1. Red Velvet's Joy said ~hello~ to the world in her solo debut!
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Goodbye, sadness; hello, Joy! Red Velvet's sweet-voiced singer Joy made her solo debut this week with her remake album, Hello. Each of the album's six songs is a classic Korean song from the '90s and early '00s, and they're all filled to the brim with enthusiasm and nostalgia.
To bring the album's fun, retro concept to life, Joy revealed that she listened to as many songs, dramas, and films from that time period as she could and then would jot down all of her creative ideas in a notebook to take them with her to album discussion meetings. At a press conference in Seoul on May 31, Joy explained that the songs on the album are some of her "personal favorite songs" from that era that she used to sing back in the day, just reimagined with her own joyful twist.
Case in point: The album's title track, "Hello," is a remake of Park Hye-kyung's 2003 bubbly pop hit, but Joy added an extra bridge and kicked up the song's arrangement to make it shine even brighter. "With faster arrangement, you can feel more energy through the remake version," she revealed. "While recording this song, I put 200% of my energy into it and even made a new bridge part that’s not in the original song. I tried to make my voice sound extra cool and refreshing, so I hope everyone enjoys it!"
The song's adorable music video (above) storyline, which was created in part by Joy, sees her embark on an exciting road trip when she encounters a lost child and takes on the task of getting her home safely. The video was filmed on South Korea's Jeju Island, and according to Joy, the weather was so nice during filming that it almost felt as if she was on vacation.
She also made a conscious effort to make sure that, despite her own alterations, the song's original message wasn't lost along the way during the rerecording process. "During the remake process, it was very important for me to maintain and not take away the emotions captured in the original song," she said. "I thought a lot about how I could express my emotions through my vocals and rearrange the song to blend my color with that of the original song."
When asked about her goals for the solo album, Joy shared that she was much more focused on sending out positive vibrations into the world with her music than on breaking any records. "Like my name, I want to be the person who gives others joy," she replied. "While working on the album, I received so much energy and support from so many people, including fans and staffs. So now I want to give more energy and love back."
Congratulations on your stellar solo debut, Joy! 🥝✨
2. And Tomorrow X Together became rock icons with their single "0X1=Lovesong"!
![Tomorrow X Together have cracked the mathematical equation of love in their latest title track, "0X1=Lovesong." The gritty, emotionally vulnerable pop-rock hybrid track is part of the group's latest album, The Chaos Chapter: Freeze, which was released May 31. If you haven't listened yet, then you're in for a treat.
The Chaos Chapter: Freeze is TXT's first album in a brand-new series following their original Dream Chapter trilogy. Speaking at a press conference in Seoul on May 31, the group's leader, Soobin, shared that The Chaos Chapter will have a darker, more vulnerable concept than TXT has ever dabbled in before. "Through The Dream Chapter, we tried to show the story of a boy who is meeting you," he explained. "Now, here in The Chaos Chapter, this is the story of a boy whose world is under assault and needs you, his salvation, to cure the wounds that this boy is experiencing."
And like the group's concept, there is a deeper meaning to the album's mathematical title track. Huening Kai calls the song a "self-confirmation" of a person's feelings for someone special in their life. "[The story centers on] a boy who is confused and then a girl appears in front of him," he said. "It's a very uncertain world, but the boy believes in one thing, and that is his love for this girl."
TXT perfectly executes the song's message of an all-encompassing love story in the darkest of times. There's a raw, soul-crushing feeling to each of the members' vocals as they growl through the song's powerful chorus and drag you headfirst through all of the pain, pining, and heartache that comes with young love. It's bold, honest, and incredibly catchy, too — the kind of song that is perfect for sitting in your car and screaming along to after a particularly bad day.
But don't just take my word for it. When TXT heard "0X1=Lovesong" in their practice room, Soobin described it as a "wow moment" that left the entire group moved by the song and its message. They knew it was something truly special. "When I heard this title track, it stirred up a lot of emotions," Beomgyu added. "The lyrics were very good, but even when I don't listen to the lyrics, the song itself had a strong ambience — something that really tugs on your heartstrings. There's a part of the song that says, 'Say you love me.' When I first heard that, it really gave me those similar emotions."
One listen to "0X1=Lovesong" and you'll be feeling those very same emotions too.
This week also saw the release of B.I's "Waterfall," Monsta X's "Gambler," Mamamoo's "Where Are We Now," and NCT 127 and Amoeba Culture's "Save," so be sure to check those out as well!](https://img.youtube.com/vi/d5bbqKYu51w/mqdefault.jpg)
View this video on YouTube
Tomorrow X Together have cracked the mathematical equation of love in their latest title track, "0X1=Lovesong." The gritty, emotionally vulnerable pop-rock hybrid track is part of the group's latest album, The Chaos Chapter: Freeze, which was released May 31. If you haven't listened yet, then you're in for a treat.
