Categories
KPOP NEWS LATEST STORIES

MONSTA X Confirms New Single “Only One” For September

MONSTA X is ready for another comeback this year! Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney, and I.M. have announced the new single “Only One” set for release in September. This is the group’s first official comeback after Shownu’s enlistment in July.

The official MONSTA X Twitter account confirmed the news by sharing the “Only One” teaser poster. The poster simply features the group’s logo and the song’s title. However, it also has a line, “Wish you the best with somebody new, but they’ll never love ya like I do.” MONBEBEs believe this is a lyric in the song.

Fans were quick to point out that the line could be from Joohoney’s verse in “Only One”. The MONSTA X main rapper had previously posted a photo on his official Instagram account with the caption, “Love ya.” With that in mind, it’s possible that the upcoming single was produced by Lee Jooheon just like the group’s previous title track “Gambler”.

Recently, MONSTA X dropped hints at a comeback. On August 27, the group dropped a cryptic tweet that said, “They say hindsight’s 2020.” MONBEBEs immediately believed that this was a tease at new music coming soon. In hindsight, there’s a possibility that the line is also a lyric in “Only One”.

The upcoming comeback will be the first for MONSTA X since Shownu’s enlistment. Son Hyunwoo began his military service on July 22. However, fans believe he had recorded enough content so MONBEBEs will not miss him. This could mean that the MONSTA X leader’s vocals will still be featured in “Only One” and he could appear in the music video.

MONSTA X returns with the new single “Only One” on September 10, 2021.

Featured image: MONSTA X Kiss or Death Teaser. Photo: MonstaX/Twitter
Categories
BTS KPOP NEWS LATEST STORIES

BTS In The Soop Confirmed For Season 2 This October

It’s time to return for more happy, quiet moments in the forest: The seven boys of BTS are going back to the soop (숲; the Korean word for forestfor In The Soop 2.

The official In The Soop Twitter account shared the news with a teaser poster. Although the release date was not revealed, it is confirmed that In The Soop BTS ver. Season 2 will air in October 2021.

ARMYs were delighted when BTS In The Soop 2 was officially announced. Many fans admitted that they have been looking forward to it since the previous one concluded. While it is a reality show, most ARMYs were just thrilled with the idea of seeing RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook enjoying the time they have for themselves, away from their busy schedules and usual worries of the world.

The first season of In The Soop followed the idol group as they spent several days in a beautiful remote lakehouse in Gangwon-do Chuncheon.

The reality series gave the Bangtan Boys some time to recharge, unwind, and enjoy their time together, with nature as their setting. It consists of eight episodes that were an instant hit with ARMYs worldwide. Here we witnessed Jungkook prepare jjapaguri, V trying to unlock the door with his “passcodes” Lajibolala and Rock Bison, and Jimin clear the dishes and even play ping-pong in his hanbok. It was the same BTS reality show where we saw RM paint, Jin fish, and Suga panic to get his music equipment. Most moments with J-Hope, on the other hand, are shared sweetly with each member as he took the time to bond with them. Particularly heartwarming is when, on his drive with Taebear, they ate sandwiches packed by Taehyung’s eomma.

In The Soop was such a success that it spawned another reality show featuring the group’s HYBE labelmates SEVENTEEN. In The Soop SEVENTEEN ver. is currently being broadcast on JTBC and Weverse.

While we wait for the official broadcast date of BTS In The Soop Season 2, let’s watch the official teaser featuring our favorite Bangtan Boys.

Stay tuned for more updates on this story.

Featured image: BTS In The Soop confirmed for S2. Photo: INTHESOOP_TV/Twitter

 

Categories
FEATURES LATEST STORIES

How Many Music Show Wins Has SEVENTEEN Collected?

For K-pop fandoms, expressing and proving their love and support to their idols is a top priority. Aside from streaming their group’s music videos non-stop and making sure they have bought as many copies of their albums as possible (got to complete all those collectible photo cards for all members, after all), one concrete way of making fans and idols connect is through music show wins. After all, in order for a song to win in a music program, it needs to do well in music charts: sales, downloads, streams, and even radio airplay, as well as—depending on the music program—a good dose of fan votes.

