[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink to host autograph session

Blackpink announced Thursday that it will have an autograph session on Aug. 8 in time to celebrate the eighth anniversary of its debut.

The supergroup will invite 88 fans selected through a lucky draw.

The event is the first full-group activity since the four members were awarded honorary medals from Britain’s King Charles in November last year. Since then, they renewed their contract with YG Entertainment to handle their group activities but took their individual careers elsewhere. Rose signed with The Black Label and the rest set up own agencies.

Meanwhile, Jisoo hit the 1 billion streams mark on YouTube Music with her single album “ME.” The debut single is first album from a K-pop female solo singer to achieve the feat on the platform. The album from March last year was the first album from a K-pop female solo to sell over a million in the first week.

SHINee’s Taemin to tour as solo act

Taemin of SHINee will launch his first solo tour on Aug. 31, announced agency Big Planet Made Enter Thursday.

The artist will go live twice in Incheon before setting off and visiting ten more cities all over Asia for tour Ephemeral Gaze. More destinations are to be added soon.

He hinted at the tour to the audience at his fan meeting in Seoul last week. He greeted fans four times July 12-14 for the event, dubbed “Never-Never,” and set them abuzz with the news that he is bringing out a fifth solo EP next month. The fan event was broadcast live in six cinemas in Korea as well.

His previous solo album, fourth EP “Guilty,” topped iTunes Top Albums chart in 38 regions last year.

BTS’ Suga sets streaming record as Agust D

Suga of BTS logged 900 million streams on Spotify with solo album “D-Day,” said label Big Hit Music Thursday.

It is the second album from the artist, also known as Agust D, to reach the milestone, following his 2020 mixtape, “D-2.” He is the first solo singer from Korea to have more albums to do so. He also holds the title of the first rapper from Asia to surpass 4 billion plays -- as a solo and member of the septet combined -- on the platform.

“D-Day” is his first solo studio album, released in April last year. The LP debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 2, while focus track “Haegeum” hit the Hot 100 at No. 58. The album reappeared on the main albums chart dated July 20 and ranked No. 169, boosted by the sales of vinyl versions.

HyunA cancels North American tour

HyunA’s upcoming tour to the US and Canada has been canceled, according to local media reports on Thursday, citing a source close to the promoter.

She was set to visit North America and perform in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas and Houston, as well as Toronto, next month. But all posts including a video clip announcing the gig have been either deleted or set to "private."

The performer put out ninth solo EP “Attitude” in May and shared the news about her "HyunA – My Attitude Tour 2024 in North America with GroovyRoom & Mirani” last month.

Meanwhile, she is marrying fellow singer Yong Jun-hyung in October. The two started publicly dating in January and told fans about tying the knot last week.