K-Pop
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BLACKPINK’s Jisoo is just days away from introducing herself to fans as a solo artist, with her debut ME arriving on Friday (March 31). Ahead of the release, the superstar unveiled the track list via Twitter on Monday (March 27).
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The two tracks, “꽃 (FLOWER)” and “All Eyes on Me,” came alongside a new poster in which the gorgeous Jisoo is seen pulling back a sheer red curtain, rocking a black leather beret complete with a red lip.
The BLACKPINK member’s first single album follows the autobiographical pattern established by the titles of prior solo releases by Rosé (2021’s record-setting -R-) and Lisa (2021’s LALISA).
As the fourth and final member of the girl group to go solo — Jennie also released her single “Solo” back in 2018 — Jisoo’s single album is set for release on March 31 via YG Entertainment.
BLACKPINK is set to take the stage at the BST Hyde Park concert series in London this summer on July 2, where they’ll share the stage with “Nonsense” singer Sabrina Carpenter, as well as South Korean indie rockers The Rose and up-and-coming English pop singers Caity Baser and Mae Stephens.
The massive summer series has already announced a a special edition of P!nk’s Summer Carnival outing with Gwen Stefani (and more guests to be announced soon) on June 24 and 25, a June 30 show with Guns N’ Roses (and special guests to be announced), beloved British boy band Take That with The Script and Sugarbabes on July 1, Billy Joel and Daryl Hall on July 7 and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band on July 6 and 8.
South Korea’s HYBE said Friday (March 24) it will sell its stake in SM Entertainment, officially ending a bidding war between HYBE and the South Korean tech company Kakao for control of the K-pop agency that was key to the genre’s popularity and overseas expansion in recent years.
HYBE, home of superstar boy band BTS, said in a filing it will sell its roughly 15% stake in SM for nearly 564 billion won ($435 million) to Kakao, which earlier this month announced a tender offer aimed at acquiring up to 35% of SM Entertainment’s outstanding shares.
Kakao Entertainment owns Monsta X‘s K-pop record label, Starship Entertainment, as well as the South Korean music streaming app Melon, the North America-based webtoon company Tapas Entertainment and several media production companies. It’s a subsidiary of the tech conglomerate Kakao Corp.
HYBE acquired most of its shares in SM in February from SM founder Lee Soo-man, who was recently ousted from the company after shareholders called for changes in SM’s structure. For over a decade, Lee exercised top-down control of the company he started in 1995, and shareholders had raised questions over millions of dollars he received in producer fees annually.
Lee sold his shares to HYBE in retaliation for a move by SM to issue stock to Kakao, ultimately prompting HYBE’s attempt to secure a majority stake in SM through a tender offer. HYBE relented in mid-March because, it said, outbidding Kakao could have “a negative impact on our shareholders.”
Just days after canceling the company’s bid for control of SM, HYBE founder/chairman Bang Si-hyuk reiterated his desire to expand beyond Korea in an effort to eventually compete with the three major labels – Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group — on a global scale, stating the company must have a “sense of urgency” in doing so.
Bang additionally signaled a desire for outside support for K-pop companies in their attempts to rival the majors, including possibly from the South Korean government, which has helped elevate Korean companies in other industries into global players. HYBE has already made strides on that front with two U.S. acquisitions — Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings and QC Media Holdings, parent company of hip-hop label Quality Control Music, which Bang said are “just the beginning” in its bid for worldwide domination.
SM and HYBE have in recent years dominated South Korean and global pop charts. Together they accounted for nearly half of all albums sold in South Korea in 2022, according to Korean chart company Circle Chart.
HYBE’s planned stock sale could net the company $87 million, the equivalent of a 25% return on its purchases of Lee’s shares one month ago, Reuters reported earlier on Friday.
Jimin has a wild night out in a club in the sweaty, joyous video for the BTS member’s solo single “Like Crazy.” The Oui Kim-directed visual opens with a snippet of whispery dialogue from the 2011 romantic drama of the same name that starred Jennifer Lawrence, Felicity Jones and the late Anton Yelchin, in which JLaw murmurs, “I think we could last forever.”
The scene then cuts to Jimin standing in a green swirl of light in a packed nightclub as a Yelchin frets, “I’m afraid that everything will disappear.” Lawrence assures him, “Just trust me,” as the camera zooms into Jimin’s face and we see looking forlorn in a kitchen singing, “She’s saying, baby, come and follow me/ There’s not a bad thing here tonight.”
An unseen hand then grabs him and drags him to the crowded dance floor, where he walks in slow motion through the partying masses, taking shots, doling out high-fives and crowd-surfing his way through the night before inexplicably landing in a spooky hallway where the walls are bleeding a viscous black ooze.
