[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jimin tops iTunes chart in 115 regions

Jimin of BTS swept the iTunes top songs chart with “Like Crazy," which notched the No. 1 spot on the chart in 115 regions.

It is the main track from his first solo album, “Face,” and topped the chart in 100 regions within about seven hours of its release.

The song is the third song among those released this year to achieve the feat. The first two are: “Set Me Free Pt. 2,” a pre-release from the album, and “Vibe,” a collaboration between Big Bang’s Taeyang and him. The former was No. 1 in 111 regions and the latter in 101.

The pre-release debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 30 this week while the album landed atop Oricon’s weekly digital album ranking.

“Like Crazy” claimed the top spot on Spotify’s global daily chart, a first for a K-pop solo musician, and fourth for a K-pop act after BTS’ “Dynamite” and Blackpink’s “Pink Venom” and “Shut Down.”

NCT’s Mark to drop 2nd solo song

Mark of NCT will put out his second solo song, “Golden Hour,” on April 7, said label SM Entertainment on Thursday.

It is part of the label’s archiving project for the band, “Station: NCT Lab,” as was his first solo song, “Child,” his self-written music that came out in February last year.

The musician has been hinting that he is working on new music, saying that he is “frying an egg.” Bandmate Jaemin surprised fans Wednesday, uploading pictures he took from the site where Mark was shooting the music video for the single.

Meanwhile, Mark, as a member of subunit NCT Dream, kicked off its first European tour in London on Tuesday local time. NCT Dream will continue the tour in Paris on Thursday.

Blackpink’s Jisoo to mark solo album release with one-day event

A temporary space full of flowers will be created to mark the release of the first solo album from Blackpink’s Jisoo, said label YG Entertainment on Thursday.

The event space “Jisoo’s Flower House” will be set up in Seoul on Friday, realizing the concept of the main track, “Flower,” that fronts album “Me.”

A teaser trailer for the song also was uploaded on the day, giving fans a taste of her elegant yet charismatic music, which combines minimal melodies and her unique voice. The music video was produced with the largest-ever budget from the label.

“‘Flower’ is the song that can best express me as it matches me the most in all elements, from vocal and performance to visuals,” she said through her label.

The album, due out on Friday, sold over 1.3 million units in pre-orders, a record for a K-pop solo female artist.

Lee Seung-gi to tour Asia after wedding

Singer and actor Lee Seung-gi will tour Asia from May, according to agency Human Made on Thursday.

He will host tour “Boy, Walks the Road – Chapter 2” and meet his fans in seven countries in the region after going live in Seoul May 4-7. Tokyo, Osaka, Taipei and Manila, the Philippines are the destinations known so far.

It has been almost four years since he greeted his fans in the region in person through his tour to meet fans. On Monday, he signaled a fresh start, opening an official website.

Lee is currently emceeing for reality show “Peak Time,” a competition among aspiring idol groups, and will co-host a variety show with Kang Hodong starting May.

Separately, he is getting married on April 7.

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