Sorry for the late news this weekend – technical issues with my machine and work related exhaustion. On that note though – if there is anything you would like me to focus on more – please do let me know in the comments.
Se7en – off on military duty
Se7en is holding a series of concerts this month in Japan before his two-year enlistment into the army. A final Japanese single will be released on 20th March as a thank-you to his Japanese fas, with lyrics written by him. No word yet of any Korean activities, but I am sure they will happen. YG Entertainment is keeping March a busy time with GDragon, 2ne1 and new singer LeeHi releasing albums. And this month they celebrate the 10th anniversary of solo songstress Gummy who will return with a new song soon.
A still from Clazziquai Project’s Love Recipe MV – we’re looking forward to this one
SHINee (SM) are releasing a new Japanese single in March also and G.na (Cube) is rumoured to have a comeback that month. For February however Classquai Project will be releasing a new album (yay!) and have already released a teaser here.
CNBlue: Sorry?
Suspicion has been aimed at FNC Entertainment who manage CNBlue. According to the Hanteo K-pop chart, sales seem to indicate that the company has been buying back the mini album Re:Blue to keep the boys higher in the charts. According to the translated article from Netizen Buzz (via Omona They Didn’t!) the sales have started each day at 500 copies which would be impossible due to store opening times and the consistency of the numbers. Hanteo doesn’t distinguish returns from sales, and in that way it boosts the chart. The number stays consistent over the weekend when it normally drops. The Gaon chart is the real truth-teller as it only counts those sold. The article says Hanteo shows them as having 26,800 copies sold and yet on Gaon, they didn’t manage to beat SNSD, who only sold 10,300 copies the same week on Hanteo. That means 16,500 copies of CNBLUE’s albums are in limbo. It’s a shame that an entertainment company has resorted to this, especially for a band that is already popular. They are not the first to do so, nor the last I am sure.
One of Psy’s trademark pairs of shades
Psy has won 3 awards at the NRG radio awards in Cannes – an honorary award, International Song of the Year and Music Video of the Year. Still on a roll, he will also attend the Korean Presidential inauguration on 25February, and in a charity auction his sunglasses raised over $1,000 (but this was a lot less than the skates Kim Yuna donated). His schedule in China was even more daunting than the one in the USA. With his next album in preparation, pistachio commercials and globe trotting, some fans are expressing concern he’s overdoing it as he has lost weight.
Whilst representatives deny the rumours, close acquaintances say that CEO Hong Seung Sung of Cube Entertainment is suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, better known Lou Gehrig’s Disease. One of the founders of JYPE with Park Jin Young, he’s been in the industry for over 20 years.