Music
Grammys’ new Asian pop category sparks debate over what inclusion should look like
The Recording Academy has created the first Grammy category dedicated to Asian pop, recognizing a genre that has become one of the music industry’s most influential global exports. While many artists…
Texas anchor faces BTS ARMY backlash over ‘death to America’ Oreo joke
BTS fans are pushing back against a Lubbock, Texas news anchor who joked on air that the K-pop group’s upcoming Oreo collaboration spells out a “death to America” message. What happened KCBD Fox34…
YouTuber faces backlash after anti-Asian tweet resurfaces during K-pop debut
Internet personality Trisha Paytas drew backlash this week after critics resurfaced a 2017 tweet containing anti-Asian slurs days after she released a Korean-language pop single styled after…
BTS returns to dominate global charts with ‘Arirang’
After more than three years of hiatus to fulfill their mandatory military service, BTS reunited in Seoul on Saturday, releasing their fifth studio album and marking their return to the global music…
Oscar producer addresses backlash over ‘Golden’ team victory speech cutoff
Oscars executive Rob Mills said producers will review speech handling after backlash over the “Golden” songwriting team being cut off at the 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday. Ejae…
ARMY worldwide counts down to BTS’ highly anticipated comeback
Anticipation is building worldwide as BTS prepares to reunite as a complete group for the first time in nearly four years. What you need to know: The seven-member group will release their fifth…
9-year-old Chinese American pianist goes viral with Tiny Desk performance
Alexander Zhou, a 9-year-old Chinese American fourth grader at New York City’s Special Music School at Kaufman Music Center, went viral after performing Moritz Moszkowski’s Etincelles, Op. 36, No. 6…
Asians win at the 2026 Grammys, but top categories remain out of reach
Asian artists secured historic wins at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards held Feb. 1 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, while mostly being shut out of the ceremony’s most influential categories.…
The Dalai Lama just won his first Grammy
The Tibetan spiritual leader secured his first Grammy Award on Sunday for Best Audiobook, Narration and Storytelling Recording with “Meditations: The Reflections Of His Holiness The Dalai Lama” at…
XG’s Cocona comes out as transmasculine nonbinary
Cocona, a member of the global hip-hop and R&B group XG, has publicly come out as transmasculine nonbinary, sharing the announcement in a birthday Instagram post on Saturday, Dec. 6. What she’s…
MC Jin, NE-YO, and Sonu Nigam launch new music label to spotlight Asian artists globally
NE-YO, Sonu Nigam, and MC Jin have teamed up with music executive Jonathan Serbin to launch a new Hong Kong–based music label called Pacific Music Group. Their goal is simple: help Asian artists go…
Katseye speaks out on death threats, racist attacks
Members of global girl group Katseye say they have received multiple death threats online targeting them and their families, with Lara Raj experiencing racist harassment and even a false report to…
Rosé, Bruno Mars lead Asian talent nominated at 68th Grammy Awards
Rosé and Bruno Mars lead Asian representation at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards with three major nominations for their collaboration “APT.” Other notable Asian and Asian-heritage nominees appear…
Blackpink’s ‘Most Influential Women’ Asia ranking reflects rising K-pop power
K-pop’s global ascent reached a new benchmark with Blackpink securing the No. 1 position on Fortune’s inaugural “Most Influential Women” Asia ranking, underscoring the genre’s evolution into a form…
Rolling Stone’s ‘Greatest Songs’ list exposes persistent Asian artist gap
While Rolling Stone’s “250 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century So Far” list features several standout tracks from Asian and Asian-heritage artists, their limited presence underscores the ongoing…
Jessica Sanchez returns to ‘AGT’ after 19 years and claims 1st Filipino victory
Nineteen years after first competing as a child on the debut season of “America’s Got Talent,” Jessica Sanchez returned to the stage and won its Season 20 crown on Wednesday night in Los Angeles. The…
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ started without K-pop in it, director reveals
“KPop Demon Hunters” director Maggie Kang recently revealed that her Netflix animated hit underwent significant changes during development, originally lacking any musical elements when first pitched.…
BINI to make history as 1st Filipino group to perform at Coachella
BINI will make history as the first Filipino group to perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2026. The eight-member girl group from Manila was confirmed on Tuesday, as part of the…
