A lot has happened last week. The remaining members of group B.A.P decided not to renew their contracts, ‘SKY Castle’ co-stars Kim Bo Ra and Jo Byeong Gyu revealed to be an item, rookie group ATEEZ announced their first Europe tour, Jason Derulo and K-Pop sensations NCT 127 and EXO’s Lay released a Michael Jackson tribute single ‘Let’s Shut Up & Dance’, and more.
Despite all that, we were blessed with new music from both K-Pop groups and soloists. These were the UAE’s favourite albums and EPs that took the number one spot on the local iTunes albums chart:
1. Monsta X
Monsta X is no doubt among the most anticipated K-Pop acts this year. Living up to their name, the boy group continues to gain international recognition with their powerful return that brims with confidence, power and intensity.
The global pop sensations came back with a second full-length album, ‘Take.2 We Are Here’, a follow up of last October’s ‘Take.1 Are You There?’.
Fronted by powerful dance track ‘Alligator’, the 10-track album, which includes a collaboration with two-time Grammy nominated DJ and Producer Steve Aoki, reflects the group’s artistic growth and features their distinct aggressive hip-hop attitude and powerful vocals.
The album also had an unstoppable wave of interest in the UAE. It soared to the top of the UAE iTunes chart the day of its release.
2. Loona
Loona’s comeback might have been their most exciting yet. Last Tuesday, the girls dropped repackaged album, ‘XX’, as a full group and it didn’t take long for them to occupy Monsta X’s spot on the local iTunes chart.
Loona showcased a different concept in their new music. In their title track “Butterfly’, the 12 girls are heard urging fans to ‘fly like a butterfly’, gain courage and find oneself.
Shot in France, China, the United States, Hong Kong, Iceland and Korea, Loona’s powerful music video for ‘Butterfly’ was widely praised for its diversity and representation of women from around the world.
Fans celebrated the group’s inspiring music video and the touching message behind it by trending #LOONA_BUTTERFLY worldwide on Twitter.
3. Tiffany Young
Tiffany Young released her first US EP ‘Lips on Lips’ on Friday and it was better than what we expected. The Korean-American singer is openly honest and authentic with introspective lyrics that it’s hard not to listen.
In the long-awaited five-track EP, Tiffany showcases a range of emotions and vocals as she delves into themes like beauty standards, rebirth, confidence, intimacy as well as self-awareness. Tracks include ‘Born Again’, ‘Lips on Lips’, ‘The Flower’, ‘Not Barbie’ and ‘Runaway’, which features Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer Babyface.
Widely known as a member of hugely successful K-Pop Girls’ Generation, the solo singer-songwriter boasts a large dedicated fan base all across the globe and the UAE is no different. It wasn’t long till her emotional EP charted high on the UAE iTunes Top Albums chart.
