ICYMI IN CASE YOU MISSED IT / FEBRUARY 1 - FEBRUARY 7

[Lilac]

FEBRUARY 1 - FEBRUARY 7


Hello again Hallyuplussers and welcome to another week of In Case You Missed it! This week was relatively slow for Korean releases, but Japan more than made up for it with their fantastic releases! We also received some fantastic news in regards to SHINee having a comeback later this month and saw another week of chart slayage by even more artists this week! Now, with that said, let's jump into another fantastic article!

BY POLARIS_TAE


MONDAY:
#1- Starting the week off with some fantastic news: SHINee is back and better than ever! Their management company, SM Entertainment, has announced that the group will be making their return on the 22nd of February following a two-year hiatus, after their previous Story of Light album series, and the respective mandatory military duties for the three oldest members. While still on the topic of SM groups, Super Junior has announced via their Label SJ sub-label that they will once again be delaying the release of the group's 10th album to the 16th of March. Meanwhile, ASTRO's Cha Eunwoo, who is currently starring in the tvN drama, True Beauty, has released his OST, 'Love So Fine,' on the 3rd of February. Have you had a chance to listen to it?

#2- MAMAMOO has announced that they will be holding an online fan-meeting on the 21st of February titled, Best Friend, Best Travel: MOOMOO TOUR. Will you be purchasing tickets?

#3- NAVER NOW has revealed that AKMU's Lee Suhyun would be receiving her own show on the platform. Her new show, Lee Suhyun's Forest, has started on the 2nd of February. Have you had a chance to catch it yet?

#4- Stray Kids has gained themselves yet another exciting opportunity! The group has been announced as the newest faces for the cosmetics brand CLIO. We cannot wait to see just what they have to offer for the brand!

#5- GFRIEND's Sowon has come under fire earlier this week when she posted an image on her Instagram of her posing with a mannequin in a German Nazi uniform. The artist's label, Source Music, has later released an apology stating that they failed to thoroughly inspect the mannequin for inappropriate content when taking and uploading BTS images, while Sowon herself feels remorse for the image having been posted. What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you think this is enough? Or would you have liked to see a personal apology from Sowon in addition to her agency?

#6- Jin Dal-rae, who was a contestant on Miss Trot 2, has confirmed accusations that she was a school bully throughout her school years and apologized to the victim who first accused her, while also stating that she is ashamed of past actions. Meanwhile, her management company has also come under fire for their initial statement in which they said that they would "shake the soul" of the accuser. What are your thoughts on these developments?

#7- We have some exciting news for all Huojians on the internet! Penguin Family Reunion Party has announced that six of the eleven former Rocket Girls 101 members will be regrouping to attend and perform on the show this February. Of the 11 members, only Wu Xuanyi, Lai Meiyun, Sunnee, Xu Mengjie, Li Ziting, and Yamy will be in attendance. The show aired on the 5th of February. Did you catch this? Do you miss them even more now that it's over?



TUESDAY:
#1- On Tuesday we received even more news related to upcoming releases! VIXX's Ravi will be releasing a new single on the 8th of February. Also releasing new music this February will be Sunmi & ALLART/Happy Tribe rookie girl group, PIXY. The group is set to make their debut with former Cherry Bullet member, Ella. Sunmi is set to come back sometime during February; while PIXY will be making their debut on the 24th of February. Our last piece of releases news comes from SEVENTEEN, who are scheduled to release their new Japanese single on the 21st of April. We can't wait!

#2- Now moving onto drama and variety news! Rookie YG boy group, TREASURE will be appearing on an upcoming episode of Yoo Heeyeol's Sketchbook. Filming took place on Tuesday, while the episode aired later on Friday. Meanwhile, it has been announced that The Boyz' Juyeon, EVERGLOW's Shiyeon & actor Kim Min-kyu will all be stepping down from their positions as MC's for SBS MTV The Show following the programs' broadcast on Tuesday. JTBC has announced a new variety show set to premiere on the 22nd of February titled Long Live Independence. The variety will be hosted by Boom & Super Junior's Heechul, while AKMU, Song Eun-i & Jaejae have been confirmed as cast members. The 2021 Lunar New Year ISAC: Hall of Fame will air on the 11th & 12th of February. Instead of the usual Lunar New Year ISAC special, this edition will be a talk show with the discussion of past highlights. We later learned that Red Velvet's Yeri will be making her acting debut as a part of the anthology drama series, 'Drama Stage 2021' on tvN. Yeri will be starring in the 9th episode of the series. Later in the day, it was announced that IU will be joining the cast of the upcoming film, 'Broker'. She will be joining Bae Doona, Song Kang-ho & Kang Dongwon in the production. Lastly, we learned that SCANDAL will be launching their documentary series, 「'her' Diary 2021 on YouTube」will be distributed monthly via YouTube. Will you be tuning in to any of these shows?

