[Today’s K-pop] Enhypen members positive for COVID-19

Five members of Enhypen tested positive for COVID-19, agency Belift Lab announced Thursday.

Jungwon, Heeseung, Jay, Jake and Sunghoon were found to be infected with the virus during self-quarantine. The bandmates began self-isolating as a preemptive measure on Aug. 26, when they learned a staff member had been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Jake started showing symptoms, including a cough and fever, so he got tested and the results came back positive on Monday. The rest of the band showed similar symptoms and also tested positive.

All five have been assigned to a treatment facility, per instructions from the public health authorities, said the company, promising to do its best to help them recover.

The septet was planning to come out with a new album later this month.

IZ*ONE’s Miyawaki Sakura quits as DJ in Japan 

Miyawaki Sakura of now-disbanded IZ*ONE announced Wednesday night that her Japanese radio program would end this month.

“I am very sorry for the short notice,” she said on the program, “Tonight, Under the Sakura Tree.” It saddened her that the program had to end, and it had been a wonderful experience for her, she told the listeners, adding that there were no negative aspects behind the decision.

Asking fans to be understanding, she urged them to share more about themselves for the rest of the month.

“Please let me know what you are faced with if you could gain strength from my support,” she added.

There has been speculation that she might sign with Source Music, a label under Hybe, and form a girl group. The label did not confirm or deny this. She arrived in Seoul last week, fanning the conjecture.

Monsta X’s IM talks about music, himself

IM of Monsta X shared insight into his life in a documentary that was uploaded Wednesday.

In the seven-chapter video, part of a “musician brain-digging series,” the 26-year-old looks back at his life, from the childhood he spent overseas to the times he went on auditions, and shares his enthusiasm for music.

“It was the first time I went for something with such passion,” he said. “The image of myself singing came to my head, and it led to thinking if I could make my own music.”

His love for music is what keeps him going, said IM.

“Having a dream in itself is a great blessing, I believe,” he went on. “I myself am still dreaming.”

As for the upcoming song “Loop,” the musician said he wants to convey serenity. When writing music, he first thinks of images and then transforms them into songs, said the singer/songwriter. The song will be unveiled Friday.

BTS’ J-Hope renews record as solo with “Chicken Noodle Soup” video

The music video of J-Hope’s solo song “Chicken Noodle Soup” topped 290 million views on YouTube as of Thursday, maintaining the status as the most viewed solo video from the band.

The video was unveiled in September 2019 along with the song, which set multiple records. It ranked No. 81 on Billboard’s Hot 100, No. 55 on Canadian Billboard’s Hot 100 and No. 82 on the UK’s Official Singles Chart. It is the second song ever by a K-pop solo musician to enter all three charts -- the first was from Psy. It also topped iTunes charts in as many as 102 regions and stayed on Billboard’s world digital song sales chart for 15 weeks, having topped it within a week of its release.

Meanwhile, the band remains peerless in K-pop. According to a report that came out Thursday from a company that publishes music charts in South Korea, the septet sold more physical albums than any other K-pop artists for five consecutive years.

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