IN THE LOOP: BLACKPINK, BTS Comeback, MONSTA X's 'LOVE' + K-pop's Hottest This Week
In the third week of April, top-tier groups BLACKPINK, BTS, MONSTA X, and more surprised fans with their comeback news and releases!
Here Are the Most Popular Releases, MV, Album This Week
1. Super Junior Ryeowook - 'Blue Bird' [Pre-Release]
Ahead of his full-fledged solo comeback on May 3, Super Junior Ryeowook first released the track "Blue Bird," which contains a passive love story on April 22.
As of writing, the MV amassed more than 243k views on YouTube, showcasing himself as one of SM's "vocal powerhouse."
2. (G)I-DLE Jeon Soyeon - 'Freak Show'
On April 25, the official MV for (G)I-DLE's Jeon Soyeon's "Freak Show" OST was released through the MUSICGROUND YouTube channel.
"Freak Show" is a modern reinterpretation of "Caprice No. 24" by Paganini, the best violinist and composer in history. It will harmonize well with Jeon Soyeon's girl-crush voice to boost the excitement of viewers of MBC TV's new drama, "From Now On, Showtime!"
3. MONSTA X - 'LOVE'
MONSTA X finally returned with a new album in five months on April 26.
Their 11th mini-album "SHAPE of LOVE" expresses various aspects of love, including "myself," MONSTA X's music, and love for fans.
In particular, "LOVE," the title track of the album, was produced by Jooheon, which modernly interprets the catchy R&B guitar sound and hip-hop base with an old-school feeling.
Currently, the official MV for the song surpassed 4M views.
These Are the Much-Anticipated Comeback + Hottest News This Week:
1. BLACKPINK, BTS Comeback in June
On April 26, Korean media outlets reported that BLACKPINK will finally break their 1-year-and-8-month hiatus with a full comeback in June!
With this news, fans' expectations increased as the quartet will drop a new album, the same month BTS will return to Korea with a new release.
ALSO READ: BLACKPINK Reportedly Gearing for June Comeback
With this, the music industry is focused on the kind of music the "biggest girl and boy group in the world" will show in the second half of 2022.
2. EXO Chen Military Discharge
On April 25, EXO Chen has been officially discharged from the military, after serving as a full-time reserve since October 2020.
On the same day, SM Entertainment announced that the male idol will join the "SMTOWN LIVE 2022: SMCU EXPRESS @Tokyo" lineup, to be held in August.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: K-Media Updates on EXO Chen's Future Activities After Controversies, Discharge
If no solo or group activities will happen before this, this will be Chen's first comeback stage after the military.
3. aespa Coachella 2022
On April 25, "Monster Rookie" aespa becomes the first K-pop girl group to perform on the main stage of the Coachella music festival.
The group gained huge attention from both locals and international fans, following their impressive performance of their hit tracks "Next Level," "Savage" and "Black Mamba."
READ MORE: aespa’s Live Vocals at Coachella 2022 Spark Divided Reactions
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Written by Eunice Dawson
