Pop Base: SEVENTEEN's Future Plans & K-Pop VMA Nominations

Welcome to Pop Base! As your best source for all things pop culture, check out our curated newsletters to stay up-to-date on your favorite celebs, entertainment news, award show coverage, chart updates, and much more.

SEVENTEEN’s World Tour, Comeback, & More

On August 5, 2024, SEVENTEEN's label, PLEDIS Entertainment, shared the group’s schedule for the remainder of 2024. In summary:

1. SEVENTEEN is working on their 12th mini-album, set to be released in October 2024.

2. The group is also scheduled to release a Japanese single album this year.

3. SEVENTEEN will embark on their world tour, “SEVENTEEN [RIGHT HERE]" with the Korea and Asia dates yet to be announced. However, PLEDIS has revealed the five stops for the U.S. leg: Chicago on October 22 and 23, Belmont Park on October 25 and 27, San Antonio on October 31 and November 1, Oakland Arena on November 5 and 6, and Los Angeles on November 9.

4. In addition to the world tour, due to SEVENTEEN's immense popularity in Japan, the group will also hold a separate dome tour in Japan at the end of the year.

(G)I-DLE’s Contract Renewal

On August 3, (G)I-DLE held a concert in Seoul as part of their 3rd world tour, "iDOL." During her solo performance of the song "Is this bad b****** number," (G)I-DLE’s leader and main rapper, Jeon Soyeon, added a new rap verse, stating, "F*ck it, the contract ends in November." This line left fans confused about the future of (G)I-DLE and their relationship with their label, CUBE Entertainment.

In response, CUBE Entertainment clarified: “The members’ contract renewals are scheduled for next year,” emphasizing that “Jeon Soyeon’s lyrics were purely part of the performance.”

On August 6, Soyeon addressed the situation on her now-deleted Instagram story, saying: “I didn’t write any lies or hide anything from the company. We rehearsed countless times in front of everyone and created the stage together. After working together for over 10 years, I don’t harbor negative feelings toward the company based on press articles alone. Words, if conveyed even slightly incorrectly, can alter the intended meaning. However, this situation seems to highlight our company’s inadequacy in responding to such matters.”

She concluded with a message to reassure her fans, "I will try harder so you never have to worry, NEVERLAND ((G)I-DLE’s fan club). I’m always sorry, thank you, and I love you."

MTV VMA (Video Music Awards) K-Pop Nominations

On August 6, 2024, MTV revealed the nominees for the 2024 VMAs, with multiple K-pop artists making the list. The nominees for Best K-Pop are Jungkook’s “Seven,” Lisa’s “ROCKSTAR,” NCT DREAM’s “Smoothie,” NewJeans’ “Super Shy,” Stray Kids’ “LALALALA,” and TXT’s “Deja Vu.”

In addition to her Best K-Pop nomination, BLACKPINK’s Lisa earned three more nominations for her latest hit, “ROCKSTAR”: Best Choreography, Best Art Direction, and Best Editing. LE SSERAFIM also received their first-ever VMA nomination for Push Performance of the Year for their hit song “EASY.”

The MTV Video Music Awards will air live on September 10, with voting ending on August 30. You can cast your vote here.

The More You Know:

• Fans often donate money for causes on their idol's birthday, but on August 8, SEVENTEEN and CARAT’s leader S.Coup’s birthday, S.coups took it a step further by donating 30 million won (approximately $21,000 USD) to the animal rescue group WeAct under the name of CARATS (SEVENTEEN's fandom). As a dog dad himself, S.coups is passionate about helping animals in need and has previously donated to WeAct and similar groups.

• "The people who created BTS (Bang Sihyuk, aka Hitman Bang) had this vision to take the 'K' out of K-pop and make it global." - Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE

  Geffen x HYBE's rookie global girl group, KATSEYE, will release their first-ever docu-series, "Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE," on Netflix on August 21. This 8-episode series showcases the rigorous training process of 20 young girls selected from 120,000 audition submissions worldwide to create KATSEYE.

• On August 2 it was announced that ASTRO’s Yoon San-Ha, OH MY GIRL’s Arin, Yoo Jung Hoo, and CHUU will star in the new rom-com 'My Girlfriend Is A Man.' Based on the webtoon "My Girlfriend is a Man" (originally '내 여자친구는 상남자') written by Masta, this K-drama revolves around Park Yoon Jae (played by Yoon San-Ha), whose girlfriend (Arin) turns into an attractive guy overnight.

• After ENHYPEN's Jay, TXT's Beomgyu, ILLIT's Wonhee, and NEWJEANS's Daniella and Hyein, another HYBE artist has sustained an injury. On August 9, HYBE's subsidiary & ILLIT's label, BELIFT LAB, issued a notice saying: "Moka sustained a leg muscle injury this week and has been advised by medical staff to rest. She will participate in ‘MUSIC EXPO’ on August 11 and ‘Music Core’ on August 12 but will remain seated on stage and not perform the choreography. We kindly ask for your understanding."

• 2PM's Chansung has joined the cast of the Japanese romance movie "Hold Me Tighter Than Anyone." Directed by Eiji Uchida, known for “Midnight Swan” and “Silent Love,” as well as the Netflix series “The Naked Director," "Hold Me Tighter Than Anyone" is based on Fuyuki Shindo's novel of the same name and will explore themes of overcoming struggles through the power of love.

Our Favorite Songs From Last Week

GOT7’s BamBam new 5-song album, BAMSIS was an experience, to say the least. Co-written and co-produced by BamBam himself, the album is a stunning blend of genres. While all five tracks are worth a listen, the title track "LAST PARADE" truly stands out. It opens with a ceremonial choir before quickly shifting to hip-hop, with an addictive beat. The minimal vocals and instrumental-heavy chorus are sure to stick in your head. Another standout track from the album is "Thank You Come Again." This low-tempo hip-hop song beautifully showcases BamBam's rap flow. However, since the song doesn't mention any features, we're still left wondering who the female vocals belong to.

“Save Me” by STUDIO J’s 6-piece band Xdinary Heroes—comprising Gunil, Jungsu, Gaon, O.de, Jun Han, and Jooyeon—is the perfect blend of pop, punk, and rock. Everything from the instruments to the vocals and ad-libs makes this song a must-have on everyone’s playlist.

ASTRO’s Yoon San-Ha's entire album “DUSK” is another great release from last week. Although the album has a mellow vibe throughout, San-Ha's beautiful vocals make every song memorable. This album is perfect for those who prefer quiet music and want to sit back and savor every note.

This Week's Comeback Schedule

Sunday, 11 August, 2024

• Big Ocean: 3rd Single “Slow” ft. Day6

Monday, 12 August, 2024

• fromis_9: 3rd Single Album “[Supersonic]”

• JAEHYUN (NCT): Pre-release Tracks “Smoke,” “Roses,” and “Dandelion”

• HYOLYN: Digital Single “Wait”

• kursor: Single Track “Bad Trip”

Tuesday, 13 August, 2024

• 24K+: Single Track “Summer Time”

Wednesday, 14 August, 2024

• LUN8: 3rd Mini Album “AWAKENING”

Friday, 16 August 2024

• KATSEYE: Debut EP SIS (Soft Is Strong)

— Javeria Yousuf

Subscribe to the newsletter to discover new releases through Pop Base weekly and to find out what songs we declare the best of the week.