KoreanKorea

Category: K-pop

  • Rosé ‘new trick’ release time: 7PM ET Sept 17, 8AM KST Sept 18

    Rosé ‘new trick’ release time: 7PM ET Sept 17, 8AM KST Sept 18

    Rosé 'new trick' release time: 7PM ET Sept 17, 8AM KST Sept 18

    Rosé’s new single ‘new trick’ and its music video release on September 17, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET — which is September 18 at 8:00 AM KST.

    Contents

    1. Rosé new trick release time: 7PM ET Sept 17, 8AM KST Sept 18
    2. Why is the release time printed in the teaser?
    3. Why was the MV shot on iPhone 18 Pro?
    4. Is ‘new trick’ a single or part of the next album?
    5. What is the song like? What the teaser and interviews say
    6. What numbers does ‘new trick’ have to beat?

    Rosé new trick release time: 7PM ET Sept 17, 8AM KST Sept 18

    The single and the MV go live on September 17, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET, which is September 18 at 8:00 AM KST in Korea.
    Rosé’s own teaser post stated the time directly: "’new trick’ is yours, 9/17 at 7pm ET".
    Korean media confirm the platforms go live simultaneously worldwide at that printed moment.

    Korean fans get the song on the 18th, one calendar day after the US date — if a countdown says ‘9/17’, it is counting to the ET clock, not yours.
    Only the ET and KST times are directly confirmed in coverage; the other time zones are straight arithmetic from the 7PM ET time, so check your own zone against the ET time rather than copying a chart.
    If you are in the US East or Central time zone, this is an evening release — no staying up required.

    US East (ET) September 17, 7:00 PM
    US Central (CT) September 17, 6:00 PM
    US Pacific (PT) September 17, 4:00 PM
    UK (BST) September 18, 12:00 AM
    Central Europe (CEST) September 18, 1:00 AM
    Korea (KST) September 18, 8:00 AM
    Japan (JST) September 18, 9:00 AM
    Rosé new trick release time: 7PM ET Sept 17, 8AM KST Sept 18

    Why is the release time printed in the teaser?

    The time was printed because the platforms go live everywhere at that exact printed moment, and Rosé’s caption carried it verbatim.
    The teaser post read "’new trick’ is yours, 9/17 at 7pm ET", which sent international fans straight to search for their local conversion.
    The single and MV release simultaneously across global streaming platforms at the announced time.
    If you want the song the minute it drops, set a reminder against 7PM ET and convert once.

    Why is the release time printed in the teaser?

    👉 LE SSERAFIM Made My Night Release Time: 1PM KST in Your Timezone

    Why was the MV shot on iPhone 18 Pro?

    The ‘new trick’ music video was shot entirely on iPhone 18 Pro as part of Apple’s global ‘Shot on iPhone’ campaign.
    The teaser dropped on September 16, right after iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max pre-orders opened in Korea and other first-wave countries.
    The timing lines up tightly: the iPhone 18 Pro launches in Korea on September 18 (KST), the same day the MV goes live there.

    Apple has done this in K-pop before — NewJeans’ ‘ETA’ MV from July 2023 was shot on iPhone 14 Pro.
    If the MV looks like an iPhone ad, that is because it is one.

    Is ‘new trick’ a single or part of the next album?

    Foreign media report ‘new trick’ is a standalone single, separate from the second full album planned for 2027.
    Multiple outlets cover it as a one-off release between albums rather than a lead single.
    Her first full album ‘rosie’ came out in December 2024, so this new single lands about 21 months later.

    Rosé also told Vogue in a September 9 interview that new music activity is planned for next year.
    Do not treat ‘new trick’ as the lead single of the next album — the standalone framing comes from foreign media, and the label has not officially confirmed it.
    Watch release-day credits if you want the final word on where the song sits.

    What is the song like? What the teaser and interviews say

    ‘new trick’ is a pop-rock track worked on with singer-songwriter Amy Allen, and Rosé has said it is not a sad song.
    In a Vogue interview published September 9, she said she wrote it with Amy Allen right after this year’s Met Gala in New York, and that lately she found it hard to write sad songs the way she did during the ‘rosie’ era.
    The pre-release teaser audio features distorted electric guitar and layered vocals, described as a different texture from her previous solo songs.

    The MV is directed by Dave Myers, who worked with Rosé before on BLACKPINK’s ‘JUMP’ and has directed videos for Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, SZA, Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar.
    The teaser photos show her outdoors in a blue top and teal check skirt, holding a large red lollipop engraved with ‘new trick’.
    If you liked the brighter side of ‘rosie’ less than the sad songs, this track points the other way.

    What is the song like? What the teaser and interviews say

    👉 BIGBANG XX COSMOS Hong Kong tickets presale: dates, windows and Sept 17 general sale time

    What numbers does ‘new trick’ have to beat?

    The reference point is ‘rosie’: her first full album, from December 2024, which hit No.3 on the Billboard 200 and No.4 on the UK Official Albums Chart.
    Its lead single ‘APT.’ with Bruno Mars peaked at No.3 on the Billboard Hot 100, among the highest ranks ever for a K-pop female artist. ‘APT.’ also passed 100 million Spotify streams within 7 days of release, a figure tied to a Guinness World Record.
    Her solo debut track ‘On The Ground’ (2021) topped both Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl.

    US charts and entered the Hot 100, from a single album that sold over 440,000 copies.
    Rosé currently sits above 70 million Spotify monthly listeners.
    If ‘new trick’ charts, these are the numbers coverage will measure it against.

    If I were a Korean fan, I’d plan the morning of the 18th around the 8AM KST drop, since it lands right alongside the iPhone 18 Pro’s Korea launch.
    What I’d check first is not the charts but the sound itself — the teaser’s distorted guitar suggests a texture we haven’t heard from her solo work yet.

    Related posts

    📎 JENNIE Fallen Angel EP, Aug 28 release — 3 tracks and what’s physical-only
    📎 How Do K-pop Idols Get Paid: Debut Debt, 5:5 Splits, Zero Years — how do kpop idols get paid explained
    📎 📅 다가오는 일정 — 발매·개봉·발표 캘린더

    Sources

    Dates to note for the ‘new trick’ rollout

    • September 16, 2026 — teaser drops, right after iPhone 18 Pro pre-orders open in first-wave countries
    • September 17, 2026, 7PM ET — ‘new trick’ single and MV go live simultaneously on global platforms
    • September 18, 2026, 8AM KST — Korean release moment, the same day the iPhone 18 Pro launches in Korea
    • 2027 — second full album planned; title and exact date not yet announced

    FAQ

    Q. What time does Rosé’s ‘new trick’ come out in my time zone?

    It releases September 17, 2026 at 7PM ET — 6PM CT, 4PM PT, 12AM BST September 18, 1AM CEST, 8AM KST and 9AM JST. Only the ET and KST times are directly confirmed; the rest is converted from 7PM ET.

    Q. Is Rosé’s ‘new trick’ on an album?

    Foreign media report it as a standalone single, separate from her second full album planned for 2027. The label has not officially confirmed the standalone status.

    Q. Why is Rosé’s ‘new trick’ MV shot on iPhone?

    It was shot entirely on iPhone 18 Pro for Apple’s ‘Shot on iPhone’ global campaign. The teaser dropped September 16, right after iPhone 18 Pro pre-orders opened, and the phone launches in Korea the same day the MV goes live there.

    Q. When did Rosé’s ‘new trick’ teaser come out?

    The teaser post dropped on September 16, 2026, one day before the release. It showed Rosé outdoors with a red ‘new trick’ lollipop and printed the release time: 9/17 at 7PM ET.

    Q. Who directed Rosé’s ‘new trick’ MV and who is on the song?

    The MV is directed by Dave Myers, who also worked with Rosé on BLACKPINK’s ‘JUMP’. The track is a pop-rock song made with singer-songwriter Amy Allen.

    If you are in Korea, plan the morning of September 18 around it — 8AM KST is a commute-time release, so queue the song before leaving rather than waiting for lunch.

    #Rosé #newtrick #releasetime #KSTconversion #ShotoniPhone #BLACKPINK

  • Circle certification K-pop million platinum: tiers and names

    Circle certification K-pop million platinum: tiers and names

    Circle certification K-pop million platinum: tiers and names

    A Circle Million certification means 1,000,000 accumulated album copies, and a Platinum certification means 250,000 — in the batch reported on September 16, 2026, SEVENTEEN’s V8, TXT’s Yeonjun, LE SSERAFIM, CORTIS, i-dle and ILLIT were named among the acts earning these badges.

    Contents

    1. Circle certification K-pop million platinum: what each badge actually counts
    2. How many copies for each Circle certification tier
    3. Does Circle count pre-orders and first-week sales?
    4. Why one album can earn two certifications — regular, Weverse, POCA and KiT versions
    5. Who just earned what — the September 2026 batch and recent context
    6. Does a certification mean a tour or comeback event?

    Circle certification K-pop million platinum: what each badge actually counts

    Per Circle Chart’s certification rules, a Million certification means 1,000,000 accumulated copies and a Platinum certification means 250,000 — Triple Platinum sits at 750,000, three-quarters of the way to Million.

    The system began in 2018, and it is run by the Korea Music Content Industry Association.
    The chart itself started in 2010 as Gaon Chart and was renamed Circle Chart on July 7, 2022.

    In the batch covered by Soompi on September 16, 2026, SEVENTEEN’s V8, TXT’s Yeonjun, LE SSERAFIM, CORTIS, i-dle and ILLIT were named among acts earning Circle million or platinum certifications.

    When I see a certification headline, the first thing I check is which format earned it — regular, Weverse, POCA or KiT — because each version is certified on its own count.

    Album Million 1,000,000 accumulated copies
    Album Platinum 250,000 accumulated copies
    Album 3x Platinum 750,000 accumulated copies
    Streaming Platinum 100,000,000 accumulated plays
    Digital-song Platinum 2,500,000 downloads + on-demand streams

    How many copies for each Circle certification tier

    The album ladder is fixed: Platinum 250,000, 2x Platinum 500,000, 3x Platinum 750,000, Million 1,000,000, and 2x Million 2,000,000 accumulated copies.

    Tier Accumulated copies
    Platinum 250,000
    2x Platinum 500,000
    3x Platinum 750,000
    Million 1,000,000
    2x Million 2,000,000

    Streaming and digital songs run on separate ladders, so the same word points to three different counts.
    A streaming Platinum requires 100,000,000 accumulated plays — 400 times the numeric count of an album Platinum, because one badge counts copies and the other counts plays.
    A digital-song Platinum starts at 2,500,000 combined downloads and on-demand streams, and Diamond sits at 10,000,000.

    If you are comparing a Million plaque to a Platinum plaque, the gap is 750,000 copies — Triple Platinum is one more 250,000-copy step away from Million.

    How many copies for each Circle certification tier
    close-up stack old vinyl records — How many copies for each Circle certification tier
    Photo: close-up stack old vinyl records — CC0 1.0 (Openverse)

    👉 BTS ARIRANG cinema screening: tour dates, 75 countries and how to find your showtime

    Does Circle count pre-orders and first-week sales?

    No — the badge counts accumulated sales, not a first-week ranking.

    Certification only opens at least six weeks after release, and it totals every copy sold on the same medium and tracklist.
    Albums must also have been released in Korea on or after January 1, 2018 to be eligible.
    Because the count starts after the pre-order window, it is the one sales number not inflated by pre-order hype.

    The counts are also back-dated: BLACKPINK Jennie’s ‘SOLO’ earned its Platinum certification years after release, and the 2019 mini album ‘Kill This Love’ reached Triple Platinum, so older releases keep accruing toward the next threshold.

    If you see a certification headline the day a comeback drops, the badge behind it reflects six weeks or more of sales, not launch-week numbers.

    Does Circle count pre-orders and first-week sales?

    Why one album can earn two certifications — regular, Weverse, POCA and KiT versions

    Formats are certified separately, because eligibility requires the same medium and tracklist — so one album can appear twice on the same list.

