[Today’s K-pop] Aespa sets record with first-week sales of EP No. 2

Rookie band aespa set a record with its second EP “Girls.”

The EP sold more than 1 million copies in the first week of sales, a first for a girl group in K-pop history.

The album consists of nine songs including titular track and its first English-language song “Life’s Too Short” which was dropped in advance to the full release.

The quintet “has been surrounded by a lot of buzz since its debut … but the root of it all is the music,” said a Rolling Stone article recently, adding that it is time to “realize that the girls make it work.”

Expectations are high for the EP as to what result it will reap at Billboard chart next week. Its first EP “Savage” from last year debuted at Billboard 200 at No. 20, a record for a debut album put out by a K-pop girl group.

NCT to drop subunit single

Taeil, Kun and Yangyang will put out single “Rain Day” as subunit NCT U on July 19, said label SM Entertainment on Thursday.

The trio’s song will be released as part of the band’s archiving project NCT Lab through SM Station. Kun participated in writing the lyrics and melody to the medium-tempo R&B tune, and also had a hand in arranging and producing it. The lyrics are in English, singing of how one, listening to the radio and hearing a song filled with memory, wants to reclaim the loved one who left. 

Meanwhile, NCT 127, another subunit to which Taeil belongs, held a concert in Singapore earlier this month. It also marked its sixth anniversary of debut last week with a livestream.

Stray Kids’ Hyunjin suffers hand injury

Hyunjin of Stray Kids hurt his hand while touring the US, according to label JYP Entertainment on Thursday.

He hit his right hand on a door right before the band’s concert in Oakland, California on Tuesday in the US. He still went up onstage after receiving on-site care at the venue and had his hand a close look on the following day. It is not a serious injury but he will need to refrain from demanding movements, said the company, asking fans to understand that this might limit his performance for the rest of the tour.

The eight-member band has been touring the US since late last month under its second international tour “Maniac.” It will perform in Seattle and Anaheim before heading to Tokyo.

The tour’s title comes from that of main track that fronted EP “Oddinary” which topped Billboard 200 in April.

StayC to host 1st fan meet event next month

Girl group StayC will greet its fans for the first time in Seoul on Aug. 13, said agency HighUp Entertainment on Thursday.

This is the first such event for the six-member group that debuted in 2020.

In the meantime, the band has been releasing a series of teaser content for third single “We Need Love” that will come out on Aug. 19. The single comes about five months since its second EP “Young-Love.com.”

The group has also joined the lineup for a number of K-pop concerts including KCON 2022 Premiere in Seoul and Chicago. It will also take to the stage for KCON 2022 in the US, which starts on Aug. 23. It will tour six cities as one of the rookie bands featured in the tour along with Cravity and Lightsum.

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