JENNIE, Tyla, Gracie Abrams & More Honored At Billboard Women In Music 2025
Billboard Women In Music 2025 officially announces some of their honorees including Ángela Aguilar, Muni Long, aespa and more! Keep watching to get a peak of the honorees list. Who do you think should be honored? Let us know in the comments below! Click here to learn all the details: https://www.billboard.com/women-in-music-2025/
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Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Yahoo
Backlash against K-pop star's deleted photo shows pressure on industry to remain apolitical
Karina, a member of the popular K-pop girl group aespa, found herself in the eye of a storm after a picture of her outfit sparked accusations of political endorsement and breaching one of Korean entertainment's unwritten rules: complete neutrality. On Wednesday, Karina posted an Instagram photo of herself dressed in a red-and-black jacket with the number 2 on it. Many people interpreted it as a subtle nod to Kim Moon Soo, candidate of the conservative People Power Party in South Korea's 3 June presidential election, whose campaign branding uses red and the ballot number 2. She deleted the post as soon as the comments started coming in and issued an apology on fan subscription platform Bubble. 'I'm sorry for making you worry. That was never my intention,' she said. 'I will be more mindful and cautious with my actions going forward. Once again, I'm sorry for causing concern.' Her agency, SM Entertainment, released a statement reinforcing her neutrality and calling her outfit 'everyday content' that was taken down once they realised the potential for misinterpretation. What looks like an overreaction to an otherwise innocuous image is quite emblematic of the intense cultural pressure placed on South Korean celebrities, especially K-pop idols, to practise near-total political abstinence. The expectations are so high that idols often avoid colours, numbers or gestures that could be misread, no matter how coincidental the context. This level of hyper-vigilance stems from the deeply embedded expectation that K-pop idols function as cultural blank slates; figures onto whom fans can project ideals, rather than individuals with opinions or personal leanings. In such an environment, even the faintest suggestion of partisanship or socially loaded behaviour can and does trigger major criticism. The latest wave of scrutiny arrived against the backdrop of a tumultuous election. South Koreans are heading to the polls on 3 June, in a snap presidential election triggered by the impeachment of president Yoon Suk Yeol in April. Yoon was removed from office after controversially invoking martial law in December 2024, a decision that led to nationwide protests and his eventual downfall in the National Assembly. The leading candidate is Lee Jae Myung of the liberal Democratic Party whose campaign has focused on economic equity and foreign policy reform. Around election season, K-pop idols are warned against wearing colours associated with the major political parties: red for the People Power Party, blue for Democratic Party, yellow and green for the Green Justice Party, and so on. Even benign hand gestures like the peace sign or a thumbs up, when done near polling places or shared online, are discouraged because they can mimic party or candidate ballot numbers. Failure to follow these unwritten rules often results in immediate backlash. In 2018, entertainer Yoo Jae Suk faced criticism for wearing a blue cap during the 2018 regional election, and in 2020 trot singer Song Ga In had to apologise for wearing a blue shirt in a video made by the National Election Commission to encourage voting. This level of scrutiny of Korean celebrities is not limited to politics but extends to historical sensitivities and even personal lives. BTS's Suga faced fan outrage and protest wreaths after being fined for drunk-driving an electric scooter, an act that was treated by some fans as grounds for expulsion from the group. Similarly, Karina was accused of 'betrayal' by fans and forced to issue an apology last year after they found out she was dating actor Lee Jae Wook. Idols have also issued apologies for travelling to Japan, which has a fraught history with Korea, during sensitive national holidays and for making what fans have considered insensitive comments related to Korean history. However, some idols seem to have figured out a way to bypass these arbitrary rules. ZeroBaseOne's Kim Tae Rae addressed election season etiquette in a post on a fan platform where he could be seen flashing a 'V' sign, which can be interpreted as a reference to Kim Moon Soo. To avoid any issues, Kim joked that he was balancing out any speculation with the colour of his phone – blue.
