BTS Reveals Video Teasers For Upcoming Single "Butter," And 5 More K-Pop Headlines You Need To Read

BRB, watching Ten and Lisa dance to "Kick Back" together for the hundredth time

1. SM Entertainment announced they've partnered with MGM Television to create a new US K-Pop competition show.

SM Entertainment

On May 6, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that SM Entertainment and MGM Television have teamed up together to create a new K-Pop reality competition program.

According to the article, the upcoming television show will see a group of male trainees from the US flown to South Korea and put through K-Pop dance, vocal, and performance training in order to potentially debut as a member of NCT's newest US-based unit: NCT-Hollywood. The trainees will be judged and mentored by both current NCT members and SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-Man. NCT already has two units that are based across the globe: their Seoul-based unit NCT 127 and their China-based unit WayV.

But it's not just SM Entertainment who sees the vision of a U.S.-based K-Pop group. In February, it was announced that Big Hit Music (then Big Hit Entertainment) had partnered with Universal Music Group to create a US-based K-Pop boy group whose formation process will similarly be documented via television program.

On the same day as SM Entertainment's announcement, CJ ENM also revealed that they've partnered with HBO Max to create a South American K-Pop audition program. According to Soompi, the program will be produced in South Korea and feature a group of trainees aiming to debut in a new K-Pop group based in South America. The show will see the trainees judged by a mix of both K-Pop and South American artists.

What do you think about NCT-Hollywood and the new US-based and South America–based K-Pop groups? Let us know in the comments below!

2. Highlight made their first comeback in three years with "Not the End!"

Kakao Entertainment / Official Highlight / YouTube / Via youtube.com

HIGHLIGHT is back! The group held their first official comeback on May 3 with the release of their third mini-album, The Blowing. The group has been on a temporary hiatus since 2018 while its four members completed their mandatory military service.

Now Highlight is back and better than ever with "Not the End," an uplifting electronic tune that feels like a warm hug as the members swear that they're "still here, it's not the end." Bright, bubbly, and comforting, the song definitely deserves a spot on your playlist!

This week also saw the release of Yesung of Super Junior's "Beautiful Night," Brave Girls' "Red Sun," and Kim Seon-ho's "Reason," so be sure to check those out too! 🎵

3. BTS revealed the first poster for their eighth-anniversary Festa!

BTS_official @bts_bighit

#BTS #방탄소년단 FESTA D-DAY CALENDAR : Celebration of The 8th Anniversary TEASER POSTER

02:00 AM - 05 May 2021

@bts_bighit / Twitter / Via Twitter: @bts_bighit

On May 4, BTS dropped the first video teaser for their upcoming Festa, a huge, multiday event set in June that celebrates the group's debut anniversary and features a ton of brand new and exciting BTS content. This year marks BTS's eighth anniversary, and from the looks of the teaser, they're ready to get the party started!

The adorable clip shows a building with seven individual windows that each correspond with a particular member. When the front door is knocked upon, a member comments, "Who is it?" The person at the door remarks, "It's the Festa D-Day calendar."

A flurry of excitement erupts around the building as the members try to discover new information about the event, before someone comments: "We can only open one [item] per day." Another voice agrees, calling it "a promise between BTS and ARMY" that they'll unveil a new piece of exciting content each day. We can't wait to see what BTS has in store this year!

4. NCT's Ten and Blackpink's Lisa danced together to WayV's "Kick Back!"

@tenlee_1001 / Instagram / Via Instagram: @tenlee_1001

On May 1, NCT, WayV, and SuperM member Ten uploaded a video of him and Blackpink's Lisa performing the choreography to WayV's latest single, "Kick Back." You can watch the two idols, who are both from Thailand, absolutely crush the choreography for the song's chorus above.

Lisa is a mentor on the Chinese-idol, survival-reality program Youth With You and revealed in a recent episode that Ten taught her the song's moves ahead of her collaboration performance with a group of the show's trainees, according to Soompi. You can watch her performance of the track here!

