Fans of ’70s pop music will soon have a chance to indulge their nostalgia as stars Olivia Newton-John and Tom Jones are set to hold concerts in Korea at Seoul Olympic Park in May and April, respectively.It has taken a long time for both musicians to return to Korea -- 16 and 33 years, respectively, for Newton-John and Jones.Olivia Newton-John (Official Facebook)Newton-John, a four-time Grammy award-winner recording five No. 1 and ten other Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 singles, will perform old favor

Jan. 26, 2016

　Hip-hop rapper San E of Brand New Music and R&B and soul singer G.Soul of JYP Entertainment are set to release a song in February, according to industry insiders.　The label crossover collaboration between JYP Entertainment and Brand New Music is expected to showcase harmony between G.Soul’s soulful voice and San E’s rapping. San E (Brand New Music) and G.Soul (official Facebook)　San E, previously affiliated with JYP Entertainment, debuted in 2010, winning the Best Hip Hop Song award at the Kore

Jan. 25, 2016

Following his win at last year’s International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, pianist Cho Seong-jin has signed on with Deutsche Grammophon, the world’s most prestigious classical music record label, according to an announcement by Solea Management Sunday. 　Cho, who is the first Korean to win first place in the competition, has now joined the ranks of internationally renowned classical pianists including Lang Lang, Yundi and Yuja Wang.  Cho Seong-jin (Bartek Sadowksi)　Deutsche Grammophon was

Jan. 25, 2016

While Korean monochrome art, dansaekhwa, movement continues to garner international attention as a unique abstract art movement in Asia, curators and art critics in Korea are looking to highlight other important artistic movements. 　Gana Art Center is presenting works of eight artists who led the minjung art movement and realism art that reflected Korea’s fast-changing social and political environment in the 1980s and 1990s. 　Another exhibition, also backed by Gana Art Foundation, an affiliate o

Jan. 24, 2016

YG Entertainment released a video Saturday titled “Zion.T – ‘Baby Baby’ by Winner Cover 03” on its official blog, www.yg-life.com.　This is the third time that other musicians have released their own version of Winner’s upcoming song “Baby Baby.” A still from “Zion.T-‘Baby Baby’ by Winner Cover 03” (YG Entertainment)　The prerelease promotion of the album by Winner, a five-member idol group affiliated with YG Entertainment, began Jan. 21. The promotion presents part of Winner’s new song “Baby Baby

Jan. 24, 2016

The Legend“Sound Up!”(Loen Entertainment)　It’s almost a shame that “Sound Up!” wasn’t boy group The Legend’s first EP. Making a 180-degree flip from rookie group’s original pained, brooding image, “Sound Up!” brings out the commercial pop appeal of the group, who had previously had trouble getting off the ground despite the tall, handsome looks. The five-track EP kicks off with the lead track “Crush on You,” a funky, fun and brass-heavy dance track about a guy who falls in love at first sight wi

Jan. 22, 2016

JQ“Paper Moon”(Bugs)　Singer-songwriter and rapper JQ’s music is always easy on the ears. Although he is a rapper, his songs are catchy and rhythmic and never overbearing. Perhaps the reason that his music is so listener-friendly is that he is best-known for being the rap coach for artists at SM Entertainment such as TVXQ, Super Junior, and EXO. On his sixth EP “Paper Moon” JQ aptly demonstrates that he has a full understanding of how to shape rap for a pop audience.The six tracks each take on a

Jan. 22, 2016

Cross Gene“Game”(Universal Music)Cross Gene’s third EP “Game” is slow overall, considering the group’s talents in dance. For whatever reason, the dance tracks all take on a slower tempo, leaving the songs feeling outdated and reminiscent of the dance tracks of the past decade.Perhaps the biggest culprit is “Noona, You,” which lacks any sense of personality. With an intro that sounds like the starting notes of a cardio workout mixtape, a bland melody and lyrics that take yet another whack at the

Jan. 22, 2016

The Korean art market faces an ongoing dilemma: Despite an increasing number of museum-goers, there are relatively few art buyers. The Korea International Art Fair best represents the dilemma -- record numbers visit the country’s largest art fair each year, but sales have stagnated if not dwindled.Young entrepreneur Park Euy-kyu, CEO of OPEN GALLERY, found it ironic when he examined the Korean art market, which has been suffering from a slump for many years. Park Euy-kyu, CEO of OPEN GALLERY (OP

Jan. 21, 2016

NEW YORK (AP)  -- Broadway's next king has been awfully busy chasing bad guys on the streets of Honolulu.　Daniel Dae Kim, who plays a detective on the TV series "Hawaii Five-0," takes over in May as the King of Siam in the blissful Lincoln Center Theater revival of "The King and I," a role he calls "maybe the greatest role for an Asian male in theater."　Kim, who graduated from New York University with a master’s degree in acting and cut his teeth in off-Broadway shows, said he's been "looking fo

Jan. 21, 2016

K-pop idol group Big Bang is holding encore concerts at Seoul Olympic Park Gymnastic Stadium on March 4-6 following its world tour, YG Entertainment, the group’s agency, said Wednesday.　The group’s world tour “MADE,” which kicked off in Seoul last April, has covered 32 cities in 13 countries, including in Asia, North America and Australia. Some 120 million people attended the concerts and the tour set a record for the largest cumulative audience for a Korean group in China, with 25 million atten

Jan. 21, 2016

Five-member girl group 4Minute is releasing its seventh EP album “Act 7” on Feb. 1, the group’s agency Cube Entertainment said in a press release Wednesday.　Cube Entertainment also unveiled the jacket image of “Act 7” on its official social media sites Thursday, following the release of a teaser image on the previous day announcing the group’s return after a yearlong hiatus. The cover of 4Minute’s 7th EP “Act 7” (Cube Entertainment)　The jacket image is based on the concept of Amazons, the group

Jan. 21, 2016

Season tickets for the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts went on sale Wednesday, marking the first time the center is adopting the season system, titled “Sejong Season 2016.“　 A season system involves scheduling the whole year‘s program in advance.　For the 2016 season, from March this year to February next year, the Sejong Center is presenting a wide range of performances and exhibitions, including performances by the nine performance organizations affiliated with the Seoul Metropolitan Gove

Jan. 20, 2016