ICYMI IN CASE YOU MISSED IT / MARCH 15 - MARCH 21

[Lilac]

MARCH 15 - MARCH 21


Hello Hallyuplussers and welcome to another great week of ICYMI. Let's sit back and lets dive into another great week of news, releases and updates in Asian Entertainment!

BY BEEFY & POLARIS_TAE


MONDAY:
#1- Shinhwa's Eric recently took to Instagram to air out his grievances with fellow member Dongwan. This all occurred after Dongwan shaded the group's leader on Instagram by claiming he was the reason for their lack of group activities; and, that Eric was making major decisions without him. In an Instagram post, Eric responded and claimed that Dongwan has not been in contact with him in six years, and to stop accusing him of postponing group activities. Make sure to click the linked thread to get the full story!

#2- The Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) has released the winners of the '35th Japan Gold Disc Award'! Mega group ARASHI took home 'Artist of the Year' for the seventh year in a row, this means the group had the biggest sales of year. There are many more notable categories such as 'New Artist of the Year', 'Album of the Year', and 'SIngle of the Year' that were included; so if you'd like to see the full list click the linked thread!

#3- Yoon Jisung will be making his first comeback since his military discharge sometime in April; then, rookie boy group T1419 will make their comeback on March 31st with a new album! Which release are you looking forward to seeing?

#4- It was shared that IZ*ONE's Eunbi will be the female lead in Infinite's Sunggyu's upcoming music video! Speaking of music video appearance, actress Kim Tae Hee made one in husband Rain's new boy group CiiPHER's debut song "An Ggulyeo"!

#5- Rookie boy group GHOST9 announced their official fandom name on March 14th through a Vlive. The chosen name is "Ghostie"! What do you think of the name?

#6- NCT's Taeyong has opened his own SoundCloud account! The idol has also already uploaded a self-composed track titled "Dark CLouds" on the new account, so make sure to go listen to it ASAP!



TUESDAY:
#1- Lee Seungcheol released a new collaboration track with AKMU's Chanhyuk on March 19th, this is a part of his 35th-anniversary project! Then, rookie boy group BAE173 will make their first comeback with the mini-album INTERSECTION TRACE on April 8th. Hong Seung Sung of S2 Entertainment will be debuting his new girl group H.O.T Issue in April, he is known for founding CUBE Entertainment. We are looking forward to these future releases!

#2- Representatives for Wang Yibo and Li Zixuan have come forward and denied their dating rumours. Both representatives have also shared that they will be taking legal action against those who started the false rumours.

#3- Singer and songwriter Aimyon wrote Johnny's Wests upcoming title single "Something New". Their new single album will be released on May 5th, and will feature songs written by SUPER BEAVER's Yanagisawa Ryota, Shigeoka Daiki, and Kamiyama Tomohiro! We are looking forward to their upcoming release!

#4- Monsta X's Hyungwon has opened his own personal Instagram account! Make sure to go follow him, everyone!



WEDNESDAY:
#1- Soohyun, or Claudia Kim, has signed an exclusive contract with YG Entertainment, The actress is known for her roles in 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' and 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'! We wish her the best under her new company!

#2- AI project girl group Eternity will make their debut on March 22nd, with the ironically titled track "I'm Real". How do you feel about a group with no real people debuting?

#3- Soloist Hwang Chiyeul will be making his comeback on April 2nd with his third mini-album! We are looking forward to this release!

#4- Rookie boy group ENHYPEN has been selected as the new hosts for the Japanese radio program 'All Night Nippon X'. We congratulate them on this amazing new opportunity!



THURSDAY:
#1- It has been announced that CLC's Sorn will be making her solo debut with a digital single on the 23rd of March. What kind of concept would you like to see from her?

#2- BLACKPINK's Rose wants everyone to know that, in conjunction with her solo debut, she's officially launched her very own YouTube channel. Make sure to click that subscribe button today!

#3- Honoka Akimoto had some exciting news for us this week! The TEAM SHACHI member has completed her first marathon in just under 4 hours and 7 minutes. Let her inspire you in all your fitness goals!



