ICYMI IN CASE YOU MISSED IT // JUNE 21 - JUNE 27

[Polaris_Tae]

JUNE 21 - JUNE 27


Hello Hallyuplussers and welcome to this week's edition of In Case You Missed It! This week was relatively slow when it came to the release of music, however, when it came to the announcement of upcoming releases, it was overflowing with news! In just one week we received over twenty announcements of upcoming releases set to occur within the next few months, likely in an attempt to release new content before most of the wider world becomes pre-occupied with the upcoming -- much delayed -- Tokyo Olympic Games. Now with that said, let us recap the past week's news for you!

BY POLARIS_TAE


MONDAY:
#1- We started off the week with surprise comeback announcements from The Boyz & BRAVE GIRLS! BRAVE GIRLS, who just recently blessed us with their hit summer release, 'Chi Mat Ba Ram' have revealed that they're already planning an Autumn comeback with a repackaged album. Later, The Boyz announced that they would be returning this August with their 6th mini-album. We can't wait!

#2- Two groups announced their fandom names this week! PURPLE KISS fans will now be called plory, while T1419 fans will now be able to call themselves EDELWEISS. Which of these two fandom names are you most drawn towards?

#3- Now onto live performances! JTBC has announced the line-up for their "Hidden Track Special Concert". Artists including A.C.E, Yoon Jisung, WEi, Yesung & more have been announced to be attending the concert. Meanwhile, the performance line-up for the NTV 3rd of July music special, "The Music Day" has been announced! Eleven Johnny's Entertainment artists including EXILE, Hoshino Gen, SixTONES, King & Prince are set to be in attendance. Are you looking forward to seeing any of these performances?

#4- Sadly, it was announced that SHINee's Minho had to say goodbye to a loved one this week. SM Entertainment shared that the idol's grandfather had passed away on Sunday. We hope that he and his family have support during such a difficult time.



TUESDAY:
#1- For Tuesday, we received various comeback announcements! EPIK HIGH, Super Junior's Kyuhyun, TOKYO GIRLS' STYLE & Momoiro Clover Z's Takagi Reni will each be releasing new music soon! EPIK HIGH will be returning at the end of the month when they release their first single, 'Rain Song' on the 29th of June. Then in July, Super Junior's Kyuhyun will be releasing a new summer single on the 5th of July as a part of his "2021 PROJECT: 季". For the Japanese releases, TOKYO GIRLS STYLE & Momoiro Clover Z's Takagi Reni will both be releasing new music in August! Takagi Reni will be releasing her first solo album, 'Reni-chan WORLD' on the 18th of August. Meanwhile, TOKYO GIRLS STYLE will release their latest single 'Strawberry Float' on the 18th of August. Which release are you most anticipating?



WEDNESDAY:
#1- SF9 & Minzy will both be returning next month with brand new releases! SF9 will be the first of the two when they make their comeback on the 5th of July with their 9th mini-album. Then later on the 11th of July, Minzy will drop her 3rd single 'Teamo'. We can't wait!

#2- NMB48 will be holding a 3-day live concert series at Zepp Osaka Bayside between the 9th to 11th of July. Among the three days, the 9th of July performance will be a solo concert for member Shiroma Miru, who announced her graduation from the group earlier this year.

#3- On Tuesday numerous health-related news came out. It's been announced that Super Junior's Heechul will be resuming public schedules following his prolonged hiatus due to acute gastroenteritis. Kashiwagi Yuki will take a break from social media while the idol undergoes treatment for syringomyelia. Lovelyz Jisoo & (G)I-DLE's Minnie were both tested for covid-19 earlier this week. Minnie thankfully tested negative for the virus, however Lovelyz Jisoo's results, unfortunately, came back positive. Later in the week, it was also announced that INFINITE leader Kim Sungkyu had also tested positive for coronavirus. We wish them both the best & hope they feel better soon. Continuing on with the covid-19 news, PINK FANTASY's Heesun will be temporarily suspending public schedules following an outbreak of covid-19 at her school.

#4- Han Jihye has announced the newest addition to her family this week when it was revealed that she had given birth to her first daughter after 10 years of marriage with her husband. Later in the week, it was announced that the celebrity dance trainer & choreographer Bae Yoonjeong has given birth to her first child. Congrats to them both!