Carats, the SEVENTEEN fandom, has been quite successful in making SEVENTEEN win in these shows. Let’s see how successful they have been since 2016, when the group first won for Pretty U. Take note that Music Bank Show! Music Core, and Inkigayo are the three major music programs since they are broadcasted on free TV, while The Show, Show Champion, and Mnet’s M Countdown are shown on cable TV.

Music Bank (13 wins)
Among the three free TV music programs, SEVENTEEN has been most successful in KBS’ Music Bank, where they have managed to snag 13 1irst place trophies, including two for their most recent Ready to Love comeback. They won their second triple crown for Home the day after they first won it in M Countdown. Their other eight #1s include wins for BOOMBOOM, Don’t Wanna Cry, Clap, Thanks, Oh My!, Fear, Left & Right, and HOME;RUN.

Show! Music Core (2 wins)
MBC’s Show! Music Core is one of the more complex music shows, as they have, since 2020, been tinkering with their criteria every three months or so. SEVENTEEN has won twice in Music Core for Home in 2019 and Left & Right in 2020.

Inkigayo (2wins)
SBS’ Inkigayo is probably the most difficult music program to win in, with its chart system directly connected with the official national Gaon Chart. SEVENTEEN has won two Inkigayo trophies, the first time for Home on February 3, 2019, and the second time on November 1, 2020, for HOME;RUN.

The Show (2 wins)
Since The Show is shown on SBS MTV, a lot of purists claim that having a win here is not really that big a deal since the audience is mainly composed of those who have cable TV only. Moreover, the show’s chart system depends on 15% of votes on Starpass, SBS MTV’s app where fans can vote for their bias’ release.

SVT has only won twice on The Show, on its May 30 and June 13 episodes for Don’t Wanna Cry.

Show Champion (13 wins)
Show Champion broadcasted by MBC Music has been the most generous music program to the boys, with 13 wins since 2016 when they won for two weeks in May with their 2016 release Pretty U, and just recently in their Ready to Love comeback. They also won once with BOOMBOOM (Dec 21, 2016), Clap (Nov 15, 2017), Thanks (Valentine’s Day 2018), Oh My (July 25, 2018), Left & Right (July 1, 2020), and HOME;RUN (October 28), while they won twice for Don’t Wanna Cry (June 7 and 14, 2017), and Home (January 30 and February 13, 2019).

M Countdown (10 wins)
The boys also have a pretty impressive record in M Countdown, MNet’s signature music chart program. Their M Countdown record is pretty similar to their Show Champion one, although their first win in MNet was with BOOMBOOM, they didn’t win for Thanks and Clap, and they only won once for Don’t Wanna Cry. They won for Fear on September 26, 2019 and got their first triple crown for Home earlier that year.

A note on Very Nice
So, SEVENTEEN has pretty much a consistent record in winning music show #1s for almost every comeback since Pretty U, which means the groups has only not won anything for the two releases before Pretty U (which are Mansae and Adore U), Hit and the absolute banger Very Nice.

Hit is understandable since it didn’t even chart that well and the album it was in, An Ode, was not promoted as effectively. But Very Nice? The song that until now, many (including this writer) considers as one of the group’s best songs ever? For music shows, it sometimes boils down to the competition. During the month of July, when Very Nice was released, songs that dominated the charts and won the music programs were Taeyeon’s Why, the Wonder Girls’ Why So Lonely, and alas, Navillera by music show “monsters” GFriend, a song that went on to win 14 music show trophies, including three triple crowns in The Show, M Countdown, and Inkigayo.

Obviously, music show wins are not an absolute measurement of a song’s success, but I’m sure you’ll find a Carat somewhere in Caratland who hasn’t gotten over this missed opportunity.

With rumors abound that the group is staging another comeback before the year ends, here’s hoping that Carats will have more opportunities to support SEVENTEEN by giving them more music program wins.

Featured image: SEVENTEEN TTT September 1, 2021. Photo: pledis_17/Twitter
Categories
KPOP NEWS LATEST STORIES

SEVENTEEN Jun and THE8 Returning to China, SVT To Promote With 11 Members Until December

Pledis Entertainment confirmed that SEVENTEEN’s Chinese members are returning to China this month. The good news is that JUN and THE8 will finally get a chance to reunite with their families. However, this also means that the idol group will have to continue promoting with only 11 members.

