[Newsmaker] Big Hit, YG, UMG, Kiswe eye global market with online concert platform VenewLive

YG Entertainment and Universal Music Group have joined hands with Big Hit Entertainment and Kiswe to grow VenewLive into a global-scale digital livestreaming platform. YG Entertainment and Universal Music Group announced Wednesday that they had invested an undisclosed amount in KBYK Live, a joint venture founded last year by Big Hit Entertainment and Kiswe. KBYK Live created digital livestreaming concert service platform VenewLive last year, to much success, emphasizing the use of cutting-edge

Feb. 10, 2021

'Minari' shortlisted for Oscars' two music categories

The drama film "Minari" about a Korean American immigrant family was shortlisted for two music categories in the upcoming Academy Awards, organizers said Wednesday. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) revealed shortlists for nine categories for the Oscars, including international feature, original score, original song and animated short film. In the original score section, music from the American film "Minari," composed by Emile Mosseri, was among the 15

Feb. 10, 2021

BTS to perform on 'MTV Unplugged' this month

Global superstars BTS will be appearing on "MTV Unplugged" later this month, becoming the first Korean act to perform on the iconic music program produced by American broadcaster MTV. "On Feb. 23, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook will bring their collective energy to an update of the storied series straight from Seoul, South Korea," MTV reported on Tuesday (US time). While the broadcaster did not elaborate on the songs that BTS will perform, it said the "sp

Feb. 10, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] BTS supports movie that features its first OST

  The bandmates of BTS talked about their first venture into the original soundtrack for a movie.  “Your Eyes Tell,” a song from “Map of the Soul: 7 The Journey,” the band’s fourth studio album in Japan, also became a part of original score for the same-titled movie. This is the first time the septet’s song is used for an OST. “I think you will be able to feel what feelings we have put in the song,” said Jungkook. He participated in w

Feb. 9, 2021

KNO to present gala shows to support opera singers

The Korea National Opera will start the 2021 season with a series of gala concerts to offer opportunities to local opera singers hit by the COVID-19 pandemic to perform. Though it has been customary for the state-funded opera troupe to begin the year with full-act operas, the 2021 season will begin with five gala concerts across Korea from March to May, taking into consideration the unstable pandemic situation in different regions of the country. Also, the gala concerts can support local op

Feb. 9, 2021

From nameless singer to audition winner: Lee Seung-yoon wins ‘Sing Again’

Lee Seung-yoon -- singer No. 30 on the JTBC audition program “Sing Again” -- was declared the winner on Monday, bringing the three-month-long competition to a close. “Sing Again,” which aired its first episode in November, captured the audience by giving a second chance to 71 singers who had released albums in the past but never attained popularity. The singers were called by their numbers instead of their names, piquing viewers’ curiosity. The six finalists -- Y

Feb. 9, 2021

BLACKPINK breaks 1.2b views with 'Kill This Love'

BLACKPINK, which owns one of the world's biggest subscriber bases on YouTube, set another record Tuesday by earning 1.2 billion views with its music video "Kill This Love." Views for the 2019 hit broke the record at 12:38 a.m. on YouTube, becoming the all-female act's second music video to set the milestone, according to YG Entertainment. Its most-watched music video is "Ddu-du Ddu-du," which is nearing a record 1.5 billion views. Released in April 2019, the fierce anthem w

Feb. 9, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Kim Wooseok goes lovely with 2nd EP

  Kim Wooseok came out with second solo EP “2nd Desire [Tasty]” Monday.  The new music shows an adorable side of him taking a sharp turn from the glaring and dreamlike images from his previous greed-themed EP. He wanted the new music to be completely different, said the musician in the online showcase held on the same day, and also wanted to be recognized for music spectrum.  “I wish I can push the spectrum further and build up my image along the way,” he

Feb. 8, 2021

Head of Spotify Korea hopes to grow local music industry pie, rather than split it

Spotify aims to grow the Korean music industry pie, rather than taking rivals’ share, the company’s Korea chief said Monday. Speaking at an online press conference held a week after the launch of its services in Korea, Spotify Korea Managing Director David Park introduced two services -- Spotify for Artists and Spotify Podcast -- that can help local content creators to grow. Spotify for Artists is a service that connects artists with their fans. Once the artist is registered t

Feb. 8, 2021

Stock market expert trumps AI in SBS’ ‘Battle of the Century: AI vs Human’

While a stock investing artificial intelligence system was able to make steady profit compared to South Korea’s main bourse Kospi and Kosdaq, it still wasn’t enough to surpass legendary stock investor Mach Seven. With only two competitions remaining in SBS’ reality show “Battle of the Century: AI vs Human,” the most recent episode on Saturday showed the stock investing AI battling it out with the CEO of Tastock Han Bong-ho, better known by his nickname Mach Seven.

