New album will feature seven fresh singles from Lee
Korean pop artist Lee Michelle, in conjunction with Wildest Dream Entertainment, has announced the upcoming release of her new mini-album, ‘Day-By-Day’.
This new album marks the first fresh music from Lee since the release of her mini-album ‘I Can Sing’ in 2015. ‘I Can Sing’ was Lee’s breakout solo album and featured material primarily written by her. Just a year before, she debuted her single “Without You”, which captivated audiences everywhere.
Lee got her start as a South Korean Singer as a contestant on the first season of ‘K-pop Star’, which showcased talent from across South Korea. She gained high acclaim for her powerhouse vocals and wide range. After the show, Lee joined an all girl group called SuPearls, but the band soon after disbanded. At that time, Lee began to focus on her solo career, which has brought about exciting collaborations with other artists, such as South Korean rapper Double K, and a growing fan base.
Most recently, Lee was featured on ‘Tribe of Hip Hop 2’ in 2016, where she earned the nickname “Korean Missy Elliott”.
Since her time on ‘Tribe of Hip Hop 2’, Lee has stepped away from the limelight for a bit to enjoy life as she knows it. Recently, however, she decided it was time to come back to her fans. Lee began writing the songs that would soon be known as past of the ‘Day-By-Day’ track list.
‘Day-By-Day’ will feature seven brand new songs, primarily written by Lee. The new mini album is scheduled for an official release on August 7, 2020, at 7pm. KST
The album is being released in conjunction with Wildest Dream Entertainment, which is a division of KCrush America Magazine. KCrush America Magazine offers digital and printed publications, as well as events, that connect audiences with the latest Asian entertainment. KCrush America Magazine and Wildest Dream Entertainment are both committed to bringing the best of Asian entertainment to fans everywhere.
More information can be found at www.kcrush.com
About Wildest Dream Entertainment
Wildest Dream Entertainment is a music production company developed to give a voice to those global talents wanting to be heard musically and professionally in making a difference in the world through music and cultural diversity. Wildest Dream Entertainment is a division of KCrush American Magazine.
###
Global hit-maker James Lee returns to music’s forefront with emotional 7-track release
Rising star James Lee continues his road to recovery and healing with the release of his second EP CASTLES! Woven with sad boy/girl songs perfect for late-night summer drives, CASTLES, consisting of 7 tracks, is an intimate look into the mind of James, as he navigates through themes of heartbreak, goodbyes, and holding onto loved ones quickly slipping through your fingers like sand.
LISTEN TO JAMES LEE’S CASTLES EP
With the raw emotion of Yellowcard and Lauv and sounds reminiscent of Zedd and The Chainsmokers, CASTLES is an artistic blend of acoustic-pop/rock and EDM, with a little something for everyone.
On the creation of CASTLES, James shares, “CASTLES is a milestone in my career that expresses the growth I’ve had as a writer and a producer. When I wrote The Light EP, I relied on the help from some fantastic producers, but for CASTLES I trusted myself. Even though it was based on the thought of sand castles washing away, I still find myself reflecting on the process and journey of creating rather than sulking over what’s lost. I’ve become a realistic optimist.”
He hopes that listeners not only recognize the beauty in the intricacy of the album, but also the urgency in cherishing every moment, saying, “I hope people that listen to CASTLES will hear everything, from the details in every single arrangement choice, to the way the words are expressed in each song. I decided to lean into the music I grew up loving so much. Though the tone of the album is emotional and sad, the greater takeaway for people is to appreciate the moments we have because nothing lasts forever.”
To make the release of his second EP even more special, James provided various offers on his Patreon for fans to have their names included in the credits of his upcoming music video for “Liar” as well as on the physical copy of the CASTLES EP – a small gesture to show his fans that they are just as much part of this journey as he is.
In addition to his much-anticipated second EP, James most recently released collaboration track “Alright” with former f(x) singer Amber Liu (5.5 million followers) and the lyric video for “Over Us“, putting him on track to become a playlist-favorite of Gen Z and Millennials alike.
Referred to as the “Lauv of Asia” for his emotionally-charged songwriting and on-trend beat production, James has had a number of successful collaborations with various international pop stars in the realm of K-pop and Asian pop music, including Sooyoung Choi of Girls Generation (5.4 million followers), Angelababy (7.8 million followers), Jannine Weigel (1.7 million followers), Kevin Woo (705,000 followers), and Jason Zhang (452,000 followers). In addition to his own music, James is also a much-sought-after songwriter/producer by Asian artists and has had two #1 singles (Angelababy’s “Takeoff”, Jason Zhang’s “Fast”) and one #1 EP (Gao Jia Lang’s I Am Me) in China since 2018.
James secured his position as a multi-talented force to be reckoned with, modeling for Sony, Samsung, and LANEIGE (alongside legendary South Korean actress Song Hye-Kyo). He’s also graced the covers of Men’s Folio and Citta Bella, and featured in popular TV shows like KBS’s Let’s Go Dream Team Season 2, Law of the Jungle: Indian Ocean, SBS’s Star King and Fashion King, MBC’s Idol School, Immortal Song, and even the U.S. hit series America’s Next Top Model: Cycle 21.
Featured in Hypebeast, Billboard, Earmilk, UPI, and Rolling Stone India, and with over 42,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and almost 1 million views on YouTube, James has steadily grown a loyal following from scratch — a testament to his authenticity and ability to connect with his fans through honest and relatable music. James continues to stay in touch with his growing fanbase on the daily through his socials, with a reach of almost 300,000 worldwide.
ABOUT JAMES LEE:
Born and raised in Southern California, James Lee has 13 years of bass-playing experience and was a member of K-pop band Royal Pirates. Kickstarting his career as a musician in local metalcore favorite AZUSA at just 16-years-old, James eventually moved to South Korea with Royal Pirates, a Korean-American band with viral success and a loyal following.
In addition to several international tours and TV show appearances, Royal Pirates peaked at #8 on Billboard’s World Albums chart with their EP Drawing The Line, while their 3.3 EP hit #15, gaining international attention and interest – something that wasn’t as common for a Korean rock band during that time.
On June 10, 2015, a debilitating accident severed James’ left hand and left him unable to play the bass any longer. After a brief stint playing synth for Royal Pirates, he called it quits because of the worsening condition of his health. After 5 surgeries, James moved back to Los Angeles and decided to release music written post-accident in a debut solo project called The Light EP. Funding a Kickstarter campaign of $90,000 (over 300% of the initial target) has been fundamental to his rehabilitation and restarting his hopes as a musician. The Light EP hit #1 on the iTunes chart in the Philippines, #2 in Singapore, and placed within the top 10 in various countries.
