Author: Angela Patricia Suacillo

NME

New details regarding SHINee leader Onew’s upcoming full-length album, ‘Circle’, have recently been released.

• READ MORE: Onew talks subverting expectations on ‘Dice’: “I wanted to completely break out”

According to a report by South Korean media outlet Herald Pop, Onew’s forthcoming record will feature ‘Rain on Me’, a ballad produced and arranged in collaboration with singer-songwriter Sam Kim. Rapper Giriboy, meanwhile, has production credits on B-side ‘Caramel’.

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온유, 첫 정규 앨범 ‘Circle’ 기리보이·샘김 작업 참여!
재치 있는 재즈팝 ‘Caramel’, 서정적 발라드 ‘우중산책’ 수록!https://t.co/hBJ7lUVyT6 #ONEW #온유 #SHINee #샤이니 #Circle #ONEW_Circle #Caramel #우중산책 #RainOnMe #GIRIBOY #기리보이 #SamKim #샘김 pic.twitter.com/zowfslbMXH

— SHINee (@SHINee) February 23, 2023

A separate report by Newsen also revealed the title of two more B-sides to be featured on the record, ‘Anywhere’ and ‘Paradise’. The report also notes that ‘Circle’ is set to feature 10 songs. Additional details, such as a title for the lead track and the titles for other songs to be featured on the record, are expected to be released in the coming weeks.

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온유, 첫 정규 앨범 ‘Circle’ 청량美 담았다!
맑고 시원한 무드 ‘Anywhere’, 경쾌한 설렘 녹인 ‘Paradise’ 포함!https://t.co/1pdgKh1zxe#ONEW #온유#SHINee #샤이니#Circle #ONEW_Circle #Anywhere #Paradise pic.twitter.com/sEkwNYTqaQ

— SHINee (@SHINee) February 24, 2023

Slated for release on March 6, ‘Circle’ will mark Onew’s first full-length album. The new record is set to arrive just under a year after his sophomore mini-album ‘Dice’, which was led by the single of the same name.

‘Circle’ is currently available to pre-order via several music retailers both in and outside of South Korea, including the official SMTOWN Global Shop. Ahead of ‘Circle’’s release, Onew is set to host a three-day solo concert at Seoul’s Olympic Hall from March 3 to 5.

Onew first debuted in 2008 as a vocalist of SHINee, who went on to release hits like ‘Ring Ding Dong’, ‘Sherlock’ and ‘View’, among many others. Prior to enlisting for his mandatory military service in 2018, Onew released his debut mini-album ‘Voice’, which included the single ‘Blue’.

Following his discharge in 2020, he returned to promotional activities with SHINee, releasing their seventh studio album ‘Don’t Call Me’ and its repackaged version, ‘Atlantis’ in 2021. ‘Atlantis’ is SHINee’s most recent musical release to date, as youngest member Taemin began his military service shortly after its release.

The post SHINee’s Onew’s ‘Circle’ to feature production credits from Sam Kim and Giriboy appeared first on NME.

NME

Epik High have given fans a glimpse into life on tour in the new music video for ‘Catch’ and ‘On My Way’.

• READ MORE: Epik High – ‘Strawberry’ review: an irreverent, bite-sized beginning to a new chapter

The music video features audio from the bridge from ‘Catch’ as well as Tablo and Mithra Jin’s verses from ‘On My Way’, accompanied by behind-the-scenes footage of Epik High travelling to different countries and rehearsing in concert venues for their ‘All Time High’ tour. Next up on Epik High’s tour is a slot at MIK Festival in Paris tomorrow (February 18), before they kick off the North American leg in California on February 26.

‘Catch’ and ‘On My Way’ are B-sides from Epik High’s newest mini-album, ‘Strawberry’. ‘Catch’ features vocals from MAMAMOO’s Hwasa, while ‘On My Way’ was a collaboration with Jackson Wang. Both idols do not appear in the music video.

