Weeekly unveil feisty music video for new single ‘Ven Para’

BTS, Adele and Taylor Swift contributing to a £19.5billion increase.According to industry trading body International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) in a new report published Tuesday (March 22), revenues for global recorded music grew by 18.5 per cent in 2021, totalling £19.63billion (US$25.9billion), largely driven by increases in paid subscription streaming.The report stipulates there were 523million users of paid subscription accounts at the end of 2021 – up from 443million in 2020 – generating an increase of 21.9 per cent, or £9.32billion (US$12.3billion).Streaming in 2021 accounted for 65 per cent of total revenues, while downloads equated to four per cent, 19 per cent made up by CDs, vinyl and cassettes.According to IFPI, this means the industry is in its seventh consecutive year of growth, IFPI chief executive Frances Moore told the BBC: “We lived through that dire period after 1999 where the industry declined by 40 per cent.Recorded music revenues grew in every region in 2021. Asia grew by 16.1 per cent, with South Korean superstars BTS the biggest-selling act for the second consecutive year.After being named 2020’s second-biggest seller, Taylor Swift achieved the same position in 2021, with Adele, having released her fourth studio album, ’30’, in November, sold 4.7million copies, making it the most popular album overall.Similar results were seen in Europe – the world’s second-largest music region – with a growth of 15.4 per cent up from 3.2 per cent.

Netflix’s upcoming original South Korean film Yaksha: Ruthless Operations has arrived.The brand-new visual opens with a shot of the neon-lit Chinese city of Shenyang, as a voiceover briefs special inspector Ji-hoon (played by Squid Game‘s Park Hae-soo) for an assignment that requires him to shadow a secret black ops team.We then dive into the action-packed predicaments of the black ops team, led by Ji Kang-in (Sol Kyung-gu), also known as the Yaksha. The team butt heads with antagonist “D7” Ozawa (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi), a Japanese spy disguised as a lobbyist who has a particularly bad history with the Yaksha.Also starring GOT7‘s Jinyoung (Yumi’s Cells), Yang Dong-geun (Lost), Lee El (Love And Leashes) and Song Jae-rim (Work Later, Drink Now), Yaksha: Ruthless Operations follows the team and their unwilling inspector in search of a high-ranking North Korean official who has gone missing.

SEVENTEEN are set to release an English-language single in April, ahead of their full-length album in May.Today (March 24), the boyband’s agency Pledis Entertainment announced in a statement to South Korean media outlet OSEN that the K-pop group would unveil a pre-release single next month.Notably, the upcoming single will be their first English-language track performed by all 13 members of the boyband. Prior to this, sub-units and solo members of the group have released songs in English, including Vernon and Joshua on ‘2 Minus 1’ from group’s most recent mini-album ‘Attacca’ released in May, and Woozi with his solo mixtape ‘Ruby’.The as-yet-untitled song will come ahead of SEVENTEEN’s upcoming full-length album, which arrives in May.

Single’s Inferno. Earlier today (March 24), South Korean news outlet TV Daily reported that Single’s Inferno is set to return with a second season, with specific filming and release timelines currently under discussion at Netflix. It also claimed that the casting process for the new season had already been kickstarted.Netflix has since responded to the report, telling Maeil Kyungje in a brief statement that “nothing has been decided regarding the production of a second season for Single’s Inferno”, as translated by Soompi.The first season of Single’s Inferno, which premiered on the streaming platform in December 2021 and concluded in January this year, starred 12 single men and women as they get to know one another with the goal of finding love on a deserted island.Couples who successfully pair up are later sent to ‘Paradise’ for a night where they can enjoy a luxury hotel stay and ask questions regarding their age and occupations.Single’s Inferno has since become the first-ever South Korean reality series to appear on the platform’s global Top 10 TV Shows chart, while topping the charts in several countries including Vietnam, Singapore and Korea.

MONSTA X are reportedly gearing up to release new music.Earlier today (March 23), South Korean outlet Sports Donga reported that the six-member boyband are currently preparing for an April comeback. MONSTA X’s label, Starship Entertainment, has since confirmed the news through a separate press statement.“Our agency’s artist MONSTA X is preparing for an album with the goal of making a comeback this upcoming April,” a representative from the management company said, as translated by Soompi.

Stray Kids have released an exciting music video for ‘Venom’, a cut from their latest mini-album ‘Oddinary’.The clip opens with the group walking up in a strange room, where they’re handcuffed to metal chairs. Changbin eventually gets free and antagonises his groupmates before unlocking a mysterious wall safe.

SHINee vocalist Onew is set to make his solo comeback next month.Earlier today (March 22), several South Korean news outlets reported that the K-pop idol is currently preparing to release new solo music sometime next month. This was later confirmed by SM Entertainment in a statement to MyDaily.“Onew is preparing his solo album with the goal of releasing it in April,” wrote the agency, which did not provide additional details on the release, as translated by Soompi.

Tomorrow, starring SF9‘s Rowoon.The clip begins with a hand placing a large, ornamental key straight through glass, as a kaleidoscopic keyhole suddenly manifests, signalling the opening of the gates of the afterlife.We then cut to an accident in the middle of Seoul, as a motorcycle skids at high speed towards a pedestrian sidewalk, right in the path of an unassuming young girl who is seconds away from death.Choi Joon-woong (played by Rowoon) tries to stop the accident, and at that exact moment, a mysterious pink-haired lady appears from nowhere and stops time with a snap of her fingers. “I’m the Grim Reaper who saves people,” she explains.Tomorrow is based on a popular web comic of the same name, and follows Joon-woong as he meets two angels of death – Goo Ryun (Kim Hee-sun of Alice) and Kim Ryoong-goo (Yoon Ji-on of Jirisan).