James Lee is no stranger to the international stage as he’s toured worldwide and performed on stages of various international festivals and concerts including Vans Warped Tour, Supersonic Festival, and Hyundai Card City Break amongst others, alongside bands including Maroon 5, Earth Wind & Fire and the Pet Shop Boys.
He is currently writing and recovering and continues to create as his passion.
FOLLOW JAMES LEE:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | WEIBO | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC
###
Back in June, while planning the debut of SSAK3 – with Yoo Jae-suk and Rain on “How Do You Play?” – Singer and former girl grouper Lee Hyori revealed that she wanted to form a dream girl group with Jessi, Hwasa, and veteran singer Uhm Jung-hwa. The mentioned three expressed excitement about the idea that the four singers could get together for a project girl group.
Within a few weeks, a representative of “How Do You Play?” officially then confirmed that the four women would be holding their first meeting to negotiate the details of the new project.
The source also stated that “It’s true that they will be coming together for their first meeting on July 31. They have not yet come to a decision on whether they will be appearing on the show. It seems that they will be discussing matters like that at this meeting.”
Is anyone excited about Hyori, Jessi, Hwasa and Uhm Jung-hwa being a girl group?
J.Chung.
Vitamin is a children’s idol group signed under Clevr E&M. The girls made their debut on May 7, 2017 with “Happy Day”. The group consists of 5 members: NaYe, Jaehee, Sarang, Siyoon, and Chaemin.
Please introduce yourselves to our readers.
NaYe: Hello, I am NaYe and I am 14 years old and the leader of VITAMIN.
Jaehee: Hello, I am 13-year-old Lee Jaehee.
Sarang: Hello, I am the refreshing member of VITAMIN, Jung Sarang.
Siyoon: Hello, I am the lovely 12-year-old Oh Siyoon.
Chaemin: Hello, and the cute member, Hwang Chaemin.
How would you describe your everyday routine?
NaYe: I take my dog Nuroongi for a walk when I come back home from school. I practice dance, acting, vocalizing – depending what I am lacking in the most. Then I do my school work at night, since I can do my work better at night.
Jaehee: I spend a great time at school, then I play with my friends after school or go to the studio.
Sarang: I study, cook, and enjoy my time in the studio.
Siyoon: After school, I practice vocals and dance at Clevr before returning home.
Chaemin: When I finish my lessons at school, I come to Clevr for practice.
Which musician or artist do you admire the most?
NaYe: Erm, I like BTS!! I also like IU! Because there is no reason why. They are just so good at singing, for real!
Jaehee: I respect and admire IU sunbaenim. Some of my favorite songs are what IU wrote, so I want to take after her and write songs myself.
Sarang: I admire BTS and IU. I respect the fact that BTS never gave up and made themselves known around the world. I want to take after IU because she’s so good at singing and acting.
Siyoon: IU sunbaenim.
Chaemin: BTS, because they’re so cool – great at dancing and singing.
What is your favorite VITAMIN song?
NaYe: VITAMIN – Sea. Since the song came out during the summer, it’s cool and refreshing. It drives away the hot weather! Ha ha.
Jaehee: My fav VITAMIN song is Now I know. I personally think this song is the best and we seem more mature than when we released Your Dream, My Dream.
Sarang: Exciting Sports Day! It was the first song that I recorded when I joined VITAMIN, so it sticks to my mind the most.
Siyoon: VITAMIN – Sea was my first single and the fast tempo of the song is so uplifting.
Chaemin: Exciting Sports Day – because it was my first single since starting out as a VITAMIN member.
Tell us about any funny episode that happened while on stage.
NaYe: When I was presenting a performance, I was supposed to say the question first but I skipped it and said the answer first. Does anyone else recall?
Jaehee: When I had just joined VITAMIN, we were supposed to present our greeting all at once but I went on ahead and did it by myself. It was embarrassing but a fun experience.
Sarang: I got hit by Chaemin by accident while we were dancing. Looking back, it was so funny.
Siyoon: We were in Jeju Island performing, and I thought because it’s a tourist area there won’t be that many fans for us. But there were quite a lot of our fans there and they cheered for us, which was a great experience.
Chaemin: We took some time to talk to some fans during the performance, so we played games and danced our choreography. It was really fun.
What do you like to do for a hobby?
NaYe: I like to cook!! I like making things so these days, my hobby is cooking. I am not that good but with a lot of practice I mean to improve.
Jaehee: I like to draw. I sometimes draw the cute dogs owned by the members.
Sarang: Cooking! It’s fun when someone appreciates the food you make and it makes it so worthwhile.
Siyoon: I’ve been learning the guitar these days and I practice each time I get a chance because it’s fun.
Chaemin: I play lego and do origami these days.
What is your favorite food/beverage?
NaYe: I love live octopus! I love to eat seafood and live octopus is my fav! I also love ionic drinks like Pocari Sweat.
Jaehee: I like lemonade and chicken! I love lemonade so much that I used to drink it often when used to practice cover dances. Chicken is not only tasty but I also like how the family eats it during the night and get the time to talk with one another.
Sarang: Shabu-shabu has both soup and noodles that I love. Fermented soybean paste soup is what I also love to eat. I love Natto for desert and like to drink cool plum juice and lemonade.
Siyoon: I enjoy Korean meals that my grandmother and parents cook me at home. My grandmother’s kimchi is simply the best. I also love barley tea and corn tea.
Chaemin: I love bibimbap and soda for drinks.
What is your favorite color and why?
NaYe: Purple and blue!!! Because purple is mysterious and blue is cool and refreshing lol.
Jaehee: I like mint the best. Before, I was never interested in the color but the management set it as my main color so I got interested in it and began loving it.
Sarang: Purple, because it left a big impression on me when V said “Let’s trust and love each other for a long time.” After that, purple became a special color for BTS, then it became a color I love as well.
Siyoon: Yellow, because it symbolizes me in VITAMIN.
Chaemin: Sky blue. It reminds me of looking into the sky and it soothes my mind. ^^
What movies, books and musicals have you enjoyed recently?
NaYe: I am really into actress Park Bo-young these days because she’s such an actress.
Jaehee: Peter Pan the novel stays in my mind the most. I read it when I was younger but I get a different feeling reading it this time around.
Sarang: A Resistance was a movie that I watched recently. I got to see how Ryu Gwansun protected the nation and how she was tortured for it.
