Ex-Virgin Music chief says BTS opened door to success in US for other K-pop acts

The wild global success of Korean boy band BTS is not a stand-alone case but has opened the door for many more K-pop music acts to make inroads into the American music market, a high-profile US music executive said Tuesday."BTS is a great success story. But BTS broke the ice; it is not the ice," Phil Quartararo, CEO of Tripod Partners, said in a press conference on the sidelines of MU:CON, the biggest K-pop fair in South Korea. Quartararo has served in top roles at Virgin Music, Warner

Oct. 1, 2019

Rookie Oneus drops new EP ‘Fly With Us’

Rookie band Oneus, which debuted earlier this year, was already back to the music scene Monday with new EP “Fly With Us.”The six-track EP is the final chapter of the band’s “US” trilogy that started with debut EP “Light Us” in January and was followed by “Raise Us” in May. The new album consists of “Intro: Fly Me to the Moon,” “Plastic Flower” “Lit,” “Blue Sky,” “Level Up” and &ldquo

Oct. 1, 2019

Netflix announces fourth season of hit show 'Stranger Things'

NEW YORK (AFP) -- Netflix announced Monday a fourth season of retro sci-fi show "Stranger Things," the site's most successful original production, as it bids to fend off intense competition from other streaming platforms.The video subscription service added that it had entered into a multi-year deal with the hit series' creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, to work on unspecified film and series projects."Stranger Things," a nostalgic 1980s drama about a gang of suburban adolescent

Oct. 1, 2019

MAMA stirs controversy with decision to hold this year's event in Japan

CJ ENM is generating a bit of controversy over its choice of Japan as the sole destination for this year's Mnet Asian Music Awards despite unprecedented trade and diplomatic rows between Seoul and Tokyo.A week earlier, the media and entertainment unit of the conglomerate CJ unveiled Nagoya as the city to host the biggest K-pop award event in Asia, set for Dec. 4 at the 30,000-seat Nagoya Dome.This marks the third year in a row a Japanese city will be hosting MAMA after CJ held the award show as

Sept. 30, 2019

[Herald Review] Seoul Forest carried away by jazz music

Over the weekend, jazz music took over Seoul Forest, a park in eastern Seoul. The third Seoul Forest Jazz Festival took place Saturday and Sunday, and one of the highlights was a performance by the legendary jazz vocalist Park Sung-yeon. Park paved the way for jazz musicians in South Korea with Janus, the first jazz-only club in the country.    At 76, Park appeared onstage in a wheelchair but her voice was as powerful as ever, with soulful touches that gave the songs a sorrowful y

Sept. 30, 2019

FT Island's Lee Hong-gi enlists in Army

Lee Hong-gi, a member of K-pop boy band FT Island, temporarily left the music scene to join the Army on Monday.The 30-year-old started his mandatory military service at a boot camp of the Army's 21st Division in Yanggu, Gangwon Province, as an active duty soldier."I am really grateful (to the fans) and will be back safely," Lee told journalists and fans who came to the site of his enlistment.  "I will be safeguarding my voice as I promised. ... We will meet again someday,&quo

Sept. 30, 2019

Director says ‘Kim Ji-young, Born 1982’ a story that ‘must be told’

A book dealing with the hotly debated topic of gender equality has been made into a film, challenging the audience to ponder the issue of discrimination as the controversial source material did upon its 2016 release.“As a mother of two, a daughter and someone living in this society, there were a lot of parts (in the book) that I could relate to,” said director Kim Do-yeong of “Kim Ji-young, Born 1982,” her first feature film.“Since the book had presented several top

Sept. 30, 2019

BLACKPINK's 'Kill This Love' video tops 600m YouTube views

The video for BLACKPINK's latest song, "Kill This Love," surpassed the milestone of 600 million YouTube views on Sunday. The music video topped the threshold Sunday morning, 177 days after its official release on YouTube in April, according to the K-pop band's management agency, YG Entertainment.  It is the shortest period a K-pop music video has amassed more than 600 million YouTube views. Previously, BLACKPINK's "Ddu-du Ddu-du" held the record as the K-pop video that a

Sept. 29, 2019

Sony, Marvel strike deal for new 'Spider-Man' film

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- Spider-Man will spin his web on the big screen once again.A breakdown in talks between Sony Pictures and Marvel had imperiled the web-slinger's celluloid future, but the two companies announced a deal Friday for Marvel Studios to produce the third Spidey film starring British actor Tom Holland.The film -- which follows up on "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and "Spider-Man: Far from Home" -- is set for release on July 16, 2021, the studios said.Marvel Studios pre

Sept. 29, 2019

[Herald Review] Send in the clowns: ‘Joker’ pokes where it hurts for a fiendish joke

This film is f---ing intense. I apologize for the vulgarity, but there is just no other way to put it. There are films that push you to the limit, have you on the edge, and then there’s “Joker,” starring the brilliance of Joaquin Phoenix.Unlike films like “Requiem for a Dream” -- for which honestly I don’t even know “intense” is the right word -- director Todd Phillips’ new film doesn’t have a lot of extreme in-your-face moments. That i

