Last week was quite a rollercoaster. The UAE iTunes charts reigned with new and top-quality K-Pop music from much-anticipated returns of boy groups.
Last Monday, JYP Entertainment’s rookie group Stray Kids came back with third EP, I am YOU, which was co-written by members Changbin, Bang Chan, and Han. The newcomer’s seven-song album managed to enter the Top 10 of the UAE iTunes Top Albums chart by debuting at No 3. It follows two of this year’s thematic EPs — I am NOT and I am WHO — that deals with the Stray Kids’ exploration of self-identity.
Known for their masculine appeal and hip-hop dance numbers, Monsta X’s full-length album also made an appearance the same day and took the No 4 with Take.1 Are You There?. With the support of their local fans, Monbebes, it climbed to third place the following day. The seven member’s second full-length album explores two opposing themes, light and darkness, life and death, and good and evil, just in time for Halloween.
Also, seen on the local chart was none other than BTS. The band refuses to stop delivering for their fans, aka ARMY, time and time again. BTS and Steve Aoki surprised fans with their third collaboration track, Waste it On Me, on Thursday. With the massive fan base within the region, the group’s first English song, which will be featured in the American DJ and music producer’s upcoming album, Neon Future III, unsurprisingly, entered No 1 on the iTunes songs chart. RM, the group’s leader, also gifted ARMYs with his second mixtape mono and it was nothing short of amazing. RM’s mono instantly soared to the top of the iTunes albums chart in over 88 countries — including the UAE — last Tuesday, and broke the record set by his group’s Love Yourself: Tear for most number one albums on the digital music store. Aside from it being free of charge, the seven-track mixtape — or playlist as dubbed by RM — strongly maintained its top spot for 3 straight days within the region. RM bared his soul in his new music and was not limited to showing his artistic musicality.
