'REDRED', the pre-release track from 2nd mini album GREENGREEN, climbed to No.1 on the Melon TOP 100. It's an uncommon milestone for a 9-month-old rookie boy group to reach the top of domestic streaming. The same track also showed global firepower with the 5/13-reported entry at No.17 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 and 600 million cumulative Spotify streams (as of 5/11). Multiple international outlets have continued the praise as "the next chapter in the K-pop rookie wave." On Show Champion Episode 597, it also captured the first No.1 with 7160 points.

5th mini album 'Heavy Serenade', released 5/11 19:00 KST, settled quickly onto the Melon TOP 100 chart. The title track drew attention thanks to lyric-writing credit from indie singer-songwriter Hanroro, and it also charted in the upper reaches of iTunes and Apple Music top-album charts in many regions including Hong Kong and Turkey. In a member Q&A, one member quoted Hanroro's lyrics as "fragrant — I'd want to use them as a wedding song."

As part of the lead-up to full album LEMONADE (releasing 5/29 13:00 KST), pre-release single 'WDA (Whole Different Animal)' began its music-show promotion run. With the G-Dragon feature merging into a live stage for the first time, anticipation ran high for the visuals and the chorus reaction. Since its 5/11 18:00 KST pre-release, WDA has been on a global chart sequence including iTunes Top 10 in 17 countries and No.1 on Tencent Music's K-pop integrated chart, and these music-show promotions are the final push right before the full album drops.

'Peony Room', the third concept visual in the marketing run-up to full album PUREFLOW pt.1 (releasing 5/22 13:00 KST, D-8), has been revealed. The concept visualizes the five members in a family-like intimacy, and as the sequence — first visual 'BIRCH SCAR' (inner fears and gaps), second 'YUSU LILY' (underwater, vitality within calm), third 'Peony Room' (flowers, connection between members) — falls into place, the bigger picture of the comeback narrative comes into view. The second visual 'YUSU LILY' underwater pictorial dropped at midnight on 5/13 and rolled into cumulative SNS buzz coverage afterward.

KQ Entertainment officially announced that ATEEZ's 5th Japan tour will begin on July 29. A new 5th Japan single release is timed to coincide with the tour. ATEEZ's activities in Japan have scaled up step by step since debut, and this 5th tour — running as a stand-alone leg — marks the next chapter of their Japanese-market footing.

With the 35th Seoul Music Awards (SMA 2026) set for 6/20 at Inspire Arena in Incheon, ATEEZ has joined the performance lineup. Co-performers listed include Kwon Eunbi and Lee Chanwon. Final SMA voting runs 5/8–5/28, and the ceremony has settled in as one of mid-June's marquee K-pop awards dates.

ZEROBASEONE leader Hanbin will hold a solo birthday party on 6/13 at Daeyang Hall, Sejong University in Seoul. The event is titled 'Hanbin's Birthday Party [Who stole Hanbin's Cake?]'. It's structured as a time for genuine conversation with fans. Pre-sale ticketing opens 5/14 20:00 KST, with general sales opening 5/15 20:00 KST. On the group front, the comeback with 6th mini album 'Ascend-' is locked in for 5/18 18:00 KST (D-3), and this solo member event extends activities right after that comeback.

'It's Me', the title track from 4th mini album MAMIHLAPINATAPAI, has moved past early mixed reviews and settled into a hit-song chart sequence. Momentum is building on domestic streaming sites like Melon and Bugs as well as global song charts, and the music-show results have stacked up — No.10 on Inkigayo May Week 2 and No.2 on Show Champion Episode 597.

ILLIT member Wonhee made her own bucket list at age 20 the centerpiece of a solo interview. As the group's chart milestones accelerate, she also took the moment to map out an individual member's perspective and her next-step goals.

All nine TWICE members (Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Dahyun, Mina, Chaeyoung, Tzuyu) departed via Incheon International Airport on 5/8 for the 'TWICE 6TH WORLD TOUR THIS IS FOR WORLD TOUR in Europe'. The Europe leg lines up across 7 cities: Lisbon 5/9 → Barcelona 5/12 → Paris 5/16 → Berlin 5/23 → Cologne 5/26 → Amsterdam 5/30 → London 6/3. They've wrapped two cities (Lisbon and Barcelona) and are headed to the next stop in Paris.

KM Chart (KM Chart Awards, KMA for short) has announced its May monthly chart nominees. IVE's 'BANG BANG' made the 50-track shortlist in the K-MUSIC streaming category, alongside BTS 'SWIM', BLACKPINK 'GO', and SEVENTEEN 'THUNDER' in the same category. Final voting runs through 5/24 on the My One Pick and Idol Champ apps (each weighted 50%), and the KMA 2026 ceremony will be held on 7/25 at Korea University's Hwajeong Gymnasium. (Note: KM Chart Awards is a separate ceremony from the Korean Music Awards.)