[Today’s K-pop] Illit drops debut single remix

Illit set fans abuzz Thursday with remixes of debut single “Magnetic.” There are three different remixes -- a soft and dreamy R&B version, a fresh and upbeat “starlight” version and a slower “city night” take on the tune. The original song is a dance song that combines house and trap and fronted the rookie girl group’s first EP “Super Real Me” that came out last month. It hit Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 91, a first for a debut single

April 19, 2024

Seventeen unveils track list for upcoming album

K-pop boy group Seventeen unveiled the track list for their upcoming album, “17 Is Right Here,” to be released on April 29. The album will not only carry the group's most loved songs, but also four new singles -- “Maestro,” “Lalali,” “Spell” and “Cheers to Youth,” according to Pledis Entertainment. Woozi of Seventeen and K-pop producer Bumzu, who is behind several Seventeen hits, took part in producing "Maestro." The othe

April 19, 2024

‘Goodbye Earth’ director never doubted revealing the series despite Yoo’s drug scandal

The director of the Netflix series “Goodbye Earth,” which was put in the middle of controversy ahead of its release after actor Yoo Ah-in was indicted on drug charges in October, said he never doubted the series would make it to screens. “Although there was a significant amount of time for waiting, I never doubted that this series would not be revealed. It was fate to come out to the world and meet the audience,” director Kim Jin-min told reporters during a press conferen

April 19, 2024

Bae Doo-na shares portraying Korean identity in Hollywood's 'Rebel Moon'

Actor Bae Doo-na, who stars as sword master Nemesis in Netflix original “Rebel Moon -- Part Two: The Scargiver,” said she suggested costume and makeup ideas for this mega-scale Hollywood project. Director Zack Snyder, who has also helmed “Justice League” and “300,” has stressed several times before that Bae’s character, Nemesis, is rooted in Korean identity. “In the original script, Nemesis didn’t wear anything particularly Korean, such as a

April 19, 2024

Jay Park to release new single album ‘Jay Park Season 1’

Singer Jay Park is set to release a new single, “Jay Park Season 1,” on April 25, according to More Vision. He announced his comeback by posting a teaser image of the upcoming album on his social media Thursday. The single will be led by the track “Your/My” and carry one B-side, “Like I do.” This is the first among several releases Jay Park plans for this year. “In the past few years, I’ve been occupied with exploring my entrepreneurial side and fo

April 19, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Kung Fu Panda 4” (US) Opened April 10 Comedy Adventure Directed by Mike Mitchell Po becomes the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace and now he needs to train a new warrior, although he is not ready for it. But the emergence of a shape-shifting sorceress pushes Po to team up with a quick-witted corsac fox and move on. “The First Omen” (US) Opened April 3 Horror Directed by Arkasha Stevenson Young American woman Margaret (Nell Tiger Free) heads to Rome to devote her

April 19, 2024

Park Chan-wook adds comedy to his version of 'The Sympathizer'

South Korean auteur director Park Chan-wook said he focused on adding comedic elements to his latest series, “The Sympathizer.” The HBO original series, which is currently streaming via Coupang Play, is based on the 2016 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title by Vietnamese-American author Viet Thanh Nguyen. "To add a cinematic methodology to a series production, it was important for me to set up a special narrative and add humor when it comes to the ironic, paradoxical s

April 18, 2024

Popular foreign acts make return trips this summer

From pop to rock, foreign artists are gearing up to entertain Korean fans this summer. Japanese singer Lisa will hold her first solo concert in Korea in July. The upcoming concert is part of her Asian tour. It will take place on July 20 at Korea University's Hwajeong Gymnasium. Tickets sold out in just three minutes, demonstrating Korean fans' interest in the singer-songwriter. Lisa debuted with the mini-album "Letters to U" in 2011. In 2018, she gained widespread recognition

April 18, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Zico drops snippet of collaboration with Jennie

Zico has raised expectations for his upcoming digital single with a picture showing him with Jennie of Blackpink. In the photo uploaded Wednesday on his Instagram account, the two artists are looking at Polaroid pictures of themselves between working on his 11th single, “Stop!,” which marks the 10th anniversary of the singer and songwriter’s debut. “Come vibe with us,” he wrote in the caption, also sharing a video that captured Jennie perched on a table singing and

April 18, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS pop-up event to come to Seoul

A pop-up event for fans of BTS will run in Seoul from April 26 to May 12, according to an announcement by Big Hit Music on Tuesday. The news for the event “Monochrome” came with posters, one of which used a never-seen-before black-and-white photograph of the seven members, shot before they enlisted. Another showed boxes moving along a conveyor belt hinting that the temporary occasion will be theme after “memory clouds” which was the main concept from its fan meetup held

