Taemin back with stylish sounds

SHINee’s youngest member Taemin is coming back to the stage in his own right with his first studio-length album “Press It.” The 10-track album includes two songs with self-written lyrics, as well as collaboration tracks with top hit-makers including Bruno Mars, Teddy Riley, LDN Noise and The Stereotypes.The record shows Taemin’s growth as a solo performer, with tracks like “Drip Drop” and the lead track “Press Your Number” built to showcase his stage performance skills with heavy beats, and R&B

Feb. 22, 2016

'Turandot' musical debuts in Seoul after 6 years

Giacomo Puccini’s three-act Italian opera “Turandot” has been given new life as a Korean-language musical.　Since its premiere as part of the Daegu International Musical Festival in 2010, producer Yoo Hei-sung’s musical rendition of “Turandot” has toured across China, in Dongguan, Ningbo, Hangzhou and other cities. Now, six years since its premiere, the opera-turned-musical has finally made its way to the Seoul stage.Scene from the Korean musical rendition of the popular Puccini opera, “Turandot.

Feb. 22, 2016

Beatles songs set to stream in Korea

The music of legendary rock band the Beatles will be available on streaming music services in Korea from Feb. 29, Universal Music Korea announced Monday.　The label said that 307 tracks from the group’s 17 albums will be made available on 10 Korean online and mobile music streaming services, including MelOn, Naver Music, Ginie, Bugs, Mnet, Soribada and Kakao Music.The Beatles (Universal Music Korea)　The original 13 studio albums -- including the group’s debut album “Please Please Me” released in

Feb. 22, 2016

An intimate view of photographers at work

Exhibition photographs are often polished and flawless, making it difficult for viewers to fathom the complex process of choosing and producing such images. Eschewing this facade, three ongoing photo exhibits in Seoul offer viewers a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes process of photographers by displaying their contact sheets and photo-developing materials. 　Magnum Photos agency and the Museum of Photography, Seoul gathered some 70 iconic images of Magnum photographers and their contact prints, w

Feb. 22, 2016

AOMG returns to U.S. on tour

Record label AOMG will tour the U.S in April said an announcement on Saturday on its official Facebook page. 　Called the “Follow the Movement 2016 American Tour,” artistes from AOMG will perform over two weeks in eight U.S. cities -- Chicago, New York, Houston, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. Featuring singers Jay Park, Simon Dominic, Loco, Gray and DJ Pumkin, the label will kick off the tour with a concert at House of Blues, Chicago, on April 5.Poster for AOMG’s 2016

Feb. 21, 2016

[Album Review] Rainbow takes another shot with 'Prism'

　Rainbow“Prism”(Loen Entertainment)　Rainbow is one of those girl groups that everyone seems to like, but just can’t seem to get a break. On their fourth album “Prism,” titled with the hope of each member’s personality (“color”) shining through, the group demonstrates that its slow takeoff was certainly not for want of talent.The first track establishes the members’ vocal skills, with each singer giving a solid performance on a classic K-pop ballad reminiscent of songs from the 2000s. Even withou

Feb. 19, 2016

[Album Review] SS301 is suave on ‘Eternal 5’

　SS301"Eternal 5"(Interpark)The three members of SS501 who returned as the unit group SS301 -- Heo Young-saeng, Kim Kyu-jong and Kim Hyung-jun -- may have been away from the scene for seven years, but on their EP “Eternal 5” they showed that they have not lost their touch. Catchy and dramatic, the five tracks follow the latest trends in K-pop, creating structures that highlight their vocal talents.The record starts off smooth with a R&B-infused vibe in “Dirty Love,” then gets big, loud and catch

Feb. 19, 2016

‘SAC on Screen’ unveils new art film productions

In 2013 the Seoul Arts Center began filming a number of its live stage productions, creating ultrahigh-definition movie versions of their shows, which are recorded using more than 10 different camera angles and surround sound. 　On Tuesday, the SAC held a screening of “The Last Empress” -- pegged as Korea’s first original blockbuster musical -- alongside a piano recital by the legendary Paris-based pianist Paik Kun-woo at the CineCube Theater in Gwanghwamun, Seoul.A scene from “The Last Empress”

