BLACKPINK's 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du' tops 700 million YouTube views

K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" surpassed 700 million YouTube views Saturday, becoming the first Korean music group to set such a milestone.The video for "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" set the milestone in nearly nine months after being released last June, YG Entertainment said. (Yonhap)The music video also set a record among K-pop groups of adding 100 million views at the fastest pace after hitting 200 million views.BLACKPINK holds the most music videos topping 500 million YouTube views for a K-p

March 9, 2019

[Newsmaker] Big Bang’s Seungri to enlist in Army on March 25

Big Bang’s Seungri will enlist in the Army as an active duty soldier at the end of this month, according to YG Entertainment on Friday.He will start his basic training at the Nonsan Army Training Center on March 25. The K-pop star had reportedly applied for a conscripted policeman service in January.  (Yonhap)“After checking with Seungri, (we found that) Seungri on Jan. 7 applied for a conscripted policeman position. However, he has decided to enlist as an active duty soldier, regardless of the

March 8, 2019

Monsta X to perform in US music festival

South Korean boy group Monsta X will perform at this year's iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas on Sept. 21, the group's management agency said Wednesday.The music festival is an annual event hosted by iHeartMedia, which owns iHeartRadio, the largest online radio platform in the United States. Big-name stars such as Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Imagine Dragons and Dua Lipa took part in last year's event. In 2012, South Korean rapper Psy performed his mega-hit "Gangnam Style" in the festi

March 6, 2019

‘Conversation between Chopin’s nocturnes and I has begun’

Following recitals of Beethoven’s piano sonatas in 2017, pianist Paik Kun-woo has taken up a new challenge this year -- studying the world of Chopin through his nocturnes. On Tuesday, Paik released a complete recording of Chopin’s 21 nocturnes, under the Deutsche Grammophon label.“The nocturnes all suddenly seemed so new to me,” Paik said during a press conference at Mapo Art Center in western Seoul on Tuesday.  Pianist Paik Kun-woo speaks during a press conference at Mapo Art Center on Tuesday.

March 5, 2019

Red Velvet's Yeri to drop solo debut song next week

Yeri of popular girl group Red Velvet will release her first solo single, "Dear Diary," next week, her management agency said Tuesday."Dear Diary" will hit various music sites at 6 p.m. on March 14, SM Entertainment said. It is the eighth song to be released as part of the third season of SM's digital music project "Station." (SM Entertainment)Yeri unveiled part of the self-composed song in a reality show on JTBC4 last year. The 20-year-old singer joined the five-member group in March 2015 durin

March 5, 2019

[Herald Review] Phantasmagoric staging of Haydn’s ‘Creation’ pleases eyes, ears

Spanish theater troupe La Fura dels Baus’ innovative production of Haydn’s oratorio “The Creation,” which ran at Art Center Incheon on Friday and Saturday, was a feast for the eyes and ears.The iconic oratorio work from 1798 depicts the biblical story of creation. While the original composition, intended for a religious presentation, does not include interactions between characters, the experimental theater troupe adapted the work by adding visual art installations. Friday’s production highlight

March 4, 2019

BTS to add five shows to sold-out world tour

K-pop boy band BTS plans to offer additional concerts on its upcoming tour of five cities in the United States and Europe, as tickets have sold out, its official website showed Sunday.(Yonhap)The five additional shows will be held at Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles on May 5, at Soldier Field in Chicago on May 12, at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey on May 19, at Wembley Stadium in London on June 2 and at Stade de France in Paris on June 8.The announcement came a day after the sale all tickets sold

March 3, 2019

BLACKPINK becomes first Korean cover girls for Billboard

A pink-hued photo image of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK hit the cover of the Billboard magazine's March edition, making the quartet the first Korean female music group representing the American pop magazine.The cover image of Billboard's March edition was released on its official website on Thursday (US time), showing the four BLACKPINK members, clad in colorful dresses, lying on their backs and staring up at the camera. (Alexandra Gavillet=Billboard)"After years training for US domination, K-pop'

March 1, 2019

Ultra Korea announces lineup for this year’s festival

Ultra Korea, the Korean leg of the worldwide Ultra Music Festival, has announced a new batch of artists that will participate in this year’s event.Martin Garrix, Skrillex, Porter Robinson’s new alias Virtual Self, Jamie Jones, Josh Wink, Eats Everything and Art Department have been added to the previously-announced lineup. Garrix, a Dutch DJ and record producer, was ranked No.1 on DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs list for three consecutive years from 2016 to 2018. In addition to his own work, he has collabo

March 1, 2019

Embarking on ‘Organ Odyssey’ with organist Park Joon-ho

Many of us have played the piano, the violin or the flute at some point in our lives. But how many of us have played the organ? The organ is an exquisite instrument, one that not many people get a chance to experience. As grand as a house, its complex structure puts it beyond comparisons with other musical instruments. As of now, there is only one functional grand pipe organ for classical music in Korea -- at the Lotte Concert Hall. A second, at the Sejong Art Center, is currently under repair.