Sept. 27, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Battle of Jangsari(Korea)Opened Sept. 25Drama, WarDirected by Kwak Kyung-Taek, Kim Tae-Hoon During the height of the Korean War, Capt. Lee Myeong-jun (Kim Myung-min) and his 772 student soldiers take the North Korea-occupied Jangsari beach to provide a diversion for UN forces ahead of the Battle of Incheon. But their ship runs aground, forcing them to hold back a massive wave of North Korean retaliation with no means to escape.Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood(US)Opened Sept. 25Comedy, Drama Dir

Sept. 27, 2019

Meet the members of K-pop supergroup SuperM

It’s been weeks since S.M. Entertainment unveiled plans to launch new supergroup SuperM in the US at Capitol Congress 2019. Since then more information has been revealed, including multiple teasers and images.With their much-anticipated debut album slated for release on Oct. 4, we have profiled the bandmates and recap their history.Taemin from SHINeeAge: 26 / Debut year: 2008 Taemin stepped into the limelight first as a member of SHINee, which debuted in 2008 with first single “Repla

Sept. 27, 2019

BTS' J-Hope releases collaboration with Becky G

J-Hope, a member of K-pop boy band BTS, will release Friday a hip hop single featuring American musician Becky G, his management agency said. The song, "Chicken Noodle Soup," set for release Friday evening through BTS' official social media channels, is a recreation of the namesake song released by American musician, DJ Webstar and rapper Young B.  The new song will also come with a music video featuring J-Hope and Becky G, according to Big Hit Entertainment. J-Hope wrote Kor

Sept. 27, 2019

Gugak orchestra to present works composed by foreigners

The Contemporary Gugak Orchestra will present gugak, traditional Korean music, composed by foreigners. The orchestra will hold its 98th regular presentation “Hidden Sides & Unique Beauty of Gugak” on Friday and Saturday at the National Gugak Center.  According to the project’s music director Kye Sung-won, the audience will be able to see the difference between foreign and Korean composers’ approach to gugak.“The title ‘Hidden Sides’ refers to h

Sept. 26, 2019

Italian directors, actors join list of BIFF guests

Organizers of the 24th annual Busan International Film Festival added more names to the list of international guests on Thursday for the upcoming event, including up-and-coming directors and actors from Italy.Francesco Di Leva and Adriano Pantaleo, two actors from “The Mayor of Rione Sanita,” will be making an appearance at the festival. The film, directed by Mario Martone and based on the 1960 play of the same name, was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 76th Venice Inte

Sept. 26, 2019

Busan film fest set to attract audiences with all sorts of delicacies

The 24th edition of Busan International Film Festival is ready to entertain local and overseas movie buffs with delicate flicks for 10 days in the middle of the fall season.This year's festival will take place from Oct. 3-12 at five cinemas, including the Busan Cinema Center, in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, featuring 303 films from 85 countries.Among the invitations, 120 films, including 97 feature-length movies, will be at BIFF for world premieres.Award-winning auteurs' new works a

Sept. 25, 2019

Music festivals coming this fall

While rock festivals cooled us down in the summer heat, autumn is the perfect time to appreciate other music genres. Starting this weekend, jazz and pop music festivals are set to take place around the country. Celebrating the beautiful fall weather, these outdoor festivals afford a chance to enjoy colorful foliage from a picnic mat, sipping wine with family and friends. Jazz at Seoul Forest  Seoul Forest, located in eastern Seoul, is a park that covers 1.16 million square meters. On Friday

Sept. 25, 2019

BTS video 'Blood Sweat & Tears' hits 500m YouTube views

BTS' 2016 music video "Blood Sweat & Tears" surpassed the YouTube milestone of 500 million views Wednesday, becoming the eighth BTS video do to so.The video for "Blood Sweat & Tears," the main track of the K-pop band's second full-length album, "Wings," hit the threshold Wednesday morning, nearly three years since its release in October 2016. It was the eighth BTS music video to pass the milestone. Other BTS videos that have achieved the feat include "D

Sept. 25, 2019

'Arthdal Chronicles' likely to have second season

The blockbuster TV fantasy series "Arthdal Chronicles" will likely come back with a second season despite its lower-than-expected viewership, its broadcaster tvN said Monday."We're positively considering making a second season," an official from tvN said. "The decision has not been finalized yet, but the possibility is high." Details of the second season's filming and airing date, staff and cast have not yet been decided, she noted."Arthdal Chronicles" is

Sept. 25, 2019

Military musical brings K-pop idols back to stage on military terms

A rare military musical brought back to the stage a group of high-profile K-pop stars who went out of the public eye to fulfill their mandatory military service, including members of the popular boy bands SHINee and EXO."Return: The Promise of the Day," commissioned by the South Korean Army, will kick off on Oct. 22 at Olympic Park's Woori Financial Art Hall in southern Seoul. It will run till Dec. 1. The musical's unusually star-studded line-up, which includes EXO's Xiumin and SHINee'

Sept. 24, 2019