[Today’s K-pop] NCT floats teaser photos for 3rd LP

NCT dropped teaser photos for its third studio album, “Universe,” Wednesday.

Taeil, Taeyong, Doyoung, Jaemin, Yangyang and Jisung were featured in the first batch of photographs, which were imbued with a futuristic and sophisticated ambience. The phrase “New Axis” is shone onto the face of the youngest member.

It has been about 14 months since the band put out a full-group album. The second album “Resonance” sold over 2 million copies. Subunits NCT 127 and NCT Dream have been hugely popular both at home and abroad.

Meanwhile, NCT 127’s third LP, “Sticker,” climbed back up to No. 32 on the Billboard 200 on Wednesday. In September, the LP entered the chart at No. 3 -- the best for a K-pop album that came out in 2021 -- and has remained on the chart for eight consecutive weeks.

NCT’s third LP will be fully unveiled Dec. 14.  

Winner’s Song Mino hints at 1st solo concert

Song Mino of Winner asked fans to keep their expectations high for his forthcoming solo concert and shared his enthusiasm with a statement released through label YG Entertainment on Wednesday.

“The word ‘first’ always gives out pleasant tremors. I want to use all the good words,” he said laughing.

“I haven’t been able to sleep since I am so hyped up. It will be a concert that will embody Song Mino,” said the musician two days before the live show to be held in Seoul. It will also be broadcast live online.

He said he spent all the time he had to himself preparing for the concert, going over every aspect of it from devising the concept to rearranging the melodies.

“I always thought that it was a shame that we cannot put all songs from the albums on stage. Being able to perform those is the most special and best part of having a concert,” he said.

He has a new song prepared as a special present. But he also wanted his fans to be the first to hear it.

A spoiler? He will show a tiny bit of himself as a vocalist.

Verivery shares US tour schedule 

Boy band Verivery uploaded the set list for its upcoming US tour on Wednesday.

The group will perform 15 songs on the stage as well as a special performance. The bandmates added images they drew -- such as a cityscape reflected on the surface of the ocean and a person with different expressions on and off a mirror -- to hint at the performances.

The band will visit nine cities over three weeks starting from Los Angeles on Dec. 5. The seven-piece act ranked No. 1 on Billboard’s world digital song sales chart with “G.B.T.B” and “Get Away” from its fifth EP, “Face Us,” last year. In August, its sixth EP, “Series ‘O’ [Round 2: Hole],” topped the iTunes albums chart in the US upon release and lead track “Trigger” landed atop the iTunes K-pop songs chart in the US.

Super Junior’s Eunhyuk to debut as musical producer 

Eunhyuk of Super Junior will produce a musical that will premiere in mid-December, according to production company Shinswave on Wednesday. 

He will put on “Altar Boyz,” a musical comedy originally from Broadway that depicts five boys who form a band and sing and dance to spread love. A score of K-pop musicians, including Yesung of Super Junior, Chansung of 2PM, Son Dongwoon of Highlight and Jang Dongwoo of Infinite, have starred in previous productions.

Eunhyuk will add his own take on the musical as the first idol to have his hands on the stage from behind the scenes. He has been participating in putting together concerts for his own band as well as a standalone concert of Chinese idol group TFBoys.

“I was given a great opportunity to expand into a musical,” said the veteran idol, acknowledging that he has deep interest in the genre and hopes to produce a range of performances.

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