BTS Jimin's 'Like Crazy' debuts at No. 8 on British Official Singles Chart BTS' Jimin / Courtesy of Big Hit MusicJimin has become the highest charting member of K-pop superstar BTS on the British Official Singles Chart, with his solo song "Like Crazy" debuting at No. 8.According to the latest chart released Friday (local time), the track off his first solo album, "Face," reached No. 8 on the British Top 100. With this, the vocalist broke his own record as the highest-charting BTS member, which was set when the album's prereleased track titled "Set Me Free Pt. 2" ranked No. 30."Face" has sold over 1.45 million copies in the week following its release on March 24, based on data from Hanteo Chart, a leading local tracker of album sales."Cupid," the first single from South Korean girl group Fifty Fifty, also entered the latest British Official Singles Chart Top 100. The rookie band surprised music fans by making a debut on the Hot 100 main singles chart of the U.S. Billboard at No. 100 with the song earlier this week. (Yonhap)Apr 1, 2023
'Me': BLACKPINK's Jisoo off to smooth start as solo artist By Dong Sun-hwaA poster for “Me” by Jisoo of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK / Courtesy of YG EntertainmentJisoo of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK has successfully begun her solo journey with the debut solo EP, “Me,” which dropped on Friday afternoon. “Me” is a two-track EP consisting of the lead single, “Flower” and “All Eyes on Me.” Its title also refers to the Chinese character meaning beauty. By giving a double meaning to the title, Jisoo intends to shed light not only on her unique music style but also on the visual aesthetics of her EP. “Through 'Me,' I want to display my unexplored side without ditching my originality,” Jisoo said in an email Q&A, Thursday. “It is an EP about myself. As I worked on it, I discovered my hidden charms and felt like I was growing up. I took part in its overall production, sharing my ideas about music, the concept and music video, among other things.” The music video for “Flower” garnered 10 million views on YouTube, only three hours after its release. The tuMar 31, 2023By Dong Sun-hwa
BLACKPINK, TXT, Stray Kids: K-pop stars headline international music festivals K-pop girl group BLACKPINK / Courtesy of YG EntertainmentK-pop acts to be featured in Coachella, Lollapalooza By Dong Sun-hwaA growing number of K-pop acts are headlining major music festivals around the world, taking the stage with today's most celebrated pop stars. Girl group BLACKPINK is slated to headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, one of the largest music festivals in the U.S. established in 1999. The quartet will perform at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, on April 15 and April 22 (local time).BLACKPINK is the first Asian act to headline the music festival, which draws some 300,000 visitors every year. The group first appeared at Coachella in 2019, becoming the first K-pop artists to do so. This year's Coachella will take place from April 14 to 23. Other headliners include Frank Ocean and Bad Bunny. BLACKPINK is also a headliner for the upcoming British Summer Time (BST) Hyde Park festival (June 24 to July 8) on July 2 in central London. This is the first time the festival will have a K-pop group as its headliner. BLACKPINK will be joined by special gueMar 31, 2023By Dong Sun-hwa
Seventeen to drop new EP next month K-pop boy group Seventeen is seen in this photo provided by Pledis Entertainment. YonhapSeventeen, a leading K-pop boy group, will drop its first album in nine months in April, the band's management agency said Friday.The 13-piece group will release its 10th EP, "FML," on April 24 at 6 p.m., Pledis Entertainment said. This will be the band's first album since the release of "Sector 17," a repackaged version of its fourth full-length album, in July.The album, "Face the Sun," has sold 3.28 million copies, the most for albums released last year, according to Circle Chart, a leading local tracker of album sales."Sector 17" became the first repackaged album to sell over 1 million copies in the first week of its release in K-pop history. The album also won the band's highest ranking on Billboard 200 by reaching No. 4. (Yonhap)Mar 31, 2023
BTS Jimin breaks record for K-pop soloist with 'Face' BTS member Jimin is seen in this photo provided by BigHit Music. YonhapJimin, a member of the globally popular boy group BTS, has broken the record for the highest first-week album sales by a K-pop soloist with his debut solo album titled "Face," music industry sources said Friday.They said the album has sold over 1.45 million copies in the week following its release last Friday, based on Hanteo Chart, a leading local tracker of album sales.It became the most-sold album by a K-pop solo artist in the first week of its release, breaking the previous record set by Korean trot singer Lim Young-woong with his first full-length album, "Im Hero," last year."Face" also became the first album from a K-pop soloist to sell over 1 million copies on its release day, according to the same market tracker.In Japan, Jimin's six-track album topped Oricon's weekly combined album ranking with 231,501 points after setting the record for the biggest first-week sales by a soloist in Japan this year by selling 225,000 copies, based on data from Oricon.The success of "Face" extends beyond Asia, with Jimin exMar 31, 2023
