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IU
IU
South Korean singer, songwriter, and actress Lee Ji-eun performs on the sweeter side of the K-pop spectrum, often focused on ballads and light pop. Choosing the stage name IU -- derived from "I" and "you" to symbolize unity -- Lee debuted in the late 2000s with early efforts Lost & Found and IU...IM, but had her breakthrough in 2010 with the chart-topping "Good Day" from her third EP, Real. She remained a fixture at the top of the Korean charts into the 2020s with hits such as 2011's Last Fantasy, 2019's Love Poem, and 2021's platinum-certified Lilac. In addition to her success in Korea, she also branched out into the Japanese market and, in 2020, scored her first number one in the U.S. with "Eight." Born in Seoul, she began her journey in the entertainment industry at a very young age, enrolling in acting classes while still in elementary school. By middle school, she'd developed a love for singing and trained with Good Entertainment (<a href="spotify:artist:0jVvkFPa6YbFXQ3Qmhita0">Shinhwa</a>) before signing with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22LOEN+Entertainment%22">LOEN Entertainment</a> in 2007. With a girl-next-door image, Lee made her 2008 debut with the Lost & Found EP, which featured the single "Lost Child." The following year, Lee issued her first full-length, Growing Up, which featured the dance-oriented single "Boo." Months later, the EP IU...IM arrived, including the effervescent singles "Love Attack" and "Marshmallow." It wasn't until the end of 2010 and her third EP, Real, that the singer experienced her commercial breakthrough. Her highest-charting effort to date, Real debuted a more mature sound for the singer. Featuring the "Good Day" single, it was quickly followed by the three-song expansion single Real+. Her sophomore set, Last Fantasy, was issued in 2011. Her highest-selling album, it was also her first chart-topper in Korea, and the track "You and I" spent five weeks atop the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100. Eventually, Last Fantasy would win Record of the Year at the Seoul Music Awards and become the 15th best-selling Korean album of the year. Following the success of Fantasy, Lee inked a deal with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22EMI+Music+Japan%22">EMI Music Japan</a>, which broke her into the Japanese market in 2013 with the Can You Hear Me? EP, which was her first Japanese-language effort. Recorded in Japan, Korea, China, and the United States, the five-song collection also featured production by <a href="spotify:artist:4ZaXj4ZrqscgpfqJolMfib">Jimmy Jam</a> and Terry Lewis. That same year, Lee released her third LP, Modern Times, which continued her sonic maturity with hints of jazz and bossa nova. In 2014, her sixth EP, A Flower Bookmark, was released. The collection comprised covers of popular Korean pop songs from the '80s and '90s, like Kim Wan-sun's 1990 song "Pierrot Smiles at Us" and Jo Deok-bae's 1985 "My Old Story." That summer, Lee made her first American concert appearance at KCON in Los Angeles. By 2015, she'd made her debut as sole lyricist and producer on her seventh EP, Chat-Shire, which peaked at number four on the Billboard World Albums chart. As her acting roles continued to maintain her visibility throughout East Asia, Lee issued her fourth LP, the critically acclaimed Palette, in 2017. Debuting atop the Korean Gaon chart and the Billboard World Albums chart, Palette featured <a href="spotify:artist:4Kxlr1PRlDKEB0ekOCyHgX">Big Bang</a>'s <a href="spotify:artist:30b9WulBM8sFuBo17nNq9c">G-Dragon</a> on the title track. A sequel EP, A Flower Bookmark 2, landed later that year. IU spent 2018 playing a prominent role on the television show My Mister. She also celebrated the tenth anniversary of her debut by issuing the single "Bbibbi." She continued acting into 2019 with Persona and Hotel del Luna while also releasing her ninth EP, the chart-topping Love Poem, that November. 2020 saw the arrival of the Suga-produced single "Eight," which became her first U.S. number one. In March 2021, she returned with her fifth full-length album, Lilac. Buoyed by the single "Celebrity," the album topped the South Korean charts and was certified platinum. ~ Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi
(G)I-DLE
(G)I-DLE
The "G" in (G)I-DLE is a short for Girl, "I" means I as in myself, and "DLE" (들) is a Korean compound word used to form plurals. (G)I-DLE is a global quintet who construct their own musical universe with their exceptional concepts and songwriting skills. The five members of the group are MIYEON, MINNIE, SOYEON, YUQI, and SHUHUA.
ITZY
ITZY
South Korean quintet ITZY put an energetic spin on K-pop, serving buoyant electronic dance anthems with uplifting lyrics. Debuting at the close of the 2010s, they released their Top Three EP It'z Icy in July 2019, followed by March 2020's It'z Me. More Top Five sets appeared, including 2020's Not Shy and 2021's Guess Who. In late 2021, the band released their first full-length, the chart-topping Crazy in Love. The following year, they hit a U.S. chart peak with their Top Ten EP Checkmate. The group remained prolific, following it with two more EPs, including 2023's Kill My Doubt. They again topped the Korean charts with 2024's Born to Be and returned that same year with the Gold EP. Joining <a href="spotify:artist:7n2Ycct7Beij7Dj7meI4X0">Twice</a> on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22JYP+Entertainment%22">JYP Entertainment</a>'s girl group roster, ITZY is comprised of Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna. Through the mid-2010s, most group members competed on various television survival shows before <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22JYP%22">JYP</a> put them together as the five-piece ITZY. They debuted in January 2019 and issued their first single, "Dalla Dalla" b/w "Want It?" These hit tracks appeared on their summertime debut EP, It'z Icy, which rose to the Top Three in Korea and placed within the Top 20 on both the U.S. Heatseekers and World Albums charts. The propulsive lead single "Icy" peaked at number two on the Billboard World Songs chart. Their follow-up EP, It'z Me, appeared in March 2020 and topped the Korean pop chart, as did their third outing, Not Shy, which arrived in August. Another Top Five Korean EP, Guess Who, was released in 2021. The short set was ITZY's first appearance on the main Billboard 200 chart. Months later, they bested that showing with their much-anticipated full-length debut, Crazy in Love, which peaked just outside the U.S. Top Ten. The "Loco"-featuring set also topped the Billboard World Albums and Independent Albums charts while rising to number two in Korea. A non-album single, the Japanese-language "Voltage," arrived in April 2022. Months later, they landed in the U.S. Top Ten for the first time with their fifth EP, Checkmate, which featured the single "Sneakers." The group closed the year with a sixth EP, Cheshire. Led by the single "Cake," ITZY's seventh EP, Kill My Doubt, appeared in July 2023. Around the same time, singer Lia went on hiatus from the group due to health concerns. In January 2024, they returned with their second Korean-language album and third full-length studio album, Born to Be. Heralded by the single "Untouchable," it topped the Circle Albums chart and reached 14 on Billboard's World Albums chart. That October, they delivered their ninth EP, Gold. The release, which marked the return of Lia following her hiatus, found ITZY re-recording several tracks off Born to Be as a quintet. ~ Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi
Stray Kids
Stray Kids
<a href="spotify:artist:2dIgFjalVxs4ThymZ67YCE" data-name="Stray Kids">Stray Kids</a> (스트레이 키즈) Official Spotify
ENHYPEN
Artist
ENHYPEN is a boyband created by BELIFT LAB, consisting of seven multinational members JUNGWON, HEESEUNG, JAY, JAKE, SUNGHOON, SUNOO, and NI-KI. Inspired by the 'hyphen(-)' that connects one word to another, ENHYPEN means that seven different boys connect to discover one another and grow together. They also have an ambitious plan to connect people and the world through their music.
