JENNIE Comeback, MTV Awards K-Pop Nominees, RM (BTS) Removed From The Pixel Project

Jennie Announces New EP Set for Release This Month

BLACKPINK’s Jennie is gearing up for another release!

On August 19, Jennie’s agency OA Entertainment (ODDATELIER) announced that the singer is preparing to release a new EP at the end of August. The upcoming project will follow a busy summer that has seen Jennie take her solo music to major festival stages around the world.

Jennie has spent the past few months headlining and performing at several international festivals, including Governors Ball in New York, Roskilde Festival in Denmark, Open’er Festival in Poland, Mad Cool Festival in Spain, and Summer Sonic in Japan. Along the way, she also gave fans a preview of new music by performing previously unreleased songs such as “Less than a Lover,” “FALLEN ANGEL,” and “Lock It Down.”

The announcement comes after a particularly active period for Jennie, who has continued releasing and previewing new music over the past two months.

BTS, BLACKPINK, Lisa, LE SSERAFIM, CORTIS, and More Earn Nominations at the 2026 MTV VMAs

The nominations for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) are here, with several K-pop artists and K-pop-related acts earning recognition across multiple categories! MTV announced this year’s nominees on August 18, with BTS, BLACKPINK, Lisa, CORTIS, LE SSERAFIM, KATSEYE, and HUNTR/X among those receiving nods.

Song of the Year: BTS’s “SWIM” and HUNTR/X’s “Golden,” from the animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” are both in the running for Song of the Year.

Best Pop: Lisa earned a nomination in the Best Pop category for “Dream,” which also features Kentaro Sakaguchi in its music video.

Best New Artist: CORTIS scored its first-ever VMA nomination in the Best New Artist category, marking a major milestone for the group.

Best Choreography: KATSEYE’s “PINKY UP” received a nomination for Best Choreography.

Best Cinematography and Best Editing: Lisa’s “Dream” is also nominated in both the Best Cinematography and Best Editing categories, bringing her total to four nominations this year.

Best K-Pop: The Best K-Pop category includes BLACKPINK’s “JUMP,” BTS’s “SWIM,” CORTIS’s “REDRED,” KATSEYE’s “PINKY UP,” LE SSERAFIM’s “SPAGHETTI,” featuring BTS’s j-hope, and Lisa’s “Dream.”

While the nominations have sparked excitement among fans, KATSEYE’s inclusion in the Best K-Pop category has also caused some confusion. As a global group that does not primarily sing in Korean, some fans have questioned why the group was placed in the K-pop category alongside acts whose music and industry backgrounds are directly rooted in K-pop.

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ICYMI:

• T.O.P reunites with “Squid Game” art director for the “After the Play” music video.

• i-dle’s SOYEON is scheduled to make her comeback in early September.

• SEVENTEEN’s Vernon has enlisted for his mandatory military service and is expected to return in early 2028.

The Pixel Project Removes BTS’s RM From Its Male Role Model Honor Roll

The Pixel Project has indefinitely suspended BTS’s RM from its list of male role models helping to stop violence against women.

The Pixel Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about and helping end violence against women. In 2024, the organization included RM in its fifth honor roll of 16 male role models, citing his efforts to address misogyny, support women in the arts, and speak out against violence toward women.

On August 19, The Pixel Project released a statement addressing RM’s recent public association with Chris Brown. The controversy began after RM and fellow BTS member J-Hope attended a concert featuring Usher and Chris Brown in Toronto on August 12. Chris Brown later shared a photo of himself with the two BTS members, sparking criticism from some fans due to his widely documented history of violence against women.

The organization stated that it initially waited for RM to publicly address the controversy. However, citing the lack of a public response, The Pixel Project announced that it had decided to indefinitely remove him from its honor roll.

As of The Pixel Project’s August 19 statement, neither RM nor his agency had publicly responded to the organization’s decision.

Upcoming Tours & Performances

• KPEX (Korean Pop Culture Expo) to be held in New York City from May 29–31, 2027.

• LE SSERAFIM to perform at BlizzCon 2026 as the weekend's closing main-stage musical act.

• VERIVERY announces five European cities for its 2026 concert tour, “GM5KTV (GIVE ME FIVE, KEEP THAT VIBE)”.

• BIG OCEAN, From20, Kang Yuchan, Tiger JK, and more to perform at the 2026 Los Angeles Korean Festival.

• ARTMS announces seven European dates for its “Art of BLUE BLOOD” world tour.

Favorite New Music This Week

This week TXT’s “Setsuna Hanabi” turns the fleeting beauty of fireworks into a bittersweet portrait of love nearing its end. The song captures the desire to hold onto a relationship even when both people know their time together is running out, making its central metaphor especially moving. Musically, the track takes an unexpected route, pairing its melancholic subject matter with Brazilian funk-inspired production, sharp synths, and an energetic rhythmic pulse.

That contrast gives “Setsuna Hanabi” its charm: the beat keeps moving forward even as the lyrics desperately wish to freeze time.

NEXT WEEK’S COMEBACK SCHEDULE

• Monday, August 24, 2026

  • ALPHA DRIVE ONE: 2nd Mini Album “UNBREAKABLE : 少年BEAST “

  • NCT127: 7th Album “Blingy”

  • TUIDE: Debut EP “Tune & Play”

  • CORTIS: Expanded 2nd Mini Album “GREENGREEN_playextended”

  • NEXZ: 4th Mini Album “Saucin”

  • LIM YOUNGMIN (former AB6IX)

• Tuesday, August 25, 2026

  • ALL(H)OURS: Pre-release Track “HOP”

  • CHANGSUB (BTOB): Digital Single “Love Again”

• Wednesday, August 26, 2026

  • SF9: 2nd Album “Tenacity”

• Thursday, August 27, 2026

  • TNX: 3rd Digital Single “Die Another Day”

• Friday, August 28, 2026

  • JENNIE: Digital EP “Fallen Angel”

  • WAYF BOYS: 2nd Single “SWAG”

• Saturday, August 29, 2026

  • N/A

• Sunday, August 30, 2026

  • N/A

— Javeria Yousuf

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