Their agency shared the official statement on the official SEVENTEEN Twitter account, along with an update on the group’s promotions for the rest of the year.

Our company provides full support for both the group and individual activities of SEVENTEEN,” the statement reads. “We plan the Korean and international activities of our members by exploring a wide range of opportunities for the members to take part in, striving to ensure that the artist can enjoy their full potential as close to our fans as possible.”

It is then confirmed that JUN and THE8 will need to return to China to focus on their activities there. The “My I” singers have reportedly postponed several activities that are due this year.

They will resume their work in China that had been postponed by COVID-19, and spend time with their families after having been forced to stay apart from them for a considerable amount of time due to the pandemic,” the statement declares.

It is also pointed out that Wen Junhui and Xu Minghao will need to stay in China until December, giving consideration to the current situation and importance to the health and wellness of everyone involved.

Pledis further announced that the 11 members group will continue to promote their activities as SEVENTEEN, while JUN and THE 8 will focus on their activities in China until December. If the talks about SEVENTEEN’s comeback in October are true, promotions will have to continue with the OT13 in two countries.

Wen Junhui and Xu Minghao have been unable to return to China last year due to COVID-19. Instead, JUN and THE8 returned to South Korea with the rest of SEVENTEEN after the rest of their Ode To You world tour was canceled. Hopefully, the two will be able to get enough rest and quality time with their families in between activities.

Featured image: The OT13 of SEVENTEEN. Photo: pledis_17/Twitter
Categories
KPOP NEWS LATEST STORIES

Former 2NE1 Member Sandara Park Signs With ABYSS

ABYSS Company just confirmed that Sandara Park, also fondly called Dara, is the newest artist on their roster. The former 2NE1 member is now set to pursue bigger projects with her new management.

On August 31, the official ABYSS Company Twitter account teased fresh talent joining the company. The tweet simply read, “New Artist is Coming From ABYSS,” leading to several speculations. Some fans thought it would be a member of the recently-disbanded GFRIEND while some believed it would be a male artist.

ABYSS then made an official announcement about their new artist, welcoming Sandara Park into the company. The tweet featured four new photos of Dara which are now officially used on the ABYSS website.

In addition to the tweet, a gorgeous teaser was released to announce Sandara is now part of the ABYSS roster. It shows small glimpses at the 2NE1 visual, before eventually revealing Dara’s face.

ABYSS is undoubtedly thrilled to have Sandara on board. “We are happy to be part of the new beginning of Sandara Park, who has been loved both domestically and abroad for a long time,” the agency said in a statement.

So why did Sandara choose ABYSS above all companies? The 2NE1 sub rapper reportedly wanted to reunite with the manager who recruited her and ensured her debut with the group.

Dara was a member of K-pop girl group 2NE1, along with CL, Park Bom, and Minzy. The idol group debuted in 2009 but eventually disbanded in 2016.

In May 2021, YG Entertainment confirmed that Dara did not renew her contract with the company. Since then, Dara had been working as a solo artist appearing in variety shows and musicals.

ABYSS also represents GOT7’s BamBam and former Wonder Girls member Sunmi. BamBam released his solo EP “RiBBon” on June 15, while Sunmi released his third EP “⅙” on August 6.

Sandara Park signs with Abyss Company. Photo: ABYSS COMPANY/YouTube
Categories
BTS K-POP STYLE KPOP NEWS LATEST STORIES

ICYMI: Jungkook Welcomes Birthday on VLIVE, Composes Song on the Spot

“Happy birthday to me!”

Around an hour before his birthday, Jungkook just surprised ARMYs with a VLIVE broadcast. Being the soondoongie that he is, he had a mini-concert and asked ARMys to send him comments which he then turned into an insta-song.

J-Hope, his Hobi Hyung, also made a special appearance and brought him his birthday cake.

He then sang a few more songs and connected with ARMY before capping his birthday concert, thanking everyone for the 축하해/happy birthday.

