Latest news with #WannaOne
Pink Villa
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
BTS' Jimin, Jin lead July 2025 Boy Group Member rankings with G-Dragon, Cha Eun Woo close behind: Check out top 30
For the month of July, BTS' Jimin has once again claimed the No. 1 spot. He topped the Korean Business Research Institute's brand reputation rankings for individual boy group members. Based on big data analysis gathered between June 19 and July 19, Jimin earned a brand reputation index of 5,349,396. He continues his consistent run at the top. Key phrases linked to Jimin 's popularity this month included 'ARMY birthday,' 'Like Crazy,' and 'Who.' Meanwhile his related terms leaned toward 'record,' 'congratulate,' and 'unchanged.' He also scored an impressive 92.08% positive sentiment in the positivity-negativity analysis. This reflects his strong public image and loyal fan support. BTS' Jin rises to No. 2 amid solo tour buzz; G-Dragon holds strong at 3rd Coming in second is fellow BTS member Jin. His brand reputation index jumped by 48.72% from June, totaling 4,791,370 for July. The sharp increase came shortly after he kicked off his solo world tour. His ongoing performances across various cities have greatly boosted his visibility and fan engagement. BIGBANG's G-Dragon secured third place with a brand reputation score of 4,275,862, retaining his position from last month. His lasting impact and reputation as a trendsetter in the K-pop and fashion industries continue to keep his name high on the list. Cha Eun Woo and Jungkook stay strong in Top 5 Landing just behind G-Dragon, ASTRO's Cha Eun Woo ranked fourth with a score of 4,193,684. It reflects a 1.28% increase from June. His consistent activity across music, acting, and endorsements keeps him a fan favorite and a familiar face in the media. Rounding out the top five is BTS' Jungkook, who earned a brand index of 3,974,767. The golden maknae recently opened a second Instagram account, years after deleting his original one. This move may be contributing to the ongoing buzz, helping him maintain his spot in the top ranks. Top 30 boy group members for July 2025 The top 15 also includes other BTS members like V, SUGA, J-Hope, and RM. New-gen idols such as RIIZE's Wonbin, TXT's Yeonjun, and ZEROBASEONE's Sung Han Bin have also made a mark in the rankings this month. Here are the top 30 boy group members for July 2025: BTS' Jimin BTS' Jin BIGBANG's G-Dragon ASTRO's Cha Eun Woo BTS' Jungkook Wanna One's Kang Daniel BTS' V GOT7's Jinyoung TVXQ's Yunho BTS' SUGA BTS' J-Hope Wanna One's Park Ji Hoon RIIZE's Wonbin BTS' RM EXO's Baekhyun Super Junior's Kyuhyun NU'EST & Wanna One's Hwang Minhyun SHINee's Minho ZEROBASEONE's Sung Han Bin TXT's Yeonjun Super Junior's Kim Heechul THE BOYZ's Sunwoo SHINee's Taemin SEVENTEEN's Hoshi TXT's Soobin ATEEZ's San THE BOYZ's Juyeon BIGBANG's Taeyang SEVENTEEN's Mingyu HIGHLIGHT's Yoon Doojoon
Korea Herald
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Ong Seong-wu, Kim Hyang-gi reunite on stage for ‘Shakespeare in Love'
Six years after portraying a fluttering teenage couple in coming-of-age drama 'At Eighteen' experiencing their first love together, singer-actor Ong Seong-wu and Kim Hyang-gi have reunited — this time on stage, as they both make their theatrical debut in the Korean production of 'Shakespeare in Love.' The romantic comedy, adapted from the Oscar-winning 1998 film of the same title, opened Saturday at the CJ Towol Theater at the Seoul Arts Center. Ong, formerly of the since-disbanded boy band Wanna One, steps into the role of a young William Shakespeare in 16th-century London, struggling with writer's block until he meets Viola de Lesseps, a noblewoman with a passion for theater. Their fictional romance inspires Shakespeare to pen "Romeo and Juliet," and the play unfolds as a witty, affectionate tribute to love, art and the making of one of history's greatest stories. At a press conference held Wednesday, Ong reflected on his reunion with Kim and their shared milestone. 'My first drama was with Hyang-gi, and now my first play is with her as well,' he said. 'Back then, I relied on her a lot, and I'm grateful that we're spending long hours together again in the rehearsal room.' Introducing himself as 'the youngest and cutest Will,' Ong described the appeal of his character: 'I think Will's charm lies in how unsure and uncertain he is. He's not perfect, and that vulnerability is something I relate to personally. I tend to overthink and worry, and I wanted to reflect that in how I portray him.' Kim echoed Ong's sentiments about the intensity of the preparation. 'I'm the youngest among the cast and new to theater, so I was really nervous,' she said with a laugh. 'But I kept telling myself, 'Only practice can save me,' and I spent as much time in the rehearsal room as I could.' Ong takes on the role of Shakespeare as part of a four-actor rotation, alongside Lee Kyoo-hyung, Son Woo-hyeon and Lee Sang-yi — actors who have moved fluidly across film, television and theater. Kim shares the role of Viola with two other actors: Lee Joo-young, known for 'Broker' and 'Itaewon Class,' and Park Ju-hyun from Netflix's 'Extracurricular.'
