Happy Friday! This was a packed week for me and I’ve been mostly underwater in assignments and meetings, but I’m excited to share my debut on Complex breaking down BLACKPINK’s 15 best songs to date (let’s debate) and I joined Good Morning Seoul Arirang Radio breaking down the album for my biweekly culture segment that you can watch on my YouTube channel coming this weekend.

GIRLSET, “Tweak” — I’ll never be upset by a clever ‘90s R&B reinterpretation and JYP Entertainment’s global quartet GIRLSET nailed it with their new single that samples one of my favorites “Weak” from SWV. While I still think radio needs to eat up their previous single “Little Miss” (especially its Missy Elliott remix…but I digress), this song has tons of potential and gets better with each listen. The music video is a must-see as well and only makes me fall for the song more — I can’t believe there’s a pole dancer in a JYP music video! — and I think the big push they’re putting around this track will pay off

There’s something really special happening here with how they’re leaning fully into the R&B culture of it all and it won’t suffice for me to quickly mention it in this newsletter, so more on GIRLSET soon. For now, don’t miss this one:

JVKE and Jeon Somi, “moonboy” — “Golden Hour” singer JVKE has carved himself out a nice spot in the K-pop aerospace, writing tracks for ENHYPEN and collaborating with members of EXO, Tomorrow X Together, i-dle and LE SSERAFIM, but his new collab with soloist Jeon Somi might have the most potential for crossover greatness yet. It’s a fun, breezy cut that could easily find a place on pop and adult contemporary if the song gets a push.

JVKE hasn’t released a full-length project since 2022 and has been embracing one-off singles, which might be the smart route for him, but it’s been tough to see how serious a push he makes around his releases. But I think “moonboy” has potential. Watch the “live” music video with cute behind-the-scenes footage and montages below:

Becky G, Yeonjun & Myke Towers, “Make It Count” — The World Baseball Classic Inc. crafted its first original tournament soundtrack for the 2026 World Baseball Classic curated by Tainy, the Grammy-winning producer featured on tracks Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Selena Gomez, Dua Lipa and Shawn Mendes, among many others.

Alongside tracks by Young Miko and Fujii Kaze, Yeonjun of Tomorrow X Together joins Becky G and Myke Towers for the classic’s anthem track “Make It Count.” While the track starts deceptively simple, Yeonjun pops in on the second verse to absolutely shine on the track. Entering by whispering “YJ,” he hits every beat in an on-point rap that seamlessly weaves between English and Korean, and I didn’t even realize he was switching languages until third or fourth listen. The 26-year-old just certifiably upped his crossover appeal, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a further push from his BIGHIT MUSIC label for more pop/crossover records.

Jennie, Ruby (The Complete Collection) — A year after release, and just a week after BLACKPINK’s big comeback record, Jennie drops an expanded version of her solo LP. While it doesn’t include any new tracks (there were some rumored-to-be-released songs that didn’t make the final cut that fans hoped to hear), it instead includes remixes of “Like JENNIE” and solo versions of the album’s four collab tracks. Notably, we get to hear verses and sections that Jennie recorded before the likes of Doechii, Dua Lipa, Dominic Fike, Childish Gambino and Kali Uchis hopped onto the records — and mostly affirms the top-notch A&R here when it came to the features. Ruby still remains one of the best and most interesting releases in BLACKPINK’s Chapter 2 era and I’m glad to see it extended a bit longer.

I appreciate Jennie & Co. for releasing an official version of the much-talked-about “Like JENNIE (Extended Remix)” remix that she performed at the Melon Music Awards, which was an affirming, nine-minute medley stage performance.