FRIDAY:
#1- On Friday Lee Jinhyuk made the exciting announcement that he'd be returning with a new mini-album on the 5th of April. We're counting the days until his comeback!

#2- Oh My Girl's Arin has been given another great opportunity! She's been announced as the new advertising model for Kum Bok Ju's Charm Soju. Meanwhile, Shin Hye-sun has been chosen as the advertising model for the mask brand WE MUST M. Congrats on the new and exciting opportunities!

#3- BigHit has announced that they have rebranded their corporate identity to HYBE. The company's labels: Big Hit Music; BELIFT LAB; Source Music; Pledis; KOZ Entertainment & HYBE Label Japan will continue to operate independently.

#4- Now onto Japanese entertainment news! AMUSE has announced that ONE OK ROCK members Sato Takeru & Kamiki Ryuunosuke will be leaving the agency at the end of the month. It has also been announced that ONE OK ROCK will become independent from Amuse in April. What are your thoughts on this development?



SATURDAY:
#1- More upcoming releases were announced on Saturday. FANTASTICS from EXILE TRIBE will be releasing a new single on the 19th of May. Meanwhile, Kim Jaehwan will be releasing his third mini-album on the 7th of April.

#2- The boy group member brand rankings have been released for another week! BTS' Jimin once again took the top position, while ASTRO's Cha Eunwoo & SHINee's Minho rounded out the top three positions. The following day, girl group member brand rankings were released! BLACKPINK's Rose took the top spot, with BLACKPINK's Jennie & BRAVE GIRLS Yujeong rounding out the top three. Did your bias manage to rank this week?

#3- CUBE Entertainment has announced that they have proceeded with legal actions related to the spreading of false information of (G)I-DLE's Soojin.



SUNDAY:
#1- GOT7's JB opened up about his struggles with depression and undergoing treatment for the disorder. He went on to state that: “If among my fans or just people who read this interview there is a person who feels depressed, I wish they won’t be ashamed of it and win over the illness while undergoing their treatment”

#2- Park Seo-joon has been selected as the newest face of Calvin Klein Jeans. We congratulate him on the new and exciting opportunity!

BY BEEFY


#1- DRIPPIN - YOUNG BLOOD
Drippin made their first comeback with the track "Young Blood" from the mini-album A BETTER TOMORROW. This comes just five months after their debut with "Nostalgia" in October. "Young Blood" is an energetic deep house EDM track, that shares the positive message of following your dreams. The song starts off with multiple synths and a deep bassline, signalling that we are in for an atmospheric bop. This song's verses are a bit subdued and almost quiet, but they still stand out in distinct and catchy portions. The verse "Ay modu geujeo nareul blessin’ / ganeungseongi neomchyeo Drippin" in particular is very catchy and can easily get stuck in your head. Before the chorus, the song slows down significantly for a soothing pre-chorus then steadily builds up energy. In the chorus, the song explodes to life thanks to the addition of a new layer of synth, and the members' vibrant vocals. This paired with the repetition of the phrase "we got this young blood" and the onomatopoeia "da da ra ra ra ra", makes for an addictive and memorable chorus. Their mini-album A BETTER TOMORROW continues with a sound similar to their debut album BOYAGER. My personal favourite tracks are the groovy "Reach out your hands", and the heartfelt "Fate" which is they are also promoting this comeback! Overall, this was a great follow-up to their debut, and it's nice to see how the group's signature sound is forming. We will definitely be keeping Drippin on our radar!





