North Koreans may perform at DMZ music fest in June

A North Korean art troupe might take part in an upcoming music festival to be held in Seoul and near the Demilitarized Zone in Gangwon Province. The organizers of the DMZ Peace Train Music Festival said Tuesday they are considering officially inviting North Korean musicians to the event at the end of April. “While nothing has been set yet, we are planning to send an invitation to the North after the South-North summit, scheduled for the end of April,” said Gangwon Province Gov. Choi Moon-soon at

March 27, 2018

Violinist Chung Kyung-wha releases 33rd album ‘Beau Soir’

At 70, when most people have retired, iconic Korean violinist Chung Kyung-wha still has energy to move ahead with her musical life.Chung released her 33rd album “Beau Soir” on Friday, timed to coincide with the violinist’s 70th birthday. The Warner Classics album features French Romantic and impressionist compositions by Franck, Faure and Debussy. The release date also marked the 100th anniversary of Debussy’s death.  Violinist Chung Kyung-wha, born on March 26 in 1948, receives her birthday cak

March 27, 2018

Jung Yong-hwa readies Japanese release

CNBLUE’s Jung Yong-hwa, who is currently serving in the Army, will release a new Japanese song in May, according to the artist’s agency FNC Entertainment on Tuesday.The CNBLUE frontman’s new Japanese song, “Letter,” will be released in Japan on May 21, and will be the first part of his “Feel the Five Y” project, through which he plans to release five Japanese singles. “Letter” will be followed by “Brothers,” “Melody, “Jellyfish” and “The Moment,” all of which will be released during his time in

March 27, 2018

BTS' 'Boy in Luv' video surpasses 200m YouTube views

The official music video for "Boy in Luv" from BTS exceeded 200 million views on YouTube on Tuesday, becoming the eighth video by the K-pop sensation to pass the threshold, the group's agency said.The video of the title track off BTS' second EP "Skool Luv Affair" topped 200 million at around 8:35 a.m., according to Big Hit Entertainment.The 2014 song blends a strong hip-hop drum beat with a powerful rock sound with its lyrics depicting a teenage boy confessing his love for a beautiful girl.Inclu

March 27, 2018

Red Velvet to perform ‘Red Flavor,’ ‘Bad Boy’ in Pyongyang

K-pop girl group Red Velvet has confirmed the set list for its performance in Pyongyang slated for next week as part of a South Korean art troupe. Organizers said Monday that “Red Flavor” and “Bad Boy” have been selected to be performed in Pyongyang from among a list of songs submitted by Red Velvet. Red Velvet is the only K-pop idol group to be included in the group of performers slated to put on shows in North Korea on April 1 and 3. Other musicians include Korean pop legend Cho Yong-pil, who

March 26, 2018

Korea National Opera’s new artistic director Yun Ho-gen pledges more Korean operas

Fans of opera can expect to see more Korean singers performing local productions.Artistic Director of the Korea National Opera Yun Ho-gen pledged to introduce more Korean productions and original Korean operas during a press conference held in Seoul to promote the company’s upcoming “Manon.” Yun was appointed to the post on Feb. 9.Yun, who started at the Stadttheater Gieseen in 1999, previously worked at the Kammeroper Frankfurt as well. He assisted conductor Daniel Barenboim at the Berlin State

March 26, 2018

Minwoo of K-pop act 100% dies

Seo Min-woo of 100% died of a heart attack Sunday at the age of 33. The boy band’s agency TOP Media announced the death of group leader Seo Min-woo, better known as just Minwoo, through its official website.  Minwoo (TOP Media)“He was found at his home in Gangnam, Seoul. Paramedics rushed to the scene, who pronounced him dead,” the announcement read. Seo debuted as an actor in 2006 through TV drama series “Sharp 3.” He switched to pop music in 2012, as the leader of 100%. The group was to hold c

March 26, 2018

Monsta X completes coming-of-age story with ‘The Connect’

Each of them has a different story and world view, but the members of Monsta X said they are all connected after all.  The seven-piece boy band returned with its sixth EP “The Connect” on Monday, bringing to an end its coming-of-age story that began unfolding in its previous album “The Code” from last November.After hopping about different years as time travelers in “The Code,” the members stand side-by-side as a full-group in its new album, delivering the message, “We are one after all.”  "Seve

March 26, 2018

JYP’s Stray Kids debuts with ‘District 9’

After taking over the global charts with its pre-debut release, Stray Kids, a new boy band under JYP Entertainment, finally made what could be the most intriguing K-pop debut of the year. The nine-member group was formed through an Mnet competition show of the same name that aired last year. Equipped with talents not only for vocals but also song writing and producing, Stray Kids had garnered attention even before its debut as it was JYP’s first boy band in four years. And rather than gradually

March 25, 2018

Rapper Yook Ji-dam clarifies rumors

Female rapper Yook Ji-dam on Sunday posted a lengthy piece of writing on her social media account, containing information regarding the issues she had with her agency CJ E&M, as well as her past relationship with Wanna One’s Kang Daniel. Rapper Yook Ji-dam (Herald DB)Answering to a private comment to the blog post, Yook said that her relationship with Wanna One’s Kang Daniel lasted only about a month, ending just before Kang started filming the second season of “Produce 101.” I ended the relatio