#3- Great news for AOA's Seolhyun, she was recently appointed as the honorary ambassador for the Korean Liver Cancer Association. We congratulate her on the exciting new opportunity!

#4- Now on to news related to graduations and hiatuses. Pentagon's Hui will be taking a hiatus from pentagon owing to his upcoming military enlistment on the 18th of February. The idol was due to initially enlist during December of last year but was unable to do so due to self-isolation protocols. He will serve as a public service officer. Meanwhile, it has been announced that Nonno Satake will be graduating from Jpop idol group, =LOVE this March. She will be the first member to graduate from the group since its formation in 2017. We wish them the best of luck!

#5- Now onto the world of Jpop! NEWS' member Kato Shigeaki, who made his debut as a novelist in 2012 has had his most recent novel, 'Alternate' nominated for the Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Prize For New Writers. This honour is awarded to a new writer who they believe has the most promising future among new writers and released an excellent work between the 1st of January to the 31st of December, 2020. The winner will be announced on the 2nd of March. Two former E-GIRLS members, YURINO & Suda Anna have announced the launch of a new project together titled, 'Episode'. The pair announced that they plan to produce various products such as cosmetics, apparel, colour contacts and more through the project. We can't wait!



WEDNESDAY:
#1- On Wednesday, we have learned that CLC's Elkie has left both CUBE Entertainment and CLC following the termination of her contract. We wish her only success in the future!

#2- ONF will be making their comeback with a full-length album at the end of February. Meanwhile, Soyou, pH-1, and five of the twelve IZ*ONE's members will be collaborating to release 'ZERO:ATTITUDE' for Starship x Pepsi on the 15th of February. Are you looking forward to any of these upcoming releases?

#3- FNC Entertainment has announced the creation of two separate sub-labels for the management of their groups. FNC B has been established for the production of trot music and is a collaboration between FNC and HOW Entertainment; on the other hand, their second sub-label FNC G will be responsible for the management of the company's girl groups. FNC B is set to launch in early-February, while FNC G has begun operations on the 1st of February.

#4- Also on Wednesday, we have received updates about two celebrity Covid-19 cases. Firstly, it has been revealed that Japanese actress Ishihara Satomi tested positive for the virus in mid-January, thus halting all her scenes from her upcoming projects while she is in mandatory self-isolation. Meanwhile, John Park, who recently tested positive for Covid-19, has since been released from hospital quarantine after testing negative for the disease in a subsequent coronavirus test.



THURSDAY:
#1- It looks like February will be the month for soloists, as both WONHO and Kim Jinah are gearing up for their respective comebacks during the latter half of February. Kwon Jinah is set to make her comeback on the 18th of February with a brand new EP, The Way For Us; while WONHO will drop the second half of his debut mini-album on the 26th of February. We are counting the minutes until the new releases by these fantastic artists!

#2- Now onto variety news! Weekly Idol will be holding a 500th episode special on the 24th of February. The show has announced that a number of idols will be in attendance to commemorate the momentous occasion. The lineup includes Super Junior's Shidong and Donghae, GFRIEND's SinB and Yerin, Oh My Girl's Hyojung and Mimi, as well as Monsta X's Minhyuk. Meanwhile, AB6iX's Lee Daehwi and model Han Hyunmin have both stepped down from their positions as the MCs for Mnet's M-Countdown on Thursday. Taking their place will be (G)I-DLE's Miyeon and actor Nam Yoonsoo. Are you sad to see Daehwi and Hyunmin go? What do you think of the new duo of Miyeon and Nam Yoonsoo?