“Give me a good ride/ I’m falling, falling falling/ Oh, it’s gon’ be a good night, Forever you and I,” Jimin sings on the dreamy chorus. The rest of the clip see-saws between Jimin dancing like everyone is looking to an exhausted rest stop in a freaky, Transformer-like rest room and parting shots of the singer revisiting the evening’s craziness before ending up at the kitchen table again, his right hand covered in the mysterious goo.
“Like Crazy” appears on Jimin’s just-released debut solo album, FACE, a six-track project that was preceded by the pre-release single “Set Me Free, Pt. 2.” With production by Pdogg, Ghstloop, Supreme Boi, BLVSH and Evan, the project also features songwriting credits on three tracks from bandmate RM.
Watch the “Like Crazy” video below.
Jimin unveiled his debut solo album FACE on Friday (March 24) via BIGHIT MUSIC.
The six-track project from the K-pop idol was preceded by pre-release single “Set Me Free, Pt.2” and its dance-heavy music video directed by Oui Kim, and also contains title track “Like Crazy,” album opener “Face-Off” and more. In addition to production from the likes of Pdogg, Ghstloop and Evan, Jimin’s BTS bandmate RM also has songwriting credits on three songs on the tracklist.
Ahead of the release, the BTS member stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday night (March 23) to talk about the album. On Friday night, he’ll also use the late-night talk show to give his U.S. solo debut performance of “Like Crazy.”
In an interview with Consequence previewing FACE, Jimin admitted each of his bandmates have been anxious over going solo during the group’s hiatus, but “their results were absolutely great.” (Recent solo efforts have included J-Hope’s old-school hip-hop-leaning Jack in the Box, RM’s eclectic, collab-packed Indigo and Jin’s single “The Astronaut,” which was co-written by Coldplay and released before he started his mandatory enlistment in the Korean military.)
Jimin himself was also nervous for his solo full-length before its grand unveiling, explaining, “I don’t want to be an embarrassment to my members. I want to be a proud member of BTS” before hinting that the album will explore “how I overcame… If people understand the emotions I’m trying to express, I’ll consider the album a success.”
Stream Jimin’s FACE below.
MAMAMOO is officially going on its first ever U.S. tour! The K-pop girl group first shared news of its stateside trek — titled the MY CON U.S. Tour — on March 15, announcing the locations that they will performing at. The quartet — which consists of members Solar, Moonbyul, Whee In and Hwa Sa — followed up the news on Thursday (March 23) by unveiling the venues they’ll visit this spring.
As previously announced, the girls will be making stops in New York, Baltimore, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and more, with the tour kicking off on May 16 at the UBS Arena located at New York’s Belmont Park. The K-pop stars will exclusively perform in arenas for the entire duration of the tour, before wrapping on June 4 at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum.
The MY CON tour — named after MAMAMOO’s latest EP, Mic On, released in November — marks the first time the quartet has performed in the United States since its 2019 appearance at the 2019 KCON Los Angeles festival. Tickets for the MY CON tour go on sale on at 10 a.m. local time on March 29 via Ticketmaster.
See the full U.S. tour dates, alongside the newly announced venues, below:
May 16 – UBS Arena at Belmont Park — New York, N.Y.
May 18 – CGF Bank Arena — Baltimore, Md.
May 20 – State Farm Arena — Atlanta, Ga.
May 22 – Bridgestone Arena — Nashville, Tenn.
May 24 – Dickies Arena — Fort Worth, Texas
May 27 – Wintrust Arena — Chicago, Ill.
May 31 – Desert Diamond Arena — Glendale, Ariz.
June 2 – Oakland Arena — Oakland, Calif.
June 4 – Kia Forum — Los Angeles, Calif.
BLACKPINK will have some serious back-up when they take the stage at the BST Hyde Park concert series in London this summer. The official poster for the K-pop group’s headlining slot on July 2 in London revealed that they’ll share the stage with “Nonsense” singer Sabrina Carpenter, as well as South Korean indie rockers The Rose and up-and-coming English pop singers Caity Baser and Mae Stephens.
The poster for the event revealed on Thursday (March 23) promised “many more” support act to be announced.
The massive summer series has already announced a a special edition of P!nk’s Summer Carnival outing with Gwen Stefani (and more guests to be announced soon) on June 24 and 25, a June 30 show with Guns N’ Roses (and special guests to be announced), beloved British boy band Take That with The Script and Sugarbabes on July 1, Billy Joel and Daryl Hall on July 7 and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band on July 6 and 8.
BLACKPINK’s members have been making plenty of news outside the group lately, with Jisoo teasing her upcoming solo album, ME, with a second teaser in which the singer poses in a black crop top and billowing skirt and gazes intently at the camera until the title of the album and its release date pop up in red text. Earlier this week, Rosé shared some footage of her and bandmate Jennie enjoying Harry Styles’ Love n Tour stop at Seoul’s KSPO Dome and singing along to Harry’s “As It Was” before grabbing some snaps with Styles backstage after the show.
