(Credit: JYP Entertainment)

Stray Kids claimed the top spot on Oricon’s monthly album chart with first studio album in Japan “The Sound,” announced label JYP Entertainment on Friday.

Since the release on Feb. 22, the LP has swept Oricon charts, from daily and weekly to weekly combined. The LP consists of 10 tracks, including the titular track and Japanese-language version of “Case 143” and “Thunderous,” lead tracks from EP “Maxident” and LP “Noeasy,” respectively.

The eight-member team is in the middle of its second international tour “Maniac.” It will hold concerts in Manila, Philippines this weekend and continue to tour in the US.

Earlier this week, a local media reported that the band will bring out a new album next month. Its label acknowledged that it finished shooting a music video for the album but only said no date has been set yet.

Highlight’s Lee Gikwang to return as solo after 4 years: report

Lee Gikwang of Highlight will bring out a solo album after about four years, according to a local media report on Friday.

He is gearing up to make a comeback on his own in April.

Agency Around Us confirmed the news following the report.

He has released first solo EP “One” in 2017 and digital singles “I” and “Goodbye with a Smile” in 2019. The main dancer of the four-piece band also has written a series of songs for the band’s recent albums.

Lee is currently hosting a radio show and appearing as one of the mentors in “Peaktime,” a reality show for idol groups.

Meanwhile, Highlight put out fourth EP “After Sunset” in November last year and has been greeting fans through fan concerts in Korea, Japan and Taiwan until last month.

Le Sserafim goes double platinum in Japan

Le Sserafim earned double platinum certification from Recording Industry Association of Japan with Japan debut single “Fearless,” according to the organization on Friday.

This is the first time a K-pop group recorded 500,000 shipments to qualify with a debut single in the country. It also is the first international female band to do so.

The single was released in Jan. 25 and sold over 220,000 copies in the first week, replacing the record set from a K-pop girl group’s debut album in Japan. It topped four Oricon charts – daily single, weekly single, weekly combined single, and monthly single – and earned platinum certification from RIAJ with 250,000 shipments in January.

In the meantime, the quintet’s second EP “Antifragile” became a million-seller last week, a first for the group that debuted in May last year.

The bandmates are set to host its first fan meeting in Seoul on March 18-19.

Winner’s Kang Seungyoon to host 1st solo photo show

Kang Seungyoon of Winner will hold his first solo exhibit in Seoul from March 23 to April 19.

He will host the show under the name Yooyeon which signifies flexibility, reflecting how he wants to be adaptable and versatile in every situation. He participated in contemporary art show “Korean Eye: Creativity and Daydream” in 2021 and in “Start Art Fair Seoul 2022.”

He also will be one of the “producers” in the second season of global audition program for boy bands “Fantasy Boys” that will air on March 23.

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