ICYMI IN CASE YOU MISSED IT / SEPTEMBER 28 - OCTOBER 4

[Dragon of the West]

SEPTEMBER 28 - OCTOBER 4


Hello once again Hallyuplussers, we're back with another week of news updates and more. This past week was relatively dry compared to other weeks, but we'll likely see an increase in activity as the year winds down. Now, without further ado, let's jump into this week's article!

BY POLARIS_TAE


MONDAY:
#1- Get ready for even more great music later this year! A number of artists announced that they would be returning before the year comes to a close. In October, we will see three acts return with great music! Ailee will be making her comeback on the 6th of October with her 5th mini-album, "I'm", SF9 will return with a special album in celebration of their 4th anniversary with "Shine Together". To round out October, it has been announced that TWICE will return to bless us with even more great music in the last week of October. Meanwhile, PocketDol Studio has announced that they are preparing to debut a 9-member boy group, "BAE173", which will include former X1 members Lee Hangyul and Nam Dohyun. In November, we will finally be welcoming back BTS. The group will be releasing a deluxe edition of their album "BE". Stray Kids will be joining them in November as they release their newest Japanese mini-album, "All In". We can't wait!

#2- It has been revealed that WJSN's Yoo Yeonjung will be releasing an OST for the JTBC drama, "More Than Friends". Details regarding the release will be announced at a later date.

#3- The virtual K-pop group K/DA, which includes the voices of (G)I-DLE's Miyeon & Soyeon launched pre-orders for their official lightstick this week! Have you ordered one yet?

#4- Weverse welcomed a brand new artist to the platform this week in the form of CL. We hope to see even more great content from her!

#5- The 2020 Brand of the Year Awards revealed its winners this week, where BTS & Oh My Girl took home awards for male and female idol respectively. Did your biases take home any awards?

#6- After returning to the entertainment industry for the first time in years, Choa has already picked up an endorsement deal with the online game "Element Nine". Meanwhile, everyone's favourite idol-actor SF9's Rowoon has become the face of Pink Rocket Topokki in Vietnam & Yoo Ah-in has been selected as the model for the online fashion store, "MUSINSA". We congratulate them on receiving these exciting new opportunities!

#7- SING女团 has announced the addition of three new members to their group roster! We welcome Zhong Ying, Lin Jiahui & Ma Xuejiao to the group and can't wait to see just what they bring to SING女团!



TUESDAY:
#1- B1A4 and Mad Clown have both announced that they'll be returning to bless us with even more great music this October! B1A4 will be returning as three with a brand new full album, while Mad Clown is set to drop his latest mini-album on the 6th of October. Meanwhile, it has been announced that MAMAMOO is preparing to hold their comeback in early November. Are you looking forward to any of these releases?

#2- LOONA will be holding an online concert, "LOOΠΔTHEWORLD: Midnight Festival" on the 20th of October. Meanwhile, KCON:TACT Season 2 has revealed its 3rd lineup. Dreamcatcher, GHOST9, Day6 (Even of Day), CLC and more are set to perform. Another festival announcing its guest line-up this week was the "2020 Asia Song Festival". The festival revealed that MOMOLAND, The Boyz, Kang Daniel and more are set to participate. Whose performance are you most anticipating?

#3- A new relationship made its debut to the public this week when it was confirmed that Super Junior's Ryeowook is dating former Tahiti member Ari. Meanwhile, TVXQ's Changmin has confirmed the date of his upcoming wedding to be October 25th! Congrats to the couples!

#4- Following the recent revelation that Block B's Park Kyung was involved in school bullying, the idol has released a statement apologising for his past behaviour. Following this, JTBC is in talks on whether to edit out the rapper's appearance in the upcoming "Knowing Bros" episode.



WEDNESDAY:
#1- Younha and Epik High have announced that they will be holding a joint online concert on the 30th of October titled, "Memory Theatre: Halloween". Will you be tuning in to see them?

#2- EXID's Park Jeonghwa has confirmed that she will be joining the cast of the upcoming movie, "Handsome Guys". Will you be adding this film to your 'to watch' list?

#3- It has been announced that Jeon Hyosung will be joining the KBS 1TV Hallyu culture quiz show "2020 Quiz On Korea" as its MC. Do you think she suits this role?

#4- It has come to light that Moon Geun-young has decided to part ways with her agency of 16 years, Namoo Actors. We wish her the best in her future endeavours.

#5- Keyakizaka46 said goodbye to Ishimori Nijika this week as it was announced that she had graduated from the group on the 30th of September. Meanwhile, a number of Shiraishi Mai themes cafe's opened their doors across Japan in commemoration of the artist's graduation from Nogizaka46. We wish them both the best in their individual activities.



