July 13, 2023
SEOUL – Lisa of Blackpink might not renew her contract with label YG Entertainment that expires next month, according to a local media report on Wednesday.
The two parties have not been able to reach an agreement and a Chinese agency which requested to remain anonymous tipped off the media that the label told the company that it cannot arrange an activity for the artist from August and on due to the uncertainty surrounding the contract.
YG Entertainment said that it was because of the group’s tour and Lisa’s individual activities and has nothing to do with the contract, following the report.
The rest of the bandmates are still in talks with the label, but are likely to renew their contracts.
Separately, some international media claimed that Lisa is dating Frederic Arnault, CEO of Tag Heuer and son of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault. She was spotted with him at a restaurant in Paris where the group will hold a concert on Saturday.
NCT Dream’s 3rd LP sells over 4.1m in pre-orders
(Credit: SM Entertainment)
NCT Dream received more than 4.1 million pre-orders for its forthcoming third studio album, according to label SM Entertainment on Wednesday.
The group’s LP “ISTJ” will be rolled out on July 17, about 14 months since “Beatbox,” a reissue of its second LP “Glitch Mode.” The second LP sold more than 2.1 million units in the first week and the first, “Hot Sauce,” logged 2 million in sales in 16 days.
The new album will consist of 10 tracks including the titular track as well as “Broken Melodies” which was dropped in advance last month and topped the iTunes Top Songs chart in 16 regions.
The septet will host a showcase on the day of release in Seoul and a pop-up store named “NCT Dream Agit: Let’s Get Down” from July 18 to Aug. 20 to mark the release of the album.
Monsta X’s I.M to hold solo concert, Jooheon enlists
(Credit: Sony Music Entertainment Korea)
I.M of Monsta X will take to the stage on his own for the first time in Seoul on Aug. 5-6, announced agency Sony Music Entertainment on Wednesday.
The concert is titled after his EP “Overdrive” that came out last month and the set list will include all six tracks from the mini album as well as his previous solo music.
In the meantime, the six-piece band greeted its fans at a fan concert in Seoul last week. It was the first gig since leader Shownu returned after completing his military duty. Minhyuk was absent from the concert, however, as he has been serving his since April as a member of the Army.
Jooheon will follow suit set to enlist on July 24, as he told fans with a hand-written letter on Tuesday. He assured fans not to worry and asked them to think of him once every day.
(G)I-dle to hit US with 1st English single
(Credit: Cube Entertainment)
(G)I-dle uploaded a teaser video Wednesday for its first single set to be released in the US.
The quintet is gearing up to tackle the country with the album “Heat,” its first English-language album, although the release date is yet to be confirmed. It will also drop the main track “I Do” first on Friday. The song, inspired by the 1980s, is one of the five from the upcoming EP and conveys bittersweet feelings looking back at the love lost in the past.
Meanwhile, the group will go live in Bangkok on Saturday as part of its “I Am Free-ty” tour that began in Seoul last month. It will visit six cities in the US next month after two concerts in Hong Kong next weekend.