BTS wins Best K-Pop Group at MTV VMAs

To no one’s surprise, BTS – one of the world’s most famous boy bands – won the MTV Video Music Award’s inaugural award for Best K-pop group for their song “Boy With Luv.” The septet didn’t attend the ceremony to accept their Moon Man trophy. While the new category appears to be a nod to the popularity of Korean music in mainstream U.S. pop culture, fans have been vocal that the category is suspicious at best and borderline racist.

Ahead of KCON Los Angeles’ Kick-Off, a Look at Korean Pop Culture in 2019

Created to celebrate South Korea’s soft power, KCON has grown into the Coachella of Korean culture. Debuting in 2012 as a one-day festival in Los Angeles just months after Psy’s “Gangnam Style” became a worldwide hit, KCON attracted 12,000 curious fans. Flash forward to 2019, when one of the world’s most-famous groups is the Korean boy band BTS, Korean beauty products are all the rage, chefs are incorporating kimchi into western cooking and streaming sites including Netflix are premiering buzzworthy Korean shows such as the zombie serial “Kingdom.”

‘Seoul Town Road’ Has BTS’ RM Joining Lil Nas X, and Now K-Country-Pop is a Thing

BTS’ RM went a little bit country late Wednesday night with “Seoul Town Road,” his surprise collaboration with Lil Nas X. Unlike Billy Ray Cyrus – who is featured on the latter’s chart-topping “Old Town Road” remix – the Korean rapper hasn’t dabbled in country music previously. Not the American genre, anyhow.

BTS Warm Up Soldier Field With Sold-Out Stadium Show

BTS has figured out the most challenging aspect of stadium shows: how to make them feel intimate. Their boy-next-door charm, lively banter (in both English and Korean) and constant engagement with projected a warmth that reached the upper bleachers of Soldier Field. And even a language barrier doesn’t distract from the storytelling aspects of their songs: Most of the fans in the stadium tonight have long since translated the lyrics.

BTS Tour Kickoff Brings the Noise to the Rose Bowl

It has been a good week for BTS. On Wednesday (May 1), the South Korean group won two awards at the Billboard Music Awards (for top duo or group and best social artist). On Saturday (May 4), the septet kicked off its global “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself” stadium tour at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. They will play the second of two consecutive sold-out nights on Sunday.

J-Pop Stars Perfume Talk Coachella, Influences and Sourdough Bread

One of Japan’s most popular groups, Perfume became the first J-Pop act to ever take the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival with a performance last weekend. Formed in 2000, the electro-pop trio will do another set at the fest’s Gobi Tent on Sunday. That concert will conclude Perfume’s U.S. tour to promote their album, “Future Pop.” Nocchi (Ōmoto Ayano), Kashiyuka (Kashino Yuka) and A-chan (Nishiwaki Ayaka) made the most of their Coachella experience: The group caught a bit of Ariana Grande’s show and attended parties hosted by Interscope and Moschino. The experience, they said, was a dream.