SEOUL - BTS has notched 1.8 billion views on YouTube for the first time with the music video for “Dynamite”, according to Big Hit Music on Feb 23.

The disco pop tune was released in August 2020 as a digital single. It is the septet’s first English-language song and debuted atop Billboard’s Hot 100, a first for a K-pop act. The single topped the main songs chart three weeks and stayed on the chart for 32 weeks in total. It also earned the band a Grammy nomination, another first in K-pop history.

The upbeat song had been streamed 700 million times in Japan as of April 2023, according to Oricon. It is the second-ever song to achieve the feat, and the first by an international artist.

Treasure tops Oricon chart with 3rd Japan EP

Boy band Treasure placed its third EP in Japan, “Reboot – JP Special Selection” atop Oricon’s daily album rankings, according to YG Entertainment on Feb 23.

All the albums the band has released in the country have landed at No. 1 on the chart.

The new album, released Feb 21, consists of six tracks – lead single “Let It Burn” as well as Japanese-language versions of hit songs such as “Bona Bona,” which fronted its second studio album “Reboot.”

The 11-member act is in the middle of its second Japan tour and performed in Hiroshima on Feb 23, before wrapping it up in Kanagawa on March 2 and 3. In May, the group will start touring South-east Asia, visiting five cities for eight concerts.

Pentagon’s Wooseok to drop solo single

Wooseok of boy group Pentagon will put out a solo single on Feb 24, agency Undefined Entertainment said Feb 23.

“Empty Paper” will include the main track “Navy Blue” and B-side track “Sketch.” In the first song, he compares how he stays positive to the bluish sky right before the sun rises, regardless of how dark unknown days are. The second captures the anxiety and confusion of youth, doubting one’s own ability to fully realise potential.

He will perform both songs for the first time in front of fans at his first solo fan meetup in Seoul on Feb 24.

The musician debuted as the main rapper of Pentagon in October 2016. He signed with his current agency in January after the contract with Cube Entertainment expired after seven years.

Seventeen’s S.Coups, Junghan to return

S.Coups and Junghan will rejoin the band’s activities starting next week, agency Pledis Entertainment said Feb 23.

The leader of the 13-piece group has been recuperating from knee surgery since August 2023, while Junghan had ankle surgery in December 2023. Both were given the green light to resume recently, according to the management firm, which has asked fans to understand that there may be some restraints in their performance for the time being.

Both will participate in the band’s concert in Incheon next week, which will mark the beginning of its encore tour Follow Again that is to resume in Japan, in Osaka and Kanagawa, in May.

Meanwhile, the band dropped a “workout” remix of megahit song “Super,” the focus track from 10th EP “FML,” last week to celebrate the “birthday” of its official fandom community. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK