PROJECT 1004

Author: Jessica

  • TWICE Becomes the First K-pop Group to Perform at an Arena in Minnesota

    TWICE Becomes the First K-pop Group to Perform at an Arena in Minnesota

    St. Paul, MN

    TWICE lit up Grand Casino Arena (previously known as the Xcel Energy Center) in downtown Saint Paul and became the first K-pop band to perform at an arena in Minnesota. They are currently on a long World Tour promoting their album, <THIS IS FOR>. Consisting of 9-members, TWICE debuted under JYP Entertainment in 2015. They have released many hit song such as ‘The Feels’, ‘Signal’, and ‘Likey’. Many fans were excited for this upcoming concert as it will be the first time a big K-pop group will be performing with a big production in Minnesota. Members Dahyun and Chaeyoung were missing from the concert due to health issues. Dahyun fractured her ankle and Chaeyoung hurt her back.

    Twice brought concert-goers from all ages and united all generations of K-pop. Some fans were retired 2nd generation K-pop fans whom came out of concert-retirement to see TWICE perform. Others were newer 5th gen K-pop fans who loves TWICE’s newer concepts. Others were K-pop Demon Hunter fans who are exploring K-pop for the first time. No matter what generation K-pop fan you were, everyone was really welcoming, giving out freebies, and excited to celebrate the first K-pop arena tour in Minnesota.

    A special part of this tour is its utilization of a raised 360-degree stage. The stage was placed in the middle and allowed more fans to attend the concert and get a closer opportunity to see TWICE perform. Fans had the options to get a seat and watch the performance or to stand in the pit and see TWICE perform closer. Whichever option you chose, it was a good view of their performance.

    TWICE performed a wide range of stages. From their B-side tracks to their solo tracks and most popular songs, fans were able to get a full experience of their discography from this concert. Many fans knew the dances from the songs and you can see them dancing along with TWICE as they performed.

    Outside of their performance, TWICE had short commentaries with the fans. They did a dance battle with some of the fans and learned a new “meme” (slang) from the audience. The audience taught TWICE the “clock it” gesture. Jihyo had the most fun with the new slang as she quickly picked up the meaning and used it throughout the concert.

    TWICE ended the concert by giving fans the choice to choose the last song. Although there were many songs that fans requested, the chosen song was ‘Signal’ released in 2017. Fans screamed with joy as TWICE performed their hit song. During the performance, TWICE walked around the stage, interacted with fans, and greeted everyone.

    TWICE will be performing in Denver, Colorado on April 14th then ending their North American tour in Austin, Texas on April 17th. They will fly to Europe and start the European Tour in May.

  • TXT Releases Teaser for ‘Stick with You’

    TXT Releases Teaser for ‘Stick with You’

    Tomorrow x Together (TXT) recently released a new MV teaser for their upcoming track ‘Stick with You‘. This will be their first group release since re-signing with Big Hit Entertainment. The teaser features a more sophisticated and mature image of TXT.

    TXT debuted in 2019. They were the first boy band to debut in Big Hit Music (formerly Big Hit Entertainment) after BTS and made headlines as BTS’s little brother group. The band consists of members Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Huening Kai, and Taehyun. Through the years, fans can see TXT’s growth from exploring different music genres, to finding their musical color, and releasing many hit songs. Their members have also gained a lot of attention for their solo songs, variety show personality, and their MCing skills.

    TXT is set to release their 8th album titled, ‘7TH YEAR: When the Wind Pauses Briefly in the Thorn Bushes‘ on April 13th, 2026. The album will feature 8 tracks with their title song being, ‘하루에 하루만 더 (STICK WITH YOU)‘. The album was produced by SLOW RABBIT and “Hitman” BANG.

  • TWICE to Become the First K-pop Group to Perform in an Arena in Minnesota

    TWICE to Become the First K-pop Group to Perform in an Arena in Minnesota

    K-pop girl group TWICE is set to make history on Sunday, April 12th, by becoming the first K-pop band to perform at an arena in Minnesota. Debuting in 2015 under JYP Entertainment, the nine-member girl group consists of Jihyo, Sana, Momo, Tzuyu, Dahyun, Nayeon, Chaeyoung, Jeongyeon, and Mina. TWICE has become a cultural asset in the K-pop industry. As one of the biggest and most influential K-pop girl groups in K-pop history, they have released many hit songs, including “TT,” “Cheer Up,” “What is Love?,” “Signal,” “Feel Special,” and “Fancy.”

    This is a special tour, as it is the first time a K-pop group has embarked on such an extensive tour. The tour has been running for months and spans multiple countries and states, with over 20 stops in North America alone. This tour also features a special 360-degree stage, transforming the concert experience for fans.