Check out the poster for BLACKPINK’s BST Hyde Park show below.
When NCT DREAM made their live Stateside return last August as one of KCON’s most anticipated performers, a quiet moment when youngest member Jisung sang just two words from the boy band’s debut single “Chewing Gum” saw the Crypto.com Arena audience erupting into shrieks. It was a quick-but-telling indication of the local interest in the young boy band that made its Billboard 200 debut last year without a proper label deal.
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While last summer’s festival appearance only included five of the seven NCT DREAM members, the entire DREAM crew is now gearing up for a proper visit to America.
On Tuesday (March 21), NCT DREAM dropped the English version of their nostalgic hip-hop single “Beatbox” before heading out on another string of dates in The Dream Show2: In a Dream world tour that includes seven arena shows in April. While many K-pop acts quickly make their way to the U.S. for concerts and opportunities — including NCT counterparts NCT 127, who began promoting in the States heavily after one year together — NCT DREAM is playing across the U.S. more than six and a half years after their debut. While it may have felt like a long wait, the band says the timing for the next step of their “journey” was important and they’re considering all aspects to make the next legs of the world tour special.
NCT DREAM’s Mark, Haechan, Renjun, Jeno, Chenle, Jaemin and Jisung tell Billboard that their newest English song not only was a present for the overseas fans they’re visiting, but also delivered a fresh musical experience for the band too. As the septet hint that more English tracks are on the way, and add they are “actively participating” in their forthcoming studio album due later this year, the focus right now is showcasing the onstage synergy of these seven — or “7DREAM,” as they call themselves.
Read more from the 7DREAM guys, including thoughts on their latest music, touring aspirations, messages for NCTzen fans, and what’s next for NCT DREAM.
Congratulations on the recent news of your growing world tour and English single “Beatbox.” You debuted in 2016; why is now the right time to focus some of your time on the west?
MARK: Everything comes with timing. This year, we are touring on a scale like never before and felt it’d be good to release an English single since we’re meeting fans around the world. We can’t wait to further continue our journey with all of our fans.
How was the experience of recording this new version of “Beatbox”? Is this indicating more English music from NCT DREAM?
RENJUN: It felt like we were recording a new song when working on the English version of “Beatbox” so it was quite fun. I tried to record in a way that’d suit the vibe of the track, and I believe this version shows NCT DREAM’s own colors well so I hope everyone enjoys!
HAECHAN: It’s been a year since we worked on this track again so I feel like we did better with recording this round. The demo track was actually in English; the vibe we first got when listening to it combined really well with NCT DREAM’s to give this version its own sense of uniqueness. And I hope people will look forward to hearing more of NCT DREAM’s English tracks!
What should fans expect from the U.S. leg of the The Dream Show2? Will you prepare special stages, or do you want to keep the current show intact?
JENO: This U.S. tour will be a chance for fans to learn more about NCT DREAM. We are also working hard to make sure that our shows are a place of interaction with our fans. We’ve only performed in the U.S. twice before, so it’ll be exciting to get to see different locations, stay longer and meet more of our international fans.
JAEMIN: I hope fans are excited for not only the “Beatbox” English version but all the stages we’ve prepared! Lots of work went into preparing to finally meet our U.S. NCTzens—we hope they are equally as excited to see NCT DREAM.
This is your first time performing your own concerts in America and you’re playing arenas. Is anyone surprised by the demand for NCT DREAM in the States?
CHENLE: It’s mind-blowing to see so many people show their love and support, and I cannot express enough how thankful we are.
JISUNG: This is the first time after the pandemic that we’re going to the U.S. as “7DREAM,” so it hasn’t quite hit us yet but I’m sure the moment we see our fans up close, it’ll sink in.
MARK and HAECHAN, you’ve had some experience with NCT 127 promoting across the U.S. Did you share any advice with the other members?
MARK: The only advice I told them was how hard we’re going to work. [Laughs] Despite my experience with NCT 127, promoting for NCT DREAM is a new beginning and experience for all the seven of us. The only thing I had to discuss with our members was to be ready to work extra hard, and to try our best to interact with our fans as much as we can.
HAECHAN: I just hope everyone enjoys the moment. It’s our first time in the U.S. as 7DREAM and I’m sure people are excited as well, but it’s important that we enjoy it ourselves so that we can create those memories for our fans.
Anything you’re particularly excited about seeing during the tour?
JENO: I’m most excited to hear the cheers of our NCTzens in all the countries and cities we’ll be going to.
CHENLE: I am looking forward to showing the amazing stages we’ve prepared to all the NCTzens that’ll be coming to see us! I’m also excited to be going to California because I’m a big Stephen Curry fan! We haven’t had much time to explore the U.S. so even the thought of simply being in California is exciting.
