Lim Yun-chan signs exclusive recording deal with Decca

South Korean piano sensation Lim Yun-chan is expected to release a new album in the first quarter of 2024 under the Decca label. On Thursday, entertainment giant Universal Music Group announced that Lim had signed an exclusive recording deal with Decca, Universal Music Group's London-based affiliate. The British record label has produced albums with leading musicians including Georg Solti, Luciano Pavarotti, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Chung Kyung-wha. “The company worked hard for a long t

Oct. 19, 2023

2023 Melon Music Awards to take place Dec. 2

Melon Music Awards, one of the nation's biggest music award shows, will take place on Dec. 2, its organizer announced Thursday. Melon, Kakao Entertainment's music streaming company, said Thursday that the 15th Melon Music Awards, or MMA2023, will take place at the Inspire Arena, a new concert venue on Yeongjongdo, Incheon. Under the slogan "K-pop Changes the World," the MMA 2023 will officially kick off its promotions starting with a teaser video on Oct. 27. Next month, the v

Oct. 19, 2023

D.O. of EXO to leave SM

D.O. of EXO is leaving SM Entertainment after his exclusive contract with the agency expires next month. “Our exclusive contract with Doh Kyung-soo (D.O.) expires early next month. After a thorough discussion, he decided that he will continue to work as a member of EXO even after leaving SM,” announced SM Entertainment on Wednesday in a press release. D.O. will establish his own agency with his manager from SM Entertainment and will continue his career as an actor and singer. D.O. de

Oct. 19, 2023

Coupang Play seeks turnaround with exclusive content

With plans to release BTS’ Busan concert film -- “BTS: Yet to Come” -- and a survival show titled “University War” (unofficial translation) in November, local video streaming service Coupang Play seeks to cement its position in Korea's streaming market. While the streamer garnered viewers’ interest with the mystery thriller “Anna” (2022) -- starring K-pop star and actor Suzy -- and multiple seasons of comedy variety show “Saturday Night

Oct. 18, 2023

[Herald Interview] Rising star conductor Klaus Makela to meet Korean audiences

Klaus Makela, a fast-rising Finnish conductor and cellist, will finally meet the Korean audiences after two pandemic-induced cancellations. "I was truly sad and felt sorry. However, because of the sadness I had felt through the pandemic, the expectation for the upcoming performance in Korea doubled," Makela said in an email interview this week. At 27, Makela is chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic, which last performed in Korea 27 years ago. The orchestra will perform on Oct. 28

Oct. 18, 2023

Chuu makes tearful solo debut with 'Howl'

Singer Chuu has made her long-awaited solo debut with EP "Howl." The new album, launched Wednesday, marks Chuu's first solo foray, coming six years after she debuted as part of the group Loona, and after she was removed from the group in November due to a contract dispute. The young musician, appearing tearful at her debut showcase, has had to chart a rough course, having fought with her past agency and needing to rebuild her career. "I felt bad to be involved in an issue tha

Oct. 18, 2023

Kingdom introduces last of its 7 kingdoms in 7th EP

K-pop boy group Kingdom on Wednesday made a comeback with its 7th EP, “History Of Kingdom: Part. VII. Jahan.” The album faced difficulties before its official release as all 70,000 pre-made copies of the album had to be discarded and redesigned due to its resemblance to the Quran. The album cover drew backlash from fans as soon as the group’s agency, GF Entertainment, shared the design of the album for pre-orders, which had been scheduled to start on Sep. 21. “We want t

Oct. 18, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Red Velvet to return with 3rd LP next month

Red Velvet returns with a third studio album on Nov. 13, label SM Entertainment announced Wednesday. The LP is titled “What A Chill Kill” and consists of 10 genre-spanning tracks. It is the group’s first full album in about six years and comes approximately a year since its last album, EP “The ReVe Festival 2022 – Birthday.” The EP was the quintet’s first album to sell over a million and topped the iTunes top albums chart in 47 regions as well as a seri

Oct. 18, 2023

Star musicians add own touches to films as music directors

Well-known musicians are joining hands with renowned and rookie filmmakers who want to create a unique atmosphere and maximize the dramatic elements in their films through sound. Rapper-composer Gray recently took part in the production of "Ballerina" as the Netflix original film's music director. It was Gray's first time composing music for a film. Soon after the movie’s release on Oct. 6, the film garnered global attention for protagonist Ok-joo's (Jun Jong-seo)

Oct. 18, 2023

Is Blackpink leaving YG?

