Pianist Hayato Sumino weaves unusual way to classical acclaim

YouTube fame and classical music acclaim are both significant achievements in their own right but Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino, who is set to perform in South Korea for his second recital next week, can lay claim to both. Sumino, also known by his name on YouTube, Cateen, not only has 1.24 million subscribers on YouTube, but has also been acknowledged in prestigious competitions. The 28-year-old was born with a talent for playing the piano, but instead of choosing to formally study music,

July 20, 2023

NewJeans ‘Cool With You’ videos reinterpret Eros, Aphrodite, Psyche

NewJeans released two music videos for “Cool With You” from its upcoming second EP “Get Up” on Thursday. The music videos star world-renowned actors including “Squid Game” star Jung Ho-yeon as Eros, the Hong Kong actor Tony Leung as Aphrodite, and actor Micol Vela as Psyche. NewJeans’ producer Min Hee-jin again created the music videos with director Shin Woo-seok, who runs commercial and movie production company Dolphiners Film. The same team was behind

July 20, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] The Boyz to return next month: report

  The Boyz is set to bring out a new album on Aug. 7, according to a local media report on Thursday. Agency IST Entertainment confirmed the news following the report, adding that it will be the band’s second studio album. Its last album was the eighth EP “Be Awake,” which came out in February and topped the iTunes top albums chart in 11 regions. Main track “Roar” was No. 1 on its top songs chart in four and won first place four times in television music chart s

July 20, 2023

BTS book takes US bookstores by storm

The English version of a book about K-pop sensation BTS released earlier this month by the band's agency to mark the septet's 10 year anniversary is taking US bookstores by storm. The book, titled “Beyond the Story: 10-year Record of BTS,” by BTS and Myeongseok Kang, translated by Anton Hur and Claire Richards, topped the New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover nonfiction on Wednesday. Rankings on the newspaper’s weekly list reflect sales including pre-orders for the week

July 20, 2023

Brave Girls rebranded as BB Girls, to drop new album early next month

BB Girls, formerly known as Brave Girls, are returning with a new album on Aug. 3. The group’s agency Warner Music Korea released a poster announcing the group’s comeback on its official social media accounts on Wednesday. In the photos, the BB Girls members exuded charisma, radiating confidence and intensity. This was in stark contrast to the refreshing mood of the band's last mini-album “Summer Queen.” This is the first time the group is releasing an album under a

July 20, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'Ransomed' director trusts ‘familiar duo’ of Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon

Director Kim Seung-hun, who returns to the big screen for the first time in seven years with “Ransomed,” said his pick for Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon in the starring roles was based on his deep trust in the two actors, despite some concerns that this “familiar duo” is a bit cliche. “When this film was first planned at around 2020, there were already mixed reactions about casting these two as the stars. Some said their chemistry is guaranteed, while others said the a

July 20, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jungkook sweeps charts with ‘Seven’

Jungkook of BTS headed straight to the top of Oricon’s weekly digital ranking with his solo single “Seven,” Wednesday. The clean version of “Seven (feat. Latto)” topped its daily digital single ranking for two days in a row last week and raised expectations for notching the top place on the weekly chart. The English-language single has stayed atop Spotify’s daily top song global chart for four days in a row after hitting the top spot upon release. He is the f

July 19, 2023

Ichillin’ ready for summer takeover with new album

K-pop girl group Ichillin’ is back with a new album, ready to take the music scene by storm this summer. Ichillin’ dropped its second mini album “I’m on It!” on Wednesday, which comes two months after the group’s fifth digital single “Siren.” Ichillin’ made its debut on Sept. 8, 2021, with the digital single “Got’ya.” The group consists of seven members — Chowon, Yeju, Chaerin, Joonie, Jackie, E.Ji and Jiyoon. The ener

July 19, 2023

Korean viewers get ready for second season of ‘D.P.’

South Korean viewers have been unable to hide their long-waiting excitement for Netflix’s upcoming second season of “D.P.,” as the original season ranked No. 10 on Netflix’s Korean top 10 chart for TV series as of Tuesday. “D.P.,” a drama series adapted from a popular webtoon series of the same title by creator Kim Bo-tong, revolves around the lives of Pvt. Ahn Jun-ho (Jung Hae-in) and Cpl. Han Ho-yeol (Koo Kyo-hwan) and their duty to capture Army deserters. W

July 19, 2023

NewJeans hits new highs with 'Super Shy'

The single "Super Shy" is taking NewJeans to new career highs on global music charts. Released July 7, the song entered Billboard's Hot 100 at No. 66 in the latest chart release, marking the quintet's highest spot on the list. This marks the third Hot 100 song from NewJeans, following "OMG" and "Ditto," which peaked at No. 74 and No. 82, respectively, on the US singles chart. The song, a prerelease from the act's upcoming second EP "Get Up," also came in a

July 19, 2023

[Herald Interview] Kim Hye-soo vigorously leads female-led blockbuster ‘Smugglers’

