Latest news with #Aespa
Hype Malaysia
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
Gentle Monster's 2025 Pocket Collection Drops Compact Cool & Bratz Doll Realness!
Gentle Monster is back with a game-changer – the 2025 Pocket Collection. Think eyewear that's not just stylish but also portable AF, folding up sleekly to fit right in your pocket without sacrificing an ounce of its bold, modern vibe. The collection features 21 unique designs, including a standout collab with the iconic Bratz® dolls. This playful partnership celebrates fearless self-expression and fashion with attitude, perfectly blending Gentle Monster's edgy aesthetic with Bratz's unapologetic personality. To amp up the hype, the collection's campaign stars Karina from Aespa, serving futuristic, posthuman vibes that sync perfectly with the otherworldly Bratz dolls. Gentle Monster is pushing boundaries, turning eyewear into a wearable piece of art that's practical and eye-catching. Launching on May 30th, 2025 (today!), the collection also gets a real-world glow-up with pop-up spaces in Seoul, Shanghai, Los Angeles, and Bangkok – each featuring monumental Bratz doll installations for an immersive, surreal experience. Whether you're all about metallic details or quirky star-shaped lenses, the 2025 Pocket Collection is ready to redefine how you see fashion. Discover more at and get ready to pocket your new fave accessory. The 2025 Pocket Collection drops today – swing by the pop-up near you and snag your future fave shades before they're gone! What's your Reaction? +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Aespa's Karina under fire after 'controversial' jacket post sparks outrage
Aespa's Karina has hit the headlines and even ended up on the national news channel in South Korea over a 'controversial' post online. The situation got out of hand after the star faced public criticism, prompting her agency to even issue an apology. Controversial jacket goes viral Aespa's Karina had posted a set of photos online that quickly went viral; however, it was for all the wrong reasons. In the photographs the idol can be seen sporting a black and red jacket with the number two written on it in the front. The outfit was quickly perceived as her direct support for the conservative political party in South Korea, especially ahead of elections in the country. Netizens online took the outfit as the idol's direct support of the party and its ideologies of being anti-feminist and anti-LGBTQIA+ As per Koreaboo, the controversy surrounding her outfit reached another level as the national news channel of the country even ended up covering the issue. Karina's outfit made it to the news in a segment where the host was suggesting all the clothes a candidate can wear while going out to vote. Karina's jacket was used as an example of what someone can wear. This added to the backlash from netizens who labelled the idol as 'symbol of candidate number two'. Public call out news agencies Netizens took to online forums and social media platforms to express their disdain for the matter. One stated, 'Wow, she's become a symbol of candidate number two,' while another comment on the matter shared that 'So she's an ambassador for the Conservative Party now lol.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025년 가장 멋진 RPG 게임을 지금 정복하세요 레이드 섀도우 레전드 Undo Post deleted and statement issued after backlash As soon as the post went viral and started facing backlash, Aespa's Karina promptly deleted the post from her social media account. Beyond that, the group's management agency also issued a quick response in the matter. They issued an official apology to the public, stating that 'We apologise for the concern caused by an upload made by our artist, Karina. There were no hidden intentions or purposes by her upload, and she immediately deleted the post after realising there could be misunderstandings. We are truly sorry for unintentionally causing concern.' They ended the apology statement by stating, 'We will also be more careful and put in more effort to prevent something like this happening in the future. We hope that the artist's intentions [on making the post] will no longer be distorted or framed with certain intentions. We will do our best to protect Karina and all of our artists.' Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Time Out
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The 2025 MAMA Awards will be held in Hong Kong
Here's something to perk up K-pop fans on this dreary day: the MAMA Awards will take place in Hong Kong this year! Originally standing for the Mnet Asian Music Awards, this is one of South Korea's major music award ceremonies that occurs annually. Korean music acts du jour and thousands of their fans will be filling the Kai Tak Stadium from November 28 to 29. This marks the return of the MAMA Awards to our city after seven years – the ceremony was held in Hong Kong from 2012 to 2017, and the last time they were in town was in 2018, when the event was split into three parts and Hong Kong hosted one of them. Some of the award categories include Best Male and Female Artist, Best Male and Female Group, Best New Artist, Best Dance Performance, Best Rap Performance, Best Music Video, and more. The four grand prizes, known as daesang, are Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Fans' Choice of the Year (previously titled Worldwide Icon of the Year). Last year's ceremony saw Seventeen winning Artist of the Year and their EP Seventeenth Heaven winning Album of the Year, while the Song of the Year went to Aespa's Supernova, and BTS' Jimin took home the Fans' Choice of the Year. Some of the Korean artists likely to be in the running this year would be Got7, Zerobaseone, Ive, Onew, Kandis, Blackpink's Jisoo, Jennie, and Lisa, and more – they've all released new EPs or albums this year. BTS will also make their much-awaited comeback this year following their mandatory military service, with the last member Suga being discharged on June 21. Stay tuned for details and ticketing information as we learn more!
CNA
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
Aespa's Karina apologises for Instagram post which appeared to signal her political affiliation
Karina of K-pop girl group Aespa has issued an apology over a now-deleted Instagram post which, according to South Korean netizens, had signalled her support for the conservative People Power Party (PPP) in the country's upcoming presidential election. On Tuesday (May 27), the 25-year-old uploaded a series of photos – some of which showed her wearing a black jacket with red stripes and the number 2. Both the colour red and the number 2 have been associated with South Korean presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo of the PPP, with red being the party's representative colour and Kim being the second listed candidate on the ballot. The caption of Karina's Instagram post also featured an emoji of a red rose; the upcoming election has been called a "rose election" in South Korea as it comes during a season when roses are in bloom. During election season, South Korean entertainment figures, including K-pop idols, are strongly advised by their agencies to avoid actions that could signal their political affiliations. These include wearing the representative colours of the various political parties and showing certain hand gestures, such as a thumbs-up or a peace sign, in public. Following the backlash surrounding her post, Karina took to the fan messaging app Bubble to apologise. She wrote: 'I'm really sorry for making Mys [Aespa's fans] worry. I had no such intention at all. But the misunderstanding kept growing and since you were so worried, I thought I should talk to you directly. From now on, I'll also try to be more attentive and act more carefully. I'm sorry once again for making you worry.' Karina's agency, SM Entertainment, has also issued a separate statement, apologising for Karina's actions. 'Karina merely shared something about her daily life on social media, with no other intention or purpose whatsoever,' wrote SM Entertainment. 'However, upon realising that the post could lead to misunderstandings, she promptly deleted it. We sincerely apologise for the unintended concern it may have caused. We will also be more mindful and put in greater effort to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. We hope that the artiste's intentions will no longer be distorted or consumed with a specific agenda. We will continue to do our utmost to protect Karina and all of our artistes.' Conversely, Karina has seen a rise in support from fans of the PPP, with many of them calling her a "goddess" in online communities. The jacket she wore, made by American brand Vaquera, has also sold out in numerous online stores.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- 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.
