BINI Run Mun held in Alabang

BY JONATHAN HICAP

Jan 19, 2025 05:01 PM

  

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P-pop girl group BINI spearheaded their BINI Run Mun on Jan. 19 at the Filinvest City events grounds in Alabang, Muntinlupa. 

Thousands of people, including Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon, gathered at the assembly area before the gun time at 6 a.m. 

“This is part of our fitness training for our BINIverse World Tour 2025 Philippines,” BINI told the crowd. The tour will be held on Feb. 15 at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan. 

BINI at their BINI Run Mun on Jan. 19 in Alabang, Muntinlupa (Photos: Muntinlupa City government, Mayor Ruffy Biazon)

Biazon thanked the organizers of the BINI Run Mun. 

“This is the last activity before BINI kicks off their world tour so gawin natin itong parang send-off para sa kanila. Let’s start with this and we want to see BINI be successful worldwide. Congratulations to everyone,” the mayor said. 

BINI garnered multiple achievements in 2024. 

At the 9th P-Pop Music Awards, BINI  won Artist of the Year, Song of the Year for “Pantropiko,” Album of the Year for “Talaarawan,” Music Video of the Year for “Salamin, Salamin,” Concert of the Year for “Grand BINIverse,” Production Design in a Music Video for “Salamin, Salamin” and Favorite Streamed Artist.  

They won Best Asia Act at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards.  

BINI bagged the the No. 1 spot on Google’s top trending search for female personalities in the Philippines in 2024.  The music video for “Salamin, Salamin” also topped the trending music videos in the country for 2024. 

Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon and other participants at the BINI Run Mun on Jan. 19 in Alabang, Muntinlupa (Photos: Muntinlupa City government, Mayor Ruffy Biazon)

Rosé sets Guinness World Records titles with viral ‘APT.” song

BY JONATHAN HICAP

Jan 14, 2025 08:31 AM 

Guinness World Records announced that BLACKPINK member Rosé set new titles with her viral song “APT.” featuring Bruno Mars. 

Rosé released “APT.” on Oct. 18 last year, which went viral. The song is the main track of her first studio album “Rosie” that was released in December. 

Guinness World Records said Rosé achieved the record for “the first female K-pop artist to enter the Billboard Radio Songs Top 10 after it climbed to No.10.”  

Rosé (X)

Rosé and Bruno Mars (X)

“Interestingly, Rosé is the second member of the K-pop girlband to enter the Radio Songs chart. She follows in the footsteps of her bandmate Jennie, who reached No.48 with her “One of the Girls” collab with The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp, who starred together in TV drama The Idol,” Guinness World Records wrote.  

In addition, “Rosie” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. With this, Rosé set the record for the “highest-charting female K-pop artist on the US albums chart.”

“Her album made its way into the Top 5 after racking up the equivalent of 102,000 album units,” Guinness World Records noted. 

BLACKPINK and the members, on the other hand, set several Guinness World Record titles. 

According to Guinness World Records, these are: 

- Most subscribers for a band on YouTube – 93.8 million as of May 2024

- First K-pop group to reach No.1 on the UK albums chart (female) – with Born Pink 

- First K-pop group to reach No.1 on the US albums chart (female) – with Born Pink

- Most viewed music channel on YouTube (group) - 30.151 billion views as of April 2023

- Most streamed female group on Spotify – 13.09 billion streams as of May 2024

- First winner of Best Metaverse Performance at the MTV Video Music Awards

- First solo K-pop winner at the MTV Video Music Awards – Lisa with “LALISA”

- First solo K-pop winner at the MTV Europe Music Awards – Lisa

- Most followers on Instagram for a K-pop artist – Lisa with 90.7 million as of March 2023

- Most viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours by a solo K-pop artist – Lisa with 73.6 million views for “LALISA”

- First K-pop track by a solo artist to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify – Lisa with “MONEY”

- First album by a solo K-pop artist to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify – Lisa with LALISA

- Most views of a new music video release from a solo artist in 24 hours on YouTube - Lisa with “LALISA”

- First artist to reach No.1 on a Billboard Global chart as a soloist and as part of a group – Rosé with BLACKPINK’s “Lovesick Girls” and her own “On the Ground”

- Fastest solo K-pop artist to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify (female) – Lisa

K-pop group GFriend releases lead single ‘Season of Memories’ ahead of album

BY JONATHAN HICAP

Jan 6, 2025 02:54 PM 

K-pop group GFriend, composed of Sowon, Yerin, Eunha, Yuju, Sinb and Umji, released their newest lead single "Season of Memories" on Jan. 6. 

The pre-released track is from their upcoming special album “Season of Memories” scheduled to be released on Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. KST to celebrate their 10th debut anniversary.

GFriend (Source Music)

"Season of Memories" reflects on GFriend’s remarkable journey, delivering the heartfelt message that the songs they have sung and the seasons they have shared will forever be etched in their memories. 

The lyrics—“We came round and round and met again in time,” “Connected as one / Engraved as one / Within our kind season / We will stay together forever”—resonate powerfully, leaving a lasting impact. 

With its uplifting melody and dynamic progression, "Season of Memories" showcases GFriend’s signature emotive style, seamlessly blending a sense of nostalgia with refreshing novelty.

In celebration of GFriend’s 10th debut anniversary, producers Wonjounglee and Noh Ju Hwan reunited with the group to create the special track, drawing from their successful collaborations that led to numerous hits, including “Time for the moon night,” “Sunrise,” and “Crossroads.” 

Shintaro Yasuda, known for his work with Ariana Grande, also lent his expertise to enhance the musical sophistication of "Season of Memories."

On Jan. 5, GFriend dazzled the stage at the 39th Golden Disk Awards held at Fukuoka PayPay Dome in Japan by performing their previous hits "Glass Bead," "Time for the moon night," and "Rough," leading up to the premiere performance of their new lead single "Season of Memories" and showcased the choreography teased in the 'PERFORMANCE PROFOLOGUE' video. 

On Jan. 6, they also revealed a 'MOOD FILM' on HYBE LABELS YouTube channel consisting of a highlight medley of the new lead single and the behind-the-scenes footage from their first concept photoshoot. 

GFriend members expressed their gratitude and heightened the anticipation for Season of Memories by saying "It’s hard to believe that 10 years have already passed. We put in a lot of effort for this comeback to share it with our fans, Buddy, and we hope it proves to be a rewarding gift."

GFriend (Source Music)

 

Local band performs Rosé, Bruno Mars’ ‘APT.’ in BGC

BY JONATHAN HICAP

Dec 24, 2024 05:50 PM 

Fans of K-pop star Rosé and Bruno Mars were treated to a pop-up performance of the hit song “APT.”  in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig on Dec. 21. 

The Banda San Jose from Las Piñas performed “APT.,” “Number One Girl” and “Toxic Till The End,” all included in Rosé’s debut studio album “Rosie.” 

Rosé (Todd Owyoung) 

Banda San Jose (Photos from Banda San Jose's Facebook account)

In addition, the Banda San Jose also performed Mars’ greatest hits like "Uptown Funk," "Just the Way You Are," and "Locked Out of Heaven.”

“APT.” has topped the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts for nine weeks. 

“The Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States,” according to Billboard. 

According to Warner Music Philippines, Rosé’ has set the record for the highest monthly listeners on Spotify by a K-pop artist,  

Mars has amassed over 120 million monthly listeners on Spotify, making him the number one artist in the world, it added. 

K-pop girl group Kiss of Life goes to Europe for first world tour

BY JONATHAN HICAP

Dec 20, 2024 01:31 PM 

K-pop girl group Kiss of Life announced the European leg of their first world tour “Kiss Road” that will start on Feb. 20 next year. 

The European and UK leg will kick off at The Alcatraz in Milan, Italy, following their sold-out North American tour. 

Kiss of Life will perform in 13 cities from February to March, with additional dates to be announced, promising to be a tour that fans won't want to miss featuring unforgettable performances, impressive stage production, and an extensive setlist.

Kiss of Life 

Tickets will go on sale on Dec. 19 at 10 a.m. local time HERE. 

