Yoona to kickoff fan meeting tour next month

K-pop star and actress Yoona will be holding fan meetings across Asia, her agency said Monday.According to S.M. Entertainment, Yoona is slated to hold a fan meeting at 6 p.m. on May 20 at Sejong University in Seoul. It will be part one of her Asia fan tour that will include Bangkok in July and Hong Kong in August. More cities are expected to be added. The poster for Yoona’s Seoul fan tour (S.M. Entertainment)Yoona, whose real name is Im Yoon-a, is best known for her involvement with K-pop act Gi

April 23, 2018

Lee Moon-sae wraps up tour series in New York

Veteran singer Lee Moon-sae wrapped up the last leg of his world tour in New York on Friday, according to his agency KMOONfnd. During his performance in Lincoln Center in New York on Friday, Lee said, “This is my first visit in New York in four years. Thank you for greeting me as if I were your first love.”“I was happy being a singer, and it has been a tour that received more love than I expected. I will remember your love for a long time. Thank you,” he added.  Lee Moon-sae performs at Lincoln

April 22, 2018

Super Junior to hold 4-nation tour in Latin America

K-pop group Super Junior will kick off a four-nation tour in Latin America this week, its agency said Friday.The South Korean boy band will launch the tour in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Friday (local time), according to S.M. Entertainment. The group will later head to Lima, Peru, and Santiago, Chile for shows on Sunday and Monday, respectively. Super Junior will cap off the regional tour in Mexico City in Mexico next Friday. (S.M. Entertainment)The series of shows is the band's first tour in th

April 20, 2018

K-pop video streaming service Mubeat launches in Brazil

Mubeat, a new K-pop video streaming service, has opened its service in Brazil, according to the company Friday.The app developed by Vlending, a joint entertainment venture formed by MBC and SBS Contents Hub, started its service in the South American country this month, the company announced. A screen grab of Mubeat site as of 1:30 p.m., April 20, 2017.The service provides K-pop related programs and content produced by South Korea's three major networks -- KBS, MBC and SBS -- along with their cab

April 20, 2018

[K-Talk] SHINee tops Oricon daily album chart

Boy band SHINee landed the No.1 spot at Oricon’s daily album chart, impressing fans with its first best of album released in the country. “SHINee The Best From Now On” climbed to the top of the Japanese chart upon its release on Wednesday. It also notched No.1 on iTunes album charts in 15 countries, including Japan, Romania, Chile, Peru, Thailand and Malaysia. The cover image for “SHINee The Best From Now On” (S.M. Entertainment)The album includes the lead track “From Now On,” along with its pre

April 19, 2018

Yoon Mi-rae to return with new single Friday

Singer and rapper Yoon Mi-rae is set to release her new single “Kawi Bawi Bo” on Friday, according to her agency Feel Ghood Music Thursday.“Kawi Bawi Bo” will be a part of the artist’s upcoming album titled “Gemini2,” a long-anticipated follow-up of her previous album “Gemini” that came out in 2002. The song will talk about the power of strong-willed women, the agency said.  A promotion image for Yoon Mi-rae‘s upcoming single “Kawi Bawi Bo” (Feel Ghood Music)Born in Texas to a Korean mother and

April 19, 2018

BTS' new album tops Amazon's pre-order list

K-pop boy band BTS topped Amazon's album pre-order list, its agency said Thursday.Big Hit Entertainment said "Love Yourself: Tear," the K-pop sensation's upcoming full-length album, shot to No. 1 on Amazon's CDs & Vinyl Best Sellers list in the US, a day after the pre-order became available on Tuesday local time.In September, "Love Yourself: Her," the first in the band's "Love Yourself" series, stayed on top of the list for six consecutive days. The album has so far sold over 1.49 million copies

April 19, 2018

Mamamoo’s solar confirms new releases for solo project

Part six of “Solar Gamsung (sentiment)” will be released at 6 p.m. on April 24, extending the solo project for the K-pop singer.According to her agency RBW, the vocalist for Mamamoo will release four songs for the latest “Solar Gamsung” project, including music videos for all four songs. A remake of Mamamoo song “Star, Wind, Flower & Sun,” which was written by Solar herself, will be included. Solar (RBW)The new record will be an LP that will consist of new songs, along with previously released o

April 18, 2018

Mamamoo’s solar confirms new releases for solo project

Part six of “Solar Gamsung (sentiment)” will be released at 6 p.m. on April 24, extending the solo project for the K-pop singer.According to her agency RBW, the vocalist for Mamamoo will release four songs for the latest “Solar Gamsung” project, including music videos for all four songs. A remake of Mamamoo song “Star, Wind, Flower & Sun,” which was written by Solar herself, will be included. Solar (RBW)　The new record will be an LP that will consist of new songs, along with previously released

April 18, 2018

[Album review] Eric Nam’s poppish new album offers whiff of freedom

Eric Nam“Honestly” CJ E&MEric Nam may be one of the K-pop scene’s most underrated talents, whose pursuit of musical growth has been overshadowed by his public image as a “boy next door.” Despite his versatility, most of his previous work has been feel-good music, which eventually became somewhat lackluster gradually eliciting the response “Yes, this song is sweet, exactly like him.” But let’s salute Nam, who has finally shed his old skin and unleashed a more genuine self in his new EP “Honestly.

