State Champ Radio K-Pop
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South Korean singer-songwriter IU (real name: Lee Ji-eun) re-enters Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart (dated April 22) at No. 1, becoming the top emerging act in the U.S. for the first time, thanks to her new hit with Agust D (BTS member Suga‘s musical alter ego), “People Pt.2.”
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The song, released April 7, sold 18,000 downloads in the U.S. in its opening week, according to Luminate. It launches at No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales, Rap Digital Song Sales and World Digital Song Sales charts. It also starts at No. 16 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and No. 24 on the Billboard Global 200.su
IU has appeared on Billboard’s charts for over a decade. She first appeared on a listing in December 2011, when her single “You & I” debuted and peaked at No. 3 on World Digital Song Sales. “People Pt.2.” is her 11th top 10 on the chart and second No. 1, after “Eight,” featuring Suga, in May 2020.
“People Pt.2” also earns IU her 21st career entry on World Digital Song Sales, extending her record for the most among female soloists. Among all solo acts, she ties Burna Boy and another BTS member, RM, for the fifth-most, after Wizkid (28), Jay Park (25), Davido and TAEYEON (24 each). BTS leads all acts with a record 146.
The Emerging Artists chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200. (The Artist 100 lists the most popular acts, overall, each week.) However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard’s “Hot” song genre charts and/or consumption-based “Top” album genre rankings.
For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
HYBE announced Monday (Sept. 17) that a dozen solo artists and music groups on the SM Entertainment roster will join its global fan community platform, Weverse, in September. Those artists, who have not yet been named, will move to Weverse from SM’s own fan community platform, Kwangya Club.
In addition to connecting with fans via services including Weverse Live, the 12 SM artists will also be featured on the e-commerce platform Weverse Shop, where fans can buy albums and official merchandise.
The Weverse deal derives from a platform partnership struck between HYBE, SM and Kakao Entertainment in March after HYBE fell short of its mission to purchase a controlling stake in SM. HYBE, home to K-pop superstars BTS, was blocked in its efforts by rival bidder Kakao, a South Korean tech company that owns Monsta X‘s label Starship Entertainment and Korean music streaming platform Melon. The battle ended when HYBE agreed to sell its entire SM stake to Kakao; days later, it sold 1.66 million SM shares to Kakao for 248.8 billion won ($191.8 million), amounting to 44% of its total shares in the company and increasing the stake of Kakao Corp. and its subsidiary, Kakao Entertainment, to nearly 40%. HYBE retains an 8.8% stake in SM.
Later in March, SM appointed Jang Cheol-hyuk as the company’s new CEO, succeeding outgoing CEO Lee Sung-soo, and named a new board as the company vowed to improve corporate governance and its production system, which had fallen behind rivals like HYBE in recent years and led to investor scrutiny.
Weverse claims approximately 65 million subscribers across 245 countries and regions globally.
Jisoo wasn’t just a Coachella headliner this past weekend; she was also a fan. On Monday (April 17), the BLACKPINK idol shared her reactions to sets by Frank Ocean, Willow and more.
On her Instagram Stories, the K-pop star posted a clip of Ocean’s long-awaited headlining act on Day 3 of the Indio, Calif.-based festival, declaring simply, “Frank Ocean…legendary” above the R&B pioneer belting out Channel Orange fan favorite “Bad Religion.”
Jisoo also spread the love to the likes of Willow and Jaden Smith, Dominic Fike and others, declaring the Smith siblings’ onstage duet of “Summertime in Paris” the “best performance” and writing, “Can’t believe I got to listen to this in person!” of the latter’s performance of new song “Ant Pile” from his forthcoming sophomore studio album.
Earlier in the weekend, the Korean native posted a now-expired Story of herself enjoying Yungblud‘s set at the Outdoor Theatre as the Brit rocker played his 2022 track “Sweet Heroine.”
Of course, Jisoo was on hand at the festival to headline Saturday along with her BLACKPINK bandmates, marking the quartet’s historic return to Coachella just four years after they made their U.S. festival debut in 2019 with a triumphant set that included everything from “Boombayah” and “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” to “Pink Venom,” “Shut Down” and “Typa Girl.” Each member got her own individual moment in the spotlight as well, with Jisoo performing her newly released solo single “Flower.”
Check out Jisoo’s thrilled fan footage of Ocean, Fike, Willow and more at Coachella before it expires here.
