Enhypen enters Billboard 200 at No. 3 with 6th EP
EP 'Desire: Unleash' is the band's eighth entry on the main albums chart and the fifth album to make the Top 10.
The eight-track album sold more than 2.14 million copies in the first week, the second most for a K-pop album released this year. It topped the iTunes Top Albums Chart in 12 regions and claimed the top spot on Oricon's Daily, Weekly and Weekly Combined Album Rankings. Focus track 'Bad Desire' came in first place on television music chart shows three times.
On July 29, the septet will put out fourth single in Japan 'Yoi,' a first in two years, between its concerts in Tokyo and Osaka.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
3 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Blackpink returns sharper, stronger and more united than ever
Record-setting Goyang concerts mark group's first full reunion in nearly two years and launch of long-awaited world tour GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province — Blackpink made a triumphant return to the stage this weekend, performing for 78,000 fans over two days at Goyang Sports Complex in Gyeonggi Province. The highly anticipated "Deadline" concert not only marked the quartet's official reunion after nearly two years apart, it also underscored why they remain the most successful girl group in K-pop history. The emotional impact of seeing all four members — Jennie, Jisoo, Rose and Lisa — back onstage together wasn't lost on the 39,000 fans who filled the stadium, Sunday. Since signing only group activity contracts with YG Entertainment in December 2023, skepticism had swirled about whether the group would ever perform together again. Their full-group return, now confirmed, felt momentous. For over two hours, the group powered through 27 songs with a set list packed with hits. Interspersed were solo performances that highlighted each member's growth during their individual careers, delivering moments of renewed synergy that electrified the crowd. As the thunderous beat of 'Kill This Love' blasted through the speakers, the stadium lit up in pink. Blackpink launched into 'Pink Venom' with commanding charisma, then seamlessly transitioned through a medley of hits including 'How You Like That,' 'Playing With Fire' and 'Shut Down,' sending the energy in the stadium soaring. Each member brought a distinct edge to her solo sets. Jisoo exuded elegance with 'Earthquake' and 'Your Love.' Lisa, with 'New Woman' and 'Rockstar,' showcased fierce charisma and unleashed an explosive energy. Jennie, delivering 'Mantra' and 'Like Jennie,' had the entire stadium on its feet, leading an arena-wide singalong. And Rose delivered a show-stopping run of '3AM,' 'Toxic Till the End' and her global hit 'APT.,' bringing the emotional peak of the night. 'We were excited — and a bit nervous — to showcase a mix of group and solo performances that really highlight our different colors,' said Jisoo during the show. But the highlight was the debut of their brand-new group song, 'Jump' — their first full-group release since 2022's 'Born Pink.' The track opened with sleek beats and individual verses, before shifting into a bright, summery rhythm that had the crowd erupting. The sound felt like a bold evolution from Blackpink's past hits, while still unmistakably theirs. 'This song is super addictive, isn't it?' Jisoo asked the crowd. 'We wanted you to be the first to hear it. Please give it lots of love when it is released.' 'We're so grateful to kick off this tour in Goyang. It's bittersweet to leave, but we can't wait to meet Blinks all over the world again soon,' Jennie added. The group is the first K-pop girl group to play the venue, and brought its largest attendance on record on its first time out. Among the K-pop singers spotted in the crowd were BTS's J-Hope, Seventeen's Jeonghan, Mingyu and The8, Twice's Jihyo and members of Le Sserafim. Despite the spectacle, the event wasn't without controversy. Fans in section N3 at the concert venue expressed frustration after paying full price for seats that turned out to have obstructed views due to a large stage screen that wasn't disclosed during ticketing. Meanwhile, Blackpink is headed to stadiums across 16 cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Toronto, Paris and London, for 31 shows in total.
