K-Pop
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BLINKS, get ready! The latest BLACKPINK x Casetify collaboration is now live.
The limited collection dropped on Tuesday (Oct. 25) and invites fans to “become besties with their favorite K-pop girl group.”
The BLACKPINK x Casetify collection features six different designs, which includes a mirror case inspired by the group’s hit single “Pink Venom” and memo cases with pre-printed autographs from Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa. Fans can also customize the memo cases with their own unique message.
The collection retails for $28-$122 and features an assortment of phone and tech accessories for iPhone (including this sold-out iPhone 14 Pro Bundle Box) and select Samsung devices. BLINKS who signed up early at Casetify.com to get priority access were among the first to shop the collection.
BLACKPINK x Casetify Collection
The new collection will be the second time that Casetify and BLACKPINK have joined forces in a matter of months (their first sold-out collaboration was released in late 2021). Casetify has partnered with other recording artists, including BTS and Olivia Rodrigo.
BLACKPINK made history as the first K-pop quartet to top the Billboard Hot 100 with the release of their Born Pink album. In addition to releasing a new Casetify collection, the group kicked off the North American leg of their Born Pink world tour in Dallas on Oct. 25. Click here for details on how to buy tickets to the tour.
Want more BLACKPINK gear? Read our list of must-have BLACKPINK merch that K-pop fans won’t be able to resist. Shop items from the BLACKPINK x Casetify collection below.
Casetify
BLACKPINK I’m a blink case
$62
Casetify
BLACKPINK Diary Stickers Case (Samsung)
$68
Casetify
BLACKPINK Sticker AirPods Case
$38
Casetify
BLACKPINK Sticker Apple Watch Band
$52
Casetify
BLACKPINK Diary Stickers Case (iPhone)
$78
Casetify
BLACKPINK Phone Charm
$58
Casetify
Custom Your Own BLACKPINK Photo Frame Case
$72
Casetify
BLACKPINK PINK VENOM Case
$72
Casetify
BLACKPINK Sticker Grip Stand
$28
Casetify
BLACKPINK Sticker iPad Case
$82
Casetify
BLACKPINK Sticker Laptop Sleeve
$48
Critics already eyed it as one of the best songs on Stray Kids‘ new album Maxident, but now “Give Me Your TMI” gets a full music video from the chart-topping boy band.
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After being initially teased ahead of Maxident‘s release, the new visual sees Stray Kids going full-on secret agent to “get the TMI”—or, as the song’s lyrics detail, learn more about a crush. The cinematic video sees all eight of the Kids delivering their best action hero impersonations as Bang Chan throws out a slew of deceiving hand grenades, Han bats away incoming bullets with a frying pan, and Felix utilizes a two-in-one umbrella handgun. The video isn’t completely Hollywood heavy as fans can catch quick and cute candid moments when the members break character or laugh with one another. Also, look out for an adorable bunny rabbit co-star appearing alongside scenes with Lee Know—STAYs know that the singer-dancer’s representative animal is a rabbit.
The “Give Me Your TMI” video comes a week after Stray Kids’ Maxident ruled the Billboard 200 with the eight-track set marking their second No. 1 album this year. In its second week, Maxident is No. 11 on the Billboard 200 while spending a second week at No. 1 on World Albums.
Fans can still vote for “Give Me Your TMI,” or any other Maxident songs, as their all-time favorite here. Watch the new video now:
While K-pop performances are synonymous with coordinated choreography and flashy stage setups, singer-producer Lee Chanhyuk brought something entirely new — and shocking — to the live stage.
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In support of his newly released album Error on Oct. 17, Chanhyuk took to the South Korean music television program Inkigayo to deliver one of the first performances of the LP’s lead single “Panorama.” But instead of bringing the synth-pop cut to life with a dramatic spotlight and onstage mirror like he did previously, the singer opened his performance sitting completely still in a chair and wouldn’t move until the cameras cut. With just the stand holding a microphone near his mouth, a barber wrapped a sedated Chanhyuk in a white sheet boasting the Error album title and began to buzz off his freshly bleached blonde hair as the star gave a pitch-perfect rendition of his new single.