March 25, 2018

Twice to release album on April 9

K-pop group Twice will return with the new EP “What is Love” on April 9, its agency JYP Entertainment said Sunday. The group’s fifth EP will be fronted by the lead track “What is Love.” The nine-member act will promote the new EP from March 26 until the day of its release, according the agency’s official website Sunday.  A promotional image for Twice’s upcoming EP “What is Love” (JYP Entertainment)Twice is also scheduled to stage a series of concerts titled “TWICELAND ZONE 2: Fantasy Park” at Ja

March 25, 2018

Wanna One clears name through audio analysis

Fans of Wanna One attempted to clear the band’s name by requesting a digital forensic audio analysis.Wanna One became embroiled in controversy Monday, when some of its members allegedly made vulgar comments during a live broadcast.  Wanna One poses during a press conference for its new EP “0+1=0 (I Promise You)” in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)The members allegedly used inappropriate language, including slang and a sexual term, unaware of the fact that they were being aired live on cable channel Mne

March 23, 2018

Big Bang’s ‘Bang Bang Bang’ tops 300m views on YouTube

The official music video for Big Bang’s “Bang Bang Bang” surpassed 300 million views on YouTube as of Thursday afternoon.According to YG Entertainment, the video topped 300 million at around 6:30 p.m. The agency released a poster on its YG Life website celebrating the record number of views.The music video was released on June 1, 2015, along with the single which was released as part of the group’s album, “MADE” in December 2016. (YG Entertainment)This is the second music video by Big Bang to br

March 23, 2018

Oh My Girl confirms April 2 release

Oh My Girl on Thursday confirmed earlier reports that the K-pop act will release a new record on April 2.According to its agency WM Entertainment, the group is currently putting the finishing touches on the new song, which comes after the EP “Secret Garden” released in January. A teaser image for Oh My Girl’s upcoming release (WM Entertainment)The group at midnight Wednesday uploaded on its official social media pages a teaser image that showed bananas falling from the sky and three monkeys buri

March 22, 2018

R&B trio Solid returns after 21 years

After disbanding 21 years ago, R&B trio Solid returned with the album “Into the Light” on Tuesday.The group may sound unfamiliar to many young K-pop fans, but those who listened to Solid’s breakout hits “Holding on to Tonight” and “Destiny” in the 1990s may have taken a trip down memory lane when Kim Jo-han, Lee Joon and Jeong Jae-yoon made a surprise announcement about their reunion last week.Consisting of members who all hail from the US, Solid shot to stardom after its debut in 1993, breathin

March 22, 2018

BTS' 'MIC Drop' remix surpasses 200m YouTube views

The official music video for the "MIC Drop" remix from BTS exceeded 200 million views on YouTube on Thursday, becoming the seventh video by the K-pop sensation to pass the threshold, the group's agency said.The video for the remix of "MIC Drop" topped 200 million at about 11:43 a.m., according to the Big Hit Entertainment.The song, originally released in September on the album "Love Yourself: Her," was released again in November as a remix by Steve Aoki. The remix later debuted on the Billboard

March 22, 2018

Mamamoo’s Solar to hold first solo concerts

Solar of K-pop act Mamamoo will hold her first concerts as a solo artist next month, her agency announced Tuesday.According to RBW, the singer will hold concerts on April 27 and 28 at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. The repertoire will consist of songs from her “Solar Gamsung” project, in which she released reimagined versions of old Korean pop songs. Solar of Mamamoo (RBW)During the concerts, she will also reveal the latest song of the project, along with others written by her.Mamamoo vowed th

March 21, 2018

[Album review] Wanna One’s ill-fated album

Wanna One"0+1=1 (I Promise You)”(CJ E&M Music)Albeit efforts to judge the album based on its musicality and not its artists’ off-camera behavior, Wanna One’s new release still needs explanation. Made up of the winners of the second season of the audition program “Produce 101,” this 11-piece K-pop group often says, “Our success is all due to fans’ love and support.” Its second EP “0+1=1 (I Promise You)” is another cupid’s arrow aiming at the hearts of its loyal fans, but it seems to be in trouble

March 21, 2018

Son Yeol-eum to helm Great Mountains Music Festival

Pianist Son Yeol-eum has been appointed Great Mountains Music Festival & School’s new artistic director.Son is the fourth artistic director of the music festival, following founder and first artistic director Kang Hyo and co-directors Chung Myung-wha and Chung Kyung-wha, who resigned from their posts in January. Pianist Son Yeol-eum, Great Mountains Music Festival & School‘s new artistic director (GMMFS)In the last year Son reportedly expressed the hope that GMMFS, originally envisioned to promo

March 20, 2018

Wanna One apologizes for remarks made during live broadcast

K-pop boy group Wanna One has come under fire for remarks it made that were accidently aired during a live broadcast Monday.About four hours before the release of the act’s new album “0+1=1” EP, the members appeared on Mnet’s onelife broadcast “Star Live” to celebrate its comeback. The live show featured the members waiting in a green room before the official broadcast, but the trouble began with Kang Daniel shouting out, “Why aren’t we getting our payment?”Kang’s remark was followed by Park Ji-

March 20, 2018