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

[Polaris_Tae]

FEBRUARY 5 - FEBRUARY 11


Hello Hallyuplussers and welcome to In Case You Missed It for another week! This time we're back with a slew of comeback updates for SM-related artists following the officially announced slate of artists set to make their return in 2024. Also making their comeback very soon will be the viral girl group, FIFTY FIFTY. The group had a rough year in 2023 after the loss of over half of their group members following various lawsuits filed against their company, ATTRAKT. Meanwhile, BTS has broken a major MelOn record, and we've seen new music updates from Japanese soloist Imase, P1-Harmony, SKE48 and more. So be sure to read on if any of these updates are of interest to you!

BY POLARIS_TAE

MONDAY:
#1- BIBI had some exciting news for us this week! To begin, the soloist will be joining 88rising's Head in the Clouds festival in New York alongside Kpop heavyweights (G)I-DLE! Then on the 13th of February, we'll be seeing the soloist return with double title tracks, '밤양갱' & 'Sugar Rush'. Speaking of her upcoming comeback, KBS has shared that they have banned 'Sugar Rush' from broadcast on all of their platforms due to "lyrics containing profanity and vulgar expressions." Are you looking forward to new music from BIBI?

#2- Now moving on and the management company for rookie boy group FANTASY BOYS, PocketDoll Studio, has shared that the group recently signed an exclusive contract with Columbia Records for their future promotions in Japan. Are you looking forward to seeing the group expand into Japan soon?



TUESDAY:
#1- Lee Seung-gi had a personal update for us on Tuesday. The singer/actor has shared that he and his wife, Lee Da-in, have welcomed the birth of their first child together. We congratulate the happy couple on the new addition to their family!



WEDNESDAY:
#1- We had a slew of comeback announcements mid-week! To start, SM Entertainment has shared the future plans for its roster of artists. To start, NCT's Taeyong and WayV's Ten will be releasing new music in February alongside the new Japan-based NCT unit, NCT WISH, while in February Red Velvet's Wendy & NCT Dream will each be making their comebacks. Then later in the year, we're expected to see new music from artists including BoA, RIIZE, WayV, a debut from virtual idols nævis, and more comebacks from SHINee, Red Velvet and so much more! Now moving on and EXO's Chen has two new songs set to release! The idol collaborated with HYNN for a duet, 'JILPUNGGADO' which will serve as the Korean OP for the Japanese anime Ultimate Muscle 2. Then on the 10th of February, the Exo member shared a new OST for the JTBC drama Dr. Slump titled, '사랑법'. Are you looking forward to any of these upcoming releases?

#2- We had some schedule announcements on Wednesday as well! KCON Hong Kong has shared the 1st lineup for their upcoming convention! It's been revealed that ATEEZ, TWS, TO1, VIVIZ, ZB1 & more will be performing at the event. Meanwhile, the 2024 WE BRIDGE Music Festival and Expo has shared their official line-up! NMIXX, KARD, MAMAMOO's Hwasa, Kiss of Life and more are set to perform. Then finally, the 2nd line-up of the 2024 ASEA — Asia Star Entertainment Awards — has officially been shared! Day6, Fantasy Boys and Billlie are all set to be in attendance. Are you looking forward to any of these upcoming events?



THURSDAY:
#1- On Thursday, we had a few debut announcements and group updates. UNIVERSE TICKET's resulting girl group, UNIS will be reportedly making their debut during the first half of the year. Meanwhile, SM Entertainment has shared that they will be working in collaboration with M&B to launch a new project. The company has shared that they will be working with the British talent agency led by Nigel Hall — The man responsible for the production of shows such as X-Factor & Britain's Got Talent — to produce a 6-episode television series surrounding the creation of an upcoming Kpop group consisting of British members. What are your thoughts on this initiative?

#2- Moving on and ATTRAKT has shared some details related to the ongoing re-grouping of FIFTY FIFTY. This comes following the departure of three of its group members after a contractual dispute — among other things — in 2023. The company has shared that the preliminary audition for the selection of new group members was held in Singapore on the 3rd of February and that they plan on finalising the groups' official line-up — which is set to include the sole remaining group member, Keena — around April. A spokesperson has also shared that they plan to release new music from the group by June 2024. What do you think about FIFTY FIFTY's chances at success? Do you think it'll be a difficult road ahead for Keena and the future FIFTY FIFTY members?