‘Strawberry’ dropped earlier this month, a little under a year after the release of 12-track studio album ‘Epik High Is Here 下, Part 2’ in February 2022, which included title track ‘Gray So Gray’ with soloist Younha as well as 2021 releases ‘Face ID’ and ‘Rain Song’.

In an interview with Billboard, frontman Tablo had previously revealed that the group had decided “internally” that 2022’s ‘Epik High Is Here 下, Part 2’ would be their last full-length album. The hip-hop trio was later moved to make new music after spending a week in Los Angeles to prepare for Coachella and working with other musicians in their downtime.

The songs they produced during their stay in Los Angeles eventually made it to ‘Strawberry’. Tablo, however, notes that their latest mini-album – which is five songs long – means the group haven’t technically gone back on their word to never release another album.

The post Epik High capture tour life in new music video for ‘Catch’ and ‘On My Way’ appeared first on NME.

NME

IVE are set to release their first full-length album this April.

• READ MORE: IVE elevate their chic charisma with glorious nu-disco on latest single ‘After LIKE’

South Korean media outlet Xportsnews reported earlier today (February 17) that the girl group are currently gearing up to release new music in April. A representative from Starship Entertainment later confirmed to Korea JoongAng Daily that IVE will drop their first full-length record that month.

Details regarding IVE’s forthcoming project, such as its title, release date and tracklist, will likely be announced in the coming weeks.

Days before the announcement, IVE debuted new two songs – ‘Blue Blood’ and ‘Not Your Girl’ – during their first solo concert ‘The Prom Queens’, which took place at the Olympic Hall in Seoul on February 11 and 12. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, both tracks will feature on IVE’s upcoming debut album.

IVE’s forthcoming full-length record will arrive several months after their third single album, ‘After Like’, which dropped in August 2022. The track prominently interpolates Gloria Gaynor’s iconic 1978 hit, ‘I Will Survive’, written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris. The track also features a rap verse co-written by member Rei and rapper Mad Clown.

IVE – comprised of former IZ*ONE members An Yu-jin and Jang Won-young, Gaeul, Liz, Rei and Leeseo – first debuted with single album ‘Eleven’ in December 2021. The group rose to prominence following the release of hit single ‘Love Dive’ in April 2022. The track later won the Daesang (grand prize) for Best Song of the Year at the 2022 Melon Music Awards.

‘Love Dive’ was also cited as the sixth most-streamed K-pop song globally in 2022, according to data from Spotify.

In January, IVE were named as one of the acts featured in the NME 100 list for 2023, which spotlights up-and-coming acts from across the globe. NME‘s Derrick Tan wrote of the group: “With three consecutive hits under their belt, IVE are poised to be the next K-pop icons. “

The post IVE to release first full-length album in April appeared first on NME.

NME

K-pop rookies and NME 100 act NMIXX will release their first EP next month.

• READ MORE: NMIXX roll the ‘Dice’ on new single-album ‘Entwurf’ with promising results

Last Friday (February 10), NMIXX dropped a teaser photo and motion teaser for the project, which is titled ‘expérgo’. It will be the girl group’s first EP and is slated for release alongside a music video on March 20, 6PM KST.

On Sunday, they followed up with a timeline for its rollout, including the launch of concept photos, concept films and more, illustrated in the form of a detectives’ diagram. The group plan to release a trailer for something titled ‘Secret of Sweet Oasis’ on February 27, and share the EP tracklist on March 2. They will also make their live comeback the day before the EP is released.

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NMIXX 1st EP <expérgo>

Trace of NMIXX Hideout

2023.03.20 6:00PM (KST)#NMIXX #엔믹스#expérgo pic.twitter.com/4UZCQNLeES

— NMIXX (@NMIXX_official) February 12, 2023

News of NMIXX’s comeback was preceded by the release of a teaser video titled ‘Docking Station: Declaration’. The two-minute video referenced the group’s debut and first comeback and hinted at the group’s next chapter.

