[Today’s K-pop] Kang Daniel ready to tap into Japan

Kang Daniel has set his eyes on Japan, and will give fans a taste of his music with a single soon before releasing an EP.

He joined hands with Warner Music Japan in June and will drop the single “TPIR (feat. Miyavi)” first on Aug. 17, a collaborative work with Japanese guitarist Miyavi. The song will be a pre-release from his upcoming EP “Joy Ride.”

The EP will be his first album to come out in Japan, and consists of six tracks. They will be Japanese language versions of four tracks -- “Upside Down,” “Loser,” “Ride 4 U” and “1000x” -- from his first solo studio album “The Story,” as well as two new songs including the pre-release.

On the following week, he will take to the stage in Osaka and Tokyo, joining the Summer Sonic 2022 lineup.

Pentagon’s Kino to put out solo single

Kino of Pentagon will put out a special solo single on Aug. 9, announced agency Cube Entertainment on Friday.

A poster for the single “Pose” is all black, with a drop of water making pink ripples. The musician not only had a hand in making both the lyrics and melody, but has also prepared even better performances, the company said.

Kino has participated in writing a series of songs for the band, including “Feelin’ Like,” the main track from its 12th EP “In:Vite U.” The lead single topped the iTunes top songs chart in 11 regions, and the EP was No. 1 on its top albums chart in 30 regions when it came out in January.

Meanwhile, the six members flew to London on Wednesday to perform at a K-pop festival. In September, they will hold concerts in Tokyo for three days.

Treasure to mark 2nd anniversary

Treasure will celebrate its second anniversary with a mysterious project, according to label YG Entertainment on Friday.

The boy band has prepared a series of events, such as exclusive content for its fandom community and a selection of customized merchandise. The events will lead up to “a surprise big announcement” that is yet to be unveiled.

The band debuted in August 2020, and has released a score of hit songs including “Jikjin” and “Darari.” It is preparing for a new album due out this summer. From November, it will perform 24 times in seven cities in Japan.
 
In the meantime, ten members of the 12-member act left Seoul on Thursday to participate in a K-pop concert that will be held in Manila and Bangkok. Bang Yedam and Mashiho are taking a break from group activities until the end of this year.

ITZY teams up with Bebe Rexha

ITZY dropped a collaborative single with American singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha on Friday.

Yeji and Ryujin sang with the musician for a remake of “Break My Heart Myself,” her song from last year.

The two members shared a video in June dancing to the song. Rexha thanked the two, sharing a clip from the video and writing on her Instagram: “‘Break My Heart Myself’ was always my favorite song off of ‘Better Mistakes,’ but it was never released as a single.”

Separately, the quintet put out its fifth EP “Checkmate” on July 15. The EP debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 8, a record for the group. Next weekend, it will hold two concerts in Seoul, kicking off its first international tour titled after the EP. The American leg of its tour will start in October, bringing the band to eight cities in the US.

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