    SEVENTEEN’s best-of album ’17 IS RIGHT HERE’ is the clearest example: the regular version reached Triple Million at 3,000,000-plus copies while the Weverse version earned Platinum at 250,000-plus.
    ZEROBASEONE’s ‘You had me at HELLO’ went Triple Platinum (750,000-plus) in the regular version and Platinum in the POCA version.
    CORTIS’s ‘GREENGREEN’ regular version passed 2,000,000 copies for Double Million while the Weverse version cleared 500,000 for Double Platinum — over 2.5 million combined, meaning the Weverse version alone added more than 25% on top of the regular figure.

    When you see one album with two certifications, they are two separate counts stacked side by side, not a double-counted total.

    Who just earned what — the September 2026 batch and recent context

    In the batch covered by Soompi on September 16, 2026, CORTIS, i-dle, TXT’s Yeonjun, ILLIT, SEVENTEEN’s V8 and LE SSERAFIM were named among acts earning million or platinum certifications.

    Earlier in 2026, Circle’s June batch put four separate albums over 1,000,000 accumulated sales at once: TXT’s ‘7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns’, NCT WISH’s ‘Ode to Love – The 1st Album’, &TEAM’s ‘We on Fire’ and TWS’s ‘NO TRAGEDY’.

    If you want to check a badge yourself, the English-site posting is the cleaner one to wait for — in the June 2026 batch that meant June 16 on Circle’s English site versus June 11 on the KPIA Korean press release.

    👉 JENNIE Fallen Angel EP, Aug 28 release — 3 tracks and what’s physical-only

    Does a certification mean a tour or comeback event?

    No — a certification is a sales and streaming milestone only.

    It confirms nothing about venues, ticketing or fan-sign eligibility; tour and event news comes from the agencies separately.
    Where you can watch instead is Circle Chart’s English site and KPIA press releases, and batches follow the prior month’s chart — the June 2026 batch landed on KPIA on June 11 and the English site on June 16.

    On the calendar from here: September 17, 2026, when BTS’s ARIRANG tour leg begins and LE SSERAFIM’s ‘Made My Night’ single keeps the newly certified albums in search cycles.

    If you see a certification headline next to tour rumors, treat them as two unrelated items until the agency itself announces dates.

    If I want to check a badge myself, I wait for the posting on Circle Chart’s English site, because that is where the full list appears at once without agency spin.

    Does a certification mean a tour or comeback event?

    👉 SEVENTEEN, ATEEZ, IVE, aespa, ENHYPEN earn Circle triple million and platinum certifications

    👉 CORTIS, i-dle, TXT’s Yeonjun, ILLIT, SEVENTEEN’s V8, LE SSERAFIM earn Circle million and platinum certifications (September 2026)

    👉 Circle Chart June 2026 certifications in English

    👉 Circle Chart official site

    Related posts

    📎 BIGBANG XX COSMOS Hong Kong tickets presale: dates, windows and Sept 17 general sale time
    📎 How Do K-pop Idols Get Paid: Debut Debt, 5:5 Splits, Zero Years — how do kpop idols get paid explained
    📎 📅 다가오는 일정 — 발매·개봉·발표 캘린더

    Sources

    What to watch next

    • September 17, 2026 — BTS’s ARIRANG tour leg begins; LE SSERAFIM’s ‘Made My Night’ single keeps the newly certified albums in search cycles.
    • Next certification batches post on Circle Chart’s English site and KPIA press releases, roughly one month after each month’s chart closes.
    • This post’s numbers are current as of September 16, 2026.

    FAQ

    Q. What does Circle million certification mean for SEVENTEEN’s V8 and TXT’s Yeonjun?

    It means the release crossed 1,000,000 accumulated copies (or a Platinum tier means 250,000) in Circle Chart’s certification system. The exact tier per act in the September 16, 2026 batch should be read from the Soompi roundup.

    Q. How many copies for Circle platinum vs million album certification?

    Platinum is 250,000 accumulated copies and Million is 1,000,000. Each Platinum tier adds 250,000, so 3x Platinum sits at 750,000.

    Q. Do Circle certifications count pre-order or first-week sales only?

    Neither — certification counts accumulated sales, becomes eligible at least six weeks after release, and is not a first-week ranking, so pre-order hype does not inflate it.

    Q. Why does one album have two Circle certifications?

    Regular, Weverse, POCA and KiT versions are certified separately because eligibility requires the same medium and tracklist. SEVENTEEN’s ’17 IS RIGHT HERE’ regular version went Triple Million while its Weverse version earned Platinum.

    Q. Does a Circle certification mean a tour is coming?

    No. A certification is a sales and streaming milestone only; tour dates, venues and fan-sign details come from the agencies separately.

    For international fans, the fastest check is Circle Chart’s English site — certification batches there follow the prior month’s chart.

    #CircleChart #K-popcertification #SEVENTEEN #TXT #LESSERAFIM #CORTIS #millioncertification #platinumcertification

  • why do kpop stars go on hiatus: 4 reasons, IU & BTS

    why do kpop stars go on hiatus: 4 reasons, IU & BTS

    why do kpop stars go on hiatus: 4 reasons, IU & BTS

    K-pop hiatuses come down to four official reasons — health, military service, contract issues, and identity/burnout — and the wording of the agency notice (Weverse, fan platform, or video) tells you whether it’s a pause or something more permanent.

    Contents

    1. Why do kpop stars go on hiatus: the 4 official reasons
    2. What does ‘hiatus’ mean — and how is it different from disbandment or being shelved?
    3. How do agencies announce a hiatus — and where do you see the notice first?
    4. Health hiatuses: what the notice actually says
    5. Why did BTS stop group activities in 2022?
    6. The military rule that sets hiatus timing — and why notices come early

    Why do kpop stars go on hiatus: the 4 official reasons

    The recurring official reasons in agency notices are health, military service, contract and renewal issues, identity or burnout, and a catch-all phrase that translates as ‘internal circumstances.’

    These are the reasons that actually appear in reported agency notices — not an official taxonomy that any agency has published.
    Health and military service are the two reasons that come with dates and documents.
    Burnout and identity show up in the artist’s own words, as RM put it in 2022: "The K-pop and idol system itself doesn’t let a person mature."

    When you see a notice, match its wording to one of these reasons first — that tells you whether a date, a diagnosis, or a promise of return should be somewhere in the text.

    Before anything else, I read the exact wording on the agency’s own platform — ‘postponed’ with a diagnosis and a timeline is a completely different situation from a vague phrase with no return date.

    Health IU postponed her September 2025 Goyang Stadium concert, nationwide tour, and full album 6 at once — patulous Eustachian tube (이관개방증) worsened by increased activity
    Military service Jin (born 1992) had enlistment deferred only until end of 2022 under the 2020-revised Military Service Act, blocking year-ahead BTS tour planning
    Identity / burnout BTS announced a pause on group activities on June 14, 2022 — 9 years after the 2013 debut — with ‘Proof’ framed as the end of Chapter 1
    Contract issues Reported in agency notices, but no verified primary-source example in this post
    Miss A at the Korea KPOP World Festival 2013 — Why do kpop stars go on hiatus: the 4 official reasons
    Photo: Miss A at the Korea KPOP World Festival 2013 by https://www.flickr.com/people/koreanet — CC BY-SA 2.0 (Openverse)

    What does ‘hiatus’ mean — and how is it different from disbandment or being shelved?

    A hiatus stops activities but keeps the contract and the group intact, with a return planned or hinted.

    State What it means
    Hiatus Activities stop, contract and group intact, return planned or hinted
    Disbandment The group itself ends
    Shelved (수납) Contract kept, activities stopped, no announced return date — explicitly neither disbandment nor a comeback

    Fans use the slang ‘shelved’ (수납) for that third state.
    The term moved from fan communities into mainstream news headlines; YTN used it in coverage in December 2025.
    The signal you read is the notice’s wording: ‘postponed’ or ‘hiatus’ means contract and group stay intact.

    If the notice names a return date or a bridge plan (solo albums, unit work), it’s a hiatus.
    If it names neither, that’s the shelved state fans worry about — and ‘shelved’ cases ending in an official return announcement could not be verified from collected sources.

    What does 'hiatus' mean — and how is it different from disbandment or being shelved?

    👉 How Do K-pop Idols Get Paid: Debut Debt, 5:5 Splits, Zero Years — how do kpop idols get paid explained

    How do agencies announce a hiatus — and where do you see the notice first?

    Official notices land on the agency’s fan platform first — for BTS/HYBE, pinned Weverse artist notices; for IU, a statement from her agency EDAM Entertainment.

    Three channels show up in verified cases:

    1. Agency press release or platform statement (IU/EDAM on the postponement)
    2. The artist’s own letter on the fan platform (IU on ‘Berryz,’ addressed to fandom ‘Uaena’)
    3. A direct video message (BTS’s ‘dinner’ video on YouTube, June 14, 2022)

    Top acts often pair the formal notice with a personal message, so check both — the artist’s letter frequently adds context the agency one-liner leaves out.
    Don’t trust a translated one-liner as the full notice; read it on the agency’s own platform before reacting to anything else.

    Health hiatuses: what the notice actually says

    A health-related postponement names the specific condition and the medical team’s advice, not just ‘health reasons.’

    IU’s notice cited patulous Eustachian tube (이관개방증) — a chronic ear condition she first revealed at her September 2022 ‘Golden Hour’ concert at Jamsil Olympic Stadium — worsening with increased activity, with doctors advising against a stadium show involving heavy sweating and extreme stamina use.
    Her own statement on Berryz added what agency notices usually omit: the condition doesn’t affect daily life, only pitch and condition while singing, with symptoms running "day and night."
    Her postponement bundled multiple deliverables at once — the September 2025 Goyang Stadium solo concert, the nationwide stadium tour, and the full album 6 timeline.

    If the notice gives you a diagnosis plus medical advice, take the timeline seriously; a one-line ‘health reasons’ without either leaves you with no way to judge severity, and the artist’s personal post is usually where the missing context shows up.

    Health hiatuses: what the notice actually says

    Why did BTS stop group activities in 2022?

    BTS announced a pause on group activities on June 14, 2022 — 9 years after the 2013 debut — in a YouTube dinner video, framing ‘Proof’ as the end of Chapter 1.

    Three reasons ran side by side.
    Identity burnout: RM said "The K-pop and idol system itself doesn’t let a person mature," and Suga said "Since 2013 I’ve never once worked while saying this is so much fun."
    Military timing: Jin (born 1992) had enlistment deferred only until end of 2022, making year-ahead tour planning impossible.
    Schedule intensity: members reported night-long pre-recordings and comeback schedules split by the minute.

    The pause came with a concrete output plan — solo albums and collaborations as the ‘Chapter 2’ bridge — and that’s your signal: a pause with a stated plan and a promise (Jungkook: "return as seven better people") is a planned pause, not an ending.

    👉 kpop dance tutorial for beginners bts: songs to start with

    The military rule that sets hiatus timing — and why notices come early

    Under the 2020-revised Military Service Act, top cultural figures can defer enlistment to age 30 via the Culture Minister’s recommendation — and that deadline alone sets when a group’s schedule goes quiet.

    Tours are typically planned about a year ahead.
    When the oldest member’s deferral deadline lands (Jin’s ran only to end of 2022), agencies can’t book team-level plans that far out, so the gap shows up as unannounced schedules rather than a formal ‘hiatus’ notice.
    This is an operational cause, not an artistic one.

    If a top group’s schedule goes quiet without any notice, check the oldest member’s enlistment deadline first — that date often explains the timing better than any public statement.

    What I’d do first is wait for the notice itself on the agency’s platform before reacting, because a quiet schedule and an official hiatus are two different things.

    The military rule that sets hiatus timing — and why notices come early

    Related posts

    📎 BTS ARIRANG cinema screening: tour dates, 75 countries and how to find your showtime
    📎 ITZY Yeji Amsterdam soundcheck Hi-Bye send-off: concert on, but Yeji skips the add-ons
    📎 📅 다가오는 일정 — 발매·개봉·발표 캘린더

    Sources

    Reading a hiatus notice: what to check first

    • Read the exact wording on the agency’s own platform before reacting to headlines or fan posts.
    • Check whether a group-pause notice names a bridge plan — solo albums and collaborations signal a planned pause, not an end.
    • For health postponements, compare the agency one-liner with the artist’s own letter — the letter usually says what the notice leaves out.
    • Treat a ‘shelved’ label as a specific state — contract kept, activities frozen, no announced return — not as disbandment or a rumor.
    • For a top group’s unexplained schedule gap, look up the oldest member’s enlistment deadline before guessing at internal conflict.
    • Wait for the notice itself on the agency’s platform before reacting — translated one-liners routinely drop the return plan and the reason.

