Each week, GRAZIA Singapore brings you the latest happenings in pop culture. And boy, has this week been a big one. With major drama coming from the management rift between HYBE and ADOR, as well as a couple of fun events happening all over Asia, this week was definitely action-packed. Ahead, we give you the must-know details, so you don’t fall behind on the latest happenings in pop culture.
NIKI’s New Song ‘Too Much Of A Good Thing’
One of our favourite Southeast Asian music queens is finally releasing new music! NIKI, the Indonesian songstress under the Asia label 88Rising is set to make a comeback on 3 May with the track ‘Too Much Of A Good Thing’. The 25-year-old last released her single ‘24’ in Janaury this year, but fans of the singer-songwriter have been eagerly awaiting a new release since. Aside from the exciting new development on the music front, we’re also loving NIKI’s bold eyeliner look that she chose for the cover art of ‘Too Much Of A Good Thing’.
The Fiasco Between HYBE and ADOR
This past week or so, a major media storm has been brewing over the K-pop world. The big dispute stems from HYBE (the major music label that houses BTS, Le Sserafim and ILLIT), and its subsidiary label ADOR, which directly overlooks and manages NewJeans’s activities. Min Hee-jin, the CEO of ADOR, initially claimed that ILLIT had copied NewJeans’s Y2K, girl-next-door concept, causing HYBE to believe that Min wanted to gain control of ADOR, and take charge of NewJeans.
The issue now, however, has escalated beyond the alleged copying, leading netizens and fans around the world to wonder if these complications in management will impact the future of NewJeans, who just debuted in 2022. Min purportedly accused HYBE of mistreating the members of NewJeans, further fuelling rumours that Min has intentions of managing NewJeans directly under ADOR, sans HYBE. HYBE also dropped a bombshell of a report, that indicated Min made major management decisions based on advice from a shaman.
In spite of the ongoing problems with NewJeans’s management, the quintet has been steadily posting teaser images for their upcoming songs, ‘How Sweet’ and ‘Bubblegum’. The images show the girls taking on a retro concept, with fans especially loving Danielle’s new voluminous hair, a fresh departure from the girl group’s previous more natural styling choices.
NewJeans’s Danielle and Park Bo-gum At Celine’s Newest Flagship Store
Luxury house Celine just unveiled its newest flagship destination in Taiwan this week. Gracing the opening of the store was NewJeans’s Danielle—who was recently minted as a global ambassador for the house—as well as actor Park Bo-gum. Both the stars were, as one would expect, glamorously dressed from head to toe in Celine. The store’s design, furniture and collection of art pieces was curated by Hedi Slimane, the brand’s creative director.
Chanel Beauty’s Pop-Up In Seoul
Over in Seoul, Chanel Beauty launched its Nuit Blanche Pop-up in Seongsu, the up-and-coming district in Korea’s capital city. Celebrating the French’s house’s Rouge Allure Velvet Nuit Blanche new launch were many major Korean stars. Amongst the A-listers we spotted were Chanel global ambassador Minji from NewJeans, Seventeen’s Hoshi, Red Velvet’s Seulgi and Stray Kids’s Seungmin.
The Chanel pop-up in Seoul will run from 29 April to 26 May, so if you’re in town, you can pop by to grab some goodies for yourself!
Irene’s Solo Exhibition: 1 Page of Irene
Red Velvet’s Irene is holding her first photo exhibition, titled 1 Page Of Irene. Irene, the oldest member of the K-pop girl group, is known among fans and netizens for her stunning visuals. Naturally, a lot of excitement has been drummed up for the exhibition that will showcase Irene’s timeless beauty. The exhibition will be open to the public starting today, till 6 May. The best part? Entrance to the exhibition is free!
If you’re like us though (and by that, we mean stuck in Singapore), you can still experience part of 1 Page Of Irene, a photobook with three different versions will be available for purchase, including unreleased photos of Irene not included in the exhibition. That way, you can still participate in some of the exhibition fun in Singapore.
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