Mnet’s “Boys Planet” is off to a buzzy start!

In its first week on air, the new idol audition show debuted at the top of Good Data Corporation’s weekly list of the non-drama TV shows that generated the most buzz over the past week. The company determines each week’s rankings by analyzing data from news articles, blog posts, online communities, videos, and social media posts about non-drama TV shows that are currently airing or set to air soon.

After airing its premiere on February 2, “Boys Planet”—the male version of “Girls Planet 999,” which gave rise to the project girl group Kep1er—debuted at No. 1 on the list of most buzzworthy non-drama TV shows.

Meanwhile, “The Glory” star Jung Sung Il topped this week’s rankings of the most buzzworthy non-drama TV appearances after guesting on tvN’s “You Quiz on the Block.”

BIGBANG’s Taeyang took No. 2 in the rankings for his appearance on MBC’s “The Manager,” which rose to No. 8 on the list of most buzzworthy shows this week.

MBC’s “Home Alone” (“I Live Alone”), which climbed to No. 4 on the list of most buzzworthy shows, also swept four out of this week’s top 10 appearances: Jun Hyun Moo shot to No. 4, followed by BTOB’s Changsub at No. 7, SHINee’s Key at No. 9, and Girls’ Generation‘s Taeyeon at No. 10.

The top 10 non-drama TV shows that generated the most buzz in the first week of February are as follows:

1. Mnet “Boys Planet”
2. TV Chosun “Mister Trot 2”
3. ENA PLAY/SBS Plus “I Am Solo”
4. MBC “Home Alone” (“I Live Alone”)
5. tvN “You Quiz on the Block”
6. SBS “Running Man”
7. JTBC “Win or Nothing” (“Strongest Baseball”)
8. MBC “The Manager”
9. MBN “Fire Trot”
10. JTBC “Knowing Bros” (“Ask Us Anything”)

Meanwhile, the top 10 non-drama TV appearances that generated the most buzz this week are as follows:

1. Jung Sung Il (“You Quiz on the Block”)
2. BIGBANG’s Taeyang (“The Manager”)
3. Park Seo Jin (“Mister Trot 2”)
4. Jun Hyun Moo (“Home Alone”)
5. Kim Sung Geun (“Win or Nothing”)
6. Park Si Eun (“Same Bed, Different Dreams 2 – You Are My Destiny”)
7. BTOB’s Changsub (“Home Alone”)
8. Jin Tae Hyun (“Same Bed, Different Dreams 2 – You Are My Destiny”)
9. SHINee’s Key (“Home Alone”)
10. Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon (“Home Alone”)

Check out the first two episodes of “Boys Planet” with subtitles here…

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…or watch Taeyang on “The Manager” here…

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…and catch up on “Home Alone” below!

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The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this month’s brand reputation rankings for male idol groups!

The rankings were determined through an analysis of the consumer participation, media coverage, interaction, and community indexes of various boy groups, using big data collected from January 11 to February 11.

BTS topped the list for the 57th consecutive month with a brand reputation index of 7,030,932 for February. High-ranking phrases in the group’s keyword analysis included “concert film,” “J-Hope,” and “Billboard,” while their highest-ranking related terms included “release,” “surpass,” and “misfire.” BTS’s positivity-negativity analysis also revealed a score of 80.73 percent positive reactions.

SEVENTEEN rose to second place for the month with a brand reputation index of 4,382,675, marking a 21.91 percent increase in their score since January.

Meanwhile, NCT took third place for February with a brand reputation index of 3,827,415.

EXO climbed to fourth place with a brand reputation index of 3,075,852, marking a 9.62 percent increase in their score since last month.

Finally, BIGBANG rounded out the top five after enjoying a 63.16 percent rise in their brand reputation index since January. The group’s total score for February came out to 2,638,578.

Check out the top 30 for this month below!

1. BTS
2. SEVENTEEN
3. NCT
4. EXO
5. BIGBANG
6. TXT
7. Super Junior
8. THE BOYZ
9. MONSTA X
10. SHINee
11. Stray Kids
12. ASTRO
13. BTOB
14. ENHYPEN
15. TREASURE
16. WINNER
17. INFINITE
18. VIXX
19. ONF
20. PENTAGON
21. ATEEZ
22. SF9
23. Highlight
24. Wanna One
25. VERIVERY
26. 2PM
27. TVXQ
28. CRAVITY
29. GOT7
30. Block B

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Circle Chart (formerly known as Gaon Chart) has revealed its latest monthly and weekly chart rankings!

