[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Jennie sets record as solo

Jennie of Blackpink set another record as a solo musician, as her song “Solo” surpassed 300 million streams on Spotify, label YG Entertainment said on Thursday.

This is the first time a K-pop solo act’s song has reached the milestone.

The song came out in November 2018 as the band’s first solo project. Not only did it sweep every major music chart in Korea but also topped iTunes song charts in 40 regions. She became the first K-pop female musician to top the iTunes worldwide song chart and rank among the top 10 on iTunes chart in the US.

The quartet has a total of 16 songs with over 100 million streams on Spotify including Jennie’s “Solo” and Rose’s “On The Ground.” Meanwhile, its “How You Like That” music video has gathered 900 million views on YouTube last week, becoming the band’s fifth video to achieve the feat.

BTS goes to the beach for concept photo 

BTS shared the fourth batch of concept photos for its soon-to-be-released single CD “Butter” on Thursday.

In the group shot, the bandmates relax on sun loungers enjoying the beautiful weather against a blue ocean backdrop. In their individual shots, the members appear to be having fun in different ways -- a beach ball for RM, beach volleyball for Jin, a hammock for Suga, sandcastles for J-Hope, inflatable tubes for Jimin, a big chunk of watermelon for V, and sunglasses for Jungkook. In the previous series of photos, they are pictured hanging out outdoors, followed by individual mugshots and ones of them at a car wash.

The beach-themed photos will be included in the “Peaches” version of the CD along with those from the car wash. The CD will be available in two versions: “Peaches” and “Cream.”

The single CD “Butter” consists of two tracks -- the same-titled digital single and a collaboration with Ed Sheeran -- and will be launched on July 7. The digital single was included in Spotify’s “Songs of Summer” playlist announced on Thursday, a first for K-pop musicians. It also is No. 1 on Billboard’s songs of the summer chart.

Pentagon hits Billboard Japan with 4th EP

Pentagon placed its fourth Japanese EP “Do or Not” on Billboard Japan’s hot albums chart’s top 10, agency Cube Entertainment said on Thursday.

It ranked No. 4 on the chart. The same-titled main track topped Rakuten Music’s real-time chart when it was dropped in advance to the June 23 release. It has been over three years since the band put out “Shine” in Japan.

The eight-member band rose to the top of iTunes top albums chart in 14 regions with its 11th EP “Love or Take” in March.

SF9 drops teaser for upcoming EP

SF9 floated a teaser trailer for the title track of its forthcoming EP on Wednesday, following the highlight medley from the previous day.

In the short clip for “Tear Drop,” the focus track from its ninth EP “Turn Over,” the nine bandmates appear one by one: Youngbin lies among broken statues; Jaeyoon gazes at blooming flowers; Hwiyoung stands amid dead branches painted red; Inseong leans over a table full of glass shards before everything flips upside down.

The new EP is the third and last installment of the band’s “9lory” series and depicts their will to find their own destiny instead of accepting one’s fate. “Tear Drop” is a dance number based on UK garage style beats.

The EP will be released on July 5 and is available in three different album jackets: S, F, 9. 

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