ITZY's recent comeback album, "Born To Be," has stirred up discussions among netizens after a post on Nate Pann highlighted its poor first-week sales.

The post revealed that the group managed to sell only about 276,000 copies during the initial week, a stark contrast to their previous album "CAKE," which achieved four times that amount.

The netizen behind the post expressed shock, speculating whether Chinese fans neglected to place orders or if the group's own fans boycotted the album.

Within 12 hours, the post gained around 18,000 views, and the comment section was flooded with various opinions.

Netizens comments include:

"Unlike 'Cake,' which gained popularity after music show performances, this song isn't climbing the charts even though it's being featured. The ranking suggests a decline in fan support. The song reached 101st place on the first day, showing people aren't skipping it, but I think they're not listening due to its quality."

"It's not just ITZY; other idols might also experience a decline in album sales this year."

"Girl groups' songs are expected to be good, but this one falls short."

"Regardless of the song's quality, the fandom should stream it. Fans need to boost the song on charts during music shows. The styling is good this time, and the title isn't that bad. Isn't streaming a way fans can support their favorite singers? I don't understand."

"The chart performance is even worse."

What are your thoughts?

Source[1]

Choi Si Hoon, known from Single’s Inferno and newlywed husband of singer Ailee, is facing backlash after being linked to a controversy from Wavve’s queer reality show ToGetHer.

Fans discovered that Choi is allegedly the CEO of the influencer agency representing Ri Won, a cast member now at the center of a growing scandal.

The situation started when castmate Han Gyeol spoke up, claiming Ri Won once suggested an overseas trip that felt more like a shady meeting than a casual hangout.

“I thought it was a fun vacation invite at first,” Han Gyeol said, “but when they started talking about meals and date-like things, I realized something was wrong. It felt like an inappropriate setup.”
Han Gyeol added, “Using someone’s sexuality as a shield for suspicious actions is not okay in this industry.”

Ri Won responded by saying it was all a misunderstanding and that the trip was mentioned casually during a conversation about food. “We joked about going to that country after talking about food,” Ri Won said.

However, things got more intense when Ri Won admitted to having a past as a 'beotbang' (adult streaming) BJ. “I know I’m not trustworthy right now, and I appeared on TV while hiding my past. That’s why I shared some proof—I was desperate,” Ri Won explained.

Ri Won also shared a blurred message from another cast member that accused them of fake dating and lying about knowing someone from Billboard. “You said you’d introduce me to a Billboard contact. Then give me their name and title,” the message read. “You just keep switching your targets.”

Ri Won replied, “He’s the team leader at Billboard Korea and also my influencer agency CEO.”
This comment led online users to dig deeper—and some claimed the CEO Ri Won mentioned is none other than Choi Si Hoon, Ailee’s husband.

Currently on his honeymoon with Ailee, Choi is now getting unwanted attention. Some netizens brought up his alleged past as an adult BJ and now, his possible involvement in this controversy.

On Ailee’s Instagram post from April 30, one fan wrote, “Unnie, sorry to bother you during your honeymoon, but please search Choi Si Hoon’s name. A female BJ said she’s signed to his company, and he supposedly arranged a meeting for her with a just-turned 19-year-old girl.”

As the issue grew, Ri Won spoke out again on May 1 to calm things down. “The person I mentioned in the messages was just someone who gave me advice,” Ri Won clarified. “He’s not my agency CEO, like some people assumed. I thought he could help with music, but he never made any business offer.”

Ri Won ended by saying, “I’m sorry for causing any confusion and discomfort to others with my personal remarks.”

So far, Choi Si Hoon and Ailee have not made public statements about the situation.

Source: [1]