#XLOV

LE SSERAFIM, KiiiKiii, XLOV, Hi-Fi un!corn Join "2026 K-World Dream Awards"

Acts leading K-pop with their distinctive music have joined the global Hallyu festival "2026 K-World Dream Awards" in force. The stage of this year's ceremony, marking its 10th anniversary, is set to grow even more varied. The Additional Lineup Revealed The "2026 K-World Dream Awards" organizing committee announced an additional lineup on August 4 that includes LE SSERAFIM, KiiiKiii, XLOV, and the band Hi-Fi un!corn. LE SSERAFIM posted strong, even results across major platforms—Apple Music's global chart, Spotify, and YouTube—with "BOOMPALA," the title track of its second studio album "PUREFLOW pt.1," released this May. With the album, which carries the message that knowing fear is what makes you stronger, it showed a more mature musical color. XLOV , a group with a "genderless" concept, reached No. 6 on Billboard's "25 Best K-pop Albums of 2026" with its second mini album "I,God," released the same month. Member Umuti handled production while Hyun and Haru took part in the songwriting, completing the team's own identity. After recently wrapping a North American fan meeting, it has been on an Asia tour starting with a Seoul concert. KiiiKiii topped major domestic music charts with "404 (NEW ERA)," the title track of its second mini album "Delulu Pack," released this January, and also landed at No. 1 on Billboard's "Best K-pop Songs of the First Half of 2026." With distinctive house-based music and performance, it has established itself as a next-generation representative girl group. Hi-Fi un!corn is a five-member band active across Korea and Japan. It has steadily released new songs through the monthly digital single project "H!dden Color" and recently wrapped an Asia tour in Seoul. This month, it has a new Japanese single "Telescope," a livehouse tour, and appearances at major Korean and Japanese music festivals ahead. A Ceremony Marking Its 10th Anniversary This ceremony launched in 2017 as the "Soribada Best K-Music Awards" and has grown alongside K-pop through name changes. Marking its 10th anniversary this year, it has been set up as an occasion to look back on past achievements while presenting a milestone toward a new leap for K-pop and K-culture. The organizing committee said that, under the principle that everyone who made K-pop's present is a contributor, it honors the contributions of all who led K-pop's growth—artists, production crews, staff, and industry figures—rather than sorting out rankings, placing meaning on harmony over competition. With the goals of realizing an era of 20 million tourists visiting Korea through K-pop and Korea's leap into a K-culture powerhouse, it also plans to expand its role as a global Hallyu platform. Schedule and Existing Lineup The "2026 K-World Dream Awards" will be held on August 27 at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Earlier, ATEEZ, P1Harmony, RIIZE, AHOF, and AND2BLE, along with SeeYa, QWER, ILLIT, RESCENE, JAY B, Sungri, EVAN, and Park Ji-hyeon, were confirmed to perform. This latest addition has made the lineup even richer. Broadcaster Jun Hyun-moo and comedian Jang Do-yeon will host for the fourth consecutive year. The popularity award vote, which fully reflects global fans' choices, is underway on the fandom platform FanderONE. Winners are chosen across four categories—male and female groups, and male and female soloists—with the top 30 in each category that cleared the preliminaries competing in the finals. (The popularity vote rankings change in real time.) The "2026 K-World Dream Awards" is hosted by the organizing committee and organized by the Hallyu specialist agency YJ Partners. The ceremony will be livestreamed worldwide via OTT for global fans, with the streaming platform to be announced later.

XLOV Wraps Tokyo Stop of First Asia Tour — 'Serving-X' Sails On

XLOV, billed as K-pop's first genderless group, is smoothly carrying forward its first-ever Asia tour. After Seoul, the group met fans in Tokyo for another enthusiastic night. Tokyo Opens as the Second City XLOV (Umuti, Rui, Hyeon, Haru) held "2026 XLOV ASIA TOUR 'Serving-X' IN TOKYO" in Tokyo, Japan, on July 26. Following the tour's opening on July 18–19 at Blue Square in Hannam-dong, Seoul, Tokyo became the second stop on the group's Asia run. The tour name "Serving-X" combines "SERVE" — the title track of their second mini album "I,God," released this past May — with "X," a symbol of incompleteness. It's a name that captures XLOV's identity directly. Opening with "SERVE," an Overwhelming Performance The group opened the show with "SERVE," the title track of their second EP, instantly heating up the atmosphere. They went on to command the stage with polished, precise performances of "Rizz," "I'mma Be," "Scent," and "Drip Drip." The members nailed even a part-change dance challenge, proving their skill once again. Alongside unit stages, they presented a wide-ranging set including "1 of LOV," "1&Only," and "Biii:-P," showing off tight teamwork and close chemistry through their powerful group choreography. Time Up Close with EVOL The concert was rich in fan-interaction segments too. Through a best-dresser selection and a Q&A corner, XLOV connected with their fandom, EVOL, at even closer range. They moved between commanding presence on stage and easygoing exchanges with fans, showing off a many-sided charm. The Rest of the Tour XLOV is a rookie group that debuted in 2025 with its first single "I'mma Be." It was the first among K-pop male idols to put a genderless concept front and center, and this past May it rewrote its own first-week sales record with the second mini album "I,God," a sign of steady growth. Earlier, the group held solo fan meetings in New York and Los Angeles, drawing a warm response in the North American market as well. After Seoul and Tokyo, the remaining Asia tour dates are Hong Kong on August 9, Taipei on August 29, Singapore on October 1, and Osaka on October 17. As XLOV widens its reach with this first Asia tour, the next stages are ones to look forward to.