ICYMI IN CASE YOU MISSED IT // JUNE 7 - JUNE 13

Lilac

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JUNE 7 - JUNE 13


Hello Hallyuplussers and welcome to another week's worth of updates in the form of ICYMI! This week was relatively laid back when it came to updates. We received numerous details related to comeback announcements, one of which is sure to excite you! We also witnessed multiple celebrities take the next step in their lives, either through their professional lives by parting ways with their agency, or in their personal lives; such as childbirth & marriage. We hope that you enjoyed the week as much as we did. Now that it's all said and done, let's jump into another week's worth of news & updates!




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BY POLARIS_TAE


MONDAY:
#1- We started off the week with various June comeback announcements! Both A.C.E & Pink Fantasy will be making their comebacks this month, with Pink Fantasy will be the first of the two, returning with a brand new EP 'Alice In Wonderland' on the 21st of June. A.C.E will return on the 23rd of June with their 5th mini-album 'SIREN: DAWN'. We can't wait!

#2- Now onto promotional broadcasts and schedules! INFINITE greeted their fans via V Live on the 9th of June in order to commemorate 11 years together as a group! We hope to see them continue to be active in the future! Later in the week, TXT made their appearance on the U.S morning broadcast, 'Good Morning America' as performing guests; while also being scheduled to appear on the James Corden show on the 14th of June. Which of these broadcasts did you tune in to see?

#3- It was reported that CLC's Eunjin is planning on participating in the upcoming Mnet survival show 'Girls Planet 999' as a contestant. What are your thoughts on this decision?

#4- VIXX's Ravi has issued an apology to Red Velvet following backlash to his recent song of the same name, which the artist claims was written to allude to red velvet cake rather than the group of the same name. The artist explained that he 'wanted to put some fun aspects into the song', which is why he included references to Red Velvet's past releases; along with the names of multiple Red Velvet members. However, fans justifiably took offence to this release due to the sexual nature of the release. What are your thoughts on this statement?




TUESDAY:
#1- We received even more news regarding upcoming releases on Tuesday! Yezi will be making her first comeback of 2021 on the 23rd of June. Later that same week, Bluedot Entertainment's first boy group, JUSTB will be making their debut on the 30th of June. Various members of the group previously appeared as contestants on the HYBE/CJ EnM survival show I-LAND. NCT Dream's single, 'Hot Sauce' was the most recent song to be remixed by SM Entertainment's ScreaM Records' iScreaM vol. 9. The remixes by Hitchhiker & MINIMONSTER were released on the 10th of June. Speaking of NCT Dream, the group has announced that they'll be returning on the 28th of June with a new repackaged album 'Hello Future', just 7 weeks after the release of 'Hot Sauce'. We can't wait!

#2- LOONA have announced that they plan to hold an online concert this month titled, 'LOOΠΔ On Wave [LOOΠΔTHEWORLD: &]' on the 28th of June!

#3- As idols progress in their career, a number of them make the decision to branch out into acting as a potential career path. This is exactly what the web-drama 'Love In Blackhole' aims to accomplish for them as the production has announced that they have cast BAE137's Hangyul & Doha, WJSN's SeolA, SF9's Jaeyoon & DIA's Huihyeon for roles in the web drama! We can't wait!




WEDNESDAY:
#1- A slew of high-profile artists announced their comebacks during Wednesday! Red Velvet will reportedly be coming back for the first time since the end of 2019. It's said that the girl group will be returning this August. It's currently unknown what format the release will arrive as, but we're sure that their fans are excited regardless! CIX will have a summer comeback at an unknown date next month, while BTS will reportedly release a new album on the 9th of July. We can't wait!


#2- Girls Planet 999 is gearing up for broadcast soon and as such has announced two of their upcoming mentors -- or K-pop Master -- to be Sunmi & SNSD's Tiffany Young! Will you be looking forward to this survival show?

