BTS drops new promotional song for Seoul City, website crashes

The release of BTS’ promotional track for the City of Seoul on the city’s official website has sent fans into a viewing frenzy, causing the website to crash.The song, titled ‘With Seoul’ was released for free on Seoul City’s official tourism website visitseoul.net on Wednesday at noon Korea time. Screenshot of BTS` promotional video for Seoul City (Seoul City)When the clock struck noon, the website came crashing down as fans of BTS, collectively known as ARMY, invaded in a bid to check out the n

Dec. 6, 2017

‘Second, third BTS should be born’: Bang Si-hyuk

Producer-CEO Bang Si-hyuk of Big Hit Entertainment, the label behind boy band BTS, hopes to pave the road for future K-pop stars on the international stage. “I believe that a second, third BTS should be born and I believe it is possible. I will try to complete a successful model and let future (K-pop) musicians continue on in this path,” Bang said in accepting the Presidential Citation at the Korea Content Awards ceremony at Coex in Seoul on Tuesday. 　Bang will be donating the 10 million won ($9

Dec. 6, 2017

Zion. T, Lee Moon-sae’s ‘Snow’ sweeps charts

“Snow,” the collaboration track between R&B singer-producer Zion. T and veteran singer Lee Moon-sae, has topped major music charts upon its release Monday. 　As of Tuesday, the song sits at the top of eight major music charts including Melon, Bugs Music, Genie and Mnet.　The two singers met on the SBS music program “Fantastic Duo” last year and kept in touch, eventually deciding on a collaboration, Zion. T said at a showcase in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Monday. 　 Zion. T performs at a showcase for his ne

Dec. 5, 2017

Fan Bing-bing’s brother aims to be K-pop idol

Chinese actress Fan Bing-bing’s younger brother is training to be a K-pop idol.  (Fan Bing-bing`s Instagram)A local news media outlet reported Tuesday that Fan Cheng-cheng, 17, has been training at the Yeuhua Entertainment, a multinational management agency based in Korea, for over a year. The agency officially admitted that the star’s brother is its trainee. “He really likes Korea and is training hard for debut,” the company said. By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@herladcorp.com)

Dec. 5, 2017

BTS ranks 28th on Billboard Hot 100 with 'Mic Drop'

K-pop group BTS' latest song "Mic Drop" has reached No. 28 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart making it the first Korean boy band to make it into the crucial top-40 list, according to the US music publication."Mic Drop," featuring hip-hop artist Desiigner and remixed by Steve Aoki, debuted on the Billboard main chart, backed by 9.8 million first-week US streams and 45,000 downloads for the week of Dec. 16, Billboard reported on Monday (US time), citing Nielsen Music.The song, originally listed on the

Dec. 5, 2017

[Next Wave] Clara C seeks to shed YouTube star image, find roots in Korea

For singer-songwriter Clara C, who was born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles, Korea had been an unknown land. She wrote and sang in English, but deep in her heart, Chung had room for Korea, the motherland of her parents.“At first, I didn’t even know that I had Korean fans on my YouTube channel. When I realized I had Korean fans, I started to write Korean on social media, and they liked it. And now, I’m very excited to meet my fans here, in Korea,” said Chung Jae-yeon, better known as C

Dec. 4, 2017

Taeyeon won’t face indictment, dog unrelated to accident

Taeyeon of Girls‘ Generation admitted that her recent traffic accident was caused by her error, Seoul police said Sunday evening. But the officials denied rumors that the K-pop star’s three-month-old dog -- sitting on the passenger‘s seat at the time -- was related to the accident.Seoul Gangnam Police Station summoned the singer Saturday and questioned her for 20 minutes, during which she said she failed to keep an eye on the road when the accident occurred. Taeyeon also vowed to compensate the

Dec. 4, 2017

Jung Yong-hwa of CNBLUE to hold solo concert

Jung-Yong-hwa, the vocalist and leader of K-pop band CNBLUE, will hold his second solo concert in Seoul next month, his agency FNC Entertainment said Monday.The concert, “2018 Jung Yong Hwa Live [Room 622] in Seoul,” will take place at Olympic Park in southeastern Seoul on Jan. 20-21, followed by a Jan. 27 concert in Seoul. It will be Jung’s first concert as a solo artist since March of 2015.Jung, who made his solo debut in the same year with “One Fine Day,” has been expanding his range beyond m

Dec. 4, 2017

BTS becomes first K-pop band to enter UK, German charts

BTS became the first K-pop band to have a song listed on top 100 single charts in Germany and the UK, its agency Big Hit Entertainment said Saturday. 　The boy band’s remix of the song “MIC Drop,” originally released in September, ranked 46th on the UK’s official top 100 single charts. The song ranked 71st on Germany’s official top 100 single charts. 　The song’s original Korean version -- written by Pdogg, Supreme Boi, Bang Si-hyuk, J-Hope and RM -- is included in BTS’ album “Love Yourself: Her.”