Feb. 8, 2021

Musicals return to sold-out theaters

As musical productions return to the stage with the easing of social distancing rules for performing arts halls, shows featuring big names such as Ock Ju-hyun and Cho Seung-woo are sold out.  Of the first 25 performances in the Seoul run of “Wicked” from Feb. 12 to March 5, the shows featuring Ock and Jeong Seon-ah are already sold out. VIP tickets for shows featuring Ock, originally priced at 150,000 won ($134), are being resold illegally for up to 400,000 won on ticket res

Feb. 8, 2021

[Feature] Traditional music made hip

Gugak, traditional Korean music, is having a moment, buoyed by a growing appreciation from a wider audience both in and out of Korea. While a new generation of gugak artists have been breathing new life into the centuries-old genre over the past few years, outreach to a broader audience had eluded them in a country where contemporary music, especially K-pop, dominates. Recently, however, gugak has caught the attention of a broader audience with a wider spectrum of traditional music. Video gi

Feb. 8, 2021

‘Space Sweepers’ debuts at No. 1 on Netflix

The first Korean sci-fi blockbuster set in space, “Space Sweepers” reached the top of the Netflix movie chart on Saturday after its worldwide release Friday, showing the potential of Korean-made sci-fi flicks despite some shortcomings. Set in 2092, “Space Sweepers” by director Jo Sung-hee is about a space cleanup crew trying to sell a weapon of mass destruction: humanoid Dorothy. The movie, with a star-studded line up of Song Joong-ki and Kim Tae-ri, reached the top

Feb. 7, 2021

'Miss Trot 2' gallops to success with 30% viewership share

TV Chosun’s hit audition show “Miss Trot 2” recorded a viewership rating of 30 percent Thursday, emulating the success of the men’s version last year . The 30 percent viewership share has traditionally been the threshold for a local entertainment show being considered a success. “Miss Trot 2” is officially the third season of the audition show series, following “Miss Trot” and its male version “Mister Trot,” which aired in 2019 and 2

Feb. 7, 2021

Lim brothers to go onstage for first duo piano recital

Pianist brothers Lim Dong-hyek and Lim Dong-min are to hold a duo recital at the Seoul Arts Center on March 3 as part of their nationwide tour across Korea. The tour will kick off in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province on Feb. 20, followed by Daegu, Busan, Incheon, Jeju Island and Gwangju. The Seoul recital is held as part of the special gala concert ahead of the 18th International Chopin Piano Competition. The first half will feature works by Chopin, while the piano duo will perform after

Feb. 6, 2021

[Today's Kpop] Ateez hints at March 1 return

Ateez surprised fans with an image that was uploaded on its official SNS account. 　 With the image of a green blossoming tree in the sea of cloud, it said: “From The New World 2021. 03. 01 6 p.m.” 　 A close look at the tree shows a number of objects –- a black fedora, a pirate ship and a doll -– that have symbolized the boy band’s world view since previous album. 　 The fact that the phrase was also used as a title for the special performance it put on a recent aw

Feb. 5, 2021

‘New Year Blues’ brings back year-end holiday spirit

Hong Ji-young’s romantic comedy “New Year Blues” was originally set to reach viewers during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. But like many other movies last year, it had to delay its release schedule due to COVID-19. “To be honest I am rather grateful (and not regretful). This release makes me feel like we have one more holiday. I am thankful that we can release our film amid COVID-19,” Hong said Monday during a press conference at Lotte Cinema in Gwang

Feb. 5, 2021

Pixar's animated film 'Soul' first to top 1m admissions in S. Korea this year amid pandemic

"Soul," the latest animated film by Disney-Pixar, has become the first movie to top 1 million admissions here this year amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, box office data showed Friday. The fantasy comedy drama attracted over 30,000 viewers Thursday, surpassing the 1 million mark 15 days after its release on Jan. 20, according to the data compiled by the Korean Film Council. The movie has stayed at the top spot on the South Korean box office for more than two weeks except for two d

Feb. 5, 2021

Girl group TWICE to hold online concert in Japan next month

K-pop girl group TWICE will hold a digital concert that will be broadcast live in Japan next month, the act's management agency said Friday. "TWICE in Wonderland" will air at 7 p.m. on March 6 in collaboration with Japan's biggest mobile operator NTT DoCoMo, according to JYP Entertainment. The gig will be powered by state-of-the-art technology like augmented reality and mixed reality, allowing fans to enjoy a more lively concert experience, the agency explained. TWICE -- consisting

Feb. 5, 2021

[Herald Interview] Indie rock band Se So Neon sings of a flight to freeness in ‘Jayu’

The title of indie rock band Se So Neon’s new single had to be “Jayu” instead of the English translation “freedom,” the band’s vocalist Hwang So-yoon said. The two-syllabled Korean word much better encapsulated the sense of freedom they wanted to sing through their music, Hwang told the Korea Herald during an interview conducted Tuesday. “It’s not the feeling of liberation felt by someone shouting ‘I’m finally free!’ in an open s

Feb. 5, 2021