K-Town
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TOMORROW X TOGETHER is already ready for a new chapter. On Tuesday (Aug. 29), the five-piece boyband announced that its next album, The Name Chapter: FREEFALL is set to arrive this fall — just three months after the K-pop sensations dropped their last album, Sweet.
The news comes via social media posts on both the band and BigHit Music’s accounts, simply sharing the upcoming album’s title and a mysterious video teaser. In the 24-second clip, TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s signature “X” symbol fittingly freefalls through an abyss of animated streaks of color, ending with a sprinkling of eery piano notes.
According to a Weverse statement from BigHit, the record will drop Oct. 13. Pre-orders will be available starting Wednesday (Aug. 30), with more details about the album still to come in a separate notice on TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Weverse.
The Name Chapter: FREEFALL will mark Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and HueningKai’s fifth studio album, following 2019’s The Dream Chapter: Magic, 2021’s Still Dreaming and The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE and this year’s Sweet, their most recent full-length project. Both Still Dreaming and Sweet are Japanese-language albums, with the latter debuting at No. 3 on the World Albums chart earlier this summer.
The guys of TXT are also fresh off their headlining performance at this year’s Lollapalooza, as well as the release of their joint single with the Jonas Brothers, “Do It Like That,” which dropped July 7 and charted for one week on the Billboard Global 200. The South Korean stars opened up about the collaboration in an interview with Billboard last month, during which Taehyun noted that the JoBros “were even cooler in person.”
“Their friendliness helped us work together in a chill environment,” he continued, with Beomgyu adding, “Jonas Brothers were incredibly welcoming from the moment we met. They were just as enthusiastic as we were about shooting content, which we really appreciated.”
See the announcement for The Name Chapter: Freefall below:
Tom Brady is being drafted to a new team: the BLINKs. The 46-year-old former New England Patriot became the unofficial fifth member of BLACKPINK last week after attending the K-pop quartet’s New Jersey concert, where he and his daughter posed for a picture in an epic lineup with Rosé, Jisoo, Lisa and Jennie. The snap […]
How can you miss them if they don’t go away? That’s essentially what BTS‘ RM said during a Weverse livestream over the weekend, during which the singer promised ARMY that the K-pop supergroup is on target to regroup right on schedule.
After reading a heartfelt letter from an ARMY member expressing how much the group has meant to their fans over the past decade, RM offered some assurance, and hope, that things will be back to normal soon.
“I hope our songs and solo projects could be another reminder to you guys of how important ARMY was, has been and will be in our lives at the same time,” he read, speaking in English after listening to the ARMY-created tribute song “Love Letters” during the chat. “I hope that it is a reminder that spring will come again. Please continue to keep BTS alive in your hearts, in this moment and perhaps throughout your entire life.”
After sharing the ARMY thoughts, RM got personal, noting that band mate Suga talked “a lot” about the feelings he had during his 28-show solo run this year and how much love he felt from ARMY, who are patiently “waiting for the reunion in 2025”; BTS’ seven members announced last year that they were taking a group break to focus on solo projects while the men prepare to take part in South Korean’s mandatory military service requirement.
“Even though we’re doing our solo activities on our own… what I’m thinking these days when I’m doing my solo projects is… this is just like a vacation,” RM said of his solo efforts, which include his recent hot trending songs No. 1 collab with Colde on “Don’t Ever Say Love Me.”
“To get back to where I was, which was BTS and ARMY. All the solo [activities] is just a journey,” he said. “But it is a very important journey for Chapter 2. But it’s a journey to get back home safe.”
And then RM uttered the words all of ARMY have been waiting to hear.
“Eventually, when we get back and reunite together in 2025… [we will] be back for sure. We’ll be joining together again. And that will be in 2025.”
During the 40-minute video chat, RM also commented on his buzz cut (“no reason” he said when someone asked why he’d shorn his locks) and busted out some dance moves, admitting that he’s “scared” he’s going to forget the group’s choreo if he doesn’t keep practicing. He also munched on a candy bar and fessed up that he doesn’t really watch soccer unless it’s the World Cup.
So far, Jin and J-Hope have entered the military and Suga is expected to go next.
Watch RM’s live chat below.
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V may be about to embark on his solo career, but that doesn’t mean he can’t bring a buddy with him. In a couple dozen new concept photos previewing his upcoming debut album Layover, the BTS band member costars alongside his pet dog, Yeontan. In some of the snaps, V — real name Kim Tae-hyung […]
BTS‘ V is the latest member of the superstar K-pop group to announce a solo album. BIGHIT Music announced on Tuesday (Aug. 8) that V’s debut solo effort, Layover, will drop on Sept. 8. The collection will feature six tracks: “Rainy Days,” “Blue,” “Love Me Again,” “Slow Dancing,” For Us” and a bonus track piano version of “Slow Dancing.”
In a release announcing the collection, BIGHIT suggested that ARMY listen to the album’s tracks in order, from 1-5, noting that “Slow Dancing” is the focus track of the collection, describing it as a “1970s romantic soul style track [that] exudes a laid-back and free-spirited feeling.”
The announcement was accompanied by a 15-second visualizer in which a series of packages featuring the album float onto the balcony of an apartment building, ending with the album title in all-cap white letters — with the V rendered in purple — filling the screen.