Dec. 3, 2017

‘EXO-L, you are wonderful fans’: EXO after winning at 2017 MAMA

HONG KONG -- K-pop group EXO expressed its gratitude to fans after winning the album of the year award at the 2017 Mnet Asian Music Awards at Asia-World Expo in Hong Kong on Friday. It was the fifth consecutive year that the group had received the grand prize, or Daesang, at the annual awards. EXO also won the Mwave global fans’ choice award at this year’s event. Its member Chen’s collaboration track with Dynamic Duo, “Nosedive,” won the best collaboration award, while the group’s subunit EXO-CB

Dec. 3, 2017

Rain says still looking for challenges in ‘Act 2’ of life

Fifteen years have passed since Rain splashed onto the K-pop stage with his deep voice, tall frame and trademark dance moves, singing about the “Bad Guy” that he is through his debut song. “It’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years. I’m so thankful for that,” said Rain during a press conference held in Seoul on Friday prior to the release of his new EP “My Life Ae.” Ae, a Chinese character meaning love, represents his affection for the life he has led, and the music embedded deep within his l

Dec. 1, 2017

Twice Christmas song to appear on repackaged album

Twice fans will be able to celebrate the upcoming holiday season with Christmas single “Merry & Happy,” which will be included in its new album.JYP Entertainment on Friday released the track list for “Merry & Happy,” due out on 6 p.m. Dec. 11, which is a repackaged edition of the girl group’s first studio album “Twicetagram.”  Twice (JYP Entertainment)The track is one of the new songs that will be included on the new record, along with “Heart Shaker.” JYP said that it is a Christmas song, lyrics

Dec. 1, 2017

Red Velvet tops Billboard’s World Albums chart again

Red Velvet has topped Billboard’s World Albums chart again with its second album “Perfect Velvet.” The album debuted at No. 1 on the chart, which sold 2,000 copies in the week that ended Nov. 23, according to Nielsen Music. The figure marks Red Velvet’s best weekly sales in the US after “Red Summer” in July, Billboard said, adding that the group’s success shows strong interest in K-pop girl groups in the US.  A poster for Red Velvet’s “Perfect Velvet” album (S.M. Entertainment)“Perfect Velvet” m

Nov. 30, 2017

Korean ‘babbling comedy’ team Ongals to perform at London’s West End

Mime, beatboxing, juggling and babbling like babies while dressed in pajamas –- this is the brand of non-verbal, family-friendly comedy that Korean team Ongals hopes to spread around the world. In its next gig, the now seven-member team will become the first Korean group to perform in London’s West End, the home of world-class theater. Ongals will be performing in a five-week run starting Jan. 4, 2018 at the Soho Theatre, a comedy venue founded some 40 years ago. “Since ten years ago, we’ve been

Nov. 30, 2017

Singer-actor Kim Hyun-joong to drop solo EP album

Singer-actor Kim Hyun-joong plans to release a new solo EP album, his agency said Wednesday.The former leader of boy group SS501 will put out a three-track digital EP album titled "Haze" later in the day, according to Keyeast Co. The love-themed record, Kim's fourth solo EP album, will be led by a song also named "Haze."  caption: Kim Hyun-joong (Herald DB)"Kim Hyun-joong took part in most of the EP's production, including the lyrics, songwriting and arrangement," the company said. Kim plans to

Nov. 29, 2017

[Album review] Jun. K peels off idol mask to show true self in ‘My 20s’

Jun. K “My 20s”Genie MusicBidding farewell to one’s 20s can be hard, especially when it was filled with love, breakups, regrets and pain. It’s hard to move on because it reminds people of the most passionate and innocent times of their lives. On the verge of entering his fourth decade in life, Jun. K reflects on the rollercoaster that was his 20s in his new album “My 20s.” The album is testament to the singer’s life that has not been very different from those of others, except that he didn’t hav

Nov. 29, 2017

Taeyeon’s car accident raises favoritism controversy

A multiple-vehicle accident caused by Taeyeon of Girls‘ Generation sparked some controversy Wednesday amid allegations that the K-pop star had received quicker medical attention from the paramedic due to her celebrity status.Taeyeon, the leader and main vocalist for Girls’ Generation, drove her Mercedes Benz vehicle into a taxi at a stop light around 8 p.m. Tuesday, causing the taxi to crash into an Audi vehicle, also at a stop, that was in front of it.  Taeyeon (S.M. Entertainment)Police said t

Nov. 29, 2017

Jay-Z leads Grammy noms with 8 as rap, R&B take center stage

Jay-Z is the leader of the 2018 Grammy Award nominations in a year where the top four categories are heavily dominated by rap and R&B artists, giving the often overlooked genres a strong chance of winning big.The Recording Academy announced Tuesday that Jay-Z is nominated for eight honors, including album, song, and record of the year. Bruno Mars is also nominated for the big three, while Kendrick Lamar -- who earned seven nominations -- and Childish Gambino are also up for major awards.Jay-Z’s

Nov. 29, 2017

GFriend to hold first individual concert

K-pop girl group GFriend will hold its first individual concert ever in January, its management agency said Tuesday. The “Season of GFriend” concert will take place at the Olympic Hall inside the Olympic Park in southeastern Seoul on Jan. 6-7, 2018. The concert, named after the group’s debut album “Season of Glass,” consists of five seasons: the four seasons which represented the group’s various music and a special season which features the GFriend members’ individual performances.  A teaser pos

Nov. 28, 2017

Choi Si-won to appear in Super Junior’s December concert

Choi Si-won will perform in Super Junior’s concert in December, his agency Label SJ announced Tuesday.Label SJ, a subsidiary of S.M. Entertainment, said Choi’s participation in the concert had been prearranged by a contract finalized months ago. Choi has not taken part in promotional activities for the band’s latest album “Play,” amid a recent controversy involving his family’s dog.The agency said the promotional activities are not bound by prearranged contracts and therefore could be changed at

Nov. 28, 2017