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Ex-Wanna One Member Lai Guanlin makes surprise comeback as a director after announcing retirement last year
Ever since former member of Wanna One, Lai Guanlin, had announced his retirement from the entertainment industry last year in an abrupt post on a popular Chinese social media platform, fans had been wondering where he was. The celebrity recently shared a massive change in his life online, shocking fans worldwide. Lai Guanlin to get behind the camera Lai Guanlin, who has worked as an idol as well as an actor, has now announced in a sudden post online that he has taken a new direction in his career and will be continuing on as a director. According to Allkpop, the celebrity took to his social media account on a popular Chinese platform to share how he is going to be working as a director now after joining a production company in the country. His production company posted a message and statement announcing his joining. Their post read, 'Welcome, Lai Guanlin. Our first director that was born in the 2000s. He's passionate, energetic, sharp, and direct. He's definitely worth looking forward to. He has a natural talent when it comes to expression, determination to take on the world, and courage to go back to square one. He was born to be a creator. We're looking forward to seeing him meet everyone through his work, one step at a time. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Everybody Is Switching To This Enterprise Accounting Software [Take a Look] Accounting ERP Click Here Undo ' More about the idol-turned-actor-turned-director Lai Guanlin first began his career when he joined Wanna One. The star was promoted in South Korea after becoming one of the 11 winners of Produce 101 season 2. After the group disbanded, he shifted back home to China in order to pursue a career in acting. He went on to work in front of the camera for various projects like 'A Little Thing Called First Love' and 'Love The Way You Are'. Later on, Guanlin remained fairly silent about his whereabouts, but suddenly last year, he took to a popular social media platform in China to share that he had decided to retire from the entertainment industry.
![[Grace Kao] Love is in the stars with K-pop's N.Ssign](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F06%2F23%2Fnews-p.v1.20250623.1bdca07aedf841a594d462de97abaadb_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Korea Herald
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
[Grace Kao] Love is in the stars with K-pop's N.Ssign
I first noticed fifth fifth-generation K-pop group on Music Bank when they performed 'Love, Love, Love, Love, Love' in April 2024. It's bright and irresistible. How can anyone make 5 types of finger/hand hearts in 3 seconds? Later, they won the weekly award on Music Bank for 'Love Potion.' This song uses an orchestral hit and a rhythm reminiscent of New Jack Swing. I was happy to see a win by a nearly rookie group from a small company. They looked genuinely shocked. They cried. Recently, I spent two hours in person with all seven members of the group. I enjoyed this conversation not only because they told me about themselves, but they wanted feedback. The members of are: Kazuta, Doha, Sungyun, Robin, Hanjun, Laurence and Huiwon. Leader Kazuta is from Japan. Robin is Korean Australian and Laurence is from Taiwan. The other four members are from Korea. The group name stands for 'net of star sign,' and the fandom is called Cosmo. Robin was born and raised in Australia, so English is his first language. After attending a trainee audition with his friends, Robin was the only person chosen. Felix of Stray Kids is an alumnus of his high school and serves as an inspiration. On his experience, Robin said, 'Since I made it (through the audition), I thought I should do this properly and listen to more music.' An early favorite K-pop song of his was 'Crown' by Tomorrow X Together. Doha shared, 'My mother is a traditional Korean music (gugak) artist, I watched her perform and teach, and spent my childhood immersed in that world. I loved the stage.' He was a vocalist in a band in middle school. Doha is learning to write his own songs so he can 'blend gugak and K-pop so I can perform on stage with my mother.' Hanjun was born and raised in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, and started dancing at church. He served as a dance club leader in school and focused on street dance, especially locking. He asked his parents to allow him one month to audition to be a trainee. He succeeded, and he told me that he especially liked EXO and Wanna One. Laurence hails from Taiwan and speaks Mandarin, Korean and some English. Like many non-Korean trainees and idols, he learned Korean after moving to Korea. He loves Taylor Swift, but he also listens to a lot of K-pop and named Tomorrow X Together and aespa as his favorites. The first K-pop song he heard was Super Junior's 'Sorry Sorry.' His eyes lit up when describing fan meeting in Taiwan, where he could speak at greater length to fans and see his family. Huiwon began by saying, 'My story is long.' I teased that, at 21, he was too young to have any long stories! He is the extrovert of the group. When he was one of eleven students chosen in his middle school class to perform Wanna One's 'Energetic,' he was in charge of the choreography, and the work made him 'feel alive.' He wrote a one-page letter to his mother begging for permission to audition, saying, 'This was the first time I truly wanted something.' He is unique in that he has never been a trainee — he auditioned directly for the audition show. He loves J-Hope of BTS. Sungyun was motivated to become an idol due to his family's financial difficulties. He was 16, and he wanted to help but felt helpless. He believed he had no special talents except those that are conducive to being an idol. The rest of the members considered him the visual of the group. His favorite artists when he was young were Maxwell, Boyz II Men and BTOB. Leader Kazuta is from Okinawa, Japan. He speaks Japanese and Korean and said that when he was young, he only focused on basketball. Still, he loved to sing. Like many members, he liked BTS, but they were all Korean. Only when he learned about Yuta from NCT 127, did he believe that a Japanese man could be an idol. He came to Korea alone and spent 6-7 hours daily studying Korean. 'I cried a lot,' he said. told me that they enjoyed their bright songs. All agreed that the hardest part of being an idol was the lack of sleep and not being able to see family. They shared that when they are given a new song, they have to learn the entire song without knowing which lines will be theirs. They asked me a lot of questions. They wanted to know about American audiences, especially those at K-pop shows, as they were preparing for their first US fan meeting in Los Angeles on June 21. What would US fans expect of them? I shared my observations of concerts I've attended and gave them honest feedback. The members reminded me so much of my best Yale students — they already had a strong body of work but knew they could learn more. I'm excited to see them perform in person someday. Maybe next time they can show me how to make those five hearts with my clumsy fingers.