Big Bang have reportedly wrapped up filming for a music video that will accompany their long-awaited comeback project.Earlier today (March 16), the boyband’s label YG Entertainment confirmed in a statement to South Korean media outlet SPOTV News that all four remaining members of the group recently wrapped up a shoot for a music video for an upcoming new song.“Big Bang’s G-Dragon, Taeyang, T.O.P and Daesung recently completed filming the music video for their new song,” YG Entertainment told SPOTV News, as translated by Soompi. “Big Bang’s comeback preparations are progressing smoothly.

Stray Kids have unveiled an energetic teaser for the music video of ‘Maniac’, the lead single off their upcoming mini-album ‘ODDINARY’.In the new visual, member Felix breaks through a layer of glass with a drill. The boyband explore various locations in a deserted ghost town, which seemingly sits on the edge of the world, by an open cliff face.“Maniac, going crazy, like I have a loose screw, maniac / Spinning, going crazy, maniac / Laugh like I have a loose screw, maniac,” they chant, stomping and shaking their heads in the accompanying choreography.‘Maniac’ is the lead single of the boyband’s upcoming mini-album ‘ODDINARY’, which arrives this Friday (March 18) at 1PM KST.

NEW YORK -- In its second weekend of release, Warner Bros.' “The Batman” easily remained the No. 1 movie in North American theaters with $66 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday, while a live BTS concert broadcast was one-day-only blockbuster.Matt Reeves' Caped Crusader reboot starring Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz held well in its second week, dropping a modest 51% — a good rate for a comic book movie — from its $134 million debut and bringing its domestic total to $238.5 million.

EXO member Suho is set to release new solo music next month, his label SM Entertainment has confirmed.South Korean media outlet News1 reported yesterday (March 10) that the K-pop would be releasing his second solo album next month. The report has since been confirmed by his label SM Entertainment, in a new statement to MyDaily.“Suho is preparing a solo album with the aim of making a comeback in April,” SM Entertainment said, as translated by Soompi.

Bae Suzy will reportedly be making her return to the small screen with a role in Netflix’s forthcoming K-drama, The Girl Downstairs (working title).Sports Chosun reported yesterday (March 10) that there are plans for Bae to star in the lead role of Netflix’s forthcoming K-drama series The Girl Downstairs. The show is said to be directed by Lee Jung-hyo, who was behind hits such as Crash Landing On You and Criminal Minds. Bae’s agency, Management Soop, later responded to the reports in a separate statement to Newsen, saying that the singer-actress had received an offer to star in the show and is currently “revewing”, as translated by Soompi. The Girl Downstairs will be based on the Naver webtoon of the same name by Min Song-ah.

heartthrob boy band BTS were gifted a creative loophole to show their love for the pop sensations, despite harsh COVID restrictions at Thursday’s Seoul, South Korea, performance.“Cheering loudly, yelling, chanting and standing up during ‘BTS Permission To Dance On Stage — Seoul’ is strictly prohibited according to government guidelines,” the band’s management released in a statement ahead of showtime, according to the Mirror.The outlet also noted the homecoming show — their first for the South Korean capital in over two years — had only 15,000 seated fans of an originally anticipated 70,000 allowed in the Seoul Olympic Stadium.However, those lucky enough to nab a spot inside were still able to share their love for the “Boy With Luv” singers — with good old-fashioned clapping.

Celeb Five: Behind The Curtain.Starring the group consisting of prominent comedians Ahn Young-mi, Song Eun-yi, Kim Shin-young and Shin Bong-seon, the trailer begins with the quartet hearing from Song that the group had gotten an offer from Netflix to produce a new comedy show. It soon launches into a sequence of chaotic scenes from the group’s attempts to plan the comedy special supposedly commissioned by Netflix.The upcoming behind-the-scenes mockumentary, follows the four members of Celeb Five as they attempt to brainstorm new material for their next comedy show.

Red Velvet will be sampling J. S. Bach’s ‘Air On The G String’ on their upcoming single, ‘Feel My Rhythm’.The girl group’s label, SM Entertainment, told South Korean media outlet Herald Pop today (March 10) that the quintet’s much-anticipated comeback single would feature a sample of ‘Air In The G String’.

Big Bang member T.O.P expressed his desire overhaul the K-pop system of training and creating idols and artists.In a new interview with Prestige Hong Kong, the South Korean musician spoke about the “harsh” K-pop system, observing how the current training regime affects younger K-pop idols and their mental well-being.“I, myself, am fortunate that I only spent less than a year as a trainee before I debuted – a relatively short time – but after, I saw all the trainees, the boys and girls, they’re under a very harsh system,” T.O.P said.“They’re told what to do and trained just like robots,” the rapper added. “They might get popular, they might get bigger, but in their heart and in ways we can’t see, they’re being isolated, and feel lonely inside.”To address this, T.O.P expressed his desire to change the system and establish a new type of K-pop record company.

There are already so many excellent K-Pop releases in 2022!

Miky Lee, the enigmatic vice chair of South Korea entertainment conglomerate CJ ENM, grew up believing in the simple dictum from her grandfather that would prove to be the guiding principle of her life and work: “No culture, no country.”An heiress to the Samsung fortune, Lee has spent decades enhancing her family’s long legacy as business titans and innovators who were instrumental in building Korea’s postwar economic infrastructure. Her grandfather, who also launched a newspaper and radio and TV stations, believed that Korea would never become a strong nation without forums for nurturing and celebrating the nation’s distinctive traits, traditions and history.Lee has taken the family mission global in recent years, working tirelessly as an investor and a dealmaker to advance the interests of both her companies and her cultural homeland.