    FAQ

    Q. What does it mean when a K-pop group goes on hiatus?

    Activities stop but the contract and group stay intact, with a return planned or hinted — it is not disbandment.

    Q. Is a K-pop hiatus the same as disbandment?

    No. A hiatus keeps the contract and group intact; disbandment ends the group. Fans use ‘shelved’ (수납) for the in-between state: contract kept, no announced return date.

    Q. How do agencies announce a hiatus (which platform)?

    On the agency’s fan platform first — pinned Weverse artist notices for BTS/HYBE, agency statements for others — often paired with a personal letter or video from the artist.

    Q. Why did BTS stop group activities in 2022?

    Identity burnout, military timing (Jin’s deferral ran only to end of 2022), and schedule intensity — announced June 14, 2022, with solo albums and collaborations as the bridge.

    Q. What is the military rule that forces top idols into hiatus timing?

    The 2020-revised Military Service Act lets top cultural figures defer enlistment to age 30 via the Culture Minister’s recommendation — and since tours are planned about a year ahead, that deadline blocks group scheduling.

    When the next hiatus notice drops, read it on the agency’s own platform first — the wording is the answer.

    #K-pop #BTS #IU #hiatus #Weverse #militaryservice #K-popexplained

  • How to be a kpop idol in YG Entertainment: free audition

    How to be a kpop idol in YG Entertainment: free audition

    How to be a kpop idol in YG Entertainment: free audition

    Applying to YG Entertainment costs 0 KRW at every stage: apply free at yg-audition.com with one category (vocal, dance, rap, or acting/modeling) and an attached video or audio file, and expect roughly 24–60 months of trainee training before a debut that is never guaranteed.

    Contents

    1. how to be a kpop idol in yg entertainment: the steps, round by round
    2. When does YG open its global online audition?
    3. Is there an age limit to audition for YG?
    4. What the YG online application form asks for
    5. YG monthly auditions: where and how they differ from online
    6. Trainee period: how long, and what happens after you pass

    how to be a kpop idol in yg entertainment: the steps, round by round

    The path is: pick one category, apply on yg-audition.com with an attached video or audio file, pass 3 or more screening rounds, then sign a trainee contract.
    Every stage costs 0 KRW — YG’s official pages carry a notice warning against anyone who charges money for auditions or casting.

    1. Pick one category: vocal, dance, rap, or acting/modeling.
    2. Apply on yg-audition.com with your personal info and an attached video or audio file for that category.
    3. The A&R team screens your documents and media first.
    4. Passing applicants move to a callback round, on-site or by video.
    5. The final round is an in-person audition, and only those who pass it are offered a trainee contract.

    The flow matters for planning because you cannot skip stages.
    If you submit, the notice about the next round arrives by email, so the address you type on the form is the one that decides whether you hear back.
    If you are choosing between categories, pick the one you can show best in a single file rather than the one you would like to try.

    You live overseas and cannot fly to Korea Use the Global Audition online route — apply on yg-audition.com without visiting Korea
    You can visit the Seoul area Book a slot for YG’s monthly private in-person auditions through the official site
    You worry about being too old Check the current notice — guidelines state no strict upper age limit, but past rounds set eligibility by birth year and minors need a parent or guardian consent signature
    Someone asks you to pay an ‘audition fee’ Do not pay — YG states auditions are free of charge at every stage
    You don’t speak Korean Apply anyway — Korean fluency is not listed as a requirement, and trainees who pass get Korean language training
    You want to know your odds after passing Treat passing as the start, not the finish — trainee contracts are separate, and only a small fraction of trainees debut
    how to be a kpop idol in yg entertainment: the steps, round by round
    Dance Studio First mirror — how to be a kpop idol in yg entertainment: the steps, round by round
    Photo: Dance Studio First mirror by Douglas P. Perkins — CC BY 3.0 (Openverse)

    When does YG open its global online audition?

    YG’s global online audition rounds are typically announced or refreshed on yg-audition.com around early October; the next expected window is around October 2026.
    The site runs this as a recurring program, and past Global Auditions covered multiple overseas regions alongside the online route.

    If you live outside Korea, this is the route built for you — the Global Audition lets you apply online without visiting Korea.
    Whether a round is open right now, as of September 16, 2026, could not be confirmed, so check yg-audition.com for the current status.
    The date to note is early October 2026, when new rounds are typically posted along with their eligibility rules.

    When does YG open its global online audition?
    Apple Macbook — When does YG open its global online audition?
    Photo: Apple Macbook by Jay Wennington — CC0 1.0 (Openverse)

    👉 How to Become a Kpop Trainee as a Foreigner: E-6 Visa Guide

    Is there an age limit to audition for YG?

    There is generally no strict upper age limit, but minors need a parent or guardian consent signature on the application.
    Past Global Audition notices have specified eligibility by birth year instead of a simple age number.

    The exact birth-year cutoff on the current form could not be confirmed, and past rounds have differed, so the live notice is the only source worth trusting on this point.
    When I look at any agency audition page, the first thing I check is whether the round is actually open right now and what it says this time about birth-year eligibility — both change round to round.
    If the current notice lists a birth-year range, your birth year decides; if you are under the consent age, the signature has to be there before you submit.

    Is there an age limit to audition for YG?

    What the YG online application form asks for

    The form asks for basic personal info (name, birth date, nationality, contact), one audition category, and attached media.
    Photos are expected from all applicants, plus video or audio files for performance categories.

    Attachments are the part that decides whether you move past screening, so they deserve more care than the form itself.
    Reported practice for online auditions is a clear face photo, a full-body photo, and performance clips kept around 1–3 minutes, with a dance video showing the whole body, unedited and without background music — but treat these as typical practice, not YG’s stated rule, because the current form’s exact required and optional fields could not be verified.
    If your clip only shows your upper body or has a backing track covering your voice, that is the part to fix before submitting.

    What the YG online application form asks for

    YG monthly auditions: where and how they differ from online

    The online route and the monthly private audition reach the same place, but the logistics differ.
    The table below is the comparison to decide with.

    Online (Global Audition) Monthly private audition
    Where From anywhere In person, Seoul area
    How to enter Upload video or audio on yg-audition.com Book a slot through the official site
    Sessions One application per category Separate sessions per category
    Schedule Announced per round on the site Posted on the site, not a fixed public calendar
    Travel cost None Your own, including flights and accommodation

    Overseas offline Global Audition rounds, when held, are also at the applicant’s own cost — YG does not cover travel or accommodation at the audition stage.
    If it were me, I would apply online the same day a new round opens rather than waiting for an offline round abroad; the online route costs nothing, and an overseas round means paying my own travel at a stage where I have no contract yet.
    If you live in or near Seoul, the monthly private audition is the lower-friction choice, because the schedule is on the site and the sessions run category by category.

    👉 BTS ARIRANG cinema screening: tour dates, 75 countries and how to find your showtime

    Trainee period: how long, and what happens after you pass

    Trainees typically train 2–5 years — 24–60 months — before debut, covering vocals, dance, languages and image management, and only a small fraction of signed trainees debut.

    Regular internal evaluations with continuous feedback are the core of the trainee system, and many trainees are released during the period instead of debuting.
    Trainees sign a separate development agreement, training costs are commonly recouped from post-debut revenue, and Korea caps debut artist contracts at 7 years by law.
    Passing the audition is the start, not the finish — treat the 24–60 months as the real test.
    If the training period and the odds do not change your decision, the blog’s existing E-6 visa article covers the stage after a debut, which is where this path ends.

    Related posts

    📎 kpop dance tutorial for beginners bts: songs to start with
    📎 Easiest Kpop Dances for Beginners: 8-Count Routines to Start First
    📎 📅 다가오는 일정 — 발매·개봉·발표 캘린더

    Sources

    Read this next

    • Around early October 2026: YG global online audition rounds are typically announced or refreshed on yg-audition.com — check the site then for the current round and its birth-year eligibility.
    • Before you submit anything: verify the current round is open on yg-audition.com, as of September 16, 2026 the opening status could not be confirmed.
    • If anyone asks you for an audition fee, stop — YG auditions are free at every stage.

    FAQ

    Q. How to become a kpop trainee at YG?

    Apply free at yg-audition.com with one category and an attached video or audio file, pass the document/media screening, callback and final in-person rounds, then sign a trainee contract and train 24–60 months before debut.

    Q. Does YG charge an audition fee?

    No. YG states auditions are free of charge at every stage, and official pages warn against agencies or individuals charging money for auditions or casting.

    Q. Is there an age limit to audition for YG?

    Guidelines state there is generally no strict upper age limit, but minors need a parent or guardian consent signature, and past rounds set eligibility by birth year — the current form’s exact cutoff could not be confirmed.

    Q. Do you need to speak Korean to audition for YG?

    No. Korean fluency is not listed as an audition requirement, and applicants can audition in any language, though trainees who pass receive Korean language training.

    Q. How long is the YG trainee period?

    Typically 2–5 years, or 24–60 months, covering vocals, dance, languages and image management — and only a small fraction of trainees actually debut.

    Check yg-audition.com in early October 2026 for the current Global Audition round and its birth-year eligibility before you prepare your clips.

    피프 — 드디어 클로드로 영상까지 만듭니다

    #YGaudition #howtobeakpopidol #kpoptrainee #YGglobalaudition #kpopagelimit #yg-audition.com #kpoptraineeperiod

  • How Do K-pop Idols Get Paid: Debut Debt, 5:5 Splits, Zero Years — how do kpop idols get paid explained

    How Do K-pop Idols Get Paid: Debut Debt, 5:5 Splits, Zero Years — how do kpop idols get paid explained

    How Do K-pop Idols Get Paid: Debut Debt, 5:5 Splits, Zero Years — how do kpop idols get paid explained

    Most idols get paid only after the agency recoups costs first: trainee debt, half the music-video budget, and event fees split 50/50 then divided by members.
    A 50 million won event fee works out to about 2 million won per member, and settlement can stay at zero for years.
    This post walks through the payment order, the debut-debt system, streaming and album splits, and when money actually reaches an idol.

    Contents

    1. How do kpop idols get paid: the payment order, from debt to split
    2. Do idols pay back trainee debt after debut?
    3. What percentage do kpop idols get from album sales?
    4. When do kpop idols start earning money?
    5. Did Lee Seung-gi get zero settlement for 18 years?
    6. Can idols see their own settlement records?

    How do kpop idols get paid: the payment order, from debt to split

    All income goes to the agency first, costs are deducted, the remainder is split by the contract ratio, and trainee debt is repaid before any settlement reaches a member.
    Under the standard exclusive contract, distribution-fee, copyright and performance-fee costs come off before the split.
    The contract also allows deducting vehicle upkeep, room and board, transport, advertising fees, and other costs the artist agreed to, before splitting event and ad income.
    Group income is then divided equally by member count, so a 9:1 contract on a 10-member group leaves a per-person ratio of 90:1.

    1. Album, streaming, event and ad income is collected by the agency.
    2. Distribution, production and activity costs are deducted.
    3. The remainder is split by the agreed ratio and divided by member count.
    4. Trainee debt and other billed costs are repaid before settlement.

    When I read an idol pay claim, the first thing I check is whether the number is the contract ratio on paper or what actually landed in a settlement sheet, because those are not the same thing.

    1. All income reaches the agency first Album, streaming, event and ad money lands at the agency, not with the members
    2. Costs are deducted Distribution fees, production costs, manager salary, vehicle and fuel come off the top
    3. The remainder is split by contract Reported ratios run 9:1 to 5:5; recent contracts often start 7:3 and shift toward 5:5 from year 3-4
    4. Trainee debt is repaid before settlement Lesson, food, dorm and practice-room costs billed after debut must be cleared before any payout

    Do idols pay back trainee debt after debut?

    At most small and mid agencies, yes — trainee-period lesson fees, food, housing and practice-room rental are billed to the artist after debut.
    Momoland’s Hyebin described it as ‘debting several hundred million won at debut.’ The standard contract says these training costs are the agency’s burden by default, but with the artist’s consent they can be charged to the artist and deducted later, limited only by ‘reasonable range’ wording.
    Music-video costs add to this: members bear half of an MV budget that runs into the hundreds of millions of won.