Monthly Album Chart

TXT topped the physical album chart for January with their latest mini album “The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION,” which debuted at No. 1 despite having been released just a few days before the end of the month (on January 27). The mini album also previously debuted at No. 1 on the weekly album chart.

NewJeans’ single album “OMG” claimed two out of the top five spots this month: the regular version of the album debuted at No. 2, while the Weverse version charted separately at No. 5.

NCT 127’s new repackaged album “Ay-Yo” made an impressive debut at No. 3 (despite having only been released on January 30), and MONSTA X’s latest mini album “REASON” entered the chart at No. 4.

Weekly Album Chart

NCT 127 achieved a triple crown this week, topping the physical album chart, overall digital chart, and digital download chart with their repackaged album “Ay-Yo” and its title track of the same name.

“Ay-Yo” claimed two of the top three spots on this week’s album chart: not only did the regular version of the album debut at No. 1, but the SMC version of the album also entered the chart separately at No. 3.

TXT’s “The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION” stayed strong at No. 2, while VIVIZ’s new mini album “VarioUS” debuted at No. 4.

Finally, two months after its release in November, ITZY’s latest mini album “CHESHIRE” shot back up to No. 5 on this week’s chart.

Monthly Digital Chart + Streaming Chart

NewJeans earned a triple crown for the month after their smash hit “Ditto” topped the overall digital chart, the streaming chart, and the Global K-Pop chart for January. To add to that achievement, NewJeans’ latest title track “OMG” swept the No. 2 spot on all three charts as well.

The top five songs on the overall digital chart and the streaming chart were exactly the same for January: “Ditto” came in at No. 1, “OMG” at No. 2, Younha’s “Event Horizon” at No. 3, NewJeans’ “Hype Boy” at No. 4, and LE SSERAFIM’s “ANTIFRAGILE” at No. 5.

Weekly Digital Chart

NCT 127 topped this week’s overall digital chart with their new title track “Ay-Yo,” which debuted at No. 1.

NewJeans swept the next three spots on the chart, with “Ditto” at No. 2, “OMG” at No. 3, and “Hype Boy” at No. 4.

Finally, Younha’s “Event Horizon” rounded out the top five for the week.

Weekly Streaming Chart

The top five songs on this week’s streaming chart were exactly the same as last week. NewJeans swept the top three spots on the chart, with “Ditto” remaining No. 1, followed by “OMG” at No. 2 and “Hype Boy” at No. 3. Younha’s “Event Horizon” held onto its spot at No. 4, trailed by LE SSERAFIM’s “ANTIFRAGILE” at No. 5.

Monthly Download Chart

BIGBANG’s Taeyang’s solo track “VIBE” (featuring BTS’s Jimin) debuted at No. 1 on the digital download chart for January.

NewJeans’ “OMG” entered the chart at No. 2, followed by NCT 127’s “Ay-Yo” at No. 3, “Ditto” at No. 4, and MONSTA X’s “Beautiful Liar” at No. 5.

Weekly Download Chart

NCT 127’s “Ay-Yo” entered this week’s digital download chart at No. 1, while TXT’s new title track “Sugar Rush Ride” climbed to No 2.

Kim Ho Joong and Song Ga In’s hit collab “With you” stayed strong at No. 3, followed by Lim Young Woong’s “London Boy” and “Polaroid” at No. 4 and No. 5 respectively.

Monthly Global K-Pop Chart

NewJeans claimed the top three spots on this month’s Global K-Pop Chart (which is based on global streaming). “Ditto” continued its reign at No. 1, trailed by “OMG” at No. 2 and “Hype Boy” at No. 3.

LE SSERAFIM’s “ANTIFRAGILE” came in at No. 4 for January, while Taeyang and Jimin’s hit collab “VIBE” entered the monthly chart at No. 5.

Weekly Global K-Pop Chart

The top five songs on this week’s Global K-Pop Chart were exactly the same as the top five on the monthly chart, except “OMG” ranked No. 1 and “Ditto” No. 2.

Monthly Social Chart

BLACKPINK defended their position at No. 1 on this month’s social chart, while NewJeans rose to No. 2.

BTS ranked No. 3 for January, trailed by Choi Yu Ree at No. 4 and Lim Young Woong at No. 5.

Weekly Social Chart

The top four artists on the monthly and weekly social charts were exactly the same: BLACKPINK came in at No. 1, NewJeans at No. 2, BTS at No. 3, and Choi Yu Ree at No. 4.