Months before that, JYP Entertainment had announced that NMIXX was slated to release at least two albums by the first quarter of 2023 in an investment report last November.

‘expérgo’ comes over six months after NMIXX made their first comeback with single album ‘Entwurf’. That project featured lead single ‘Dice’ and B-side ‘Cool (Your Rainbow)’ as well as instrumental versions of both tracks.

The forthcoming EP also marks NMIXX’s first release as a six-member group after the departure of Jinni, who parted ways with JYP in December. In the statement announcing her departure, JYP confirmed that the idol’s exclusive contract with the company had been terminated and cited “personal circumstances” as a factor in Jinni’s split from the rookie group.

NMIXX first debuted in February 2022 with debut single album ‘Ad Mare’, which was led by title track ‘O.O’. ‘O.O’ would later become number 35 on Spotify’s most globally streamed K-pop songs of 2022.

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NME

HYBE, the South Korean entertainment giant behind BTS, has struck a deal to acquire a controlling stake in rival K-pop label SM Entertainment.

In the regulatory filing posted by HYBE earlier today (February 10), the entertainment company announced that it had purchased 3.5million shares from SM Entertainment founder and former chief producer Lee Soo-man at ₩120,000 (approximately £78.46) per share. HYBE is set to acquire a 14.8 per cent stake in SM and become its largest shareholder.

Founded in 1995, SM Entertainment has been a key architect of the global K-pop phenomenon, having developed artists from the industry’s first generation and housed many influential acts including H.O.T., Girls’ Generation, BoA, Super Junior and more. Acts signed to its roster today also include aespa, NCT, SHINee and Red Velvet, among others.

First established in 2005 as Big Hit Entertainment, HYBE is a record label and talent agency that became dominant thanks to the global success of BTS. Through its subsidiaries – that include Pledis Entertainment, Source Music, ADOR and more – the agency is also home to K-pop acts Tomorrow X Together, ENHYPEN, SEVENTEEN, LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans and more.

With an 18.5 per cent stake in SM, Lee – who is sometimes described as the ‘godfather of K-pop’ – is the company’s single largest stakeholder. He put up his stock for sale in 2021 in an effort to increase SM Entertainment’s corporate value, hoping to maximise the sale price and retain his title as then-chief producer for SM following the sale of his stocks, according to a report by Korean Economic Daily at the time.

In 2022, a little over a year after Lee had put his SM stocks up for sale, the label announced it would terminate its production contract with his production company Like Planning, after investors claimed that ties between SM and Like Planning were “damaging shareholder value”. Last Friday (February 3), SM’s co-CEOs Lee Sung-soo and Tak Young-jun – the former being Lee Soo-man’s nephew – said that SM’s contract with its own founder had been terminated, an announcement which reportedly divided employees.

According to The Korea Times, the deal between HYBE and Lee will be finalised on March 6. HYBE has also offered to purchase another 25 per cent stake in the agency from other investors, per Bloomberg. SM’s top executives, including its co-CEOs, have issued a statement stating their opposition to any “hostile takeover from outsiders, including HYBE”, the publication reports.

According to CNBC, after the announcement, SM’s shares jumped by over 16 per cent at the open in Seoul and HYBE’s by 6 per cent. Competing K-pop labels JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment – known together with SM as the “Big Three” agencies of K-pop – also saw their shares rise, the former by 2.5 per cent and the latter by 3.8 per cent.

HYBE’s move to take over SM comes following yesterday’s news that HYBE America had acquired Quality Control (QC) Media Holdings, which is home to US hip-hop acts including Migos, Lil Yachty, City Girls and Lil Baby. The acquisition marks Scooter Braun’s first major move as the sole CEO of HYBE’s US division, a role he officially assumed in January.