#3- Hyeri has once again proven her generosity when she donated over 50 million KRW to the Korean Committee for UNICEF. Meanwhile, SEVENTEEN's Hoshi also proved to us that he has only the best interest at heart when it comes to those less fortunate than him after he donated over 100 million KRW to the Namyangju Welfare Foundation and became a member of the exclusive 'Honour Society' for his generous donation. We thank them for their generous contributions towards making the world a better place.

#4- Upon extended negotiations with MAMAMOO's agency, RBW, Wheein has ultimately decided not to renew her exclusive contract with the agency. Wheein, however, will still remain a member of the group despite cutting ties with the agency and MAMAMOO's future activities will be carried out after future discussions with the group. The following day, it was also announced that Eric Nam would no longer be calling Stone Music his home after the artist parted ways with the agency following the expiration of his contract last year. We wish them the best in each of their future endeavours and hope to see them sign with new agencies soon.

#5- Sadly it has been announced that the Japanese metal band,
HER NAME IN BLOOD will be disbanding this July. We hope that they can bid their fans goodbye in the best way possible and that they enjoyed their time together as a group. While on the topic of the Japanese Entertainment Industry, it has also been announced that Wasuta's (The World Standard) Sakamoto Hazuki will be graduating from the group in December. She has also announced that she will be leaving the Japanese Entertainment Industry to live life as a normal citizen. We wish her the best of luck in each of her future endeavours!

#5- Wednesday ended with mixed news. Firstly, EPIK HIGH's Mithra Jin announced that he and his wife, Kwon Dahyun had welcomed their first child into the world on the 9th of June. We congratulate them on their new addition to their family! However, we also received the tragic news that Japanese comedian Hamaguchi Masaru & his wife Minami Akina had lost their first child via a stillbirth on the 8th of June. We are deeply saddened by this news and hope that they have the support around them during such a difficult time.

#6- AKB48's Yuki Kashiwagi has announced that she will be temporarily suspending all of her activities in order to undertake surgery and treatment for syringomyelia, which is defined as a fluid-filled cyst within the spinal cord that can cause a negative effect on the nervous system. We wish her the best of luck in her treatment and hope to see her soon!




THURSDAY:
#1- BRAND NEW MUSIC has revealed that they are planning to launch a new boy group within the first half of 2022. Very few details are known about the group at the moment, aside from the announcement that PD101's Lee Eunsang is set to join the group, but we'll make sure to keep you updated when the details arise. Meanwhile, SixTONES will be releasing a new single, 'Mascara' on the 11th of August gifted to them by King Gnu's Tsuneta Daiki. We can't wait!


#2- Kim Sejeong has been selected as the newest brand model for Viyott. We congratulate her on the new opportunity!

#3- To cap off Thursday, we learned that former BTOB member Jung Ilhoon has been officially sentenced to a two-year prison sentence following his illegal marijuana usage. This was downgraded from an initial prosecution request of a four-year prison term & a 133 million KRW fine.




FRIDAY:
#1- We ended this week's release-related news with comeback announcements scheduled for Kitti B; BDC & BTOB, which are all set to release this June! BTOB will be the first artist to release new music when they return on the 13th of June with a new digital single, 'Blue Moon (Cinema ver.)'. Also releasing a new single, but at the end of the month, will be Kitti B; who is set to drop her newest release on the 23rd of June. BDC will make their return with their 3rd mini-album on the 30th of June. We're looking forward to seeing all of these upcoming releases!

#2- g.o.d's Hoyoung was excited to announce that he would be calling Beat Interactive his new home after signing an exclusive contract with the agency. We look forward to their future together!

#3- Another 1st Gen idol with good news to share is SECHSKIES' Jang Suwon as it was announced that he would be getting married to his non-celebrity girlfriend. We congratulate him on taking this new step in his life and wish them the best of luck!




SATURDAY:
#1- The June edition of the boy group brand rankings has been released! BTS continue their reign at #1, while EXO & NCT take the 2nd & 3rd places respectively. The following day, the girl group brand rankings were also released! aespa took the top spot this month, while Brave Girls moved down a spot to 2nd place & TWICE took 3rd place this month! Did any of your bias groups manage to rank for June?