Chanhyuk is one half of the beloved K-pop/folk duo AKMU with his younger sister Suhyun. The pair got their start on the Korean singing competition K-pop Star 2, before signing with YG Entertainment (the same label home as BLACKPINK and BIGBANG) in 2013 and becoming one of Korea’s most beloved and reliable chart-toppers. The primary producer and writer behind the team, Chanhyuk not only handles a majority of AKMU’s work but has lent his talents to write for K-pop legends like Lee Seungchul, Lee Hyori and IU.
Error marks the 26-year-old’s opportunity to share his unique musical style via listening and visual experiences.
The 11 tracks of Error are said to tell a story detailing someone’s reaction after being involved in an accident in the opening track “Eyewitness Account.” The story continues through song titles like “Siren,” “If I Can’t Go See You Right Now,” “Goodbye, Stay Well” (the album’s sole feature from K-pop soloist Chung Ha) and, ultimately, with “Funeral Hope.”
The accompanying music video for “Panorama” encapsulates the album’s story as Chanhyuk is seen on the brink of death after an accident and recalling his memories.
A theme throughout the album, and first shared on the “Eyewitness Account” track, is about a protagonist that’s fallen into a coma from an accident and can’t move. The record’s storyline likely plays into Chanhyuk’s head-shaving performance and why he chose not to speak during on-camera interviews for other shows like M Countdown.
Similar to how The Weeknd has embraced various characters, both physically and personality-wise, in his eras, Chanhyuk is taking his album persona seriously and creating all the more intrigue around his album. Written entirely by Chanhyuk, the throwback ’80s sounds throughout Error were already refreshing to the K-pop scene this year. Even as fans are holding debates around the promotional tactics, these slightly bizarre, excitingly artistic performances make the impressive LP all the more compelling.
The best acts in K-pop — and their respective fan armies — are gearing up to battle it out at the 2022 MAMA Awards. The MAMAs announced its list of nominees for the 2022 ceremony on Monday (Oct. 24), which includes BTS, BLACKPINK and other popular K-pop acts vying for awards this year.
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BTS racked up five nominations for the group, but also saw separate nominations for some of its individual members. The septet earned nods in the best male group, best vocal performance group and song of the year for “Yet to Come,” as well as artist of the year and worldwide fans’ choice top 10.
J-Hope earned six solo nominations in the artist of the year, best male artist, best hip-hop and urban music and song of the year for “MORE” from Jack in the Box, as well as best collaboration for “Rush Hour” with Crush, which also earned a song of the year nomination. V and Jimin also netted solo noms in the best OST (original sound tracks) and song of the year categories — V for “Christmas Tree” (Our Beloved Summer) and Jimin alongside Ha Sung-woon for “With You” (Our Blues).
BLACKPINK, still fresh off the release of its second studio album Born Pink, netted a total of five nominations in the best female group, best dance performance female group and song of the year “Pink Venom,” as well as artist of the year and worldwide fans’ choice top 10.
Other artists who secured recognition for this year’s MAMAs include NCT Dream (five), SEVENTEEN (five), Stray Kids (five), IVE (five), NCT 127 (three), TWICE (three), and ITZY (three).
The 2022 MAMA Awards are set to take place in Japan at the Osaka Kyocera Dome Nov. 29-30. Fans can vote for who they want to win the worldwide fans’ choice top 10 on the MAMA website. Voting ends Nov. 4 at 10:59 a.m. ET (11:59 p.m. KT).
See the full list of nominees for the 2022 MAMA Awards below.