As of writing, Jungkook’s birthday Vlive has been played at least 21 million times and “liked” with at least 2.4 billion hearts. #HappyBirthdayJungkook is also trending on Twitter, with more than 1 million tweets in less than 3 hours after midnight (KST) of September 1.

Watch the replay of Jungkook’s birthday broadcast on VLIVE here and check out how ARMYs worldwide are celebrating Jungkook Day from North America to Europe and across Asia.

Featured image: Jungkook welcomed his 24th birthday with ARMY on VLIVE. Photo: BTS/VLIVE
Categories
BTS FEATURES LATEST STORIES

Celebrating BTS’s Bunny Jeon Jungkook

Each year before September 1, ARMYs across the globe make intricate plans to celebrate the golden maknae of BTS: Jeon Jungkook.


2021 is no different even with strict lockdowns in place. In South Korea, the K-pop act’s home, a themed custom-made themed cruise ship will sail on the Han River in Seoul. As of writing, his birthday ads are already up in one of South Korea’s subway stations.

There are also bus wraps, train wraps, and flower paths:

In the US, ARMYs can immerse in three floors of art exhibit dedicated to Jungkook at Lightbox in Manhattan, NY. There are also cafe events in both New York and Chicago. From August 30 to September 5, “Happy Jungkook Day” will flash on multiple billboards in Times Square, while ARMYs in Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand will see nothing less than large-scale digital billboards.  There are multiple cafe events, PR trucks, and mall ads in Japan. In Europe, digital billboards in Paris and Spain, and subway ads in the UK will make it known to the world that September 1 is Jungkook Day.

Fans have also been actively donating to charity on Jungkook’s behalf, raising over $10,000 as of writing. ARMYs in the Philippines is collaborating with Liter of Light, a non-profit organization, to create a solar artwork visible from the sky. They have pledged to donate the solar lights from the event to communities without proper electricity. In China, where he has the strongest fanbase (credits to Baidu JEON JUNGKOOK BAR) art classes will be held on his behalf in the hopes of helping kids get closer to their dreams.

The list does not even include offline activities yet, and still, it goes on. How ARMYs celebrate his birthday keeps getting grander each year, too. A profession of love from a fanbase that is as phenomenal as the group. Evidently, nothing can come between ARMY and Kookie, or any BTS member for that matter.

Where is all the love for BTS’s bunny coming from?
Jeon Jungkook: Golden maknae to adorable bunny and back to being lit on stage

BTS has always been praised for their duality, and it’s hard not to notice it on Jungkook who never disappoints. From being smooth, soft, and hot within seconds in Butter:

to being BTS’s representative when it comes to girl group dances

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlHQb9ygjGY
J-Hope and Jungkook dancing to Red Velvet on Star Show 360


BTS dancing to K-pop girl group dances on Weekly Idol

and back to being fierce and adorable at the same time in Permission to Dance:

Off the stage, the golden maknae shows that his heart is more golden. Many ARMYs find it adorable how Jungkook called his mom in Run BTS:

(Bonus: It’s the same episode where Kookie’s eomma affectionally said saranghae, the Korean for I love you, to Jimin).

And equally adorable how Suga’s dad calls Jungkook, “Soondoongie” (순둥이), which translates to naive, pure, or very gentle person. A testament of his character whether on the stage or irl.

And who can forget Jungkook’s crying incident with Jimin?

BTS’s guesting on Yoo Jae Suk’s Yoo Quiz on the Block showed a more intimate side of Kookie:

“By confronting things and suffering from it, I was able to build my current self. So I am thankful for the members for criticizing, teaching, and always taking care of me.” – Jeon Jungkook

And even when confronted, he gets bashful:

Beneath his strong hip thrusts, muscles, and powerful vocals lies the true Jungkook: A kind-hearted softee raised by BTS.

Just look at him with his new pet, the now-famous chicken from the set of Daechwita.

 

Beyond the stage, Jeon Jungkook gives all of us more reasons why it’s easy to love him. Trite but true: More than being BTS’s golden maknae, his golden personality is what stands out.

Happy birthday, Kookie!

