Rookie girl group NewJeans will be back again in late June with a prerelease from a new album due for early July, according to a local media report Tuesday.

Agency Ador said that no dates have been set for its return yet following the report.

The five-member act debuted in July last year with a self-titled EP and brought out first single album “OMG” in January. The group entered Billboard’s Hot 100 in only six months after debuting, a record for a K-pop girl group at the time, with “Ditto,” a prerelease from the single. The title track from the single followed suit, staying on the main singles chart for five and six weeks in a row, respectively. They peaked at No. 82 and No. 74.

Seventeen sells 2.18m copies of 10th EP in preorders

Seventeen’s upcoming EP has already sold over 2.18 million copies in preorders, according to distributor YG Plus on Tuesday.

The number represents a career record for the 13-member act.

“FML” will consist of six tracks with double lead tracks “F* My Life” and another yet to be disclosed. Woozi oversaw production of the mini album, with members including S.Coups, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Vernon and Dino participating in writing melodies and lyrics.

Meanwhile, the band will host “Seventeen Street” from April 8-16 in southern Seoul, with on-site experiences and exhibits to mark the release of the EP.

The mini album will be released April 24, about nine months after “Sector 17,” a reissue of fourth studio album “Face the Sun.” The fourth LP sold more than 3.28 million copies, a record for albums released in 2022, and the repack was the first of its kind to sell over 1 million in the first week.

Blackpink to stay with YG: report

All four members of Blackpink will renew their contracts with label YG Entertainment, according to a local media report Tuesday.

Their contracts are due to end in August, but they will all stay with the label which they believe to have enabled their ongoing tour, the largest ever for a K-pop girl group, according to the report, citing sources close to the artists. They held 14 concerts in North America and 10 in Europe last year, and are now touring Asia before heading off to Australia. The tour will have drawn 1.5 million people to concerts in total.

In April, the quartet will headline Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, before the British Summertime Hyde Park festival in London in July.

Separately, Jisoo’s first solo album “Me” became the first album from a K-pop female solo musician to sell over 1 million copies in the first week, the label said Tuesday.

SHINee’s Taemin discharged

Taemin of SHINee has completed his mandatory military service.

He enlisted in May 2021 as a member of the Army band, but suspended active duty in January last year as symptoms of depression and panic disorder worsened. He has been serving as a reservist agent ever since.

Taemin uploaded a handwritten letter online Tuesday thanking fans for their support.

“I’ve missed (you) so much so that the words are not enough and believe that you felt the same about me, trusting me and waiting for me … this gave me strength and made me mature,” he wrote, promising he would try to help them feel happy.

Taemin was the last member of the foursome to complete his duty, and the band is gearing up for a full-group return in May. The band will put out its eighth full-length album to mark 15 years since the debut.

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