[Today’s K-pop] EXO’s Xiumin tests positive for COVID-19

Xiumin of EXO tested positive for COVID-19, his label SM Entertainment said Thursday.

He took a preemptive PCR test last week before starting work for a musical and the results had come back negative. He took another test Wednesday after feeling unwell and was confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus.

All the other EXO bandmates as well as staffers in charge of them have taken tests and are in self-quarantine awaiting results, the company added. 

He has immediately stopped all work and promotional activities, while his fellow actors and staff from musical “Hadestown” are also awaiting COVID-19 test results.

The idol is a regular on two variety TV shows, but the broadcast does not appear to be affected as one finished shooting in mid-July and the other has enough pre-recorded episodes until he is able to resume work.

IZ*ONE’s Kwon Eunbi to make solo debut this month: report

Kwon Eunbi of the now-disbanded IZ*ONE is putting out a solo debut album at the end of August, local media reported Thursday.

She has finalized plans for the release of the album and is shooting the jacket cover as well as preparing for the filming of the music video.

She was the leader and the oldest member of the 12-piece female band that was formed through an audition program and disbanded after 2 1/2 years in April. There has been talks about unit activities and a push for the artists to perform again as a group, but it all fell through.

Kwon is currently co-hosting a beauty TV program on a lifestyle cable network channel and would be the first in the group to strike out on her own as a singer.

Twice’s “Fancy” tops 100m streams on Billboard Japan

Twice’s 2019 hit song “Fancy” garnered 100 million streams on Billboard Japan on Wednesday.

The song came out in April 2019 as the title track from the band’s seventh EP “Fancy You.” It entered Billboard Japan’s streaming song chart as No. 2 and has stayed among top 200 on the chart for 119 consecutive weeks.

Twice now has two songs, along with “Feel Special,” with over 100 million streams on the chart, becoming the only K-pop female band with such record.

The nine-member group debuted in Japan four years ago and its third Japanese full album “Perfect World” landed atop Oricon’s daily album chart last month. The music video for the same-titled focus track amassed 10 million views on YouTube in three days when it was unveiled in advance in June. As of Thursday, it has 30 million views, making it the song with the fastest viewership growth among the songs it has officially released in Japan.

Astro hosts pop-up store to highlight 8th EP

Astro surprised fans with a pop-up store in a shopping mall in Seoul to mark the successful launch of its eighth EP “Switch On.”

The store opened on Thursday and will be open until Aug. 15. It features never-seen-before photographs of the bandmates as well as exclusive merchandise that range from a free pass to an autograph session to signed, Polaroid pictures.

The six-member band came out with the EP on Monday. The EP and the title track “After Midnight” topped various iTunes charts in a total of 37 regions. The music video accompanying the song raked in 10 million views in about 34 hours, a new record for the band.

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