Bonus: Enjoy this clip of Jungkook bunny for BTS’s Halloween dance practice 2016 (21st Century Girl)

Feature image: Jungkook’s BTS Festa 2021 photo sketch. Photo: BTS (방탄소년단)/FacebookBTS (방탄소년단)/Facebook
Categories
K-POP STYLE KPOP NEWS LATEST STORIES

Blackpink Lisa Drops Stunning Visual Teaser, Title Poster For “Lalisa” Single Album

It’s Lisa’s turn to go solo.

The BLACKPINK maknae is releasing her first single album “Lalisa” in September and the first visual teaser just dropped. Lalisa Manoban also shared the stunning title poster for her solo debut.

Back in mid-August, the official BLACKPINK Twitter account hinted at Lisa’s solo debut. It came with a blurry poster featuring the Thai rapper but her face was not visible. Nonetheless, BLINKs were convinced that Lisa’s visuals will be top-tier once again.

And Lisa did not disappoint.

The teaser poster for “Lalisa” featured the BLACKPINK main dancer in long pigtails and a flashy red outfit. She wears the same hair and outfit in the new visual teaser that hints at the storm she is about to stir up.

The first look is a nod to Lisa’s roots but the BLACKPINK main rapper is also eager to show off her glam side. The title poster for “Lalisa” is all about sleek black hair and blinged-up nails.

All the teasers for “Lalisa” are clearly a huge hit with BLINKs. YG Entertainment has just confirmed that Lisa’s single album has already reached 700,000 pre-orders since pre-orders began on August 26. The number is expected to go even higher as the album’s release date draws closer. For now, “Lalisa” holds the record for the highest number of pre-orders for a single album by a solo female artist.

Lisa is the third member of BLACKPINK to work on a solo effort. Jennie released her “SOLO” single back in November 2018 while Rosé dropped the emotional solo album “R” in March this year. Jisoo has not shared plans of releasing her own music but is busy with acting projects.

Lisa’s solo single album “Lalisa” will be available on CD, KiT, and vinyl. The album drops on September 10, 2021.

Featured image: Blackpink Lisa’s first solo album, Lalisa, drops on September 10, 2021 midnight EST. Photo: BLACKPINK/Facebook
Categories
KPOP NEWS LATEST STORIES VARIETY

New Teaser Drop for Girls’ Generation’s Guesting on Yoo Quiz on the Block

Finally!

After four years and a month after their 14th year anniversary, our beloved OG girl group Girls’ Generation (also known as SNSD, short for Sonyeo Sidae or in Korean, 소녀시대) comes back on broadcast as a full group. On September 1, Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun will all appear on National MC Yoo Jae Suk’s Yoo Quiz on the Block (유 퀴즈 온 더 블럭).

Watch this teaser posted a few hours ago!

https://youtu.be/PGXz-TyCzoc

Even though the girls are active on social media and their respective careers, fans both old and recent are excited about this reunion. The eight members of Girls’ Generation are, too!

Stay tuned as we all wait for this much-anticipated SNSD reunion on Yoo Quiz on the Block! For now, let us all enjoy the preview:

Featured image: Teaser for Girls’ Generation’s reunion on Yoo Quiz on the Block. Photo: youquizontheblock/Instagram
Categories
K-POP ARTISTS LATEST STORIES

Blackpink: A Quiz for Eagle-Eyed BLINKs

Who is excited for Lisa’s upcoming solo?

Lalisa’s first single album will be out on September 10, 2021. Photo: BLACKPINK/Facebook

Well, it’s not like everything in the YG family is confirmed until it actually happens, but after Jennie and Rosé’s solo debuts, it is almost inevitable that the Thai ace will have hers real soon. Even YG insiders have already “confirmed” this; so, while we wait for that, why don’t you take this quiz based on all the music videos they’ve released so far? Acing this quiz may require you to be detail-oriented, but if you’re a BLINK, the line between being just keen and an outright obsession with Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Rose is almost non-existent. So, let’s see how “detail-oriented” you are.