Best New Female Artist
IVEKep1erLE SSERAFIMNewJeansNMIXXYena (Choi Ye Na)Best New Male Artist
ATBOTEMPESTTNXXdinary HeroesYOUNITEBest Female Artist
IUMiyeonNayeonSeulgiTaeyeonBest Male Artist
J-HopeKang DanielLim Young WoongPSYZico
Best Female Group
(G)I-DLEaespaBLACKPINKITZYRed VelvetTWICEBest Male Group
BTSENHYPENNCT DREAMSEVENTEENStray KidsTXTBest Vocal Performance Solo
IU – “Drama”Kim Min Seok – “Drunken Confession”Lee Mujin – “When it snows” (feat. Heize)Lim Young Woong – “Our Blues Our Life”Taeyeon – “INVU”Best Vocal Performance Group
BIGBANG – “Still Life”BTS – “Yet To Come”Davichi – “Fanfare”ENHYPEN – “Polaroid Love”WINNER – “I LOVE U”
Best Band Performance
JANNABI – “GRIPPIN’THEGREEN”Jaurim – “STAY WITH ME”LUCY – “PLAY”The Black Skirts – “My Little Lambs”Xdinary Heroes – “Happy Death Day”
Best Dance Performance Solo
Jessi – “ZOOM”Nayeon – “POP!”PSY – “That That” (prod. & feat. Suga)Sunmi – “Heart Burn”Yena – “SMILEY” (feat. BIBI)
Best Dance Performance Male Group
NCT 127 – “2 Baddies”NCT DREAM – “Glitch Mode”SEVENTEEN – “HOT”Stray Kids – “MANIAC”TXT – “Good Boy Gone Bad”TREASURE – “JIKJIN”
Best Dance Performance Female Group
(G)I-DLE – “TOMBOY”BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom”IVE – “LOVE DIVE”LE SSERAFIM – “FEARLESS”NewJeans – “Attention”Red Velvet – “Feel My Rhythm”
Best OST
10CM – “Drawer” (“Our Beloved Summer” OST)Jimin, Ha Sung Woon – “With You” (“Our Blues” OST)MeloMance – “Love, Maybe” (“A Business Proposal” OST)V – “Christmas Tree” (“Our Beloved Summer” OST)Wonstein – “Your Existence” (“Twenty Five, Twenty One” OST)
Best Collaboration
10CM, BIG Naughty – “Just 10 centimeters”Crush – “Rush Hour” (feat. J-Hope)Loco, Hwasa – “Somebody!”PSY – “That That” (prod. & feat. Suga)Woo Won Jae, meenoi – “Ghosting” (prod. CODE KUNST)Best Hip Hop & Urban Music
BE’O – “Counting Stars” (feat. Beenzino)BIG Naughty – “Beyond Love” (feat. 10CM)J-Hope – “MORE”Jay Park – “GANADARA” (feat. IU)Zico – “Freak”
Song of the Year
10CM – “Drawer”10CM, BIG Naughty – “Just 10 centimeters”BE’O – “Counting Stars” (feat. Beenzino)BIGBANG – “Still Life”BIG Naughty – “Beyond Love” (feat. 10CM)BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom”BTS – “Yet To Come”Crush – “Rush Hour” (feat. J-Hope)Davichi – “Fanfare”ENHYPEN – “Polaroid Love”(G)I-DLE – “TOMBOY”IU – “Drama”IVE – “LOVE DIVE”JANNABI – “GRIPPIN’THEGREEN”Jaurim – “STAY WITH ME”Jay Park – “GANADARA” (feat. IU)Jessi – “ZOOM”J-Hope – “MORE”Jimin, Ha Sung Woon – “With You”Kim Min Seok – “Drunken Confession”LE SSERAFIM – “FEARLESS”Lee Mujin – “When it snows” (feat. Heize)Lim Young Woong – “Our Blues Our Life”Loco, Hwasa – “Somebody!”LUCY – “PLAY”MeloMance – “Love, Maybe”Nayeon – “POP!”NCT 127 – “2 Baddies”NCT DREAM – “Glitch Mode”NewJeans – “Attention”PSY – “That That” (prod. & feat. Suga)Red Velvet – “Feel My Rhythm”SEVENTEEN – “HOT”Stray Kids – “MANIAC”Sunmi – “Heart Burn”Taeyeon – “INVU”The Black Skirts – “My Little Lambs”TREASURE – “JIKJIN”TXT – “Good Boy Gone Bad”V – “Christmas Tree”WINNER – “I LOVE U”Wonstein – “Your Existence”Woo Won Jae, meenoi – “Ghosting” (prod. CODE KUNST)Xdinary Heroes – “Happy Death Day”Yena – “SMILEY” (feat. BIBI)Zico – “Freak”
Artist of the Year