Indian Express
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Every BTS member's brand power ranked after military discharge; Jimin, Jungkook lead June K-pop reputation index
All seven members of BTS have returned home after serving 18 months in the military. With that, Jimin, Jungkook, RM, Jin, Taehyung, Suga, and J-Hope have made a collective comeback on June's brand reputation ranking, without even dropping any new music yet. The big return also sent HYBE's previously tanking stock soaring within days. The list was released by the Korean Business Research Institute, and the ranking is done for each K-pop idol individually based on their activity, consumer participation, media coverage, community buzz, and more. (Data collected between May 21 and June 21.) Just days before, KBRI released the group ranking list, where BTS got edged out by rising K-pop boy band SEVENTEEN, recently named Global K-pop Stars of the Year by an American outlet. This latest list dropped just hours after Suga wrapped his public service and officially rejoined the group. Also read: 34th Seoul Music Awards full winners list: BTS' Jimin wins special award, i-dle creates history, BLACKPINK Rose, TXT, G-Dragon win big For June, Jimin takes the lead, topping the overall list of top 30 with a brand reputation index of 6,301,075. The Filter crooner saw a massive 76.51% jump in his score since May. The highest-ranking phrases for Jimin remained 'Filter,' 'ARMY,' and 'Park Jimin,' while the related keywords set included 'military discharge,' 'donate,' and more. His positive-to-negative analysis also jumped, with a 94.04% positivity rate. Coming in second is fellow BTS member Jungkook—the duo had enlisted in the military together. His brand index for June was 5,189,119, with a dramatic 86.60% spike. BTS' Jin followed at No. 6 with 3,221,688 points, taking the third-highest spot among the group. V, aka Kim Taehyung, snagged the No. 7 position with a score of 2,517,299. J-Hope, aka Jung Hoseok, fresh off wrapping his world tour, ranked 12th with 1,394,483 points. Meanwhile, RM and Suga landed at 15th and 16th with 1,283,645 and 1,218,910 points, respectively. BIGBANG member G-Dragon is currently on his 'Übermensch' world tour, which has shot his brand value through the roof. The K-pop idol ranked third on the list with a reputation index of 4,521,564. Meanwhile, ASTRO's Cha Eun Woo, who is set to hold an individual fan sign before enlisting in the military later this year, followed with a score of 4,140,574. Wanna One's Park Ji Hoon climbed to number 5 with 4,026,558, riding high on the success of his Weak Hero Class 2 stint, an almost 80% spike from his May score. The reputation ranking was conducted across 755 active K-pop male idols. Also read: BTS loses brand value ranking to K-pop's rising superstars despite major military comeback in June: Check out the Top 20 Check out top 30 BTS's Jimin BTS's Jungkook BIGBANG's G-Dragon ASTRO's Cha Eun Woo Wanna One's Park Ji Hoon BTS's Jin BTS's V Wanna One's Kang Daniel Super Junior's Kyuhyun RIIZE's Wonbin EXO's Baekhyun BTS's j-hope HIGHLIGHT's Yoon Doojoon NU'EST and Wanna One's Hwang Minhyun BTS's RM BTS' Suga Wanna One's Ong Seong Wu RIIZE's Sungchan SEVENTEEN's Jeonghan SHINee's Key EXO's Kai NCT's Doyoung Super Junior's Kim Heechul Wanna One's Kim Jae Hwan TXT's Yeonjun GOT7's Jinyoung SEVENTEEN's Hoshi BIGBANG's Taeyang SEVENTEEN's Mingyu THE BOYZ's Sunwoo (Via soompi)