#3- BLCKPINK's Lisa became the second group member to officially share the establishment of her own label. Following Jennie's announcement earlier this year, Lisa will be following in her footsteps by establishing a new label for the management of her solo activities. The label has reportedly been named LLOUD. While on the topic of management companies, SM Entertainment has shared that Red Velvet members Irene and Seulgi have renewed their contracts with the label. Are you looking forward to more activities from Red Velvet or Lisa?



FRIDAY:
#1- Cube has shared that (G)I-DLE's Shuhua will be suspending all of her upcoming schedules due to a poor health condition. The idol recently visited the hospital after reportedly suffering from spells of dizziness. In response to this, the idol was advised to set aside sufficient time to rest and focus on recovery. We hope to see her back to full health soon.



SATURDAY:
#1- There were no relevant updates on Saturday.



SUNDAY:
#1- There were no relevant updates on Sunday.

BY DRAGON OF THE WEST & POLARIS_TAE


#1. MOONBYUL - THINK ABOUT
As she gears up to make her comeback later this month with a full-length album, Moonbyul has put out a pre-release track titled ‘Think About’. Proving once again that she’s skilled in more than just rapping, ‘Think About’ is a bright pop song which is almost entirely sung. The song starts off on an upbeat percussion and by the time it reaches the chorus, you can just tell that it’s the sort of uplifting song that has real earworm potential. But the strongest facet of this song is undoubtedly the post-chorus which has an addicting hook and if it was carried through to the entirety of the track, it would have made this a near-perfect track. That being said, ‘Think About’ is still a joyful pre-release track showcasing Moonbyul’s talent and charm, and it has us excited about what she has to offer with the rest of her album.





#2.IMASE - KOIGOROMO
Japanese soloist Imase made his return once again this week with a new single, 'Koigoromo', the music video of which features the acting talents of Erika Takizawa & Sakurazaka46's Yamazaki Ten. This release comes directly following the soloist's RnB-inspired January release, 'Midnight Girl'. Unlike his previous releases from 2023 — which tend to display a blend of either city-pop or easy-listening RnB — 'Koigoromo' instead displays a sound that sounds almost distinctly Japanese in its composition. It displays a sound that one would expect to see in a Japanese slice-of-life teen drama or coming-of-age film. 'Koigoromo' similarly to [ALEXANDROS] 2015 hit 'Watoridori' displays an upbeat and bright colour to its sound, but unlike the aforementioned track, chooses to directly add a tonal shift in the percussions around two minutes into the song. The lyrics tell the story of the changing of seasons through a metaphor of love. Now moving on to the music video of 'Kogoromo'. The video, which stars Yamazaki Ten, tells the story of a pair of clarinet players who are auditioning for a part in a symphony, only for one of them to fail to make the cut and how their relationship develops following this revelation. It's a great release and a surprising sound from what we've come to know of Imase so far.





#3.A子 - PLANET
A子 — otherwise known as Ako — is a Japanese singer-songwriter based in Tokyo, Japan. She made her return this week with a brand new single, 'Planet'. This comes following her 2023 Extended Play, Steal Your Heart along with a string of single releases from the past year. Ako's music can often be seen to be a littering of multiple different genres from hip-hop-influenced alternative rock to electronica and Jpop. She's an artist who doesn't define herself by any one genre but instead chooses to embrace the many different qualities and aspects of music creation. This can be seen through the way that she blends many different sounds and refuses to be tied down by any one sound. The release of 'Planet' marks the artists' first comeback since 2023 came to a close. Through this release, Ako has continued the experimental alternative-rock sound that followed her throughout 2023's Steal Your Heart and its accompanying single 'Trank'. Similarly to 'Trank' we also see her continue on the theme of displaying a whisper-like effect throughout her vocals in a similar vein to Western artists such as Billie Eilish. This, in my opinion, helps to distinguish her from the many other currently active sing-songwriters in Japan. It helps to create a unique quality to her voice that she likely would not have otherwise. Overall, it's a solid release and we're looking forward to seeing more from Ako in the future as well!




#4. SKE48 TEAM S - ISN'T IT OKAY?
SKE48 is the first official Japanese sister group of AKB48, which is a Japanese female supergroup produced by the infamous Akimoto Yasushi. SKE48 is, likewise, also produced by the Japanese hit-maker. The group will be making their return this month with their 32nd single album Ai No Hologram. This week, the group came back with the coupling song, "Isn't It Okay? — or "Doudemo Yokunai" — from the aforementioned single album performed by SKE48 Team S. SKE48 is one of the few remaining 48G-associated teams still in existence following the decision in 2023 to begin disbanding the team structure across the board — only two other groups across mainland Japan still employ this team structure, HKT48 & NMB48 — and regroup into two separate units: active members and research students. 'Isn't It Okay' is a bright and uplifting track penned by Aki-P with a music video that has the group asking us 'Isn't It Okay' as they seemingly perform a self-produced — at least according to the plot of the music video — choreography to showcase their charms. Overall, it's a fantastic release from the group that successfully showcases their charms both as singers and dancers and we're looking forward to seeing just what SKE48 come back with next!





