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Happy Monday! Here’s the crossover music and news to know in a rather drama-filled start to the news week.
MUSIC MONDAY
Music Monday Picks: IVE and NCT JNJM
This Week: BLACKPINK’s return, NMIXX enlist Pabllo Vittar
(Credit: Starship Entertainment)
IVE, REVIVE+
New Single: “BLACKHOLE”
IVE (Starship Entertainment/ Columbia Records) releases their second full-length album, REVIVE+, which features the first single “BANG BANG” (co-written by member Jang Wongyoung) and new single “BLACKHOLE.” Each IVE member has her own solo song on the LP, where nearly every member also co-wrote her song.
Quick-Reaction Review: Not unlike how “I AM” was the turbo-charged single around IVE’s first full-length I’ve IVE, “BLACKHOLE” is an equally energetic power anthem. Leader An Yujin particularly shines with her belting vocals on the track, while Jang Wonyoung’s charisma is turned up to 100 in the music video. There was a lot of comparison to “I Am” and “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, and “BLACKHOLE” almost sounds like a way for them to snatch back the power-pop crown.
The physical version of IVE’s REVIVE+ album will be released in the U.S. on March 6
NCT JNJM, BOTH SIDES - The 1st Mini Album
Single: “Both Sides”
NCT members Jeno and Jaemin split into the seventh official unit in the NCT universe as NCT JNJM (SM Entertainment) for their first EP together. Jaemin wrote the B-side track “What It Is.”
Quick-Reaction Review: I’ve actually been really looking forward to this duo unit ever since they announced it, because I think the two of them are just dang charming. They didn’t disappoint on the charm front, with the “Both Sides” music video basically an ode to how attractive these two are, with everyone — women, men, yes, everyone — swooning over “both sides” as their good sides. Musically, the track sounds like a demo pitched to Justin Timberlake, something he would seriously consider for his next album if he wanted a throwback, funky pop track.
This Week’s Release Highlights:
Thursday, February 26:
NMIXX & Pabllo Vittar, “TIC TIC”
AtHeart, “Shut Up”
Friday, February 27
BLACKINK, DEADLINE
RESCENE & (TBA Collaborator), “Busy Boy”
Pinkpantheress, Fancy Some More? (Physical CD and Vinyl Release)
QUICK NEWS
Katseye arrive for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto .com Arena in Los Angeles on February 1, 2026. (Photo by Etienne LAURENT / AFP via Getty Images)
KATSEYE’s Manon Situation Intensifies With Additional Star Power
—After HYBE and Geffen Records’ Friday evening announcement from KATSEYE that member Manon is taking a temporary hiatus from the girl group “to focus on her health and wellbeing” the story has grown. (@katseyeworld)
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Manon followed up from the label announcement with her own message: “A Weverse message from Manon herself said, ‘Hi friends. I want you to hear this from me, I’m healthy, I’m okay, and I’m taking care of myself. Thank u for checking in! Sometimes things unfold in ways we don’t fully control, but I’m trusting the bigger picture. Thank you for standing by me. I love you endlessly and can’t wait to see you again’” (Forbes)
Popular gossip site Deuxmoi made a post with a source telling them “allegedly Manon is being ‘phased out’ of the group. No word on why.” (@deuxmoi)
Over the weekend, fans shared that Manon allegedly liked a video that spoke to racism fellow Black girl group members like Fifth Harmony’s Normani and Leigh-Anne of Little Mix faced: “Screenshots circulating on X and TikTok show Manon engaging with a post that read, ‘Another Black girl subjected to racism,’ a phrase many interpreted as commentary on treatment within the K-pop-adjacent industry. Manon and the group's management have not publicly addressed the interaction. The controversy centers on whether the ‘like’ was accidental, supportive or intentional, with fans analysing its timing and context. Some argue that it reflects broader concerns about the treatment of Black members in global pop groups.” (IBTimes)
Leigh-Anne liked the video as well (@thesimplysimone)
In a follow-up video, Simone Umba (@thesimplysimone) shared that Manon Manon liked and then removed her like on the video. The content creator said, “I was already anticipating that,” saying “The message has already been sent”
Since then, a slew of superstars have shown social-media love or followed Manon including Leigh-Anne, SZA, Normani and Chloë Bailey (Reddit)
There’s been a lot of misinformation (I saw one vlogger call the Weverse post a “leaked email” 😑) and weekends will inevitably make communication more difficult. It was only a few days ago that Manon spoke up in KATSEYE’s cover of The Cut about her different experiences in the group between work-life balance and race. One section goes, “‘You guys are all about grind and hustle. In Switzerland’ — where [Manon’s] from — ‘if you’re sick, you take a day off. No one’s going to expect you to work.’ It doesn't help that her work ethic has been under scrutiny since day one: ‘Being called lazy, especially as a Black girl, is not fair. Now I feel like I always need to put in extra work to prove something, even though I really don’t.’” The story moved into a bit about the girls’ distaste for their Netflix competition series Dream Academy before moving on to the next section.
While “hiatus” is a pretty common word in the K-pop scene for a break, KATSEYE being more mainstream-pop leaning might have scared fans to think the worst — not unlike what happened when BTS said they were taking a hiatus and everyone in the west thought they were kaput. But the timing of her social media activity will continue to raise questions until more is addressed. And I just hope it’s sooner than later for the sake of all involved.
JAKOPS (SIMON) (Credit: XGALX)
XG Producer Arrested on Suspicion of Drugs in Japan
JAKOPS (also known as SIMON) is the former K-pop star turned CEO and founder of XGALX under Japan’s entertainment powerhouse Avex. XGALX houses XG, where he acts the group’s executive director and producer. Reports are circulating in Asia that the brilliant creative has been arrested on suspicion of drugs Japan with at least one of his main musical collaborators.
“The producer behind popular girls group XG was arrested along with three others in Aichi Prefecture on Monday on suspicion of possessing cocaine, the Metropolitan Police Department said. Junho Sakai, who works under the name of Simon, was arrested along with a 39-year-old U.S. music producer and two other men on suspicious of violating the Narcotic Control Law by possessing a bag of the drug at a hotel room, according to the MPD. Sakai, a 39-year-old resident of Meguro Ward, Tokyo, and the three others were staying at the hotel when the MPD searched their room late Sunday. The police discovered four bags of cocaine and a bag of dried cannabis.” (The Japan News)
The Malay Mail writes, “It is understood that one of the others arrested is singer-songwriter and producer Chancellor, real name Kim Jung-seung.” Chancellor is a frequent composer on XG music.
The U.S. embassy warns, “Japanese authorities aggressively pursue drug smugglers with sophisticated detection equipment, ‘sniffing’ dogs, and other methods. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs, including marijuana and synthetic drugs, are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and fines”
“In response, XGALX, the agency representing the group, stated, ‘We are currently verifying the situation.’” (The Chosun Daily)
Over the weekend, XG dropped the music video to “ROCK THE BOAT, one of the best songs on their latest album, THE CORE.
Last but not least…
Anderson .Paak seems to be teasing a collaboration with aespa, possibly for his upcoming K-POPS! film, out at the end of the month (@anderson._paak)
Who’s looking forward to K-POPS? Any questions you want to have answered or discussed as the movie makes its way to theaters? Get in touch…
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