1. Boombayah
What was printed on Rosé’s crop top, the one with fishnet sleeves?
A. Brrrt… Rambo
B. Beyond Kawaii
C. Boom Boom Oppa
D. Sexy War

2. Whistle
In a number of scenes, what was between Lisa (who was wearing a headband) and Jisoo as they were seated facing each other?
A. A wilted plant
B. Nothing; only empty space
C. Jennie, sitting on a table
D. The video console controller Lisa painted pink

3. Playing With Fire
There’s a lot of fire throughout the video, but name the only member who was shown actually holding a lighted match?
A. Rosé
B. Jisoo
C. Lisa
D. Jennie

4. Stay
What letters were missing on the McDonald’s sign behind Lisa in the music video’s opening?
A. o and d
B. c and s
C. the two D’s
D. All the letters were present; it was the Golden Arches logo that was missing.

5. As If It’s Your Last
Which statement is TRUE about this video?
A. The video did not show Jisoo holding cotton candy.
B. Jennie sang while driving her ice cream truck.
C. The video ended with the girls spelling L-O-V-E with their arms.
D. No guys were seen throughout the video.

6. DDU-DU DDU-DU
This is not the video for Playing With Fire, but who was the member with things burning in the background during her part?
A. Jennie
B. Jisoo
C. Lisa
D. None; there was only a flame backdrop of flames on the second chorus.

7. Solo
Jennie was reunited with this item after first appearing with it in the As If It’s Your Last MV.
A. Plush toys
B. Roses
C. Her ice cream truck
D. Washing machines

8. Kill This Love
What was written on the wall of the room filled with cereal where Lisa rapped?
A. HEAVEN
B. LOVE
C. CEREAL
D. LISA

9. How You Like That
It was Jisoo’s turn to be reunited with an item she was last seen holding in the Whistle MV. What item is it?
A. A phone
B. An umbrella
C. A book
D. A disturbingly wide white headband

10. Ice Cream

In the scenes where the girls were dancing on a quirky version of a tennis/squash court, what was the color of Lisa’s hair?
A. Black
B. Pink
C. Rainbow
D. Green

11. Lovesick Girls
How did Jisoo end up in the Lovesick Girls video?
A. Wet while crying
B. Panting while looking straight at the camera, ala 4th gen idol ending fairy
C. Shouting at her male partner
D. Walking in a field of blue flowers

12. On the Ground
What did Rosé and Jennie both do on their debut music videos?
A. They both visited a laundromat.
B. They both threw roses while looking miffed.
C. They both ran in front of exploding cars.
D. They both tore pages of books.

13. Gone
Rosé usually interacts with mirrors in a lot of Blackpink videos. What did Rosé do with a mirror this time?
A. She wrote her name on it with lipstick, as per tradition.
B. She wiped the mist off it.
C. She smashed it in a fit of anger.
D. Trick question – There were no mirrors in the Gone MV.


Answer key

Boombayah
B. Beyond Kawaii
D. Sexy War was written on the pink jersey she wore in the latter part of the video.

Whistle
A. A wilted plant
D. The video console controller Lisa painted pink went into some tank with fishes.

Playing With Fire
D. Jennie, while inside a bathtub.

Stay
A. o and d

As If It’s Your Last
D. No guys were seen throughout the video.

DDU-DU DDU-DU
B. Jisoo has burning things behind her, along with sparks that look like someone was soldering something, all while our visual is being protected by an umbrella.

Solo
A. Plush toys. She wasn’t singing to them this time, though.

Kill This Love
A. HEAVEN, I guess for Lisa, heaven is a room full of cereal.

How You Like That
C. A book. But this time, she threw it instead of levitating with it like in the Whistle video.

Ice Cream
D. Green, a color we don’t normally see in BP videos, unless we’re talking about plants.

Lovesick Girls
A. Wet while crying
The video didn’t even have a male partner for Jisoo.

On the Ground
B. They both threw roses for unknown reasons.
In the middle of On the Ground, Rosé was playfully throwing flowers at someone. In both Solo (0:40) and On the Ground (0:23), Jennie and Rosé both threw a single rose with a noticeable degree of aggression.

Gone
B. She wiped the mist off it. Maybe to see herself while ugly crying? Sad not to see our main vocal happily writing her name on the mirror; as usual.

So, is your BLINK membership confirmed or do you need to spend more hours rewatching all BP music videos? Better commit to it fast before Lisa drops her solo debut!

Blackpink MV for As if It’s Your Last. Photo: BLACKPINK/YouTube
Exit mobile version