Feb. 28, 2019

BIGBANG's Seungri denies drug, sex-for-favors allegations in police questioning

Seungri of the popular boy group BIGBANG denied drug use and sex-for-favors allegations during a questioning, police said Thursday.An investigation team of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency sent him back home after grilling him overnight.The 29-year-old singer, during the questioning, denied all suspicions surrounding him ranging from narcotics use to attempting to buy sex services for potential foreign investors. (Yonhap)He, in particular, stated that he never exchanged the text messages dis

Feb. 28, 2019

Big Bang's Seungri appears for police questioning on narcotics, sex-for-favors suspicions

Seungri, a member of popular boy group Big Bang, appeared before police on Wednesday to face questioning on suspicions that he circulated narcotics and attempted to buy sexual services for potential foreign investors."I apologize for causing trouble," he told reporters as he arrived at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in central Seoul around 9:00 p.m. "I will faithfully respond to the investigation." Seungri, a member of popular boy group Big Bang, appears before the Seoul Metropolitan Polic

Feb. 27, 2019

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo’s barefoot heroine ‘Cinderella’ to perform in Korea

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo will perform “Cinderella” from June 12-14 at the Seoul Arts Center, the first time the company is performing in Korea in 14 years.“Cinderella” is one of the iconic choreographic works produced by the ballet company’s longtime director Jean-Christophe Maillot, who has produced more than 30 ballets for the company, including “Vers un Pays Sage (1995), “Romeo and Juliette” (1996), “The Sleeping Beauty” (2001), “Le Songe” (2005), “Altro Canto” (2006), “Faust” (2007) and “L

Feb. 27, 2019

Ex-Wanna One member Ha Sung-woon kicks off solo career with self-produced EP

Ha Sung-woon, a member of popular K-pop boy band Wanna One, which disbanded earlier this year, officially launched his solo career Wednesday with his EP "My Moment," a collection of five tracks, all composed by him.His first solo record will hit the shelves and online music stores Thursday, propelling him into the increasingly competitive spring music scene.Ha is the second of the 11 former Wanna One members to go solo, following Yoon Ji-sung's release of his first solo album, "Aside." Ha Sung-w

Feb. 27, 2019

Seungri fiasco marks latest headache for YG

Seungri, the youngest member of BigBang and the latest headline generator of YG Entertainment, expressed his willingness Wednesday to fully cooperate with the police investigation into the allegations surrounding him -- ranging from drugs, to police corruption and brokering prostitution.“Seungri has told us that he is truly sorry to everyone for all the issues that had been caused by him in the past month, and said he wishes to appear before the investigators as soon as possible to take drug tes

Feb. 27, 2019

BTS ranks second in 2018 artist chart by intl recording federation

K-pop boy band BTS ranked second among the top ten global recording artists of 2018, named by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, becoming the first Korean musicians to make it on the chart, the chart result showed Wednesday.The Global Artist Chart of 2018 was uploaded on Tuesday (US time) on the official website of IFPI, the organization that represents the recorded music industry worldwide.(IFPI Twitter @IFPI_org)Drake, a Canadian rapper, took No. 1, and BTS, coming in s

Feb. 27, 2019

NCT 127 to begin tour of 11 N. American cities in April

K-pop boy band NCT 127 will visit 11 North American cities in April as part of its ongoing first-ever world tour, the group's agency said Wednesday.The North American leg of NCT 127's world tour, "NCT 127 World Tour 'Neo City - The Origin,'" will kick off at Prudential Center in New Jersey on April 24 and then move to 10 other cities, according to SM Entertainment. (S.M. Entertainment)The itinerary includes Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and two Canadian cities, Vancouver and Toron

Feb. 27, 2019

[Newsmaker] Police target Seungri in sex-trade investigation

Seoul police on Tuesday said they had launched an investigation into an allegation that K-pop star Seungri of Big Bang ordered his employees to procure sexual favors for his investors at a nightclub.According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, its special crime squad will seek to verify a recent report by SBS funE showing text messages it claimed the singer had written. The messages indicated that he and his employees had attempted to procure prostitutes for two men accompanying an investo

Feb. 26, 2019

Conductor Vladimir Jurowski appreciates ‘DNA’ of orchestra

When conductor Vladimir Jurowski leads the London Philharmonic Orchestra in a performance at the Seoul Arts Center on March 7, it will likely be his last appearance here as the principal conductor of the orchestra founded in 1932. Jurowski, who has led the London Philharmonic Orchestra since 2007, will be stepping down at the end of the 2020/21 season, heading to the Bavarian State Orchestra in Munich where he will take up the post of music director. In a recent email interview, he described his

Feb. 26, 2019

BTS wins big at major Japan music awards

K-pop boy band BTS scooped up five prizes at the annual Japan Gold Disc Award on Tuesday, a major music awards ceremony hosted by the country's Recording Industry Association.BTS won Best Asian Artist at the 33rd Japan Gold Disc Award, while its 3rd full-length Japanese album, "Face Yourself," released in April last year was given awards for Album of the Year and Best 3 Albums, according to the list of this year's awardees.  (Big Hit Entertainment)The septet scored another Best 3 Albums award fo

Feb. 26, 2019