Siyoon: Mal-Mo-E: The Secret Mission. I loved how the characters risked their lives in order to protect Hangul. I also enjoyed the novel Daddy-Long-Legs.
Chaemin: Little Women was a heartwarming movie about a family. It also left a big impression on me that Jo became a writer and fulfilled her dreams later on.
What would be your future goals and plans?
NaYe: Do the best like we’ve always done… and would want to try harder to show better performances. Please stay with us.
Jaehee: We want to work hard and show better performances for our fans.
Sarang: I want to do my best so that I would be able to perform on the same stage as the artists that I admire.
Siyoon: I want to learn how to play many instruments, sing and compose more in the future.
Chaemin: It is our future goal to become great singers, dancers and actors. We’re still very lacking but we think we could make it if we put in the effort.
Please say something to the fans.
NaYe: I’ll do my best to become like vitamin to you all. Please consume vitamins every day! ❤️?
Jaehee: Thank you for always being there for us and loving us. We will do our best to show you better performances.
Sarang: Thank you for loving us and hope you continue showing support in the future. We love you! ❤️
Siyoon: Thank you for always cheering me on. I will do my best to become a better musician.
Chaemin: Thank you for showing love and support. I will put in more effort to do better in the future. Please show love for VITAMIN as well. Thank you!
–J. Chung.
-Dream collaboration with Ariana Grande finally arranged??
BLACKPINK’s official social media accounts posted new teaser poster on 23rd July for their new comeback this August. Details has yet to be announced to the public, but what drags attention of BLINKs is a hint given for new collaboration, a space made for a mystery ‘super artist’. BLACKPINK is already famous for previous collaborations with pop superstars. Following the success of ‘Sour Candy’ in collaboration with Lady Gaga in May 2020, ‘Kiss and make up’ with Dua Lipa in December 2018, this mystery artist featuring in BLACKPINK’s next collaboration drags attention worldwide.
A K-pop idol group of 4 members launched in 2016, BLACKPINK has recently proved their world-class popularity with their July comeback with ‘How You Like That’; as a pre-disclosure of the title in their full-length album to be released this September. Winning iTunes #1 in 64 countries, with consecutive #1 in Japan, China and Korea, it is confirmed that the whole world welcomes their comeback in a year and a half.
BLINKs have already started speculating on who this mystery guest could be — and the most often accounted candidate is US pop singer Ariana Grande: the news which both BLACKPINK and Ariana Grande fans would welcome to hear.
Friendship between BLACKPINK members and Ariana Grande has been confirmed for long already: Having met each other at 2019 Coachella music concert, which had BLACKPINK as a headliner, they immediately became close friends; In the festival, BLACKPINK members showed their love toward Ariana with her ‘NASA’ mask on their faces. Since then both were attending concerts of each other, sending gifts, singing covers songs and hanging out together at music festival <Coachella>. Ariana Grande has mentioned earlier her wish to collaborate with BLACKPINK, on Twitter in July last year; that she: “would probably pass out” if she ever got the chance to work with BLACKPINK.
For this upcoming comeback, BLINKs have detected Ariana Grande herself and several individuals from her camp putting ‘like’ to the teaser postings, shared on Jennie’s Instagram. But more critical backups of this recent speculation are originated from Tommy Brown, Producer of Ariana Grande’s mega hit albums: from ‘Yours Truly’ in 2013 to 2019’s ‘Thank You, Next’.
Rumors on their collaboration work already went viral from 2019, when Brown uploaded a photo of working with BLACKPINK in Korea. But Through his Instagram Live and interview with magazine “Pop Crave” this June, Tommy again revealed his recent visit to Korea “to make a song for BLACKPINK”. At the same time, he mentions that he also worked with Ariana Grande, saying to have achieved “some incredible records with both acts”. From his words, possibility of the dream collaboration is getting much higher.
The celebrity featuring BLACKPINK’s new single is yet to be revealed officially, but a nickname for collaboration called ‘ARIPINK’ is already rising hot in Twitter; it’s time for us to wait and see who it will turn out to be.
—-Uinn Pengx
Dhara Singh is a New Jersey based South Asian author and financial journalist. She holds a Master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Tell Her She’s Lovely, an Anthology is her first book.
When she’s not writing you can catch her binge reading self-help books, listening to Oprah’s SuperSoul Sunday Podcast and running the LifeResume Facebook group where she helps others step into their authentic selves.
Thank you for your insightful interview and we wish you much continued success.
https://tellhersheslovely.com/
Locate Dhara’s book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tell-Her-Shes-Lovely-Anthology/dp/1650835604/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1JOLBUCZOV30F&dchild=1&keywords=tell+her+she%27s+lovely+dhara+singh&qid=1595005219&sprefix=tell+her,aps,146&sr=8-1
View [Audio] KCrush Interview with Dhara Singh
Interviewer: Cwamne Howard
Award-winning, global superstar drops highly-awaited final songs of his innovative cross-cultural studio album
See the behind-the-scenes video of making the LIT music video here.
A new wave of sound has arrived! Influential, global icon and China’s top superstar LAY (Lay Zhang) drops his final component of the LIT album today, by Zhang Yixing Studio, which comes to completion with the final six songs for the twelve-track album. Following the record-breaking success of the first six songs of LIT, LAY continues to bridge two cultures and two sounds in an astonishing cross-cultural blend, while showcasing his personal growth in his artistry. LAY most recently released the perfect summer anthem BOOM, where LAY gracefully forged together tropical and hip-hop elements. To date, the first part of the album surpassed over 13 million streams and the music video for LIT has been viewed more than 10 million times.
LAY creates a sensational, cross-cultural music style all of his own by using traditional Chinese instruments and modern hip-hop beats for a new innovative sound interlaced with English and Mandarin lyrics. Each of the tracks was co-written and co-produced by LAY himself to ensure his message and story is clearly infused in each song. For the full album, LAY teamed up with GRAMMY Award-winning producers Scott Storch (50 Cent, Beyoncé, DJ Khaled, Snoop Dogg) and Murda Beatz (Travis Scott, Gucci Mane, Drake) to finish his vision. LIT is LAY’s final contribution to his groundbreaking cross-cultural hip-hop album that has been highly-awaited by fans.