5. I.O.I reunited and held a livestream for their fifth anniversary!

@dbeoddl__ / Instagram / Via Instagram: @dbeoddl__

On May 4, the members of K-Pop girl group I.O.I reunited to celebrate their fifth anniversary together on a live broadcast titled I.5.I – Yes, I Love It! The group, which was formed in 2016 on the idol reality program Produce 101, was active until 2017 and still remains one of the most beloved K-Pop acts today.

The broadcast saw nine of the group's members — So-mi, Kim Se-jeong, Chungha, Jung Chae-yeon, Lim Na-young, Yoo Yeon-jung, Choi Yoo-jung, Kim So-hye, and Kim Do-yeon — sit down and discuss their individual careers, answer fan questions, and relive treasured memories from their past together. Members Kang Mi-na and Kyulkyung were unfortunately unable to attend the livestream, but Kyulkyung did surprise the other members later in the broadcast by making an appearance via video call.

After the event was over, the members all shared the adorable selfies and videos they took together online, including member Yoo-jung who shared multiple images from the event. Per translation by Soompi, she wrote: "I.O.I fifth anniversary. I want to say thank you to everyone who consistently waited and supported us so that we would be able to keep this promise. I’m so glad that we were able to be happy together today. Yes, I love it! I love you, I.O.I.”

6. And Twice, BTS, Monsta X, and more announce that new music is on the way!

TWICE @JYPETWICE

TWICE The 10th Mini Album Release on 2021.06.09 2021.06.11 Worldwide/US Digital & Physical Pre-order starts 2021.05.10 #TWICE #트와이스 #Taste_of_Love

03:00 PM - 02 May 2021

@JYPETWICE / Twitter / Via Twitter: @JYPETWICE

* Twice announced that their 10th mini-album, Taste of Love, will be released on June 9.

* BTS shared seven groovy concept videos ahead of the release of their new single, "Butter," on May 21. Make sure to check out each one: RM, Suga, Jin, V, Jimin, Jungkook and J-Hope!

* (G)i-dle's Yuqi revealed she will make her solo debut with the single "A Page" on May 13.

* Monsta X unveiled their upcoming ninth mini-album, One of a Kind, will be released on June 1. On May 3, Starship Entertainment shared that the group's leader, Shownu, will not be participating in the album's promotions due to an eye injury.

* Shinee's Taemin announced he will release his third mini-album, Advice, on May 18. Taemin performed the album's title track, "Advice," at his Beyond Live concert on May 1.

* Aespa confirmed they will be making their comeback on May 17 with the single "Next Level." They've also begun to share some gorgeous concept photos, so be sure to check them out!

* Everglow revealed the promotional schedule and a logo video for their upcoming single album, Last Melody, which will be released on May 25.

* Tomorrow X Together shared the promotional schedule and the album contents of their new mini-album, The Chaos Chapter: Freeze, which will be released on May 31.

* Kang Daniel revealed he's teamed up with Loco to release the single "Outerspace" through the Universe app on May 13. He also shared the single's promotional schedule, which features multiple video teasers!

* Fromis_9 unveiled that their second single album, 9 Way Ticket, will be released on May 17. In addition to the announcement, the group has also started posting exciting concept images that each feature the members wearing face masks.

* Rocket Punch revealed that their first single album, Ring Ring, will be released on May 17. They've also shared group concept trailer, individual concept trailers, and concept photos!

* Tri.be revealed they will make their first official comeback this month with the release of their second single album, Conmigo, on May 18. The group has also shared their promotional schedule, concept photos, and individual concept films.

* Woo!ah! shared a teaser poster for their upcoming third single album, Wish, which will be released on May 27.

* VAV revealed that they will release a special digital single, Always, on May 10.

* E'Last's sub-unit E'Last U announced that they release their first digital single, Remember, on May 19.

That's it for this week! Have a lovely weekend, and be sure to catch up on last week's news if you missed it! ✨

LABEL V / SM Entertainment