April 17, 2024

Highlight to tour Asia

K-pop boy group Highlight will perform in five cities across Asia starting in May, marking the group's 15th debut anniversary, according to an announcement by Around Us. The “Lights Go On, Again” tour will kick off in Seoul with three days of concerts on May 10-12 at the KSPO Dome. All tickets to the group’s Seoul concert have been sold out, the agency said. Highlight is then set to perform in Hong Kong on June 22, Bangkok on June 30, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on July 6 and Tokyo

April 17, 2024

‘Following’ contrasts voyeuristic man, attention-seeking woman

First-time director Kim Se-hui's “Following” is a mystery thriller that depicts the secretive life of a voyeur and a pretentious attention-seeking social media influencer. Byun Yo-han stars as real estate agent Gu Jeong-tae, who follows influencer Han Sora, played by Shin Hae-sun. Lee El stars as detective Oh Young-ju investigating a death related to Jeong-tae and Sora. “Jeong-tae is a kind of character who is really hard to explain in words. That’s why we produced a

April 17, 2024

K-pop singer lost consciousness after being hit by foul ball, cancels show

A member of the South Korean girl group Ichillin’ was briefly rendered unconscious after being struck by a foul ball while waiting for a performance during a pro baseball game in Seoul on Tuesday. The singer soon recovered consciousness, but her performance was canceled. “Chowon is currently in good health. There were no abnormalities found during a detailed (medical) examination, and she will undergo additional tests later today,'" her agency Kmet said in a statement

April 17, 2024

Stray Kids to release digital single featuring Charlie Puth

Stray Kids are set to release a digital single, “Lose My Breath,” featuring global pop star Charlie Puth on May 10. JYP Entertainment, the label housing Stray Kids, announced the release on the group's official social media accounts on Wednesday. Charlie Puth rose to stardom with “See You Again,” the original soundtrack of the film “Furious 7,” released in 2015. He has worked with other K-pop artists in the past. Jungkook of BTS featured on Charlie Puth&r

April 17, 2024

Bolshoi Ballet gala show in Seoul canceled

A gala ballet concert featuring the principal dancers of the Bolshoi Ballet has been canceled. The performance, newly titled “Super Ballet Concert of Ballet & Model 2024 in Seoul” from the initial title “Bolshoi Ballet Gala Concert 2024 in Seoul,” was scheduled to be held at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from Tuesday to Friday. The cancellation came after the organizer’s proposal for alterations to the show’s cast and program was rejected by th

April 16, 2024

Discounted bundles introduced amid 'streamflation'

South Korean streaming platforms are launching subscription packages tied with complementary services in response to mounting criticisms that the subscription fees for streaming services are getting too high, a phenomenon nicknamed "streamflation" here. On Monday, local telecom service provider KT launched a subscription package named "Tving + Starbucks" which includes access to Tving and a monthly coupon for a tall Americano at Starbucks. Three types of subscription packages

April 16, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids to return soon: report

Stray Kids is gearing up for a new release in the summer, according to a local media report on Monday citing industry sources. Considering that it is slated to headline a series of music festivals abroad -- “I-Days” in Milan, “British Summertime Hyde Park” in London and “Lollapalooza Chicago” in Chicago -- from mid-July, an album is likely to be released in June, it speculated. Its last album was the November's “Rock-Star” tEP, which topped

April 16, 2024

Busan One Asia Festival moves up to June

The Busan One Asia Festival, celebrating its eighth edition this year, will take place over two days on June 8 and 9. BOF is hosted by the Busan city government and organized by the Busan Tourism Organization. On the first day of the festival, the BOF Big Concert, featuring various K-pop artists, will be held at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium, while on June 9, the Park Concert will take place at Hwamyeong Eco Park. The lineup for the Park Concert has not yet been announced yet. The BOF Big Concert

April 16, 2024

SM-Kakao Games to launch mobile game in H2

SM Entertainment and Kakao Games Corp. signed a partnership at SM Entertainment’s headquarters in Seoul on Monday to create a mobile game. The partnership follows South Korean tech giant Kakao Corp.'s acquisition of SM Entertainment in March last year. The K-pop label will use its artist IP to create a mobile game tentatively titled “SM Game Station” to be launched globally in the second half of this year, according to SM. Kakao Games Corp., the gaming unit of Kakao Corp.,

April 16, 2024

Illit debuts on Billboard’s Hot 100

K-pop rookie group Illit made its first showing on Billboard’s Hot 100 dated April 20 with “Magnetic,” the lead track of its debut EP “Super Real Me,” landing at No. 91 on the chart. This makes Illit the first K-pop act to enter Billboard’s main songs chart with a debut single. Billboard’s Hot 100 ranks the week’s most popular current songs across all genres by streaming activity from digital music sources, radio airplay and sales data compiled by

April 16, 2024