LISTEN TO THE FULL ALBUM “LIT” BY LAY
“蓮“- translated to LIT in English describes a Chinese religious belief of the duality of “Life & Death”. The “Lotus Flower” is also used by the same Chinese character as it’s a cultural icon recognized as something that “grows and blossoms out of the dirt/mud”. This paints a perfect metaphor of LAY’s album; firstly, the duality of a two-part release, and secondly it represents a new birth plus a new sound in the midst of all his past achievements. Through the songs, LAY explores the concepts of solitude, arrogance, self-confidence, loyalty, resolution and courage. These twelve songs blend very ancient musical elements and concepts with the modernity of contemporary pop. From the lyrics, to the production, be prepared for an emotional and auditory journey. The cutting edge production for newly released songs like Changsha, Mama, Call My Name, Late Night, and Wish will give you a very cross-cultural and refreshing journey as the combination of traditional “peking opera” and Chinese instruments are showcased through passionate lyrics showing a whole new blend of music.
LAY received tremendous success this year garnering international attention after joining forces with Steve Aoki and will.i.am for the hit cross-cultural collaboration Love You More, reaching #1 on the QQ Music China chart. He became a household name in Asia and one of the most beloved stars in the region with a loyal 49.5 million followers on Weibo and over 12 million followers on Instagram. As a solo artist, LAY’s career has skyrocketed from tremendous success becoming the highest-ranked Mandopop star on Billboard 200 chart and the first Chinese artist to enter the iTunes Top 60 in the US with his third album NAMANANA.
The pre-order for Lay Zhang’s new digital album LIT went live on China’s QQ Music platform, and 9 certification records were instantly broken as it went live. The digital album surpassed 1.5 million pre-orders within 7 minutes and 19 seconds of launch, locking in the #1 position on QQ Music’s daily and weekly album sales chart. The music video and EP for LIT went on to break records for a Chinese artist. In 24 hours, LAY received over 1.6 million views on his YouTube channel, and over 5 million views in four and a half days on the music video for LIT. Organically, LAY received over 100 reaction videos on YouTube within a week of the music video’s release, which led to 1 million subscribers in that same week on LAY’s YouTube channel (officially June 6th). Additionally, LAY’s song debuted at #22 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales Chart while LAY peaked on Billboard’s Social 50 Chart at #36.
Outside of music, he is a powerhouse in the acting world of TV and film and hosted multiple top-rated reality shows in Asia, all while being the face of and representing top-tier brands such as Converse, M.A.C, and Biotherm Homme in Asia, as well as Calvin Klein and Daniel Wellington Watches globally.
ABOUT LAY
LAY (Lay Zhang) is a multi-talented Chinese artist, producer, singer-songwriter, actor, dancer, fashion muse, and philanthropist. He is China’s current top #1 idol becoming the highest-ranked Mandopop star on Billboard 200 chart and the first Chinese artist to enter the iTunes Top 60 in the US with his third album NAMANANA. His big screen debut was the romantic-comedy film Ex-Files 2 and he won the Best Movie Original Soundtrack at 16th Top Chinese Music Awards for the film. His first solo single What U Need? debuted at #4 on China V Chart and Billboard’s World Digital Songs. His EP Lose Control stayed at #1 on Billboard’s China V Chart for 6 weeks in a row, reached #1 on the Gaon Album Chart, and reached #4 on Billboard’s US World Albums Chart. His second album Lay 02 Sheep broke five records on QQ Music, reaching Diamond Record in 9 hours and 11 minutes. His third album NAMANANA debuted at #21 on Billboard 200, ranking first on World Albums and Independent Albums chart. Last year, he released a digital EP titled Honey and its title track of the same name in June 2019. The EP reached over 1.87 million digital sales in just three minutes after its release on QQ Music in China. In 2019, LAY was invited as China’s Promotional Ambassador to attend the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. He reached unprecedented success when tickets for the concert at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China had sold out in eight seconds, while the stop in Nanjing, China had its tickets sold out in twenty-five seconds. He debuted in the music industry as a K-Pop idol with best-selling group, EXO.
Follow LAY (Lay Zhang)
INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | TIKTOK | WEIBO | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC
Hello, will you briefly introduce yourself to our readers please?
Hello, I am Kim Sehee. I am an Animal Flow instructor and fitness athlete.
Tell us about your sport to those who may not be aware.
Animal Flow is a movement program that’s designed to improve the function and communication of the ‘Human Animal
Do you have any advice for beginners?
Animal Flow uses the wrist a lot, so I advise you learn it with a professional rather than by yourself. I recommend you to practice after getting used to the basic movements first.
How long do you train per day?
After relaxing the body for 20~30 mins, I train 3 times for 2 hours of session each.
Is there a secret to being good at a sport?
If you have a lighter body, it makes it easier to do the sport, so it is great to get on a diet at the same time.
What do you do as hobbies?
I like to learn diverse sports and use it on the sport that I do. I sometimes have a mind to alter Animal Flow to a newer version but I still need a lot of research.
What is your favorite food/beverage?
I like to eat meat and enjoy eating it with wine often.
What movie, book or musical have you enjoyed recently?
Musical – Off work at 6! I loved the fun harmony the actors and singers provided.
Where do you think is the best place in Korea for travel?
Yeosu. I understand why there is a song about the beach’s night scenery.
Tell us about your goals and plans for the future.
I plan to work hard so that Animal Flow will become a sport Koreans will seek after. With my talent as a sports entertainer, I think it will be possible. ^^
*To learn more about the sport of Animal Flow here are a few resources: https://vimeo.com/354226789 along with a Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/AnimalFlow1/
–J.Chung.
Worldwide sensation ATEEZ is calling on their fans, once again, to choose their next promotional song through a special voting event.
After the success of last year’s voting project which counted over 620 000 votes, and led to “WAVE” being chosen as the main promotional song for their third album TREASURE EP.3: One To All, ATEEZ is launching another voting campaign with their fans for their upcoming release ZERO: FEVER PART 1.
From July 14 to July 21, ATEEZ and their fans will vote through a four-round voting project:
The first round of voting starts on July 14 at 00:00 Korea time, where the fans will discover two storylines from which they will have to choose the one that speaks to them.
July 15 at 00:00 korea time, will see the start of the second round and the reveal of short audio clips of the two potential title songs. The third round of voting will then proceed on July 18, also at 00:00 Korea time, and fans will vote once again after watching a preview of the choreography for the same two songs. The fourth and final round of voting will be done by ATEEZ on July 21.
After debuting in October 2018, ATEEZ kept themselves busy and continually challenged their creative impulse by releasing over 4 mini albums and 1 full album in a span of a year.
The January release, Epilogue: Action to Answer perfectly wrapped their epic Treasure Saga, so fans and the music industry are now sitting tight for the start of a new era with the upcoming ATEEZ ZERO: FEVER PART 1.