Finally, TWICE rounded out the top five on this week’s chart.

Congratulations to all of the artists!

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Circle Chart (formerly known as Gaon Chart) has announced its latest batch of official certifications!

In 2018, the Korea Music Content Industry Association implemented a new certification system for album sales, song downloads, and online streaming.

On February 9, Circle Chart announced its latest album and streaming certifications. Albums are certified platinum at 250,000 sales and certified million once they reach a million copies sold.

SEVENTEEN’s fourth album “Face the Sun” was officially given a triple million certification after surpassing 3 million copies sold. Another million certification was awarded to NCT DREAM for their latest winter special mini album “Candy.”

A triple platinum certification was given to ATEEZ for their 2021 release “ZERO : FEVER Part.3” after reaching 750,000 copies sold. Four albums from 2022 additionally earned platinum certifications, including “New Jeans” (Weverse) by NewJeans, “SPIN OFF : FROM THE WITNESS” by ATEEZ, “SMCU PALACE” by SMTOWN, and “Candy” (SMC) by NCT DREAM.

For streaming, songs are certified platinum once they surpass 100 million streams.

This month, only three songs were given new platinum certifications. Going double platinum with over 200 million streams was BOL4’s 2018 track “Travel.” “I will be your shining star” by Song I Han and “Flower Road” by BIGBANG both earned million certifications with 100 million streams each.

Congratulations to all the artists!

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The Seoul Jazz Festival has announced this year’s lineup!

The 15th annual festival will be held in May for three days. In celebration of the festival’s 15th anniversary, organizer Private Curve commented, “Around 60 teams of the top Korean and international artists are set to perform.”

The Day 1 lineup for May 26 includes Crush, AKMU, Mika, Gregory Porter, Conor Maynard, and more, while Day 2 features BIGBANG’s Taeyang, Epik High, Christopher, Max, Sergio Mendes, Robert Glasper, and more. On the third and final day, the performers include Jung Seung Hwan, Damien Rice, Chris Botti, Sigrid, and many more.

Check out the full lineup below!

The 15th annual Seoul Jazz Festival will be held from May 26 to 28 at Olympic Park.

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The K-pop scene is an industry that never sleeps. With every generation comes a generous amount of singles and albums that fuel our K-pop playlists as well as a set of hits that are simply timeless. Whether it’s the chorus, the melody, the choreography, or the entire song, these jams make way for their longevity and still claim their popularity in the present time.

Celebrating their powerful success and presence, here is a glimpse of K-pop songs that will forever be in vogue.

Super Junior – “Sorry Sorry”

Super Junior’s style was ahead of its time when this song released, and haunting is one way to describe it. The members’ rhythmic dancing, recurrent lyrics, and charisma are something to appeal to old fans and new audiences alike.

Girls’ Generation – “Gee”

Nothing stays stuck in your head like a catchy chorus that keeps repeating again and again. This hit by Girls’ Generation was certainly a second-generation bop, and the key point dance is just as fun as it is easy to reproduce.

BIGBANG – “BANG BANG BANG”

BIGBANG is undoubtedly a king of their generation, and their hits reign timelessly. Although choosing one representative song for this group is impossible, “BANG BANG BANG” is my pick as the group’s transcending presence as singers, rappers, dancers, and full-on performers.

SHINee – “Ring Ding Dong”

How do you make a song live forever? It’s a two-ingredient recipe: first, be SHINee, and second, write an earworm-worthy song. Whisk your mix, and you’ll get yourself a track that will definitely outlive K-pop as we know it.

GOT7 – “Just right”

Just like most K-pop groups, GOT7 experiments with many styles. Dedicating a song to their female fans about self-love and self-acceptance is a new level of leaving your mark in the industry. The music video definitely makes it memorable no matter how old the track gets.

2NE1 – “I AM THE BEST”

Do you know what else stands the test of time in the music industry? Epic anthems. 2NE1 has a bunch under their belt, but “I AM THE BEST” is a song that keeps popping up time and again. It takes exactly one watch and listen to understand why.

PSY – “GANGNAM STYLE”

This title itself is self-introductory. PSY’s style has always been one to be in vogue, and it is safe to say he has succeeded in doing so more than any K-pop artist. This is basically a homage to the hit song that catapulted him to international stardom.