THURSDAY:
#1- Wonho was busy creating a personal YouTube account to share even more of his life with us this week. Be sure to follow him ASAP!

#2- The October KPop Idol Brand Rankings has been released! BTS' Jimin continued his number 1 streak, while MAMAMOO's Hwasa and soloist Kang Daniel rounded out the position in the top three! Did your bias make the list this month?

#3- Some happy news for Satomi Ishihara. She revealed to the public that she has gotten married to a non-celebrity. We send our congratulations to the new couple!



FRIDAY:
#1- fromis_9's Gyuri & singer KCM appeared on this week's "Workman" episode as 1-day apple farmworkers. Did you catch them in the show?

#2- ZOC has announced that they will be having a major label debut under Avex. It was also announced that the groups' choreographer "Riko" will be joining the group as its newest member.



SATURDAY:
#1- Following the graduation stage of SNH48's first-generation members, it was announced that eight 14th generation members would be joining the group. Half would be added to Team SII, whereas the other four members would be distributed among SNH48 Team X. Earlier in the week, their sister group GNZ48 also added four new members, including two new 8th gen members to their lineup, along with former members of other SNH-related sister groups. Consisting of Zheng Jia (formerly of CKG48) and Gao Weiran (former BEJ48/IDOLSft). Will you be anticipating even more great theatre performances from these groups?

#2- We received some exciting news to cap off the week! Ayumi Hamasaki announced that she was pregnant with her second child. We congratulate her on the upcoming addition to her family.



SUNDAY:
#1- Following the success of their "Produce Camp" series, Tencent Video has opened a global casting call of its 2021 season of "CHUANG2021". This season will consist of male competitors. Are you looking forward to this?

BY DRAGON OF THE WEST & POLARIS_TAE


#1. BLACKPINK - LOVESICK GIRLS
They released "How You Like That" in June and "Ice Cream" in August, but this time, the girls of BLACKPINK are back with their first full-length album titled "The Album" and its lead single "Lovesick Girls". It’s dance-pop with a guitar-driven heart, trading between emotive verses and a fizzier chorus, with segments working quite well together. Refreshingly, the song unveils a full-throated chorus, composed of two catchy refrains. First, we’ve got the chanted, titular hook which has a melody that is instantly memorable. That is followed by a more dramatic refrain that offers a far stronger vocal performance. The second verse is largely driven by rap, and the instrumental wisely adds layers rather than pulling back. The guitar here is a real treat, giving the verse a welcome urgency that works especially well coming directly after the chorus.





#2. JAY PARK, GOLDEN & PH1 - AFTERNOON
Jay Park has proven yet again that he wasn't serious about his promise of retiring from the South Korean music industry. The artist has returned this week with "Afternoon", which is a collaboration with Golden — who recently won the latest season of "The Voice Korea" — and PH-1. This release gives us a more fun side to Jay Park compared to some of his bass-heavy tracks that we are used to from the artist. We see similarities between his hit summer collaboration tracks like "My Last" (feat. Gray & Loco) despite summer having already ended throughout much of the northern hemisphere. The artist tells us that he's sick of all the relentless drama and wants to just spend the days with the one he loves with an even brighter music video to display this. Unfortunately, he has competition in love through PH-1 & Golden. The song gives us an upbeat instrumental with an addictive hook that leaves us rooting for Jay to get the girl of his dreams. Does he get the girl, or does she run away with the mascot? You'll only know if you watch the MV with your own eyes!





#3. FAN CHENGCHENG - MISSED TEXTS
Fan ChengCheng has returned with the second single from his most recent solo album titled, "Missed Texts" which, similarly to the previously released "Can't Slow Down", is sung entirely in English. We learn that the artist has become a shell of his former self after totalling his car from "Can't Slow Down" and waking up in the hospital. He explains to us that we shouldn't take it out on other people due to a single misunderstanding and that we should instead talk it out to come to a better understanding of the other person's feelings and motives, as vilifying someone for "Missed Texts" can lead to even more understandings. "Missed Textx", just like Fan's previous release, continues with his unique brand of hip-hop while also being stylistically inventive through the incorporation of the notification into the instrumental, thus becoming a central theme in this release and adding a splash of creativity to this release!





#4. SUPER JUNIOR-D&E - NO LOVE
We already know that SM Entertainment tends to be quite quick when it comes to releasing repackage albums, but this is surely one of their quickest turnarounds yet! Not even a month has passed since Super Junior-D&E released their 4th mini-album "Bad Blood" but they're already back with its repack "Bad Liar" and the title track "No Love". Driven by an electro bass, the instrumental pulses with energy from its very first moment. It’s a repetitive arrangement, but hard to resist. Synth strings add a great sense of drama to the pre-choruses, while the chorus smacks the listener with a throwback groove that forges a satisfying centrepiece. The song, unfortunately, suffers when it comes to hooks. As addictive as the instrumental is, there’s not much to the actual song.