J-Hope jumped on social media on Monday (April 17) to share an optimistic message with ARMY ahead of his enlistment in the South Korean military.
“I’ll have a good trip!!” the BTS member wrote on Instagram in his native Korean against a yellowed paper backdrop. Fans also got a surprise when they swiped to the next slide, with the “Arson” rapper giving a first look at his newly shorn, military-approved buzzcut. He also posted a separate message on Weverse, saying, “I love you ARMY…I’ll go and come back well,” while flashing an adorable salute to the camera.
While comments were turned off on J-Hope’s Instagram post, ARMY flooded Twitter with well-wishes and heartbroken goodbyes. “We are so proud of u, our HOPE,” one fan wrote with a trio of heart emojis while another tweeted, “My life is leaving in a second” followed by three sobbing faces.
With the start of his mandatory military service looming, J-Hope becomes the second member of the K-pop boy band to serve after Jin, who began basic training in mid-December at a military base near the tense border with North Korea. At the time, he got a sweet send-off from all six of his bandmates, and J-Hope and Jimin even got to visit him at a different military camp at the beginning of last month.
J-Hope certainly made the most of the time before he joined the military — releasing his debut solo album Jack in the Box, which debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and included hit singles “MORE” and “Arson.” He also made history by headlining Lollapalooza (as documented in his Disney+ documentary J-Hope IN THE BOX), became a house ambassador for Louis Vuitton and later collaborated with J. Cole on one-off single “On the Street.”
Check out J-Hope’s message to ARMY below.
Get ready, MYs! aespa is gearing up to release its third mini album, and it’s arriving much sooner than you think. On Monday (April 17), the K-pop group — which consists of members Giselle, Karina, NingNing and Winter — announced the title of the forthcoming project and dates pertaining to its release.
“aespa to release 3rd mini album ‘MY WORLD’ on May 8th and warm up for the comeback with the pre-released single ‘Welcome To MY World’ on May 2nd! Pre-orders start today!” the quartet’s official Twitter account revealed, alongside a series of teaser images of the album title, MY WORLD, in balloon lettering.
The album announcement was released alongside the project’s introductory teaser, which featured Giselle, Karina, NingNing and Winter in white outfits surrounded by a rocky landscape and other arid locations. Guitar-based instrumentals fade in toward the end of the brief trailer, as NingNing delicately sings the title of the pre-release single, “Welcome To MY World.”
MY WORLD will mark aespa’s second album following the release of Girls in 2022. The set ranked at No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200, and spent a total of three weeks on the chart. The K-pop stars most recently released single “Hold On Tight,” which appeared on the Tetris original film soundtrack.
The album news is likely a sigh of relief for MYs, as asepa debuted several new and unreleased tracks during its SYNK: HYPER LINE concert back in February.
See aespa’s album announcement and its intro teaser in the tweets below.
Just a couple days after teasing an “encore” of their Born Pink Tour in the U.S., BLACKPINK has revealed new tour dates.
On Sunday (April 16), Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé added four summer stadium shows to their list of upcoming tour dates: East Rutherford, New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium (Aug. 12), Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium (Aug. 18), San Francisco’s Oracle Park (Aug. 22) and Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium (Aug. 26).
The K-pop group had hinted at the tour news on Friday via an Instagram Story with a smoky pink visual of all four girls and a link to blackpinklive.com, where Blinks can now register for ticket presale access.
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The Born Pink Tour previously made it to North America in the fall, with a string of concert dates that concluded with a pair of performances in Los Angeles.
BLACKPINK made history with their Coachella set this weekend, becoming the first Korean act to headline the festival. “I must say, this is a dream come true … the reason all four of us are here is because of you,” Rosé affectionately told the crowd. See Billboard‘s recap of their Coachella set here.
See details about the new show dates in BLACKPINK’s tour announcement below.
While the BTS members are focusing more time on their solo careers, the pop icons are keeping their promise to deliver special group projects in the meantime.
Korean animated film Bastions announced on Friday, April 14, that BTS sings the theme song to its upcoming 3D superhero movie. According to a Korean media report shared by BIGHIT MUSIC, the single features BTS as a full group. Other reports shared the track was recorded before Jin enlisted in his mandatory South Korean military service last December.