It also comes on the heels of Kakao announcing on Tuesday (February 7) its acquisition of a 9.05 per cent stake in SM which would have made the South Korean tech company, after Lee Soo-man, the second-biggest shareholder in the company. Lee’s legal counsel alleged that Kakao’s acquisition of company shares was an “act of illegality” and filed an injunction to stop the transaction.

A joint statement from HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk and Lee on the deal said that both executives “mutually agreed on the shared vision for the future of [the] K-pop industry”.

“HYBE fully agrees with former Chief Producer Lee’s strategic initiatives including metaverse, a multi-label system, and the sustainable vision campaign,” Bang and Lee’s joint statement reads, per Variety. “Leveraging our capabilities and resources, HYBE will further strengthen the presence of K-pop in the global stage.”

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NME

HYBE, the South Korean entertainment giant behind BTS, has struck a deal to acquire a controlling stake in rival K-pop label SM Entertainment.

In the regulatory filing posted by HYBE earlier today (February 10), the entertainment company announced that it had purchased 3.5million shares from SM Entertainment founder and former chief producer Lee Soo-man at ₩120,000 (approximately £78.46) per share. HYBE is set to acquire a 14.8 per cent stake in SM and become its largest shareholder.

Founded in 1995, SM Entertainment has been a key architect of the global K-pop phenomenon, having developed artists from the industry’s first generation and housed many influential acts including H.O.T., Girls’ Generation, BoA, Super Junior and more. Acts signed to its roster today also include aespa, NCT, SHINee and Red Velvet, among others.

First established in 2005 as Big Hit Entertainment, HYBE is a record label and talent agency that became dominant thanks to the global success of BTS. Through its subsidiaries – that include Pledis Entertainment, Source Music, ADOR and more – the agency is also home to K-pop acts Tomorrow X Together, ENHYPEN, SEVENTEEN, LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans and more.

With an 18.5 per cent stake in SM, Lee – who is sometimes described as the ‘godfather of K-pop’ – is the company’s single largest stakeholder. He put up his stock for sale in 2021 in an effort to increase SM Entertainment’s corporate value, hoping to maximise the sale price and retain his title as then-chief producer for SM following the sale of his stocks, according to a report by Korean Economic Daily at the time.

In 2022, a little over a year after Lee had put his SM stocks up for sale, the label announced it would terminate its production contract with his production company Like Planning, after investors claimed that ties between SM and Like Planning were “damaging shareholder value”. Last Friday (February 3), SM’s co-CEOs Lee Sung-soo and Tak Young-jun – the former being Lee Soo-man’s nephew – said that SM’s contract with its own founder had been terminated, an announcement which reportedly divided employees.

According to The Korea Times, the deal between HYBE and Lee will be finalised on March 6. HYBE has also offered to purchase another 25 per cent stake in the agency from other investors, per Bloomberg. SM’s top executives, including its co-CEOs, have issued a statement stating their opposition to any “hostile takeover from outsiders, including HYBE”, the publication reports.

According to CNBC, after the announcement, SM’s shares jumped by over 16 per cent at the open in Seoul and HYBE’s by 6 per cent. Competing K-pop labels JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment – known together with SM as the “Big Three” agencies of K-pop – also saw their shares rise, the former by 2.5 per cent and the latter by 3.8 per cent.

HYBE’s move to take over SM comes following yesterday’s news that HYBE America had acquired Quality Control (QC) Media Holdings, which is home to US hip-hop acts including Migos, Lil Yachty, City Girls and Lil Baby. The acquisition marks Scooter Braun’s first major move as the sole CEO of HYBE’s US division, a role he officially assumed in January.

It also comes on the heels of Kakao announcing on Tuesday (February 7) its acquisition of a 9.05 per cent stake in SM which would have made the South Korean tech company, after Lee Soo-man, the second-biggest shareholder in the company. Lee’s legal counsel alleged that Kakao’s acquisition of company shares was an “act of illegality” and filed an injunction to stop the transaction.

