K-pop boy band BTS made headlines around the world when it was announced earlier in the week that they were going on an "extended break". It's the first break the seven members have taken since bursting on the music scene back in 2013.
While we don’t know exactly how long their it will last, a representative for BTS has told the Associated Press that the time off is a "well-deserved vacation" and not a "hiatus" that fans might have feared. It's also been confirmed that "the group is excited to get back on the stage very soon for their scheduled stadium tour" meaning they will be back for their gig in Riyadh on Friday, October 11.
However, in the meantime, take a glass half full approach to the break, and use the time to explore music by other K-pop artists. Here are five other groups to listen to:
1. BlackPink
The foursome is made up of Jisoo, Jennie, Rose and Lisa and have had a string of Korean number ones including Whistle, and Ddu-Du Ddu-Du. They debuted in 2016, have worked with artists such as Dua Lipa. They were also the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella in April 2019. Their music video for Kill This Love reached the 100 million views mark in just two days.
2. NCT 127
Another popular K-pop group, the 10 piece are a subgroup of NCT and formed in 2016. The group sings in English and Korean and are known for their hits Cherry Bomb, Regular (English version) and Superhuman. Their debut album Regular-Irregular topped the Korean charts in 2018.
3. Monsta X
The hip-hop boy band recently performed their hit Who Do U Love? at the Teen Choice Awards. The group was formed through the reality show called No.Mercy in 2015 and consist of seven members. They're know for their hits Alligator, Rush and All In. They've collaborated with US artists such as French Montana and Steve Aoki.
4. Got7
The group has seven members and was formed in 2014. Three of their albums (Identity, Flight Log: Turbulence and Present: You) have all topped the Korean music charts. Got7 sing and perform in Korean and Japanese. Some of their hit songs include Just Right, You Are and Lullaby. They're currently in the middle of a world tour and during their North American leg, they stopped to perform on The Today Show on June 26, 2019 becoming the first Korean group to do so.
5. Big Bang
Unlike the current crop of K-pop artists on the list, this group has been around for a while. Known for their hits Bang Bang Bang, Last Farewell and Sunset Glow, they have been dubbed the "Kings of K-pop" in the media. The band formed back in 2006 and currently consists of four members after one of the members retired from the entertainment industry following a nightclub scandal. Their fifth album Alive was the first Korean album to chart on the Billboard 200 in 2012.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
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Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
Saturday's results
Women's third round
- 14-Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) beat Sorana Cirstea (Romania) 6-2, 6-2
- Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1
- 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-4. 6-0
- Coco Vandeweghe (USA) beat Alison Riske (USA) 6-2, 6-4
- 9-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat 19-Timea Bacsinszky (Switzerland) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
- Petra Martic (Croatia) beat Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan) 7-6, 6-1
- Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1
- 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-4, 6-0
Men's third round
- 13-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Dudi Sela (Israel) 6-1, 6-1 -- retired
- Sam Queery (United States) beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
- 6-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat 25-Albert Ramos (Spain) 7-6, 6-4, 7-5
- 10-Alexander Zverev (Germany) beat Sebastian Ofner (Austria) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
- 11-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat David Ferrer (Spain) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
- Adrian Mannarino (France) beat 15-Gael Monfils (France) 7-6, 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
