P-pop's Big Year Abroad, and the Groups Waiting Behind It
BINI played Coachella, SB19 played Lollapalooza, and a second wave of Filipino groups spent 2026 building the bench the scene will need next.
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K-pop's 10 Billion Won Debut Problem
Launching an idol group now costs a sum only the biggest agencies can risk, and 2026 is showing what that does to everyone else.
"Xdinary Heroes, DEAD AND: the last record by the six-piece"
"The JYP band's eighth mini album casts itself as a restart. Five months later it reads as the final document of a lineup that no longer exists."
Idgitaf Learns to Stay Out in the Rain
On her second album, Berusaha di Bawah Hujan, the Indonesian singer-songwriter trades heartbreak for commitment and builds a whole record around the country-pop hit that made her name.
"Sunset Rollercoaster turn down the volume and fill bigger rooms"
"Taipei's best-travelled band traded soft-rock gloss for acoustic sketches on Quit Quietly, then took Best Band at the Golden Melodies and a world tour on the road."
"Hitsujibungaku lose a drummer and gain an arena"
"Down to a core duo, Tokyo's alt-rock band spent 2026 collecting awards, scoring a Netflix series and booking its biggest hall tour, ending at Yoyogi in November."
