[Today’s K-pop] GOT7’s Youngjae puts out solo debut album

Youngjae of GOT7 hosted an online showcase event to introduce his solo debut EP, “Colors From Ars,” Tuesday.

He is taking his first steps as a solo musician seven years after debuting as a member of the band.

That feels good, said the musician, but makes him nervous at the same time.

“But I’d rather take this as a challenge and would like to focus more on the fact that I’ve done it than trying to figure out if it was a failure or a success,” he said.

He wanted to show different sides of himself, he said, which resulted in a rainbow of colors, thus the seven-track EP. He participated in writing the melodies and lyrics, as well as producing all the tracks.

“This was not the first time I wrote songs but having my hands on all songs, I tried new things. ... It also was hard to keep track of everything,” he confided.

Working on his own also made him think of his bandmates. It was amazing and slightly unbelievable that one person could do all this on his own, said Youngjae.

Golden Child presents repackaged 2nd LP

Just two months after releasing its second full album, Golden Child came out with a repack Tuesday.

The band has added two new songs, title track “Ddara” and “Oasis,” to the 11-track LP originally titled “Game Changer.”

“Fortunately, in addition to writing the lyrics for ‘Oasis,’ I also did overall song and track making,” said Tag. It was not too difficult, however, since there was so much he wanted to say when he thought of the band. Oasis was inspired by the way the bandmates offered solace, he added, thanking them for being together with him on the journey.

Meanwhile, the main track is a funky new jack swing tune, explained Y. The chorus highlights the different voices of each member, added Kim Jibeom, who said that part was the best. The choreography will showcase how perfectly orchestrated the performance is, added Hong Juchan.

IU to release new music 

Singer/actor IU will come out with a digital single titled “Strawberry Moon.”

In the teaser photo that was uploaded Tuesday, she sits pretty on a giant scoop of ice cream holding what looks like two strawberry ice cream cones. Dandelions, a vintage fuchsia car, a rainbow and a gumball pink moon complete the kitschy poster.

On Oct. 1, IU dropped an image of a huge reddish moon, saying, “Let’s meet again when the strawberry moon comes up,” signing her name IU and piquing fans’ curiosity.

It has been about seven months since her fifth studio album, “Lilac,” topped all major music charts in South Korea. She is next set to appear in “Broker,” Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda’s first Korean-language film, along with Song Kangho, Gang Dongwon and Bae Doona. 

In an article last month, the South China Morning Post estimated that she’d earned between $31 million and $45 million this year.

Sunmi to host 1st digital concert

Sunmi will hold her first online concert Oct. 30, agency Abyss Company announced Tuesday.

It has been approximately two years since her first international tour, “Warning,” which brought the vocalist to 18 cities on three continents, a rarity for a female K-pop solo musician.

The online live concert, titled “Good Girl Gone Mad,” will feature extended reality technology for a more interactive audience experience, and will be available via livestreaming platform VenewLive.

Sunmi kicked off her solo career in 2013 with “24 Hours” and has since released a score of hit songs including “Full Moon,” “Gashina” and “Pporappippam.” Her last EP, “1/6,” and “You Can’t Sit With Us” from August topped iTunes charts in eight regions and placed among the top 10 in 20 regions.

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