Psy's Gangnam Style returns as a landmark bronze sculpture

"Gangnam Style," a mega-hit song by South Korean pop star Psy, returned to Seoul on Friday in the form of a giant landmark sculpture.The sculpture was unveiled to the public in an opening ceremony at 7 p.m. on the eastern patio of COEX, a multi-cultural complex in the Gangnam Ward of southeastern Seoul. The event was hosted and organized by the city's Gangnam Ward Office.The bronze sculpture, 5 meters high and 8 meters wide, is modeled after the signature horse-riding hand motion of the Gangnam

April 15, 2016

[Album review] ‘I Am Sam’ is warm, folksy and youthful

Sam Kim　“I Am Sam”　(Antenna Music)　　In Sam Kim’s debut album “I Am Sam” there is an unmistakable undercurrent of American country influence, which comes through especially strong in songs like “Mama Don’t Worry” and “Your Song.” The tracks, backed mainly by acoustic guitar tunes, wouldn’t be out of place on the whitewashed porch of a quintessentially American farm.　Acoustic tracks abound in K-pop almost as much as dance tracks, but there is something distinct about Kim’s compositions, which feel

April 15, 2016

[Album review] Dean’s first LP is deliciously brooding

Dean　"130 Mood: TRBL"　(Joombas and Universal Music)　Dean is receiving the coveted attention of international artists such as Anderson Paak and Jeff Bernat and local hip-hop big names including Dynamic Duo, Zico and Crush, and there seems to be a legitimate reason behind the singer-songwriter’s emergence. Though his sound represents the height of trendiness, it is still deliciously brooding, full of soul. The largely electronic R&B sounds featured on this first LP are sleek and sophisticatedly la

April 15, 2016

Brown Eyed Girls leader JeA returns with solo ‘Bad Girl’

The beauty of “Bad Girl,” a two-track mini album by Brown Eyed Girls‘ leader JeA, lies in the contrasting lyrics of the two rhythm and blues tracks."Bad Girl,” the first track of the singer’s second solo album portrays a woman estranged from her boyfriend after cheating on him with another man, while the second track, “Island of Tears,” depicts how wretched a woman feels while missing her ex-boyfriend.The acoustic number “Bad Girl” impressed the 34-year-old JeA with not only the uniquely sentime

April 15, 2016

Artists commemorate victims of Sewol tragedy

The intense grief and anger that gripped the country after the Sewol ferry sinking seems to have receded, two years after the tragic day. 　But the disaster remains vivid in the memories of the victims’ families who still frequently visit the Government Joint Memorial site in Hwarang Recreation Park in Ansan, a Gyeonggi Province city where Danwon High School, whose students made up the largest group of victims, is located. Of the 304 victims, 250 students and 11 teachers from the school were on a

April 14, 2016

Sales events offer discounts on music albums

Streaming and downloading may be the most popular ways of listening to music these days, but for fans of physical albums, two upcoming events offer a chance to purchase LPs, CDs and DVDs at reduced prices. 　Universal Music is holding special events at Garosu-gil and Sangsu-dong in Seoul, where visitors can browse and buy at discount prices a vast array of albums spanning classical music to pop music. Promotional image of Deutsche Grammophon Yard Sale, which will be held at the Garosugil ODE Pop-

April 14, 2016

Junsu tops charts with OST single

Hallyu king Kim Jun-su of JYJ has jumped on the “Descendants of the Sun” craze bandwagon with the release of his newest single, “How Can I Love You,” as part of the drama series’ latest “Part 10” sound track.　The romantic ballad single, which appeared in the penultimate episode of the smash-hit KBS TV drama Wednesday night, was released Thursday and quickly snagged the No. 1 spot on all of the country’s major music sites, including Melon, Naver and Mnet.   Kim Jun-su of JYJ (C-JeS Entertainment)

April 14, 2016

Epik High to perform at Coachella

Korean hip-hop trio Epik High will be performing at popular American festival Coachella Valley Music and Arts.　In an interview with the group released Tuesday, Billboard reported, “Epik High plans to make history at Coachella as the first major South Korean act playing (at) the music festival.”　“It is definitely a venue that we always dreamed of performing at,” the group’s rapper Tablo said in the interview. He also urged festivalgoers to come check out their stage, promising to make it worthwhi

