[Today’s K-pop] IZ*ONE’s Wonyoung joins new band Ive

Jang Wonyoung, of disbanded group IZ*ONE, is joining a new girl group Ive, announced agency Starship Entertainment late Thursday.

She is the third member to be identified, following her former bandmate Ahn Yujin, and according to the new profile pictures, will go by her first name only.

In the promotional images, she switches between a fresh-faced pretty girl next door and a daring lass in a dramatic makeup. She will be the main vocalist of the six-member act.

Jang has been the face of a series of beauty and fashion brands’ campaigns and is presenting a television music chart show with Enhyphen’s Sunghoon. She also will co-host the 2021 Asia Artist Awards with Super Junior’s Leeteuk next month.

BTOB’s Lee Minhyuk talks about new music

Lee Minhyuk of BTOB shared his thouhgts into his new digital single “Good Night” that came out Friday.

He participated in writing the ballad song as he did for a series of hit songs for the band.

“Offering consolation was the focus while preparing for this song,” he said in a Q&A released through agency Cube Entertainment. This is a challenging time for everyone and he said he wanted the song to warm listeners’ hearts and give comfort.

He has been working on solo music continuously and picked a song that he felt the most attached to. It also goes best with autumn nights, he mused. As for why the rapper of the band went for a ballad, he simply said that he loves music itself.

“Rap or vocal, it’s all part of music and I put them into the right place and the right time. The sensibilities I wanted to convey with the song fit with singing,” he explained, adding he wishes his heart reaches his fans.

Astro’s MJ turns solo with semi-trot

MJ of Astro talked about putting out his solo digital single and choosing trot as his next challenge with a statement Friday.

He acknowledged that he feels even more responsible since he is the first member of the band to put out solo music. All the more reason for him to show his bandmates and fans how cool and happy he can be.

He surely had interests in trot music but fell for the genre through a variety show in which he dabbled in it alongside a handful of fellow idol musicians.

“I also wanted to demonstrate that a singer named MJ can do well across genres,” he said. The title of the single “Happy Virus” is a term he uses to introduce himself and at the same time contains the wish for everyone to be happy.

Main track “Get Set Yo” combines strong dance beats and punk music in a catchy melody. He instantly had an idea of choreography when he heard it for the first time.

“I want to be able to convey happiness to more people,” he said.

Hybe’s Japan audition to air globally

An audition program held by Hybe Labels Japan will be broadcast around the world through a Japanese network and YouTube next year, according to the company Friday.

The show, titled “&Audition,” is part of a global project that will start from Japan and target international stage by forming a band in 2022. Some participants of “I-Land,” a 2020 audition program that produced boy band Enhypen, including Kay, Nicholas, Euijoo and Taki, will appear in the show.

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