Hey ATINYs and BLINKs — that’s ATEEZ and BLACKPINK fans — and everyone still figuring out which fandom is theirs. It’s been a genuinely good few days for new music and new chapters. Here’s what’s actually worth your attention.
Rosé Goes Loud With “new trick”
BLACKPINK’s Rosé opened her 2026 solo era on September 18 with “new trick,” an English-language pop-rock single about picking yourself up after a heartbreak. It’s a real left turn from the moodier “rosie” album — in the video she’s performing with a band and hanging around a skatepark rather than sitting in her feelings. Dave Meyers directed it, and the whole thing was shot on an iPhone 18 Pro as part of Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” campaign, which is a fun flex on its own.
Source: UPI — read more
ZB1 Launches Its First-Ever Subunit
ZEROBASEONE members Seok Matthew and Park Gun-wook are stepping out as ZEROBASEONE EMP — a subunit, meaning a smaller group formed from members of a bigger one. Their four-track mixtape, “EMP Mixtape Vol.1: We the Extra,” lands September 21, and it’s ZB1’s first subunit since the group debuted in 2023. What makes this one notable is how hands-on it is: the pair wrote and composed every track themselves, which is a real show of trust from their label.
Source: Korea JoongAng Daily — read more
Hongjoong Teams Up With Bazzi on “ENOuGH”
ATEEZ leader Hongjoong released “ENOuGH,” a solo single with American singer-songwriter Bazzi, on September 18. It’s a gentler, more openly emotional side of him than an ATEEZ comeback — K-pop shorthand for a new release — usually shows, built around a “you are my enough” message about self-acceptance. If the teaser’s spacecraft visuals have you missing the last tour, the official ATEEZ lightstick — the group’s own light-up concert wand — is in stock and ready for whenever they announce the next one.
Source: Billboard — read more
Wonyoung Adds a Global Fashion Deal to Her Résumé
IVE’s Jang Won-young was named UGG’s Asia-Pacific brand ambassador this week, fronting the brand’s “Born to Feel” campaign for its 2026 fall/winter collection. The shoot leans into off-duty, everyday Wonyoung rather than her stage persona — another reminder of how far K-pop’s biggest names are reaching outside of music these days.
Source: Korea JoongAng Daily — read more
That’s the roundup for now — see you at the next comeback.
