Yoon Do-hyun denies reports about performing in Pyongyang

Rock musician Yoon Do-hyun, the leader of band YB, has denied reports he was invited to perform in Pyongyang next month with a South Korean art troupe performing there.Earlier Monday, local media reported that YB had been contacted by the government to join the South Korea’s yet-to-be announced art troupe that is set to perform in Pyongyang in April as part of a series of cultural exchanges agreed upon by the two governments. Yoon’s Dee Company agency, however, declined to confirm the reports or

March 19, 2018

Wanna One heralds golden age with ‘0+1=1’ EP

Though destined to disband at the end of this year, project boy band Wanna One promised fans that its golden age has just begun with its new album.The 11-piece act, which consists of winters of the second season of the audition program “Produce 101,” returned with its second EP “0+1=0 (I Promise You)” on Monday, marking the group’s first release since the EP “1-1=0 (Nothing Without You)” in November.  With the new album, the group said, it is determined to make this year its “golden age.” Wanna

March 19, 2018

‘Music has power to connect us’

He may be a classical star on his own but for violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill, his latest album “Duo” shows the power two musicians can create. “If I am a soloist on a stage, it’s like I am an actor delivering a monologue, and that’s very wonderful. You think of all monologues in Shakespeare, they are very profound and complete. But most stage drama has to have at least two characters,” he said during a press meeting in Seoul on Monday to promote the album. “I think this album is a great example

March 19, 2018

FNC to sue netizens for swapping AOA Seolhyun’s face onto nude photos

FNC Entertainment plans to sue internet users who modified photos of singer Seolhyun’s face and put them onto nude images, the agency said Monday. “We plan to gather all data on the altered photos that are currently circulating, find out the route through which they circulated, and submit the complaint today,” FNC said in a statement. The agency said it found on the internet last Friday photos featuring the face of singer Seolhyun, a member of girl group AOA, pasted onto nude images of other peo

March 19, 2018

BTS video become band's sixth to top 200 million views on YouTube

A music video by the K-pop sensation BTS, or Bangtan Boys, has garnered over 200 million views on YouTube, its management agency said Saturday.The music video of "Save Me" from the group's special album "Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa: Young Forever" released in May 2016 topped 200 million views on the global video site as of Saturday evening, according to Big Hit Entertainment. (Big Hit)"Save Me" is BTS' sixth music video to hit the 200-million-view milestone after "DNA", "Fire", "Dope", "Blood Sweat & Tear

March 17, 2018

TVXQ to return with full-length album on March 28

Legendary K-pop duo TVXQ will make a long-awaited return with a new album on March 28, according to the group’s agency S.M. Entertainment on Friday. The duo’s upcoming eighth full-length album will mark the duo’s first release since “Rise As God” in July 2015, as well as the first group activity since U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin were discharged from their mandatory military duties in April and August last year, respectively.  TVXQ (S.M. Entertainment)One of K-pop’s first-generation boy bands a

March 16, 2018

R&B trio Solid to return with new album in 21 years

After confirming its reunion last week, Solid, an iconic R&B trio from the 1990s, officially announced Thursday that it would release a self-created album titled “Into the Light” on March 22, and throw a party at the Hyundai Card Understage concert hall in Seoul.The accompanying music video for Solid’s new song, which will be released with the album, is to feature a world-famous beatboxer, according to sources. Earlier last week, the trio dropped a teaser clip on its official social media accoun

March 16, 2018

[Herald interview] Unbridled, yet peaceful rock spirit

Yoon Do-hyun, founder and lead vocalist of YB Band, is one of many celebrities who minimize interaction with the press out of concern that their words may be distorted by the media, stir up controversies, or even be exploited by the government. “I think this is my first interview in over four years. I don’t even remember when was my last one,” said the 47-year-old folk rock singer to The Korea Herald.  The energetic and versatile musician has also never been careless with music in his 24-year ca

March 16, 2018

Solbi announces surprise release

Singer Solbi on Thursday announced an unscheduled new release for Friday, saying she will unveil the music video for the new song at 9 p.m. on YouTube.According to her agency M.A.P Crew, the video will be released on the official YouTube channel of the dance hip-hop trio Typhoon, in which she is the lead vocalist.  Solbi (M.A.P Crew)The new album “Hyperism: Blue -- Class” is a follow-up to the EP “Hyperism: Red” that was released last May. The agency said that the new album would mark the artist

March 15, 2018

Pianist Kim Sun-wook, cellist Jian Wang to woo audience with romance

Internationally acclaimed Korean pianist Kim Sun-wook will perform a recital with cellist Jian Wang in Korea next month, featuring works by Romantic composers, including Chopin, Schubert and Rachmaninoff. Starting with an invitation-only concert at Samsung Concert Hall in Yongin on Friday, Kim and Wang will hold a total of five duo recitals in Korea in April.  Pianist Kim Sun-wook (Vincero)Their Seoul concert will be held Saturday at Lotte Concert Hall. This will be followed by concerts at Daeje