aespaATBOBLACKPINKBTSENHYPEN(G)I-DLEITZYIUIVEJ-HopeKang DanielKep1erLE SSERAFIMLim Young WoongMiyeonNayeonNCT DREAMNewJeansNMIXXPSYRed VelvetSeulgiSEVENTEENStray KidsTaeyeonTEMPESTTNXTWICETXTXdinary HeroesYenaYOUNITEZicoWorldwide Fans’ Choice Top 10
aespaASTROATEEZBIGBANGBilllieBLACKPINKBrave GirlsBTOBBTSChunghaCrushDreamcatcherENHYPENEVERGLOWfromis_9(G)I-DLEGirls’ GenerationGOT7ITZYIUIVEJay ParkJessiJo Yu RiKaiKang DanielKARDKep1erLE SSERAFIMLOONAMAMAMOOMONSTA XNCT 127NCT DREAMNewJeansNMIXXONEUSPENTAGONPSYRed VelvetSEVENTEENSTAYCStray KidsSunmiTHE BOYZTREASURETWICETXTWINNERYena
With nearly 2 dozen entries on World Digital Song Sales, ATEEZ are no strangers to the Billboard chart, but their latest feat shows how fans are taking their support to the charts.
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On the World Digital Song Sales chart dated Oct. 22, 2022, ATEEZ’s “Say My Name” re-enters the ranking at No. 11 for its fifth week on the chart overall. The track sold an additional 500 downloads in the week ending Oct. 13 in the U.S., up from a negligible amount in the previous week, making a total of 1,000 downloads in the U.S. this year alone.
Initially released in January 2019 as a single from the boy band’s Treasure EP.2: Zero to One album, “Say My Name” originally peaked at No. 8 on the chart and has sold 8,500 downloads in the U.S., making it ATEEZ’s second-biggest selling digital song in the States. Only “Wonderland,” the single off their first full-length Treasure EP.Fin: All to Action, released in October 2019, has sold slightly more than 8,500.
The surge in support comes after a growing controversy where ATEZ fans—and, possibly, ATEEZ themselves—claim that a famous choreographer swiped a signature move from the “Say My Name” dance on television.
The debate started when South Korean–based dance crew We Dem Boyz (who have helped helm choreography with K-pop acts like CL, SEVENTEEN and SuperM) performed the song “New Thing” on Korea’s popular dance-battle show Street Man Fighter. Sung by chart-topping solo star Zico and hip-hop trio Homies, “New Thing” has been rising up Korea’s local charts mainly due to the viral #NewThingChallenge dance. Soon, fans noticed one part felt similar to a key move from “Say My Name.”
As part of a Street Man Fighter episode, the “New Thing” choreography was created and sequenced by We Dem Boyz leader Vata. He taught his crew moves that imitate mounting and starting a motorcycle before stylishly walking and bobbing their head to the beat with one hand held outward and another on the hip. Vata shared a clip of the “New Thing” choreography on his Instagram.
The moves were claimed to be allegedly similar to a signature part of ATEEZ’s choreography to 2019’s “Say My Name” where the guys perform a walk and bob over the track’s hook—the part earned a nickname as the “driving dance.”
Since the episode airing, Vata began facing online plagiarism accusations over the sequence for “New Thing” that made its way to the original “Say My Name” choreographer, Anze Skrube.
Slovenia-born Skrube, credited in ATEEZ’s Treasure EP.2: Zero to One album as the “Say My Name” choreographer, spoke up about the claims on his Instagram.