    Under the standard exclusive contract (MCST notice No.
    2024-0021, revised June 3, 2024), trainee training costs are nominally the agency’s burden unless the artist consents to repayment.
    In practice, Hyebin says every MV filming ‘loses me tens of millions of won,’ and settlement stays blocked until the debt is fully repaid.

    If your group is on a big agency with a stated support policy, this billing may not apply, but that has not been confirmed from a company statement; for small and mid agencies, assume the debt exists until a settlement sheet says otherwise.

    👉 How to Become a Kpop Trainee as a Foreigner: E-6 Visa Guide

    What percentage do kpop idols get from album sales?

    For streaming, performers get a regulated 6.25% of streaming revenue, split among all singers and players on the track; for physical albums, there is no statutory split and the ratio is a private contract matter.
    Under the MCST rules in force since January 1, 2019, 65% of streaming revenue goes to rights holders, split as producer 48.25%, songwriter 10.5%, and performer 6.25%.
    A hit with many credited singers and session players dilutes that 6.25% further.

    Physical albums work differently: the distribution method and the artist’s share are whatever the contract says, so no reliable per-album per-member figure can be computed.
    Reported contract ratios run 9:1 to 5:5, with recent contracts starting 7:3 or 6:3 and adjusting to 5:5 or 6:3 from year 3-4.

    If you are reading a streaming chart, the performer share is a fixed regulated slice; if you are reading album sales, the members’ cut is contract-specific and cannot be estimated from the chart number alone.

    When do kpop idols start earning money?

    Only after debt is repaid and costs stop offsetting income.
    Momoland’s Hyebin says her group hit No.1 on music shows two years after debut and settlement was still zero, because costs kept offsetting income.
    Even the roughly 2 million won left per event is reinvested into the next music video, so ‘the money turns around before it reaches my bank account.’

    The event math explains why.
    A typical event appearance fee is about 50 million won; after the 50% agency split, division by members, and deductions for hair and makeup, stylist, food and fuel, roughly 2 million won reaches one member — about 4% of the fee (2,000,000 ÷ 50,000,000).
    One former idol frames the odds as three stacked 1% filters: the top 1% of applicants become trainees, the top 1% of trainees debut, and only the top 1% of debuted idols actually make money — ‘I was not that 1%.’

    If a comeback sells 500,000 copies, expect the income to first offset debut debt and production costs rather than become a paycheck.

    Did Lee Seung-gi get zero settlement for 18 years?

    Yes — Lee Seung-gi received no music settlement for 18 years, and a court awarded him 581 million won in 2023.
    In the ruling on Lee Seung-gi v.
    Hook Entertainment (Seoul Central District Court, 2023gahap49200), the court found 648 million won had to be recovered as costs before settlement obligations began, and called the withholding of payments and data an act destroying a relationship of high trust.
    Tablo of Epik High has likewise revealed a 2003 contract under which the group received zero settlement even for the hit ‘Fly.’

    The paper-ratio problem shows up in a real settlement sheet too.
    In a 6-member group’s sheet obtained by Biz Hankook, a 5:5 contract paid one member 5-16% of net profit per quarter; in the best quarter (2.926 billion won in sales), the member received 126.88 million won — about 5%.
    Reported deductions have included 6 million won of water for one member per quarter, CEO travel expenses, staff car leases, and sponsored stage outfits.

    If you quote a debt amount, quote what an artist actually said — Hyebin’s ‘several hundred million won at debut’ — rather than turning it into an industry-wide number.

    👉 BTS ARIRANG cinema screening: tour dates, 75 countries and how to find your showtime

    Can idols see their own settlement records?

    Since April 23, 2025, agencies must provide accounting records and compensation details in writing at least once a year, without the artist having to request them.
    Before that, agencies were not required to show records voluntarily; artists reported receiving only numbers on an A4 sheet with no receipts, and one member said requesting settlement data effectively meant activity suspension.
    In a November 2022 civil ruling, an idol who requested settlement data for 3 years and received only formal records without receipts won, and the court voided the exclusive contract.

    An earlier amendment bill requiring disclosure — often called the ‘Lee Seung-gi Act’ — failed to pass the National Assembly after the 2022 case.
    The 2025 amendment to the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act is now the rule that forces written annual disclosure.

    If I were tracking a dispute like this, the first thing I would check is whether the annual written disclosure actually arrived — because past cases show courts void contracts the moment agencies withhold it.

    Related posts

    📎 kpop dance tutorial for beginners bts: songs to start with
    📎 📅 다가오는 일정 — 발매·개봉·발표 캘린더

    Sources

    Reading an idol pay claim — what to check first

    • Check whether the number is the contract ratio on paper or the real settlement rate — on a real 5:5 sheet, members received 5-16% of net profit per quarter.
    • Treat album sales figures as recoupment input, not member income — income first offsets debut debt and production costs.
    • Quote trainee debt only as the artist’s own words (‘several hundred million won at debut’), not as an industry-wide figure.
    • Compare streaming and album money differently: streaming has a regulated 6.25% performer share; album splits are private contract terms.

    FAQ

    Q. How do kpop idols get paid?

    All income goes to the agency first, costs are deducted, the remainder is split by the contract ratio and divided by members, and trainee debt is repaid before any settlement arrives.

    Q. Do idols pay back trainee debt after debut?

    At most small and mid agencies, yes — Hyebin of Momoland described debting several hundred million won at debut from lesson, food, dorm and practice-room costs, though the standard contract makes these the agency’s burden unless the artist consents.

    Q. What percentage do kpop idols get from album sales?

    For streaming, performers share a regulated 6.25% of revenue (MCST rules since January 1, 2019). Physical albums have no statutory split — the ratio is whatever the private contract says.

    Q. When do kpop idols start earning money?

    Only after debt and costs are repaid — Momoland won music shows two years after debut with settlement still at zero, and a 50 million won event fee leaves about 2 million won per member.

    Q. Did Lee Seung-gi really get zero settlement for 18 years?

    Yes — the 2023 court ruling found 648 million won in costs had to be recovered first and awarded him 581 million won in unpaid settlement.

    The date to watch next is the first annual written disclosure an agency sends under the April 23, 2025 law.

    #kpopidolssalary #kpoptraineedebt #kpopsettlement #kpoprevenuesplit #leeseung-gisettlement

  • Easiest Kpop Dances for Beginners: 8-Count Routines to Start First

    Easiest Kpop Dances for Beginners: 8-Count Routines to Start First

    Easiest Kpop Dances for Beginners: 8-Count Routines to Start First

    Start with a K-pop routine built on a slow 8-count and one repeated point move — that is the shape of a beginner dance you will actually finish.
    K-pop choreography lands every hand, foot and eye movement on an exact count, so you can check yourself against the beat without a teacher.
    This post covers what makes a routine easy, how to practice it, how big the beginner tier is, and which routines to save for later.

    Contents

    1. Easiest kpop dances for beginners: what to pick first
    2. What makes a K-pop dance easy to learn
    3. Beginner K-pop practice with mirrored videos
    4. How big the beginner dance data actually is
    5. Which K-pop choreography is not for beginners yet
    6. How to check a routine is really beginner-friendly

    Easiest kpop dances for beginners: what to pick first

    A beginner-friendly K-pop routine has two things: a slow 8-count base and one point move that repeats.
    Pick a song like that, and practice the point-move section first.
    That is the honest answer to the phrase you typed, before any song list.

    K-pop choreography is designed around a memorable ‘point move’ — the key dance moment choreographers assign to each song, like the emphasized gestures in (G)I-DLE ‘TOMBOY’ or Taemin ‘MOVE’.
    These repeated hooks are the segments fans already copy at concerts, which tells you they are the parts a first-timer can finish.

    If you have never learned any choreography, choose a routine with a slow count and a repeated point move and drill that section before the verses.
    One caution: this post does not name a ranked 5-song list, because no authoritative ranking of ‘easiest K-pop dances’ exists — check a current YouTube search for ‘easiest kpop dances for beginners’ and treat any named list you find as common beginner recommendations, not a ranking.

    Beat Every hand, foot and eye movement lands exactly on an 8-count base | Moves intentionally sit ahead of or behind the beat
    Main skill Count precision and team uniformity | Groove feel
    Self-check alone Easy — compare each move against the count | Hard — timing depends on feel, not a fixed count
    For a first routine Better fit for learning solo | Better once you already keep time
    Easiest kpop dances for beginners: what to pick first
    Recital performance in a dance studio — Easiest kpop dances for beginners: what to pick first
    Photo: Recital performance in a dance studio by Shixart1985 — CC BY 2.0 (Openverse)

    What makes a K-pop dance easy to learn

    K-pop routines are easier to self-check than hip-hop because every movement is mapped to a fixed 8-count.
    Most K-pop choreography is built so hand, foot and eye movements land exactly on each beat, with whole-team synchronization emphasized — Seventeen, NCT and EXO are the cited examples of this count-precise style.

    Western hip-hop performance works differently: moves intentionally sit ahead of or behind the beat and rely on groove feel.
    That is a real skill, but it gives a self-learner nothing fixed to measure against.
    K-pop’s structure does — if your hand lands on count 5, you either hit the beat or you did not.

    So if you keep losing the beat and wondering whether you are on time, use the count structure to your advantage: check that each move lands exactly on its 8-count.
    If you already keep time naturally, either style works for you.

    What makes a K-pop dance easy to learn

    👉 kpop dance tutorial for beginners bts: songs to start with

    Beginner K-pop practice with mirrored videos

    Practice with a mirrored video, and start from the point-move section.
    Mirrored practice videos — tutorials flipped so the dancer moves in the same direction as you — are the standard learning method for K-pop beginners, because you can copy left-for-left instead of translating left and right in your head.

    1. Pick the point-move section of the routine and learn it first.
    2. Follow a mirrored practice video so your left matches their left.
    3. If you want step-by-step comparison, use a pose-based practice app — these apps compare your joints against the choreography automatically.

    The pose-comparison idea is not a gimmick: South Korea’s AI-Hub built its K-pop dance dataset specifically to train pose-estimation models, and a 2D pose model trained on it scored mAP 75.9% against a 66.8% baseline — accuracy high enough that automatic pose comparison works in practice.
    If a mirrored video is enough for you, stop there; if you want machine feedback, a pose-based app is what to look for.

    Beginner K-pop practice with mirrored videos

    How big the beginner dance data actually is

    The beginner tier is a formal category in K-pop dance practice, not just a fan label.

    Measure Beginner tier Full dataset
    Songs 10 designated ‘basic choreography’ tracks 100 K-pop songs
    Clip videos basic-routine song list as a formal category about 400,000 clips
    2D keypoint records same pipeline 400,000
    3D joint records same pipeline 100,000
    Capture setting motion-capture studio professional and amateur dancers

    The 2D versus 3D split matters if you wonder how practice apps see you: 3D coverage is 25% of the 2D count (100,000 ÷ 400,000).
    Both come from the same motion-capture pipeline, cleaned and annotated for pose-estimation training.

    For you this means one thing: beginner routines are a recognized tier with dedicated data behind the tools, so a pose-based practice app is a real option, not a toy.
    If you prefer a plain mirrored video, that is still the standard method.

    How big the beginner dance data actually is

    Which K-pop choreography is not for beginners yet

    Save concept-driven routines — storytelling choreography — for later.
    BTS ‘Black Swan’ (contemporary style), (G)I-DLE ‘TOMBOY’ (strong eye contact and self-esteem gestures) and Taemin ‘MOVE’ (soft, sensual lines) are the cited examples of choreography built to express a song’s story, and they demand an expression layer on top of the steps.

    That expression layer is standard in K-pop teaching: choreographers direct ‘expression training,’ gaze lines and energy control as part of routine instruction.
    So even an easy routine has a second layer you add after the moves are down.

    If you are deciding between a storytelling routine and a simple one, treat the storytelling ones as your not-yet list and start simple.
    If you have the moves down but still look stiff on camera, work on expression, gaze lines and energy control as a second pass — not by relearning the steps.

