ICYMI IN CASE YOU MISSED IT / MARCH 22 - MARCH 28

[Polaris_Tae]

MARCH 22 - MARCH 28


Hello again Hallyuplussers and welcome to another great week of In Case You Missed It! Where we bring you another week's worth of updates related to everything that has happened across the Asian Entertainment industry in the past week. With that said, let's jump into another great article!

BY BEEFY & POLARIS_TAE


MONDAY:
#1- Icon Park Bom will release a single on March 31. Then Kang Daniel will be making his comeback with the mini-album Yellow on April 13th, are you looking forward to it?

#2- Jung Ji Woo, the sister of BTS' J-Hope, has signed an exclusive contract with Cub Entertainment, she currently works as an Influencer and is a CEO of multiple businesses. Speaking of contracts, actor Lee Joonki has renewed his contract with Namoo actors, he's been under the company since 2014. We hope they flourish under their respective companies!

#3- Yamashita Tomohisa was appointed as the ambassador for Italian brand BVLGARI; and continuing with the endorsement news, actress Kim Yoo Jung has been selected as the new model for drink brand 'Toreta!'. We congratulate parties on their new endorsements!



TUESDAY:
#1- SM Entertainment confirmed that NCT Dream will be making their long-awaited comeback in April; and in addition, music duo DAVACHI will also be making their comeback within the month. We are looking forward to both releases!

#2- Rising girl group Brave Girls has been selected to promote and model for the mobile fantasy game 'Kingdom: Flames of War' starting this May! We congratulate them on this new endorsement, and hope they receive many more endorsement offers!

#3- TWICE's Jeongyeon and actress Seungyeon donated 50 million won worth of pet supplies to Anseong Princess Pyeonggang Animal Shelter! We are very appreciative of these charitable siblings' contributions!



WEDNESDAY:
#1- Problems continue to plague MNET's Kingdom as TVXQ's Yunho has decided to voluntarily step down his MC position on the show due to recent controversy. Changmin will continue as the sole MC for the show and earlier appearances by Yunho will be edited out.

#2- Rookie girl group STAYC will be making their comeback with a new single on April 8th. Later, SM Entertainment shared that SHINee will be coming back with a repackage album in the same month! Which release are you looking forward to hearing?

#3- Super Junior's Kyuhyun and Lee Soogeun will be the MCs for the upcoming JTBC show 'Famous Singer'. The show is a spin-off of JTBC's 'Sing Again', and will be airing on April 2. Will you be tuning in?



THURSDAY:
#1- SM Entertainment has announced that in addition to her upcoming solo debut on the 5th of April, Red Velvet's Wendy will be releasing double title tracks! Also, BELIFT LAB super rookies, ENHYPEN will be making their comeback in the second half of April. Are you looking forward to any of these upcoming releases?

#2- Former BerryGood members, Gowoon and Seoyul have announced that they will be holding a fan meeting together on the 15th of May. Will you be tuning into this broadcast?

#3- Following multiple western corporations releasing statements regarding their intentions to no longer source their cotton from the region, plus their condemnation of Uyghur workers within the industry, multiple celebrities -- Including Wang Yibo, Meng Meiqi, Victoria Song & more -- who have associations with these brands have cut ties entirely. Affected brands include: H&M, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Puma, Adidas and more. What are your thought on this issue?



FRIDAY:
#1- MAMAMOO's Wheein has some fantastic news for us this week! She'll be returning for a much anticipated solo comeback this April. We can't wait!

#2- SEVENTEEN will be making their return to US television in April. This week, it was announced that they would be guesting on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' as a musical act! Will you be tuning in to see them this April?

#3- Kim Haneul has a new agency already! After departing from SidusHQ following the expiration of her contract earlier this year, the actress has now signed an exclusive contract with IOK Entertainment. We hope to see her thrive under his new company!

#4- Continuing on with (G)I-DLE Soojin's school violence scandal for another week, actress Seo Shin-ae who was one of her many victims has spoken out this week to clarify the violence that she experienced at the hands of the idol; stating that she was subject to both personal and verbal attacks after transferring into the school that she attended with Soojin. What are your thoughts on this?



SATURDAY:
#1- SEVENTEEN's Hoshi will be blessing us with his first solo mixtape on the second of April! We're counting down the days until release! The Japanese label, WACK has announced the creation of a new girl group, ASP (ANAL SEX PENiS) earlier this week. What ar your thoughts on this name? Is it stretching it too far? Or do you think this name is perfect for a label like WACK, which is home to multiple groups with creative sounding names?

#2- Former Gugudan member Kim Sejeong has been continuing her efforts to establish a successful solo career and one aspect of this includes the creation of a fandom name. Earlier this week, on Saturday, we were introduced to her fandom name, 'Sesang'; which holds two simultaneous meanings to the artist. That her fans are "Sejeong's whole world", and that they are "people who love Sejeong". What are your thoughts on this name?

#3- The singer brand reputation rankings have been released for March! BTS has once again established their dominance on the chart, while Brave Girls & Im Youngwoong round out the top three positions. Did your bias manage to rank this week?



SUNDAY:
#1- YG rookie group TREASURE will be the newest idols to join the fandom community Weverse! Will you be following all their antics through this fantastic platform?

#2- APINK's Bomi has received another great opportunity! She has been selected as the newest advertising model for OSEQUE signature bar. We congratulate her on receiving another exciting opportunity!

BY BEEFY


#1- LILAC - IU
Queen IU made her comeback with the track "LILAC" from her fifth full album of the same name; this comes two months after her pre-release single, "Celebrity". For this release she takes on a new sound and jumps on the city-pop trend; however, she truly makes this sound her own. The song starts off extremely strong with a nice funky bassline and '80s style guitar melody, and once it is paired with IU's breathy vocals it makes for an atmospheric listen. The chorus for "LILAC" is simply euphoric, here the gains more life and energy with the addition of new instrumentation. In this part, we are also able to appreciate IU's signature delicate singing which suits the city-pop sound perfectly. It is also undeniably catchy with the lyrics like "oh lilac" and the later melodic "oh oh oh". And how could we talk about an IU release without mentioning her lyrics? Here the song elegantly touches on the theme of "first love" and "memories of youth", which can be seen in lines like "Could this last goodbye be any more perfect?" and "tell me I look pretty like the day we first met". This is actually a common theme of the album; the artist herself shared that this theme serves as a thank you to those who have been with her throughout her twenties. The accompanying music video is something else, as we follow IU through wildly different scenes on a rushing train. If you're interested in seeing IU kick some butt, go clubbing or a beautifully animated heartfelt scene then this may be the music video for you! This is actually a double release with the track "Coin", which is a charismatic jazzier track and it serves as a great contrast to "LILAC". It even has its own music video, so make sure to go give that track a listen too if you haven't already!





#2- BORN TO BE WILD - JO1
Japanese boy group JO1 continues to craft their immaculate discography with the pre-release single "Born to Be Wild"; comes ahead of the April release date for their third single album, Challenger. It's been about five months since the group released the track "Shine a Light", and we're glad to see them back again! "Born to Be Wild" is a groovy pop track that shows us yet another side of the group. The song opens with the belting of its title and then smoothly transition into a quiet melodic chanting, that's very reminiscent of retro RnB tracks. Its verses are filled with a funky and deep bassline and a dreamy piano-like synth. The first part of the chorus goes for a laid-back groovy approach before quickly changing into something more exhilarating. With the introduction of horns and the return of the belted "Born to Be Wild" the chorus is truly something to remember! Much like the song's title suggests, its lyrics encourage listeners to live life freely and continue racing forward no matter what. We really enjoyed this new release from JO1 and can not wait to see what else is in store for the group!





#3- SAKURA NO SAKU OTO GA SHITA - =LOVE
=LOVE released the track "Sakura no Saku Oto ga Shita" which is the lead single for their first album Zenbu, Naisho. It's been about five months since the group released their single album Seishun Subliminal and we are excited to see what they have blessed us with. This new release is quite uplifting and energizing, after just one listen we're sure you'll have a warm feeling! The song starts off with a simple piano melody and quickly forms into something magical thanks to the addition of chimes and warm percussion and an acoustic guitar. Though the verses are a bit subdued they gradually build up power and energy as we head towards the chorus. Here the song explodes to life, all the previously mentioned instruments come together with the addition of a zapping-like synth, making it the perfect instrumental! The members also show off their powerful and uplifting vocals, they match the energy of this section perfectly. One thing about the song that stood out to us, were the members' unique vocal tones which range from soft and delicate (which worked wonders during the bridge) to strong (as heard in the chorus). The song's music video is almost like a mini-drama as we get to watch different sub-plots involving the members. One involves a member trying to gain the courage to speak to her crush, and another follows two groups trying to find success in their bands. These scenes are broken up by the groups' elegant choreography which is an absolute joy to watch. Overall, "Sakura no Saku Oto ga Shita" is a very fun track, and we'll definitely be looking out for =LOVE's future releases!





#4- LMLY - JACKSON WANG
Jackson Wang returned with the new single "LMLY", it's been about two months since his last single "Alone (一個人)". Jackson also jumped onto the retro trend with this new release from the genre to the music video. "LMLY" is '80s inspired synth-pop song with an undeniable addictive quality. The song doesn't waste any time as it starts off immediately with a melancholy thumping synth, and this continues throughout much of the song. Its chorus is slightly upbeat thanks to the brightening of the instrumental, which creates a nice contrast between the section. The standout part of the chorus is definitely its catchy lyrics and melody, the phrase "don’t leave me loving you" alone will definitely be stuck in your head for a while. Its second part is just as good with the wistful singing of the line "whatevеr you do, babe". The standout aspect of the song is definitely Jackson's husky vocals which truly sell the song's overall theme of yearning thanks to his fantastic delivery! This new single is also sung entirely in English just like his previous ones; from this, we can gather that the singer continues with his running theme of "unrequited love" as he begs his person of interest to not leave their relationship unfinished. As mentioned earlier, the music video also takes on a retro theme, as it takes on distinctively 90s Wong Kar Wai aesthetic; fit with dreamy visuals and a vibrant contrast of colours. Overall, "LMLY" is a very enjoyable pop song and if you're craving something a bit nostalgic then this is the perfect listen for you!

BY NARA


#1- Brave Girls now has the highest cumulative PAKs amongst all girl groups! They have now achieved 198 hours of Perfect All-Kills surpassing TWICE's record of 197 hours! Congrats to them for this huge accomplishment!

#2- BTS J-hope's 'Outro: Ego' from the album, 'Map of the Soul: 7' has surpassed 100 million views on YouTube! Listen to this bop if you haven't already!

#3- TWICE's 'Like OOH AHH' MV has surpassed 400 million views on YouTube! Congrats to the group for reaching this milestone with their iconic debut MV!

#4- WEEEKLY's music video for 'After School' has surpassed 20 Million Youtube views already on its second week! Have you checked out this MV yet?

BY POLARIS_TAE

Our Events Team finished the 'Card Captor Hallyu+' event throughout the week!

AKID❀KI hosted a 'Guess The CLAMP Couple' mini+, where users were required to guess the CLAMP couple from the extended CLAMP universe. This ranged from everything from Cardcaptor Sakura to Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle. Ultimately Chiharu proved their anime knowledge was supreme and took the top spot!

AKID❀KI also gave out the final card, where users were required to answer two unique questions in order to obtain the item.

Finally, our Events Team wrapped up the card hunt at the end of the week with a closing thread. We hope you enjoyed this event as much as we did!

Shop+ fans, Our team worked hard again this week by keeping our shelves stocked with all of your favourite items! Here's all the items that were added to the shop this week:

Our Shop+ Team also released some event-exclusive items in conjunction with our Card Captor Hallyu+ event. These were only obtainable through the, now closed, Daily Card thread.

Our PR Team took questions for their upcoming interview with YouTuber GRAZY GRACE earlier this week. Question submissions have now been closed and we expect to have the interview out soon!


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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, Public Relations - Video & Outreach Divisions, Translations and SM Team - Press Division.



This brings us to the end of another great article. We'll be back again next week with more great content! Be sure to drop us a. comment if anything piqued your interest!





GFX BY @yerm
PROOFREAD BY @Polaris_Tae
FEATURED ARTISTS Soyeon, Sato Keigo (JO1), IU, Lee Junki, Otani Emiri (=LOVE)​

 

[kimsguardian]

thank you for the updates!
and whoever puts emiri-chan on the header, you're the real mvp!

 

[UMJI MOODS]

Thank you for the updates.​

 

[Happy]

Thank you for the updates! ​

 

[abra]

Soyeon
And thanks as always for the updates