JYP Entertainment is once again proving itself to be a K-pop powerhouse.The latest releases by the agency’s artists have been sweeping music charts in recent weeks. On Monday morning, girl group Twice -- best known for hit tracks such as “Like Ooh-Aah” and “Cheer Up” -- returned to the spotlight with its third mini album “TWICEcoaster: Lane 1.” The album’s title track “TT” dominated major local music charts, including Bugs, MelOn, Mnet, Genie, Soribada, Monkey3, Olleh Music and Naver Music. Its

Oct. 24, 2016

GHENT, Belgium (AFP) -- A painstaking restoration of a 15th-century Flemish masterpiece is revealing the long-lost detail and splendor that helped make the altarpiece one of the world’s most stolen artworks.“The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” by the Van Eyck brothers was unveiled600 years ago at Saint Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent, but since then its full glory has dimmed, after being split into pieces, seized by Napoleon, then the Nazis, and nabbed by thieves.“You could say it is like the rediscover

Oct. 24, 2016

This month alone the local entertainment industry has been hit with a number of K-pop idols suffering from fatigue and other stress-related mental health issues. With all these stars taking time out from their hectic schedules, one question needs to be answered -- where do we draw the line? In a span of three weeks, a member of mega hallyu boy band EXO fainted at Incheon airport, a Crayon Pop starlet suspended all her music activities due to anxiety, and a member of the newly debuted WINNER halt

Oct. 23, 2016

LONDON -- In 2000, artist Koo Jeong-a was commissioned by a Swiss cultural foundation to write a book. Handpicked by renowned German art curator Beatrix Ruf, who is now director of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, she felt thrilled to be the sole winner of the annual artist book project.But she didn’t feel confident about writing. Instead of expressing her thoughts in words, she chose to do what she did best -- draw. She created 1,001 line drawings as records of her daily life, named them “Civ

Oct. 23, 2016

Boy band NRG is joining Shinhwa, S.E.S and Sechs Kies in the growing list of first-generation K-pop groups making a comeback in recent months.To celebrate the group’s 19th debut anniversary, three of the remaining NRG members -- Chun Myung-hoon, Lee Sung-jin and Noh Yoo-min -- held a fan meeting at KT Olleh Square in Seoul on Saturday to announce their plans for a new album, scheduled to be released next year to commemorate the group’s 20 years. “This is our comeback, rather than a reunion, sinc

Oct. 23, 2016

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- With their red, white and blue tutus and Taylor Swift t-shirts, Rachel Emling and Mikala Crews were everything Formula One wanted at the US Grand Prix: young fans who would travel across the country for a mix of pop stars and fast cars.Tens of thousands packed into the Circuit of the Americas on Saturday night for Swift's only concert of the year at Formula One’s only race on American soil. Formula One's goal in booking Swift was to hook a new generation of fans to their sp

Oct. 23, 2016

LONDON (AFP) -- Radiohead will headline next year‘s Glastonbury festival, organizers announced Thursday, after the British rock band’s logo appeared on grass at the countryside venue.“YES! Radiohead will be back at Worthy Farm and we really can‘t wait,” Emily Eavis, co-organizer of the festival, wrote on Instagram.Her post was accompanied by a photo of Radiohead’s “angry bear” logo, painted in white at the festival site in Somerset, southwest England. The English experimental rockers will headli

Oct. 21, 2016

Electro-dance music group Far East Movement dropped its fifth album “Identity” on global music streaming sites Friday, featuring a handful of K-pop stars. The title track “Fighter” features rapper-singer Yoon Mi-rae. Filmed in Los Angeles and Seoul, the song’s music video is a tribute to Korean immigrants who went to America amid war and hardships in their home country, according to Far East Movement’s management Transparent Agency.Rapper Jay Park participated in the retro hip-hop track “SXWME,”

Oct. 21, 2016

K-pop group EXO’s main dancer Lay, a Chinese national, is set to debut as a solo artist in China, the boy band’s management agency S.M. Entertainment announced Friday. Lay’s album “Lose Control” will be released on Oct. 28 on Xiami Music, a subsidiary of Ali Music Group, the music arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, and on major Korean music streaming sites, S.M. said.The album consists of six songs in Chinese, all written, composed and arranged by Lay.EXO’s member Lay poses for a promotion