April 18, 2018

BTS nominated for Billboard Music Awards for second straight year

South Korean boy band BTS has been nominated for a Billboard Music Award for the second consecutive year, the organizer announced on its website on Tuesday (local time).BTS will compete for "Top Social Media Artist" at the Billboard Music Awards 2018 against big-name pop stars, such as Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato and Shawn Mendes.The Korean act won the award in 2017 and snatched the top spot 70 times on the Billboard "Social 50" chart of the most influential and active artists on t

April 18, 2018

NU’EST member cleared of sexual harassment charge

Baekho of NU’EST has been cleared of the allegation that he sexually abused a minor in 2009, the boy band’s agency announced late Monday.According to Pledis Entertainment, the K-pop singer -- whose real name is Gang dong-ho -- had his name cleared by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office recently. Baekho (Pledis Entertainment)“We were formally notified that he has been cleared of charge. ... It wasn’t true to begin with, so it proves his innocence,’ an official of the agency told the lo

April 17, 2018

Pianist Son Yeol-eum pays homage to Marriner with her new album

Pianist and artistic director of Great Mountains Music Festival, Son Yeol-eum is dedicating her latest album to her late mentor Sir Neville Marriner. Simply titled “Mozart,” the album due to be released Friday, includes a recording of Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K.467 by the young pianist and the venerated conductor. It is the first and the last recording the two have done together.Pianist Son and Marriner first met in April 2016, when she performed with Marriner and the Academy of

April 17, 2018

Hyolyn to drop new single next week

Hyolyn of disbanded girl group Sistar will drop a new single in a week.The singer’s agency Bridge said Tuesday that “Dally” will be released next Monday as part of Hyolyn’s solo project, “Set up Time.”It will be the second single of the project, following “To Do List” which was released in February. According to Bridge, the new single will feature a unique performance by Hyolyn, dubbed “heels dance.” (Bridge)Hyolyn established Bridge, her own one-person management agency after the breakup of Sis

April 17, 2018

BTS announces new release

BTS is to drop a new album, continuing its “Love Yourself” series. The band’s agency Big Hit Entertainment announced the details of the new release, uploading a post on BTS’ official fan website Tuesday. According to the agency, the new full-length album “Love Yourself Jeon Tear” will be dropped on May 18. BTS (Big Hit Entertainment)The upcoming album is a sequel to the band’s previous album “Love Yourself Seung Her” and “Love Yourself Ki Wonder.” The albums’ titles are inspired by the four-char

April 17, 2018

Ex-Turtles member Cha Eun-sung begins new chapter with trot

Changing one’s name is a big deal, as it means starting from scratch with a new identity. But soloist Cha Eun-sung, whose previous stage name was SuBin, said opening a new chapter of her career as a trot singer was more than delightful.“I’ve been singing since 2001, but it hasn’t been steady. But I will go back to basics with a mindset of a rookie so that I can sing for a long time,” said Cha during a media showcase for “Moon and the Star,” her first EP under her new name, in Seoul on Monday. Ch

April 16, 2018

GFriend confirms April 30 release of new EP

The countdown for GFriend’s new EP begin Monday, according to the timeline for the release of “Time for the Moon Night” revealed by the girl group.The group’s Source Music agency released a promotional schedule for activities related to the new record. Included were the release dates of the concept photo, track list, teasers and preorder date for the EP.It will mark the first release for the K-pop act in seven months, since the repackaged album “Rainbow” last September.  GFriend (Source Music)Th

April 16, 2018

Twice to drop new Japanese single next month

K-pop group Twice plans to release a new Japanese single next month, according to its agency Monday.The group's third Japanese single, "Wake Me Up," will be released on May 16 in the neighboring country, JYP Entertainment said.Twice debuted in Japan in June 2017 with the compilation album "#TWICE." The Japanese debut album and two follow-up singles -- "One More Time" and "Candy Pop" -- were all certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan, a recognition given to records that

April 16, 2018

[Herald Interview] Woogie sets new trend by going off-trend

Just like top K-pop producers Park Jin-young and Brave Brothers who credit their songs with their own signature sounds -- “JYP” and “Brave Sound,” respectively -- Woogie is a versatile producer who uses his signature line “Woogie on and on” that is heard in many hip-hop tracks. As a producer signed under hip-hop label H1ghr Music, Woogie rose to fame by creating hits such as Loco’s “Still,” Jay Park’s “Stay With Me” and Sik-K’s “Ring Ring,” all of which are characterized by a laid-back sensitivi

April 15, 2018

Twice’s ‘What is Love?’ sets record for fastest 40m views

Twice has outdone itself again. The music video for its recently released song “What is Love?” became the fastest video by a K-pop girl group to top 40 million views on YouTube, a record previously held by another of its songs, “Likey.”The video passed the mark around 3:14 a.m. Sunday, a little over five days and nine hours after it was released last week. “What is Love?” had also set the record for the fastest girl group video to reach 20 million and 30 million views.  A cover image for Twice’s

April 15, 2018