[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s “As If It’s Your Last” video tops 1.1b views

The music video of Blackpink’s “As If It’s Your Last” surpassed 1.1 billion views on YouTube on Thursday, according to label YG Entertainment.

The band now has four music videos -- including those of “Ddu-du Ddu-du,” “Kill This Love” and “Boombayah” -- that reached the milestone, the most for a K-pop artist.

“As If It’s Your Last” came out in June 2017 as a single and the dance number was included in YouTube’s Global Top 25 Songs of the Summer. The music video was the most-watched K-pop video that year on YouTube, and appeared in the movie “Justice League.”

Weki Meki comes back with 5th EP

Girl group Weki Meki held an online showcase to promote its fifth EP on Thursday.

It has been about a year since its previous music release but during the time, the band has been thinking how best to highlight its charm and to present an improved version of itself, said Ji Soo-yeon.

The band, who sees themselves as voices of youth, tried to illustrate the agonies and confusion they are experiencing as well as how they brave though them, said Sei.

From the title of the EP “I Am Me.” and throughout all six tracks, the eight-member act candidly sings of being “me” as a 20-something. With title track “Siesta,” it hopes that everyone wakes up and takes a big leap, explained Choi Yoo-jung.

“Our color is shown (in the song) more than ever,” added Kim Do-yeon.

The bandmates had their say in writing the songs and filled the album with their own stories. Hopefully, many would empathize with and love this EP, she added.

Winner’s Kang Seungyoon confident about 1st solo concert

Kang Seung-yoon of Winner reminded fans that he is their trustworthy “captain” and voiced confidence in his first solo concert that will be held in Seoul on Sunday.

“I’ve been on countless stages but this time it bears my name ... it made me look back on my life in terms of music,” he said, exuding excitement for the show. He would like to pat himself on the back, he said laughing, and vowed to go all out to put on a show that beats all expectations.

“An artist can never exist on his own. I am one of those who believe that music is completed by listeners and am happy that I was given the moment to feel fans so up close,” he mused.

He finds it impossible to draw lines between himself as a solo musician and as a member of the band, though.

“Performing solo only means that the messages I want to deliver through music deepen in color, an expanded world of Kang Seung-yoon,” he said. 

Enhypen eagerly awaits 2nd fan meet 

Enhypen is hosting its second fan meeting in Seoul, in time for its upcoming debut anniversary.

Under the title “2021 Enhypen [En-Connect: Companion],” the bandmates will meet its fans, about nine months since its first gathering, on Friday.

“We are putting a lot of efforts in preparation so that we could show a much cooler side of us so please keep your expectations high,” they said through their agency Belief Lab on Thursday. Earlier this week, the band said it has made “an amazing song” for the event.

On Saturday, a gathering for fans in Japan will be broadcast live online and the band will perform some songs in Japanese.

Meanwhile, the boy band’s first studio album returned to Billboard 200 at No. 177 on Tuesday in the US. The LP, titled “Dimension: Dilemma,” entered the chart at No. 11 last month and stayed for two weeks. The LP sold over a million copies and in Japan, topped Oricon’s daily and weekly album charts.

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