“I want to be very quick regarding the allegations of somebody copying our moves,” he said in a video posted on Oct. 11. “Please stop harassing each other and fighting about it. To clarify, from my experience, there is a difference between ‘biting’ a move or being inspired by a move, or biting a whole sequence of moves—this is what happened here in this case. This particular sequence was choreographed by Josh Smith at the end of 2018 and it came out at the beginning of 2019. I’m only saying this because stuff like this happens a lot in the dance industry and that’s not OK. Let’s not do that, people. If you get inspired by something, the least you could do is credit the creators. I’m just going to leave it at that.”
ATEEZ fans also wondered if the group members themselves noticed the similarities.
Fans noted the eight-member boy band incorporating the driving dance into some of their latest performances and using what looks like the “biting” dance sign (mentioned by Skrube) where a dancer smacks one’s forearms together horizontally to physically indicate someone has stolen or copied a move.
On Oct. 14, Vata responded to the claims on his Instagram “in order to prevent further misunderstandings” (according to translations via Soompi).
“When I first heard the music, I was reminded of a plain in the wilderness, and I created the intro choreography to depict arriving on a motorcycle or horseback,” Vata wrote. “That’s why I used the motion of starting an engine at the beginning, followed by a big kick and a dismount after driving, and there is a story with a beginning, middle, and end. I think that it is completely different from the intent and connection between the movements of the choreography to which it is currently being compared.”
Vata added, “As a person who loves the culture of dance, I think it’s admirable when artists and choreographers respect one another. However, it seems like that isn’t the case [right now], which I find very unfortunate. Regardless of the reason, I feel apologetic to the viewers of Street Man Fighter and everyone who has been cheering for We Dem Boyz about the fact that I caused a controversy.”
So far, ATEEZ has not formally responded to the debate but see additional chart activity beyond their 2019 single. The boy band’s latest EP, The World EP.1 : Movement, re-entered World Albums (at No. 8 this week), Top Current Album Sales (at No. 19), and Top Album Sales (No. 22)
After a year of global growth that included their first top 10 album on the Billboard 200, ITZY take their next step to larger pop prominence with the release of their first original English single “Boys Like You.”
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Like many of ITZY’s K-pop singles, the new pop track is an empowerment anthem. This time, the girls realize their worth and refuse to take back a two-timing boyfriend with a mix of sassy, catchy rap rhymes (“Boy, gonna diss me? Boy, I’m so pissed/ Boy, gonna miss me/ Boy, you are dismissed”) and a smooth, kiss-off hook sung by Chaeryeong (who croons, “I don’t fall for boys like you” in the most addictive part of the track). True to ITZY’s sound in singles like “Sneakers” or “Wannabe,” the new track boasts an overall playful listening experience while still packing a punch with the group’s spunky personality and clever ad-libs.
Released right in time for the upcoming Halloween holiday, the accompanying music video sees Chaeryeong, Yeji, Lia, Ryujin and Yuna together at a costume party and soon learning the same guy has scammed all five members. After cartoonish attempts to take one another down in the name of love, ITZY realize they’re better together and throw their own party without their cheating ex.
While not explicitly stated by the artist or label, “Boys Like You” seems to mark the latest release by a K-pop act directly targeting the U.S. market with an original English single. ITZY’s latest move feels similar to TWICE (label mates with ITZY on both the Korean side at JYP Entertainment and U.S. side with Republic Records), who released their crossover track “The Feels” and scored their first entry on the Hot 100 and performed across American morning and late-night talk shows. Even with the language switch-up, “The Feels” stood out for how closely it connected to TWICE’s K-pop singles, with “Boys Like You” mostly in line with ITZY’s past collection of punchy, pop anthems that appeal to both young audiences and more mature listeners.
“Boys Like You” is the pre-release single ahead of a new project slated for later this year. But the new music will come after the U.S. leg of ITZY’s ‘Checkmate 1st World Tour’ which kicks off in Los Angeles on Oct. 26.