March 15, 2018

Winner to return with new album on April 4

K-pop boy group Winner is cooking up something special with the number four, as it returns with a new album on April 4. The four-piece act’s upcoming second full-length album is its first full-length album in four years, as well as its first release in eight months since “Love Me Love Me” from August last year.  (YG Entertainment)The date of Winner’s return also has another significance, as the act had rolled out its breakout hit “Really Really” on April 4 last year as well. Winner was formed th

March 15, 2018

Global boy band project NCT on attack as full group

Just as all seven dragon balls are summoned to maximize their power in Japanese manga and anime “Dragon Ball,” all 18 members of NCT, hailing from different backgrounds and countries, have joined forces to rattle the K-pop scene with its massive “NCT 2018 Empathy” project.NCT, an acronym for “Neo Cultural Technology,” was launched by entertainment behemoth S.M. Entertainment in 2016 with the idea of an unlimited number of subunit groups based in cities around the world. After performing separate

March 15, 2018

Big Bang’s Seungri reveals enlistment plan

Seungri of Big Bang revealed his plan to enlist in the military via his social media account.The youngest Big Bang member took to Instagram on Tuesday evening to share his thoughts on his mandatory military service.  (YG Entertainment)“Today, Daesung enlisted. And I, the last group member who has yet to enlist, also plan to join the Army after finishing all scheduled activities for this year, in order to minimize the group’s hiatus,” he wrote. Seungri posted a promotional image for the group’s n

March 14, 2018

[Album review] GOT7’s new album is decent, but not fresh

GOT7“Eyes on You”IRIVERAfter several style switch-ups ranging from hip-hop to EDM, GOT7 has been pursuing “pure” and “boyish” images rather than a charismatic and edgy vibe for its last few singles. And the seven-piece’s new EP is in the vein of the effusive sound that it favored on last year’s “7 for 7” album. The seven-track album, created by the members, has nice things to talk about: “love” and “gratitude,” themes that go well with the season as the weather gets milder. But here’s the thing:

March 14, 2018

YouTube to stream original documentary series on BTS

An original documentary series featuring K-pop group BTS will be made available on YouTube's paid service this month, according to the US video streaming company Wednesday.The series, titled "BTS: Burn the Stage," will consist of eight episodes, with the two first episodes to be available May 28 on YouTube Red, YouTube's paid service. Episode 1 will be made available for free. (Twitter)The weekly series, which will last until May 9, will feature behind-the-scenes footage and interviews of BTS me

March 14, 2018

Big Bang dominates music streaming charts with 'Flower Road'

Big Bang made a clean sweep of South Korean music streaming charts on Wednesday with "Flower Road," a song produced before the act went into a hiatus due to members' mandatory military duties.The song, released Tuesday evening, stood at No. 1 on all eight domestic music streaming charts, including Melon, Genie, Bugs Music, Mnet and Soribada, as of 9 a.m. Wednesday. K-pop act Big Bang poses for photos during a publicity event for the movie "Big Bang Made" in Seoul on June 28, 2016. (Yonhap)Big Ba

March 14, 2018

Biting the bullet: How K-pop stars confront military duty

K-pop stars are often forced to leave the limelight in their prime to serve in the military. In South Korea, all able-bodied men are legally obligated to complete a military service term of around two years, as the country is technically still at war with North Korea.In the past, stars often feared that they might be forgotten in the fast-changing entertainment realm where fame can dissipate quickly. But idols nowadays are seemingly answering the call of duty head-on, with joint or phased enlist

March 13, 2018

Big Bang’s Daesung starts military service

Kang Dae-sung, more widely known as Daesung of Big Bang, began his mandatory military service Tuesday. The singer arrived at Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, to join the Army, starting with a five-week training session. After the basic training period, he will be assigned to an Army unit, where he will carry out the rest of his duty. Daesung salutes before his enlistment Tuesday. (Yonhap)Fans gathered outside the military camp to say goodbye to the star. A large number of the fans were Japanese as Da

March 13, 2018

VIXX confirms new release in April

VIXX is gearing up to release another new song, and presumably a new concept, with its April release.Jellyfish Entertainment on Monday confirmed reports that the K-pop act will release a new record next month, although it is yet unclear specifically when it will be released or what form it will take.  VIXX (Nylon-Jellyfish Entertainment)It will mark the first release in Korea since the EP “Shangri-La/Paradise on Earth” in May of last year. The EP showed the boyband adopting an oriental image and

March 12, 2018

Big Bang’s Taeyang starts military service

Taeyang of K-pop group Big Bang began his military service Monday. The vocalist will undergo his five-week basic training in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, after which he will be assigned to an army unit, according to his agency YG Entertainment. Fans gathered at the scene to say goodbye to the star on Monday afternoon, while his wife Min Hyo-rin was absent from the scene. Taeyang’s enlistment will be followed by that of bandmate Daesung, who is set to join the army on Tuesday. Big Bang leader G-Dr

March 12, 2018