IVE, REVIVE+ (U.S. Physical Version)

The physical album for IVE’s second full-length REVIVE+ is out in the U.S. today. While Columbia Records and Sony’s The Orchard are supporting stateside, the single “BANG BANG” is currently stream-rolling the competition and stuck at the top of the charts in Korea

While REVIVE+ was released globally and digitally on February 23, I’m hoping it can (finally) land the girls on the Billboard 200 as this really is a great record, not just for the singles include “BLACKHOLE”, but for several solo tracks (my favorite being “Odd” by Gaeul)

ICYMI…some other notable crossover records from this week:

COMING SOON RELEASE CALENDAR

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—Hyunjin of Stray Kids has been named a global ambassador for GUESS and GUESS Jeans with a denim campaign and its accompanying collection debuting today: “‘We’re excited to welcome Hyunjin to the family. Music and culture have always shaped my perspective on fashion, and Hyunjin is a highly talented artist. We believe he truly represents a new era of expression for the brand,’ says Nicolai Marciano, Chief New Business Development Officer of Guess?, Inc.” (Press Release)

—i-dle performed their ingenious single “Mono” live on NBC’s Today Show and announced a U.S. arena tour: I still can’t emphasize how incredible it is to hear a K-pop group have the lines “Whether straight or gay, every day and night, dance to your real vibe.”

—NPR’s Sheldon Pierce delivers another articulate, in-depth K-pop take with his review of BLACKPINK’s DEADLINE album: “While things appear fine on the surface, leaning back into routine has underscored a disrupted rhythm. DEADLINE feels like high school friends reuniting for the first time after going off to separate colleges; pretend though they might, things have clearly changed…it feels a bit like BLACKPINK is simply a K-pop institution at this stage, that the brand is more about the blazed trail than the group's current function.” (I’m such a fan of his work)

—BIGBANG’s 20th anniversary reunion is officially official, according to YG Entertainment’s Yang Hyun-suk: “‘Since the artists and the company have been working together for so long, I don’t think there’ll be any difficulties,” Yang said during the interview. “All the YG staff will do their best to put on a brilliant and perfect performance that’s worthy of BIGBANG’s name.’ BIGBANG has become one of the most iconic and influential acts in K-pop history. With hits like ‘Lies,’ ‘Fantastic Baby’ and ‘Bang Bang Bang,’ the second-generation idol group helped shape future generations of K-pop artists, including BLACKPINK and BTS. All of the BTS members have cited BIGBANG as a role model and inspiration, with Suga even going so far as to tell BIGBANG member Taeyang, ‘It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that BIGBANG practically made BTS. You were musicians that I aspired to be like as a kid.’” (Forbes)

—BTS appeared on GQ’s “It’s Actually Us” series replying to fans online. They gave minimal bits about the new album, like recording only began this past July during a trip to Los Angeles, and that they’d have a more natural, simple and mature aesthetic.

—Zayn Malik had “the best night ever” with his daughter at the TWICE concert: “The KONNAKOL artist, 33, shared a rare snap of his daughter Khai, 5, on his Instagram Stories. In the photo, Khai, whom he shares with ex-girlfriend Gigi Hadid, can be seen enjoying K-pop group TWICE in concert. ‘@twicetagram…massive thanks for giving the girls the best night ever," he wrote in text above the photo” (People)

—Writer Suzy Exposito shared some thoughts after her KATSEYE feature for Vogue dropped, written before Manon began her hiatus, where she mentions the star sustaining some injuries: “The band spoke to me about the physical toll of pop stardom, group therapy and harnessing their global identity in their sounds. Speaking freely now that KATSEYE is out of the bag, lol, but these girls are worked to the BONE. I knew K-pop standards were high but jeez, so many illnesses and injuries! Manon got a sprained ankle and missed a video shoot before going on hiatus. I’m glad she put herself first” (@HexPositive)

—Jackson Wang and WayV rank among the most-streamed China-based artists in the States (Luminate)

—The KPop Demon Hunters effect continues to resonate across mediums: “Got a kid in your life still obsessed with KPop Demon Hunters? You need to check out these children's books perfect for fans of the movie…with a picture book that features two siblings traveling through a world of illustrated folktales, a funny story about what happens when a pair of dokkaebi brothers move from Korea to New York City, and an illustrated guide to Korean food and dining culture.” (BookRiot)

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