Until then, watch the new “Boys Like You” music video:
BTS‘ music is the gift that keeps on giving. Though the K-pop group is currently in between albums and its members are focusing on solo projects and preparing for mandatory military service, the group’s catalogue has inspired new interpretations of several of its hits songs. Such is the case for Vitamin String Quartet, whose new album Vitamin String Quartet Performs BTS — released on Friday (Oct. 21) — sees the group tapping into BTS tracks such as “Idol,” “On,” “Black Swan” and more.
“It’s been thrilling to put together VSQ Performs BTS. BTS’ music is built for performance; it’s something that serenades as much as it moves. That sensational combination of song and dance is at the heart of what we’ve accomplished with the album and all its content,” James Curtiss, director of A&R and creative director of CMH Label Group, said in a statement.
Along with the arrival of the classical group’s album was the debut for its “Black Swan” video, which features a male dancer performing ballet to the tune.
“Against a clean, stark palette and backdrop of black, white, and industrial grays, we are telling the story of a ballerina who pushes himself to the breaking point of performance, transforming from a delicate, gentle danseur into a vivacious, rapturous soloist,” Curtiss noted of the inspirations behind the “Black Swan” visual. “That is contrasted with the performance of the quartet on camera, the music he hears in his head, pushing him to the next level. It’s a visual revelry that encapsulates all that both VSQ and BTS bring into listeners’ lives.”
Vitamin String Quartet Performs BTS arrives just before BTS member Jin is set to debut his solo single “The Astronaut” alongside Coldplay in Buenos Aires on Oct. 28. The BTS member will be the first of the septet to perform military service in South Korea.
“Jin will initiate the process as soon as his schedule for his solo release is concluded at the end of October. He will then follow the enlistment procedure of the Korean government,” BTS’ label BigHit Music said in a statement. “Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans.”
Listen to Vitamin String Quartet Performs BTS, and watch the video for “Black Swan” below.
Hours after Jin surprised fans with news that he’d debut his new solo single “The Astronaut” live at Coldplay‘s upcoming Buenos Aires show, the BTS singer delivered yet another gift for ARMY.
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At midnight on Friday, Oct. 20, Jin’s three solo songs “Super Tuna,” “Abyss” and “Tonight” became available across all streaming services via BIGHIT MUSIC.
Previously, the singles released between 2019-2021 were only available across the group’s SoundCloud and YouTube accounts.
Let’s break down the three songs for those needing a refresher.
Released in June 2019 as part of BTS’ sixth-anniversary celebrations, “Tonight” was Jin’s first entirely original solo song uploaded to the group’s SoundCloud. Jin and BTS leader RM wrote the acoustic R&B-pop track alongside longtime collaborators Slow Rabbit and Hiss Noise, highlighting Jin’s airy falsetto over production that shifts from sparse guitar to an emotional mix of piano and synthesizers. “Tonight” has garnered more than 53 million streams on BTS’ SoundCloud.
To celebrate his birthday in December 2020, Jin released the moving, personal ballad “Abyss,” which shared an honest look at his grappling with performance anxiety, his insecurities, and burnout. The track was also written by Jin and RM, alongside longtime BTS producer Pdogg, and BUMZU who produced the song and is known for his heavy involvement with artists like SEVENTEEN and NU’EST. “Abyss” has more than 29 million streams on SoundCloud and 31.5 million streams on YouTube.
As another birthday present for ARMY in 2021, Jin switched things up entirely with his super-fun, super-synth track “Super Tuna,” which became an unexpected viral hit even without global distribution. The one-minute song was written and produced by Jin and BUMZU with “Super Tuna” with its accompanying choreography video taking a life of its own and garnering tons of covers across TikTok that even had the Teletubbies joining.
So far, “Super Tuna” has peaked at No. 4 on the weekly Hot Trending Songs Chart and currently sits at No. 11 after 45 weeks. Its choreography video has more than 76 million views on YouTube, plus more than 8.1 million streams on SoundCloud.
The new releases come ahead of Jin’s forthcoming solo single “The Astronaut,” co-written by Jin and Coldplay. The song drops one week from now at midnight on Oct. 28. BTS shared that concept photos, a music video and a lyric video all promised as part of the rollout for the track.
