ICYMI IN CASE YOU MISSED IT // APRIL 5 - APRIL 11

Polaris_Tae

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APRIL 5 - APRIL 11

Hello Hallyuplussers and welcome to this week's edition of In Case You Missed It! This week we witnessed even more great releases including the return of rookie girl group STAYC, as well as the greatly anticipated solo debut of Red Velvet's Wendy. Were you just as blown away by her beautiful voice as we were? We also saw a number of contract negotiations take place. Shinhwa's Junjin joined a new agency, while f(x)'s Victoria left her long-term Korean agency SM Entertainment to further advance in China. What was your favourite news of this week and why wasn't it Wendy coming back to bless us with not one but two music videos!




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BY BEEFY & POLARIS_TAE


MONDAY:
#1- Apink's Chorong was accused of bullying by an anonymous netizen. The accuser claims that the idol physically assaulted her, and later claimed that the incident did not take place. Play M Entertainment shared that they were looking into the accusation.

#2- Thankfully, we learned that Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku's Yasumoto Ayaka's lymphoma is in remission through an Instagram post! The idol had to take a break from activities last October in order to focus on her treatment. We are extremely happy to hear this amazing news!

#3- Mega group BTS will reportedly be releasing a new single sometime in May! Meanwhile, Elris released their first Japanese single "JACKPOT (Japanese Version)" on April 9th; have you given it a listen yet?

#4- HYBE continues to expand with the news they've taken over Big Hit America and will merge with Ithaca Holdings, which is home to such superstars like Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber. How do you feel about this development?

#5- The upcoming musical 'Red Book' revealed their casting lineup, which includes Kim Sejeong, SF9's Inseong, Cha Ji Yeon, and more! In continuation of news relating to Kim Sejeong, she has been cast as the lead for SBS' new drama 'Today's Webtoon'. We're looking forward to both future projects!

#6- NCT 127 has been selected as the new models for the clothing brand Slow Acid; and, SF9's Rowoon has been selected as the new model for the non-alcoholic beer brand Hite Zero 0.00. We congratulate both parties on their new titles!

#7- Cube Entertainment shared that Jung Jiwoo, BTS J-Hope's sister, will be getting married sometime in May! We congratulate her on the wonderful news!




TUESDAY:
#1- AB6IX will be making their comeback with the new min-album MOCOMPLETE_HAVEADREAM on April 26th. We are looking forward to this future release!

#2- The staff of the late Miura Haruma thanked fans for their birthday messages this year; the actor passed away last July and would've turned 31 on April 5th.

#3- B1A4 will be holding an online fan-meeting for their 10th Anniversary on April 23rd! Will you be attending?

#4- JYP Entertainment partnered with World Vision to promote their 'Every Dream Matters Inititaive'; which will provide medical funds for children in Bangladesh, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Mongolia. We are very appreciative of their charitable act!

#5- WJSN had their first win for their new release 'Unnatural' on 'SBS MTV The Show', this is the ninth total win for the group! We congratulate them on their win!




WEDNESDAY:
#1- Pledis Entertainment announced that Seventeen's Mingyu will be resuming activities; the company released a statement sharing that both Mingyu and the accuser have found closure. To read Pledis' full statement make sure to check out the linked thread.

#2- RBW has acquired the management right to WM Entertainment, which is home to Oh My Girl, ONF, B1A4, and Lee Chaeyeon. This occurred after RBW signed a stock trading agreement and gained more than 70% of WM Entertainment's shares. We are interested in seeing what this means for all groups involved in the future!

#3- Now for releases, Korean band IZ will be releasing the new single 'Missing U' on April 22nd. EMPiRE released pictures of their new uniforms announced that they'll be releasing the new single 'HON-NO / IZA!!' on May 12th; sometime in the same month, TXT will also be making their comeback! Finally, the upcoming girl group Hot Issue will be making their debut on April 28th with the mini-album Issue Maker; and it was shared that WJSN's Exy, Seola, Bona, and Eunseo will be forming a new unit which will debut in the early summer. Which upcoming release are looking forward to the most?

#4- Members of Cherry Bullet have reportedly applied for MNET's new program 'Girls Planet 999'. Do you think this was a smart move?

#5- Veteran group Highlight will be launching a web variety show 'Unexpected #Highlight', the show will air every Friday starting on April 16th. We can't wait to tune in every week!