    Which K-pop choreography is not for beginners yet

    👉 BTS ARIRANG cinema screening: tour dates, 75 countries and how to find your showtime

    How to check a routine is really beginner-friendly

    Check three things before committing to a routine: a slow count base, one point move that repeats, and a mirrored video you can actually find.
    The dataset even tags key-move sections with a dance_mainpoint field — the ‘point move’ is a formally recognized per-song element, which is why drilling it first works.

    One caution on tempo: no BPM figures for specific candidate songs could be confirmed for this post, so do not assume a named song is slow-tempo without playing it and counting.
    There is also no reliable source on how many hours a beginner needs to learn a routine, so any ‘learn it in X hours’ promise is someone’s guess.

    If a routine’s chorus holds one repeated point move and the verses stay on a steady count you can tap, it passes the beginner test.
    If you cannot keep the count while tapping along to the song, pick a slower track first.
    If I were starting from zero, I would learn only the point move of one slow track first, because it is the section fans actually copy and it gives you a finished moment fast.

    How to check a routine is really beginner-friendly

    Related posts

    📎 📅 다가오는 일정 — 발매·개봉·발표 캘린더

    Sources

    Summary: your first K-pop routine

    • Pick a slow 8-count routine with one repeated point move — that is what beginners finish.
    • Learn the point-move section first with a mirrored practice video.
    • Self-check by tapping the 8-count; K-pop’s count-precise structure makes this possible alone.
    • Add expression, gaze lines and energy control only after the steps are down.
    • Save concept-driven routines like BTS ‘Black Swan’ for when the basics hold.

    FAQ

    Q. What’s the easiest K-pop dance to learn first?

    A slow 8-count routine with one repeated point move. No authoritative ranking of specific songs exists, so check a current YouTube search for ‘easiest kpop dances for beginners’ and treat any list as common recommendations.

    Q. Which K-pop dance should I learn first as a total beginner?

    Start with the point-move section of a slow routine, using a mirrored video so your left matches the dancer’s left. Drill that hook before the verses.

    Q. Which K-pop choreography is built on simple 8-counts?

    Most K-pop routines sit on an 8-count base with hand, foot and eye movements synced per beat — Seventeen, NCT and EXO are the cited examples of the count-precise style.

    Q. What does ‘point dance’ / ‘key choreography’ mean in K-pop?

    It is the signature move or section choreographers assign to each song — the hook fans copy at concerts. Korea’s AI-Hub dataset even tags these sections with a dance_mainpoint field.

    Q. Are pose-based dance practice apps accurate enough to use?

    A 2D pose model trained on the AI-Hub K-pop dance dataset scored mAP 75.9% against a 66.8% baseline, so automatic pose comparison works at a practical level for beginners.

    No calendar dates apply to this topic — it is evergreen. When you are ready for a specific song, search ‘easiest kpop dances for beginners’ on YouTube and check which mirrored tutorials are current.

    #kpopdance #kpopdancetutorialforbeginners #easiestkpopdances #8-count #mirroredpracticevideo #pointmove

  • How to Become a Kpop Trainee as a Foreigner: E-6 Visa Guide

    How to Become a Kpop Trainee as a Foreigner: E-6 Visa Guide

    How to Become a Kpop Trainee as a Foreigner: E-6 Visa Guide

    Yes — you can audition to become a K-pop trainee from outside Korea, through official agency audition pages, online applications or video submissions.
    A contract afterwards requires an E-6 (Arts & Entertainment) visa, and debuting is never guaranteed no matter how long you train.
    This post covers where non-Koreans can actually apply, how long training lasts, the visa steps, and the contract and scam checks before you sign anything.

    Contents

    1. How to become a kpop trainee as a foreigner — and what changes for you
    2. Which agencies run auditions open to non-Koreans?
    3. How long is trainee training, and how are trainees evaluated?
    4. What visa does a foreign trainee need?
    5. What should you check before signing — and what are the scam red flags?
    6. What do judges actually assess at the audition?

    How to become a kpop trainee as a foreigner — and what changes for you

    You apply through an agency’s official audition channels — in-person open auditions by region, online application, or a video submission — or you get scouted from cover videos posted online.
    All of these routes are open to non-Koreans, and none of them require you to be in Korea first.

    1. Find the agency’s official audition page and read the current notice.
    2. Apply online or submit a performance video through that page.
    3. If you post covers on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube, keep posting — agencies scout directly from those platforms.
    4. If you pass and receive a contract offer, the agency sponsors your E-6 visa before training in Korea begins.

    Agencies recruit trainees through open auditions and direct scouting, and video or online application is an official channel, not a shortcut made up by middlemen.
    TikTok, Instagram and YouTube have become discovery channels on par with open auditions, and cover videos have led to scouted trainees.

    If you are applying from abroad, start with the official page or a video submission; a recruiter’s DM is not an application route.

    Trainee program length (SM, official) Minimum 1 year, maximum 6 years
    Audition prep window 3–6 months (demo re-recorded every 3–6 months)
    Vocals + dance share of trainee evaluation 60–80% (each 30–40%)
    E-6 visa certificate screening About 2–3 weeks
    Foreigner registration after entry Within 90 days
    Full road from first prep to debut readiness Roughly 2.5–7.5 years
    How to become a kpop trainee as a foreigner — and what changes for you

    Which agencies run auditions open to non-Koreans?

    SM runs an official global audition page at smtown.com/audition, and JYP lists an audition page at jype.com/Audition — those are the two entry points this post could trace to first-party pages.
    Mid-size agencies outside HYBE, SM, JYP and YG also run rolling auditions you can enter from abroad.

    The agencies still run regular global auditions alongside casting agents’ direct scouting, so an in-person regional audition is another route when one is scheduled near you.
    What was not re-checked here are HYBE’s and YG’s official global audition pages, and the current age limits or language conditions stated in each live notice.

    Before you send anything, open the agency’s official page and read the current notice yourself — application windows and eligibility change, and the notice on that page is the version that counts.

    Which agencies run auditions open to non-Koreans?

    👉 BTS ARIRANG cinema screening: tour dates, 75 countries and how to find your showtime

    How long is trainee training, and how are trainees evaluated?

    SM states its trainee program runs a minimum of 1 year to a maximum of 6 years — yet EXO’s Chen trained about 4 months and NCT’s Johnny trained 8 years before their debuts, and singer-songwriter EJAE spent around 10–11 years at SM without debuting.
    The official range and the real cases do not line up, so treat them as separate numbers and never blend them into one.

    How trainees are scored is straightforward: vocals and dance each count 30–40% — together 60–80% — while looks and image are 15–20%, attitude 10–15%, and foreign languages earn bonus points.
    Training covers vocals, dance, foreign languages, acting and expression, fitness, and media training for interviews and social media.
    Agencies sit trainees down for a monthly or quarterly check on how they are doing, the results feed into debut-line selection, and failing them can void the trainee contract.

    Counting basic prep, audition prep, full training and a 6–12 month debut phase, the whole road runs roughly 2.5–7.5 years — plan your timeline around that range, not around the shortest case you have read about.

    What visa does a foreign trainee need?

    A foreign trainee needs an E-6 (Arts & Entertainment) visa — the E-6-1 category covers idol trainees, singers, actors and models in popular culture arts.
    The basic stay period is 2 years and it is renewable, and minors need a legal guardian’s consent form.

    1. Sign an exclusive or employment contract with the agency.
    2. Obtain the employment recommendation — for singers and trainees it is issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
    3. Apply for the certificate of visa issuance at the immigration office; screening takes about 2–3 weeks.
    4. Get the visa itself at a Korean embassy or consulate.
    5. Register as a foreign resident within 90 days of entry.

    The document list includes the application form, passport copy, photo, employment contract, the agency’s business registration certificate, the employment recommendation, a performance plan where needed, a guarantee letter, and guardian consent for minors.
    Approval rates and processing times beyond the stated 2–3 weeks are not documented, so build your schedule with room to spare.

    If an agency offers you training in Korea but no visa sponsorship, that is a contract with no legal way for you to actually take it up.

    What should you check before signing — and what are the scam red flags?

    Any upfront payment is a red flag — audition fees, registration fees, profile-shooting fees, training fees — because legitimate agencies do not charge applicants.
    A debut guarantee is a second red flag, since most trainees never debut even after years of preparation.

    The scale of what goes wrong is documented: a Japanese trainee paid about 3 million yen (roughly 27 million won) for a 6-month academy course where the promised agency auditions never happened, according to reporting carried by BBC.
    Training companies registered as entertainment agencies face far lighter regulation — an industry source told BBC these programs are "not subject to regulation or supervision" — so nobody else is screening the contract for you.

    Before signing, compare the contract against the Korea Fair Trade Commission’s standard exclusive contract for popular-culture artists: contract term and start date, revenue split by activity (music, performances, ads, merch), who pays training and dorm costs and whether they are recovered from later settlements, the penalty for early withdrawal, and minor protections such as schooling and rest rights.
    KOCCA-related counseling bodies offer contract review support, and signing before a review is not advised.

    If a company demands money before any audition or refuses to give you a contract copy, walk away — and check the pressure signs too, like rushed signing, opaque company information or avoiding contact with your guardian.

    What should you check before signing — and what are the scam red flags?

    👉 kpop dance tutorial for beginners bts: songs to start with

    What do judges actually assess at the audition?

    Judges assess more than singing and dancing: first impression, facial expression, self-introduction, stage manner and potential all count.
    Practically, that means your expression on camera, the first 3 seconds of your performance, your self-introduction, your movement, and your pronunciation and breath control.

    The typical preparation window is 3–6 months of dedicated prep — building a repertoire and recording a demo — with the demo re-recorded every 3–6 months to track growth.
    Repeating feedback cycles raises skill more than one-off lessons, so the demo tape is a living file rather than a one-time submission.

    Since vocals and dance carry 60–80% of trainee evaluations, spend most of your prep there, then rehearse the self-introduction and camera expression that decide the first impression.
    I would apply only through the official SM or JYP audition pages, and in parallel keep posting covers — because SNS costs nothing and reaches the same scouts.

    What do judges actually assess at the audition?

    👉 SM audition page

    👉 JYP audition page

    👉 How K-pop stars are made (KPOPWORLD)

    Related posts

    📎 📅 다가오는 일정 — 발매·개봉·발표 캘린더

    Sources

    Summary: what to do next

    • Apply only through official agency audition pages or a video submission — keep posting covers, because SNS is a scouting channel in its own right.
    • Prepare an alternative path alongside training — most trainees never debut even after years of preparation, so keep school or another career option open.
    • Never pay upfront fees, and treat any debut guarantee as a red flag.
    • Compare any contract against the KFTC standard exclusive contract and get a review before signing.
    • If you are under 18, guardian consent is required and the contract must protect schooling, sleep and rest.

    FAQ

    Q. Can foreigners audition to become a K-pop trainee, and how?

    Yes — through official agency audition pages, online applications, video submissions or SNS scouting. You do not need to be in Korea to apply, but a contract afterwards requires an E-6 visa.

    Q. Which agencies run global or online auditions open to non-Koreans?

    SM runs an official global audition page and JYP lists an audition page, and mid-size agencies run rolling auditions as well. Read the current notice on each official page, because windows and eligibility change.

    Q. What visa is needed, and how long does it take?

    An E-6 (Arts & Entertainment) visa, category E-6-1 for trainees and singers. The certificate of visa issuance takes about 2–3 weeks to screen, and you must register as a foreign resident within 90 days of entry.

    Q. How long is trainee training?

    SM’s official range is 1–6 years, with documented cases from about 4 months to 8 years — and around 10–11 years for one singer who never debuted. Most trainees never debut at all.

    Q. What are the scam red flags?

    Any upfront payment — audition, registration, profile shoot or training fee — plus debut guarantees, rushed contracts, no contract copy, opaque company information and avoiding your guardian. Legitimate agencies do not charge applicants.

    Apply through the official audition page, keep your cover videos going, and put the contract review before any signature.

    #kpoptrainee #kpopauditionforforeigners #e-6visakorea #smaudition #jypaudition #kpoptraineetraining #kpopscamredflags

  • ITZY Yeji Amsterdam soundcheck Hi-Bye send-off: concert on, but Yeji skips the add-ons

    ITZY Yeji Amsterdam soundcheck Hi-Bye send-off: concert on, but Yeji skips the add-ons

    ITZY Yeji Amsterdam soundcheck Hi-Bye send-off: concert on, but Yeji skips the add-ons

    ITZY’s Amsterdam concert on September 14, 2026 proceeds as scheduled, with Yeji performing in the main show.
    What changes is the three separately purchased fan events: per JYP’s announcement of September 13, 2026, Yeji sits out the Soundcheck, Hi-Bye and Send-off due to a family bereavement.
    This page covers which events are affected, what you actually bought, and what to watch for on refunds.