    Minnesota marks the the third to the last stop on TWICE’s 2026 THIS IS FOR Tour. After performing in Minnesota, they will perform in Denver, Colorado then end their North American tour in Austin, Texas.

    The tour is ran by Live Nation and features a diverse selection of seats, VIP options, and merchandise. Tickets can be purchased from ticketmaster.

  • AMPERS&ONE to Become the First K-pop band to Perform at the Mall of America

    AMPERS&ONE to Become the First K-pop band to Perform at the Mall of America

    AMPERS&ONE will become the first K-pop band to perform at the Mall of America. Concert promoter LEO PRESENTS announced via Instagram that AMPERS&ONE will be holding a free performance stage at the Huntington Bank Rotunda at the Mall of America on Saturday, May 16th, 2026. AMPERS&ONE is a 7-member boy band that debuted under FNC Entertainment. The members consists of Kamden, Brian, Jiho, Siyun, Mackiah, Kyrell, and Seungmo. They will be going on their 2026 U.S. tour with LEO PRESENTS in May.

    The free performance includes upgrades that allow attendees to pay to interact with the artists after. The paid tickets tiers include:

    $25 – Hi-Touch

    $75 – VIP
    Group photo
    High Touch after the show
    Priority floor access

    $100 – VVIP
    Group photo
    High Touch after the show
    Priority floor access
    Fan Sign

    $200 – Everything Ticket (Sold Out)
    Group photo
    High Touch after the show
    Priority floor access
    Fan Sign
    Seven Selfie Tickets
    You+

    Other Add-Ons
    $20 – Selfie Ticket (Take selfie with one member)
    $75 – Selfie Bundle (seven selfie tickets)
    $75 – You+ (Solo photo of you and the group)

    Read more about the event and purchase an upgrade here: https://www.leopresents.com/tm-event/2026-ampersone-live-tour-born-to-define-in-minneapolis-bloomington/

  • KCON Drops 2026 KCON LA Line Up

    KCON Drops 2026 KCON LA Line Up

    KCON recently announced their KCON LA 2026 lineup and fans were not disappointed. Many K-pop fans announced their excitement at this year’s line up. KCON is a yearly 3-day event in LA where some of the biggest K-pop artists come to the US to perform. In the day time, KCON hosts a convention that gives fans an opportunity to interact with K-pop idols, discover Korean brands, and see their favorite artists perform. In the evening, the fans can attend a popular K-pop music broadcast called M Countdown.

    For this year’s line up, fans can see many returning artists (ex. TXT, NCT 127, izna, ALLDAY PROJECT, JO1, MEOVV, from20 & HELLO GLOOM, and P1HARMONY) and some new artists (ex. &TEAM, So!YoON, ONE PACT, KEYVITUP, RESCENE, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, and KickFlip). &TEAM has performed at KCON Japan before but this will be their first time performing at KCON LA. It will also mark their first official performance in the US. Usually more artists are announced as the date draws closer. So, if you are disappointed because your favorite artist has not been announced, don’t give up! There may still be a chance that they may attend KCON LA.

    The official schedule has yet to be released. Usually, this is released a week or two before the convention begins. However, KCON did announce their first round of artists which stages they will be performing at.

    This year, it looks like KCON has three stages. The three stages are the X Stage, Artist Stage, and M Countdown. Last year they had the Busking Stage outdoors. They have not announced the stage so their may be a possibility that there is no Busking Stage this year.

    The X Stage is a stage in the convention where newer artists can perform. This stage is meant to give exposure to newer or up-and-coming K-pop bands. Strategically placed in the heart of the convention where attendees are walking around and waiting in line at the booths at the convention, this stage allows fans to find and see new artists. The artists rotate to and from this stage.

    The Artist Stage is usually for artists from bigger companies. This stage is more like a festival stage where artists perform the entire day in ~45 minute sets. With upgraded tickets, convention attendees can go to the front stage access area. With GA, convention attendees can watch the stages from behind the premium ticket holder’s location. Artists like &TEAM, YEONJUN, P1HARMONY, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, ILLIT, izna, etc. will be performing here.

    And lastly, the M Countdown Stage is held at the Crypto.com Arena (right next to the LA Convention Center). It is the celebration that ends the day. Fans can watch their favorite artists perform live on a big stage. There are various types of seats available for all fans to watch and enjoy the performances. From standing pit to sitting sections, fans from all ages can watch and enjoy the performances of their favorite artists.

    Which artist are you excited to see at KCON LA 2026 this year?

