[Today’s K-pop] Astro hits iTunes No. 1 for the 1st time

Astro landed atop the iTunes top songs chart in five regions with “After Midnight,” the title track from its eighth EP “Switch On” that came out on Monday.

It is the first time the six-member band hit No. 1 on the chart.

The song also was No. 1 on the iTunes K-pop songs chart in seven regions while the EP hit No. 1 on top albums chart in five and K-pop albums chart in 20 regions.

Meanwhile, Cha Eun-woo shared pictures taken between shooting the music video for the lead track on his Instagram, with the caption “After Midnight.”

TXT unveils concept video full of free spirit

Tomorrow X Together shared a trailer clip for its upcoming repackaging of its second LP Tuesday.

The five members, sporting bandages, appear in the video riding skateboards and pose for the camera under the theme “Fight.” The video, edited with a retro vibe, looks as if it was shot with an old camcorder.

This is the second teaser following another one named “D-day” and will be followed by another called “Escape” that will come out on Thursday.

On Aug. 17, the boy band will return with “The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape,” a repackage of their second studio album “The Chaos Chapter: Freeze” that came out in May. The LP hit No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and has stayed on the chart for eight weeks in a row. In the most recent tally that was announced Tuesday in Korea, the LP climbed back up 60 spots to No. 121.

The Boyz teases fans with witty poster 

The Boyz uploaded a poster for its upcoming sixth EP “Thrill-Ing” on Tuesday.

It featured Sunwoo, Sangyeon, New and Q, each posing as a newbie part-timer. In the poster, Q is pictured sheepishly saying that his shift ends at nine o’clock. New answers that he has the day off the next day while Sunwoo, gingerly holding a pineapple, apologizes and says he is new on the job. There will be two more posters that will be released one by one.

The band already piqued interests of fans with a teaser video for “Thrill Ride,” the title track from the EP. In the video titled “Announcement,” the bandmates dropped hints for the song, including parts of the lyrics. The song will be upbeat and full of energy, a refreshing bop for listeners in time for summer.

“For three minutes and 16 seconds, we will be riding at 126 kph with no mercy!” they said.

The Boyz will hold an online showcase on Aug. 9 to introduce the EP.

2PM gifts video dedicated to fans 

2PM uploaded a video for “Hold You,” a song dedicated to its fans, on Sunday.

Addressing the band’s official fandom at the start of with the phrase “Dear Hottest,” the bandmates then appear in a montage of clips that show them recording the song, monitoring the results, as well as smiling brightly for the camera. The clip also included scenes of them practicing choreography for “Make It” and from backstage whilst taping a performance for “Must.”

“Hold You” is from the band’s seventh studio album that came out in June and is written by Jun. K.

The veteran idol band resumed their career as a six-piece act in about five years with the LP. The album ranked among the top 10 on the iTunes top albums chart in 20 countries and landed atop the iTunes albums chart in Japan.

2PM’s fans in Japan are anticipating their next release, an EP titled “With Me Again,” that is slated for September.

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