    Contents

    1. ITZY Yeji Amsterdam soundcheck Hi-Bye send-off: what changes tonight
    2. Which Amsterdam fan events is Yeji missing?
    3. Why is Yeji skipping the soundcheck and Hi-Bye?
    4. Concert ticket vs add-on perks: what you actually bought
    5. Can you get a refund for the skipped add-ons?
    6. Where the announcement comes from

    ITZY Yeji Amsterdam soundcheck Hi-Bye send-off: what changes tonight

    Yes — the Amsterdam concert on September 14, 2026 proceeds as scheduled, with Yeji performing, per JYP Entertainment’s announcement of September 13.
    The announcement covers only the add-on events, not the main show.
    So the absence does not touch the part of your night you bought a concert ticket for.

    The distinction matters because the concert ticket and the fan events are two different purchases.
    JYP named Yeji as the only member sitting out anything.
    If your plan was built around seeing Yeji on the main stage, that plan still stands.

    When I see an announcement like this, the first thing I check is whether it covers the concert itself or only the separately ticketed fan events — those are two different tickets, and the answer is usually only bad for one of them.

    You hold only the Amsterdam concert ticket Nothing changes — the show proceeds as scheduled with all five members, Yeji included
    You bought the Soundcheck, Hi-Bye or Send-off add-on Yeji does not appear at these three events; the other four members take part
    You want a refund for the skipped add-on No refund or credit policy has been announced yet — check JYP’s official ITZY channels before assuming anything
    You are deciding whether to still attend the add-ons Only Yeji is absent, and the events were not announced as cancelled — decide based on whether you want to see the other four members

    Which Amsterdam fan events is Yeji missing?

    Yeji sits out three add-on events in Amsterdam: Soundcheck, Hi-Bye and Send-off, per JYP’s September 13, 2026 announcement.
    All three are separately purchased fan-event perks, distinct from the concert ticket itself.
    Only Yeji is absent from them; the other four members take part.

    Soundcheck is a package that lets holders watch the group rehearse before the show, often with a short talk segment.
    Hi-Bye is a short fan interaction held right after the concert ends, where ticket holders briefly greet the members wave or high-five style.
    Send-off is a post-show farewell moment where add-on ticket holders say goodbye to the members as they leave the stage area.

    If you hold one of these three add-ons, the event itself has not been announced as cancelled — Yeji simply will not be there.

    👉 JISOO CLICK: Not the Full Album Yet — What’s Still Ahead

    Why is Yeji skipping the soundcheck and Hi-Bye?

    A family bereavement was given as the reason for Yeji’s absence from the three add-on events.
    JYP announced this on September 13, 2026, one day before the show.
    No return timing for her fan-event appearances was included in the announcement.

    For a bereavement absence, agencies rarely give a date for when an artist rejoins fan events, so no schedule was stated here either.
    The announcement also did not address whether later tour dates are affected.
    If you are holding add-ons for a different city, the Amsterdam announcement is not evidence about your date.

    If you want the exact wording, the announcement itself — not a summary of it — is what to look for on JYP’s official channels.

    Concert ticket vs add-on perks: what you actually bought

    Your concert ticket covers the main show, which proceeds as scheduled with all five members including Yeji.
    Soundcheck, Hi-Bye and Send-off are separately purchased fan-event perks, distinct from the concert ticket itself.
    Many attendees only learn at the venue that these are separate purchases from the concert ticket.

    That structure is why this announcement only hurts one part of the night.
    The main show is untouched, and the three perks are where Yeji’s absence lands.
    If you bought only the concert ticket, none of this applies to you.

    If you bought add-ons, the practical question is whether you still want the events with four members — Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna — or would rather not.

    Can you get a refund for the skipped add-ons?

    No refund or credit policy for the skipped add-ons has been confirmed.
    No official statement from JYP or the promoter covering refunds for Soundcheck, Hi-Bye or Send-off was found in the sources available for this post.
    So treat refund questions as open, not settled.

    Keep your purchase confirmation and order details handy in case an offer appears.
    Watch JYP’s official ITZY channels on X and Weverse, where venue-specific notices are typically posted.

    If a partial credit or make-up option is announced, your confirmation is what you would use to claim it — screenshot it now rather than searching for it after the fact.

    👉 Stray Kids RUN IT World Tour Dates Tickets: 21 Shows Through March 2027

    Where the announcement comes from

    The announcement is confirmed through a Reddit r/kpop thread reporting JYP’s notice, dated September 13, 2026.
    The original JYP post was not directly located for this post, so the exact wording there is worth checking yourself.
    JYP’s official ITZY channels on X and Weverse are the places to verify it.

    What you can confirm from the reporting: the bereavement, the three add-on events, and that the concert proceeds with Yeji.
    What the reporting does not settle: refund handling and whether any other tour dates are affected.

    The Amsterdam venue name and the show’s start time were not confirmed in the sources for this post — check your ticket and the local promoter’s page for those details.

    My take: I would still attend the add-on events if I wanted to see the other four members, since the announcement indicates they take part as planned.
    What I would not do is assume a refund is coming — with no official policy confirmed, waiting for a JYP statement beats expecting one.

    👉 Reddit r/kpop thread reporting the JYP announcement on Yeji’s Amsterdam add-on absence

    👉 JYP Entertainment official site for ITZY notices and tour updates

    Related posts

    📎 📅 다가오는 일정 — 발매·개봉·발표 캘린더

    Sources

    What to do next

    • September 14, 2026: ITZY Amsterdam concert proceeds as scheduled, with Yeji performing in the main show.
    • Before the add-on events: check JYP’s official ITZY channels on X and Weverse for the original notice and any refund or credit announcement.
    • Now: screenshot your add-on purchase confirmation in case a refund or credit offer appears later.
    • This post’s facts are as of September 13, 2026.

    FAQ

    Q. Is the ITZY Amsterdam concert still happening with Yeji?

    Yes. Per JYP’s September 13, 2026 announcement, the Amsterdam concert on September 14 proceeds as scheduled with Yeji performing.

    Q. Which Amsterdam fan events is Yeji missing?

    Three add-on events: Soundcheck, Hi-Bye and Send-off. The other four members take part in them.

    Q. Why is Yeji skipping the Amsterdam soundcheck and Hi-Bye?

    JYP cited a family bereavement in its September 13, 2026 announcement. No return timing was given.

    Q. If Yeji is not at the soundcheck and Hi-Bye, can I get a refund?

    No refund or credit policy has been announced. Keep your purchase confirmation and watch JYP’s official ITZY channels for any statement.

    Q. Are the Hi-Bye and Send-off still running without Yeji?

    The announcement lists only Yeji as absent and does not say the events are cancelled. The four remaining members — Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna — take part per the announcement.

    Check your ticket and the local promoter’s page for venue and start-time details, and keep an eye on JYP’s official ITZY channels for any refund update on the skipped add-ons.

    #ITZY #Yeji #Amsterdamconcert2026 #soundcheck #Hi-Bye #Send-off #JYPEntertainment #K-pop

  • BIGBANG XX COSMOS Hong Kong tickets presale: dates, windows and Sept 17 general sale time

    BIGBANG XX COSMOS Hong Kong tickets presale: dates, windows and Sept 17 general sale time

    BIGBANG XX COSMOS Hong Kong tickets presale: dates, windows and Sept 17 general sale time

    General sale for BIGBANG <XX: COSMOS> IN HONG KONG opens September 17, 2026 at 12:00 PM HKT on hkticketing.com, after four presale windows from September 14 to 16.

    Contents

    1. BIGBANG XX COSMOS Hong Kong tickets presale: every window from Sept 14 to general sale
    2. V.I.P membership presale: code, survey and 2-ticket limit
    3. Visa and platform presales: which window matches your card
    4. Time zone conversion: every time is HKT (UTC+8)
    5. Tickets, seats and what has not been confirmed
    6. The shows: dates, venue and demand

    BIGBANG XX COSMOS Hong Kong tickets presale: every window from Sept 14 to general sale

    Per the official schedule, the September 17 general sale for BIGBANG <XX: COSMOS> in Hong Kong opens at 12:00 PM HKT (1:00 PM KST) on hkticketing.com.
    That general sale is the last of seven windows across four days, so most buyers will meet at least one presale first whether they plan to or not.
    The table lists every window in order: membership presale on September 14, three Visa card windows on September 15, two platform windows on September 16, then general sale.

    All times are Hong Kong local time (HKT, UTC+8), so convert before setting any alarm.
    Before anything else, check whether every window time you wrote down is HKT – the general sale at 12:00 PM HKT is 1:00 PM KST and 9:00 PM US Eastern Time the previous day, so set your alarm from the HKT time, not from a number you converted from memory.

    V.I.P membership presale (limited seats, max 2 per show) Sept 14 (Mon) 11:00 AM – 11:59 PM
    Visa presale – Visa Infinite cardholders Sept 15, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
    Visa presale – BOC Visa cardholders Sept 15, 2:00 – 7:00 PM
    Visa presale – all Visa cardholders Sept 15, 8:00 – 11:00 PM
    Platform presale – TME, QQ Music, JOOX, Kugou Sept 16, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
    Platform presale – Trip.com and Klook Sept 16, 5:00 – 9:00 PM
    General sale (hkticketing.com) Sept 17 (Thu) 12:00 PM

    V.I.P membership presale: code, survey and 2-ticket limit

    The V.I.P membership presale runs September 14 from 11:00 AM to 11:59 PM HKT with a limit of 2 tickets per show, sold first-come first-served.
    This presale is only open to members who completed the V.I.P MEMBERSHIP SURVEY during its window, and the survey cannot be submitted outside that period.
    Your presale code is the 6-digit BIGBANG V.I.P MEMBERSHIP number, found in MY PAGE > My Membership > View Membership Details.
    Confirm you completed the survey during its window, reported as August 31 to September 8 in YG’s official notice (September 2 to September 8 in press coverage).

    1. Find your 6-digit Membership Code in MY PAGE > My Membership > View Membership Details.
    2. Log in to hkticketing.com before the presale opens and create an account if you do not have one.
    3. Enter the membership code during the window and buy up to 2 tickets per show.

    The code entry fails without being logged in, so create and check your HK Ticketing account before September 14, not during the window.
    This presale covers a limited quantity of exclusive seats, not the whole venue – missing it does not mean missing the show.

    V.I.P membership presale: code, survey and 2-ticket limit

    👉 BTS ARIRANG cinema screening: tour dates, 75 countries and how to find your showtime

    Visa and platform presales: which window matches your card

    Visa presale on September 15 has three separate windows: Visa Infinite 10 AM – 1 PM, BOC Visa 2 – 7 PM, and all Visa cardholders 8 – 11 PM HKT.
    Eligibility for each window depends on holding that exact card type, so a standard Visa card only qualifies for the 8 PM slot.
    The September 16 platform presale splits into TME, QQ Music, JOOX and Kugou from 11 AM to 3 PM, then Trip.com and Klook from 5 PM to 9 PM HKT.

    The official schedule lists no per-show ticket limit for the Visa presales, so the confirmed 2-ticket cap applies to the membership presale only.
    If you hold a Visa Infinite card, use the earliest September 15 window because it is the first general-card slot; if you only use platform apps, September 16 is your day.

    Visa and platform presales: which window matches your card

    Time zone conversion: every time is HKT (UTC+8)

    All sale windows run on Hong Kong local time (HKT, UTC+8), and the general sale on September 17 at 12:00 PM HKT equals 1:00 PM KST and 9:00 PM US Eastern Time the previous day.
    HKT is one hour behind KST, so a Seoul-based fan buying in the membership presale starts at 12:00 PM KST, not 11:00 AM.
    For US fans these September 15 Visa windows fall on September 14 local time, so double-check each slot against your own clock before setting reminders.
    Convert each window from HKT once, write it in your calendar, and set the alarm from that converted time.