  • SF9 Celebrates 10th Year Debut Anniversary with a Special Album ‘About Love’.

    SF9 Celebrates 10th Year Debut Anniversary with a Special Album ‘About Love’.

    SF9 recently announced that they will be releasing a special album on March 25th, 2026. This album marks 10 years since their debut. SF9 is a Korean boyband that debuted under FNC entertainment on October 5th, 2016. Known for their rock bands like F.T. Island and CNBLUE, SF9 is FNC Entertainment’s first dancing boy band. Their name is an abbreviation for “Sensational Feeling 9”. The members consist of Youngbin, Inseong, Jaeyoon, Zuho (not participating in this comeback), Dawon, Taeyang (currently on hiatus as he is serving his military service), Hwiyoung, and Chani. Originally debuting as a 9-member boy band, member Rowoon left the band to pursue acting in 2023.

    During their recent US tour, member Inseong mentioned that SF9 will try their best to make 2026 filled with SF9. Fans can see their hard work and efforts to meet their fans this year as the members have already been participating in many things:

    • Inseong recently released his first solo album, ‘Crossfade:’ and has been performing at festivals.
    • Youngbin is currently participating in his first musical. He is starring as Lee Hae-rang in the Musical ‘Secretly Greatly: THE LAST’.
    • Dawon returned from his military service and held a successful fan meeting with his fans.
    • Taeyang had a fan meeting with his fans and SF9 members before going on hiatus to fulfill his military service.
    • Chani celebrated his birthday and released a cover of ‘yours’ by Damons year. Jaeyoon participated in this cover song by singing the chorus and directing the special YouTube video for this cover.
    • Jaeyoon will be starring in the upcoming musical, ‘Navillera’. The teaser for the musical can be found here < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHgwapYl7R8&gt;

    And in two days, SF9 will be releasing their new album titled, ‘About Love’. Fans are especially excited as this will be the first comeback with Dawon since he has returned from his military service.

    Quite different from their ‘Love Race’ concept, ‘About Love’ features all ballad tracks and a more sophisticated and mature image. The SF9 members can be seen wearing darker colors, giving Fall/Winter romantic vibes, and strolling the streets of Seoul. FNC Entertainment and SF9 has been teasing the release by releasing instrumental teasers of upcoming tracks, releasing the album concept photos, doing YouTube live broadcasting with Fantasy (name for SF9 fans), and posting a playlist recommended by SF9 members.

    Stay tune for the album release on the 25th!

  • WAY BETTER Announces North American Dates and Cities for their “Global Warming” Tour

    WAY BETTER Announces North American Dates and Cities for their “Global Warming” Tour

    ANKR Entertainment, WAY BETTER, and Red Crown recently announced the upcoming cities and dates for the North American tour “Global Warming“. The tour will feature artists from20, HELLO GLOOM, and KANG YUCHAN from WAY BETTER. WAY BETTER is an all-male music label that was created by artists from20 and HELLO GLOOM. They both originally debuted as K-pop idols from the bands BIGSTAR and IMFACT. After they left their previous company, they started the label WAY BETTER. Since starting their own label, they have released many catchy songs like “MAMACITA”, “Blue”, “Chemical”, and “WEOL”. They have been working hard on creating their own music and producing other artists. Many fans are thankful to WAY BETTER as they have been signing other Kpop idols like KANG YUCHAN from A.C.E and LIM SEJUN from VICTON.

    Outside from their promotions in Korea, WAY BETTER came to the US last year for KCON LA 2025. KANG YUCHAN and LIM SEJUN was scheduled to attend and perform. But, due to health-related reasons, KANG YUCHAN and LIM SEJUN had to pull out of the festival. Even though WAY BETTER lost half of their performers, the audience could still feel and see how much talent and fun the artists were having. By the end of the festival, the WAY BETTER artists had large crowds following them from the X Stage to the Busking Stage. Fans can be seen dancing and singing along to their songs throughout their performances. from20 and HELLO GLOOM also performed at the M Countdown Pre-Show Stage on Day 2 of KCON LA 2025.

    Since their KCON performance, from20 has released the song “Social”. This features a more sexy and mature feel. KANG YUCHAN has released his first EP ‘REBEL’ featuring his title track, “Close to You”. And LIM SEJUN just released his digital single, “Pray For God” this week.

    We are excited to be seeing WAY BETTER performing in the US again. The “Global Warming” tour will will begin in Houston, Texas and end in Los Angeles, California. There will be 12 stops to the tour and it will run from April 27th until May 15th.