THURSDAY:
#1- We begin Thursday with a number of upcoming comeback announcements! SEVENTEEN's THE8 will be returning with his third single 'Side By Side' on the 13th of April. Later that same week, Red Velvet's Joy will be dropping an OST for the webtoon series, 'Romance 101'. Meanwhile, we have a new boy group to look forward to in May after WUZO Entertainment announced that their new boy group, BLITZERS will be debuting on the 12th of May. Which release are you most looking forward to seeing?

#2- Now on to endorsements and advertising selections! BLACKPINK's Jennie has been announced as the new advertising model for the global nail brand Dashing Diva. Meanwhile, STAYC has proven their rising popularity after they were announced as advertising models for LG Nature Collection, 'Dr Belmeur' & 'CODE GLOKOLOR'. The following day we learned of two more brand deals! Lee Minho was chosen as the first global ambassador for Louis Vuitton Watch & Jewellery, while Eugene was selected as a model for the beauty device Dualsonic. We congratulate them on attaining these new brand deals!

#3- Ailee is returning with live shows throughout South Korea! Her team announced that her 2021 national tour concert, 'SHOW TOK' will be having stops at Anyang, Gunpo, Busan, Goyang, Gwangju & Iksan. Meanwhile, Ellen DeGeneres will be having TXT on her show as musical guests! The group will be performing 'We Lost The Summer' on the April 16 edition of the show. Are you excited about this?

#4- It has been announced that Shinhwa's Junjin has signed an exclusive contract with Liveworks Company. We look forward to all of his future activities under his new management company!

#5- Now onto relationship news and rumours, it was reported earlier this week by Dispatch that actors Seo Jihye & Kim Junghyun had been in a relationship with each other. Their respective agencies stepped out to staunchly deny these dating rumours. Meanwhile, 8EIGHT member Baek Chan has announced that he will be tying the knot on the 24th of April. We congratulate him on his upcoming marriage!




FRIDAY:
#1- Parc Jaejung will be releasing a new digital single titled 'It Was Good' on the 18th of April. We can't wait!

#2- Rookie boy group TRI.BE has announced its fandom name this week! The groups' fandom name will now be called 'TRUE'. What are your thoughts on this name?

#3- Now on to variety news! WEi's Kim Yohan will be joining the MBN variety program 병아리 하이킥 where he will be showing off his taekwondo skills. Meanwhile, Apink's Yoon Bomi will be participating in an eating-variety show program for MBC NET titled, '어쩌다 마주친 Season 2'. The first episode of the show is set to air on the 30th of April.

#4- We also received some exciting international news this week! BTS has received numerous nominations for the upcoming iHeartRadio awards. These include 'Best Duo/Group of the Year', 'Best Music Video' & 'Best Fan Army.' Also in the news this week was the exciting announcement that Han Yeri from the film Minari has received an official invitation to the 93rd Academy Awards. We couldn't be more proud of them!

#5- On Friday it was confirmed that f(x)'s Victoria had left SM Entertainment to focus on her career in China. This makes her the last member of the group to leave the agency following Krystal's departure from the agency a few months ago. We wish her the best of luck and hope she continues to develop her career in China.

#5-To wrap up Friday we received some news from the Japanese Entertainment Industry! GANG PARADE has announced that they will be temporarily reuniting as a group to hold a final concert. The group was scheduled to hold a final concert last year but had to cancel the show following the spread of covid-19; instead, the members went on to form two separate groups: PARADiSES & GO TO THE BEDS. Are you excited about this new development?




SATURDAY:
#1- The April boy group brand rankings has been released! BTS continue their dominance over the chart for another week, while NCT & SEVENTEEN take second and third place respectively. The following day the April girl group brand rankings were also announced! We saw BRAVE GIRLS take the top position this month, as BLACKPINK and WJSN rounded out the top three. Congrats to the top groups! Did any of your bias groups place on the list for April?

#2- KQ Entertainment has some exciting news for fans of BLOCK B! They've announced that B-Bomb will finally be discharged from military service on the 27th of April. We can't wait to welcome him back!

#3- Finally, Saturday's Juyeon has announced the opening of her personal YouTube channel. Have you subscribed to her channel yet?




SUNDAY:
#1- Great news for fans of BTS! The group has announced that they'll be holding a 'BANGBANGCON' concert event next week on the 17th of April. Will you be tuning in to see them in concert?

#2- Sad news for people who were expecting to see Nu'est's Aron return to the stage following his hiatus earlier this year. Pledis has announced that the idol will be continuing his hiatus for the foreseeable future and instead focus on recovering from anxiety. It's not all sad news though, as we'll still get to hear him on their upcoming album 'Romanticize'! We hope he feels better soon.

#3- Kim Seonho has been selected as the newest model for the commerce portal '11th Street' Do you think he's a good selection? Are you like us and want to be doing your taxes while staring at pictures of Kim Seonho!