    Tickets, seats and what has not been confirmed

    No official prices or seating map for the Hong Kong shows have appeared in any announcement as of September 14.
    The YG notice and the press releases list the schedule only, so any price figure you see quoted elsewhere is not from YG or the official release.
    The tour’s total show count is also reported differently by source – 36 shows across 19 cities per YG’s notice versus 33 per earlier coverage – so treat both figures as unconfirmed.

    For anything about payment steps or seat handling, check the official ticketing FAQ page at hkt.hkticketing.com/hant/#/news/detail/0/16.
    If a site or seller quotes a Hong Kong ticket price before HK Ticketing publishes one, that is a signal to step back, not to pay.

    Tickets, seats and what has not been confirmed

    👉 LE SSERAFIM Made My Night Release Time: 1PM KST in Your Timezone

    The shows: dates, venue and demand

    BIGBANG plays three nights at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong: November 13 (Fri) at 7 PM, November 14 (Sat) at 6 PM, and November 15 (Sun) at 6 PM, 2026.
    The venue holds about 50,000 people, and the shows are co-hosted by TME live and ELF Asia as a three-night festival marking BIGBANG’s return.
    The tour’s Korea opener at Goyang on August 21-23 sold out all three nights including added seats, which is the closest available signal for Hong Kong demand.

    If you can attend any of the three nights, the Friday show is the first chance; if you miss one night’s window, the other nights are separate purchases.
    If I had the membership code, I would target the September 14 window first because it runs first-come first-served over nearly 13 hours, while every Visa and platform window the next two days is a narrower 3-to-5-hour slot.

    Related posts

    📎 JENNIE Fallen Angel EP, Aug 28 release — 3 tracks and what’s physical-only
    📎 LISA Las Vegas residency dates: Nov 13, 14, 27, 28 at Caesars Palace — sold out in 10 minutes
    📎 📅 다가오는 일정 — 발매·개봉·발표 캘린더

    Sources

    After reading this: dates to put in your calendar

    • Before Sept 14: confirm your V.I.P Membership Code in MY PAGE > My Membership > View Membership Details – membership presale runs Sept 14, 11:00 AM – 11:59 PM HKT, limited exclusive seats, up to 2 tickets per show
    • Sept 15: Visa presale – Infinite 10 AM – 1 PM, BOC Visa 2 – 7 PM, all Visa cards 8 – 11 PM HKT
    • Sept 16: Platform presale – TME/QQ Music/JOOX/Kugou 11 AM – 3 PM, Trip.com and Klook 5 – 9 PM HKT
    • Sept 17 (Thu): general sale at 12:00 PM HKT on hkticketing.com – 1:00 PM KST, 9 PM US ET the previous day
    • Nov 13 – 15, 2026: three nights at Kai Tak Stadium – Fri 7 PM, Sat 6 PM, Sun 6 PM
    • Check the HK Ticketing FAQ page (hkt.hkticketing.com/hant/#/news/detail/0/16) before sale day

    FAQ

    Q. When do BIGBANG Hong Kong tickets go on sale?

    The general sale opens September 17, 2026 at 12:00 PM HKT on hkticketing.com, after presales on September 14 (V.I.P membership), September 15 (Visa cards) and September 16 (TME, QQ Music, JOOX, Kugou, Trip.com and Klook).

    Q. How many tickets can I buy in the V.I.P membership presale?

    Up to 2 tickets per show, sold first-come first-served during the September 14 window from 11:00 AM to 11:59 PM HKT.

    Q. Do I need the V.I.P MEMBERSHIP SURVEY to join the presale?

    Yes – the presale is open only to members who completed the survey during its window, and the presale code is the 6-digit Membership Code in MY PAGE > My Membership > View Membership Details.

    Q. How much are BIGBANG Hong Kong tickets?

    No ticket prices for the Hong Kong shows have appeared in any official announcement as of September 14, 2026 – check the official ticketing FAQ page for updates.

    Q. What time is the general sale in my time zone?

    All windows run on Hong Kong time (HKT, UTC+8); the September 17 general sale at 12:00 PM HKT is 1:00 PM KST and 9:00 PM US Eastern Time on September 16.

    If you miss every presale, the September 17 general sale at 12:00 PM HKT on hkticketing.com is open to everyone – no presale code or Visa card needed.

    #BIGBANG #XXCOSMOS #HongKongconcert #KaiTakStadium #K-poptickets #presaleschedule #hkticketing

  • Stray Kids RUN IT World Tour Dates Tickets: 21 Shows Through March 2027

    Stray Kids RUN IT World Tour Dates Tickets: 21 Shows Through March 2027

    Stray Kids RUN IT World Tour Dates Tickets: 21 Shows Through March 2027

    Stray Kids’ RUN IT world tour has 21 announced shows, from the July 25, 2026 Seoul opener to the March 7, 2027 Singapore finale.

    Contents

    1. Stray Kids RUN IT World Tour Dates Tickets: the full schedule, 21 shows through March 2027
    2. Tokyo Dome November 6–8: what the new dates mean
    3. Japan’s four-dome run and how big it gets
    4. What cities are left on the Stray Kids 2026 tour
    5. Tickets: what is on sale and where to watch
    6. ‘AND MORE’ on the poster: are more cities coming

    Stray Kids RUN IT World Tour Dates Tickets: the full schedule, 21 shows through March 2027

    The tour covers 21 announced shows across 8 countries and regions, running 225 days from July 25, 2026 to March 7, 2027.
    JYP Entertainment announced the first leg on June 23, 2026, covering South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and Singapore.
    Seoul opened the run with five sold-out nights at KSPO DOME, and the two Tokyo National Stadium shows on August 29–30 drew about 140,000 people.

    That Tokyo booking was a first: no foreign male artist had held standalone concerts at the National Stadium before.
    If your city is in the table, the date column is what goes on your calendar; if it is not, the last section explains why.

    July 25, 26, 29 · August 1–2, 2026 Seoul · KSPO DOME — played, sold out
    August 29–30, 2026 Tokyo · National Stadium (MUFG Stadium) — played
    September 5–6, 2026 Nagoya · Vantelin Dome
    September 19–20, 2026 Osaka · Kyocera Dome
    October 24, 2026 Fukuoka · Mizuho PayPay Dome
    November 6–8, 2026 Tokyo · Tokyo Dome — added August 30
    December 5, 2026 Hong Kong · Kai Tak Stadium — finale of 2026 is Taipei on December 12 · Taipei Dome
    RUN IT World Tour — 21 announced shows over 225 days

    Tokyo Dome November 6–8: what the new dates mean

    Three Tokyo Dome shows on November 6–8, 2026 were announced on-site at the August 30 National Stadium concert.
    They are Stray Kids’ first standalone dates at Tokyo Dome, and they lift the confirmed show count from 18 to 21.
    The three nights add roughly 165,000 potential seats at about 55,000 per night, on top of the 140,000 who attended the two stadium shows.
    If the August National Stadium shows were out of reach, the November run is the second Tokyo chance this year, and the last one before the tour moves to Hong Kong and Taipei in December.

    Tokyo Dome at night; April 2010 — Tokyo Dome November 6–8: what the new dates mean
    Photo: Tokyo Dome at night; April 2010 by Kevin Poh from Petaling Jaya, Malaysia — CC BY 2.0 (Openverse)

    👉 BTS ARIRANG cinema screening: tour dates, 75 countries and how to find your showtime

    Japan’s four-dome run and how big it gets

    Japan’s dome run now spans four cities: Nagoya on September 5–6, Osaka on September 19–20, Fukuoka on October 24, and Tokyo Dome on November 6–8.
    JYP projected about 370,000 attendance from the original 7 Japan shows, and adding Tokyo Dome pushes the realistic total toward about 530,000.
    The venue sizes explain the jump: Vantelin Dome Nagoya holds about 40,500, Kyocera Dome Osaka about 55,000, and Mizuho PayPay Dome about 40,000.
    If you are choosing one Japan stop, the two-show weekends in Nagoya and Osaka give two chances; Fukuoka is a single night.

    What cities are left on the Stray Kids 2026 tour

    Six shows remain in 2026 as of September 13: Fukuoka on October 24, Tokyo Dome on November 6–8, Hong Kong on December 5, and Taipei on December 12.
    The December dates move the tour to Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong and Taipei Dome.
    In 2027, the tour plays Impact Arena in Pak Kret, near Bangkok, on January 16–17 and closes at Singapore Indoor Stadium on March 6–7.

    Singapore Indoor Stadium holds about 12,000, the smallest room on the tour, so the finale nights will be the hardest tickets per seat.
    If you are planning travel, the December and January dates have the clearest lead time from now.

    What cities are left on the Stray Kids 2026 tour
    Aerial view empty football field — What cities are left on the Stray Kids 2026 tour
    Photo: Aerial view empty football field — CC0 1.0 (Openverse)

    Tickets: what is on sale and where to watch

    Ticket sales for Hong Kong, Thailand, and Singapore opened between August and September 2026.
    Seoul’s fan-club sale on June 30 and general sale on July 1 both sold out immediately, and the July 26 and August 2 shows streamed on Beyond LIVE.
    The August 30 Tokyo National Stadium show was also broadcast live into Japanese movie theaters through Live Viewing.

    On-sale dates for the remaining Japan dome shows, including the added Tokyo Dome nights, were not listed in the sources checked for this post.
    Japanese dates are announced through the official Stray Kids Japan accounts, so that is the feed to watch for the next sale window.

    Tickets: what is on sale and where to watch

    👉 LISA Las Vegas residency dates: Nov 13, 14, 27, 28 at Caesars Palace — sold out in 10 minutes

    ‘AND MORE’ on the poster: are more cities coming

    The first-announcement poster carries ‘AND MORE’, which flags additional cities and dates beyond the 21 now listed.
    No further cities had been confirmed as of September 13, 2026.
    The current schedule has no legs outside Asia, so a new region would arrive as a fresh announcement rather than a change to the listed dates.
    If your region is missing from the table, ‘AND MORE’ is the reason to keep an eye on the tour’s official accounts — the November 25 Japan mini album ‘SUIATSU’ is the next fixed date on the calendar.

    'AND MORE' on the poster: are more cities coming

    Related posts

    📎 📅 다가오는 일정 — 발매·개봉·발표 캘린더

    Sources

    Summary

    • The RUN IT tour has 21 announced shows over 225 days, from Seoul on July 25, 2026 to Singapore on March 7, 2027.
    • Six shows remain in 2026: Fukuoka, Tokyo Dome ×3, Hong Kong, and Taipei.
    • Tokyo Dome November 6–8 is the newest addition, announced on-site on August 30 with about 165,000 seats across three nights.
    • Sales for Hong Kong, Thailand, and Singapore opened in August–September 2026; remaining Japan on-sale dates were not listed in the checked sources.

    FAQ

    Q. When do Stray Kids RUN IT tour tickets go on sale?

    Hong Kong, Thailand, and Singapore sales opened between August and September 2026. Seoul’s two sales in June–July 2026 sold out immediately. On-sale dates for the remaining Japan dome shows, including Tokyo Dome, were not listed in the sources checked for this post.

    Q. What cities are left on the Stray Kids 2026 tour?

    After September 13, 2026, the remaining 2026 dates are Fukuoka (October 24), Tokyo Dome (November 6–8), Hong Kong (December 5), and Taipei (December 12).

    Q. Did Stray Kids really headline Tokyo National Stadium?

    Yes. They played standalone shows at Tokyo National Stadium (MUFG Stadium) on August 29–30, 2026, drawing about 140,000 people — a first for a foreign male artist.

    Q. What does ‘AND MORE’ mean on the RUN IT tour poster?

    It flags additional cities and dates beyond the announced 21. No further cities had been confirmed as of September 13, 2026.

    Q. When and where does the RUN IT tour end?

    The tour concludes March 6–7, 2027 at Singapore Indoor Stadium, the smallest venue on the run at about 12,000 seats.

    Check back after September 19–20 (Osaka), November 6–8 (Tokyo Dome), and November 25 (‘SUIATSU’ Japan mini album) — each is a likely point for new ticket and setlist information.