Feb. 18, 2016

At latest Grammys, a triumph of the popular

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- After recognizing eclectic musicians in recent years, the latest Grammys have gone to some of the best-sellers -- a meeting, deliberate or not, of the industry's top honors with popular taste.　The most prestigious award, Album of the Year, had an unusually diverse range of nominees including meditative rapper Kendrick Lamar, indie rock sensation Alabama Shakes and late-blooming country singer Chris Stapleton.　But the music professionals voted to give Monday’s prize to Taylor

Feb. 17, 2016

Pianist Son Yeol-eum drops ‘Modern Times,’ first album in 8 years

Classical pianist Son Yeol-eum has returned to the limelight with her first album in eight years, “Modern Times.” It  features a wide range of music from jazzy razzmatazz swing tunes to sounds that remind listeners of a dark and desolate night. 　“This musical theme is something I have always wanted to pursue because I think this style of music represents such important and influential times in our history,” said Son, during a press conference held at the Stradeum concert hall in Seoul on Wednesd

Feb. 17, 2016

Cast of Rodin’s ‘The Kiss’ sells for record $2.4m

PARIS (AFP) -- A bronze cast of Auguste Rodin’s famous sculpture “The Kiss” sold for 2.2 million euros ($2.4 million) to an American collector at an auction in Paris on Tuesday.　Auction house Binoche et Giquello said the 85-centimetre model, produced in 1927, had beaten presale estimates and set a record for a model made after the French sculptor’s death.  A bronze cast of this original Auguste Rodin sculpture “The Kiss” has sold for 2.2 million euros ($2.4 million) to an American collector (AFP

Feb. 17, 2016

Ladies’ Code to make comeback

Korean girl group Ladies’ Code is poised to make a comeback with their mini album “Mystery” on Feb. 24, according to its agency Polaris Entertainment on Tuesday.The group had been involved in a car accident on Sep 4. 2014 in which two of their members, RiSe and EunB, suffered fatal injuries. EunB died at the scene of the accident while RiSe died three days later due to head injuries. Sojung was also badly injured but recovered. “The remaining three members have weathered hard times and braced fo

Feb. 16, 2016

Shinhwa to hold 18th anniversary concert

Korea’s longest running male group Shinhwa will hold a concert to celebrate its 18th anniversary. (Shinhwa Company)The upcoming show, titled “Hero,” will take place on March 26-27 at the Olympic Park Gymnastics Arena in Seoul.“We really appreciate the love of our fans. Hope everyone enjoys the show. All members are passionately preparing for special performances to satisfy their expectations,” said its agency, Shinhwa Company.Shinhwa held concerts in March and August last year to celebrate their

Feb. 16, 2016

[Hallyu Power] Seensee president talks state of Korea’s budding musical theater scene

Since its establishment nearly three decades ago, Seensee Company has grown into one of the country’s leading professional musical theater companies. 　It has introduced world famous musical products to local theatergoers over the years since it was first formed in 1987.  These days, helmed by theater guru Park Myung-sung, Seensee continues to thrive as one of the leading forces in Korea’s musical and theater scene.  Seensee Company president Park Myung-sung. (Seensee Company)　“Although when you

Feb. 16, 2016

'This is my moment'

Balladeer Jo Kwon has spent over half his life with the agency JYP Entertainment and it is about time for him to come into his own by expressing his true thoughts and emotions through his music. 　He spent eight years as a trainee with JYP Entertainment before debuting as the leader of vocal quartet 2AM in 2008. In total, he has spent fifteen years of his life working with JYP. At a press showcase for his second solo record “Crosswalk,” he told reporters that he felt it was now time for him to ma

Feb. 16, 2016