Lady Gaga says Super Bowl halftime show is ‘for everyone’

Lady Gaga said she hopes her Super Bowl halftime show will celebrate ``inclusion’‘ and the ``spirit of equality’‘ during a time of national division.``This performance is for everyone. I want to, more than anything, create a moment that everyone that’s watching will never forget,‘’ she said in a press conference Thursday in Houston. Lady Gaga answers questions at a news conference for the NFL Super Bowl 51 football game Thursday in Houston. (AP-Yonhap)Gaga wouldn‘t reveal what songs she would si

Feb. 3, 2017

Twice drops teaser image ahead of Feb. 20 album release

K-pop icon Twice on Thursday announced via Twitter and Facebook that its new album will be released on Feb. 20.The group posted a teaser image of the new album with the words “Twice 02.20 0 AM Knock Knock” at midnight Wednesday. Teaser image for Twice’s new album (Twice’s official Twitter account)Having debuted in October of 2015, Twice had sold some 627,000 records as of the end of last year, becoming the best-selling all-female K-pop band of 2016.Coming off the success of debut album “The Stor

Feb. 2, 2017

Zion.T talks about two sides of fame with ‘00’

Many say bad publicity is better than complete obscurity; just ask US President Donald Trump, the walking embodiment of controversy.But fame and success often have strings attached, and what follows can include unwanted attention about personal issues and judgement from onlookers.Zion.T described the bitter irony in “The Song,” a single from his latest album “00.” The lyrics “I don’t want this song to be popular. I don’t want people to remember the lyrics to this song,” depict the conflicting th

Feb. 2, 2017

Jazz and classical come together at snowcapped PyeongChang

The PyeongChang Winter Music Festival, the winter edition of the annual Great Mountains Music Festival, returns this year once again with an offering of jazz and classical music.Launched last year to promote the area as a hub of cultural activities ahead of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the music festival will be held Feb. 15 - Feb. 19 at the Alpensia Concert Hall. This year’s program will kick off with a unique piece that brings together traditional pansori, a narrative song sung to dru

Feb. 1, 2017

Bassist Nathan East to perform in Korea

Bassist Nathan East, founding member of jazz quartet Fourplay, will perform in Korea on Feb. 26. The legendary bass player’s performance comes after the Jan. 27 release of his second solo album “Reverence,” featuring collaborations with Eric Clapton, Phil Collins and Chick Corea.  Nathan East (U&I Communications)The album debuted at No.1 on Billboard‘s jazz albums and contemporary jazz albums charts.East has recorded numerous works with the likes of Clapton, Collins, Whitney Houston, Michael Jac

Feb. 1, 2017

Zion.T sweeps charts with new album, says G-Dragon ‘helped sound cool’

Hip-hop artist Zion.T made a splash on the local charts with his new album “00” on Wednesday, notching up top spots in major online music charts.“The Song” by Zion.T debuted at No. 1 in eight music charts including Mnet, Genie and Melon after its midnight release and held on to its throne as of Wednesday afternoon. On its heels at the No. 2 spot was “Complex” from the same album, featuring G-Dragon of Big Bang. Zion.T (YG Entertainment)On working with the K-pop icon, Zion.T said in a recent inte

Feb. 1, 2017

Chick Corea Elektric Band to perform in March

Original members of the jazz legend Chick Corea Elektric Band will perform for the first time in Korea on March 8. The five-member band will hold the concert at the LG Art Center located in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul. It will then commence on an Asian tour that includes performances in Tokyo and Hong Kong.  Chick Corea Elektric Band (LG Arts Center)The tour is the first one in Asia since the band reassembled its founding members in 2004. This was also when it released its last studio album to

Jan. 31, 2017

Black Pink's 'Boombayah' tops 100 mln YouTube views

The "Boombayah" music video by Black Pink, one of K-pop's biggest breakout stars from last year, has racked up more than 100 million views on YouTube, the group's agency said Tuesday. (Yonhap)According to YG Entertainment, view count for the song on YouTube stood at 100,026,826 as of 5 a.m. on Tuesday, reaching the milestone figure 177 days after its release."Boombayah" is one of Black Pink's two songs included on the group's "Square One" debut single album. The dance number features a synth-hea

Jan. 31, 2017

G-Dragon holds exhibition in Paris

G-Dragon is holding a private exhibition from Sunday through Wednesday in Paris.(G-Dragon's Instagram)The artist unveiled some photos of the exclusive event, titled “Peaceminusone,” through his Instagram account Tuesday, including a photo that said, “Invite Only.” In 2015, the artist had held a public exhibition titled “Peaceminusone: Beyond the Stage” in Seoul, collaborating with both domestic and international artists. “Peaceminusone” is made up of the words “peace,” “minus” and “one.” Althoug