EXO – “CALL ME BABY”

“CALL ME BABY” is that song that makes you jam and wonder: who is behind this masterpiece, and where can I listen to more? Well, it’s fair to say that EXO brought their A-game in this hypnotizing performance that is simply one for the books.

TREASURE – “DARARI”

Close your eyes, listen, and embrace the feels. Yes, this song went viral because of a TikTok dance challenge, and it’s well-deserved. Whether you jam to the original B-side or the remix, know that this sound will always be playing in the back of your head—for life.

BTS – “Blood Sweat & Tears”

BTS’s discography is rich, but when this bop dropped, the K-pop world crumbled. No one expected the septet to come up with a concept that not only shattered hearts (in a good way) but also created a creative dent in the industry, thus giving the group international exposure.

TWICE – “TT”

They came, they performed, and they conquered. Such is TWICE’s signature since their debut, but perhaps this is their most viral track to date. Cute lyrics meet an even cuter choreography that sure would give “TT” the acknowledgment and longevity it deserves.

Stray Kids – “God’s Menu”

A chaotic concept is always welcome in the music scene, and when it’s served by Stray Kids, you know you’re in for a good time. The best part is when the whole song crescendoes only to drop (hearts) with Felix’s slick rap verse. If you know, you know.

BLACKPINK – “BOOMBAYAH”

Meet BLACKPINK. The popular quartet managed to turn heads with their first track ever. Innocent meets badass on all levels: visual, lyrical, and performative. While their entire discography checks all the boxes, “BOOMBAYAH” takes the throne.

(G)I-DLE – “HANN(Alone)”

When (G)I-DLE entered the K-pop industry, it was clear that they would change the game. The group is quite involved in their music, but their single “HANN” has this enchanting je ne sais quoi that makes it a lifetime soundtrack that deserves a mention.

Which other K-pop songs do you think will forever be in vogue? Let us know in the comments below!

Esmee L. is a Moroccan lively dreamer, writer, and Hallyu enthusiast. She recently published her debut poetry collection “Scribbles of an INFJ: A Journey into Healing” on Amazon. Say hi to her on Instagram!

Circle Chart (formerly known as Gaon Chart) has revealed its chart rankings for the week of January 22 to 28!

Album Chart

The latest album chart was dominated entirely by new releases. Debuting in No. 1 and No. 2 was TXT’s latest album “The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION.” Although the album was only released on January 27, its end-of-week sales total was an impressive 1,861,109 copies!

In third place was SM Entertainment’s agency-wide winter album “SMCU PALACE (Nemo),” followed by Super Junior’s Yesung’s first studio album “Sensory Flows” in No. 4. Entering the chart at No. 5 was Lee Seung Yoon’s new release “Shelter of Dreams.”

Download Chart

Similar to the album chart, this week’s download chart was mostly full of new entries. On top was Kim Ho Joong and Song Ga In’s new collaboration track “With you,” followed by Lee Seung Yoon’s “Shelter of Dreams” debuting in No. 2.

TXT’s latest title track “Sugar Rush Ride” debuted at No. 3 and last week’s No. 1 “VIBE” by BIGBANG’s Taeyang featuring BTS’s Jimin came in at No. 4. Rounding out this week’s top five was Kim Ho Joong’s “Meet you among them.”

Digital Chart + Streaming Chart

For the last week of January, Circle’s digital and streaming charts were identical!

NewJeans swept the top spots with “Ditto” and “OMG” maintaining their positions at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. The group continued their domination with “Hype Boy” regaining its No. 3 position on both charts.

Younha’s viral hit “Event Horizon” ranked in No. 4 while “ANTIFRAGILE” by LE SSERAFIM came in fifth.

Global K-Pop Chart

For the seventh consecutive week, NewJeans snagged the top spot on more than one Circle weekly chart. This week, the group earned a triple crown with their success on the digital, streaming, and global K-pop chart!

Keeping in line with the other rankings, NewJeans dominated the top two positions on the global K-pop chart with “Ditto” and “OMG.” They also maintained a third entry on this chart with “Hype Boy” staying strong at No. 4.

Climbing 12 spots was TWICE’s new pre-release English single “MOONLIGHT SUNRISE,” which landed in No. 3 this week. Closing out the top five was Taeyang and Jimin’s “VIBE.”

Social Chart

The social chart saw little change this week with BLACKPINK maintaining their top position. NewJeans stayed strong at No. 2, followed by BTS and Choi Yu Ree. The one change on this week’s chart was TWICE climbing three ranks to enter the top five.

Congratulations to all the artists!

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