Blackpink amassed 2.1 billion views on YouTube with the music video for “Ddu-du Ddu-du” on Sunday, according to label YG Entertainment on Monday.

It is the first music video in K-pop history to reach the milestone.

“Ddu-du Ddu-du” is the main track from its first EP, “Square Up,” that was released in June 2018 and swept all music charts here. The single ranked No. 55 on Billboard’s Hot 100 while the album was No. 40 on the Billboard 200, both records for a K-pop girl group at the time.

The video was the most-viewed from a K-pop artist that year.

The quartet has garnered 90 million subscribers through its official YouTube channel as of two weeks ago, becoming the first artist in the world to do so.

Meanwhile, the bandmates returned from Hanoi, Vietnam on Monday after their first concert in the city.

BTS’ Jimin generates 100m views with solo music video

Jimin of BTS amassed 100 million views on YouTube with the music video for “Set Me Free Pt. 2” on Sunday, said label Big Hit Music on Monday.

“Set Me Free Pt. 2” was dropped in March as the pre-release from his first solo album, “Face,” and topped the iTunes top songs chart in 110 regions. It notched the No. 30 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 and No. 6 on Spotify’s daily top songs global chart. The single landed atop Oricon’s daily and weekly digital single rankings as well.

Album “Face” hit Billboard 200 at No. 2 and has received 800 million streams on Spotify as of last week, a record for a K-pop artist.

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It will be an up-tempo dance tune full of positive energy that encourages listeners to focus their time on “better things,” with percussion sounds punctuating a unique sequence of rhythms.

In the meantime, the four members held their first standalone concert in Thailand over the weekend to a sold-out crowd. They will head over to Japan this weekend going live at the Tokyo Dome in the shortest time following a debut – two years and nine months -- for an international artist.

In the following week, they will join the lineup for the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco before resuming their tour in North America. They will begin in Los Angeles and then visit seven more cities in the US.

DAY6’s Young K to return with 1st solo LP

Young K of DAY6 will bring out his first solo studio album, “Letters with notes,” on Sept. 4, announced label JYP Entertainment on Monday.

He will be returning in about two years after completing his mandatory military service. The singer and songwriter released solo debut EP “Eternal” before he enlisted and was discharged in April.

He is a member of the band that debuted in 2015 and has written a series of songs from “Congratulations” to “Zombie.”

The musician has collaborated with a string of artists as well including GOT7, Up10tion and Eric Nam, and most recently was the featured vocalist for Welsh singer and songwriter Jamie Miller for his digital single “Maybe Next Time.”

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