#5. PRIMARY X CHOA - CLOUD
Primary is back with his first release since departing Amoeba Culture and has released a brand new instrumental album "Boxtape". The only track on the album to feature vocals is the title single "Cloud" and it features none other than former AOA member, ChoA, who has made her return to the entertainment industry after taking a few years off. "Cloud" is a wonderfully crafted funk-pop track, combining strings, alternative guitars, simple percussion and saxophone jazz elements to create a dreamy, retro feel. ChoA’s gentle and comforting vocals glide along expertly with the melody, drawing us towards the bright and blissful ethereal sound. Primary has been able to re-introduce ChoA’s stunning vocals whilst wrapping them up in a neat and trendy package, giving her the opportunity to make her way back into the music industry.





#6. TAEYEON - #GIRLSSPKOUT (FEAT. CHANMINA)
Taeyeon has released her new Japanese single "#GirlsSpkOut" from her upcoming second Japanese EP of the same name. I'd be lying if I said that her opening line “C’mon girls, this is our generation” didn't send a chill of nostalgia down my spine. Seriously though, we need another Girls’ Generation soon. "#GirlsSpkOut" feels as if it could be featured on a modern SNSD album. It’s got a nice groove, fueled by rhythm guitar and sinuous bass. The entire thing is quite slinky but rarely rises to any noticeable climax. Taeyeon sounds flawless as usual, assisted by rapper Chanmina for a few standout bursts of energy. More interplay between the two would have definitely made for a more dynamic track.

BY DRAGON OF THE WEST

#1. It was announced that BLACKPINK's first full-length album "The Album" has surpassed 1 million stock pre-orders making it the first album by a girl group surpass 1 million sales in Korea since The Pearl Sisters in 1968. The album also went on to debut with 32.84 million unfiltered streams on Spotify, making it the 7th biggest debut by a female artist on the platform. Their latest music video "Lovesick Girls" received 58.4 million views and 5.5 million likes in its first 24 hours on YouTube while the music video for "Ice Cream" has surpassed 300 million views on YouTube as it took just under 5 weeks to reach the milestone. Finally, their YouTube channel has now become 2nd most subscribed to YouTube channel among musicians worldwide, just after Justin Bieber.


#2. BTS' "Dynamite" re-peaks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its 5th week, making it the 3rd week that the hit single has spent atop the chart. BTS are also the first act top the Billboard Hot 100, Global 200 and Global 200 Exclusive U.S. charts simultaneously.


#3. The Boyz, possibly due to the exposure gained from winning Road to Kingdom, has far surpassed the success of all of their previous releases! The groups' 5th mini-album, "Chase" has sold 212,666 copies in its first week. Thus making it their best first-week sales to date! Their previous record was held by their 2020 album, "Reveal" which sold 48,538 copies in its first week.


#4. TREASURE's 2nd single album "THE FIRST STEP: CHAPTER TWO" sold 169,586 copies in its first week which makes it their highest 1st-week sales, surpassing the record set by their debut single album "THE FIRST STEP: CHAPTER ONE" that sold 160,612 copies.


#5. The Chinese computer-animated film "Jiang Ziya: Legend of Deification", which is a spin-off of the 2019 smash-hit "Nezha" has reportedly broken box office records, boasting the best first-day sales for an animated film in China, grossing well over 200 million RMB.

BY POLARIS_TAE

Nominations for our October User of the Month have opened! Have you cast your vote yet?

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)!

The Events Team brought us two great games this week!

AKID❀KI hosted the "K-pop Kraze", where users had to match Kpop idols with their characteristics. Ultimately, it was Lurkette who came out on top!

Stannie hosted a game of non-competitive "Telepathic Artists". This game is still ongoing. Are you participating in this?

The September Orbs Giveaway was held earlier this week. Hopefully, luck is on your side.

Shop+ fans, our team was busy stocking our store with even more great items this week. Be sure to get your hands on them soon ~

The Social Media Team gave us one new article this week!

Polaris_Tae gave us their thoughts on BTS' "Dynamite".


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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 this week's ICYMI. Be sure to check back in with us at the same time next week for more great news, updates and more!





GFX BY @mocha
PROOFREAD BY @Dragon of the West ​

 

[kimsguardian]

nice recap for such a quiet week, thanks for your hard work!

 

[demasta]

thanks for the updates

 

[UMJI MOODS]

Low key week but an excellent job as always.​

 

[ARandomFan]

 

[Jibang]

Thank you!

 

[fleur de lune]

thank you!!

 

[anh]

thanks for the updates!

 

[hatmixx]

i just wanna point out that the image has goddamned Taeyeon AND Choa in it. What a time to be alive