[Today’s K-pop] iKON returns to sing of broken heart

IKON was ready to come out with new music for the first time in 13 months Wednesday.
 
The band is releasing a digital single titled “Why Why Why” that sings about love that blooms beautifully before withering away. The song blends poetic guitar riffs and heavy bass sounds with the lyrics, including the rap by Bobby, and portrays being unable to accept a breakup, asking both himself and her before slowly coming to acknowledge it.
 
In addition to promoting the new single, the group will also participate in the new season of “Kingdom,” a competition among boy bands that will air its first episode April 1. This is the first time it will be joining such a program.
 
IKON reorganized into a six-piece act in 2019, but managed to remain strong, topping the iTunes albums charts in 24 regions with previous EP “I Decide.” Rapper Bobby’s second solo studio album “Lucky Man,” released in January, also was a chart-topper.
 
The bandmates will go on Naver’s V Live one hour before unveiling the music video for “Why Why Why.”

Rain’s new EP features many collaborations 

Rain is putting out the new EP “Pieces by Rain” Wednesday, boasting a lineup of star collaborators.
 
As he revealed via his YouTube channel, he has teamed up with female vocalist Chungha for the lead track “Why Don’t We.” It mixes progressive house and R&B genres that would bring out the two established dancers’ powerful moves. Rain directed the choreography himself and invited Chungha, who confided that she could not believe her ears when he came to her with the offer.
 
Jackson of GOT7 not only wrote and arranged “Magnetic,” but also was featured on the track, while boy band Ciipher’s rappers -- Keita, Tag and Won -- worked on “Come Here.”
 
It has been three years since the musician came out with new music, although he has been engaged in a string of projects, including a duo gig with his mentor Park Jinyoung and teaming up with soprano Jo Sumi.
 
The EP consists of five tracks and includes “Switch To Me,” a duet with Park.

Fans of BTS’ Suga put solo project on US iTunes’s top 

Agust D, also known as Suga of BTS, received a birthday present only the band’s fans can give: putting “Daechwita,” the lead track from his 2020 mixtape, atop the US iTunes’ song sales chart.
 
His global fans decided to mark his upcoming birthday, March 8, with a “buying party,” and succeeded in placing the song atop the chart in only six hours. Music video views for the song surpassed 200 million on Monday as well, doubling the number from July 2020.
 
With his second solo mixtape “D-2,” he became the first solo K-pop artist to enter both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100, the main albums and singles charts, respectively. The project also ranked No. 7 on UK’s Official Albums Chart Top 100, the highest position for a solo K-pop musician.

April’s Naeun suffers in rumor aftermath

April’s Naeun is paying dearly, as controversy continues to swirl around her.
 
A food company had stopped airing TV commercials and YouTube advertisements featuring the idol as of Wednesday. A cosmetics company had also deleted all pictures with Naeun, while others suspended the comments sections for ads that include her. A food variety show confirmed that her scenes would be cut to a minimum in the episode in which she appears in the episode that airs Thursday and an upcoming TV drama in which she has a supporting role is fielding requests to drop her.
 
The bandmates of April have been suspected of bullying an ex-member after claims were posted online accusing them of pushing one out of the band and into an attempt at taking her life. Naeun, in addition, has been mired in rumors that range from bullying at school to dating Yoonyoung, formerly of A-Jax, after he publicly defended the remaining members.

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