#5. P1HARMONY - KILLIN' IT
P1Harmony have released their first full-length album Killin’ It with the title track of the same name. ‘Killin’ It’ is a continuation of their hip-hop signature style, a sound they tend to excel in given their strong rap-line. The song is heavy on energy and showcases the group’s overall personality, and the chorus toes the line between being chanty and melodic, resulting in something that’s quite catchy regardless of how you feel about it. Unfortunately, after listening to the rest of the album, I can’t help but feel that they picked the worst track as the album’s promotional material especially when there are standouts like ‘Late Night Calls’, ‘Let Me Love You’ & ‘Countdown To Love’. It is also a shame that a group with “Harmony” in its name doesn’t have stronger melodies on the title track to compliment the rap-heavy verses and allow members like Keeho to showcase their vocal chops





#6. ICHILLIN' - DEMIGOD
Last month ICHILLIN' released ‘Bite Me’ which was, in my opinion, one of the standout K-pop tracks of January and now they’re already back with another digital single titled ‘Demigod’. A hip-hop-inspired track that draws on early-to-mid 2000s vibes with its funky groove. Rather than having an overly complicated instrumental, each element of it is allowed to shine from the percussion to the guitar strings and rhythmic bass. The anti-drop chorus is addictive thanks to the beat and all that’s missing here is an all-in climax at the end that would tie things together to perfection. ICHILLIN' have started the year off strongly and I sincerely hope they continue on this trajectory because as it stands, they are one of the most exciting girl groups to follow musically.

BY DRAGON OF THE WEST


#1. BTS' 'Spring Day' has now overtaken Busker Busker's 'Cherry Blossom Ending' to become the song with the most unique listeners on the MelOn. It has also become the first song on the Chart to reach 8.4 million unique listeners, doing so just a few days before its 7th anniversary.

#2. Jungkook has become the fastest K-pop act to surpass 4.7 billion total streams on Spotify. This also makes him the 6th most streamed K-pop artist on the platform.

#3. (G)I-DLE's 'Tomboy' has become the group's first music video to hit 300 million views on YouTube.

BY POLARIS_TAE

User of the Month was officially announced for the month of February (2024). This time Winter Bear took the honour for their good-spirited participation in our Winter flagship event. We congratulate them on taking out the honour. Who would you like to see as User of the Month next?

Our H+ Station Chart came back with a new update! This week, VIVIZ took the #1 position once more with their single 'Maniac'! While WOODZ returned to the chart with 'AMNESIA' at #7 & (G)I-DLE made their debut on the chart with 'Super Lady' at #4. Be sure to check out our chart to see where all of your favourite songs ranked!

Our Winter flagship event, the Hallyu+ Winter Adventure officially ended this week, and with it came some very important updates!

To start, the Events Team has shared that they are currently in the process of finalising the 3rd edition +Cards variants with an aim to reveal them later this month. The team is also looking for ways to improve the +Cards system overall, so make sure to stay tuned for that!

The Hall of Elites ceremony will be taking place later this month where we'll be celebrating the top 10 gamers on the forum from 2023. The ceremony date is set to be announced later in February.

Did you enjoy our winter-themed event?


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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 Blog Team & Social Media Team - Press Division. As always, our full list of recruitments can be found in the General Staff Recruitment thread.


This brings us to the end of In Case You Missed It for the 2nd week of February. We'll see you again next week for more great updates! As always, we're open to constructive feedback both in this thread or in our official Social Media Team thread. While still on the topic of staff teams, both ourselves and the official Blog Team are both on the lookout for new members. So if you would like to contribute to our social media team, or want to help get the blog up and running with content such as blog posts, dedicated artist profiles, OP GFX contributions, or just with the overall running and design of the site, then feel free to apply via the linked application forms above! With all that said, we'll see you again next week for even more great updates!





GFX BY @yerm
FEATURED ARTISTS Imase, Moonbyul, Keeho (P1 Harmony), a子, Lee Seunggi​

 

[Jibang]

Thanks for the updates

 

[UMJI MOODS]

Great job as always considering it was a long holiday week. Thanks.

 

[Stan BiSH]

Ako

nice review!