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[Today’s K-pop] Kep1er to disband after 2 1/2 years: report

By Hwang You-mee

Published : April 25, 2024 - 17:37

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(Credit: WakeOne/Swing Entertainment) (Credit: WakeOne/Swing Entertainment)

Project girl group Kep1er will not extend its term beyond July, when it is due to end, according to a local media report on Thursday.

The nine members will go separate ways when the group project ends but not before releasing an album and hosting a concert, it added. Management companies of the members – WakeOne and Swing -- gathered once last year to discuss continuing on as Kep1er but did not reach a decision.

WakeOne Entertainment said that it is still in talks with the other agency as well as the members, following the report.

The multinational group was formed through survival audition show “Girls Planet 999: The Girls Saga.” It debuted with EP “First Impact” in January 2022 and released four more mini albums in Korea and three singles in Japan.

Its first full album in Japan “Kep1going” will be dropped on May 8.

Purple Kiss to begin tour in June

(Credit: RBW Entertainment) (Credit: RBW Entertainment)

Purple Kiss uploaded Thursday a poster for an international tour beginning June 2.

The six members will visit 18 cities in total -- seven in the US, nine in Canada and two in Japan -- for the tour named after its sixth EP “BXX.” The album title tweaked “F” from an initialism of “best friends forever” to “X” signifying the strong bond among the teammates. The EP came out in March and they turned into “hip villains” taking a leap from its signature fresh teen images.

The group debuted as a seven-member act in 2021 with EP “Into Violet” but Park Jieun left in 2023 due to anxiety issues.

Le Sserafim logs 100m Spotify streams with ‘Easy’

(Credit: Source Music) (Credit: Source Music)

Le Sserafim added “Easy” to its list of songs with over 100 million Spotify plays, agency Source Music said Thursday.

It is the group’s ninth song to reach the milestone, right on the heel of “Smart” that did so one day earlier. Both songs are from its third EP “Easy” that hit No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for five weeks straight. The titular track debuted on its Hot 100 at No. 99 and is the quintet's first entry on the chart. The EP also topped Oricon’s daily, weekly and weekly combined album rankings.

Meanwhile, the group will host fan meetup in Seoul on May 11-12 before greeting fans in Japan at its first fan meeting in the country touring four cities between late June and July.

N.Flying to hold 1st concert in Seoul

(Credit: FNC Entertainment) (Credit: FNC Entertainment)

Boy band N.Flying will host its first standalone concert in Seoul on June 8-9, agency FNC Entertainment said Thursday.

In the poster the two members – Lee Seunghyub and Yoo Hweseung -- pose like hiding in a den suggesting the theme of the upcoming concert, “Hide-Out,” where they will have a blast in the secret place full of their songs.

The duo had a Christmas concert last year after traveling Hong Kong, Taipei and Macao from June to August.

N.Flying debuted in 2021 with four members and Yoo joined in 2017 after participating in the second season of the audition program “Produce 101.” Three other members are currently serving their military duties.

In the meantime, Lee is appearing in drama series “Lovely Runner” that premiered earlier this month. Lee and Yoo also participated in the original soundtrack of the drama.