K-pop News Today (Nov 15, 2026): ATEEZ “UP” Passes 20 Million Views, BTS and aespa Take MMA Daesangs, TXT Preview “PERFECT STORM”

I’ll be honest: I’m still smiling from last night. ATEEZ went from a palace courtyard to the Gocheok Sky Dome with two new trophies, I.O.I stood on the MMA stage together again, and TXT gave MOA every song from “PERFECT STORM” days before release. Here are the stories K-pop fans were talking about on Nov. 14, with MMA2026 day two tonight.

ATEEZ “UP” Passes 20 Million Views and Picks Up Two MMA Trophies

ATEEZ’s 15th mini album “GOLDEN HOUR : Part.6” went to No. 1 on both Hanteo’s real-time album chart and Circle Chart’s real-time retail album chart, and title track “UP” hit No. 1 on iTunes Top Songs in 11 countries, including Austria, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and the Philippines, Dispatch reported on Nov. 14. The “UP” music video had 20,236,501 views on KQ ENTERTAINMENT’s channel when we checked, about 39 hours after release. On the night of Nov. 14, ATEEZ won Best Performance (male, shared with RIIZE) and Hot Trend at MMA2026 and performed “UP,” “Drip” and “BAD,” the same day as their “Show! Music Core” comeback stage. KBS also released a 4K “UP” performance filmed at Junghwajeon, the throne hall of Deoksugung Palace, which KBS introduced as the first K-pop performance there (446,424 views when we checked). The point-up choreography says it all: this team keeps climbing, and ATINY get to watch every step.

Sources: Dispatch, Nov. 14, Ilgan Sports, Nov. 14, Top Star News, Nov. 14, eToday, Nov. 15, YouTube views checked around 4:55 a.m. KST, Nov. 15

Also read: K-pop News Today (Nov 13, 2026): ATEEZ Release "UP" Today, BIGBANG Lead the Final MAMA 2026 Lineup, I.O.I Return to MMA After 10 Years

MMA2026 Day One: BTS Win Album of the Year, aespa Become the First Global-K Artist

BTS won the Kakao Bank Album of the Year for their fifth full album “ARIRANG” on day one of MMA2026 at the Gocheok Sky Dome, plus Stage of the Year and a Global Top 10, Yonhap reported. They weren’t at the show, so Lee Young-ae, who presented the award, introduced “ARIRANG” as “the best album of the year, one that created a single perfect world rather than the sparkle of a single song in a sea of music.” aespa became the first winner of the new Global-K Artist award, given for results on the Global-K Chart that Melon runs with Tencent Music and LINE MUSIC, and also took a Global Top 10. “We can stand somewhere this honorable because of MY,” said WINTER. About 18,000 fans came to day one. Our full winners list is here: MMA 2026 Day 1 winners. Day two hands out Artist, Song and Record of the Year tonight.

Sources: Yonhap, Nov. 15, eToday, Nov. 15, YouTube views checked around 4:55 a.m. KST, Nov. 15

TXT Perform All Six “PERFECT STORM” Songs Before the Album Is Even Out

TOMORROW X TOGETHER performed all six songs from their ninth mini album “PERFECT STORM” at the Seoul opener of their “STEAL THE WIND” world tour, OSEN reported on Nov. 14, for fans at KSPO DOME and on the live stream. Instead of a standard K-pop group dance, the choreography follows each character’s feelings, with stumbling, pushed-around movement for confusion and small, held-back gestures for loss. The album has also been No. 1 on Spotify’s Top 10 Countdown chart, which ranks pre-saves, for 20 days in a row since Oct. 26, with more than 450,000 pre-saves as of Nov. 14, etnews reported; according to their agency, first-day pre-saves were about 3.5 times those of the previous album. “PERFECT STORM” and title track “Angel Bite” arrive Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. KST, and the first teaser had 1,915,267 views when we checked. MOA heard the whole album before anyone else, and that’s the sweetest kind of spoiler.

Sources: OSEN, Nov. 14, etnews, Nov. 14, YouTube views checked around 4:55 a.m. KST, Nov. 15

RESCENE Win “Show! Music Core” Without Appearing, Then Take Three MMA Awards

RESCENE took first place on MBC’s “Show! Music Core” on Nov. 14 with “With,” beating ILLIT’s “You’re Under Arrest” (체포하겠어) and A2O LITE’s “NEON” without performing on the show that day, Celuv Media reported. ILLIT’s YUNAH and WONHEE hosted as special MCs. The same night, RESCENE won three MMA2026 awards: a Global Top 10, Hot Trend and the fan-voted Kakao Bank Everyone’s Star. Their MMA medley of “With,” “Deja Vu” and “LOVE ATTACK” had 447,742 views on Melon’s channel when we checked. A group that climbed back up the charts on their own songs now has a trophy shelf to match.

Sources: Celuv Media, Nov. 14, Yonhap, Nov. 15, YouTube views checked around 4:55 a.m. KST, Nov. 15

I.O.I Reunite on the MMA Stage With “Whatta Man” and “Suddenly”

All nine members of I.O.I (Lim Nayoung, Chungha, Kim Sejeong, Jung Chaeyeon, Yoo Yeonjung, Kim Sohye, Choi Yoojung, Kim Doyeon and Jeon Somi) performed at MMA2026 on Nov. 14, opening with a dance break before “Whatta Man” from 10 years ago and this year’s “Suddenly” (갑자기), Sidae News reported. The crowd sang along well beyond their own fandom, and the members shouted “I love you, members” and “We’ll be back.” I.O.I also won a Top 10 and Best Music Style. The group reunited in May for their 10th anniversary with the mini album “I.O.I : LOOP.” The MMA stage had 211,493 views when we checked. Ten years on, and that chemistry hasn’t aged a day.