Korea Herald
7 hours ago
- Korea Herald
BTS' 'Dynamite' among most streamed via Apple Music in last decade
BTS claimed the highest spot for a K-pop artist on the list of most-played songs via Apple Music with 'Dynamite.' The music platform published its list of the 500 songs streamed the most over the past decade in celebration of its 10-year history. The K-pop phenom's 2020 smash hit ranked No. 34. The single was the first K-pop song to be listed among top five on Apple Music's Top 100: Global chart. With 'Dynamite,' BTS' first English-language single, the septet scored a series of chart successes. It was the first-ever song from a K-pop act to make a chart-topping debut on Billboard's Hot 100. The dance-pop tune spent the most weeks on the main singles chart for a K-pop song at the time at 32 weeks, including 13 weeks among the top 10 and two weeks at No. 1. 'Butter,' the band's 2021 follow-up that also debuted atop the Hot 100, ranked No. 252 on Apple Music's list.
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
Why YG Entertainment needs a breakthrough group – now more than ever
With its last mega-act launched in 2016, the K-pop giant is racing to build the next big thing as legacy stars lose momentum YG Entertainment, once home to Korea's most influential K-pop groups, is under mounting pressure to develop its next major intellectual property. While the company remains one of the so-called "Big Four" K-pop agencies — alongside SM, JYP and Hybe — it has yet to introduce a new act that rivals the global dominance of its legacy stars. The last truly game-changing group YG Entertainment debuted was Blackpink, nearly a decade ago in 2016. Since then, it has launched Treasure in 2020 and Babymonster in 2024. However, neither has reached the level of superstardom expected from a YG act. Only Babymonster is positioned to carry the YG banner forward — and even that momentum is fragile. According to K-pop Radar, which tracks global artist data, only Blackpink and Babymonster made the Korean top 20 list for 2024, in 14th and 19th place, respectively. The rankings, released in February, showed Blackpink dropping one spot from last year — edged out by the return of BTS members Jin and J-Hope from military service — while still maintaining a strong presence. Babymonster made a notable leap, entering the top 20 for the first time after being unranked in 2023. On the global chart, by contrast, BTS and Blackpink remained in the top tier, while Babymonster showed remarkable growth by securing the No. 4 spot. Other YG acts like Treasure and Winner failed to appear in either ranking. Big Bang, now a trio following the departures of Seungri and T.O.P, also did not make the global list. On the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's 2024 list of the world's top 10 recording artists, no YG acts — not even Blackpink — were featured. The only K-pop groups that made the list were Seventeen of Pledis Entertainment at No. 3 and Stray Kids of JYP Entertainment at No. 5. While Babymonster has gained visibility on global charts, public perception suggests otherwise. 'For a girl group from one of the industry's top agencies, Babymonster hasn't stood out compared to similarly timed debuts,' said music critic Lim Hee-yun. 'It's been nearly two years since Babymonster's debut, and neither Treasure nor Babymonster has shown particularly remarkable growth. YG needs to try again.' Financial indicators reflect this as well. Despite Babymonster's recent releases, the group's impact on YG Entertainment's stock performance has been negligible. Blackpink remains YG Entertainment's most valuable asset. In August 2023, the company initially failed to secure a full-group contract renewal with the quartet, signing only individual activity agreements instead. During the months of uncertainty that followed, YG posted an operating loss of 20.5 billion won ($15 million). The full-group contract was eventually renewed in December, but the episode underscored just how critical Blackpink is to the company's financial stability. Last month, optimism returned when YG announced upcoming activities for Blackpink and other artists. The company's stock jumped from 87,000 won on June 27 to 95,200 won on July 1, but dipped again following renewed public scrutiny over Yang's trial for alleged luxury goods smuggling. The fact that Blackpink's group activities still move the needle underscores how little YG Entertainment has done to secure a generational handoff. YG Entertainment's historical strength came from betting big on high-impact acts. But in today's hypercompetitive K-pop market — where even mid-tier agencies are churning out breakthrough talent — waiting for another Blackpink-tier hit may no longer be a viable strategy. YG Entertainment is currently betting heavily on the launch of its next rookie girl group set to debut later this year. Yang has described the group as 'the new protagonists of YG's girl group legacy,' signaling a make-or-break moment for the agency. 'Hundreds of groups debut every year,' Lim said. 'Even if you have a strong lineup, it's important to nurture the next group early. That's how you build a sustainable revenue model. Loyal fans — the core consumers of K-pop — expect high moral standards and emotional dedication from artists. A single controversy can alienate them, or cause them to shift to a newer, more appealing rookie.'