Hit filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan’s upcoming action crime flick “Smugglers” begins with a small boat sailing through a peaceful seaside town called Guncheon. The 130-minute movie quickly unfolds, showing how a group of “haenyeo,” female divers who collect seafood from the ocean floor, become involved in illegal smuggling to make ends meet. Jo Choon-ja (Kim Hye-soo), who secretly escapes the crime scene, returns to the old town three years later. Her best buddy Um Jin-soo

July 19, 2023

Tomorrow X Together, Jonas Brothers tune into Jersey Club with remix

K-pop band Tomorrow X Together and American pop trio Jonas Brothers released a remix of their collaborative single "Do It Like That" on Wednesday. The remix, which the the Korean band's agency Big Hit Music of  described as a Jersey Club genre infused with UK drill beats, came out at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, 12 days following the joint single's release. The new edition, peppered with the UK garage-style electronic piano sounds, offers a different pleasure to the ear from the upbeat an

July 19, 2023

Trendz expands global activities

K-pop boy group Trendz is expanding its reach into the overseas music market. Trendz, a seven-member group, is visiting Kazakhstan this Saturday as they’ve been invited to perform at an event to celebrate a year of mutual cultural exchange between Korea and Kazakhstan. As this will be their first time visiting Kazakhstan, the group will present diverse performances including the performance of its debut single “TNT,” and other hit tracks “Who,” “Vagabond,&rdqu

July 19, 2023

Jung Woo-sung’s ‘A Man of Reason’ sells to 153 countries

Actor Jung Woo-sung’s directorial debut film, “A Man of Reason,” will be available at cinemas in 153 countries around the world, according to the distributor Acemaker Movieworks. Jung directed and acted in the film, playing the role of protagonist Soo-hyuk. The movie is slated for release on Aug. 15 in South Korea. “A Man of Reason” follows the story of Soo-hyuk, who has spent 10 years in prison in place of his gangster boss, Eung-gook (Park Sung-woong). After he is

July 18, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ J-Hope floats teaser for solo physical album

J-Hope of BTS uploaded teaser photographs for the physical album edition of his first solo studio album “Jack In The Box” on Tuesday. He is donned up in black and white suits complete with head gear, posing inside a big teal blue box for the album dubbed “Hope Edition.” The original album was released online in July last year and the upcoming album will include three live performances he put on at Lollapalooza festival in Chicago last year as well as two instrumental son

July 18, 2023

Pentaport Rock Festival to hit Incheon in August

Incheon is in for a wave of rock nostalgia in August with the annual Pentaport festival bringing in some legendary names this year. Slated to take place on Aug. 4-6 at Moonlight Festival Park in Songdo district, 2023 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival is set to be headlined by several long-celebrated bands over its three-day run. The first day will be led by Japanese punk rockers Ellegarden, which recently ended its 16-year hiatus with a reunion album and a national tour in Japan. Ellegarden will b

July 18, 2023

Music bodies sides with agency in Fifty Fifty scandal

The Korea Entertainment Management Association publicly sided with K-pop girl group Fifty Fifty’s agency Attrakt on the allegations and controversy surrounding the group in a press statement on Tuesday. “We urge Fifty Fifty and Attrakt to resolve their dispute revolving around the exclusive contract between them so that they do not continue to create a stir in the industry,” said KEMA. Attrakt is alleging that there has been a buyout attempt of Fifty Fifty after its rise to sta

July 18, 2023

Rapper B.I to launch first Europe tour in September

South Korean musician B.I is embarking on his first European concert tour, "Love or Die," in September, 131 Label said Tuesday. Between September and October, the rapper-producer will hustle through 16 European cities with his gigs. Kicking off in Utrecht in Netherlands on Sept. 19, B.I will take the series next to Luxembourg City, France's Paris, Spain's Barcelona, Switzerland's Zurich and Poland's Warsaw through September. In the next month, he will perform in Estonia's Tallinn, Finl

July 18, 2023

Director says ‘D.P. 2’ focuses on narratives of individual soldiers

While many viewers showed their support for “D.P.” series launched in 2021 for its realistic depictions of South Korean Army life and its controversial sides, the director explained that the upcoming "D.P. 2" focuses more on the narratives of the individuals. Short for “Deserter Pursuit,” the series centers on the lives of Private Jun-ho (played by Jung Hae-in) and Sergeant Ho-yeol (played by Koo Kyo-hwan), to uncover the motivations behind soldiers' attemp

July 18, 2023

K-pop album exports hit record high in H1

K-pop album exports for the first half of the year came to a record high, buoyed by sales in Japan and the US, the world's largest music market. South Korea’s album exports were tallied at $132.93 million, as of June — a 17.1 percent jump on-year, according to the Korea Customs Service on Tuesday. Japan holds the throne as Korea’s largest K-pop importer, posting $48.5 million in imports in the first half of this year. The US logged the second-highest demand for K-pop album

July 18, 2023