[Today’s K-pop] NewJeans makes 1st entry on Billboard’s Hot 100

NewJeans hit Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first time with “Ditto,” a pre-release track from the single album “OMG.”

“Ditto” debuted on the chart at No. 96, about six months since the rookie girl group’s debut. It is a record time for a K-pop artist to hit the main singles chart.

Last week, “Ditto” hit UK’s Official Singles Chart Top 100 at No. 95 and ranked No. 11 on Spotify’s Weekly Top Songs Global chart.

“Ditto” was dropped in December in advance to the full release of the single album “OMG.” The album sold more than 700,000 copies in the first week, more than twice that of its debut album “New Jeans.” The eponymous album set a record as most-sold debut album from a K-pop girl group at 310,000. “OMG” also topped Oricon’s weekly combined single ranking last week.


 Aespa to perform at Governors Ball this summer 

Aespa will join the lineup for the Governors Ball Music Festival 2023, label SM Entertainment said Wednesday.

The quartet will be the first K-pop act to participate in the music festival, a three-day outdoor event held every year in New York. It will take to the stage along with Kendrick Lamar, Lizzo, Lil Nas X and Lauv. This year’s festival will be held June 9-11.

Meanwhile, Karina and Winter rolled out their first EP, “Stamp On It,” on Monday as part of the label’s project girl group GOT The Beat. GOT The Beat also includes BoA, Taeyeon and Hyoyeon of Girls Generation and Seulgi and Wendy of Red Velvet.

Dreamcatcher to tour US next month

Girl group Dreamcatcher will tour the US beginning late February, announced agency Dreamcatcher Co. on Wednesday.

The seven-member act will tour nine cities, from Atlanta to Los Angeles, Feb. 28 to March 20, returning to the country it visited in June last year. It was the group’s first US tour in three years and brought the members to eight cities across the US and Mexico City.

Last week, it marked its sixth anniversary with the release of the special single “Reason.”

The group took a monthlong break in December after it renewed its contract with the agency -- prior to the contract's expiration -- reassuring fans that it will continue as a team.

StayC to return next month

StayC will bring out a new album in February, according to agency High Up Entertainment on Wednesday.

It comes about seven months since its third single “We Need Love.”

The group debuted in November 2020 with “So Bad” and has amassed 400 million streams on Spotify so far, putting out EPs “Stereotype” and “Young-Luv.com.” Its second single “Staydom” alone generated 100 million streams on the platform as of December, as did both EPs.

In November, it debuted in Japan with single “Poppy” and held a showcase in Tokyo. The group also greeted fans at fan meet events held in Manila, Philippines, and in Taipei, Taiwan, last month.

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