SUNDAY:
#1- Following the investigation of the Mnet survival show 'Idol School', it has been revealed that Lee Haein was actually the 1st place winner of the show. Sadly, she did not even manage to place in a position that guaranteed her a spot in the debuting group, fromis_9, and instead was eliminated at rank 24. We hope that this kind of injustice can become a thing of the past and that Lee Haein can receive the compensation she deserves.




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BY DRAGON OF THE WEST


#1. TWICE - ALCOHOL-FREE
7 months after their last Korean comeback with "I Can't Stop Me", TWICE have made their return with their seventh mini-album Taste of Love and summer-themed title track "Alcohol-Free". The title track tackles summertime sounds, forgoing the season’s traditional K-pop tropes for a surprising blend of trendy trap-pop, bossa nova and chill lounge music. It’s a perfect blend of this new and mature side of Twice, while still maintaining some of that bright charm from the past. The sounds are soft and placed lightly underneath, never fully erupting which reinforces that tranquil-like energy. With all that being said, it is nowhere close to being the strongest track on the album, with general consensus even stating that it might be the weakest of the bunch. But that's also a credit to just how strong the quality of their b-sides has been for the last few years. Keep your eyes peeled fellow users of Hallyu Plus, there might be an album review dropping within the next few weeks.





#2. EXO - DON'T FIGHT THE FEELING
The last album EXO released as a group was Obsession back in November 2019 and ever since that, they've been focusing on solo/unit promotions now that they're in the tricky phase that all K-pop boy groups eventually have to go through — mandatory military enlistments. However, they have decided to surprise fans this year as the members who aren't serving ended up releasing a special mini-album titled Don't Fight The Feeling, with the title track of the same name. The album even includes Chinese member Lay, who had not featured for the group since 2018. In "Don't Fight The Feeling", there’s definitely a great song somewhere in here, as evidenced by its first verse and chorus. Listeners can appreciate what the instrumental aims for, even if it could have been developed further. The bass-heavy groove has a satisfying filtered effect as if running just underfoot ready to pop up and attack at any moment. The tempo is brisk and exciting which allows for an ultra-rhythmic performance in keeping with the group’s strengths. Even though the chorus is simple and repetitive, its swirling structure compliments the energy of the production. This segment is helped along by another excellent vocal performance, taking advantage of that classic EXO blend in short, potent blasts. By no means is this anywhere near some of their strongest releases, but it's definitely one that will keep the fans happy, at least until the next time they get to see another group comeback





#3. N.FLYING - MOONSHOT
A year since their last comeback, idol band N.Flying have finally returned and this time, it's with their first full album Man on the Moon. The title track "Moonshot" feels like a blend of the band’s newer and older material and has a swinging grooviness that hearkens back to their early days. Falling somewhere between mid and uptempo, the track is largely devoted to the percussive stomp that underlines its verses and chorus. Even the guitar follows this general rhythm. It does its thing quite well but becomes more repetitive as it wears on however, the interplay between Hweseung and Seunghyub is always pleasing to listen to. In the end, "Moonshot" lays down its groove and rarely strays from it, forging a cohesive track likely to please fans. The album as a whole is also well worth a listen, you might just find something that catches your attention.





#4. LIGHTSUM - VANILLA
After what has been quite a shaky start to their year with a few scandals affecting their reputation, Cube Entertainment has debuted a new 8-membered girl group LIGHTSUM, who have released their first single album Vanilla with the title track of the same name. "Vanilla" confidently opens with its chorus and the melody here is brash and exclamatory, which compliments the marching band elements in the instrumental. The verses take a sing-song approach but keep refreshingly short of over-exaggerated cuteness. The song's most polarizing moment will undoubtedly be its noisy electronic breakdown. Though jackhammer-like sound should be headache-inducing, it does somehow blend in quite well, largely due to its percussion which speeds up to lend extra bounce to the track. The group does show some potential but lacks any clear identity which their predecessors (G)I-DLE have through their leader and producer Soyeon. Let's just hope that their company knows what they're doing and that the girls' potentials get utilized well.