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Bastions also shared a 30-second preview of the track alongside clips from the flick described as a “K-pop action hero 3D animation” to tell a story of superheroes fighting environmental-pollution villains. Jung Kook and Jimin‘s unmistakable vocals were featured prominently in the clip of the bouncy K-pop song that sounds like it should fit nicely alongside bright BTS hits like “Boys With Luv” or “Butter.”
The Bastions soundtrack will be a star-studded K-pop affair with songs also by BTS’ HYBE label mates LE SSERAFIM, chart-topping female troupe Brave Girls, American Song Contest winner AleXa, soul-pop songbird Heize, rising K-R&B star P.Cassady and more.
The official Bastions websites shares the song’s release is “coming soon,” pointing to a May 12 release date, with the movie premiering on the public Korean TV channel SBS on May 14 at 7:30 a.m. local time. Bastions has shared plans to broadcast the film worldwide as well.
The new Bastions single will be BTS’ first song credited to the full group after last year’s “Bad Decisions” from August with Benny Blanco and Snoop Dogg. The track peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100 and No. 26 on Pop Radio. Worldwide, the star-studded collab reached No. 6 on the Billboard Global 200 and No. 7 on the Billboard Global Excl. US chart.
Apple Music announced on Thursday night (April 13) that Suga will be launching Agust D Radio in support of his debut solo album D-DAY.
“Set your alarms, #SUGA is coming to Apple Music Radio!” the streamer tweeted. “Get ready for the release of his debut solo album #D_DAY and tune in to #AgustDRadio weekly at 7PM PT Mondays / 11AM KST Tuesdays.”
The BTS member’s first radio show, titled “Ep. 1 Dream,” will premiere next Monday (April 17) just days ahead of D-DAY’s unveiling the following Friday (April 21) via BigHit Music. (For now, the themes of the five episodes to follow the full-length’s release remain a mystery to be revealed at a later date.)
ARMY from all across the world couldn’t hold back their excitement at the news, flooding the replies with tweets like “AgustD Radio and 5 eps ??? OH YESSS IM READY LETSGO” and “Yes! As an AM user for years and BTS fan and Yoongi biased, I appreciate it.” Others showed their dedication by vowing to listen to each episode even if they aired as early as 4 a.m. in their time zone, with one fan in particular declaring, “I WILL BE WAKING UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FOR YOONGI ONLY.”
In other BTS news, Suga was recently named an official ambassador for the NBA, a role that will play into his upcoming world tour for D-DAY. Meanwhile, the boy band’s traveling exhibition Proof is headed to Los Angeles to commemorate the septet’s 10-year anniversary as a group.
Check out Apple Music’s announcement of Agust D Radio below.
SEVENTEEN unveiled “F*ck My Life: Life in a Minute,” the intense trailer for their upcoming mini-album FML, on Friday (April 13).
“How do you define the world that surrounds you?” an unseen narrator asks over dramatic, dystopian visuals of security officers wielding orange batons and a car crash. “In the middle of this f–king world. You’re not allowed to feel happy. But you deserve to be happy. So fight. Fight for your life.”
As one member drops a pin emblazoned with the latter phrase, the rest of the idols do just that — smashing a television with a baseball bat, gazing up at the stars surrounded by telescopes and sitting on a serene beach as the narration continues: “Be an explorer. Be spontaneous. Break free from the perfectly unhappy world. Where are we going? How’s it going to end?”
The clip ends with all 13 members ecstatically racing down a beach towards an awaiting speedboat before the scene fades to black and the narrator concludes, “Inspired by everyone around the world. Coming soon.”
FML is set to be released April 24, just nine months after the boy band’s most recent full-length SECTOR 17. According to the tracklist released earlier this month on Twitter, the mini-album will contain six tracks including “F*ck My Life,” “Fire,” “I Don’t Understand But I Luv U,” “Dust” and “April shower.”
Sub-unit BSS, made up of Seungkwan, DK & Hoshi, also dropped their new single album Second Wind back in February with guest appearances by Korean hip-hop star Lee Youngji (lead single “Fighting”) and Norwegian singer-songwriter Peder Elias (“7PM”).
Watch SEVENTEEN chase happiness in the trailer for FML below.
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What’s not to love about BLACKPINK? Jennie, Rosé, Lisa and Jisoo make up one of the hottest girl groups in pop. To celebrate their upcoming headlining set at Coachella, we put together a list of some of the best merchandise that you can find at Amazon, Etsy, H&M, Walmart and other major retailers.
