[Today’s K-pop] BTS joins hands with Louis Vuitton

BTS members have become the new faces of Louis Vuitton, label Bit Hit Music and the French fashion house announced on Friday.

The septet will serve as House Ambassadors for the French label.

“I am looking forward to this wonderful partnership which adds a modern chapter to the House, merging luxury and contemporary culture,” said Louis Vuitton men’s artistic director Virgil Abloh.

“I can’t wait to share all the very exciting projects we are working on,” he added.

The director and the group already went over creative visions and ideas for the brand, and the artists will collaborate on a series of special projects as well as don LV outfits in future appearances and performances.

The band wore custom Louis Vuitton suits at last month’s Grammy Awards. Outfits they wore to watch the digital runway show of Vuitton’s menswear collection in January also sold out. 

Blackpink’s Jennie did not violate COVID-19 guidelines: officials 

Paju City officials confirmed on Friday that Jennie of Blackpink did not violate social distancing guidelines when she visited an arboretum with a group earlier this month.

Internet users pointed out that the idol and some other visitors were not wearing masks in some pictures posted on social media from their visit to the arboretum in Gyeonggi Province. Some suspected the group might have breached a social distancing rule against private gatherings of five or more, based on a photo that featured seven ice creams.

The botanical garden said that she came for official purposes and her label YG Entertainment explained that she went there to shoot content for a video.

Officials from the city of Paju said on Friday that since it was not a private gathering, there was no breach in rules. According to the Level 2 social distancing regulations, broadcasting activities are categorized as working and are exempt from the ban on assembly.

Mamamoo’s Wheein gifts English version of new song 

Wheein of Mamamoo released an English version of her title track “Water Color” on Friday.

The singer originally planned to present it in the physical copy of her solo debut album “Redd,” but had dropped it across several music platforms around the world Friday.

This is the first English song by the musician. The sudden gift to her global fans put “Water Color” at the top of iTunes song chart in 12 regions.

“Redd” came out on April 13 and close to 50,000 units were sold in the first week. The feat makes her one of the top 10 bestselling female soloists in the K-pop scene along with Blackpink’s Rose, IU, Taeyeon, Red Velvet’s Wendy as well as her bandmates Solar, Moonbyul and Hwasa.

Baekhyun unveils remix version of recent hit 

Baekhyun of EXO on Friday rolled out the remix version of “Bambi.”

Titled “iScream Vol. 8: Bambi Remixes,” it is the eighth single of a remix music project and comes in two versions of the song. Producer/DJ BRLLNT reinterpreted the R&B tune into a future bass EDM number while h4dy remixed it into an upbeat garage rendition.

“Bambi” is the lead track from the same-titled EP that came out on March 30. The EP is the veteran idol’s third solo album and over 1 million units were sold in 20 days. Combined with sales from his previous EP “Delight,” he now has sold 2 million copies as a solo artist, and 5 million as a member of EXO. He is the only musician in the history of K-pop aside from Seo Taiji to have million-selling albums both as a group and a soloist.

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