(G)I-DLE took the top spot on 'Inkigayo' without even appearing on the show.

On the August 25th episode of SBS's 'Inkigayo,' the top contenders for the week were (G)I-DLE's "Klaxon," NewJeans' "How Sweet," and KISS OF LIFE's "Sticky."

In the end, (G)I-DLE won first place with "Klaxon," even though their promotions for the song had already ended.

"Klaxon" is a lively summer track filled with strings, brass, and rhythmic guitar, and its lyrics mimic the sound of a car horn.

The episode also featured several exciting comeback performances. Taemin hit the stage with "Sexy In The Air," one of the title tracks from his latest mini-album ETERNAL, which dropped on August 19th. His performance was powerful and full of energy.

"Sexy In The Air" blends genres like trap, boom bap, and drill, with a strong synth bass and electric guitar that highlights themes of self-identity and the desire for change.

Moonbyul from MAMAMOO also made a sparkling return with her new song "Is This Love?" This retro pop track stands out with its catchy beat and synth sound, perfectly capturing the feeling of falling in love. The chorus adds an extra burst of energy, making it even more addictive.

Other performers of the night included SF9, Super Junior's Sungmin, who returned as a trot singer, NMIXX, DRIPPIN, and many more, keeping the audience entertained.

The full lineup for this episode of 'Inkigayo' featured performances by DRIPPIN, LIGHTSUM, LUN8, Moonbyul, BLACKSWAN, Sungmin, ILY:1, ARrC, SF9, NMIXX, MCND, UNIS, Taemin, fromis_9, and HYOLYN.

Source: [1]

The highly criticized When the Stars Gossip, known as a "50 billion won failure," has finally ended, but its shadow still looms over tvN's new drama The Potato Lab.

According to Nielsen Korea on March 2, the first episode of The Potato Lab recorded a 1.7% viewership rating.

In comparison, When the Stars Gossip started at 3.3%, dropped to a record low of 1.8%, and barely managed to end at 2.6%. With such a shaky start, can The Potato Lab break free from its predecessor’s unfortunate fate?

The Potato Lab is a healing romantic comedy that takes place in, well, a potato lab! The story follows Mikyung (played by Lee Sun Bin), a woman whose life revolves around potatoes, and Baek Ho (played by Kang Tae Oh), a cold-hearted perfectionist who suddenly enters her world.

Their whirlwind romance, much like a spiral potato skewer, brings unexpected twists. The cast also includes Lee Hak Joo, Kim Ga Eun, and Shin Hyun Seung.

The drama has gained attention as Kang Tae Oh’s comeback project after his military discharge. Since completing his service in March last year, Kang carefully chose The Potato Lab from multiple offers, taking on the role of So Baek Ho, the director of organizational innovation at Wonhan Retail and the temporary head of the potato lab.

Meanwhile, its predecessor When the Stars Gossip was supposed to be a massive hit with its grand-scale space romance featuring Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho.

The drama, which took five years to prepare and cost over 50 billion won, was filmed over a year from 2022 to 2023. But despite the hype, the outcome was disastrous.

The ratings started at 3.3% and peaked at 3.9% in episode 2, only to plummet to 2.2% by episode 3. It reached an all-time low of 1.8% in episodes 5 and 7. Even the second-to-last episode struggled with just 1.8%, and the finale barely recovered to 2.6%.

Because of this, The Potato Lab now faces an uphill battle. When the Stars Gossip struggled against competing dramas like SBS’s Love Scout and JTBC’s The Tale of Lady Ok, as well as their successors Buried Hearts and Undercover High School. The new drama has inherited this tough time slot, making things even more difficult.

But there’s still hope! tvN’s weekend dramas often see a viewership boost on Sundays, and fans are already loving the refreshing chemistry between Kang Tae Oh and Lee Sun Bin. Plus, Kang Tae Oh’s return with a more mature image and refined acting is expected to attract more viewers.

The big question is—can The Potato Lab create its own success, or will it be another victim of When the Stars Gossip’s curse? Only time will tell!

Source: [1]