Oct. 21, 2016

Dance French dance company Compagnie DCA performs “Contact.” (Official website)“Sleeping Beauty”: Korean National Ballet will perform “Sleeping Beauty” at the Seoul Arts Center Opera House from Nov. 3-6. After presenting Rudolf Nureyev’s rendition in 2004, the group is back with a different take of the classic fairy tale, choreographed by Marcia Haydee, a former prima ballerina of the Stuttgart Ballet group. The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. on weekdays, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on the Saturday a

Oct. 21, 2016

Rookie girl group Momoland will be making its official debut next month.　The seven-member act will be releasing its first album on Nov. 10, according to industry insiders. 　The debut of the group created through Mnet’s K-pop survival program “Finding Momoland” was delayed after it failed to achieve the show’s final mission of gathering 3,000 audience members for a concert. The girl group managed to attract just over 2,000 people. 　 To gear up for its upcoming releases, Momoland -- consisting of

Oct. 20, 2016

Korean-American singer Jay Park has returned with a new album.　Park unveiled his fourth full studio album “Everything You Wanted” on local music sites Thursday morning. 　The artist’s first album since last November, “Everything You Wanted” contains 19 songs, including two title tracks, “Drive,” featuring singer-producer Gray, and “All I Wanna Do,” featuring rapper Loco and rhythm-and-blues singer Hoody. Both songs were produced by Park’s labelmate Cha Cha Malone, who has worked with other K-pop

Oct. 20, 2016

FRANKFURT (AFP) -- British contemporary artist David Hockney unveiled a 500-page art book at the Frankfurt fair Wednesday that is so large it comes with its own stand -- and a price tag of 2,000 euros ($2,200).The tome, “A Bigger Book,” gives a visual overview of his decades-long career and includes everything from his earliest drawings to his famed swimming pool paintings and polaroid collages, to his more recent iPad drawings.The 79-year-old, wearing a white flat cap and a yellow tie with a gr

Oct. 20, 2016

CHICAGO (AFP) -- Yoko Ono, whose last recorded song with John Lennon was inspired by Chicago, unveiled here Tuesday the final piece of her first permanent US art installation. The sculpture, which is on display at The Art Institute, is entitled “Mended Petal.” It is a tall representation of a stainless steel lotus blossom petal. A group of 12 similar petals, comprising a separate sculpture entitled “Skylanding,” was unveiled Monday in Jackson Park, an expansive urban setting on Chicago’s South S

Oct. 20, 2016

K-pop boy band MAP6 is heading to Hong Kong.　The group has been chosen to promote Korean goods at the Enjoy K-Style event at this year’s Festive Korea, which will run throughout October in Hong Kong, according to the band’s management agency DreamT Entertainment on Wednesday. 　“We will do our best to spread knowledge about Korean culture and products in Hong Kong,” MAP6 said in a statement.　The boy band will be performing at D-Park shopping center Saturday and Sunday as part of the event. 　Organ

Oct. 19, 2016

Another first-generation K-pop group is gearing up for its return to the spotlight. 　Boy band Shinhwa will be releasing “She Said” from its upcoming 13th studio album this week, according to its management agency Shinhwa Company on Wednesday. 　“The new song is a medium tempo track that centers around two people who are more than just friends, yet not quite a couple,” according to the company. 　The six-member act -- consisting of Eric Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-wan, Shin Hye-sung, Jun Jin and And

Oct. 19, 2016

Defying all odds, at the age of 53, world-renowned Italian prima ballerina Alessandra Ferri is still not ready to hang up her ballet shoes. After deciding to return to the stage after a five-year absence, the dancer is in Seoul to re-tackle one of the world’s most beloved and iconic characters -- Juliet. The former Royal Ballet dancer will be hitting the stage alongside American Ballet principal dancer Herman Cornejo and the Universal Ballet Company in its upcoming production of Kenneth MacMilla

Oct. 19, 2016

K-pop boy band VIXX is returning with a new release.　Inspired by Greek mythology, the group’s yearlong trilogy “2016 Conception” will conclude with the upcoming EP “Kratos,” referring to the Greek mythological god of war. To gear up for the release, the group shared teaser images featuring the bandmates with their eyes covered by strips of black lace via official social media channels Tuesday morning.  The photos were created in collaboration with fashion and beauty photographer David Byun, who

Oct. 18, 2016