[Today’s K-pop] NewJeans logs 700m streams with ‘Ditto’

NewJeans has accumulated 700 million plays on Spotify with “Ditto,” according to agency Ador, citing the platform on Friday.

The group repeated the feat it previously achieved with “OMG,” which reached the milestone in August.

“Ditto” came out in December 2022 as a prerelease from single album “OMG,” and earned the rookie girl group that had debuted about half a year earlier spots on Billboard’s Hot 100 and UK’s Official Singles Chart Top 100. The song stayed atop the daily chart of Melon, the largest music chart in Korea, for a record 99 days.

Meanwhile, the five members of the group flew to Fukuoka, Japan, on Friday to join the lineup of a Korean TV music chart show’s year-end event in the country.

Jay Park to sing first carol

Jay Park is putting out a digital single titled “;( Merry Christmas :)” on Monday, his agency More Vision announced Friday.

A teaser photograph for the single displayed the musician’s own drawings, which were all Christmas-themed, including a snowman, reindeer, Christmas tree and boxes of gifts.

The upcoming single is his first Christmas carol and will be composed of two R&B tunes of opposite charms. It comes about two months since “The One You Wanted,” his sixth solo full album. The LP consisted of 20 songs and featured Ning Ning of aespa and Chungha.

Meanwhile, since last month Jay Park has been hosting “Universe League,” a K-pop competition to launch a boy band.

Han Seungwoo finds new agency: report

Han Seungwoo signed with Aura Entertainment about two weeks after the expiration of his contract with his previous agency of 10 years, according to a local media report Friday.

The leader of seven-member act Victon debuted in 2016 and gained recognition in 2019 when he appeared on “Produce X 101.” Han was one of 11 finalists to form project boy band X1, but the group’s career was cut short when the show’s producers were found guilty of rigging the vote.

The singer resumed his activities as part of Victon soon after and also released his first solo EP, “Fame,” in August 2020. The mini album topped iTunes Top Albums Charts in 11 regions and was followed by two more full of songs he personally produced.

Taeyeon to miss SM all-star concert

Taeyeon will not participate in SM Town Live 2025 in Seoul, according to an announcement made online Friday.

Taeyeon was one of the headlining artists set to participate Jan. 11-12, 2025 to mark the label's 30th anniversary.

SM Entertainment did not comment on the change.

In the meantime, the singer put out sixth solo EP “Letter to Myself” last month, about a year after her previous solo mini album, “To. X.” The album release signifies “one down from my old to-do list,” she said, acknowledging that the six-track album had given her a sense of achievement.

Taeyeon is the lead vocalist and leader of Girls’ Generation. Her first solo endeavor was the EP “I” in 2015. Since then, she has released three full albums and six EPs.