1. BTS covered Puff Daddy, Faith Evans, and Sting's single "I'll Be Missing You" on the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge.
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On July 27, the group made their official Radio 1 Live Lounge debut with a stunning three-song performance — one of which was a poignant cover of the Puff Daddy, Sting, and Faith Evans single "I'll Be Missing You," which saw BTS deliver not only flawless harmonies but also featured updated lyrics by RM and a brand-new verse delivered in Korean by Suga.
In addition to "I'll Be Missing You," BTS got the entire venue dancing with a joyful performance of their latest Billboard #1 single "Permission to Dance." They followed it up with a classy and cool rendition of "Dynamite" that featured the members dressed head to toe in bespoke Gucci ensembles.
In addition to their Live Lounge performance, BTS chatted with Radio 1's Adele Roberts as part of a special segment titled BTS @ Radio 1, which was released on July 28. If you're based in the UK, you can watch the program on BBC iPlayer here.
2. Exo's D.O. made his solo debut with the heartwarming track "Rose" this week!
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After nine years, Exo vocalist D.O. has officially made his long-awaited solo debut. The 28-year-old singer, actor, and songwriter (real name Doh Kyungsoo) released his first mini album, Empathy, on July 26 and showed the world that his debut was well worth the wait.
No matter the medium he finds himself in, whether he's on cinema screens or singing to sold-out crowds as a member of Exo, Doh Kyungsoo is always in tune with the deeper meaning behind every song or scene and will adjust his skill set to deliver the most poignant performance possible. It can be heard in his comforting vocals on his single "That's Okay," a heartwarming acoustic track that he released to comfort fans prior to his enlistment in the South Korean military, and again on his new single "Rose."
The feel-good, jaunty folk track features lyrics personally written by Kyungsoo that describe the all-encompassing, heart-pounding, butterflies-in-your-chest experience of developing a crush on someone. Rather than a dramatic declaration of love, "Rose" is as delicate as its floral namesake and features minimal instrumental accompaniment. Instead, it allows Kyungsoo's velvety vocals and the story he wants to tell take center stage.
He expands upon the meaning of the song in its music video, which sees Kyungsoo go on a bike ride while listening to the song on his large headphones. As he goes about his day, he keeps narrowly dodging freak accidents by looking at life through rose-tinted glasses. That includes a tree nearly landing on him as he rides past on his bike and a hilarious scene where he joyfully sips coffee while a robbery occurs in the café behind him.
Just like its title, the album's eight tracks all uniquely explore all of the complicated feelings associated with relationships with a refreshing sense of empathy and a whole lot of heart. Simply put: Doh Kyungsoo is a masterful storyteller, and his first chapter as a soloist is nothing short of a masterpiece.
This week also saw the release of Jackson Wang and Internet Money's "Drive You Home," AKMU's "Nakka (Feat. IU)," Monsta X's "Kiss or Death," Jinyoung's "Dive," and Dreamcatcher's "Because," so be sure to check them out too! ✨
4. Shinee's Onew, Blackpink's Rosé, and AKMU's Suhyun sang an incredible rendition of "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys.
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We all need to say a collective thank you to Sea of Hopes for the phenomenal covers the show has given us since it began airing last month. It all started with Blackpink member Rosé's effortless performance of John Mayer's song "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" — which was so amazing that Mayer sent her a guitar as a thank you present — and now the cast has teamed up once again to steal everyone's hearts with their rendition of Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You."
Not only are Shinee's Onew, AKMU's Suhyun, and Rosé's vocals stunning, but the chemistry and friendship they've formed throughout filming the show make this performance that much sweeter. When the song first beings to play, Rosé quickly gets excited after recognizing the tune and repeatedly asks if they're really going to sing the song. In reply, Suhyun simply grins and adds: "Should we do it?"
The result is a heartfelt, healing performance that will leave you feeling incredibly moved long after it's finished. Plus, their ability to naturally harmonize with one another on a song that they're testing out on the spot is truly a testament to how talented they all are.
5. Mamamoo's Hwasa opened up her own YouTube channel this week!
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On July 23, the "Maria" singer opened up her own YouTube channel by posting a one-minute video titled "🤟." In the short visual, Hwasa can be seen enjoying a lovely summer holiday as she runs along the beach, relaxes on a yacht, and tries to learn the clarinet all to various levels of success.
Spliced in between the video clips are short messages to properly introduce her channel to the world. "I'll share my daily life with you," she wrote. "Hello world, this is me!"
In addition to her introductory video, Hwasa released a draft version of Mamamoo's 2020 upbeat single "Dingga" that had previously never been released. With its plucky guitar sound and slightly altered lyrics, the song takes on a more sensual tone than ever before and is definitely worth a listen (or 12)!
6. And Red Velvet, the Boyz, Ha Sung-woon, and more all announced that new music is on the way!
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* Red Velvet revealed their first set of mysterious teasers ahead of their August comeback. The album is centered around the group's Queens Mystic General Store, a vintage shop that seems to have gathered collectibles from the group's past albums and music videos like their outfits from "Peek-a-Boo" and "Zimzalabim."
* During their 12th anniversary celebration V Live, T-ara confirmed that they will be making a comeback! While the members didn't reveal an official release date, they shared that they plan to release new music before the end of the year.
* Ha Sung-woon unveiled multiple photo teasers and the promotional schedule for the repackage of his fifth mini album, Select Shop, which will be released on Aug. 9.
* Park Ji-hoon shared the tracklist, promotional schedule, and a comeback poster ahead of the release of his fourth mini album My Collection on Aug. 12. In addition to the album, Ji-hoon also announced an online solo concert, titled Your Collection, that will be held on Aug. 28.
* The Boyz posted their promotional schedule alongside multiple sets of concept photos ahead of the release of their sixth mini album, Thrill-ing, on Aug. 9.
That's it for this week! Have a lovely weekend, and be sure to catch up on last week's news if you missed it! ✨