After selling out their first world tour “The Expedition Tour” earlier in 2019, ATEEZ have upgraded from a thousand capacity theater show to an arena show for their now-postponed world tour <The Fellowship>: Map The Treasure, solidifying their status as K-pop’ next worldwide phenomenon.
The band’s well-crafted performances and producing skills received worldwide attention, both from the fans and the media by being featured on Billboard, MTV, The Grammy, DAZED, and many more outlets around the world.
ATEEZ current line up consists of Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho. For additional information regarding ATEEZ’s song voting project, please visit https://ateez.vote
About KQ Entertainment :
Home of Block B’s label Seven Seasons, KQ entertainment is a global music content company that flexibly responds to the rapidly changing domestic and overseas markets.
Based on a label-specific operating system that takes into account the characteristics of musicians, KQ Entertainment continues to discover and support high-potential labels and talented musicians, thereby enabling idol groups and artists to coexist and positively influence each other.
After successfully captivating audiences all over the world in 2019 and faithful to their will of always staying connected to their fans, ATEEZ will be holding their online comeback show AIR CON <ZERO : FEVER Part. 1> on July 28 starting 22:00 KST.
This show comes to celebrate ATEEZ ‘impending comeback in today’s reality of restricted travels and social distancing. This unique online show will allow global fans of the Seoul-based group to experience their new music and energetic performances from the comfort of their homes.
The 180 minutes-long show will feature the premiere of ATEEZ new songs, the result of the title song voting campaign they held with their fans, as well as exclusive content and behind the scenes.
ATEEZ’s online show was made possible by a technology forward platform, MyMusicTaste, that not only allows fans to request physical concerts of their favorite artists in their cities, but also provides the newly added feature of online streaming, which allows artists and fans to stay connected in the pandemic age.
After debuting in October 2018, ATEEZ kept themselves busy and continually challenged their creative impulse by releasing over 4 mini albums and 1 full album in a span of a year.
The January release, Epilogue: Action to Answer perfectly wrapped their epic Treasure Saga, and fans and the music industry are now sitting tight for the start of a new era with the upcoming ATEEZ ZERO: FEVER PART 1 set for release on July 29, 6PM.
After selling out their first world tour “The Expedition Tour” earlier in 2019, ATEEZ have upgraded from a thousand capacity theater show to an arena show for their now postponed world tour <The Fellowship>: Map The Treasure, solidifying their status as K-pop’ next worldwide phenomenon.
The band’s well-crafted performances and producing skills received worldwide attention, both from the fans and the media by being featured on Billboard, MTV, The Grammy, DAZED, and many more outlets around the world.
ATEEZ current line up consists of Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho.
Early bird tickets sale will start on July 16 11:00 AM KST, on MyMusicTaste.com. Further information regarding ticketing and the show itself can be found through MyMusicTaste’s social media.
About KQ Entertainment :
Home of Block B’s label Seven Seasons, KQ entertainment is a global music content company that flexibly responds to the rapidly changing domestic and overseas markets.
Based on a label-specific operating system that takes into account the characteristics of musicians, KQ Entertainment continues to discover and support high-potential labels and talented musicians, thereby enabling idol groups and artists to coexist and positively influence each other.
About MyMusicTaste:
MyMusicTaste is a fan initiated live event making service that brings fans, artists and promoters from all over the world together in one place to create a valuable and meaningful concert experience for everyone involved. MyMusicTaste puts the power in the fans’ hands, allowing fans to request their favorite artist’s concert in their city. With the mission to connect and amplify the voices of fans all over the world, MyMusicTaste successfully promoted concerts of artists such as EXO, GOT7, MONSTA X, The xx, Machine Gun Kelly, and more in over 57 different cities. With the simple idea–empowering fans to bring their favorite artist’s concert in the city of their choice based on fan demand–MyMusicTaste is challenging the $27 billion concert market through cutting-edge technology and sophisticated, user-friendly service. Currently, www.mymusictaste.com supports more than 30 countries and offers 15 different languages.
A divorce mediation session for Ahn Jae-hyun and Gu Hye-sun was held on July 15th at Seoul Family Court. Ahn Jae-hyun and Ku Hye-sun’s legal representatives attended in the meeting.
The two Korean actors married in May of 2016 when they met on the set of the K-drama series “Blood,” and Ahn Jae-hyun filed a divorce lawsuit in September of 2019 – As of July 15 2020, they are now legally divorced.
Their official statement goes:
Ahn Jae-hyun and Ku Hye-sun settled for divorce through mediation on July 15, 2020. The two will each walk their own paths, and wish the best for each other’s futures. They apologize for causing concern to the public over their personal problems
–J.Chung.
Eye-catching Hair Colors & Costumes
Whenever you watch some music show clips or fancams of your favorite group, what comes to your eyes first would be their rainbow hair colors. You can find entire spectrum of hair colors, latest trend of hairstyles on K-pop live stages. Sometimes You can even notice their hair colors changing in just a week – on music show stages right next weekend! Hairstyles and colors are arranged by stylists in the best way that matches their fashion on stage or album concept.
K-pop idols take extra care of their performance wear, sometimes Ent agencies get the costumes sponsored by world-famous brands. Costumes for each member can reach to thousands; one K-pop boy group ZE:A is said to have spent over $200,000 on nine members’ performance wears for only one stage! Their influence on fashion industry, however, is much bigger: high-end performance wears soon become a leading fashion trend in Korea and worldwide.
Idol Albums with Photo Cards
What makes K-pop culture special is that, the more you fall for a group, you find more features to have fun with. There are countless attractions ready to ensure quality fan life, one of the items is photo card of each member included randomly in new K-pop albums. Offered exclusively for new album consumers, photo cards have members on cute costumes, in different style, even special motion effects through photo cards.
Even when you get access to original song from music streaming websites, K-pop fans still purchase a pile of albums just to get their favorite member’s photo card. Once you find collectors gathering photo cards of all the members, you’ll get to understand how this system enhances album sales volume & loyalty of their fanbase.
100% Synched Choreography
K-Ent agencies have different concepts and styles on making their own idol groups, but they all have strict trainee incubation systems: vocal/dance training, camera tests, training for how to react on reality shows, and even foreign language courses. One of the results is dance choreography with perfect sync: K-pop idols are highly expected to make “Sharp angles” on dance formation and choreography – as they are trained to synchronize the angles of arms, legs and even fingertips in each movement with other members. Their pursuit of accuracy in choreography is also revealed from cross-edited live stage videos showing 100% sync throughout many different stages.
