‘First, it’s JENNIE, and Now it’s MINO’, YG’s Year-End Rush is Hot
[일간스포츠=황지영 기자] YG Entertainment is spending a busy year-end. Under YANG HYUN SUK’s command, not only artists including BIGBANG’s SEUNGRI, WINNER, iKON, and BLACKPINK but also the trainees are on action.
WINNER’s MINO released his self-produced solo album titled ‘XX’ on the 26th, notifying the start of his promotional activities for the title song ‘FIANCÉ’. The song ‘FIANCÉ’ samples the trot song ‘Soyanggang Maid’ which is often sang in karaoke, which makes it a unique love song. MINO explained, “We did not plan on sampling but tried after president YANG HYUN SUK gave us the idea. I’m satisfied because it fit well with the mood of the song after some arrangement”. He is planning to captivate the public’s hearts with his jolly charms displayed through tvN’s ‘New Journey to the West’ series and his charisma as a solo rapper.
BLACKPINK’s JENNIE who started her solo project prior to MINO is displaying massive ‘solo’ power. She was placed at no. 1 despite the competition against EXO and Wanna One with huge fandoms. She not only received the no. 1 trophy on a music broadcast, but also topped iTunes Charts in 40 different countries, topped the iTunes Worldwide Song Chart for the first time as a Korean female artist, and entered the US iTunes Top 10, setting milestones. The MV for ‘SOLO’ shot in London renewed all fastest records previously held by other Korean female solo artists. JENNIE shared her thoughts by stating, “The other members of BLACKPINK are also working on their solo tracks. I do feel pressured being the first runner of the project, but I’ll enjoy while thinking it is a continuation of the music that have been presented as BLACKPINK”.
‘Versatile’ SEUNGRI is also very busy. He appealed his jolly charms with his solo track ‘1, 2, 3!’ on July, and is currently active as a businessman and as an entertainer. He recently took the main role in ‘YG Future Strategy Office’ by Netflix to meet the global fans, while continuing his communication with the fans through various contents of YouTube. He also expanded his profession to the field of IT by participating on ‘HEAD ROCK VR’, the VR theme park franchise brand, as a creative director. SEUNGRI stated, “I will do my best to become a good businessman that stays devoted to my main job, as an artist”.
iKON, who made the unprecedented move of making 4 comebacks within 1 year including a single will make another return during the end of the year. After establishing themselves as a chart influencer by releasing ‘LOVE SCENARIO’, ‘KILLING ME’, and ‘GOODBYE ROAD’, they will gift the fans a special present by releasing a repackage album. Also, the group will hold the ‘CONTINUE TOUR’ encore concert in Seoul Olympic Gymnastics Arena on January 6, 2019. It will be the final finale of the ‘CONTINUE TOUR’ that was held in cities including Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, Manila, Jakarta, and ended in Hong Kong on the 25th.
Representative YANG HYUN SUK not only revealed artists of YG, but also the trainees. ‘YG TREASURE BOX’ is a boy group selection survival program to select new-generation artists that have both musical talent and good appearances. The program is receiving heated reactions as it surpassed 20 million accumulated views in 2 episodes. Not only the fans in Korea but also the fans in Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand are showing high interest, expecting for the birth of a new global boy group. Researcher Lee Kihoon from Hana Financial Investment has analyzed, “If ‘YG TREASURE BOX’ with Japanese trainees continue to grow at a rapid pace, they can create global synergy effects along with members of BIGBANG who get discharged during the second half of next year”.
2018. 11. 27.