Forbes
28-05-2025
- Forbes
Tencent Music Buys $177 Million Stake In K-Pop Giant SM Entertainment
SM Entertainment's K-pop girl group Aespa at a media showcase in Seoul, South Korea. Chinese billionaire Ma Huateng's tech giant Tencent is set to acquire a nearly 10% stake in K-pop agency SM Entertainment from billionaire Bang Si-hyuk's rival agency Hybe, as thawing relations between China and South Korea have signaled a potential rise in demand for Korean cultural exports. Tencent Music Entertainment Group, Tencent's online music arm, will purchase Hybe's 2.2 million shares in SM Entertainment for 243 billion won ($176.6 million), according to a Hybe corporate filing Tuesday. The shares, which Hybe will dispose of in an after-hours block trade on May 30, are priced at 110,000 won apiece, representing a discount of roughly 15% from their price of 130,000 won at Tuesday's market close. Upon the sale, Tencent Music will hold a 9.7% stake in SM Entertainment, making it the second-largest shareholder of the K-pop agency after billionaire Kim Beom-su's Kakao and its entertainment affiliate. The Korean internet giant owns a combined 41.5% stake in SM Entertainment, between Kakao Corp. (with 21.6%) and its subsidiary Kakao Entertainment (19.9%). Tencent also owns a 5.95% stake in Kakao Corp. Hybe stated in its filing that the purpose of its share sale is 'optimizing investment asset management efficiency.' Tencent Music and SM Entertainment did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'Amid recent tariff turmoil, K-pop industry remains defensive and relatively insulated from direct tariff risks,' researchers from Global X, an ETF provider of Mirae Asset Global Investments, wrote in a monthly commentary report published last Tuesday. 'Furthermore, the sector stands to gain from improving Korea-China relations, as the potential reopen of China market could unlock significant growth opportunities.' Other factors, including the comeback of leading artists and the rise of new ones, could also play a role in improving the industry's fundamentals, the researchers added. SM Entertainment, in particular, may expect to benefit from 'upcoming releases from key artists such as Aespa, NCT WISH, and RIIZE.' Hybe's world-record-shattering boy band BTS, which has scored six No. 1 albums on the U.S. Billboard 200, may reunite as early as this June upon the seven members' completion of their mandatory military service. Hybe's K-pop boy group BTS attending the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. Tencent Music's latest investment aligns with rising hopes across the entertainment industry that Beijing may lift its unofficial ban on K-pop performances. Following Seoul's 2016 decision permitting the U.S. military to deploy a missile defense system in South Korean airspace, regulators effectively barred K-pop concerts from taking place in mainland China, while also restricting streaming platforms from releasing Korean-language TV shows and movies. The first sign of detente came in late April, when Epex, a K-pop boy band managed by C9 Entertainment, announced on April 30 it would perform a concert in Fuzhou, the capital city of China's southeastern province of Fujian. But less than two weeks later, on May 10, the concert was indefinitely postponed, with C9 Entertainment citing unspecified 'issues' in the region. Reopening China's borders to concerts and other live performances would be a boon to major K-pop agencies, which rely on ticket and merchandise sales as key revenue streams. SM Entertainment reported its revenue reached 231.4 billion won in the first quarter, with concert revenue rising 58% year-over-year to 39 billion won. Another source of revenue for K-pop agencies is capitalizing on fan engagement, chiefly through apps that offer paid subscriptions for fans to directly message celebrities or join exclusive livestreams. Tencent announced last October it would partner with an SM Entertainment subsidiary, DearU, to launch its fan engagement app, Bubble, in China. Slated to enter the market by June, Bubble may face steep competition from other popular apps like Hybe's Weverse, which announced in April that it reached 9.4 million monthly active users and 150 million cumulative downloads by the end of 2024. The share purchase marks Tencent's solidified role among Korea's leading 'Big 4' music agencies—Hybe, JYP Entertainment, SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment—with each agency distinguished by a handful of marquee acts. Tencent Music owns a 4.3% stake in YG Entertainment, known for its landmark girl group Blackpink, which made the 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2019; JYP's artists include girl group Twice, which made the list in 2020, and boy group Stray Kids, which made the list this year.
Hypebeast
23-05-2025
- Hypebeast
Gentle Monster Unveils Pocket Collection in Collaboration With Bratz
Summary Gentle MonsterandBratzhave joined forces for a nostalgic collaboration. The eyewear brand's Pocket Collection is a collaboration that features 21 unique eyewear designs, including one piece and a special doll in partnership with Bratz®. The collection embodies both brands' shared values of bold self-expression and unique fashion perspectives, blending a daring yet contemporary aesthetic with practicality. The campaign, starring Karina of Aespa, creates an otherworldly visual connection with the humanoid Bratz dolls. To celebrate, exclusive pop-up spaces are launching in Los Angeles (featuring Nudake's Microissants and Maru Coffee's Creamtop), Seoul, Shanghai, and Bangkok, offering immersive, surreal experiences with monumental Bratz doll objects. Each of the sunglasses recieve a Bratz treatment, putting a Y2K spin on Gentle Monster's signature styles. Amongst the range are a series of fold-up silhouettes that open out to full-sized frames. Styles include classic cat-eye sunglasses to minimal optical frames, taking on futuristic silhouettes with a playful touch. Commemorating the launch is a Los Angeles pop-up. The collection is releasingonlineMay 29 at 10 p.m. EST.