Dorm Living System
From trainee period, K-pop idols live in a dormitory provided by their agency with all the members and their manager. Main reason for corporate living comes from their busy schedule, but Idol groups are also expected to raise companionship, coherence and cohesion in a communal setting. Dorm life lasts for 5 years in average, from teen to mid-20s of members. Some Idol groups take reality shows in their dormitory, showing private times and friendship among the members. Reality shows and video clips behind the scenes are popular among K-pop fans who are willing to find their idols being natural. But dorm living system has its shadows as it may not allow the Idol members much privacy for themselves.
Group Roles & Member Chemistry
Chemistry between members is another important aspect to win K-pop fans’ loyalty and affection. Fans love to see members in good terms with each other, both in public and private area. Whenever K-pop fans spot out a member staying close with another, nicknames are given for best friends, or a couple of members whose images and characters are in a best match.
There are many ways to create chemistry upon members, but basic environment to make connection is already ‘set’ by fixing their roles in a group. Group roles can be determined by member positions such as vocal / visual / dancer / rapper, but so many more roles can be newly created according to ages, nationality, character and habits. Maknae and hyung (male) or unnie (female) according to their ages. Group roles can change over time, helping a group shape its identity & create better chemistry.
Concert Materials: Fanchants & Lightsticks
Before you go to live concerts of your favorite K-pop group, you’re definitely not going to the hall with empty hands; for the best fan experience, you need items showing your affection as a fan. To name a few basic concert materials, it’d be fanchants and lightsticks.
Fan communities started to create unified fanchants to shout at music show live broadcast and at concerts, with names of all the members and witty cheering messages. Most fanchants are easy to learn, with repeating sounds and catchy phrases. Recently agencies create Fanchants by themselves, uploading them on official YouTube channels so that fans can memorize & chant at the live show.
Meanwhile, bringing fan club lightstick is a must for K-pop stage audiences. Order-made with unique color, shape, light and effects fixed for each group, lightsticks are used at concerts and music show live stages by fan clubs. with millions of audiences shaking a single unified light, the energy on stage is caught on fire: light of each stick is controlled by central system so that stage artists can create the best flow of light.
Give us your opinion of other “groundbreaking aspects of K-pop” you know about in the comment section below.
—-Uinn Peng
The Mayor of Seoul was found dead on 10th July, at Sukjeongmun, one of the Eight Gates of the fortress that surrounded the city since the pre-modern times. It appears that Park Won-soon, aged 64, deliberately went to this spot on the previous day without turning up to the City Hall for his daily work. He was serving his third term as mayor of the Korean capital city.
Park‘s death is officially declared as a suicide. The police report says that, since there are no signs of foul play, a post-mortem is not going to take place.
On the previous day, Park’s daughter informed the police after Park left home leaving words “to the effect of a will (after her own expression)”. It is not known what these words were precisely. On the same day, Park was spotted around the area where his body was later found. Sukjeongmun is near the Mount Bugak, and Park had been known to enjoy hiking. But it was clear that he had left home for reasons other than that.
After he was reported missing there were immediate news reports that gave the public to suspect the worst. One of the reasons to suspect some instability on Park’s part was that he was reported to the police by his secretary for sexual harassment. The same secretary is known to have stated that there were others who received the same kind of treatment. It appears likely that more lawsuits would have followed. One other thing that has been talked about the Korean media is that the said harassment occurred not only in certain actions by the late mayor of Seoul, but in the form of personal photographs sent by Park to his accuser. Ironically, Park Won-soon, a former attorney, is said to have had the first victory over a sexual harassment case in Korea.
Park was on the progressive wing, politically speaking. It would not be unjust to call him pro-China, least of all because of his own words that compared Korea to a fly that had to sit on the buttocks of the horse called China. Park was also known to have cited a poem that one should be able to praise Kim Il-sung, the founding leader of North Korea, for the sake of the freedom of speech. It is not uncommon for the Korean progressive politicians to be very well-disposed towards the North Korean regime, at the expense of the people whose freedom it restricts.
Park was first elected as mayor after his predecessor Oh Se-hoon resigned. Oh, who advocated selective welfare, suggested and failed at a referendum over the issue of free school lunch for the public schools of Seoul. Park Won-soon, who was far from being a well-known politician to the public at the time, was supported by Ahn Cheol-soo, the cyber security business owner who was then the favorite candidate, and was elected the mayor of Seoul.
There were consternations surrounding his children during his term as mayor. His son was suspected to have been freed from the obligation of military service, and his daughter had taken a very unusual route in her schooling. Since military service and higher education are two of the topics many Koreans feel passionate about, there have been some suspicions voiced, although no actual legal measures were taken against Park’s family.
Park Won-soon is not the only politician to be accused since the Me Too movement struck Korea. One recent case is the mayor of Busan Oh Keo-don, who gave up his office after a female worker there accused him of sexual harassment. The Democratic Party, the leading party in power to which both Park and Oh belonged, was criticized for not having addressed the issue before the election of public servants in April this year. An even higher-profile case of sexual offense involved Ahn Hee-Jung, who was one of the Democratic Party’s two final candidates (besides Moon Jae-in, the then-candidate and the current president) for presidency. He is currently serving a prison sentence for sexual assault.
Park’s death is simply known as suicide, with no details voiced by the Korean press. The funeral is alleged to be held on 13th July at the Seoul University Hospital.
–J. Chung.
Billboard acclaimed Kpop girl group DREAMCATCHER successfully held its very first online concert with thousands of fans Streaming Into The Night together with the members of the band.
True to its title “DREAMCATCHER CONCERT GLOBAL STREAMING INTO THE NIGHT & DYSTOPIA,” the group’s online concert was held on July 4 starting at 23:59 KST and encaptivated InSomnia [fan club’s name] with its setlist of 18 breathtaking performances and special clips.
DREAMCATCHER’s first online concert was made possible by a technology-forward platform, MyMusicTaste, that not only allows fans to request physical concerts of their favorite artists in their cities, but also provides the newly added feature of online streaming, allowing artists and fans to stay connected in the pandemic age.
DREAMCATCHER started the concert strong with its newest hit ”SCREAM,” the title track of DREAMCATCHER’s first full-length album that topped at HANTEO Monthly Physical Album Chart in February 2020 with 27,424 copies sold. Without missing a beat, the girls continued with impressive live performances of fans all-time favorites such as “You and I” (2018), “PIRI” (2019), “Deja Vu” (2019) along with fresher sounds of “Red Sun” (2020), “SAHARA” (2020) and “Black or White” (2020).