The globally renowned K-pop girl group Blackpink’s exclusive contract with YG Entertainment ended in August, but it remains unclear whether or not the group will renew their contract with the agency and rumors over the group's future have continued to circulate. The rumors were further fueled after Blackpink's Rose was spotted in Paris with Ron Perry, the chairman and CEO of Columbia Records. A picture of Perry talking with Rose was shared among Blackpink’s French fan comm

Oct. 18, 2023

BTS' Jungkook headed to Paris as MTV EMA nominee, performer

BTS' Jungkook will be attending the 2023 MTV Europe Music Awards in Paris next month as a nominee and performer. The full list of performers for this year's MTV EMA ceremony was revealed on the event's official website Wednesday. Jungkook was among the list of 10 artists, including Anne-Marie, Coi Leray and David Guetta. This celebrates the BTS member's first in-person attendance at the annual European award. Jungkook has already marked a landmark feat at the MTV EMA this yea

Oct. 18, 2023

Omega X to return with 3rd EP ‘iykyk’ next month

K-pop boy group Omega X is making a comeback after a year and five months, according to IPQ Entertainment. Omega X is dropping its third EP “iykyk (if you know, you know)” on Nov. 7. The agency dropped a teaser poster of the group’s upcoming album in which the title of the album is written in white bubble letters on white paper. Omega X has been showing remarkable growth since the release of its first LP “Story Written in Music” in June last year. The album topped i

Oct. 18, 2023

[Herald Interview] Director Lee Chung-hyeon has many more female narratives to convey

Director Lee Chung-hyeon, who rapidly rose to stardom when his feature film debut “The Call” was released on Netflix in 2020, returned with “Ballerina” on the same platform on Oct. 5. With another female-led story starring his girlfriend and actor Jun Jong-seo, Lee said that women have always been at the center of his storytelling. “I made short films since I was in high school and women have always been at the core, leading the storyline. For me, when I think of a

Oct. 18, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] TXT tops Oricon chart with 3rd LP, sets record

Tomorrow X Together’s third studio album hit Oricon’s weekly album ranking at the top, according to the latest chart published on Tuesday. LP “The Name Chapter: Freefall,” released on Friday, topped the weekly chart in only three days, after debuting atop its daily album ranking. The band is the only artist to place three albums atop the weekly albums chart, said Oricon. The quintet’s fifth EP, “The Name Chapter: Temptation,” and second LP in Japan, &ld

Oct. 17, 2023

Singer-songwriter Sunmi: 'My music is an exhibition of myself'

Solo singer Sunmi's music is definitely one-of-a-kind, so much so that it has earned itself the name "Sunmi-pop" from the public. A decade into walking her own path, Sunmi says she now has nothing new to show with her music. Instead of bringing "new" to the stage, she hopes to deliver music that reflects her true self. The latest of such efforts is visible in her new single, "Stranger." Sunmi returned to the music scene for the first time in a year and four m

Oct. 17, 2023

[Herald Interview] Netflix's ‘Devil’s Plan’ expands realm of survival game shows

“Devil’s Plan,” a Netflix Korea survival game show that premiered on Sept. 26, became a global hit soon after its release. The 12-episode show became the most-watched show in Korea as well as ranked third in the global top 10 non-English TV show list on Netflix. Twelve contestants with different occupations, including a lawyer, actor, doctor, YouTube creators, Go player and university student, face off in games of intelligence, wit and strategy. “It was kind of stressful

Oct. 17, 2023

GOT7’s Youngjae to release 1st solo LP “Do It” next month

Youngjae of the K-pop boy group GOT7 is returning to the music scene with his first solo full-length album on Nov. 6. His agency, Sublime, dropped a teaser poster for Youngjae’s upcoming first LP, “Do It,” on Thursday, announcing his comeback. The teaser poster shows an American football helmet lying on grassland with the title of the album, “Do It,” standing out in red letters. Youngjae began his journey as a solo artist in October 2021 with his first mini album &l

Oct. 17, 2023

CGV, tvN Sports to screen Bundesliga’s first ‘Korean derby’

Cable channel tvN Sports and South Korean cinema operator CJ CGV announced the livestreaming of an upcoming Bundesliga match between FSV Mainz 05 and FC Bayern Munchen at CGV Gangnam in southern Seoul on Sunday. The game is dubbed a “Korean derby” here as Korean midfielder Lee Jae-sung of Mainz plays against defender Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munchen for the first time this year. While Bayern Munchen vies for the top slot with Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund and VfB Sttuttgart with a

Oct. 17, 2023

Cast of ‘Norma’ says opera difficult to sing but easy to enjoy

Director Alex Olle's production of “Norma,” which premiered to open the 2016 season at the Royal Opera House in London, is set to be staged at the Seoul Arts Center from Oct. 26-29. “I am happy to conduct one of the true masterpieces of Italian operas. Bellini’s (composition) is very demanding technically. ... It is a difficult piece to cast. Without exceptional singers, it's better not to perform," said conductor Roberto Abbado during a press conference Mo

Oct. 16, 2023

Welcome Daehakro Festival lights up Seoul's stage hub

Seoul's Daehangno district was brimming with visitors on Sunday for the opening of "2023 Welcome Daehakro," the largest domestic performance tourism festival in the country. The festivities began with a vibrant opening show on the main street, which was closed to traffic for the event. The opening show featured a festive parade of performances from musicals, dance, taekwondo demonstrations and marching bands. As part of the festival, fringe performances will continue throughout Oc

Oct. 16, 2023