[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids set to return next month: report

Stray Kids will release a new album in late April, according to a local media report on Monday.

Label JYP Entertainment acknowledged that the band finished shooting the music video for the new album but said that no specific date has been set yet for its return.

Its last album was the EP “Maxident," released in October last year. It notched the top spot on the Billboard 200, as did the previous EP “Oddinary,” and sold over three million copies, a first for the band. Meanwhile, its first studio album in Japan topped Oricon’s weekly album chart last week.

The eight-member act is in the middle of its second international tour “Maniac.” It held four encore concerts in Japan last month and will go live in Manila, the Philippines, next week before returning to the US where it will wrap up the tour in Los Angeles.

TXT’s ‘Sugar Rush Ride’ video tops 100m views

The music video for Tomorrow X Together’s “Sugar Rush Ride” surpassed 100 million views on YouTube, according to label Big Hit Music on Monday.

“Sugar Rush Ride” is the main track from its fifth EP “The Name Chapter: Temptation” that came out in January and the video reached the milestone in record time for the boy band. It is the band’s fifth video to achieve the feat.

The EP has remained on the Billboard 200 for a fourth consecutive week, ranking No. 12 on the chart dated March 4, after debuting on top of the chart. The album sold more than 2.18 million copies in its first week of sales.

In the meantime, the band will host concerts in Seoul later this month, launching its second world tour, "Act: Sweet Mirage," that will bring it to 13 cities in Asia and North America.

Cravity sings of hope in 5th EP

Boy band Cravity released its fifth EP “Master: Piece” on Monday, about six months after its previous EP “New Wave.”

“‘Youth of fresh but powerful energy’ is what defines our team, and we tried to convey our identity through this album as well,” said Serim summing up the ambience of the new EP as free-spirited, in a statement released through Starship Entertainment.

The focus track “Groovy” best expresses the group's easy and carefree charm. The catchy hook and addictive melody makes it easy for listeners to sing along and dance to, said the bandmates.

While maintaining the color of the team, the band also tried their hand at different genres, adding that confronting a “challenge is another symbol of youth,” explained Taeyoung.

Woobin also asked fans to enjoy “Light The Way,” his second self-written song. It was inspired by how their fans seem to light up the band’s way, supporting them from the audience seats, he said.

Billlie to release 4th EP later this month

Girl group Billlie will bring out its fourth EP “The Billage of Perception: Chapter Three” on March 28, announced agency Mystic Story on Monday.

Sheon turns to look up at something at a bus stop in the teaser posters, accompanied by the words “I remember vividly how we laughed a lot.”

The EP comes about seven months since its previous EP “The Billage of Perception: Chapter Two.” The seven-member group has been building up a story that started with “Billlie Love that Disappeared on 11th, the Day Purple Rain Came,” and the new album is expected to continue the narrative.

Separately, it will take its first step outside Korea next week, performing at South by Southwest, a major festival that combines music and technology, in Texas.