Exclusively for this online concert, DREAMCATCHER also prepared special unit and solo performances that left all viewers in awe. But this show had even more surprises for both fans and the artists. Handong, a member of the group, unfortunately, wasn’t able to physically perform with her bandmates due to her activities in China. Despite the distance, she joined the show through a special video clip, the sweet message and encouraging words brought not only the audience but also DREAMCATCHER to tears. The girls made an emotional promise to themselves and the fans to come back with a new show as all seven members.
Fans were also encouraged to leave their comments and questions through the chat function throughout the show, and DREAMCATCHER responded to plentiful requests, ensuring the physical concert-like interaction. This meaningful interaction was also enabled by an English speaking interpreter who made it possible for both the Korean and international fans to enjoy the online concert together in real-time.
Fans have been leaving positive comments all over social media and are now eagerly waiting for the VOD to become available in order to seize the precious moments of the show. For those who missed the live stream or those who want to relive the moment can purchase the VOD to turn this streaming into an Endless Night via https://mmt.fans/iaTR.
Record-breaking, global music phenomenon drops hot tropical track preceding much-anticipated conclusion to studio album
Summer calls for new music! Influential, global icon and China’s top superstar LAY (Lay Zhang) drops BOOM as his LIT album, by Zhang Yixing Studio, comes to completion with the final six songs, bringing his twelve-track album to fruition. Following the record-breaking success of the first six songs of LIT, LAY continues to bridge two cultures and two sounds, while showcasing his personal growth in his artistry. LAY gracefully forges together tropical and hip-hop elements, perfect for the hot season with pre-single BOOM. The smooth track is an easy-on-the-ears, sway-with-the-breeze tune, accentuated by refreshing lyrics and a catchy hook that’ll be stuck on repeat in listeners’ heads.
BOOM signals the forthcoming of the much-anticipated conclusion to LAY’s twelve-track album. LAY teams up with GRAMMY Award-winning producer and songwriter Scott Storch (50 Cent, Beyoncé, DJ Khaled, Snoop Dogg) for the last six songs featured on the final piece, demonstrating a groundbreaking blend of hip-hop and Mandopop. Previously, LAY worked with producer heavyweight Murda Beatz (Travis Scott, Gucci Mane, Drake) on the first six songs of the LIT album. LIT is a handcrafted, masterpiece featuring twelve tracks, and all songs on the album are co-written by LAY himself, who also personally co-produced every track, ensuring his message and story are clearly instilled in each song. The new project strongly holds a backbone in modern hip-hop with an enjoyable sound, never done before.
LAY received tremendous success this year garnering international attention after joining forces with Steve Aoki and will.i.am for the hit cross-cultural collaboration Love You More, reaching #1 on the QQ Music China chart. He became a household name in Asia and one of the most beloved stars in the region with a loyal 49.4 million followers on Weibo and over 12 million followers on Instagram. As a solo artist, LAY’s career has skyrocketed from tremendous success becoming the highest-ranked Mandopop star on Billboard 200 chart and the first Chinese artist to enter the iTunes Top 60 in the US with his third album NAMANANA.
The pre-order for Lay Zhang’s new digital album LIT went live on China’s QQ Music platform, and 9 certification records were instantly broken as it went live. The digital album surpassed 1.5 million pre-orders within 7 minutes and 19 seconds of launch, locking in the #1 position on QQ Music’s daily and weekly album sales chart. The music video and EP for LIT went on to break records for a Chinese artist. In 24 hours, LAY received over 1.6 million views on his YouTube channel, and over 5 million views in four and a half days on the music video for LIT. Organically, LAY received over 100 reaction videos on YouTube within a week of the music video’s release, which led to 1 million subscribers in that same week on LAY’s YouTube channel (officially June 6th). Additionally, LAY’s song debuted at #22 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales Chart while LAY peaked on Billboard’s Social 50 Chart at #36.
Outside of music, he is a powerhouse in the acting world of TV and film and hosted multiple top-rated reality shows in Asia, all while being the face of and representing top-tier brands such as Converse, M.A.C, and Biotherm Homme in Asia, as well as Calvin Klein and Daniel Wellington Watches globally.
ABOUT LAY
LAY (Lay Zhang) is a multi-talented Chinese artist, producer, singer-songwriter, actor, dancer, fashion muse, and philanthropist. He is China’s current top #1 idol becoming the highest-ranked Mandopop star on Billboard 200 chart and the first Chinese artist to enter the iTunes Top 60 in the US with his third albumNAMANANA. His big screen debut was the romantic-comedy film Ex-Files 2 and he won the Best Movie Original Soundtrack at 16th Top Chinese Music Awards for the film. His first solo single What U Need? debuted at #4 on China V Chart and Billboard’s World Digital Songs. His EP Lose Control stayed at #1 on Billboard’s China V Chart for 6 weeks in a row, reached #1 on the Gaon Album Chart, and reached #4 on Billboard’s US World Albums Chart. His second album Lay 02 Sheepbroke five records on QQ Music, reaching Diamond Record in 9 hours and 11 minutes. His third album NAMANANA debuted at #21 on Billboard 200, ranking first on World Albums and Independent Albums chart. Last year, he released a digital EP titled Honey and its title track of the same name in June 2019. The EP reached over 1.87 million digital sales in just three minutes after its release on QQ Music in China. In 2019, LAY was invited as China’s Promotional Ambassador to attend the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. He reached unprecedented success when tickets for the concert at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China had sold out in eight seconds, while the stop in Nanjing, China had its tickets sold out in twenty-five seconds. He debuted in the music industry as a K-Pop idol with best-selling group, EXO.
Follow LAY (Lay Zhang)
INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | TIKTOK | WEIBO | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC
On July 4, FNC Entertainment released the following statement:
“First, we would like to apologize for causing concern to many people through the events related to Jimin that have been unfolding recently.
From this moment forth, Jimin has decided to leave AOA and halt all of her activities in the entertainment industry.
Additionally, our agency accepts responsibility for this entire situation, and we will put our full focus on managing our artists. Once again, we apologize for causing concern through these unfortunate matters.”
On July 3, former AOA member Mina shared multiple posts on Instagram stating that Jimin had bullied her for years while she was in the group. Mina also revealed that Jimin had visited her in person to apologize – but although she wrote that she had decided to accept Jimin’s apology – she was uncertain whether it was sincere.
Jimin went on to share a public apology on her Instagram on July 4, to which Mina responded with a currently-deleted post.
J. Chung.
The number of hospitals’ internal infections add up to 12% of all coronavirus cases confirmed in Japan. The number of deaths connected with cluster infections in hospitals accounted for 24% of all coronavirus deaths in Japan.
