Tuesday, August 26, 2025. Kimoto Rooftop Garden Lounge. Downtown Brooklyn.—Tuesday evening found me and my plus one on the rooftop of the Sheraton Brooklyn Hotel, attending a quaint gathering of VIP media professionals and creative talents. One could say the VIP Reception, hosted by Sun River Health, was the pre-game event to attend before the prestigious Caribbean Music Awards Show, which is returning on Thursday, August 28th, at the Kings Theatre.
When I first heard of HITGS (short for Hip, Innocent, Teenager, Girls, and Story), I didn’t know what to expect, but the name speaks for itself. This rising K-pop group, made up of five talented young girls, debuted in late April 2025. Yet, by August, they had already released three songs and added more chapters to their “HITG-Story.”
On August 21, BMI hosted Multi-platinum-selling artist Cody Johnson and eight-time GRAMMY winner Carrie Underwood in its Nashville office on Music Row to celebrate their No. One hit “I’m Gonna Love You.”
Wyclef Jean’s long-awaited return to London became an unforgettable night of music and nostalgia when he was unexpectedly joined on stage by Ms. Lauryn Hill. The surprise reunion marked a rare moment in music history, as the former Fugees bandmates have only shared a stage twice since the group’s 1997 breakup.
Before stepping inside, I found myself wondering: What happens when you bring together fans of Korean music and rock in one room? That question was quickly answered the moment I joined the pit at Xdinary Heroes’ Beautiful Mind World Tour stop in Los Angeles at The Hollywood Palladium. Red lights bathed the stage, instruments gleamed, and the anticipation was electric.
On August 17, 2025, Spotify transformed Los Angeles into Maison ENHYPEN, a one-night-only fan haven celebrating the U.S. tour finale of global K-pop sensation ENHYPEN’s Walk the Line tour, which included stops in New York, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles.
Rarely, only “in fantasies,” does a K-pop group return to a stadium they’ve already performed at and deliver an even crazier, more intense, and better-received set. But ATEEZ, the KQ boy group, did just that, and more, in Los Angeles at BMO Stadium for two nights in a row, August 8–9, on their IN YOUR FANTASY tour.
After a one-year hiatus and venue change. Rock the Bells came back with a vengeance in 2025.
Detroit-bred rapper Courtney Bell embraces the innate power of vulnerability with the release of his latest single: “Everyday.”
Every year, KCON brings fans together to celebrate Korean culture, and this time, we joined the excitement in Los Angeles!