April 14, 2016

Adele has best-selling album as global music revenue rises

LONDON (AP) -- Adele had the world’s best-selling album last year, a global smash that helped music revenues record their first significant growth since the dawn of the digital age two decades ago.　Figures released Tuesday by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry show that the British singer’s chart-topping “25” sold 17.4 million copies -- five times more than runners-up Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift, whose albums “X” and “1989” both sold 3.5 million copies. 　The year’s best-se

April 13, 2016

[Herald Interview] Julia Moon striving for greater inclusion with Universal Ballet

Hailed as one of the first Korean ballerinas to achieve widespread international fame, Julia Moon is seeking to expand the global network of Universal Ballet and make it more “universal.” 　One of the founding members of the Universal Ballet -- among the top ballet companies in the country, rivaling the Korean National Ballet -- Moon has been its general director for the past decade, since retiring as principal dancer. 　Now in its 32nd year, the director says the company is ready to branch out mo

April 13, 2016

Sam Kim drops ‘honest’ debut album

Singer-songwriter Sam Kim’s debut album features six self-written, folksy tunes that tell personal stories of his family, hometown and boyish energy. The songs are honest and without pretense, much like the 18-year-old himself.　“I feel shy and nervous, but excited. Everything’s unfamiliar. My Korean has improved a lot though, hasn’t it?” said Korean-American Kim on his newfound spotlight at a showcase for his album at Itaewon on Monday. 　It has been three years since Kim ventured to Korea alone

April 12, 2016

JYP's music video shows Conan O’Brien

Park Jin-young, singer and CEO of JYP Entertainment, released “Still Alive,” a digital single Sunday.　The single includes “Still Alive” and “Fire” -- which has garnered attention with its music video starring American comedian and talk show host Conan O’Brien.　“Fire,” which is set to be released Wednesday, is an uplifting ’80s funky rock tune. Korean-American singer and actor Steven Yeun (left) and American comedian and talk show host Conan O’Brien star in JYP’s “Fire” music video (JYP Entertain

April 11, 2016

U Sung-eun and Kisum release collaboration song

R&B singer U Sung-eun and rapper Kisum released their collaboration song “Jealousy” on Monday.　Singer U won second prize on season one of Mnet music competition show “Voice of Korea,” which aired in 2012. She made her debut with “Be OK” in 2013. Since then, she has gained recognition through TV drama sound tracks and digital singles.  Stills from U Sung-eun and Kisum’s “Jealousy” music video (The Music Works)　The new song “Jealousy” features an uplifting hip-hop beat. 　The music video for the so

April 11, 2016

Avant-garde photography that breaks stereotypes

Society’s minorities are the focus of an exhibition of avant-garde photographs currently running at the Seoul Museum of Art. 　The show presents some 200 photographs by big names in modern and contemporary photography who put into practice French thinker Roland Barthes’ theory on photography. This includes Walker Evans, Henri Cartier-Bresson, William Klein, Cindy Sherman, Sophie Calle and Christian Boltanski.  Untitled No. 67 (Cindy Sherman & Metro Pictures)　Titled “The Family of the Invisible,”

April 11, 2016

‘Three Musketeers’ returns to local stage with younger cast

Based on Alexandre Dumas’ novel “The Three Musketeers,” the musical rendition of the classic tale is returning to the Seoul stage. The story revolves around the adventures of D’Artagnan in his quest to become part of the elite three musketeers -- Athos, Porthos and Aramis -- in the backdrop of early 17th century France.The original Broadway production first opened in 1928 to rave reviews. “The Three Musketeers” musical finally made its local debut in 2009, where it ranked No. 1 in performance ti

April 10, 2016

[Album review] Ronnie Spector honors U.K. peers on ‘English Heart’

Ronnie Spector 　“English Heart” 　(429 Records) 　In 1964, Ronnie Spector toured Britain with the Ronettes just weeks before the Beatles arrived in America. “English Heart” is her tribute to that British Invasion, in turn influenced by her band and former husband Phil Spector‘s “Wall of Sound.”　While Spector is often cited for the power of her pipes, these 11 songs are styled more around subtlety and insinuation.　Producer Scott Jacoby has wisely favored the feel of the 1960s originals over the sou

April 8, 2016