from the anime Demon Slayer.

Also, shoutout to the solitary Squid Game costume I saw in the sea of K-pop Demon Hunter costumes

Attended two halloween parades and so far based purely on what HUNTR/X costumes I’ve seen I would rank character popularity thusly: 1. Mira 2. Zoey 3. Rumi

Court rules NewJeans must stay with Ador, upholding exclusive contract The Seoul Central District Court ruled Thursday that Ador’s dismissal of its former CEO Min Hee-jin does not constitute a violation of its exclusive contract wi

The law firm representing NewJeans has already announced its intention to appeal the court's ruling, so this is far from the end

KARA、5人で仲良くパラパラ生披露「たくさん愛して」 ニュース｜

KARA actually incorporated parapa into the choreography for their Japanese single "Go Go Summer" all the way back in 2011

Nightmare ending fairy (i love it)

‘I survived at 40kg’: K-pop idols speak out about extreme dieting and health struggles - The Korea Times A growing number of K-pop idols are opening up about the physical toll of extreme dieting, sparking concern among fans over the industry’s long-sta...

‘I survived at 40kg’: K-pop idols speak out about extreme dieting and health struggles

www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainmen...

He did! Loved how he made it his own but then the homage to early Lee Jung Hyun in stage visuals and styling. Just a top tier cover.

YouTube video by KBS 레전드 케이팝 조권 - 바꿔 [불후의 명곡2 전설을 노래하다/Immortal Songs 2] | KBS 251004 방송

I also have to hand it to anyone who covers "Bakkwo"

YouTube video by KBS 레전드 케이팝 이정현 - 와 [불후의 명곡2 전설을 노래하다/Immortal Songs 2] | KBS 251004 방송

10/10. No notes. youtu.be/a8P2ghF_JRA?...