Rookie girl group Illit generated 100 million streams on Spotify with its debut single “Magnetic,” said agency Belift Lab on Monday citing the platform’s data.
It reached the milestone in 26 days and set a record for a K-pop girl group’s debut song. The single fronted the EP “Super Real Me” and made Billboard’s Hot 100 and the UK’s Official Singles Top 100 charts, at No. 91 and No. 87 respectively, becoming the first debut song from a K-pop artist to enter either chart.
The group of five teenagers released a remix version of the song as well last week. It has picked up two trophies from a television music chart show in Korea so far. The group also began promoting the follow-up track “Lucky Girl Syndrome.”
Seventeen’s best-of album received 3m pre-orders
The upcoming compilation album from Seventeen sold over 3 million copies in pre-orders, according to agency Pledis Entertainment on Monday.
Citing the data of a local distributor, the album “17 Is Right Here” logged the number as of Friday, it said.
The album will not only chronicle the band’s nine-year music career but also will include four new songs: the main track “Maestro” as well as unit songs “Lalali,” “Spell” and “Cheers to Youth.” “Maestro” will be the first new song in six months featuring all 13 members and is co-written by the band’s hitmaker Woozi.
The album containing 33 songs in total is due out on April 29.
Meanwhile, the band is hosting an encore concert in Seoul this weekend that will continue in Osaka and Kanagawa, Japan next month.
NewJeans’ agency under audit from Hybe: report
Hybe began an audit of its sub-label Ador, the agency of NewJeans, out of concern that management is seeking to separate from Hybe, according to a local media report on Monday.
Hybe only confirmed that it has invoked inspection rights.
The parent company set on investigating executives including founding CEO Min Heejin who owns the second-largest share of the affiliate, having purchased an 18 percent stake in Ador last week. Hybe set up the company in 2021, investing 16.1 billion won (US$11.66 million) for an 80 percent stake.
An executive yet to be named is suspected of funneling inside information including trade secrets so that Ador can strike out on its own, said the article quoting an anonymous industry source.
Hybe exercised its stakeholders' rights, convoking a general meeting of stockholders and requesting Min's resignation.
Cherry Bullet disbands after 5 years
Girl group Cherry Bullet decided to disband as of Monday, announced agency FNC Entertainment.
After a long discussion, the seven members of the group will go their separate ways, it said adding that four of them will not renew their contracts and Yuju, Bora and Chaerin will stay with the company to pursue individual careers.
The group began its career with ten members in January 2019 by putting out the single “Let’s Play Cherry Bullet.” Three members left in December of that year without giving reasons.
Its last album was the third EP “Cherry Dash” from March last year and the seven members held their first fan meetup three months later in Seoul.
