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A "Star" is born! K-pop group LOONA ended 2020 on a (hi) high with the release of their third EP [12:00], which became their first album to debut on the Billboard 200. Now, propelled by the sleeper success of their celestial English single "Star" on U.S. radio, LOONA and their Orbits have yet another huge achievement to celebrate: their debut on this week’s Top 40 pop radio airplay chart.
With 671 spins, "Star" lands at No. 39 on the list, which is tracked by Mediabase. This makes LOONA only the second Korean girl group in history to reach the milestone after BLACKPINK (whose sweet summer collab with Selena Gomez, "Ice Cream," cracked the Top 20) — and the first to do so with a solo single. They join BLACKPINK, Monsta X, and BTS as the only K-pop groups to reach the Top 40 pop radio chart, and it feels especially significant because their fans, known as Orbits, were instrumental in the song's grassroots radio success.
On January 24, "Star" ranked No. 1 on iHeartRadio’s fan-voted "Most Requested Live," the biggest syndicated Top 40 radio show in the U.S.
"I'm so grateful and happy that Orbits who may be far away from us gave this present to us, even in a situation where we can’t meet each other face to face," Yves said in a statement to Teen Vogue. She also went on to thank the group's Korean management agency (notably, LOONA doesn't have the backing of a major Western music label). "I believe that this happened because of all the efforts from BlockBerryCreative staff and all those who worked hard for us, as well as the passion of our members, and Orbits from all around the world."
"I will work harder so that even more wonderful things can happen in the future," she added.
JinSoul said the news initially took her and her groupmates by surprise. "We are very honored for this accomplishment," she stated. "We will continue to do our very best to return all the big love and support we receive."
To their Orbits, the members of LOONA — HaSeul, ViVi, Yves, JinSoul, Kim Lip, Chuu, HeeJin, HyunJin, Go Won, Choerry, Olivia Hye, and YeoJin — possess a transcendence that can hardly be contained in one concept or in a single dazzling formation. Their universe is cosmic, and their music multifarious, but what resonates most is their devotion to being unapologetically and confidently themselves. And that's an ethos that comes through in any language. As they sing on their energetic lead single "Why Not," "Follow your mood, follow your feeling, why not? Do it!" And the group's next big goal is to spread that message to their Orbits worldwide.
"It's really disappointing that we are not able to visit the U.S. during our global promotions, and that we can only meet with a video or recorded voice instead," Yves said. Still, like the rest of us, that's not stopping her from dreaming up her future plans. "I can't wait to visit the U.S. after COVID-19 is over," she added. "And I want to appear on famous American [television] programs, and go on tours to perform as well."
Much like its title, [12:00] — pronounced "midnight” — was a symbolic restart for the group. It peaked at No. 112 on the Billboard 200, and gave LOONA their biggest success in the Western music market to date. But now, Yves says, they're aiming even higher than the stars; they want the whole galaxy. "[12:00] made it to the Billboard 200, the main Billboard chart," she said. "I hope we can make it into the Top 50 next time. It's a big dream, but I believe that this dream will come true someday if I do my very best."
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Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: LOONA Takes Orbits Behind the Scenes of EP “[12:00]”: Exclusive