#3- Moon Gayoung and Kim Seonho have gained another exciting opportunity! The pair has been announced as the newest faces for the outdoor lifestyle brand, nau. The following day, Exo's Kai has been announced as the new model for Blackyak Climbing Crew. We congratulate them on securing another great endorsement deal!

#4- Former SDN48's member Kojo Seara has announced that she has become pregnant four months after the birth of her first child. She has stated that she has become pregnant again two months postpartum but only found out about the pregnancy recently and wanted to make the announcement, hoping that it will bring information to those in a similar situation.



FRIDAY:
#1- BerryGood's main vocalist, Gowoon has shared via Instagram that she'll be releasing her debut solo album, My Diary, Episode 1 on the 20th of February. Meanwhile, it has been reported that Rain is in discussions with Chungha regarding a possible upcoming collaboration. This came following reports earlier in the week that the two would be collaborating together. In response to this Rain's agency, Sublime Artist Agency responded that a collaboration between the pair is "currently under discussion". Do you think Chungha and Rain would make a great collaboration?

#2- On Friday we also learned that IZ*ONE will be holding an online fan party via the fandom app UNIVERSE on the 28th of February. Will you be joining them for this event?

#3- GOT7's JB gave us even more things to be excited about this week when he opened his personal YouTube account on Thursday! Have you subscribed to his channel yet?

#4- In what comes as an interesting turn of events, it has been announced that boy group A.C.E will now be under the dual management of both BEAT Interactive & Swing Entertainment. BEAT Interactive, the groups' original agency will be charged with global marketing and artist production; while Swing Entertainment will focus on artist management for the group. What are your thoughts on this management decision?

#5- This Friday, we also saw the graduation of multiple idols including TREASURE's Bang Yedam, LOONA's Yeojin, Weki Meki's Lucy, Stray Kids' I.N, NATURE's Sunshine & more. We congratulate them on their successful high school graduations!

#6- Following continued actions committed by sasaeng fans in an effort to contact members of Stray Kids, JYP has released a stern warning to people found to be pursuing their artist in improper ways. Stating that they consider the safety of their artist [Stray Kids] to be their "top priority" and that they will take "strong action by using every measure possible, including legal punishments" for anyone found to be invading Stray Kids' personal privacy".

#7- SM Entertainment has been ordered to pay $18 million USD in fines following findings that the company's founder, Lee Soo-man had been leaking money. This comes as anything but a surprise, as 2014 the company was required to an additional $10 million USD following a tax audit conducted by the National Tax Service. Lee Soo-man has previously found himself on the Interpol wanted list for corruption charges dating back to 2002 when he fled the country during an ongoing (at the time) investigation on corruption in the entertainment business. What are your thoughts on this? Are you surprised? Or do you think that this is just another day in the life of Korean Entertainment?



SATURDAY:
#1- The China Association of Performing Arts has published a set of moral guidelines for performing artists in attendance at commercial events and performances, stating that artists could face a permanent ban from their respective professions should they fail to comply. These guidelines include a ban on lipsyncing and fake performing [instruments] during commercial performances, as well as stating that artists are to not violate the ethics, morals, or social public order of society (e.g. drinking and driving). What are your thoughts on this? Do you think the entertainment industry will be on board with it, or is this just another empty threat?

#2- Onto some news surrounding the social media platform Tik-Tok! First, Tokyo Girls' Style has announced the opening of their Tik-Tok channel. Click the link to find out where to follow them! Meanwhile, TXT has been selected as the campaign ambassador for the global Tik-Tok campaign, '#BeMyValentine.' Congrats on gaining yet another fantastic opportunity!

#3- Actress Kim Taeri opened her personal Instagram account this week! Did you follow her yet?



SUNDAY:
#1- Actor Kaku Kento and his wife, actress Eiruka Nana announced the birth of their second child this week. We congratulate them on the new addition to their family!

#2- Japanese voice actor Shouta Aoi announced that he would be live-streaming an audienceless concert worldwide from the Nippon Bukodan on the 6th of March. Will you be tuning in to see this concert?