Sources: Sidae News, Nov. 14, Yonhap, Nov. 15, YouTube views checked around 4:55 a.m. KST, Nov. 15

Hearts2Hearts Win Three MMA Awards, Then Head to MAMA in Osaka

Hearts2Hearts won a Top 10, a Global Top 10 and Global Impact Artist at MMA2026 on Nov. 14, three trophies in their second year, Yonhap reported. Next comes a four-day run in Japan, Top Star News reported: the MAMA AWARDS at Kyocera Dome Osaka on Nov. 20, where YUHA joins PANIC (Lee Juck and Kim Jin-pyo) for a special collaboration stage, then “ANIMAX MUSIX 2026” at Yokohama Arena on Nov. 21 and their first Japanese fan event, “READY! S2U,” at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena on Nov. 22 and 23. Their MMA stage of “15-LOVE” and “RUDE!” had 524,539 views on Melon’s channel when we checked. S2U, your girls had a very good night.

Sources: Yonhap, Nov. 15, Top Star News, Nov. 14, YouTube views checked around 4:55 a.m. KST, Nov. 15

ENHYPEN’s “I Want You” MV Passes 13 Million Views in About a Day

ENHYPEN released the music video for “I Want You,” the title track of their spin-off single “THE SIN : PARALLEL WORLD,” late on Nov. 13 on HYBE LABELS, and it had 13,260,073 views when we checked about a day later. BELIFT LAB said the video sets aside the dark vampire fantasy for everyday romance: JUNGWON at an amusement park, JAY at home, JAKE at a candlelit dinner, SUNGHOON in a quiet gallery, SUNOO at a snowy campsite and NI-KI in a fingertip-close moment, cut with flashes of burned ruins from earlier concept trailers, News Culture reported. The song is 2000s-style pop R&B. The three-track single arrives digitally on Nov. 20 and physically on Nov. 23, closing ENHYPEN’s third comeback of the year. ENGENE, this is the softest they’ve ever been, and it suits them.

Sources: News Culture, Nov. 14, YouTube views checked around 4:55 a.m. KST, Nov. 15

NCT DREAM Close MMA Day One With “Boogie Woogie”

NCT DREAM were the final act on day one of MMA2026, closing the night with “BOOM,” “Better Than Gold” and a Show Funk version of their new title track “Boogie Woogie,” eToday reported. It came the same day as their “Show! Music Core” comeback stage for their sixth full album, which marks the group’s 10th year, and they continue with SBS’s “Inkigayo” today. The MMA stage had 136,008 views when we checked. From a teen unit to the act trusted with the finale: NCTzen, that’s ten years well spent.

Sources: eToday, Nov. 15, Herald Muse, Nov. 12, Celuv Media, Nov. 14, YouTube views checked around 4:55 a.m. KST, Nov. 15

LNGSHOT Picked for Spotify RADAR Korea, Light Up Times Square

Spotify named LNGSHOT its new RADAR Korea artist, putting the Jay Park-produced boy group on the RADAR Korea playlist cover and a billboard in New York’s Times Square, Newsis reported on Nov. 14. RADAR is Spotify’s program for rising artists, and LE SSERAFIM and aespa went through it before them. OHYUL, RYUL, WOOJIN and LOUIS debuted in January with the EP “SHOT CALLERS,” have passed 500 million Spotify streams, and released their new EP “S.W.I.S.H.” this month. “It means a lot that they’re helping us bring our belief, ‘let’s talk through music,’ to a global stage,” the members said. The “Bananas” music video had 4,373,279 views when we checked. Ten months in, and they’re already on a Times Square screen.

Sources: Newsis, Nov. 14, YouTube views checked around 4:55 a.m. KST, Nov. 15

LE SSERAFIM Bring “PUREFLOW” to Taiwan and Plan a Japan Anniversary Greeting

LE SSERAFIM play two “PUREFLOW” tour shows at NTSU Arena in Taoyuan, Taiwan, on Nov. 14 and 15, Top Star News reported, after Macau earlier this month. Next up are Singapore on Nov. 28, Manila on Dec. 5 and their first solo shows at Kyocera Dome Osaka on Dec. 19 and 20. The group also announced a “Japan Debut 4th Anniversary Celebration Greeting” with all five members, in Osaka on Jan. 23 and Tokyo on Jan. 24, with a mini talk, a photo time where fans can shoot the members on their own phones, and a group photo with everyone in the room. FEARNOT, the dome is coming.

Sources: Top Star News, Nov. 14, YouTube views checked around 4:55 a.m. KST, Nov. 15

Tonight is MMA2026 day two, with IVE, ILLIT, PLAVE, NCT 127 and ALPHA DRIVE ONE on the lineup and Artist, Song, Record and New Artist of the Year still to be named, and “Inkigayo” airs this afternoon. Then TXT’s “PERFECT STORM” lands tomorrow at 6 p.m. KST. I can’t wait to see who’s holding the big trophies tonight.

Featured photo: ATEEZ's JONGHO waves to fans on stage in New York, Aug. 3, 2024. Photo: pinkllamanade via YouTube/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized).