ICYMI IN CASE YOU MISSED IT // MAY 9 - MAY 16

[Polaris_Tae]

MAY 9 - MAY 16


Hello again Hallyuplussers and welcome to another great week of In Case You Missed It! Where we bring you another update related to everything that has happened across the Asian Entertainment industry in the past week. So be sure to sit back ass we bring you another week's worth of news!

BY POLARIS_TAE


MONDAY:
#1- As always, we start off the week with more comeback announcements! Berry Good's Soyul will be making her solo debut this June with her first single album. This comes following the announcement that the group had disbanded earlier this month. Moreover, she will now be going by the stage name E.SO. Also releasing new content in June will be SEVENTEEN & C9 Entertainment's newest boy group EPEX. SEVENTEEN will be reportedly coming back with a new album on a currently unspecified date. Meanwhile, EPEX will be making their debut on the 8th of June. Finally, BOYFRIEND will be coming out of disbandment on the 26th of May for their 10th anniversary when they release a special song to commemorate the occasion. Which release are you anticipating the most?

#2- Oh My Girl's Mimi sadly was unable to participate in the group's comeback showcase on Monday due to health issues. Her agency stated that the idol was complaining of sudden dizziness and vomiting earlier in the day. We hope she was able to get some rest.

#3- Fans of BRAVE GIRLS & DRIPPIN will be calling the K-pop fandom app UNIVERSE their new home soon as it has been announced that both groups will be joining the platform on the 24th of May. Will you be subscribing to them?

#4- DR Music, the agency of Black Swan, has announced that they will be holding international auditions from the 10th of May to the 10th of June. Will you be auditioning?

#5- 'Bossam: Steal The Fate' starring Jung Ilwoo & Kwon Yuri, which is currently airing on MBN has broken its own viewership record already after the string of its fourth episode. Are you watching this drama?



TUESDAY:
#1- Even more releases were announced on Tuesday! EXO will be greeting us with a special album, "DON'T FIGHT THE FEELING" next month on the 7th of June. Meanwhile, ENHYPEN will be blessing us with Japanese music on the 6th of July when they make their Japanese debut. We can't wait!

#2- GOT7's leader JB, who is now going by JAY B, has signed an exclusive contract with H1GHER Music. In addition to this, he has also revealed plans to release a new single. Meanwhile, Kim Sejeong has renewed her contract with Jellyfish Entertainment. We look forward to their continued work together!

#3- Now onto sponsorship announcements and brand deals! LOONA has had the honour to be appointed as the 2021 honorary ambassadors for the Korean Culture and Information Service. Meanwhile, WEi's Kim Yohan and Weeekly have received exciting advertising opportunities! Kim Yohann has been chosen as the new advertising model for Mark Gonzales, while Weeekly will be the new models for Davich Eye Wear. We congratulate them on gaining these new opportunities!

#4- BLACKPINK's Lisa & (G)I-DLE's Miyeon are set to guest on Mnet's Kingdom as featured guests for iKON & BtoB's performances respectively. Will you be tuning in to see them on Kingdom?

#5- SECHSKIES' Lee Jaejin has announced that he has gotten married! We congratulate him on this exciting news!



WEDNESDAY:
#1- UP10TION will be joining the list of groups coming back in June after it was announced that they'd be coming back with new music. Meanwhile, it has been announced that Red Velvet's Joy will be the second Red Velvet member to make their official solo debut with a remake album scheduled for the end of May. This comes following Red Velvet's Wendy's solo debut earlier this year. We're counting the days until these new releases!

#2- CNBLUE's Jung Yonghwa will be greeting fans via an online fanmeeting, '2021 JUNG YONGHWA ONLINE FAN MEETING YongStay' on the 20th of June. Make sure to register your attendance before it's too late!

#3- Now onto drama & entertainment news! It has been announced that Rainbow's Kim Jaekyung will be joining the cast of the drama 'The Devil's Justice' The show is set to air in the second half of 2021. Susaki Hana has been cast in the '99.9 Keiji Senmon Bengoshi' film adaptation. Finally, Komatsu Nana has been announced as the female lead for the Edmund Yeo film 'Moonlight Shadow'. We can't wait!



THURSDAY:
#1- On Thursday we received the sad news that M.C The MAX's J.Yoon had passed away. No cause of death has been released in order to show respect to his family. He was 38 years old.

#2- The South Korean Fair Trade Commission has approved the proposed merger between the VLive & reverse social media platforms. What do you think will be the eventual result of this upcoming merger?



FRIDAY:
#1- We learnt of even more upcoming releases and comebacks on Friday! NS Yoon-G & Jung Seunghwan both plan to release new music this may; while N-Flying & Jay Park will be returning within the next few months. For May, Jung Seunghwan will e releasing a currently unknown musical project later this May; while NS Yoon-G will release a remake of her own single 'If You Love Me' on the 22nd of June. Now onto later upcoming releases! N-Flying has revealed plans to release their first full-length album in early June; while Jay Park will be releasing a new collaboration with Wiz Khalifa later in July. Are you excited about any of these upcoming releases?

#2- It has been announced that 2NE1's Dara, also known as Sandara Park, will be leaving YG Entertainment after 17 years with the company following the expiration of her contract. We wish her the best in her future endeavours.

#3- Red Velvet's Wendy has joined the ranks of the Honour Society. The Honour Society serves as a group for people who have donated over 100 million KRW to the Community Chest of Korea. We thank her for her continued generosity to the charity!

#4- ANAL SEX PENiS has announced that they have rebranded themselves and will be renaming themselves as ANTi SOCiETY PUNK. What are your thoughts on this name change?


SATURDAY:
#1- Korean soloist Gaho has announced that he is preparing to release new music at the end of the month with his new single 'Rush Hour' scheduled for the 24th of May.

#2- The May edition of the individual boy group member brand rankings has been released! BTS' Jimin has once again reigned supreme in terms off individual brand reputation & popularity; while ASTRO's Cha Eunwoo & BTS' V placed second and third respectively. The following day, the individual girl group member brand rankings were also released! Brave Girls' Yujeong took the top position, while Brave Girls' Yuna & BLACKPINK's Jennie rounded out the top three. Did any of your biases manage to rank this month?

#3- PENTAGON's Yeo One has become the first PENTAGON member to open a personal Instagram account! Have you followed him yet?

#4- KCON:TACT 4 U has announced their first lineup! BTOB, HIGHLIGHT, iKON, Golden Child, WEKI MEKI & more have been confirmed to be performing. Which performance are you most looking forward to seeing?



SUNDAY:
#1- AB6IX will be releasing a new single titled 'Gemini' on the 24th of May via UNIVERSE Music. We can't wait.

#2- Miyawaki Sakura has announced that she intends to graduate from HKT48 on the 19th of June. We're sad to see her leave so soon and wish her luck in her future endeavours.

BY DRAGON OF THE WEST


#1. NCT DREAM - HOT SAUCE
After what seems like forever, SM Entertainment seems to have listened to fans' wishes as NCT Dream have finally released their first full-length album Hot Sauce - coming nearly 5 years since they debuted. The title track of the same name is far from being their best single, and the most interesting part of the song is the instrumental. Its percussive backbone draws from elements of afrobeat — a welcome departure from many of K-pop’s go-to sources — and it becomes especially satisfying when guitar joins the fray, giving ''Hot Sauce'' a light, rhythmic touch that feels perfectly suited to summer. Title track aside, the rest of the album has definitely been worth the wait. Particular standouts are ''Dive Into You'' & ''My Youth''.





#2. OH MY GIRL - DUN DUN DANCE
Following off the incredible digital success they saw in 2020 with ''Nonstop'' and ''Dolphin'', Oh My Girl have made their first comeback in over a year as they released their 8th mini-album Dear OhMyGirl and the title track ''Dun Dun Dance''. Keeping up with recent trends over the past year, the song has an obvious city pop influence. In this case, the genre’s tropes form a component rather than the overarching theme, however, the energy has been tuned down a bit which is quite unfortunate since that extra kick would have added so much. Overall, ''Dun Dun Dance'' is an inoffensive, enjoyable slice of summertime pop. Its chorus bounds with optimism and will likely become an earworm over time.





#3. ONEUS - BLACK MIRROR
ONEUS continue to be on a roll as they've released their 5th mini-album Binary Code just 4 months after the release of their 1st full-length album Devil. This EP is led by the incredibly upbeat ''Black Mirror'' which has a bass guitar serving as its foundation. Bright synths and rhythm guitar join the fray, crafting a brisk setting that’s light on its feet and energizing; the song's melody is at its best when leaning into this structure. Its clipped pre-chorus brings a healthy dose of drive to the track, while the second half of its chorus takes advantage of the instrumental’s disco influences. The rest of the EP is solid as well, arguably being their best release to date with some of their strongest b-sides. The highlight though is the incredible rock remix of their debut song ''Valkyrie'' which I would recommend checking out at least once.





#4. WJSN THE BLACK - EASY
After debuting their first subunit — the bright and cute WJSN Chocome — in 2020, WJSN's second unit with a more mature concept have made their debut. Famously referred to by fans as the Boss subunit prior to their debut (due to their cover of Fifth Harmony's Boss), WJSN The Black have debuted with their first single album My Attitude with the lead single ''Easy''. This groovy track has hooky verses that are instantly memorable, offering a breathless ascent before softly tumbling back down. The song is non-offensive and it all comes together quite well, even if nothing quite lives up to the full charm the members could offer. The accompanying single ''Kiss Your Lips'' is perhaps more similar to the direction most would have imagined the unit would lean into, carrying several elements of other WJSN tracks but giving them a slightly more sensual tone.





#5. YUQI - GIANT
Song Yuqi has become the first member of (G)I-DLE to make her solo debut while being part of the group — Soyeon has made her solo debut, but this was prior to the group's debut — as she released her digital single A Page with the title track ''Giant''. Recorded in both English and Chinese versions, the song offers a shot of rock-infused inspiration which is echoed by a hearty instrumental that brings a heavy dose of rock guitar. Yuqi compels with her husky voice. She brings authentic emotion and grit to the track, holding her own against the bombastic instrumental. The accompanying b-side, ''BONNIE & CLYDE'', is as much rock as it is trance. From verse to chorus, it knows exactly where it’s going and never makes a diversion. The energy modulates, giving the verses a haunting quality that contrasts with the chorus’s explosive arrangement. Yuqi's performance here is arguably her best one yet, and this is easily the more impressive of the two tracks.

BY DRAGON OF THE WEST


#1. On Monday, a few hours prior to their comeback, it was reported that NCT DREAM's ''Hot Sauce'' had surpassed 1.7 million copies in stock pre-orders. This 242% growth in comparison to their last release not only makes it the highest pre-order numbers for an NCT-related album but would also make it the highest-selling album ever from SM Entertainment. The album also sold more than 1 million copies on Hanteo in its first week, making them only the third group to ever achieve this.


#2. ITZY's "Guess Who" becomes the group's first release to chart on the Billboard 200 chart, coming in at #148 with 8,000 copies sold in its first week. This makes them only the third 4th gen group to chart after TXT & LOONA.


#3. Oh My Girl's latest EP "Dear OhMyGirl" sold 53,525 copies on its first day making it the group's highest 1st day and 1st week sales yet, as well as their best-selling album on Hanteo.


#4. 2021's surprise hit song, Brave Girls' "Rollin", continues to break records. This time it has become the girl group song with the most weeks spent at #1 on the Gaon Digital Chart (5 weeks), overtaking missA's "Bad Girl Good Girl" and TWICE's "TT" (4 weeks).


#5. TWICE have hit two MV view milestones this week as "Breakthrough" and "I Can't Stop Me" have surpassed 100 million & 300 million views respectively on YouTube.


#6. Stray Kids' "God's Menu" has surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify making it their first song to reach this milestone. They are also the 2nd fastest boy group to do this with a song after BTS.

BY POLARIS_TAE

We welcomed Baymax as our newest Junior Moderator this week! Congratulations and welcome to the team!


+

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.



You've reached the end of ICYMI for another week. We hope you enjoyed the article and hope to see you at the same time next week!





GFX BY @yerm
PROOFREAD BY @Dragon of the West
FEATURED ARTISTS: Xion (ONEUS), Eunseo (WJSN), Chenle (NCT Dream), Komatsu Nana, Shaun ​

 

[UMJI MOODS]

Thanks again to you for this wonderful recap of the week's events. Always appreciate it.​

 

[kimsguardian]

thank you for another amazing update, you guys indeed are the best!

 

[Happy]

Thanks for the updates!