BY POLARIS_TAE


#1-L - MEMORY
INFINITE's L has gifted us a special goodbye present just prior to his upcoming military enlistment—a debut solo album, Memory, and the title track of the same name. 'Memory' begins with the artist reminiscing on each of the memories he has made throughout his career as an idol. He details, "Between the memories // Between the seasons // All the moments that were forgotten //I'm bringing them back again one by one." He shares an insight into his feelings with us while looking back on his career and achievements from his debut up until now. 'Memory' is an easy-to-listen acoustic track that showcases the artist's vocal ability to the fullest. While L may not have the strongest voice in INFINITE, he by far makes up for it with his excellent vocal colour and technique, which has drastically improved over the years since his initial debut with the group in 2011. True to its acoustic nature, the song starts off soft, with his soft vocals introducing us to the sole guitar in the background. Once we reach the chorus, the song picks up. We see a piano and numerous percussion instruments layered on top of the acoustic instruments that gives the song a sense of depth, while also allowing L's fantastic vocals to take the forefront. In 'Memory,' he blesses us with one final, yet stunning goodbye as he prepares to say goodbye to us for two years. We will be counting the days until his return!





#2-CIX - CINEMA
CIX is back three months after the release of their addictive yet mature sounding, 'Jungle,' with their 4th mini-album Hello Chapter 0: Hello, Strange Dream, and its lead single 'Cinema.' Unlike 'Jungle,' this single is a much more upbeat and high-energy dance track that features a killer hook, while the boys donning bright costumes for all of us to enjoy. The song begins after a short intro to Bae Jinyoung, now with pink hair, introducing us to their brightly lit love song that is 'Cinema'! The song begins with a basic EDM synth beat featuring the classic up-and-down beat buildup that EDM music has become synonymous with; only to further layer more synth and drum beats onto the track as the song builds up to the chorus. Once we reach the chorus, instead of the expected beat drop that one would be expecting through this genre of music, we instead receive a vocal-dominated chorus where the drumbeat kicks into maximum effect in an effort to adequately highlight the members' vocals. Throughout the opening verses, there are times where the vocals can often sound drowned out by the high-energy instrumental; however, the chorus has more than made up for this slight fumble. The instrumentals in the chorus perfectly highlight the strengths of the group's vocals without drowning them out, while also giving us a killer hook through the repetition of the words, "Ooh Cinema Cinema Cinema // We are touched, excited and overwhelmed // Ooh Cinema Cinema Cinema // Any moment of us will probably last forever." It gives us the perfect audio experience to appreciate a trip to the 'Cinema' in this fantastic release by CIX!





#3-HYUNA - GOOD GIRL
Following last week's 'I'm Not Cool,' Hyuna is back with another single from I'm Not Cool, titled 'Good Girl.' This track was initially scheduled to release in late-August as a pre-release to the album but was delayed following her diagnosis of vasovagal syncope (fainting spells) and subsequent hiatus resulting from said illness. After months of delay, we are finally introduced to the music video for 'Good Girl' on the 3rd of February, but as a second single following the release of Hyuna's lead single, 'I'm Not Cool,' instead of being the originally planned pre-release. Unlike 'I'm Not Cool,' 'Good Girl' does not have the general complaints that some audiences found in her previous release; namely cultural issues regarding South Asian culture influencing its aesthetics and overall sound. 'Good Girl' instead attempts a safer route, offering a quirky music video that is somewhat reminiscent of Red Velvet's Red concept blended with the concept and visuals from Stellar's 'Sting.' This, combined with the lighter tone to help draw in the general audience and positive message of not conforming to the standards that society sets for you, but instead living your life to how you see fit, shows us that Hyuna has yet another hit in her hands with 'Good Girl'!





#4-STU48 - HITORIGOTO DE KATARU KURINARA
STU48 is making a comeback with their first release of the year, in the form of 'Hitorigoto de Kataru Kurainara,' from their 6th single of the same name, which is set to release later this month on the 17th of February. 'Hitorigoto de Kataru Kurainara' is a single that, just like the tourism heavy concept of the group, will have you join them on a journey into the unknown! The song begins with a heavy drum beat and some guitar strings sprinkled in for good measure. This only picks up during the chorus, sounding almost orchestral through its addition of string and percussion instruments. The overall tone of the song gives us a sense of travelling into a journey to the unknown, which perfectly fits the concept of STU48, a tourist-centric Japanese sister group of AKB48, who, up until recently, called a ship their home for performances, taking their audiences on a journey every time they stepped foot into their theatre. The music video is just as wonderful as the song itself. This time we see Ishida Chiho take the center stage as we are invited to view a music video that plays with the concept of symmetry and stunning views of the seaside that only STU48 could achieve!





