TREASURE is back after a year of hiatus. Launched in 2020 by YG Entertainment, they released three singles and one full-length album corresponding to the 'THE FIRST STEP' series in about a year and a half after their debut. The group, who grew rapidly through non-stop activities, surpassed the 1 million cumulative album sales and rose to become a K-pop rising star.

After one year of long recharging, they are ready to 'go straight' towards another growth point with the mini-album 'THE SECOND STEP: CHAPTER ONE.

At the comeback online press conference held at 10 am on February 15, member Jihoon said, “I wanted to show the color of TREASURE properly. I do,” .

Choi Hyun Seok said, "I've shown boyish beauty before, but I think I'm in the process of throwing off my youthful tee."

They completed a total of 6 tracks for their new album. The song that will be promoted as the title song is 'Jikjin' (JIKJIN), a hip-hop genre song that stands out with energetic lyrics that shout “Go straight!” and a striking sound. YG Entertainment invested 500 million won in the production cost of the music video for the title song to properly promote Treasure's comeback.

TREASURE will release all songs on the album through various music sites at 6 pm on the same day. It contains not only hip-hop but also R&B, ballad, and pop songs from various genres. The members actively participated in rap making, composing, and writing lyrics. Only 4 songs will be released on the music site: 'Jikjin', 'U', 'DARARI', and 'IT'S OKAY. The remaining songs 'BFF' (Best Friend Forever) and 'Gonna Be Fine' were only included in the physical album.

Yoshi said, “The goal of our comeback activities is to win first place on music shows. I want to share that joy with 'Treasure Makers' (fandom name) as soon as possible."

Bang Ye Dam said, “I often imagine winning first place. When we were nominated, I even had my feelings ready, but we finished second,".

"I hope this time my imagination will come true.", he continued.

Treasure is also preparing for a solo concert. On April 9 and 10, they will hold their first concert after their debut at the Olympic Hall in Seoul. Asahi said, "I want to hold a world tour in the future and meet fans from all over the world."

BLACKPINK’s Lisa recently revealed the challenges of being the CEO of her own company, LLoud, and shared some behind-the-scenes insights into the struggles of managing her own business.

In a February 28th video uploaded to the YouTube channel Zip Daesung, Lisa sat down as a guest and opened up about her journey as a one-person CEO.

During the shoot, as Lisa was getting her hair touched up, Daesung casually asked, "Have you been working with this crew for a long time?" to which Lisa replied, "Over a year. Ever since I started my company." She was referring to LLoud, the agency she founded just last year.

While discussing her experiences, Lisa added, "It’s fun. Of course, there are difficult parts," but quickly shifted the conversation, jokingly saying, "Aren’t you getting touched up?"

Daesung laughed and explained that his stylist wasn’t around at the moment, "The person who does that is off work. They’ll come back later after working nearby. It’s a bit more flexible." He joked further, "But we only pay for the time they’re here, and if they’re not here, we don’t pay for that time."

Lisa responded humorously, "I don’t think that’s bad. It’s good. Then, please step out for a moment. I don’t need any touch-ups." Her playful remark lightened the mood.

The conversation turned more serious when Daesung asked, "Do you ever feel like a CEO? Do you realize how much money goes out in unexpected places? Do you think, 'Oh, the company paid for this'?"

Lisa responded honestly, saying, "The music video costs are insane. It’s no joke." She went on to explain that managing the costs for music videos can be overwhelming, especially when you’re running a business alone.

Daesung agreed, commenting, "Yeah, both for us and for BLACKPINK, there’s a certain scale we’re used to from YG. The music itself is that kind of style, right?" He then asked, "When making a music video, do you just say, 'Can you please lower the cost?'"

Lisa didn’t hesitate to answer, saying, "Yes, I always ask them to reduce it." She elaborated, "I talk about the budget and ask for help. But it always ends up exceeding the budget. We just want to do our best. We want to meet the expectations."

It’s clear that Lisa’s commitment to her work goes beyond the financials, always striving to meet high expectations despite the challenges that come with running a company.

Source: [1]