BLACKPINK Share Personal Reflections Ahead of ‘Unreal,’ Historic Headlining Set at…
04/12/2023
Official BLACKPINK merch is usually sold out (or up for pre-order) on the group’s website and official Amazon store, but if you’re looking for more gear to celebrate Coachella and all things BLACKPINK, we’ve collected some alternatives for BLINKs everywhere.
Below, see our roundup of merch including lightsticks, apparel, jewelry and other must-have itmes for anyone who stans BLACKPINK.
Amazon
BLACKPINK OFFICIAL LIGHTSTICK VER.2
$75.90
Whether you’re heading to Coachella livestreaming the show from home, be sure to have a light stick handy. The light stick pictured above includes Bluetooth so you can jam away to BLACKPINK’s music. You can find more options at Walmart and Etsy.
Aeropostale
BLACKPINK Boyfriend Graphic Tee
$15.98
Pay homage to BLACKPINK’s 2022 single “Shut Down” in a casual tee featuring all four members on the front. This Aeropostale shirt is available in sizes XS-XXL.
H&M
H&M Rhinestone Motif BLACKPINK Shoulder Bag
$24.99
Carry your ID, lip gloss, cell phone and maybe a few other small items in this H&M rhinestone shoulder bag featuring soft velour and a BLACKPINK text motif and a recycled polyester lining. Click here for more BLACKPINK bags and backpacks.
PacSun
Pink Venom Tee
$35
With the weather getting warmer, it’s time to break out the tanks and tees. The “Pink Venom” tee from PacSun (available in sizes S-XL) pairs perfectly with jeans, shorts, skirts and more. Click here for a “Pink Venom” logo tee, and here to shop customized BLACKPINK tank tops.
Amazon
G-Ahora Kpop BLACKPINK Bracelet
$14.99
“Diamonds on my wrist, so he call me ice cream.” It might not be diamonds, but this stainless steel bracelet will make a cute little gift for a BLINK who likes jewelry.
Amazon
Gifts Set For Blink
$14.99
Unfortunately, the All Access Box is currently out of stock at Amazon, but this BLACKPINK gift set is an alternative option with some of the same items. The set is loaded with more than a dozen BLACKPINK stickers, buttons, pins, a keychain and phone finger ring stand.
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Amazon
BLACKPINK The Album Tracklist Hoodie $54.99
Get cozy in this black hoodie from Amazon. The hooded sweatshirt features the group’s name on the front and the track list of The Album.
Etsy
BLACKPINK Logo Tee
$8.70 $14.50 40% off% OFF
Not interested in a hoodie? These Etsy shirts are madeto order and available in S-5X.
Amazon
Bioworld Blackpink Tiara Logo Black Bucket Hat
$19.99
Keep the sun out of your eyes while showing love to BLACKPINK in this stylish bucket hat featuring a pink tiara graphic.
Zazzle
BLACKPINK Phone Case
$21.66 $36.10 40% off% OFF
The BLACKPINK Casetify collection came and went, but you can find a variety of customizable iPhone cases and Android phone cases at retailers such as Zazzle, Society 6, Redbubble, Amazon and Etsy.
Daebak
BLACKPINK Slides
$67.99
The faux fur slippers from H&M’s BLACKPINK collection — which includes biker shorts, a crop tank top and crop hoodie, shoulder bag and a faux leather beret — are sold out, but if you’ve been looking for BLACKPINK footwear, the weather is finally warm enough to slip into a pair of faux leather slides,
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Amazon
BLACKPINK Ddu-Du Ddu-Du 4-Pack, 3-inch K-Pop Dolls
$28.99
Lisa, Jisoo, Rosé and Jennie get dolled up in the form of 3-inch figurines dressed in looks from their “As If It’s Your Last” music video. Each doll comes with removable accessories that you can mix and match.
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Amazon
BLACKPINK Monopoly $65
YG Entertainment’s BLACKPINK Monopoly edition comes complete with a specialized game board and money that features images of your favorite BP members.
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Amazon
BLACKPINK Limited-Edition Photobook $99.93
This limited-edition hardcover photo book comes with a sleeve package box and a special gift case. Contents include a double-sided history poster, hologram history sticker set, photocards, layering bookmark and folded poster.