#5-WASUTA - HARU HANABI
Wa-suta or World Standard is a Japanese idol group under the management of iDOL Street. The group initially debuted in 2015 with a mission to spread Japanese kawaii culture on a global scale through the use of social media and fan-participation activities. Their songs often carry a cat theme across each of their releases and this release is no different! 'Haru Hanabi' is the group's first 2021 release from their single of the same name. They sing about the spring fireworks as the song begins of a softer note, with a sole piano along with some background instrumentals taking centre stage for the opening, only to later build up into a crescendo once the chorus begins. Throughout the chorus, we see each of the girls bless us with their soulful voices as they sing of their wishes to see the spring skies lit up with fireworks. Overall, 'Haru Hanabi' is a fantastic song, that will have you wondering why you hadn't discovered Wa-suta before 2021!





#6-LEXIE LIU - L
Lexie Liu returned this week with her second EP, Gone Gold, inspired by the current Covid-19 pandemic and its global effects on society. 'L' is a b-side from Gone Gold that describes her feelings of hopelessness during the pandemic and her mission to find someone to find affection in a time when everyone couldn't feel any more alone. We are introduced to 'L' via a single distorted piano beat only to see various scattered EDM beats layered on top of the track to create an almost dreamy aura to the song. Once we reach its chorus with the repetition of "I'll make you love me" we see the true intentions of the song; to establish itself as a sensual track with the aim to lure you into its atmosphere. Everything about this song will draw you in; from its mystical sound to the artists' breathy yet angelic voice, Lexie Liu will indeed have you falling in 'L'-ove with her all over again in this fantastic release!





#7-BATTEN GIRLS - JUST MEAN IT!
Batten Girls—or Batten Shoujotai—is another group from one of my favourite jpop labels, Stardust Planet. The group—which has been primarily active in Kyushu following their 2015 debut—recently dropped their latest release, 'Just Mean It!', featuring a special appearance from Billy Blanks from Billy's Bootcamp. This exercise program was a pop culture phenomenon in Japan throughout the early 2000s. The fitness guru feels right at home in the music video, which feels like a distinctly 80s MTV music video; helping to reinforce the song's message of motivation and striving for your dreams (be they fitness dreams, or otherwise). The song begins with a distorted guitar riff that lays the base for the rest of the song's composition. Following this, numerous percussion instruments are layered onto the track in an effort to add dimension to the song. Through this addition, we are introduced to the distinct sound of the girls that would feel at home in the retro sound of the 80s alongside songs like Mariya Takeuchi's 'Plastic Love'. The most distinct element within 'Just Mean It!' has to be the overarching guitar riff that spreads itself throughout the track's entirety. When paired with the girls' beautiful voices, this element promises to take us on a ride through the city that is their fantastic new release that'll have you screaming 'Just Mean It!'!





#8-BEYOOOONDS - THE HOTTEST LOVE
BEYOOOOONDS are back with three new singles, 'The Hottest Love', 'This Is Not How I Pictured Myself' & 'Now Now Humans', of which we will be covering the first two. Both releases are fantastic eccentric takes on trivial aspects of life that are guaranteed to get you addicted to their music! 'The Hottest Love' is probably my favourite of the two; it's a heart-pumping and dramatic sounding pop release that's guaranteed to give you a workout without even having to leave your seat! The track starts out high-energy straight off the bat where they talk about being 'The Hottest Love' for you! Following a short intro of the girls carrying a giant pepper into the restaurant, we begin the track with an upbeat and disco-inspired release that showcases their eccentricity and charm. After getting hit in the face with an exciting instrumental right at the beginning, the song continues its high energy tone right up until the end of the track. If there is once BEYOOOOONDS track that we could recommend this week, it would be 'The Hottest Love' with its crafty wordplay and addictive sound that almost anyone will surely enjoy!