THURSDAY:
#1- DIA's Yebin will be making her solo debut this July with 'Yes I Know' on the 7th. On the 28th of July, ATEEZ will be releasing their first Japanese single 'Dreamer'. Meanwhile, Loco & Lee Sung-kyung will be releasing a collaboration single on the 4th of July as a part of the Dingo Music Project.

#2- Moving onto live performances, N.Flying will be holding both an online & offline concert '2-21 N.Flying LIVE &CON - Man On The Moon' on the 31st of July. Then on the 25th of July, Brave Girls will be holding their first-ever fan-meeting 'SUMMER QUEEN PARTY'. Are you looking forward to any of these performances?

#3- AleXa has announced that she's now joined the fan messaging app DearU Bubble! Make sure to follow her as soon as you can.

#4- ZE:A's Dongjun will be beginning his mandatory military service on the 12th of July. We wish him the best of luck and await his return in the future.



FRIDAY:
#1- Friday was a day reserved solely for new release announcements! We received major announcements from ITZY, SHINee, TWICE & EXO's D.O! ITZY & Kim Shinyoung will be releasing a collaboration single together on the 1st of July. TWICE will release their newest English single this September, EXO's D.O will be dropping his first solo album during the second half of July, while SHINee plan to release their newest Japanese mini-album, 'SUPERSTAR' on the 28th of July. Also releasing new music soon will be 2NE1's CL, KARD's BM & CIX! CL has revealed that she plans to release her new album 'ALPHA' later this summer, KARD's BM has dropped a teaser for his digital triple-single, 'THE FIRST STATEMENT' which is set to drop on the 2nd of July, and finally, CIX will return with their newest single 'Tesseract' the day before on the 1st of July



SATURDAY:
#1- The June 2021 edition of the singer brand reputation rankings has been released! BTS once again has proven their popularity by ranking in the top position again, while Im Youngwoong & aespa take 2nd & 3rd places respectively. Did any of your biases manage to rank this month?

#2- Jang Geunsuk will be guesting on the SBS Kim Youngchul Power FM radio show as a special DJ on the 28th of June. Why not let him bless your ears with his sweet voice?

#3- JYP Entertainment has announced that STRAY KIDS' Hyunjin will be resuming his activities with the group this July. JYP previously announced that he would be taking an extended hiatus earlier this year after numerous bullying accusations were proven to be true. Do you think four months was enough time for the idol to reflect on his past actions?



SUNDAY:
#1- To cap off this week we received even more comeback announcements! LOOПΔ are preparing to make their official Japanese debut later this year in September. Also making their debut soon will be Beauty Box who is a multi-national girl group set to debut later this year at a currently undetermined date. Finally, former UKISS member Kevin Woo will be releasing his US debut single 'Got It' on the 30th of June, while AKMU will make their latest comeback later in July. We can't wait!

BY DRAGON OF THE WEST & POLARIS_TAE


#1. A.C.E - HIGHER
A.C.E may not release music as frequently as other groups at a similar level to them, but whenever they do, they almost always deliver and their latest mini-album SIREN: DAWN is no exception to that trend. The title track "Higher" is quite different from some of their other title tracks but still keeps that EDM influence that which many have come to appreciate from the group. The song has got a satisfying surge, slowly building interest and the instrumental grows much more dramatic, delivering brassy stabs of synth. The verses have a delicate yearning to them, and then the chorus comes crashing in like a wave. The song is quite decent overall but does however feel like a step back when compared to their more definitive material like "Undercover" & "Goblin (Favorite Boys)", which is more to do with how solid both those songs are.





#2. STRAY KIDS - MIXTAPE: OH
The last official comeback from Stray Kids was way back in September 2020 when they released "Back Door", which is quite an unusually long break for a group that's known to release a lot. It's a good thing then that in between that time they have been releasing a number of unpromoted tracks on their YouTube channel and they also participated on Mnet's Kingdom, which paid off in victory during the series finale. As they prepare to make their long-awaited post-show comeback, the guys tide us over with another mixtape release titled "Oh (애)". The song is pleasant but unassuming, and its biggest legacy will likely be the return of member Hyunjin after his lengthy hiatus. "Oh" has got a nice generic groove, utilizing elements of EDM to craft the sort of build to drop structure that forges so much of today’s pop music. The chorus casts a few sparks, supported by brassy synth and a percolating tropical loop. However, the melody isn’t anything to write home about and the strongest hooks emerge during its verses, which offer a sly series of cyclical melodies that push the track forward. Overall, this is a fine appetizer but I think I speak for many when I say we’re all ready for the main course, so bring on the album.





