[Today’s K-pop] Twice ranks No. 3 on Billboard 200 with 3rd LP

Twice’s third studio album, “Formula of Love: O+T=<3,” landed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, according to the publication on Monday.

This marks the strongest record for the group whose previous EP, “Taste of Love,” entered the chart at No. 6 in June, and is the fourth-highest position for a K-pop act, following BTS, SuperM (both No. 1) and Blackpink (No. 2).

The nonet also became the first Korean girl group to have two albums among the Billboard 200’s top 10 in one year. Twice first joined the chart in June 2020 with their ninth EP, “More & More,” at the lowest rung.

Meanwhile, the band will kick off an international tour next month, starting with three days of live performances in Seoul. The group will start the American leg of the tour in February, visiting fans in Los Angeles, Oakland in California, Dallas, Atlanta and New York.

EXO’s Kai to host solo concert next month

Kai of EXO will hold his first concert as a solo musician on Dec. 12, label SM Entertainment announced Monday.

Titled “#Cinema - Kai: KLoor,” the live performance will be broadcast around the world via Naver’s Beyond Live channel.

The performer took the first step out on his own with a self-titled EP in November last year and will put out his second EP, “Peaches,” on Nov. 30. He has been raising expectations high, dropping a series of teasers including a mood sampler clip Friday.

On the same day, he opened a YouTube channel and uploaded his first video, which included a range of scenes from his private life -- decorating his house himself and taking a walk along the Han River. The channel drew more than 50,000 subscribers within its first hour being open.

Kai also is starring as one of six participants in Netflix original series “New World,” which released Saturday.

Winner’s Mino signals new solo music

Mino of Winner uploaded a poster announcing pending new music as a solo musician Monday.

The poster shows the pop star in a silhouette surrounded by flames without any specific dates or information on the album. However, he unveiled one of the tracks from the upcoming album in his “Maniac” concert Friday, highlighting his vocal styling against the backdrop of melodic piano sounds. 

“I will drop an album soon. You must not lose your focus even after the concert. Please hold your breath since I might come out with a ‘bam!’ when you lower your guard,” he said between performances.

Mino has two full-length albums under his belt -- “XX” from 2018 and “Take” in 2020 -- and he co-authored all tracks from both LPs. 

In the meantime, the musician will debut as an actor through Netflix film “Seoul Vibe,” joining an A-list cast that includes Yoo Ah-in, Moon So-ri and Ong Seong-wu.

Stray Kids share teaser for Christmas single

Stray Kids gave fans a sneak peek at “Winter Falls,” one of the double lead singles from its forthcoming holiday special.

In the teaser clip uploaded Monday, the eight bandmates provide a glimpse of calm sensibilities set against equally serene scenes in winter, a sharp contrast to the titular “Christmas EveL,” which is full of free-spirited energy.

The band’s single album, also named “Christmas EveL,” consists of four tracks including the two main tracks and an English version of “Domino,” from its second full album “Noeasy.”

The single album is part of the annual plan the band announced on New Year’s Day and also is a thank-you gift to fans who made the second LP a million-seller. That LP topped iTunes albums chart in 40 regions including the US, and focus track “Thunderous” was No. 1 on iTunes songs charts in 52 regions. The music video for the song garnered over 10 million views in under 22 hours and became the most trending music video worldwide on YouTube two days after its release.

The single will be fully unveiled on Nov. 29. 

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