Jan. 24, 2017

Dynamic Duo and EXO Chen’s ‘Nosedive’ beats ‘Guardian’, Suzy

(Loen Entertainment)Hip-hop duo Dynamic Duo and Chen from EXO collaborated on a new song titled “Nosedive,” which shot straight to the top of the charts on Tuesday.The song beat stiff competition from Suzy’s solo-debut album and the “Guardian” theme songs.“Nosedive” was released simultaneously with Suzy’s first solo album “Yes? No?” at midnight on Monday, but the starlet’s songs only ranked fourth and 10th on the charts as of 11 a.m., Tuesday.Suzy had earlier beat Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun’s s

Jan. 24, 2017

G-Dragon's 'Crooked' music video tops 100 mln YouTube views

(Yonhap)G-Dragon's "Crooked" music video has racked up more than 100 million views on YouTube, becoming his sixth song to reach the milestone figure, according to his agency Tuesday.View count for the song, part of the BIGBANG member's second solo album released in September 2013, stood at 100,012,542 as of 10 p.m. on Monday, YG Entertainment said in a statement.Leader of the popular South Korean boy band BIGBANG, G-Dragon ventured into a solo career in 2009 and has so far released three full-le

Jan. 24, 2017

BTS to release new album Feb. 13

(Yonhap)South Korean K-pop group BTS (Bangtan Boys) will release its new album on Feb. 13, its management agency said Monday.Big Hit Entertainment said the new album, "Wings: You Never Walk Alone," is both the follow-up and extended version of the previous album "Wings," which was released in October.The group members participated in writing songs and lyrics, and producing the album.On Feb. 18-19, it will hold "2017 BTS Live Trilogy Episode III Wings Tour in Seoul" in the Gocheok Sky Dome in sou

Jan. 23, 2017

BTS’ ‘Fire’ tops 100 mln YouTube views

SEOUL (Yonhap) -- The video for K-pop boy group BTS’ hit single “Fire” has garnered more than 100 million views on YouTube.The video recorded 100,016,111 views as of 8 p.m. on Saturday, more than eight months after it was uploaded on the global free video sharing site last May, according to Big Hit Entertainment. “Fire” is the title track off “Epilogue: Young Forever,” the group’s first compilation album. The song’s video was No. 3 on YouTube’s 2016 list for the world’s most-viewed K-pop music v

Jan. 22, 2017

2NE1’s farewell single tops charts abroad

K-pop quartet 2NE1’s farewell song “Goodbye” has topped iTunes charts in eight Southeast Asian countries, while its music video surpassed 4.5 million views as of Sunday. The song, a ballad bidding goodbye to the group’s fans, ranked first on the iTunes charts of Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia and the Philippines, upon its release Saturday.　The song’s lyrics, co-written by 2NE1’s leader CL and Oh Hyuk of Hyuk Oh Band, expresses wistfulness about the breakup of

Jan. 22, 2017

Soprano Hong Eun-sie to hold solo recital

Soprano Hong Eun-sie is holding a solo recital at the Chamber Hall of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday.Hong, 29, studied in Italy after graduating from Seoul National University’s College of Music and returned to Korea in 2015. She graduated with top scores from the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music in Milan and also studied at the Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado there. Hong also completed the canto course at Rome’s Arena Academy.“When I was young, I wanted to bec

Jan. 22, 2017

Kim Tae-hee chooses custom-made dress over branded designs

Actors Kim Tae-hee and Jung Ji-hoon (Rain) chose to have a modest ceremony for their wedding that took place on Thursday afternoon. Rather than the usual five-star hotels celebrities pick for their nuptials, Kim and Jung held theirs at Gaheo-dong Catheral in Jongno-gu, Seoul, following their Catholic convictions.At the ceremony, what caught the eyes of the 50 or so attendees was Kim‘s wedding gown.  (Rain Company)Again, rather than an extravagant dress from a high-end brand, Kim donned a piece d

Jan. 20, 2017

EXO sweeps music awards

K-pop juggernaut EXO bagged yet another grand prize at the 26th annual Seoul Music Awards on Thursday, sweeping top honors at five of the biggest music awards in the country.The boy band received the award for the fourth consecutive year, edging out rivals Bangtan Boys, BtoB and VIXX. The group has grand prizes from the Asia Artist Awards, Melon Music Awards, Mnet Asian Music Award and Golden Disc Awards (best album category) under its belt. EXO performs Thursday at the Seoul Music Awards held a

Jan. 20, 2017