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BY BEEFY


#1- LIKE WATER - WENDY
Following her hiatus, Wendy made her triumphant return with her debut song 'Like Water' from the mini-album of the same name. 'Like Water' is a power ballad with slight folk influences that puts Wendy's amazing vocal ability on full display. The song kicks off relatively sparse with the accented strumming of an acoustic guitar, and gradually introduces more instruments that make the instrumental sound more full. During the verses, Wendy's vocals are almost hushed and smooth. Once we reach the chorus, much like the song, it is subdued and is only heightened in energy by Wendy's vocal which takes on a more commanding tone. From here on out, the song is slightly more upbeat and brighter. We even get a brief musical breakdown during the second verse where we can fully enjoy the song's earthier vibe and folk-like sound. The last chorus of the song takes it to a whole other level, as Wendy truly brings the song to life by adding unique vocal flares, and we can truly feel the emotions in her voice. It was a joy to listen to from beginning to end. The song's lyrics are about providing comfort about what the future may hold, which ties in with the overall theme of the album. The singer herself shared that the album was meant to provide gratitude and comfort to her fans who've sent her love and support. Like Water is a very cohesive album as each song has a similar sound to its leading single. Two personal favourites are the soulful 'Why Can't You Love Me?' and 'Best Friend' which features group member Seulgi. This was a very good debut, and we are looking forward to what else is in store for Wendy in the future!





#2- ONE - ASTRO
ASTRO made their long-awaited group comeback after almost a year with 'ONE' from their second full-length album All Yours, The group last had a comeback with May's 'Knock', before focusing on other activities such as the debut of their first subunit Moonbin&Sanha. For this release, the group seems to take on a new sound and shift slightly towards something reminiscent of SM Entertainment's signature one. The song wastes no time and starts off with its robotic vocally layered chorus. As we approach the pre-chorus the song drops all of its heavy instrumental in favour of relying solely on the members' vocals, thundering percussion, and a piano melody to build energy and excitement. The chorus is bombastic and in your face, the song also takes on a slight '80s sound within its instrumental. During this portion, the vocals are amazing and really make the energetic line "We come as one" memorable! The second part of the chorus is what we started the song off with, and it truly completes the section. The album All Yours is less aggressive and is more on the lighter side, which can be a nice throwback for some of their older fans. Some personal favourites are the feel-good track 'All Good' which is currently being promoted; and the house pop track 'Butterfly Effect'! We are very interested in seeing what concept and direction the group will take on next!





#3- TRILL - AIMER
Aimer continues to release masterpiece after masterpiece with her new single "Trill", which will appear on her sixth studio album Walpurgis, scheduled to be released on April 14th. This comes just three weeks after her single with Vaundy titled "Chikyuugi", and is a complete tonal change from the previous track. For this 'Trill', Aimer makes a return to a softer and soothing sound. The song starts off with a combination of some warm strumming and gentle percussion, which truly helps create a placid atmosphere. Aimer's vocals throughout the verses match the instrumental's mood, and it sounds as if the singer is almost trying to console the listener due to her comforting tone and encouraging phrases like "It’s all right". The transition to the chorus is very subtle, as the instruments and vocals pick up some energy and volume. However, it still maintains its intended mood perfectly and makes an impact. The accompanying music video is just as beautiful as the song, as it's a short animated film with a lot of gorgeous colours and visuals. In the video, we see the story of a little girl mourning the loss of her beloved dog and is accompanied by a magical being that attempts to help her find some happiness during this sad time. In order to fully appreciate both the song and video, you may need to watch it a couple of times. We really enjoyed this release and are looking forward to listening to her full album!





#4- 5K - LEE JINHYUK
Soloist Lee Jinhyuk released the track "5K" from his mini-album SCENE26; the last time we heard from the idol was with his June release "Bedlam". The track "5K" is a groovy pop track with slight jazz influences and an extremely catchy chorus. The instrumental contains a nice funky bass line that continues throughout much of the song, a bit of rhythmic guitar, and the unique incorporation of jazz piano and horns. The usage of jazz instruments, in particular, gives the song a lot of character and are worked perfectly into the track! The verses show off Jinhyuk's talent catalogue, as he effortlessly switches between vocals and rapping. Now as for the chorus, it relies on the repetition of the phrase "okay" with sequences of short vocal portions. We can definitely say after listening to this track, that "okay" doesn't sound like a real word anymore. The usage of "okay" in this track is actually really clever as the number five in Korean is "oh", so Jinhyuk is basically saying the song's title repeated. The accompanying music video is also a fun watch, as we get some very interesting shots and scenes. Such as Jinhyuk pulling a Kylie Minogue and walking around the room in circles with multiple versions of himself towards the end of the video. SCENE26 provides a nice variety so if you're looking for an energetic pop-rock or rap track, there's something for you! We'd like to recommend you all give the track 'Asteroid' a listen, as it's a nice pop-rock track that really standouts on the album! We can not wait for Jinhyuk's next release!