#3. ≠ME - KIMI WA KONO NATSU, KOI WO SURU
≠ME returned this week with another fantastic song! "Kimi was Kono Natsu, Koi wo Suru" is the groups' first song in around two months and is their first officially released single as a group. In this release, the group portrays an upbeat sound where they express their excitement for the Summer days ahead and the experiences of love and happiness that we often encounter during the Summer months. Sashihara Rina, who acts as the producer for the group, along with their sister group =LOVE, has perfectly found a way to add a youthful air to the group that has managed to stay consistent throughout most of their most recent releases, while also allowing for personal growth and a distinct sound that manages to set them apart from their sister group that will likely leave you wanting to join everyone on the ≠ME hype train! And if your tastes are anything like ours, it'll leave you just as excited for their next release too!





#4. CHENG XIAO & XU KAI - SOULMATE
2Earlier this week, Cheng Xiao & Xu Kai's latest drama 'Falling Into Your Smile' premiered on Youku. This is the first time that Cheng Xiao & Xu Kai have been paired together as a couple. The series is a 36-episode modern drama based on the web novel 'You're Beautiful When You Smile.' Sadly, the web novel has been marred with plagiarism rumours, which, of course, needs to be taken into account when viewing the series. Nevertheless, 'Falling Into Your Smile' is off to a great start, with a compelling introduction to the two lead characters, introducing us to not just their personalities, but also their gaming skills. Cheng Xiao's most recent solo release was her 2020 New Years single, 'Focus-X', which acted as a sensual introduction to her solo career. This release with Xu Kai couldn't be anything but the opposite of this release, the drama's theme song, 'Soulmate' delivers a fantastic first glimpse into the world of the drama with a shooting soft-rock sounding release that highlights all of the strengths and capabilities of the main two actors. We see their two voices compliment each other in a way that will have you coming back to listen to 'Soulmate' over and over again as a way to wind down after a long day after work!





#5. KENSHI YONEZU - SHINIGAMI
Kenshi Yonezu has enjoyed a lot of success over the last few years and as a result, has become one of Japan's biggest artists right now. This fact was further proven following the success of his album Stray Sheep which went on to become by far the top selling album on Oricon last year, and now he's back with his 11th single album Pale Blue. This week, he released a short music video for one of the tracks on the album titled "Shinigami" which proves to be a rakugo (comic storytelling) performance. The sound of footsteps tied in with the instrumental help to elevate the sort of mysterious feeling that's brought about from the music video, and the sound at the end which can really only be defined as the sound you hear from "the blowing of candles" is definitely a perfect ending to it. This is one of those songs that would be quite difficult to appreciate if you listen to it on its own, and I would definitely recommend checking it out for the first time through the short music video to at least appreciate it in the way it was intended.





#6. PINKFANTASY - POISON
After only putting out four singles in the last 2 and a half years, Pink Fantasy have now released their first mini-album titled Alice in Wonderland and the title track "Poison". For a group that has remained quite consistent with their 'girl in a mask' gimmick since debut, the same can't be said about their music which swings pretty wildly between sounds. Their strongest title track was arguably 2019's rock-themed "Fantasy" and they seem to have finally revisited that genre with their latest title track. parts of this song actually go harder than most of Dreamcatcher’s singles. They fully embrace the track’s heavy guitar riffs and barreling percussion while haunting keys tie the instrumental together, adding a crystalline texture to the otherwise overbearing arrangement. "Poison" really comes alive during its chorus, which is sung in unison, giving the refrain a force that matches the aggressive instrumentation. This might just be their strongest release yet.





