Even though the sweet holiday is ending, excitement is overflowing. From idol groups with massive fandoms to artists returning after military hiatuses, and teams reunited after a long time. After the Lunar New Year holiday ends, the comeback rush will kick into high gear.
4 years later full-group BTS, "walking the path of the king (王)"
Because the wait has been long, a stage that proves the worth of the name "BTS" is expected to take place. BTS will return to the music scene by releasing their new album "ARIRANG(아리랑)" on March 20, about four years later. After finishing the blank period due to military service and standing on one stage, BTS will meet the public again starting with "BTS comeback live: Arirang (BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE ARIRANG)" at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on March 21.
This stage commemorating the release of the new album "Arirang" will announce BTS's return with the members passing through a route known as the "path of the king." According to the application submitted by HYBE to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Korea Heritage Service on the 19th of last month for permission to use the location and film, they will pass through the route connecting Geunjeongmun-Hungryemun-Gwanghwamun-Woldae and then take the stage.
Amid enormous anticipation, BTS's fifth full-length album "Arirang" recorded 4.06 million preorders in just one week of reservation sales, and the three-day "BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG' IN GOYANG" concert on April 9, 11 and 12 sold out all three shows during fan club presales. "BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG'" will open in Goyang and then continue with performances at Tokyo Dome in Japan on April 17-18.
They will then visit North America, Europe, South America and Asia. The Tampa and Stanford shows in the U.S. added one additional performance each due to explosive popularity. In particular, holding a solo concert at Stanford Stadium makes BTS the second act to do so after Coldplay. This tour will take place in 34 cities over 81 shows, the most shows in K-pop tour history.
Blackpink, this is Korea's beauty
Blackpink will return as a full group a bit earlier on Feb. 27. According to their agency YG, the third mini album released that day, "DEADLINE," is an album filled with "irreversible best moments, as the title suggests, and the present moment when Blackpink shines the most," and it includes a total of five tracks: the title track "GO" as well as the pre-release songs "Run," "Me and my", "Champion" and "Fxxxboy."
According to the released visual poster, the members maximized sculptural beauty with white-tone outfits that emphasized curved silhouettes, highlighting elegant and restrained beauty even without special props. The members' looks that express elegance with a single gaze once again cement why Blackpink is loved by global fans as "Korea's beauty."
As a team that has become a symbol of K-pop beyond just a popular girl group, the overseas market response to this comeback is being detected quickly. Blackpink's strength is concept control, and their music, visuals and performance interlock organically to complete their brand value.
A message that combines Korean sensibility and modern sensibility is also cited as a key point to watch in this activity. Blackpink will present the "National Museum X Blackpink" project with the National Museum of Korea from the 26th, the day before their comeback, until March 8. The meeting of Blackpink, who have written the history of K-pop, and Korea's representative K museum is attracting more attention.
Blackpink is the first K-pop artist to carry out an official large-scale collaboration with the National Museum of Korea. As a fresh attempt that spans the boundaries of music and cultural heritage, it is expected to capture not only the global fandom but also people in the cultural industry and the public.
Can this be real? Wanna One is back after 7 years
The project group Wanna One, which dominated an era, is reuniting after about seven years. As a team that dominated digital charts, album sales and topicality during their activities, news of their reunion drew fervent reactions immediately after the announcement.
However, Wanna One will announce their comeback not with an album but with a variety show. According to Mnet, Wanna One is preparing a reality program aimed for release in the first half of this year. Specific scheduling and details have not been finalized, but sightings of Wanna One members across various channels recently indicate that reality filming is underway.
Members reuniting after seven years first sent greetings to fans through handwritten messages recently. The message moved fans, containing the feelings of Kang Daniel (scheduled to enlist in February) who was about to enter military service, as well as the repressed feelings of Lai Kuan-lin, who retired from the entertainment world and is staying in China.
Male solo artists face off (Feat. Kim Sungkyu, WOODS, Onew)
The coming March is also a showdown for male solo artists. Kim Sungkyu, who announced his comeback first, previewed a lyrical mood based on his distinctive emotional vocals; WOODS, returning with a full album on the 4th, depicts the story after the mega hit "Drowning." Onew, coming back on the 9th with the new record TOUGH LOVE, vowed to expand his unique musical world and show a more sincere side as a solo artist.
The Lunar New Year holiday has passed. But the music industry's clock did not stop. Rather, it began to run faster after the holiday. With full-group returns, reunions and battles of pride among solo artists coinciding, March charts are expected to heat up more than ever.
[Photo] BigHit Music, YG Entertainment, OSEN DB
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