[Today’s K-pop] Twice to launch 1st unit in Japan

Three members of Twice will form the group’s first subunit and roll out an EP in Japan, label JYP Entertainment announced Thursday.

Mina, Sana and Momo will release their first EP as a trio, named Misamo, which takes the first syllable from each of their names, on July 26. They sang “Bouquet” last month in Japan for an original soundtrack for the drama “Liaison – Children’s Heart Clinic” on TV Asahi. The song topped Line Music’s daily and weekly songs chart.

On Monday, Momo set a record on Instagram for amassing 10 million followers. She is the first Japanese ever to achieve the feat.

Meanwhile, Twice will return with its 12th EP, “Ready To Be,” on March 10. The album includes its second English-language single “Moonlight Sunrise” that was dropped in advance last month. The single entered Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 84.

NCT Dream tops Oricon chart with Japan debut single

NCT Dream’s Japan debut single headed straight to the top of Oricon’s daily single chart, label SM Entertainment said Thursday.

The single “Best Friend Ever” came out on Wednesday and consists of two tracks -- the focus track of the same title and the Japanese-language version of “Glitch Mode,” the titular track from its second full album.

From Feb. 17, the septet will tour four cities in Japan for eight concerts starting at Kyocera Dome in Osaka.

Separately, an exhibition named “NCT Home” is being held until March 26 in Seoul. The show is themed after a home party that invites visitors to enjoy their time with each of the NCT members in their house.

NewJeans logs 100m streams on Spotify with ‘OMG’

NewJeans surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify with “OMG,” according to the platform on Thursday.

It is the titular track from its single album and is the rookie group’s fourth song to reach the milestone, after “Hype Boy,” “Attention” and “Ditto.”

“OMG” ranked No. 77 on Billboard’s Hot 100 dated Feb. 11, staying on the chart for the third week after debuting at No. 91. “Ditto,” the pre-release from the same album, sat at No. 90, extending its stay to four weeks.

The five-member act made its first entry on the chart with “Ditto,” only about six months since its debut, a record for a K-pop musician. Album “OMG” sold over 1.01 million copies in three weeks, becoming its first million-seller.

NewJeans is set to attend Tokyo Girls Collection 2023 Spring/Summer show as the main artist next month.

Jay Park to drop single next week

Jay Park will bring out his new single, “Yesterday,” on Feb. 13, according to agency More Vision on Thursday.

It will have two tracks: the lead track of the same name and “Love Is Ugly,” featuring Hwasa of Mamamoo.

Last week, the rapper debuted as television host, taking over the 30-year-old late night music talk show “The Seasons.” He will also serve as one of the mentors for wannabe idols in the reality show “Peaktime” that starts airing next week.

Park also has been enjoying success with his liquor venture, Won Soju, and announced last week that he is ready to tackle the US market, starting in New York in the first half of this year.

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