Girl group TWICE to release special album

SEOUL, Jan. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korean girl group TWICE will roll out a special album next month, seeking to carry on its winning streak of online music streaming and album sales in the competitive, rapidly changing market, the band's management agency said Wednesday.

According to music industry sources, the special album is currently in production for release in late February. It will be a repackaged version of the group's hit third EP "TWICEcoaster:LANE1," which will include a newly produced track.

"It's not a fourth album but a continuation of the group's latest one released in October 2016," JYP Entertainment said.

"The girls have tentatively set the album's release date to Feb. 20, but it could be altered a little," the album's local distributor added.

Prior to the album's release, the nine-member act will hold its first individual concert "TWICE Land - The Opening" from Feb. 17-19 at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's Olympic Park, a popular venue for K-pop concerts and fan meetings.

The upcoming event has aroused the curiosity of fans as to whether the K-pop stars will showcase their new song live on stage instead of a playback.

Last year, the lead song off the second EP "Cheer Up" boasted the highest rate of accumulative music streaming, tallied by benchmark music chart operator Gaon. Moreover, the group's third album sold over 350,000 copies, the most for a girl group in the K-pop music scene, winning the group several top awards at year-end music awards ceremonies.

The band's debut song "Like OOH-AHH" released in 2015 and hit tracks "Cheer Up" and "TT" all generated more than 100 million YouTube views, with the last one passing the 100 million mark in the fastest pace among K-pop idol groups.

"TWICE boasts these accomplishments in just a year and two months since debut," the distributor said. "We are looking forward for the group's new track and its many promotional activities to come."

deserts@yna.co.kr
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