[Today’s K-pop] aespa floats teaser for 5th EP

A series of teaser content for aespa’s upcoming fifth EP has been uploadedto promote the new mini album.

Short-form clips for “Whiplash,” including snippets of the six tracks and a website dedicated to the mini album, allowed fans to mix and download parts of the titular track.

The EP will be fully unveiled on Oct. 21.

The album release comes amid the group’s ongoing second international tour “Synk: Parallel Line” which expanded to include North and Latin Americas and Europe. Label SM Entertainment announced last week that the quartet would visit 29 cities and 41 concerts in total. The final live show will be held in Madrid, Spain on March 12, according to the plans released so far.

The group wrapped up the Asian leg of the tour in Bangkok on Sept. 29.

NCT’s Yuta unveils solo songs from Japanese debut album

Yuta of NCT has unveiled all the songs from his forthcoming solo album “Depth,” his first in Japan, Thursday.

All seven songs became available across music platforms along with the music video for the lead single “Off The Mask.” As the song title suggests, he sang of his will to show his true self, not withholding anything and taking up whatever challenge he wants to.

The physical album is due out on Nov. 13 and he will be the sixth member of NCT to have a solo album.

Meanwhile, the idol will host a solo showcase tour in Japan starting Saturday. He will visit five cities in his native country for nine showcases under the title “Hope.” Tickets for all nine shows are sold out.

SF9’s Taeyang to drop 1st solo single

Yoo Taeyang of SF9 will release his first solo single on Oct. 6, said agency FNC Entertainment Friday.

A visual for digital single “Hug Me” includes parts of lyrics of the song with which he encourages listeners to move toward their dreams despite hardships.

The main dancer of the boy band performed the self-written song onstage for the first time at his solo fan concert in June and will perform it in ahead of the release for the audience at the band’s fan concert on Oct. 4-5.

The performer had his final show for musical Salieri last month. Also in September, SF9 put out 14th EP “Fantasy,” the first installment of a three-part series. The album featured only five members, however, as Jaeyoon and Dawon are enlisted and Juho had a schedule conflict.

Ha Sungwoon says took no part in writing OST song

Ha Sungwoon issued a statement saying that he only participated in the drama original soundtrack and has nothing to do with the plagiarism controversy over the song “What Are We,” via agency Big Planet Entertainment Friday.

He said he was taking part strictly as a singer of the track, which is part of the OST for “Love Next Door,” and had no part in writing or rearranging the song. The song was released on Oct. 1.

Singer Baek Yerin voiced doubts Friday on her social media that the song was similar to her “0310” which was released in 2019 calling it a “retake” of her song.

Separately, Ha will serve as a vocal director in “Project 7,” an audition show to produce an idol group, which starts airing on Oct. 18. He himself was one of the finalists in “Produce 101.”