#7. YEZI - SECRETO
Former FIESTAR member and now fairly established soloist Yezi is back with a new single titled "Secreto". Being a Latin-inspired track, this should be a captivating song, at least on paper. Sadly, it doesn't live up to those expectations. The instrumental almost overpowers her voice in several parts on the song and her English here seems quite awkward. Nobody would ever fault somebody who's learning a new language, but the common consensus will always be that if you're going to release a song that contains quite a large portion of lines in a certain language, one should, at the very least, have semi-fluency in said language or at least a proper grasp on the pronunciation. It just feels like she went into it too early while she could have given it more time while she sharpens her skills. All of this is quite unfortunate especially because we all know that she is capable of releasing good songs as she has shown in the past with singles like "HOME" and "My Gravity".

BY NARA


#1. Wonderful news this week as far as Billboard charting goes as TWICE's 'Taste of Love' made its debut on the Billboard 200 at #6, BTS's 'Butter' remains mighty strong as it maintained its top spot on Billboard Hot 100 chart for a fourth consecutive week, and Lightsum's debut single 'Vanilla' debuted at #8 on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart! Congrats to all the groups for these huge milestones!

#2. This week came with amazing YouTube view milestones: Blackpink's 'How You Like That' has reached a whooping 900 million views, EXO's 'Tempo' reached 200 million views, and Jessi's MV for 'What Type of X' reached 40 million views! Congrats to all the artists!

#3. 'Next Level' by aespa has reached a new peak on FLO chart with #1! They're the first fourth generation group to reach this mark-congrats!

#4. SEVENTEEN's 'Your Choice' has surpassed 1 Million Sales on Hanteo within just 4 days and is now their fourth million-seller album! Huge congrats to the group!

#5. McDonald's 'BTS Meal' has surpassed the cumulative sales of 1.2 million sets! This is the first time that a set consisting of only a side menu without a burger sold over 1 million in a short period of time - congrats!

BY POLARI_TAE

Here are all the awards that were added to the system this week! You can request them here (don't forget to follow the instructions in the OP)!

Our Events Team continued with another fantastic week of games and events in celebration of our 2nd Hallyuversary!

Our Events Team posted a special version of In Case You Missed It where they wrapped up everything related to the anniversary event inn a single thread!

Bchip hosted the Content+ Chain, which was our Content+ themed game! In this game, users were required to guess the answer based on a variety of clues. In the end, Chomiczewska came out as the overall winner. Congrats!

Paying tribute to the Events Team, Baymax hosted the Scavenger Hunt: Get Your Camera's Ready where users were given a list & were required to find as many items on the list in as short a time as possible. It was ultimately TOAST & Lurkette who took out the top prize. Congratulations!

The mod team announced the restructuring of the User of the Month format this week! Instead of voting for User of the Month in the announcement thread, users are now required to cast their votes via a prepared google form. Nominations for User of the Month are currently open, so make sure to cast your nomination before it's too late!

Shop+ fans, our team worked hard again this week to bring you even more great items to add to your inventory. Make sure to purchase them ASAP!

Our Content+ Team welcomed Soozie to the team this week! They'll be helping out the team by providing fantastic YouTube thumbnails for all of our future YouTube content!

Saint Ren returned with another fantastic new video that showcased (and ranked) all of what London had to offer in terms of Kpop-related stores. Make sure to check it out today!

Our Translations Team gave us two translations this week!

Lurkette helped us to understand the lyrics to ≠ME's "Kimi was Kono Natsu, Koi wo Suru"

Vanilla Cupcake translated an article about numerous IZ*ONE fans launching a Parallel Universe Project (PUP) in an attempt to re-form the group.

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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, Translations and SM Team - Press Division.



That's it for this week's recap. We worked hard yet again to bring you this article. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did compiling it, and we hope to see you again next week!





GFX BY @yerm
PROOFREAD BY @Dragon of the West
FEATURED ARTISTS Honda Miyuki (≠ME), Chan (A.C.E), Yezi, Sam Kim & Cheng Xiao​

 

[Jibang]

Many thanks.

 

[Seriously]

Stream Poison for SeeA, j- just do it for SeeA...

 

[kimsguardian]

aah as always you guys are the best, thank you for the updates!
this is such great icymi, you gave so much exposure for my girls noikomi in the new releases list & article translation, even put miruten on the header, damn love you guys! :yagotit:

 

[UMJI MOODS]

Thank you for your efforts. I seem to have missed a lot this week.​

 

[Happy]

Great work as always and thank you for the updates!

 

[MedicationHelps87]

Sorry for the late reply
Thanks for all that you do.