#9-BEYOOOOONDS - THIS IS NOT HOW I PICTURED MYSELF!
BEYOOOOONDS second release this week, 'This Is Not How I Pictured Myself' is a tongue in cheek commentary on the Japanese idol industry. The song introduces itself as an almost nursery rhyme, only to kick into full swing once the group starts singing! We are given that Hello! Project BEYOOOOONDS staple sound while also being delivered some fun and quirky lyrics to match the song's nature. They talk about their dreams of being an idol being different from the reality that they face in 'This Is Not How I Pictured Myself' asking "Is this really our debut song?" after seeing "Weird lyrics that make me doubt my eyes" while delivering the entire song in such a comedic tone with a similarly eccentric instrumental to accompany it which will have you feeling for them, but also laughing along with the hilarious antics that they get up to all throughout the song and its music video as well!

BY NARA


#1- IU's 'Celebrity' has become the first song to achieve Perfect All-Kill this year! Congrats to IU as she continues to extend her record as the artist with the most Perfect All-Kills in South Korea's history!

#2- (G)I-dle's 'Hwaa' has reached 50 million views on YouTube in less than a month after its release! Don't forget to check out this bop!

#3- BLACKPINK's MV for 'Boombayah' has hit whooping 1.1 billion views on YouTube! Congrats to the group for their amazing achievement once again!

#4- Congrats to all the winners of the 30th Seoul Music Awards! BTS is the most awarded artist of the night at the 30th Seoul Music Awards and the first in history to win Best Song, Best Album, and Daesang awards all in the same year. Check out the full list of winners in the linked thread!

BY POLARIS_TAE

Our Events Team member Riri is hosting another Orb Giveaway for another month! The giveaway closes on the 14th of February, so make sure to enter before it closes!

The Social Media Team shared one article with us this week!

Polaris_Tae gave us a fantastic review on woo!ah!'s latest single album, 'QURIOUS'

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Hallyu+ is actively recruiting for staff. If you would like to contribute to the forum's growth and join one of our amazing teams, please 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 - Both Divisions.


This brings us to the end of the article for another week! We hope to see you again next week for more great content! In the mean-time, make sure to drop us a like and tell us what you enjoyed the most about this week!





GFX BY @mocha
PROOFREAD BY @Stannie
FEATURED ARTISTS Hyunsuk (CIX), Elkie (CLC), L (INFINITE), Mishina Ruka (Wasuta), Kato Shigeaki (NEWS)​

 

[fromisSakura]

Listened to Eunwoo's OST a lot. In fact I find myself singing the OST randomly daily. Miyeon is the next It Girl and I am excited to sed her being Mcountdown new MC!

Thanks for the updates!

 

[OutroTearTheFirst]

Off to follow the beautiful Kim Taeri now!
Also, I should really listen to the new Lexie Lu album! I like “L” and the other day Spotify recommended me “猪猪捶 (Chu Chu)” and I really enjoyed it ​

Thanks for the updates!​

 

[Katniss]

Nice to see all this news together.

Thank you for writing this

EDIT: and thanks for linking my Hwaa topic

 

[UMJI MOODS]

Always things that I missed. Thank you so much.​

 

[Lilac]

Nice to see all this news together.

Thank you for writing this

EDIT: and thanks for linking my Hwaa topic

Glad you like it Hwaa is a bop and deserves its high views it's one of my fav tracks from (G)I-DLE!

We link all chart updates (there aren't that many compared to news), so feel free to keep them coming if you'd like

 

[Katniss]

Glad you like it Hwaa is a bop and deserves its high views it's one of my fav tracks from (G)I-DLE!

We link all chart updates (there aren't that many compared to news), so feel free to keep them coming if you'd like

Thanks for letting me know.
I will add them when I see them

yes, Hwaa is amazing. It's my favorite song so far this year and one of their best.

 

[Happy]

Thank you so much for the updates!

 

[kimsguardian]

always gave us with such a complete news & releases, thank you for the updates!

 

[anh]

thanks for updates!

 

[Lurkette]

Why haven't you all discovered Wasuta by now is an excellent question and I'm glad you had the bravery to ask everyone that.