FEBRUARY 5 - FEBRUARY 11


Hello Hallyuplussers and welcome to In Case You Missed It for another week! This time we're back with a slew of comeback updates for SM-related artists following the officially announced slate of artists set to make their return in 2024. Also making their comeback very soon will be the viral girl group, FIFTY FIFTY. The group had a rough year in 2023 after the loss of over half of their group members following various lawsuits filed against their company, ATTRAKT. Meanwhile, BTS has broken a major MelOn record, and we've seen new music updates from Japanese soloist Imase, P1-Harmony, SKE48 and more. So be sure to read on if any of these updates are of interest to you!

BY POLARIS_TAE

MONDAY:
#1- BIBI had some exciting news for us this week! To begin, the soloist will be joining 88rising's Head in the Clouds festival in New York alongside Kpop heavyweights (G)I-DLE! Then on the 13th of February, we'll be seeing the soloist return with double title tracks, '밤양갱' 'Sugar Rush'. Speaking of her upcoming comeback, KBS has shared that they have banned 'Sugar Rush' from broadcast on all of their platforms due to "lyrics containing profanity and vulgar expressions." Are you looking forward to new music from BIBI?

#2- Now moving on and the management company for rookie boy group FANTASY BOYS, PocketDoll Studio, has shared that the group recently signed an exclusive contract with Columbia Records for their future promotions in Japan. Are you looking forward to seeing the group expand into Japan soon?



TUESDAY:
#1- Lee Seung-gi had a personal update for us on Tuesday. The singer/actor has shared that he and his wife, Lee Da-in, have welcomed the birth of their first child together. We congratulate the happy couple on the new addition to their family!



WEDNESDAY:
#1- We had a slew of comeback announcements mid-week! To start, SM Entertainment has shared the future plans for its roster of artists. To start, NCT's Taeyong and WayV's Ten will be releasing new music in February alongside the new Japan-based NCT unit, NCT WISH, while in February Red Velvet's Wendy  NCT Dream will each be making their comebacks. Then later in the year, we're expected to see new music from artists including BoA, RIIZE, WayV, a debut from virtual idols nævis, and more comebacks from SHINee, Red Velvet and so much more! Now moving on and EXO's Chen has two new songs set to release! The idol collaborated with HYNN for a duet, 'JILPUNGGADO' which will serve as the Korean OP for the Japanese anime Ultimate Muscle 2. Then on the 10th of February, the Exo member shared a new OST for the JTBC drama Dr. Slump titled, '사랑법'. Are you looking forward to any of these upcoming releases?

#2- We had some schedule announcements on Wednesday as well! KCON Hong Kong has shared the 1st lineup for their upcoming convention! It's been revealed that ATEEZ, TWS, TO1, VIVIZ, ZB1 more will be performing at the event. Meanwhile, the 2024 WE BRIDGE Music Festival and Expo has shared their official line-up! NMIXX, KARD, MAMAMOO's Hwasa, Kiss of Life and more are set to perform. Then finally, the 2nd line-up of the 2024 ASEA — Asia Star Entertainment Awards — has officially been shared! Day6, Fantasy Boys and Billlie are all set to be in attendance. Are you looking forward to any of these upcoming events?



THURSDAY:
#1- On Thursday, we had a few debut announcements and group updates. UNIVERSE TICKET's resulting girl group, UNIS will be reportedly making their debut during the first half of the year. Meanwhile, SM Entertainment has shared that they will be working in collaboration with MB to launch a new project. The company has shared that they will be working with the British talent agency led by Nigel Hall — The man responsible for the production of shows such as X-Factor  Britain's Got Talent — to produce a 6-episode television series surrounding the creation of an upcoming Kpop group consisting of British members. What are your thoughts on this initiative?

#2- Moving on and ATTRAKT has shared some details related to the ongoing re-grouping of FIFTY FIFTY. This comes following the departure of three of its group members after a contractual dispute — among other things — in 2023. The company has shared that the preliminary audition for the selection of new group members was held in Singapore on the 3rd of February and that they plan on finalising the groups' official line-up — which is set to include the sole remaining group member, Keena — around April. A spokesperson has also shared that they plan to release new music from the group by June 2024. What do you think about FIFTY FIFTY's chances at success? Do you think it'll be a difficult road ahead for Keena and the future FIFTY FIFTY members?

#3- BLCKPINK's Lisa became the second group member to officially share the establishment of her own label. Following Jennie's announcement earlier this year, Lisa will be following in her footsteps by establishing a new label for the management of her solo activities. The label has reportedly been named LLOUD. While on the topic of management companies, SM Entertainment has shared that Red Velvet members Irene and Seulgi have renewed their contracts with the label. Are you looking forward to more activities from Red Velvet or Lisa?



FRIDAY:
#1- Cube has shared that (G)I-DLE's Shuhua will be suspending all of her upcoming schedules due to a poor health condition. The idol recently visited the hospital after reportedly suffering from spells of dizziness. In response to this, the idol was advised to set aside sufficient time to rest and focus on recovery. We hope to see her back to full health soon.



SATURDAY:
#1- There were no relevant updates on Saturday.



SUNDAY:
#1- There were no relevant updates on Sunday.

BY DRAGON OF THE WEST


#1. BTS' 'Spring Day' has now overtaken Busker Busker's 'Cherry Blossom Ending' to become the song with the most unique listeners on the MelOn. It has also become the first song on the Chart to reach 8.4 million unique listeners, doing so just a few days before its 7th anniversary.

#2. Jungkook has become the fastest K-pop act to surpass 4.7 billion total streams on Spotify. This also makes him the 6th most streamed K-pop artist on the platform.

#3. (G)I-DLE's 'Tomboy' has become the group's first music video to hit 300 million views on YouTube.

~ thanks for reading