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EXO's Chen announces he's getting married & expecting a child

EXO's Chen has confirmed that he is planning to get married.

Chen, real name Kim Jongdae, posted a handwritten letter to EXO's fancafe, in which he shared the news with fans. In it he wrote that he has "a girlfriend who I want to be with for the rest of my life". He mentioned his worry in wanting to share the news with fans without surprising them too much, and that he had spoken with SM Entertainment and his fellow EXO members before choosing to share the news publicly.

He also thanked the EXO members for their love, as well as the fans for their long-standing love and support.

The English translation reads:

Hello, this is Chen.

I have something to say to my fans, so I wrote this letter. I don’t know how to start, so I am very nervous. I wanted to be the first one to tell my fans who I love so much, so I am leaving this post even with my lacking sentences.

I have a girlfriend who I want to be with for the rest of my life.

I was worried and concerned with what would happen with my decision, but I wanted to let everyone know early so my members, the company and especially my fans who are proud of me wouldn’t be surprised by the sudden news, so I talked it out with my agency and the members.

During that time a blessing came to me. I was shocked because I wasn’t able to take part in the plans that I had made with the members and the company. But, this blessing gave me strength and courage. I thought about how and when I should reveal the news but I didn’t want to wait any longer so I am carefully revealing it to you all now.

I am grateful to my members for genuinely supporting and congratulating me and to our fans for always giving us so much love. I will always be grateful for all of you and will continue to do my best in the position I am in.

Thank you always".

SM Entertainment have since confirmed that Chen will be marrying his girlfriend, a non-celebrity, in a private ceremony with close family and friends. The agency has also confirmed that his fiancée is expecting a child, but as a non-celebrity, the details of her pregnancy will remain private.

Congratulations to the couple!

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MONSTA X make animated appearance on 'We Bare Bears', and it's all thanks to the fans

MONSTA X are special characters in a new episode of Cartoon Network's hit show We Bare Bearsand it's the cutest thing imaginable!

In a preview from the episode, Ice Bear smuggles himself into MONSTA X's hotel room in a suitcase, and reveals himself when the guys enter the room. Meanwhile Panda Bear is hanging off the window trying to get in. Check it out below.

So how did MONSTA X end up guest starring in the show? Turns out it was all sparked by a tweet sent to the show's creator Daniel Chong. He even acknowledged it by replying to the tweet and saying, "this is literally how it happened".

The original tweet said: "if there is ever a kpop group to feature on #webarebears make sure it's @OfficialMonstaX bc I don't know anyone more like the bears than this fellow #shownu" and shared a pic of Shownu. Pretty fitting that Shownu's line in the preview is about him resembling a polar bear then!

The full episode will air on Cartoon Network in the US on May 27.

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6 things that K-pop fans do that you won't find in other music fandoms

K-pop is a special world to be a part of as a fan. If you're a fan of Western pop, discovering K-pop is like leveling up in life. If you've been a fan since you were young, you already know all the things that K-pop fandoms have that other music styles might not, but for newbies, it's a whole new world of endless content and fanchants.

Over on Reddit, fans have been discussing the things that make K-pop fans unique compared to other music fandoms, especially American ones.

Here's a few of the things that stand out.

1. Fan chants

Sure, people shout out lyrics in unison at most concerts but K-pop fan chants are almost an art in themselves. Just watch an NCT or SEVENTEEN fan lose their breath shouting all the members' names in the specific order taught to them by the group themselves, and you'll see why.

2. Light sticks

Western pop should really capitalise on this merchandising opportunity. Many K-pop groups have their official colour and lightstick, with unique shapes and styles for each one. It's a great way of identifying your fellow fans in a festival crowd too!

3. Dance covers

These exist in lots of genres we know, but dancing is inextricably tied into all the other elements of K-pop, and fans dedicate themselves to learning the dances step-by-step and then sharing them online. Not to mention mass flash mob dance games like the ones you see at KCons worldwide.

4. Photocards

Buying multiple copies of an album to get your bias' photocard isn't something all fans can afford to do, but there are definitely some who love to do it. Swapping photocards among your friends is also part of the experience. It's a whole new element of surprise when buying an album!

5. Supporting entertainment companies

It's common for K-pop fans to not only love idols but also the companies they are signed to, and other artists who are on the roster. With a lot of companies having a specific sound or image that they work with, fans often find they like most of the artists to come from their favourite's company.

6. Fan projects

Not uncommon in other music fandoms, but K-pop fans take it to the next level. There are all the Times Square billboards, paying for entire buses to be wrapped in advertising, subways ads in Seoul, and so much more, to celebrate everything from group anniversaries to birthdays.

That's not including the massive charitable donations fandoms make, usually honing in on something their favourite idol is passionate about.

Can you think of any other things that make being a K-pop fan unique?

cr: www.sbs.com.au

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Top 10 K-pop groups with highest album revenues in 2018 so far

Sales data collected from January to June 2018 calculating total album revenue for K-pop groups has revealed the top 10 groups with the highest album revenues this year so far. These numbers add up sales across all albums a group has released in 2018.

