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[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids’ 1st Japan EP sells 1m copies

By Hwang You-mee

Published : Oct. 4, 2023 - 18:01

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(Credit: JYP Entertainment) (Credit: JYP Entertainment)

Stray Kids logged 1 million shipments in Japan with its first EP in the country, according to label JYP Entertainment on Wednesday.

The EP “Social Path (feat. LiSA) / Super Bowl -Japanese ver.-” rolled out on Sept. 6 and reached the milestone last week. It notched first place on Oricon’s weekly album ranking after staying atop its daily album ranking for six days in a row. The five-track mini album was No. 1 on Billboard Japan’s main albums chart as well as the iTunes top albums chart in 21 regions.

Meanwhile, the eight members kicked off its first dome tour in Japan in Fukuoka last month. They will perform in Osaka next week and in Tokyo on Oct. 28-29, a week after its debut at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, the largest concert venue in Korea.

 

Blackpink’s Jisoo tops 400m views with ‘Flower’ music video

(Credit: YG Entertainment) (Credit: YG Entertainment)

The music video for Jisoo of Blackpink’s solo single “Flower” amassed 400 million views on YouTube as of Tuesday, said label YG Entertainment on Wednesday.

It is the group’s 18th video to reach the milestone and achieved the feat in about 186 days. The music video received 100 million viewings in a week, after landing atop the platform’s worldwide trending chart upon release.

“Flower” is the main track from her first solo album “ME” and topped the iTunes top songs chart in 64 regions. It also ranked No. 2 on Billboard’s Global 200 and Global excl. the US and No. 38 on UK’s Official singles top 100. The single generated 100 million streams on Spotify in 32 days, a record for a K-pop female solo artist. The mini album sold over 1.17 million copies in the first week and became the first million-selling album from a K-pop female soloist.

 

Le Sserafim to return later this month: report

(Credit: Source Music) (Credit: Source Music)

Le Sserafim will make a comeback at the end of this month, according to a local media report on Wednesday.

The group launched its first full-length album “Unforgiven” in May. The LP hit Billboard 200 at No. 6 and stayed on the chart for eight weeks straight. It also sold over 1.25 million units in the first week, becoming the quintet’s second million-seller after second EP “Antifragile.” The music video for the titular track generated 100 million views on YouTube last month.

Meanwhile, the group is hosting its first international tour and performed in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday. It will resume the tour in Bangkok, Thailand, this weekend.

 

NCT’s new team loses a member before debut

(Credit: SM Entertainment) (Credit: SM Entertainment)

A soon-to-be-launched team under NCT will only have six members, said label SM Entertainment on Wednesday.

Jungmin has decided to drop out of the seven-member team that was selected through a reality audition program.

He has suspended practice and activities due to health reasons and has been focusing on treatment, explained the management firm, adding that he will return as a trainee.

The seven were preparing for its pre-debut tour starting this Sunday. The subunit met fans in person for the first time at NCT’s full-group concert held in Japan last month.

The team is the last subunit of NCT. The 20-member boy band has multiple subunits, including NCT 127, NCT Dream and WayV. Separately, NCT's fourth studio album, “Golden Age,” topped Oricon’s weekly album ranking on Tuesday.

 

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