    Cover photo: Band Musicians by Michael Mongin — CC0 1.0

    #StrayKids #StrayKidsRUNIT #StrayKidsworldtour2026 #StrayKidstourdates #StrayKidsTokyoDome #StrayKidstickets #K-popconcert2026 #StrayKidsSingapore

  • kpop dance tutorial for beginners bts: songs to start with

    kpop dance tutorial for beginners bts: songs to start with

    kpop dance tutorial for beginners bts: songs to start with

    The BTS songs beginner lists agree on first are Dynamite, Butter, Boy With Luv, Permission to Dance and IDOL.
    All of them can be learned at home from BTS’s own dance practice videos on the BANGTANTV YouTube channel, without a mirror or a class.
    This post orders those songs by difficulty, explains the chorus-first practice method, and lists the BTS songs to leave for later.

    Contents

    1. kpop dance tutorial for beginners bts: which dance to learn first
    2. Where the official BTS dance practice videos are
    3. How to practice: chorus first, one 8-count at a time
    4. BTS dances to leave for later

    kpop dance tutorial for beginners bts: which dance to learn first

    Start with Dynamite, and pick Butter as the second song.
    Beginner compilations of ‘easiest BTS dances’ consistently put Dynamite at the top: the choreography is repetitive disco-pop broken into clear 8-count blocks, with no fast floor work.
    Butter is repeatedly listed right next to it, because the moves are smooth grooves with a repeated hook and almost no jumping.

    Both songs spent time at No.
    1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2020 and 2021, so their choruses are the BTS routines most covered in beginner tutorials.
    That exposure matters for a learner: the more covers exist, the more step-by-step breakdowns you can compare when a move does not make sense.

    If you want the very first session to feel easy, learn only the chorus of Dynamite before touching anything else.
    If you want variety from day one, alternate Dynamite and Butter chorus blocks in the same session.

    Dynamite First tier – repetitive disco-pop choreography, clear 8-count blocks, no floor work
    Butter First tier – smooth grooves and repeated hook moves, minimal jumping
    Boy With Luv Early pick – chorus is bouncy, symmetrical and repeats several times
    Permission to Dance Often named easiest – simple repeated hand gestures as point choreography
    IDOL Beginner-friendly chorus – large repetitive full-body moves despite a high tempo
    DNA, Fire Second tier – faster footwork, learnable after the first few songs
    Fake Love, Black Swan, MIC Drop Advanced – sharp isolations, floor work or heavy beat drops
    kpop dance tutorial for beginners bts: which dance to learn first
    Dance Studio First mirror — kpop dance tutorial for beginners bts: which dance to learn first
    Photo: Dance Studio First mirror by Douglas P. Perkins — CC BY 3.0 (Openverse)

    Where the official BTS dance practice videos are

    BTS’s official dance practice videos are hosted on the BANGTANTV YouTube channel.
    That channel is the primary source any beginner list points to, and it groups the practice uploads together, so you can browse them without hunting one by one.
    Using the official uploads also means you are learning the exact staging the group performs, not a fan’s interpretation.

    Mirrored versions are the common alternative when a fixed front-facing angle feels awkward.
    Independent creator channels supply mirrored tutorials for the same beginner songs – Dynamite, Butter, Boy With Luv and Permission to Dance – so the dancer faces your direction and you can copy left and right directly.

    Start with the official BANGTANTV version to learn the real formations, then switch to a mirrored tutorial if copying directions keeps tripping you up.

    Where the official BTS dance practice videos are

    👉 BTS ARIRANG cinema screening: tour dates, 75 countries and how to find your showtime

    How to practice: chorus first, one 8-count at a time

    Learn the chorus and point moves first, then loop single 8-count blocks at reduced speed until they are clean.
    Beginner guides converge on this order because choruses repeat through the song and give the fastest visible progress, while learning a whole song top to bottom stalls early.

    1.
    Open the chorus section and clear a floor space of roughly 2 meters by 2 meters.
    2.

    Set YouTube playback to 0.5x or 0.75x – the built-in speed setting works on BANGTANTV practice videos.
    3.
    Loop one 8-count block until it is clean, then chain it to the next block.

    4.
    Raise the speed back to 1.0x once the chained blocks hold at a slower setting.

    If a block still falls apart at 0.75x, stay at 0.5x for another pass rather than moving on.
    If two songs are at the same stage, practicing in shorter, more frequent sessions works better than one long weekly run-through.

    How to practice: chorus first, one 8-count at a time

    👉 LE SSERAFIM Made My Night Release Time: 1PM KST in Your Timezone

    BTS dances to leave for later

    Skip Fake Love, Black Swan and MIC Drop as a first BTS dance.
    Community difficulty lists consistently place them at the hard end: Fake Love and Black Swan use sharp isolations and contemporary-style floor work, and the MIC Drop remix builds on heavy beat drops that are hard to count for a new learner.
    DNA and Fire sit in between – faster footwork than the pop singles, but reachable once the first two or three songs are clean.

    Blood Sweat & Tears and Run also sit on the harder side of beginner lists, with Run’s fast footwork placing it in the harder half.
    The practical dividing line is movement type, not age of the song: songs built on walking grooves and repeated hooks stay learnable, and songs built on floor work or sharp isolations wait.

    If a song’s chorus already feels too fast at 0.75x, that is the signal to return to it after the easier set rather than pushing through.

    BTS dances to leave for later

    Related posts

    📎 📅 다가오는 일정 — 발매·개봉·발표 캘린더

    Sources

    What to do next

    • Watch BTS’s world tour performances through late 2026 for new point choreography as it appears – the 2026 album ARIRANG and tour keep new material coming.
    • Subscribe to BANGTANTV so new official practice videos reach you directly instead of relying on search.
    • Re-learn each chorus at 1x speed once a week; the chorus blocks fade fastest without review.

    FAQ

    Q. Which BTS dance should a total beginner learn first?

    Dynamite. Beginner compilations list it first for its repetitive disco-pop choreography with clear 8-count blocks and no floor work, with Butter as the usual second song.

    Q. Are BTS dance practice videos good for learning without a mirror?

    Yes. The official BANGTANTV practice videos show the full group from one fixed studio angle, so you can follow footwork without a mirror; mirrored fan tutorials are the alternative if directions confuse you.

    Q. How slow should playback be when learning BTS choreography?

    Start at 0.5x for a new 8-count block, move to 0.75x once it is clean, and only return to 1.0x after the blocks chain together.

    Q. Which BTS dance is easiest for beginners?

    Permission to Dance is often named the easiest of all, because its chorus is built on simple repeated hand gestures designed as point choreography anyone can copy.

    Figures and song tiers in this post are as of September 13, 2026.

    Cover photo: Dance Studio First mirror by Douglas P. Perkins — CC BY 3.0

    #BTSdancetutorial #kpopdanceforbeginners #BTSdancepractice #BANGTANTV #easyBTSdances #Dynamitedance #learnkpopchoreography #kpopdancepracticetips

  • LISA Las Vegas residency dates: Nov 13, 14, 27, 28 at Caesars Palace — sold out in 10 minutes

    LISA Las Vegas residency dates: Nov 13, 14, 27, 28 at Caesars Palace — sold out in 10 minutes

    LISA Las Vegas residency dates: Nov 13, 14, 27, 28 at Caesars Palace — sold out in 10 minutes

    LISA holds VIVA LA LISA at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on November 13, 14, 27 and 28, 2026.
    It is the first Las Vegas residency ever headlined by a K-pop artist.
    All four shows sold out within 10 minutes of general sale on April 23.
    This post covers the dates, the ticketing timeline, and what to watch before the first show.

    Contents

    1. LISA Las Vegas residency dates and venue at a glance
    2. Why this residency is a K-pop first
    3. Ticketing timeline and the 10-minute sellout
    4. Can tickets still be found after the sellout?
    5. What lands before the residency: October 12 and October 23

    LISA Las Vegas residency dates and venue at a glance

    LISA performs four shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
    The run splits into two weekends: November 13–14 and November 27–28, 2026.
    The weekend of November 20–21 has no show, and the gap between the two blocks is 13 days.
    The second block falls over the Thanksgiving week, which matters if flights are part of the plan.
    LISA announced the residency on social media with the post "Vegas, are you ready?
    VIVA LA LISA, coming November 2026.
    Presale details @wearelloud."
    The official poster names THE COLOSSEUM CAESARS PALACE and NOVEMBER 2026.

    November 13, 2026 Friday
    November 14, 2026 Saturday
    November 27, 2026 Friday
    November 28, 2026 Saturday
    Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas — LISA Las Vegas residency dates and venue at a glance
    Photo: Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas by Supercarwaar — CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

    Why this residency is a K-pop first

    No K-pop artist had headlined a Las Vegas residency season before this one.
    A residency is not a one-night tour stop — it is a season of shows at a single fixed venue.
    The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is the same stage built around Celine Dion’s long run, and it later hosted Elton John and Adele.
    That size is one reason the four nights disappeared so quickly.
    If the goal is to see the show in person, the small room cuts both ways: close sightlines, very few seats.

    Palace Tower facade — Why this residency is a K-pop first
    Photo: Palace Tower facade by GyozaDumpling — CC BY-SA 4.0 (Openverse)

    👉 LE SSERAFIM Made My Night Release Time: 1PM KST in Your Timezone

    Ticketing timeline and the 10-minute sellout

    Presale sign-up ran from April 1, 10:00 AM PT to April 19, 10:00 PM PT.
    Registration went through a Ticketmaster account linked to the chosen show dates, with no code required.
    Artist presale opened April 22, and general sale followed on April 23 via Ticketmaster.
    All four shows sold out within 10 minutes of general sale, according to a September 4 Newsis report.
    If registration closed on April 19 and the sellout hit on April 23, there is no longer a first-hand buying window.
    Presale information for LLOUD-managed events goes out through LLOUD’s channel, so that account is the one to watch for any future drop.

    Ticketing timeline and the 10-minute sellout

    Can tickets still be found after the sellout?

    The remaining official route is resale or restock through Ticketmaster.
    As of September 12, 2026, no restock schedule has been published, and no additional dates have been announced.
    Ticket prices and the transfer policy for this event were never confirmed either, so neither can be stated here.
    Two practical checks: the Ticketmaster event page for each of the four dates, and LLOUD’s posts for any added-show announcement.
    Be careful with third-party resellers, because the official resale platform for this residency has not been confirmed.

    👉 BTS ARIRANG cinema screening: tour dates, 75 countries and how to find your showtime

    What lands before the residency: October 12 and October 23

    Three dates come ahead of the first show, and each one tends to stir up ticket searches again.
    The documentary ‘Always Lalisa’ reaches global theaters on October 12, 2026, after its Toronto International Film Festival premiere.
    The EP ‘PRESS PLAY’ drops on October 23, which is 21 days before the first residency night.
    The single ‘SaWaDiKa’ came out on September 4 as the EP’s pre-release.
    So the runway reads: documentary October 12, EP October 23, residency November 13.
    If a restock ever appears, it will most likely be noticed on one of those release days, when attention on the residency peaks.

    What lands before the residency: October 12 and October 23

    Related posts

    📎 JENNIE Fallen Angel EP, Aug 28 release — 3 tracks and what’s physical-only
    📎 📅 다가오는 일정 — 발매·개봉·발표 캘린더

    Sources

    Dates to check next

    • October 12, 2026 — ‘Always Lalisa’ documentary in global theaters
    • October 23, 2026 — EP ‘PRESS PLAY’ release
    • November 13, 2026 — first VIVA LA LISA show at The Colosseum
    • Ticket availability figures in this post run to the September 4 sellout report; re-check the Ticketmaster event page afterward

    FAQ

    Q. When are LISA’s Las Vegas residency dates?

    November 13, 14, 27 and 28, 2026, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The weekend of November 20–21 has no show.

    Q. Is there any chance to still get tickets after the 10-minute sellout?

    The official route left is resale or restock via Ticketmaster. No restock schedule or added dates had been announced as of September 12, 2026.

    Q. What should fans watch before the residency?

    The ‘Always Lalisa’ documentary on October 12 and the ‘PRESS PLAY’ EP on October 23.

    Q. How much are VIVA LA LISA tickets?

    No source within the search window lists seat-grade prices, so no price can be stated here.

    Follow @wearelloud for any resale or restock updates on the Caesars Palace shows.

    #LISA #VIVALALISA #LISALasVegas #K-popresidency #CaesarsPalaceColosseum #LISAconcert2026 #LISAtickets #PRESSPLAY #AlwaysLalisa #BlackpinkLISA