#5- ASAP - STAYC
Rookie girl group STAYC made their first comeback with the track 'ASAP' from their single album STAYDOM; this comes six months after their debut single 'SO BAD'. The group decided to show us a brighter concept compared to their last single, but still, maintain their addictive and catchy quality. The intro sets the overall lighthearted tone of the song thanks to its blissful and fluttering-like synth; however, this is soon switched up as the member's vocals are introduced. We are met with a pair of charismatic and spunky rap verses that instantly add life to the track. The chorus is very subtle and doesn't provide much of a punch, but it's still very catchy regardless. Especially, its second part which relies on a blithe beat drop, and the memorable phrases "ASAP" and "Whoo". The chorus is quite an earworm, and we can guarantee it'll grow on you if you didn't enjoy it upon your first listen! A standout part of the song is its bridge, this portion is a bit reminiscent of the one found in TWICE's 'Cheer UP', which is one of Black Eyed Pilseung's previous work. Here the song slows down significantly and leaves only a delicate piano melody and the member's charming vocals; this provides a nice change within the song. The album STAYDOM contains three other songs including a remix of 'SO BAD', one personal favourite of mine is the dreamy track 'Love Fool'! We're looking forward to seeing what else the group has in store!







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BY NARA


#1- Congrats to Baekhyun as his latest album 'Bambi' sets a new first-week sales record for a solo singer with 868,000 copies of sold! Have you checked out the album yet?

#2- Check out this week's milestones for MVs on YouTube: BTS's 'Fake Love' has surpassed 900 million views, and Jessi's music video for 'Who Dat B' has surpassed 20 million views on YouTube! Congrats to both artists!

#3- Congrats to TWICE for their achievements in sales and streams this week; their album 'Eyes Wide Open' surpassed 500,000 copies sold on Gaon, and their song 'Feel Special' surpassed 100 million streams on Oricon!

#4- OH MY GIRL's 'Dolphin' achieves 100 million streams on Gaon and has been listed in the 'Platinum Certification List' ! Meanwhile, the girls are currently gearing up for an early May comeback so anticipate!

#5- NCT's 'NCT Resonance Pt. 1' sells over 1.5 million albums, becoming the highest album sales by an SM artist! Huge congrats to the group!

#6- ENHYPEN's upcoming album 'BORDER: CARNIVAL' surpasses 370,000 copies in pre-order sales! This record is 2.5x more than their debut album pre-order sales showing tremendous growth for the group!

#7- TXT mini-album 'Minisode: Blue Hour' has been certified Double Platinum on Gaon! Congrats to the group for breaking their record for sales!






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BY POLARIS_TAE


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Stannie hosted 'Fake Artist Goes To H+' where players were required to pick out the fake artist from all of the art connoisseurs. Ultimately Chomiczewska took home the prize. Congrats!


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Shop+ fans, our team worked hard again this week to fulfil all of your requests by stocking our shelves with only the best goods. Make sure to purchase them ASAP!

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Our PR Team blessed us with an interview with Korean R&B artist
AVYN. Make sure to check it out when you have the time.


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The Translations Team gave us one update this week!

Vanilla Cupcake blessed us with a translation of aespa's
NingNing.


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Hallyu+ is actively recruiting for staff. If you want to contribute to the forum's growth and join our amazing team, don't hesitate and apply now!
We are searching for new members for the following teams GFX, Public Relations - Video & Outreach Divisions, Translations and SM Team - Press Division, Moderators & Events - Game Hosts & GFX.


Well, this brings us to the end of ICYMI for another week. Make sure to sound off in the comments if anything piqued your interest and we'll be back at the same time next week where SHINee will be living rent-free in our minds. It is here where we also announce that our writer Beefy will be leaving us after having contributed to both our news and releases section. We wish them the best of luck for the future and thank them for all of their contributions to the forum. We'll see you next week for more great content!





GFX BY @yerm
PROOFREAD BY @Polaris_Tae
FEATURED ARTISTS Aimer, Lee Jinhyuk, Wendy (Red Velvet), Cha Eunwoo, Yoon (STAYC)
 
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