Listen to the new Jin songs here.
After NCT DREAM hit a career milestone with two nights in South Korea’s largest concert venue, the K-pop boy band is sharing the experience with fans worldwide through their first-ever movie.
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NCT DREAM THE MOVIE : In a DREAM will be released worldwide this November. The feature film will spotlight the group on stage and backstage at their Olympic Stadium show in Seoul from September earlier this year. Fans will also get to see the preparations that went into the concert and interviews with all seven members of NCT DREAM. According to a press release, NCT DREAM members Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle and Jisung will “share candid stories and their thoughts and feelings” and “a look at the future the members envision away from the stage.”
The new flick celebrates NCT DREAM’s THE DREAM SHOW2 : In a DREAM concert that played in Seoul, as well as multiple cities in Japan, after the release Glitch Mode album, which hit No. 50 on the Billboard 200 in April to become the group’s first entry on the chart.
In A DREAM will be released in CGV theater chains with ScreenX as well as 4DX and 4DX Screen formats, which offer multi-sensory effects for viewers. Distribution for the movie comes from Trafalgar Releasing (who have pushed fan-focused movie experiences for artists like BTS, Coldplay and Twenty One Pilots) and CJ 4DPLEX Inc. (the tech company behind 4DX, ScreenX and 4DX Screen theaters). ScreenX offers a 270-degree field of view perspective in movie theaters by expanding screens to the side walls, while 4DX provides moviegoers with special effects like vibrations, wind, scents and more to enhance on-screen visuals. Trafalgar reports over 344 ScreenX auditoriums including 4DX Screen around the world in 38 countries.
“We are pleased to continue our relationship with CJ 4DPLEX Inc. and to partner for the first time with SM Entertainment to bring NCT DREAM’s first movie to cinemas worldwide,” said Marc Allenby, CEO of Trafalgar Releasing. “NCTzens all around the globe will be thrilled with the epic live concert performances and exciting behind-the-scenes footage that is meant to be experienced larger-than-life on the big screen.”
NCT DREAM’s debut on the silver screen makes them the latest K-pop act to deliver fans a concert-documentary hybrid film, last seen from the likes of SEVENTEEN, who brought their Power of Love : The Movie film to cinemas in April.
Forthcoming premiere dates and ticketing information for the November screenings will be available here.
BTS‘ Jin is picking a massive stage for the live debut of his just-announced solo single, “The Astronaut.” In fact, the entire world can tune in when the K-pop icon performs the song during his friends Coldplay‘s upcoming Oct. 28 concert at Buenos Aires, Argentina’s River Plate stadium, which will be beamed out to more than 3,500 movie theaters in more than 70 countries.
Big Hit Music confirmed the news on BTS’ Weverse page, noting that the concert will not be livestreamed, but that video of “The Astronaut” live debut featuring Coldplay will be uploaded after the show “to make sure ARMY all around the world can watch Jin and Coldplay’s performance.” The concert will take place just hours after “The Astronaut” — written by Jin and Coldplay — is released; Coldplay and BTS previously collaborated on the 2021 global smash “My Universe.”
For fans who haven’t gotten a chance to see Coldplay’s eye-popping, luminous Music of the Spheres show — which has sold more than 5.4 million tickets to date while racking up more than $60 million in concert grosses in July — the Oct. 28-29 two-night-only cinema special will capture the explosive event in all its glory thanks to BAFTA-winning director Paul Dugdale. Coldplay recently postponed 8 Brazilian shows due to singer Chris Martin’s “serious lung infection.”
The official poster for “The Astronaut” was unveiled on Wednesday and three different concept photos will arrive next, on Oct. 23, 24 and 25, before Jin drops the official music video teaser on Oct. 26. News about “The Astronaut” came just one day after it was confirmed that all seven members of the K-pop boy band will face the mandate to serve in South Korea’s military for at least 18 months.
See the announcement of the “Astronaut” live debut — complete with a text exchange between Jin and Coldplay’s Martin — below.