Returning after a year, Treasure headed straight to the top of the iTunes chart in 30 regions with its first EP “The Second Step: Chapter One.”

Main track “Jikjin” claimed the No. 1 spot on a string of music charts at home as well as Line Music’s top 100 chart in Japan.

The accompanying music video that reportedly cost 500 million won ($417,711) to produce garnered 10 million views on YouTube in about 21 hours since release, according to label YG Entertainment on Wednesday.

To mark the release of the first EP, the band also launched a range of merchandise goods themed after the main song that ranges from photo cards to keyrings.

The 12-member boy band debuted in August 2020 and released the four-part series “The First Step” in the first five months. It will hold its first standalone concert in April. 

Astro’s Cha Eun-woo sings webtoon soundtrack

Cha Eun-woo of Astro surprised fans Wednesday with the news that he will be singing a theme song for a webtoon.

His agency Fantagio Music announced the news with a photo of the idol.

The webtoon, titled “Villainess is a Marionette,” is based on a fantasy-romance novel.

Cha, as a member of the band, put out two albums last year -- the second full album “All Yours” and the eighth EP “Switch On.” He realized his dream, coming in first place at a music chart show, with the “After Midnight” focus track from the EP.

He also has been acting, appearing in a number of television dramas including “True Beauty,” and will take a bold turn from romance lead to evil-fighting priest in an action-packed drama adaptation of the webtoon “Island.” It will start airing in the first half of this year.

Rocket Punch to drop 4th EP later this month

Girl group Rocket Punch is bringing out its fourth EP “Yellow Punch” on Feb. 28, agency Woollim Entertainment said Wednesday.

It has been nine months since it dropped the single “Ring Ring.” The single ranked No. 17 on Billboard’s world digital song sales chart at the time.

In August last year, it debuted in Japan with EP “Bubble Up!” that entered the top 10 ranking on the Oricon chart. A documentary named “Rocket Punch Fly to the Sky” was aired on Abema TV, a livestreaming platform in Japan, in time for the debut.

The forthcoming EP is the fourth installment in its Color Collection series that started with pink followed by red and then blue. The six-member group has showed different sides with each EP, from energetic to hip and kitsch and fresh.

Ong Seong-wu to hold fan meet event next month

Ong Seong-wu will meet his fans in Seoul on March 12 at his second official fan meet event in Korea.

The first event was over two years ago and the singer-actor will sit down for a long talk to catch up with fans. He will also perform on stage and has prepared a special segment to make up for the long wait, said the company.

The event, titled “Re:Meet,” will be broadcast live as well.

Meanwhile, Ong reunited with his former bandmates from Wanna One for the first time in three years to release the digital single “B-Side” that included “Beautiful (Part.3)” last month.

Earlier this month, he started shooting “Seoul Vibe,” a star-studded action movie that will be released on Netflix this year. He will also make a special appearance in another Netflix original movie, “20th Century Girl.”

By Hwang You-mee
(glamazon@heraldcorp.com)