#2- PURPLE KISS - PONZONA
At long last Purple Kiss has made their long-awaited debut with the track "Ponzona" from Into Violet, this comes after their two pre-release singles "My Heart Skipped a Beat" and "Can We Talk Again". Their debut single takes on a sound completely different from both pre-releases, showing us yet another side of the group. "Ponzona" is a moody atmospheric pop track that shows off the girl's charismatic vocals and their distinctive colours. The song starts off with some dark string strumming and commanding percussion. Everything about this song is rather subdued and every change that occurs is subtle, this also applies to its chorus. The chorus is mostly driven by the members' alluring vocals, and they add their own personal colour into this portion of the song. This along with the iconic lines like "Baby PURPLE KISS on bloody top" and "You better know, you better know" makes the chorus impactful. Another standout part of this song is found within its instrumental, where there are sprinkles of dramatic strings; this definitely makes the track feel almost theatric which we very much appreciated! The music video is also very pretty, with plenty of unique stunning scenes for each member. There is even a special dance breakdown just in the music video so we can appreciate the group's amazing dance skills. Into Violet continues with "Panozona"'s laidback sound, so if you're looking for an easy listen this is the album for you. One personal recommendation is the track "Skip Skip" which is an attitude-filled pop track with an addictive quality. This was a great debut for the group that puts all their talents on full display. We can wait to see what else is in store for the group!





#3- XIAO GUI - WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?
Xiao Gui -- or Lil' Ghost -- has returned after half a year with his new solo single "What's Wrong With Me?". We last saw him through his 2020 release "Pinky Murder". This time the artist has returned with a slower rock-influenced song "What's Wrong With Me?" differing slightly from his previous trap-influenced releases throughout 2020. In "What's Wrong With Me?" we see the artist struggle to cope during the span of his relationship. At times blaming himself for the possessiveness he feels towards his partner. "What's Wrong With Me?" displays itself as an emotional song where the artist pours all his thoughts out by confessing all his worries in the form of a single song. Just like his previous release "Pinky Murder", we see a more depressing tone continue throughout "What's Wrong With Me?", which is a stark change compared to his earlier solo releases (namely "Don't Call Me DaVinci"), but also a suitable change in an effort to grow his sound as the artist himself matures and ages from the teenager that initially debuted in NINE PERCENT to the man we see today.





#4- PENTAGON - DO OR NOT
Pentagon returned after six months with the title track "Do or Not" from their 11th mini-album LOVE or TAKE. This was their last comeback with leader and main vocalist Hui before his military enlistment so he could, unfortunately, not promote with the group. "Do or Not" is a very charming pop-rock track that will definitely have you playing it on repeat after just one listen. The song makes an interesting start, with the group channelling the unique sound of the 50s-60s doo-wop. We get to enjoy the group's soulful and soothing harmonization before a quick genre change. They switch into a slightly angsty pop-rock sound; the verses are filled with a funky bass-line and charismatic percussion. The chorus is an absolute joy to listen to as it's pumped to the brim with energy and a bright instrumental. The second part of the chorus is the catchy chanting of the phrase "do do or not not", which gives it a lot of character. This track sounds like fresh out of the early 2000s pop scene, so it may give you a good sense of nostalgia! The song's lyrics seem to address their person of affection, asking them to make up their minds about their relationship in a rather childish manner. These lyrics perfectly align with the song's music video as it depicts the members all chasing the same girl who seems to have no interest in them. The tracks on LOVE or TAKE are just as fun and light-hearted as its title track; with the standout being the playful "That's Me" and Hui's solo song "Boy in time". This was a fun release from Pentagon, and it was just the type of song we were desperately craving.





#5- WEEEKLY - AFTER SCHOOL
Rookie girl group Weeekly made their first comeback of the year with the track "After School" from their third EP We Play. The girls continue with their bright youthful concept with a cute skater girl twist. "After School" is a bubblegum pop track with a smooth chorus and vibrant verses. The instrumental during the verses are mostly composed of a deep bubbly bassline and percussion that resembles clapping. However, the song makes a change during the pre-chorus where the song slows down a bit and we are treated to some gorgeous vocals. The chorus is where the song springs to life, its first part sticks to a familiar melody; but its second part incorporates a bit of RnB and introduces some velvety vocals as they sing the catchy line "I'm so good with you". These two parts despite being very different fit together perfectly and make an amazing chorus! Its bridge is another standout moment, here the group really shows off their stunning vocals. The song's lyrics are just as cute as the song itself, as it talks about simply having a fun time with some close friends. They also make references to their previous title tracks in the lines "Zig Zag Let's dance" and "Tag Mе" which is always fun to see. We Play is full of life and sugary goodness; two personal favourites are the pop track "Lucky" which was co-produced by group member Jiyoon, and the Red Velvet-esque track "Uni"! We will always appreciate a pure pop track, and are thankful that Weeekly keeps delivering just that with every release!