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BY NARA


#1. TWICE made a huge anticipated comeback with their new album 'Taste of Love' which has surpassed 500K in pre-orders!
With 'Taste of Love', the group has surpassed 3 million cumulative album sales in Hanteo, and they're the first girl group to reach this grand milestone! In addition, MV for 'Alcohol-Free' has achieved 19.9 million views on YouTube in the first 24 hours. Have you checked out the album yet?

#2. Gaon released their certifications for albums this week: Congrats to ENHYPEN who became the first and only idol group debuted in 2020 to receive double platinum for their album 'BORDER:CARNIVAL' and to ITZY who received Platinum certification for their album 'GUESS WHO'! With Gaon's latest monthly update, NCT DREAM have surpassed 3.9 million in cumulative sales across all their albums becoming the best selling unit in NCT!

#3. Congrats to monster rookies STAYC as their latest title track 'ASAP' has gradually risen up the charts and entered MelOn 24Hits Top 10! We look forward to seeing their growth as they gain more recognition!

#4. Congrats to major YouTube milestones this week: BLACKPINK's MV for 'Boombayah' has surpassed 1.2 billion views, WEEEKLY's MV for 'After School' reached 70 million views, and EPEX's debut MV for 'Lock Down' has already surpassed 10 million views!

#5. EXO's special album 'Don't Fight the Feeling' has exceeded 1.2 million in pre-order sales! We look forward to seeing their sales on Gaon chart soon! The album has also managed to sell over 900,000 copies in its first week on Hanteo, making it the highest first-week sales for any EXO-related album.

#6. aespa's 'Next Level' has reached 100,000 likes on MelOn, and it is the fastest song by the 4th generation idol group to reach this milestone! It's also the fastest girl group song in 2021 to gain this number of likes. Congrats!







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BY POLARIS_TAE


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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)!

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The Events Team updated us on the Monthly Elite Rankings for the month of April. Did you manage to rank within the top 10?


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Our Content+ Team gave us even more new and exciting content this week!

ARandomFan announced the opening of a new Hallyu+
Tik-Tok account. As a part of this new account, the team will periodically be adding Content+ Spotlights on threads that our userbase nominate, so make sure to follow it ASAP!

Toast provided us with another YouTube game this week! Asking us whether we can guess our favourite idols based on random trivia facts.



+


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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, Tech Team - Tech Admin, Translation Team - Translators and SM Team - Press Division.



This brings us to the end of ICYMI for another week. Make sure to drop us a comment if there was anything you liked & we'll see you next week at the same time for more great news, charts, releases and updates!





GFX BY @yerm
PROOFREAD BY @Dragon of the West
FEATURED ARTISTS: Chowon (LIGHTSUM), D.O. (EXO), Jihyo (TWICE), Hweseung (N.Flying), Yuki Kashiwagi (AKB48)
 
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sm maid

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Thank you for the updates!! Looking forward to the comebacks
 

Vampire

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i love exo, but i'm actually surprised "don't fight the feeling" sold so well?? :omgwhat: i reread that part, like, 2-3 times

thanks for the updates!
 

Bellamy

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I will lurk in these threads from now on, thank you for you hard work.
 

Stannie

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Thanks for the updates (a week later). Stream Alcohol Free for Acne Free Skin :LovePar:
 

Chomiczewska

Hamster First Place HoE Chomi
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Thank you for updates
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Twice album has been abusing my replay button since it came out and Yugyeom's pre-release was nice too
 

Lilac

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The awards were really cute this week, are they from Genshin Impact?

And as always thanks for the hard work!
Yes, they're from Genshin Impact :poggers:

You're very welcome- as always thank you for supporting ICYMI :heartublob:
 
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