The Chaos Chapter: Freeze is TXT's first album in a brand-new series following their original Dream Chapter trilogy. Speaking at a press conference in Seoul on May 31, the group's leader, Soobin, shared that The Chaos Chapter will have a darker, more vulnerable concept than TXT has ever dabbled in before. "Through The Dream Chapter, we tried to show the story of a boy who is meeting you," he explained. "Now, here in The Chaos Chapter, this is the story of a boy whose world is under assault and needs you, his salvation, to cure the wounds that this boy is experiencing."
And like the group's concept, there is a deeper meaning to the album's mathematical title track. Huening Kai calls the song a "self-confirmation" of a person's feelings for someone special in their life. "[The story centers on] a boy who is confused and then a girl appears in front of him," he said. "It's a very uncertain world, but the boy believes in one thing, and that is his love for this girl."
TXT perfectly executes the song's message of an all-encompassing love story in the darkest of times. There's a raw, soul-crushing feeling to each of the members' vocals as they growl through the song's powerful chorus and drag you headfirst through all of the pain, pining, and heartache that comes with young love. It's bold, honest, and incredibly catchy, too — the kind of song that is perfect for sitting in your car and screaming along to after a particularly bad day.
But don't just take my word for it. When TXT heard "0X1=Lovesong" in their practice room, Soobin described it as a "wow moment" that left the entire group moved by the song and its message. They knew it was something truly special. "When I heard this title track, it stirred up a lot of emotions," Beomgyu added. "The lyrics were very good, but even when I don't listen to the lyrics, the song itself had a strong ambience — something that really tugs on your heartstrings. There's a part of the song that says, 'Say you love me.' When I first heard that, it really gave me those similar emotions."
One listen to "0X1=Lovesong" and you'll be feeling those very same emotions too.
This week also saw the release of B.I's "Waterfall," Monsta X's "Gambler," Mamamoo's "Where Are We Now," and NCT 127 and Amoeba Culture's "Save," so be sure to check those out as well!
3. Shinee's Taemin enlisted in the military this week. 😭
4. BTS revealed the official schedule for their Festa!
2021 #BTS FESTA Timeline #2021BTSFESTA #우리의축제시작 #FESTAisComing #BTS8thAnniversary
The Festa, which began June 2, is a two-week-long celebration of all things BTS, leading up to the group's eighth anniversary June 13. It's a long-standing tradition that usually includes a treasure trove of new content for fans, and this year's plans certainly don't disappoint!
In addition to the adorable family portraits they've already shared online, other highlights within the next two weeks include choreography videos, BTS Room Live, photo collections, and something called 'Bicycle,' which some fans believe might be a new song. I guess we'll have to wait until June 7 to find out what it is! 🚴
And don't forget! On June 13 and 14, BTS will also be holding their online muster event Sowoozoo. You can purchase tickets for the two-day event on Weverse.
5. Epik High announced they will be holding an online concert this month!
이번 온라인 공연은 밴드세트 셋리스트 미쳤습니다 기대하세요 this online concert will be a band set and the setlist will be craaaaaazy 👉🏻 https://t.co/LmOzCkJJTz
On June 3, Tablo of Epik High revealed that the legendary group will be holding an online concert on TikTok this month!
Titled "Forest 2021," the event includes a performance by special guest Ha Dong Qn and will be available to stream on TikTok on June 26 at 7 p.m. KT (aka 6 a.m. ET). So get ready to rise and shine and then start your day off the right way: dancing to all of Epik High's incredible songs!
Tickets for the event will be available June 7 at 2 p.m. KT (1 a.m. ET). You can find out more about how to purchase tickets for the event on the group's Facebook page.
6. And Loona, SF9, Victon's Han Seung-woo, and more announced that new music is on the way!
"XII" LOOПΔ 4th Mini Album [&] 2021.6.28 pm6 (KST) Release #이달의소녀 #LOONA #AND LOOΠΔ https://t.co/5CfbXHQxfn
* Loona shared the first set of concept photos for their upcoming fourth mini album, &, which will be released June 28.
* Hoya announced that he will release an album titled 1AM on June 9.
* Summer is here, and Twice is celebrating! The group released multiple concept photos this week ahead of the release of their album Taste of Love on June 10.
* Han Seung-woo shared the first photo teaser for his second album, titled Fade, which will be released June 28. Seung-woo also announced on Instagram Live on June 3 that he will enlist in the South Korean military in July, which makes this album even more precious to Alice.
* AOMG confirmed that Yugyeom will be releasing music this month!
* According to Soompi, SF9 are preparing to make a comeback in "early July" and have already finished filming their title track's music video.
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!
