Jeongyeon of Twice will be absent from the band’s upcoming concerts in Seoul, announced label JYP Entertainment late Monday.

Citing health reasons, the firm said that after discussing the issue with her bandmates, she has decided not to participate in the two-day concerts slated to be held Dec. 25-26.

It will be the third time Jeongyeon has taken a break from performing. The idol suspended activities two times before, in October last year and in August this year due to health issues.

The band will perform live in southern Seoul for two days and will kick off the US leg of its international tour in February, visiting Los Angeles, Oakland, Fort Worth, Atlanta and New York. Tickets for the five-city tour have already sold out. Tickets for two additional concerts in Los Angeles and New York were also sold out as of Monday, according to the company.

Meanwhile, the group’s third studio album “Formula of Love: O+T=<3” from last month ranked No. 3 on Billboard 200 and has stayed on the chart for four weeks in a row.

Monsta X wraps up US promotion 

 
Monsta X brought fans up to speed with a selfie and a statement that were released through agency Starship Entertainment.

The band returned to Korea Tuesday after performing in three cities for Jingle Ball, an annual music festival. It also put out its second full-length album in the US, “The Dreaming,” and promoted movie “Monsta X: The Dreaming,” appearing in a series of radio and television shows in the US.

It has been about two years since the bandmates met their overseas fans in person.

“Two years is definitely not a short period ... I was moved that they waited for us without forgetting us, and that they sent us such heartfelt support,” said Juheon.

At first it was strange to see an audience, Minhyuk said.

“I couldn’t even remember when the last time was I saw a full auditorium. I wondered if I was having a dream,” he mused, adding that he was really happy throughout the performances.

The strength they gained from fans will help them pull through the rest of 2021 happily but also serve as a momentum to push the group forward, added I.M.

IU’s “Lilac” the best K-pop song of 2021: NME

 
IU’s main track from fifth full-length album “Lilac” was chosen as the best K-pop song of this year by British magazine NME.

The song came out on top in a list named “The 25 best K-pop songs of 2021” on Monday in the UK. The song is the main track from the same-titled LP that came out in March that marks the ending of the singer’s 20s.

The LP, her “first album in four years, is nothing short of magnificent,” said the magazine article and with the title track she “tells her most relatable tale yet: the bittersweet journey of letting your youth go.” She is an “all-rounder, who has the ability to transition from elegant disco pop to soaring ballads to smoky R&B seamlessly, but also as an expert storyteller and songwriter,” it said.

ITZY’s “Wannabe” music video tops 400m views 

The music video of ITZY’s “Wannabe” has surpassed 400 million views on YouTube as of Tuesday.

“Wannabe” is the title track from the band’s second EP “IT’z ME” that was released in March 2020. In the video, the bandmates demonstrate their powerful dance moves and declare that they will show their own colors -- without caring about what others might think.

Music videos for all songs it promoted, from debut song “Dalla Dalla,” to the most recent “Loco,” the title track from its first LP, have each garnered at least 100 million views on the platform.

Meanwhile, the quintet is making its official debut in Japan with a “best-of” album “IT’z ITZY” on Wednesday. Last week, it hosted an online showcase for fans in Japan, giving a taste of what is to come. 

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