Blackpink’s Rosé and Lisa earn landmark solo wins at 2025 MTV VMAs
Rosé and Lisa of Blackpink earned major solo honors at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday in New York City, marking a milestone for K-pop artists on one of the music industry’s biggest global…
Stray Kids achieves Billboard feat no other artist has accomplished before
Stray Kids have marked their seventh consecutive No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with “Karma,” surpassing BTS’ previous record of six chart-toppers. Peak performance: “Karma” debuted at the top of…
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ sees record-breaking success
“KPop Demon Hunters” has become Netflix’s most-streamed movie ever, reaching 236 million total views and overtaking the previous record held by “Red Notice.” Streaming best: Released on June 20,…
South Korea’s top court rejects US composer’s ‘Baby Shark’ copyright claim
South Korea’s Supreme Court dismissed a copyright lawsuit filed by American composer Jonathan Wright, ruling on Aug. 14 that his 2011 version of “Baby Shark” lacked sufficient originality and could…
How your childhood violin lessons can help keep your mind sharp as you age
Older adults who have played music since childhood maintain sharper thinking and listening skills compared to their non-musician peers, according to new research published in PLOS Biology. The study:…
North Korean defectors debut in new K-pop boy group
North Korean defectors Yu Hyuk and Kim Seok made their K-pop debut Friday as members of 1Verse (pronounced as “universe”). The five-member group, which also includes members from Arkansas, Los…
Chinese K-pop idol told to ‘go back’ after pushing One China policy on fans
Xinyu, a Chinese vocalist of the 24-member K-pop girl group tripleS, is facing backlash after echoing her support for Beijing’s “One China” policy. The controversy erupted on fan platform Fromm,…
Hybe artists gain Grammy voting rights as K-pop’s influence expands
Sixteen artists and producers from Hybe have been granted Grammy voting privileges starting with the 2026 awards ceremony. The Recording Academy’s July 10 announcement of membership invitations…
Blackpink is back in the US and still breaking records
Blackpink members reunited and returned to the U.S. stage Saturday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, launching the North American leg of their “Deadline” world tour. The quartet —…
Former NCT member sentenced for sexual assault
Taeil, a former member of K-pop boy group NCT, was slapped with a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence on Thursday following his conviction for sexually assaulting an intoxicated Chinese woman in…
Zayn Malik’s new song references racism during his One Direction days
Zayn Malik has previewed his upcoming single “Fuchsia Sea,” in which he openly addresses the racism he endured as the only South Asian member of One Direction. In a snippet shared on Instagram on…
Former K-pop idol Shim Jaehyun dies at 23 from leukemia
Shim Jaehyun, a former member of the K-pop boy group Fable, died at age 23 after privately battling leukemia. About Jaehyun: Born April 7, 2002, Jaehyun debuted with Fable in June 2020 under Haeirum…
Oasis’ Liam Gallagher posts anti-Asian slur ahead of tour dates in Asia
Liam Gallagher, a member of the British band Oasis, faced criticism after posting the word “Chingchon” on his X account on July 1 without explanation. The word is widely recognized as a slur that…
Lea Salonga set to be 1st Filipina to receive Hollywood Walk of Fame star
Acclaimed Tony and Olivier Award-winning singer and actress Lea Salonga has been selected to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Live Theatre/Performance category, making her the…
‘Pitch Perfect’ to get K-pop TV spinoff
The “Pitch Perfect” franchise is getting another TV spinoff with “Pitch Perfect: K-Pop Idols,” coming to Peacock. Written by Joel Kim Booster, the show follows a struggling singer-songwriter whose…
BTS’ Jungkook apologizes for wearing ‘Make Tokyo Great Again’ hat
BTS member Jungkook publicly apologized early Saturday (local time) following public backlash over his choice to wear a hat with a politically charged message during concert preparations. Where he…
Timbaland debuts an AI-generated ‘Asian’ pop singer
A virtual singer depicted as a young Asian woman named TaTa was unveiled on June 5 as the first act from Stage Zero, an AI-focused entertainment company founded in Los Angeles by Grammy-winning…
BTS close to reuniting as 6 members finish military service
BTS moves closer to a complete reunion following Wednesday’s discharge of Jimin and Jungkook from the military, with just one remaining member yet to finish his mandatory service. Catch up