  • KCON Announces LA Dates for 2026

    KCON Announces LA Dates for 2026

    KCON has officially announced the LA dates for 2026. This year, KCON LA will be taking place on August 14th– 16th. KCON is one of the most exciting K-pop events of the year. The three-day festival allows US fans to see the music program M Countdown live, interact with their favorite artists, and introduce K-pop fans to Korean brands. KCON usually brings some of the hottest artists in town so fans are always excited to see whom will be attending and performing each year. Artists for KCON LA 2026 have yet to be announced.

    KCON Japan will be taking place on May 8th-10th. Some of the hottest and up and coming artists like &TEAM, CORTIS, Heart2Heart, and TWS will be performing. This year, ZEROBASEONE, JO1, and INI will be the headliners for KCON Japan 2026.

  • Big Ocean Announces their 2nd US Tour <THE GREATEST BATTLE>

    Big Ocean Announces their 2nd US Tour <THE GREATEST BATTLE>

    This morning, Big Ocean (빅오션) and KORUS Entertainment announced Big Ocean’s upcoming U.S. Tour on Instagram. Big Ocean is the first K-pop band where all members are hard of hearing. They recently completed their first U.S. Tour last year and will be releasing a new mini-album, <THE GREATEST BATTLE>, on March 3rd. Check out the teaser for their new song below.

    The tour is set to begin on April 10 in Chicago, Illinois with the possibility of additional concerts dates added in the future. Minnesota will be the 3rd stop on the tour. Venues for the tour will be announced at a later date.

    Many fans have already expressed their excitement for this upcoming album and tour by posting comments and sharing the instagram posts.

    Are you guys excited in seeing Big Ocean in Minnesota again?

    Check out our other articles of their other US activities below:

    Big Ocean Kicks Off Their First US Tour with a Cafe Fan Event at Niko Niko Boba Cafe
    When Music Speaks in Every Language: Big Ocean’s Inspiring U.S. Debut
    Inside the 2025 Atlanta Korean Festival: K-Pop, Culture, and Culinary Delights

  • JUNHEE Concludes His First Solo U.S. Tour

    JUNHEE Concludes His First Solo U.S. Tour

    JUNHEE recently completed the U.S. leg of his first solo tour, Into the Ocean. The tour included nine stops, beginning in Dallas, Texas, and concluding in San Francisco, California. JUNHEE (formerly known as JUN) is a solo artist who debuted as the leader of the K-pop boy group A.C.E. After the group’s contract with their former agency ended, the members began pursuing individual activities under different companies. However, A.C.E has not disbanded, and the members hope to reunite for future performances. Fans can often see the members supporting one another through TikTok Lives or by attending each other’s solo events in Korea.

    Since launching his solo career, JUNHEE has been steadily building his musical identity. He established his own label, HNP Entertainment, and has released two projects so far: a digital single titled “Supernova” and a mini album, The First Day & Night. The album showcases a wide range of sounds, featuring fun and upbeat tracks like “Too Bad (15:00),” a heartfelt ballad such as “Night (2:00),” and addictive songs like the title track, “Umbrella (10:00).”

    JUNHEE encouraged attendees to dress according to the concert theme via his Instagram story. The theme of his 2026 world tour, Into the Ocean, was embraced by fans throughout each stop and many fans arrived in creative, beach-inspired outfits. Some incorporated fishing nets into their looks, while others wore clover-shaped hair clips, or dressed like mermaids. During the shows, fans expressed excitement at seeing JUNHEE perform live. Many were longtime A.C.E fans who had attended previous group concerts, while others were new fans who had recently discovered his music. These newer fans shared their excitement about attending the tour and enthusiastically talked about the songs that made them fall in love with his music.

    One of the most memorable segments of the tour was the food testing portion. At each stop, JUNHEE sampled a local specialty from the state he was visiting. In Minnesota, he tried the infamous Juicy Lucy, earning the nickname “Juicy JUNHEE” from fans. While attempting to share fries with the audience, he accidentally dropped them, prompting laughter as he jokingly commented that he makes mistakes sometimes. In Chicago, he sampled deep-dish pizza, much to the crowd’s delight. Local audience members recommended JUNHEE to try Chicago’s other popular dishes next time: hot dogs or sandwiches.

    The concert concluded with an encore featuring several of A.C.E’s hit songs, sending fans into a frenzy as they sung along and cheered with joy.

    JUNHEE will continue his Into the Ocean tour in Asia, with upcoming performances in Seoul on February 1, Taipei on February 28, and a European tour scheduled for March.

    ** Special thanks to KORUS Entertainment, Oppang, and HNP Entertainment for the opportunity to attend and photograph JUNHEE during the Minnesota and Chicago stops of his tour.