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
K-pop generates 8 of world's 10 most-sold albums in 2022 This photo of the Global Album Sales Chart 2022 is provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. YonhapEight of the top 10 best-selling albums worldwide last year were K-pop albums, a global album sales chart showed Tuesday.According to the Global Album Sales Chart 2022 released by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), an organization that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide, albums by K-pop acts swept eight of the top 10 positions on the chart.The IFPI Global Album Sales Chart ranks the biggest albums of the year based on the number of units sold across all physical formats and includes paid full album downloads.K-pop supergroup BTS ranked No. 2 with "Proof" and Stray Kids came in fourth with "Maxident," closely followed by Seventeen's "Face the Sun" at fifth and Enhypen's "Manifesto: Day 1" at sixth.BLACKPINK, the biggest girl group in the world, ranked seventh with "Born Pink," followed by Stray Kids' "Oddinary" at No. 8, Seventeen's "Sector 17" at No. 9 and Tomorrow X Together's "Minisode 2: Thursday's Mar 28, 2023
BTS wins two awards at iHeartRadio Music Awards This photo is provided by the iHeartRadio Music Awards, one of the American music industry's award shows. YonhapK-pop giant BTS has won two prizes from the iHeartRadio Music Awards, one of the American music industry's award shows, marking the group's sixth consecutive year it has won a trophy at the event. The septet won Best Music Video for its 2022 hit song "Yet to Come," the lead single of its anthology album released in June, and Best Fan Army during the awards ceremony held in Los Angeles on Monday (U.S. time).It marks the sixth consecutive time for the K-pop septet to win the honor for the best fandom since 2018, when it was also named best boy band.Founded by U.S. online radio broadcaster iHeartRadio in 2014, the iHeartRadio Music Awards has been held every year to recognize the most popular artists and music over the past year. (Yonhap)Mar 28, 2023
BTS' Jimin tops Spotify's global chart with 'Like Crazy' Jimin of K-pop supergroup BTS /Courtesy of Big Hit MusicJimin of K-pop giant BTS has topped the world's largest music streaming service Spotify's Global Top 50 chart with his debut solo song, "Like Crazy."The main track off his first official individual album, "Face," bagged No. 1 on the daily global 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 soloist in Japan this year, his agency, BigHit Music said, quoting Oricon.Jimin became the first K-pop soloist with an album selling over 1 million copies on the day of its release based on the Hanteo Chart, a local tracker of K-pop album sales, as "Face" sold 1,021,532 copies on the first day.It also topped the iTunes' top albums charts in 63 regions around the world, while its main single, "Like Crazy," was the No. 1 song on the service's top sMar 28, 2023
Dreams come true: TXT mesmerizes 21,000 fans at KSPO Dome K-pop act Tomorrow X Together (TXT) performs during its concert at the KSPO Dome in Olympic Park, southern Seoul, Sunday. Courtesy of Big Hit MusicTXT kicks off 'ACT : Sweet Mirage' world tour in SeoulBy Dong Sun-hwaFor the members of the K-pop boy group Tomorrow X Together (TXT), it was a dream come true for them to perform at the KSPO Dome in Olympic Park. Located in southern Seoul, the KSPO Dome is one of the largest concert venues in Korea, accommodating up to 15,000 spectators.“I shed a lot of tears during yesterday's concert because I was proud of myself for realizing my long-standing dream,” member Yeonjun said during a brief press event held ahead of Sunday's concert. “When I was an idol trainee, I was part of the audience for K-pop juggernaut BTS' concert at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena ― the former name of the KSPO Dome ― and I always dreamed of performing here. I finally achieved my dream last night and this gave me complex feelings. It also reminded me of TXT's bygone days, when we were undergoing a tough time.” TXT members had a short meeting withMar 27, 2023By Dong Sun-hwa
INTERVIEW How ATEEZ achieved worldwide success K-pop boy group ATEEZ / Courtesy of KQ EntertainmentATEEZ attracts 430,000 fans during its latest world toursBy Dong Sun-hwaK-pop boy group ATEEZ had a hectic time last year. The octet ― consisting of Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho ― did two world tours, performing in front of 430,000 fans around the globe.ATEEZ built a huge global fan base shortly after its debut in 2018. Only about a year after arriving on the music scene, the group held its first-ever world tour in 15 cities, drawing some 100,000 audience members.Numerous factors have contributed to its success, but ATEEZ front man Hongjoong believes that the group's powerful performances have played the biggest role. “We have been putting emphasis on our performances from the very beginning, and I think this aspect has appealed to our fans,” he said during a media interview at a cafe in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Wednesday. “We frequently displayed eye-catching gestures and expressions on stage and sometimes, performed with hats and masks. We have also strived to imprMar 26, 2023By Dong Sun-hwa
SF9's Jaeyoon starts mandatory military service Jaeyoon, a member of K-pop boy band SF9 / Courtesy of FNC EntertainmentBy Lee Gyu-leeSinger Lee Jae-yoon, who is better known as Jaeyoon of K-pop boy band SF9, enlisted in the military to begin his mandatory military service, Tuesday. The singer's agency, FNC Entertainment, announced that Jaeyoon is scheduled to enter an Army training center without disclosing the location, explaining that there won't be a farewell event for fans at the camp's entrance.“As it is a closed event with other people starting their military service, fan visits are not allowed,” it said in the press release. Jaeyoon bid farewell to his fans with a post on the fan website, regarding the hiatus to fulfill his 18-month military duty. “Do not worry. You guys know that I'll settle in and adapt anywhere I go,” he wrote.The singer will be the third member of his group to enlist, following Inseong and Youngbin who both joined in March last year. Jeayoon debuted as a member of the nine-piece boy group in 2016 with the single album "Feeling Sensation." The group has released a string of hit soMar 22, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
BLACKPINK Jennie's 'Solo' music video hits record high 900 mil. YouTube views This image provided by YG Entertainment celebrates "Solo" by BLACKPINK member Jennie having surpassed 900 million views on YouTube. YonhapThe music video for "Solo," an individual single from Jennie, a member of popular girl group BLACKPINK, topped 900 million views on YouTube on Tuesday, a first for any female K-pop solo artist.The video hit the milestone four years and four months after it was uploaded, the group's agency, YG Entertainment, said."Solo" became the first music video by any female solo artist from Korea to reach 900 million YouTube views.The individual debut single by Jennie about a woman who does not wallow in sadness after a breakup and embraces independence became a huge success upon its release in 2018.The band will headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, a major U.S. music and art festival, next month in Indio, California. In July, it will perform for the first time at a British music festival, headlining the British Summer Time Hyde Park in London. (Yonhap)Mar 21, 2023
TWICE's new album hits No. 2 on Billboard 200 K-pop girl group TWICE poses for a photo during the Billboard Women in Music 2023 in Inglewood, California, U.S., March 1. AP-NewsisK-pop girl group TWICE has snatched its career-high ranking of No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard's main albums chart.Billboard said on social media Sunday (U.S. time) that the nonet's "Ready to Be" debuted at No. 2 on Billboard 200 for this week with 153,000 equivalent album units earned, the act's biggest week ever."Ready to Be" is the band's 12th EP released March 10.The group previously went as high as No. 3 with its 11th EP "Between 12" by garnering 100,000 equivalent album units in September.The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the United States, measured by equivalent album units comprising physical album sales and other digital sales records.Of the 12th EP's 153,000 equivalent album units earned, album sales comprise 145,500, according to Billboard.The group had broken its own album preorder records with "Ready to Be" by surpassing 1.7 million copies in preorders as of March 7. It topped weekly albums charts of Hanteo Chart andMar 20, 2023