NewJeans, Apple join hands to bring immersive audio experience Members of K-pop girl group NewJeans pose during a media event at Apple Gangnam, Wednesday. Courtesy of Apple KoreaBy Dong Sun-hwaVisitors to Apple's new retail shop in Gangnam can enjoy the latest release by K-pop girl group NewJeans, “OMG,” in a fully immersive environment for free. The U.S. tech behemoth ― which will open Apple Gangnam on Friday ― has joined forces with the quintet to elevate people's audio experience to the next level through its spatial audio technology. This cutting-edge technology provides a sense of space for listeners, making them feel like they are at a concert. “We thought 'OMG' was the right fit for this collaborative project that could maximize synergy with the spatial audio technology,” NewJeans member Hanni said during a press event at Apple Gangnam in southern Seoul, Wednesday. “It has bouncy drum sounds and highlights each member's distinctive vocal style. I think it will sound very entertaining thanks to this technology. Listeners can hear different sounds depending on the direction of their heads.”Hyein elaborateMar 30, 2023By Dong Sun-hwa
From IVE to NCT DOJAEJUNG, K-pop hotshots brace for April chart race High-profile K-pop stars gear up for April releasesBy Dong Sun-hwaCompetition on K-pop charts will intensify in April, with a legion of prominent stars gearing up for new music offerings. Included in the lineup are NCT DOJAEJUNG, IVE, Kep1er and Apink. IVE (April 10)K-pop girl group IVE / Courtesy of Starship EntertainmentK-pop bigwig IVE's first full-length album, “I've IVE,” will arrive on the music scene, April 10. It has taken more than a year for the six-piece act to roll out a studio album since its debut in December 2021. To whet its fans' appetites, IVE unveiled one of the songs ― “Kitsch” ― on Monday, a few weeks before releasing the full album. The track has already created a splash, grabbing the No. 1 spot on multiple music streaming platforms including Melon. Its music video has also drawn more than 7 million views on YouTube as of Tuesday afternoon. “'Kitsch,' which highlights IVE members' uniqueness and self-confidence, will help them solidify their identities,” Starship Entertainment, IVE's management company, said in a statement. &lMar 29, 2023By Dong Sun-hwa
'Set Me Free Pt. 2' by BTS member Jimin debuts on Billboard Hot 100 BTS Jimin / Courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment“Set Me Free Pt. 2" by Jimin, a member of the K-pop superband BTS, has entered the U.S. Billboard's main songs chart for this week. Billboard said Monday (U.S. time) the song arrived at No. 30 on the Hot 100 chart, adding Jimin became the first BTS member to chart the top 40 with a solo song that is not a collaborative project with other artists.The BTS dancer-rapper previously hit the chart at No. 76 with "Vibe," a collaboration song with BIGBANG's Taeyang, in January."Set Me Free Pt. 2" is a prereleased track of Jimin's first official individual album, "Face," released Friday.The album's lead track, "Like Crazy," topped the world's largest music streaming service Spotify's Global Top 50 chart for Sunday with about 6.01 million streams, two days after debuting at No. 2 on the day of its release.In Japan, "Face" topped the latest Oricon weekly albums ranking by selling 225,000 copies, making him the first solo artist to top the ranking this year to date.The six-track album also set the record for the biggest first-week sales by a solMar 28, 2023
Billlie hoping to keep immersing people into own story universe K-pop girl group Billlie pose in a showcase for its fourth mini album “the Billage of perception: chapter three” at Shinhan pLay Square in Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapReturning to the music scene Tuesday after about seven months with its fourth EP, K-pop girl group Billlie said it hopes to continue to immerse people into its own fictional universe, dubbed "Billlieverse."The septet has incorporated the mysterious story of a girl named "Billlie Love," who suddenly goes missing one day, and members of the band who are involved in the case into two album series. The new EP, titled "The Billage of Perception: Chapter Three" develops the story, telling what happened to them on the day Billlie Love disappeared through all tracks."We want to show various sides of Billlie so the general public as well as fans can immerse into Billlieverse," member Moon Sua said during a media showcase for the EP at a Seoul music hall.The album, released at 6 p.m., has a total of six tracks, including lead single "Eunoia.""Eunoia," whose title is a Greek term meaning "beautiful and precious thoughts," blMar 28, 2023
BLACKPINK Jisoo's 1st solo single hits record 1.24 mil. copies in preorders K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's Jisoo is seen in this photo provided by YG Entertainment. YonhapJisoo, a member of girl group BLACKPINK, has set a new record for a K-pop female soloist as preorders for her first individual single surpassed 1.24 million copies, the group's agency said Tuesday."Me," the album set to roll out Friday, recorded 510,000 preorders just two days after such purchases began and 950,000 in two weeks, according to YG Entertainment.The number is expected to rise with three more days left before the album's release. "Requests for purchases have been active not only in Korea but also in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and other parts of the world," YG said in a press release.Earlier in the day, the agency unveiled the tracklist of the upcoming single, saying it consists of two tracks ― the lead song "Flower" and "All Eyes on Me." (Yonhap)Mar 28, 2023
