IU and V are tragic lovers in ‘Love Wins All’ plus more K-pop news

The world of K-pop is seeing some exciting developments! From IU and BTS’ V teaming up to Coachella’s thrilling 2024 lineup featuring several K-pop acts, these are the biggest K-pop news to get caught up on this January. 

IU and BTS’ V are tragic lovers in Love Wins All music video

On 24 January, popular South Korean singer IU finally released her highly-anticipated music video and single, Love Wins All–and fans are loving it for many reasons! For one, it stars V from BTS in an acting role, which ARMYs have been eager to see since his stint in 2016’s Hwarang. The music video is also impressive for its cinematography as it portrays the sweet yet tragic love story between the pair as they try to survive in a post-apocalyptic world taken over by mysterious floating cubes. Love Wins All marks IU’s return to music after her fifth full-length studio album, Lilac, in 2021. With her enchanting vocals, the ballad is a celebration of love and its most enduring qualities. To catch her live in KL this year, head here for more details.

(G)i-dle goes wacky in Wife

In true (G)-idle fashion, the girl group dropped their latest pre-release track ahead of their album release titled Wife, which has caused a stir amongst netizens. The group is known for their experimental sound and provocative concepts that often explore societal taboos and stereotypes as seen in their previous hits such as Tomboy and Nude. Wife is no different as it comments on how women are treated and often objectified to fit the role of the traditional housewife.

Donning identical neon blue wigs and outfits, the members are seen dancing to a fun choreography and singers such as Miyeon and Shuhua even dabbled in rap. The track has garnered a ton of attention online, raking in over 11 million views in just two days, and netizens are divided over the song, with some calling it “unserious” and “silly” while others are praising it for tackling issues in a satirical way and how reminiscent it is to older K-pop songs. (G)i-dle’s second full-length album will release on 29 January 2024.

if you keep defending your group by saying "the song is just unserious and silly" every time they have a comeback then idk what to tell you https://t.co/871IKXizcP

— ً 🇵🇸 (@aeespa) January 21, 2024

u guys don't understand. the fits, the $5 budget mv, the terrible choreography, the nonsensical lyrics with random foreign words😭 the 2nd gen stan in me is so happy rn😭😭 https://t.co/Myo5oHG9bL

— untitled is a clown (@unseriousstan) January 21, 2024

the people ask gidle deliver pic.twitter.com/8iS7hn99jN https://t.co/TxC0XoipSq

— bloss (@soojcard) January 21, 2024

Small thread on how gidle's wife is satirizing trad wife expectations and gender roles

— spoopy ⚜️ (@snapsh_ot) January 21, 2024

Ive and Saweetie party ‘All Night‘ long

Feeling bored in the office? Let Ive and Saweetie bring some fun into the workplace with their single, All Night! As Ive’s first all-English track, the girl group collaborated with Saweetie AKA Icy Grl in this funky pop-dance track about living life and having fun–even in the office. If the song sounds familiar to you, that’s because it samples Icona Pop’s own All Night track!

NCT unveils new unit and teaser

The NCT universe is getting bigger! On 18 January, the newest NCT unit was revealed to be called NCT Wish and consists of six members: Sion, Riku, Yushi, Jaehee, Ryo, and Sakuya. Formerly known as NCT New Team, the Japanese boy group was first formed on the survival show NCT Universe: Lastart. They are slated to make their debut sometime this year.

K-pop to have a big moment at Coachella 2024 

 

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Every year, music lovers look forward to the roster of performers who will take the stage at Coachella. On 16 January, the highly-awaited music festival officially released its star-studded lineup for 2024, and it features Doja Cat, Lana Del Rey, Tyler the Creator and No Doubt as headliners. K-pop fans can also look forward to the event as several K-pop groups will also be gracing the stage alongside these huge acts! High-octane boy group Ateez, trendy girl group Le Sserafim and pop rock band The Rose will perform at Coachella 2024 this April. Are you looking forward to this lineup?

Sistar19 makes a triumphant comeback with No More (Ma Boy)

Speaking of long-awaited comebacks, the Sistar fandom had a real treat on 16 January. Known as Sistar19, the subunit consists of Hyolyn and Bora and was popular for hits such as Gone Not Around Any Longer and Ma Boy. Despite Sistar disbanding in 2017, both members showed off their strong friendship and returned with new music after seven years! Serving as an extension to Ma Boy, No More (Ma Boy) features a catchy hook and a punchy bass line befitting the femme fatales.

Parasite director Bong Joon Ho calls for a probe into Lee Sun Kyun’s case

The tragic death of actor Lee Sun Kyun on 27 December 2023 shocked many in South Korea and around the world. Since October, the actor, who was best known for his role in Parasite, had been called into questioning by police for drug use allegations. While Lee denied using drugs and claimed he was being blackmailed, the police and South Korean media did not stop in their pursuit of the actor, which caused immense pressure and psychological stress on him and his family. Ultimately, Lee ended his life just after Christmas and left behind his wife and two sons. 

On 12 January, a group of South Korean filmmakers, industry officials and actors, including Parasite director Bong Joon Ho, held a press conference in Seoul to call for an investigation into the conduct of the police force and media in handling Lee’s drug abuse allegations. Despite several drug tests coming out negative, newspapers citing police officials detailing private information caused Lee’s reputation to further plummet in the eyes of the general public. Just before his death, Lee was also questioned by the police for 19 hours straight. 

“We call for a fact-finding probe into whether there were any security problems regarding the police investigation,” Bong stated, reading a statement signed by over 2,000 artists and 29 industry associations. He also shared concerns over security violations and leaks of unverified information that led to Lee’s character assassination. Currently, the Incheon chief of police has denied any violations.

For more K-pop news, head here.