“Kiss Road” in Europe Tour Stops

February 20 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz

February 21 – Zurich, Switzerland - Komplex 457

February 24 - Utrecht, Netherlands - TivoliVredenburg

February 26 - Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle

February 27 - Vienna, Austria - Gasometer 

March 1 - Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg - Rockhal

March 3 - Munich, Germany - Tonhalle

March 4 - Hamburg, Germany - Grosse Freiheit

March 6 - London, United Kingdom - Indigo at The 02

March 8 - Glasgow, United Kingdom - O2 Academy 

March 10 - Paris, France - Zénith

March 12 - Madrid, Spain - Palacio Vistalegre 

March 13 - Lisbon, Portugal - Campo Pequeno

Billboard reveals 10 highest-grossing K-pop tours in 2024

BY JONATHAN HICAP

Dec 19, 2024 11:47 AM 

Billboard unveiled the top 10 K-pop artists who grossed the highest from their concert tours in 2024. 

“Less than 10 years since the first K-pop group landed on the all-genre Top Tours chart (BigBang in 2015), Korean acts continue to expand their global footprint in arenas and stadiums worldwide. And with BTS and BLACKPINK both off-cycle, each of which has previously ranked among the top 10 regardless of genre, a slate of idol groups are scoring career-high grosses and a crop of newer acts making their first year-end chart entries,” according to Billboard. 

Based on the Billboard Boxscore charts, in 2024, the top 10 K-pop artists raked in  $329.2 million from tours. 

“Another caveat is that year-end Boxscore charts are based on reported figures. This affects all genres, but especially K-pop, as many artists have limited reporting, especially when it comes to shows in Asia,” the report added. 

The top 10 K-pop acts consisted of five boy bands and five female artists. The top 3 places were occupied by HYBE artists. 

The reported figures were based on shows worldwide from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024. 

Seventeen emerged as the No. 1 top-grossing K-pop act, raking in $98.4 million from 24 shows that sold 865,000 tickets. 

Seventeen (Pledis Entertainment)

ENHYPEN (X)

Tomorrow X Together (Pledis Entertainment)

ATEEZ (KQ Entertainment) 

TWICE (X)

ENHYPEN placed second, grossing $63 million from 36 shows with 407,000 tickets sold. They are No. 50 on the Boxscore All-Genre Chart. 

Tomorrow X Together grabbed third place with $58.1 million in gross from 26 shows and 453,000 tickets. They are No. 52 overall. 

Boy band ATEEZ under KQ Entertainment ranked fourth with $37.6 million in gross from 13 shows with 192,000 tickets sold. They ranked 83rd overall. 

Girl group TWICE of JYP Entertainment placed fifth with $24.2 million in gross with 220,000 tickets sold from five shows. 

Here are the 10 top-grossing K-pop tours in 2024 based on Billboard Boxscore year-end charts: 

1. SEVENTEEN

Gross: $98.4M

Attendance: 865,000 tickets

Shows: 24

All-Genre Rank: No. 31

 

2. ENHYPEN

Gross: $63M

Attendance: 407,000 tickets

Shows: 36

All-Genre Rank: No. 50

 

3. TOMORROW X TOGETHER

Gross: $58.1M

Attendance: 453,000 tickets

Shows: 26

All-Genre Rank: No. 52

 

4. ATEEZ

Gross: $37.6M

Attendance: 192,000 tickets

Shows: 13

All-Genre Rank: No. 83

 

5. TWICE

Gross: $24.2M

Attendance: 220,000 tickets

Shows: 5

All-Genre Rank: N/A

 

6. IU

Gross: $16.6M

Attendance: 92,600 tickets

Shows: 8

All-Genre Rank: N/A

 

7. IVE

Gross: $10.8M

Attendance: 92,900 tickets

Shows: 10

All-Genre Rank: N/A

 

8. NCT Dream

Gross: $7.8M

Attendance: 59,800 tickets

Shows: 8

All-Genre Rank: N/A

 

9. (G)I-DLE

Gross: $6.7M

Attendance: 46,500 tickets

Shows: 6

All-Genre Rank: N/A

 

10. ITZY

Gross: $6M

Attendance: 56,200 tickets

Shows: 8

All-Genre Rank: N/A

IU (X)

IVE (X/Mama)

NCT Dream (X)(G)I-DLE (X/Mama)

ITZY (X)