BY NARA


#1- Congrats to Red Velvet's "Psycho" for reaching 200 million streams on Spotify! It's a bop well deserving of its high streams!

#2- MAMAMOO is the second girl group after 2NE1 to have over 30 songs (collabs and features included) exceeding 10 million streams on MelOn! We thank them for continuing to serve us bops!

#3- Brave Girls' "Rollin" now joins BLACKPINK's “Ddu-Du-Ddu-Du” with a total of 92 PAK’s!! They now share the second position of most PAK’s for girl groups- congrats to them both!

#4- Great news for TWICE-they became the best selling Kpop GG of all time in Japan by having 3.31 million cumulative album sales on Oricon, surpassing KARA who were the previous best-selling Kpop GG in Japan. Moreover, the group's MV for 'Fancy' has surpassed 400 million views on YouTube!

#5- ROSÉ debut music video for "On The Ground" hits 100 Million Youtube views! Huge congrats to her for reaching this milestone with her debut!

#6- Jessi's music video for "Nunu Nana" has surpassed 100 Million Youtube views! Be sure to check out the MV!

BY POLARIS_TAE

The Events team hosted multiple games in conjunction with Cardcaptor Hallyu+ this week!

On Saturday Stannie hosted Codenames! where players were required to capture all of their team’s cards first while avoiding the deadly Assassin card.

Bchip hosted Card(Captor)s Against Humanity. A Cardcaptor Sakura themed Cards Against Humanity.

Shop+ fans, the team was busy again this week adding great new items to the Shop for you to purchase and display alongside your amazing sets. Make sure to purchase them ASAP!

The PR Team gave us two new updates this week!

Chococo conducted an interview with South Korean soloist LUNCH.

Ren will be conducting an interview with the YouTuber GRAZY GRACE. Make sure to drop her a question here!

The Translation Team gave us one update this week!

Lurkette gave us a roundtable discussion article on the Hello!Project audition winners.


+

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.



This marks the end of another great ICYMI we hope to see you again next week at the same time for more great content!





GFX BY @yerm
PROOFREAD BY @Polaris_Tae
FEATURED ARTISTS Shinwon (Pentagon), Park Jieun (PURPLE KISS), Dongyun (Drippin), Soojin (Weeekly), Xiao Gui​

 

[kimsguardian]

thank you for the updates! you guys are the best!

 

[UMJI MOODS]

The update as always is very appreciated.​

 

[Dragon of the West]

Thanks for the weekly round-up social media team!

Fully agree with Beefy that "Reach out your hands", "Skip Skip" and "Lucky" are the best b-sides on the new DRIPPIN, Purple Kiss and Weeekly albums respectively! All three are among my favourite K-pop b-sides of the year so far. Loving "Young Blood" and "After School" as well but I was personally let down by Purple Kiss' "Ponzona". There's no denying though that they have potential to do really well if RBW handles them properly.

 

[Lilac]

Thanks for the weekly round-up social media team!

Fully agree with Beefy that "Reach out your hands", "Skip Skip" and "Lucky" are the best b-sides on the new DRIPPIN, Purple Kiss and Weeekly albums respectively! All three are among my favourite K-pop b-sides of the year so far. Loving "Young Blood" and "After School" as well but I was personally let down by Purple Kiss' "Ponzona". There's no denying though that they have potential to do really well if RBW handles them properly.

You're welcome

Thanks guys for the b-side recommendations I'm going to add "Lucky" to my playlist bc it's such a bop

I wasn't feeling "Ponzona" either; their pre-debut track "Can We Talk Again" and b-side "Skip Skip" are much better imo~

 

[Happy]

Thank you for the updates!

 

[anh]

thanks for the updates!

 

[MedicationHelps87]

Purple kiss yaaaaas!
Thanks for the updates.
Best news there is and that's saying a lot.

Given I am not a news person.