A joint statement from HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk and Lee on the deal said that both executives “mutually agreed on the shared vision for the future of [the] K-pop industry”.

“HYBE fully agrees with former Chief Producer Lee’s strategic initiatives including metaverse, a multi-label system, and the sustainable vision campaign,” Bang and Lee’s joint statement reads, per Variety. “Leveraging our capabilities and resources, HYBE will further strengthen the presence of K-pop in the global stage.”

The post HYBE strikes deal with SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man to become the rival K-pop label’s biggest shareholder appeared first on NME.

NME

(G)I-DLE members Miyeon and Yuqi have just released the song ‘Sweet Dream’, their contribution to the official soundtrack of Netflix K-drama Love to Hate You.

• READ MORE: 7 upcoming K-dramas to look out for in February 2023
  

In the ‘Sweet Dream’ music video released earlier today (February 6), Miyeon and Yuqi  are seen recording the track in a studio, interspersed with clips from the drama. “I know your voice / When I look back at the voice calling me / Heaven unfolds before your eyes / My sweet dream”, Yuqi croons in the track.

Love to Hate You follows the relationship between a rookie attorney who hates losing to men and a top actor who doesn’t trust women. The drama stars Kim Ok-vin (Arthdal Chronicles) as attorney Yeo Mi-ran and Teo Yoo (Vagabond) as top actor Nam Kang-ho. Starring alongside them are Kim Ji-hoon (Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area) and Go Won-hee (Welcome to Waikiki).

The drama is helmed by Kim Jung-kwon, best known for Lie After Lie, and penned by Choi Soo-young, who penned the script for My ID is Gangnam Beauty. Love to Hate You is premiering exclusively on Netflix on February 10.

(G)I-DLE’s last release was their fifth mini-album ‘I Love’, which dropped on October 2022. That record was led by title track ‘Nxde’ and became the quintet’s first-ever entry on the Billboard 200, landing at Number 71 for the week of November 5.

In a three-star review, NME’s Tanu I. Raj wrote that the record sees “(G)I-DLE go from shackled ‘sculptures’ to self-aware, emotionally intelligent women, but unimaginative arrangements overshadow their progress.”

The post (G)I-DLE’s Miyeon and Yuqi release ‘Sweet Dream’, a new song for Netflix K-drama ‘Love to Hate You’ appeared first on NME.

NME

Ex-NU’EST member Hwang Min-hyun has released details on his forthcoming solo debut.

• READ MORE: Tomorrow X Together – ‘The Name Chapter: Temptation’ review: supreme storytellers indulge fantasies of Neverland

Earlier today (February 6), the idol-actor released a cryptic 11-second “mood film” teaser, where he revealed the title and release date for his solo mini-album. According to the clip, Hwang’s forthcoming record will be titled ‘Truth or Lie’ and is slated for release on February 27, 6PM KST.

Preorders for ‘Truth or Lie’ are open via Weverse. No tracklist has been shared at the time of writing.

 

Hwang is set to be the third NU’EST member to go solo, following Baekho with ‘Absolute Zero’ in October 2022 and Kim Jong-hyun (formerly JR) with ‘MERIDIEM’ in November 2022. While Hwang had previously released solo songs as part of projects and K-drama soundtracks, ‘Truth or Lie’ marks Hwang’s official solo debut. In recent years, he’s taken on acting roles that include Live On, in which he played the lead, and the hit fantasy series Alchemy of Souls.

News of Hwang’s solo debut first broke in HYBE’s community briefing livestream on November 2022. At the time, Pledis Entertainment disclosed that the singer was gearing up for a solo debut, but did not share details. Last month, the label told South Korean press that Hwang was preparing to release new solo music in February.

Hwang was one of the the five members of NU’EST, which disbanded in March 2022 following the release of their final album ‘Needle and Bubble’. That record, led by title track ‘Spring, Again’, commemorated their 10th and final year together.

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