NCT DREAM has been so busy! You released Candy for the holidays, your first Japanese single “Best Friend Ever” at the top of 2023, there are Asia, Europe and now U.S. tour dates; when are you finding the time to relax and rest?
RENJUN: Even when we’re busy with several activities, it’s always a good time because it’s spent with my members so even working feels like fun — that in itself sounds like healing to me!
JISUNG: When we have a lot of schedules, there are times when we aren’t able to rest as much but I’m the kind of person who gains more energy from staying active. I do make sure to relax and take care of myself though on days that are less busy.
What else can we look forward to in 2023? We’ve seen a studio album on the schedule for you. Are there any spoilers you can share?
JAEMIN: We are actively participating in our upcoming full-length album and working very hard to bring out the best. I hope people will be able to see just how much we’ve put into it when the album comes out.
Anything else to add for Billboard readers or U.S. fans?
MARK: NCT DREAM is here to see you guys!!! Thank you to all the fans that waited so patiently for us to come—can’t wait to show you NCT DREAM and how we really care about our time here in the west. See you, guys!
Congratulations are in order for Se7en and Lee Da-hae, who revealed on Monday (March 20) that they are getting married this spring.
The K-pop superstar revealed the “happy news” in an update to his more than 550,000 followers, writing, “I have vowed to marry my girlfriend Lee Da-hae, who always embraced me with love, and shared joy and sorrow together for the past eight years.” He added that the ceremony will take place on May 6, concluding, “From now on, I will live with more responsibility as a head of a family and a husband.”
Over on her Instagram account, the actress shared a series of wedding photos of the gorgeous couple. “We have vowed to become a husband and wife from a long-term couple this coming May. Although I’m still used to calling him a ‘boyfriend,’ I will become more considerate and a bigger supporter of ‘him,’ who gave me big happiness by staying by my side and now will be my forever companion,” she wrote in her caption. “It will be a huge happiness for us if we can get married in your love and blessings.”
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Se7en, who released his debut album Just Listen back in 2003, dropped his most recent EP, Ride, in November 2022. Lee, meanwhile, has been a regular on TV dramas throughout her career, and has had roles in Good Witch, IRIS 2 and more.
See their announcements below.
The Love on Tour lovefest continues!
After Harry Styles performed a star-studded concert in Seoul, South Korea, BTS members RM, Suga, V and Jung Kook caught up with the pop star backstage and shared snaps from their meeting on Monday.
RM and V posted the crossover moment to their respective Instagram Stories. Both pictures sees the BTS idols with their arms around Styles or crouching down, holding up a peace sign and double K-pop finger hearts. RM shared the photo to his Story with a pink heart, while V opted for several disco emojis.
Styles’ Love on Tour stop in Seoul honored BTS by playing the group’s 2020 smash hit — which also served as the group’s first single to debut at No. 1 the Billboard Hot 100 — in the concert’s pre-show playlist.
As for the actual concert, Taekook — Taehyung (V) and Jung Kook — began trending on Twitter shortly after appearing in the audience energetically dancing as Styles performed One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful.” (RM and Suga were also spotted in the audience, but sat in separate locations from V and Jung Kook.)
See RM and V’s photos here and here on Instagram before they disappear.
NMIXX lands at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart for March 25 with new single “Young, Dumb, Stupid.”
Billboard’s Hot Trending charts, powered by Twitter, track global music-related trends and conversations in real-time across Twitter, viewable over either the last 24 hours or past seven days. A weekly, 20-position version of the chart, covering activity from Friday through Thursday of each week, posts alongside Billboard’s other weekly charts on Billboard.com each Tuesday, with the latest tracking period running March 10-16.
“Young” was released March 12 as the first taste of the K-pop six-piece’s debut EP Expergo, released March 20.
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In addition to its music video, which boasts nearly 30 million global views as of March 20, NMIXX promoted the song with dance practice, performance and reaction videos uploaded to its YouTube channel throughout the week.
It’s NMIXX’s second time on the weekly chart, following “O.O,” which peaked at No. 19 in March 2022.
NMIXX reigns over Jao and Anitta’s collaboration “Pilantra,” which debuts at No. 2. Released March 13, the song was also teased in a trailer at the beginning of the tracking week on March 10.
“All of the Girls You Loved Before,” a Taylor Swift outtake from the sessions for her 2019 album Lover, bows at No. 3 after its official release (premiered March 17, the song was discussed online beforehand during the March 10-16 tracking period), and Jimin’s “Set Me Free Pt. 2” and Lana Del Rey’s “The Grants” round out the top five.
Keep visiting Billboard.com for the constantly evolving Hot Trending Songs rankings, and check in each Tuesday for the latest weekly chart.