BTS: Approx 33.25 billion KRW 

Wanna One: Approx 27.57 billion KRW

SHINee (including Jonghyun's Poet | Artist): Approx 7.99 billion KRW

TWICE

NCT

EXO-CBX

GOT7

SEVENTEEN

BLACKPINK

INFINITE

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15 songs that took male K-pop groups to the next level

There's many hits in K-pop history, but there's the special songs for each group that helped them crack into the public consciousness and often become household names. They might not even be the group's most popular song, but these songs are the ones that helped groups get the attention they deserved. .

#1. SHINee: Ring Ding Dong ~  The fact that you can sing this song just by hearing the title is the sign that it's the one that blew the group into a new stratosphere of success

#2. Super Junior: Sorry Sorry ~ You can't pretend that this wasn't the song to unleash Super Junior's reputation as performers of extremely catchy pop singles with memorable dances.

#3.  B.A.P: Warrior ~ B.A.P had so much buzz leading up to their debut and so their first single was also the one to see them hit a new level of success. The EP Warrior even entered Billboard's World Albums Chart at No.10 on release.

#4. VIXX: Hyde ~ Though their most popular song is a tie between "Chained Up" and "Shangri-La", it's "Hyde" which made people ask who VIXX were and pay attention.

#5. SEVENTEEN: Very Nice ~ How could this song not blow up? Adorable video, insanely catchy tune, SEVENTEEN have been on the rise ever since.

~to continue reading the article with all the videos included, follow this link to sbs.com.au

#6.GOT7: A ~ Though "Just Right" or "Hard Carry" might be considered their most popular songs by sheer numbers, "A" was the one that made people notice the JYP group after debut.

#7. BTOB: WOW ~ These ballad kings are beloved for their strong vocals and goofy personalities, and despite their multiple wins on music shows for their slow tempo songs, the truth is they blew up after the release of "WOW".

#8. BEAST/HIGHLIGHT: Fiction ~ They may have faced difficulties in their career with their recent move to being HIGHLIGHT, but "Fiction" remains their most popular song for good reason: it's a banger.

#9. BTS: Boy in Luv ~ It may not have gotten BTS music show wins, but it was the song that got them attention in variety programs, award shows and among other idols, who would copy the dance often.

#10. EXO: MAMA ~ Yep, EXO are that powerful. Their debut song was also the one that sent them straight into fans' hearts, and there was never any doubt EXO were going to be huge.

#11. MONSTA X: Hero ~ MONSTA X have been working so hard since debut, it was rewarding to see them become popular with the insanely catchy "Hero". They've blown up further since with "Dramarama", "Jealousy" and "Shoot Out" seeing them get music show wins.

#12. BIGBANG: Haru Haru"Haru Haru" confirmed what many knew from the start, that BIGBANG were hitmakers. They were especially noticed for leader G-Dragon's involvement in the making of all their songs.

#13. iKON: Love Scenario ~ Some would argue that iKON were successful on debut, and they wouldn't be wrong. But there's no denying the impact of this year's "Love Scenario" has taken them up a level becoming household names in South Korea. 

#14. NU'EST: Face ~ One of the strongest debuts ever, "Face" was such a big hit but it would be a while before NU'ESTwould hit the same height. In fact, it wasn't until last year's NU'EST W released "Where U At" that they returned to the top of the charts.

#15. PENTAGON: Shine ~ The group had released many outstanding pop tracks since debut but something about "Shine" transcended and made it into their biggest track yet.

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Digital museum plans to send Jonghyun's song "Moon" to the Moon's surface

A Moon museum project that's currently assembling contributions has announced they'll be sending Jonghyun's song "Moon" to the surface of the Moon in 2020.

According to their website, Project Mora is a digital archive collecting materials to create a museum that they will leave on the surface of the Moon. Everyone is able to contribute, and Jonghyun's fans felt it was a fitting tribute to send the song from his debut album.

Fans used #tweetothemoon to get the movement happening, and this isn't the first time Shawols have done something associated with the moon for Jonghyun; a group of Korean fans bought a section of land on the moon under Jonghyun's name in April last year.

A fitting tribute.     @moramoonmuseum

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This new Vietnamese restaurant is all about flames, smoke and charcoal — SBS.com.au

This new Vietnamese restaurant is all about flames, smoke and charcoal — SBS.com.au

Read more at SBS.com.au

— by Audrey Bourget: At newly opened restaurant Firebird in Windsor, pretty much every dish hits the charcoal grill or wood-fired oven at some point. And that even includes cocktails, with burned citrus and charred pineapple.

Commune Group director Simon Blacher says, “When you go through Southeast Asia, in Thailand, Vietnam, anywhere, everything is cooked over charcoal.…

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The restaurant bringing 'Lao bánh mì' to Melbourne — SBS Food

The restaurant bringing ‘Lao bánh mì’ to Melbourne — SBS Food

Read more at SBS Food

— by Audrey Bourget: With fillings like suckling pig, pine mushrooms and Laotian sausage, this punchy sandwich is one of the best things to come out of the pandemic…

Image courtesy of Anchovy

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