“Love Me Again” is described as a “captivating R&B track that highlights V’s low pitch voice,” while “For Us,” is a “pop R&B track that serves as an epilogue, stirring up deep emotions with V’s vocals and unique lyrics.” All five album tracks will have official videos.
V worked with NewJeans creative director/ADOR president Hee Jin Min on the album, with BIGHIT revealing that Min oversaw the entire production of the collection, including music, choreography, design and promotion. V’s previous solo efforts include “Stigma,” “Singularity,” “Winter Bear” and “Inner Child”; his most recent original solo songs are 2021’s “Christmas Tree,” which was on the soundtrack of the Netflix K-drama Our Beloved Summer and last year’s version of the holiday classic “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.”
The announcement about V’s album comes just after BIGHIT confirmed that Suga has begun his military enlistment process, becoming the third member to enlist in South Korea’s mandatory military service, following Jin and J-Hope.
Check out the Layover teaser below.
Jisoo is a lovesick girl no longer, as the 28-year-old BLACKPINK star is dating actor Ahn Bo-hyun.
The news follows local media reports that the new couple was spotted together in Seoul. Ahn’s team also confirmed the relationship, telling CNN, “The two are in a stage where they are getting to know each other slowly with good feelings. We would appreciate if you could watch the couple with a warm gaze.”
According to the news network, BLACKPINK’s label YG Entertainment provided a similar statement to South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Jisoo becomes the only BLACKPINK band member to be in a confirmed relationship, though rumors regarding the love lives of Rosé, Jennie and Lisa frequently swirl. For instance, Jennie was thought by some to be dating BTS’ V as recently as May of this year.
The “FLOWER” singer’s new beau has a few years on her; at 35 years old, Ahn has been in dozens of movies and TV shows. After getting his start as a model, the Busan native made his acting debut in 2014 and is known for his roles in K-dramas such as Itaewon Class, Yumi’s Cells and Descendants of the Sun.
When she isn’t putting in hours with one of the world’s biggest girl groups, Jisoo also acts. Most recently, she starred opposite Jung Hae-in in the television series Snowdrop.
Jisoo and her bandmates are currently approaching the end of their Born Pink World Tour, which launched in October in support of BLACKPINK’s 2022 sophomore album, Born Pink. The record debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking the girls’ first project to top the chart, and spawned two No. 1 singles on the Global 200 chart: “Pink Venom” and “Shut Down.”
Reflecting on BLACKPINK’s success, Jisoo recently shared her thoughts on whether the quartet has earned credit for being “trailblazers” of K-pop. “Maybe half and half?” she mused to Elle Korea, the cover of which she graced in July. “We also walked the path that others have made, but I think there are parts that we pioneered, as we debuted at a time when the platform was expanding and accessibility to K-pop was increasing.”
“Just as there was a part where we walked on a polished road, I hope we can help make the path of those who will come after us smoother,” she added. “It would be nice if they could pioneer their own thing and connect with each other. Anyway, that’s a nice expression.”
It’s right there in the name: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. So, given that said bony-shelled reptiles are right in the demo, it’s fitting that in a new promo for the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem movie that is out on Wednesday (Aug. 2), Leo, Raph, Don and Mikey are unabashed members of the ARMY.
“This is it, guys,” Raphael laments in the 20-second clip in which the foursome are lashed to a giant bomb-like device that seems to spell their demise. “Oh, so many regrets,” he groans. “I just wish I could see BTS IRL,” says Donatello.
Leonardo, of course, has a creative idea, offering, “We could do some of the songs for you,” he says, with Michelangelo adding that he’d be down for a few bars. Leo then gets the gang started, singing the first lines of BTS’ global No. 1 smash “Butter,” while encouraging the others to join in. But, given their predicament — they are lashed to a wall by their wrists and ankles — the song comes out as more of a cry than a croon.
It’s all a bit sad, honestly and Don complains that they don’t even really know the words. To be fair, the tweet of the clip had a very stark warning message: “Jung Kook please don’t watch this.”
In addition to the four turtles (voiced by Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu and Brady Noon), the film also features the voices of Rogen, Hannibal Buress, Rose Byrne, John Cena, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Ayo Edebiri, Giancarlo Esposito, Post Malone, Paul Rudd and Maya Rudolph; Rogen and producing partner Evan Goldberg co-wrote and co-produced the film directed by Jeff Rowe.
Watch the trailer below.
Jung Kook please don’t watch this. Get tickets now for the best reviewed comedy of the year – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: #MutantMayhem is in theatres everywhere Wednesday. #TMNTMovie— TMNT (@TMNTMovie) July 28, 2023
It’s undeniable that BLACKPINK is one of the biggest bands in the world, past and present. And in a new interview, Jisoo — one fourth of the K-pop girl group — was candid about the impact she and fellow members Lisa, Rosé and Jennie have had on their genre. Sitting down with Elle Korea for […]
BTS‘ V is the new face of French luxury jeweler Cartier’s new Panthère de Cartier campaign. In a statement, Cartier International senior vp & chief marketing officer Arnaud Carrez praised the K-pop superstar’s skills and style, saying, “V is a dancer, musician & art lover who has a solid personality & sense of making choices […]
Though BTS‘ J-Hope is in the midst of his mandatory military service, the singer is still giving ARMY something to talk about, and listen to. BIGHIT Music announced on Monday morning (July 17) that a year after its initial release, Hope’s solo debut, Jack in the Box, will be released in a physical version on […]