The data conducted in May with medical institution and local government representatives indicates that in-hospital cluster infections broke out at 99 medical institutions in 21 prefectures. The largest number of cases was recorded in Tokyo, with a total of 714 having been confirmed infected in 19 hospitals, Kanagawa’s 242 cases in 13 hospitals, and Hokkaido’s 228 cases in 10 hospitals. Saitama has 140 cases in 8 hospitals, Osaka recorded 285 cases in six hospitals, and Hyogo recorded 101 cases in 6 hospitals.
The number of nationwide in-hospital infections reached 1,028 patients in total, 1,013 health care workers, and 55 miscellaneous employees including clerical staff and external contractors.
Some hospitals have not revealed their COVID-19 fatality figures, but at least 205 patients, or 20% of those infected while staying in hospital have reported to have died. The death rate for patients in hospital clusters was four times greater than all infected persons in Japan, which is 5%.
–J. Chung.
JEONGMIN is a Korean singer-songwriter, well-known for his sensitive and touchy love songs. Previously a member of a K-pop idol group ‘BOYFRIEND’, he had his debut in 2011 as a lead vocal position. With outstanding performance and singing, he has gained global attention and popularity until the disbandment of the group in 2019. To keep going on with his passion in music, JEONGMIN established an entertainment label ‘Araline’ with other music producers. Through his second debut as a solo artist he is boosting to step further as a singer-songwriter, publishing solo albums ‘Nearby’, ‘WHY?’, ‘Winter Dream’ in 2019, and 4th single album ‘REWIND’ in 2020. We want to thank Jeongmin for this interview.
It has already been a year for you to resume K-Ent activities as a singer-songwriter, with a new label. It is indeed a difficult choice to make, can you make some comments about your last year, and what has changed the most from Jeongmin in BOYFRIEND to Jeongmin as a singer-songwriter?
For last year I got chances to look back on myself. Reflecting the reason that I became a singer, that passion and enthusiasm towards music at the very first time – I made up my mind to grow up as a more passionate artist. My daily life itself hasn’t changed much; but I put more effort on everything such as composing songs, preparing my stage, etc. as I am all on my own now.
Which part of yourself did you want to express through your latest 4th single album? Are there any songs from your past two solo albums that you have special feelings or memories with?
I wanted to describe the longing out of love. My recent album goes the best with what you feel by the riverside in a sunset. One of my favorite song is my solo debut song, ‘Twenty-one, me and you’. Personally, I feel that love is a bucket with smallest memories; I’ve put such feelings in my music to depict how my feelings were in past days, and how I’ve grown up.
In these pandemic days, what is it that you usually do alone at home? What is the first thing you want to do after COVID 19?
I think I take some more sleep, as I got less hectic than before. I got more spare time to work on my new songs, too. But above all I hope to perform on stage soon, as soon as COVID19 vanishes. (LOL) I really look forward to seeing my fans.
You have support from so many international fans all over the world. If some of them travel to Korea, which place or activity would you recommend to them the most?
I’d like to recommend ‘Hongdae (Hongik University Entrance)’ as the hottest spot in Korea. It’s called ‘a street of youth’, you can find artworks out of freedom & unique originality there. At Hongdae you can easily spot free street buskings of musicians and dancers, too bad they are not allowed in COVID19 era.
Your latest title song, ‘The Day of Ours’ was with refreshing melody and sentimental lyrics. Where do you usually get such sentiment to compose song lyrics?
I usually watch videos, movies and dramas to get ideas for my music. Recalling movie or drama scenes, I always imagine what kind of music would go well with the scenes. These days I fell for ‘Itaewon Class’, a famous TV drama in Korea. I find myself immersed into its plot and music tracks.
What was your favorite subject in school? You had debuted as an artist at quite an early age, what was your childhood dream before becoming an idol trainee?
I loved studying Korean the most in school days, but I always devoted myself to music. Before debut I dreamt to be a composer, on my way to build a career as a songwriter I attended an audition of my previous entertainment company -which led to my debut as an idol singer.
You have recently started your YouTube mini radio channel-greeting your fans online. As you have long been famous for a well-rounded singer, are you interested in any other field than singing, such as DJ, Show host or actor?
I love when people smile at me or feel happy because of me. Now I publish my own album and sing on my own, but whenever my fans leave good comments on my songs, I instantly get my energy back. I don’t mind trying many new channels to meet my fans on stage.
Is there any new genre or style of music that you want to try as a singer-songwriter? Could you also give us a hint for your next album?
As a role model for music, I like the singer and producer Yoo Hee-Yul; his own color and feelings on music I like the most. I also like festival music, what makes everyone stand up, dance and enjoy. So I think next album might be something energetic. (LOL)
Though being such a tough year, what is the final goal you want to achieve in 2020? How do you wish to be remembered in after 10 years?
This year I hope to express my own color enough with solo albums on my own. To go further, I want to remain as a good musician with impressive, heart-touching music.
We would like to say thank you, again for taking this interview and assuming that you have had less chances to communicate with fans for the last few months, would you leave any words or messages to your fans?
I feel really bad that I can hardly get chances to see my fans. I’m all set to run at my best, can’t wait to perform at stage. Such heartbreaking times, but cheer up, everyone! See you so soon, I really miss all of you…!
—-Uinn Peng
Guinness World Records revealed that BLACKPINK has five titles with their latest music video “How You Like That” which was released on June 26.
The group has been rewarded for Guinness World Records as the “Most viewed YouTube video in 24 hours” as well as the “Most viewed music video on YouTube in 24 hours,” and “Most viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours by a K-pop group.”
BLACKPINK’s 24-hour view count for their latest single was 86.3 million by YouTube.
The first mentioned three achievements were set by BTS with their music video “Boy With Luv,” which has 74.6 million views in the first 24 hours.
In addition, “How You Like That” also hold titles for “Most viewers for the premiere of a video on YouTube” and “Most viewers for the premiere of a music video on YouTube.”
YouTube announced that the single had set the record with 1.66 million simultaneous viewing. BTS’s “ON” previously held the record for most-viewed YouTube Premiere.
Looks like BLACKPINK’s hard work has been paid off. Congrats!
–J.Chung.
























![[Breaking News] Happiness Face Coming Soon In August [Breaking News] Happiness Face Coming Soon In August](https://www.kcrush.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/HappinessFace_Coming_Soon_In_August_Event2_2020-1024x683.jpeg)









