‘A folk music wolf in doom metal clothing’: readers’ favourite albums of 2024 so far
Following our rundown of the best albums in the first half of the year, you responded with your own suggestions, from Kali Malone to Kim Gordon
April 2024
‘This is an art form – and we’re losing it’: is the music video dying?
Music videos were once cultural events almost as important as the music they promoted. In an era of digestible bite-size content on TikTok, the art form is in danger of being lost for ever
March 2024
BTS, Blackpink, Squid Game, kimchi … what’s the secret of South Korea’s world-conquering culture?
The music industry’s over-reliance on TikTok shows how lazy it has become
Shaad D'Souza
December 2023
The seven best shows to stream this week
The Winter King to Trevor Noah: the seven best shows to stream this week
A fine retelling of the beloved Arthurian legend, and a new standup special from the former Daily Show host
November 2023
BTS members Jung Kook, RM, Jimin and V to begin military service in December
Last four members of South Korean supergroup have begun enlisting, meaning the band will finish their mandatory military service by 2025
Jung Kook: Golden review – BTS star searches for his own sound
The K-pop boyband star nods to Craig David, Justin Timberlake and more on a solo debut that’s best when his dreamy falsetto soars
Alexis Petridis's album of the week
Jung Kook: Golden review – a sexed-up, hook-filled but unremarkable solo debut
The talented BTS singer follows a well-worn path from boyband member to solo star, plunging into competent pop-R&B – including an Ed Sheeran co-write
October 2023
BTS and Taylor Swift fans give Javier Milei and his running mate an earful
Argentinian Swifties say ‘Milei is Trump’ as devotees of BTS decry ‘hatred and xenophobia’ of Victoria Villarruel’s tweets about group
September 2023
‘You all look really good wet!’: big stars play rain-soaked Global Citizen festival
Anitta, Lauryn Hill and Charlize Theron were some of the A-listers welcoming a Central Park crowd for the philanthropically minded music event
August 2023
Here come the girls! All-female K-pop groups conquer Britain
Korean boybands have already scored huge global success. Now the gender balance is being reset
July 2023
K-pop megastars BTS release keenly awaited memoir
Fans of boyband brave heavy rain to gather at Seoul bookshop for Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS
June 2023
Why I love being a BTS fangirl in my 30s: ‘I’ve seen Suga perform seven times in six weeks’
Sophia Cai
Money, Money, Money: the singers lifting economies with their vocals
May 2023
The Guardian view on the Taylor Swift book rumour: a TikTok reckoning
Editorial: Fans bought into a false viral claim that a mystery title – actually on BTS – was by the star. They won’t be the last to be fooled
Sorry, Swifties: BTS revealed as authors of mystery book that intrigued the internet
Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS will be out on 9 July, ending feverish speculation that the previously untitled book was a Taylor Swift memoir
Cupid’s arrow: how Fifty Fifty became the rare K-pop band to pierce the UK Top 40
The product of meticulous planning by an independent record label, the girl band’s success represents a new hunger in K-pop for global audiences
April 2023
BTS’s Jimin becomes first South Korean solo artist to top US songs chart
Jimin’s single Like Crazy is the 66th track ever to debut at the peak of the Hot 100 chart, and the first by a South Korean solo artist
February 2023
‘It’s an insane amount of money’: fans feel shortchanged by K-pop ticketing as idols finally hit the UK
British K-pop fans are bracing for a bumper year of gigs – but worry that short-notice ticket releases and high prices play into the hands of scalpers
January 2023
FTX, Pamela Anderson and BTS: the biggest documentaries of 2023
This year promises a revealing look at celebrities, scams and art on the big and small screen
