‘If Wonder Girls’ music was red, mine is blue,’ says Yubin

“Wonder Girls, it was everything about my 20s. It’s a huge part of my identity,” Yubin said, looking back on the days when she toured the US on a bus as a member of one of the most legendary K-pop girl groups. Eleven years after her debut, the former Wonder Girls rapper has returned as a solo vocalist with her retro-themed debut EP “City Woman.” Sporting a vivid pink blouse and large accessories that matched the theme of her album, Yubin sat down with The Korea Herald in Seoul on Monday to talk

June 5, 2018

Yoon Mi-rae confirms July release, solo concerts

Hip-hop legend Yoon Mi-rae on Tuesday confirmed the release of her studio album next month, along with concerts that will be her first as a solo artist in 12 years.According to Feel Good Music, Yoon will perform at Jangchoong Stadium in Seoul from July 14-15. The concerts are titled “YOONMIRAE,” which carries the meaning that they will feature music that only she can make.“The solo concerts will be filled with ‘Yoon Mi-rae’ as she is,” the agency said. Yoon Mi-rae (Feel Good Music)Yoon is curren

June 5, 2018

SPO to hold outdoor concert along Han River

The 2018 Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra Riverside Concert will be held on Saturday at Yeouido Hangang Park, featuring a wide range of music, from classical music concertos to collaborations with renowned local folk musicians. Conductor Christopher Lee will lead the orchestra for the evening concert, while singer-songwriter Jang Phil-soon, and guitarist Haam Choon-ho will perform with the orchestra. cap - 2017 Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra Riverside Concert (SPO)The evening concert will start at 7:3

June 4, 2018

Twice set for Japan tour, 1st album

Marking the one year anniversary of its debut in Japan, Twice is gearing up to boost its popularity there with an arena tour and the release of its first album in the country.JYP Entertainment on Monday announced that it will hold nine concerts in four cities in Japan in September and October. It will commence with concerts on Sept. 29-30 in Chiba Prefecture, which will move to Aichi Prefecture, Kobe and cap off with Tokyo concerts on Oct. 16-17.  Twice performs in Osaka, Japan. (JYP Entertainme

June 4, 2018

JYP’s 1st Chinese boy band to debut in September

In an effort to expand its clout in the Chinese market, JYP Entertainment is gearing up to launch its first Chinese boy band in the country.The agency announced on Monday that Boy Story, a new Chinese idol group jointly formed by JYP China, a subsidiary of the K-pop agency, and Chinese streaming giant Tencent Music Entertainment, is eyeing an official debut in September. The six-member group consists entirely of teenagers, 11 to 14 years old, and it will focus solely on promotion activities in C

June 4, 2018

SHINee to release part 2 of 6th album

SHINee is set to release the second part of its upcoming full-length album on June 11. According to S.M. Entertainment Monday, SHINee will drop “The Story of Light EP. 2” next Monday as part of the group’s sixth studio album.  (S.M. Entertainment)SHINee’s sixth album will consist of three separate EPs with five tracks each, said the group’s agency. SHINee released “The Story of Light EP. 1” on May 28, with “Good Evening” as its lead track. The lead track of the upcoming EP will be “I Want You,”

June 4, 2018

BTS releases remix of 'Spring Day' to kick off celebration marking 5th year since debut

K-pop superstars BTS kicked off an annual celebration Monday to mark the fifth anniversary of the septet's debut by releasing a remix of its 2017 song "Spring Day.""The Brit Rock" remix was released on the online audio distribution platform SoundCloud on Monday on the first leg of the 2018 BTS Festa, celebrated on major BTS social media accounts and video- and audio-sharing websites.The boy band hosts the fan event online every June in celebration of the anniversary of their official debut on Ju

June 4, 2018

BTS slips to No. 6 on Billboard chart

World-renowned K-pop group BTS fell five notches on a main Billboard chart after clinching the No. 1 spot last week.The band's third album, "Love Yourself: Tear," ranked sixth on the Billboard 200, according to a preview published on the online edition of the US Billboard magazine Sunday (US time).Last week BTS became the first Koreans to top any Billboard chart. BTS (YouTube)The same week the seven-member band also ranked 10th on the Hot 100 singles chart with its latest song "Fake Love."Billbo

June 4, 2018

Wanna One continues at full throttle

Already half way through its short lifespan, with a disbandment planned at the end of the year, boy band Wanna One is working at full throttle.The act’s special album “1÷x=1 (Undivided),” due out on Monday, is a follow-up of its previous “0+1=1 (I Promise You)” EP released in March. The new EP is led by “Light,” an up-tempo garage dance track that throws a message of hope and love. “‘Light’ delivers a sexy image that all of us (members) wanted to try. We’ve put a lot of effort into our choreogra

June 3, 2018

Violinist Chung Kyung-wha expresses confidence with choice of violin

Violinist Chung Kyung-wha was all confidence, as bright and warm as the early summer afternoon when she met with a small group of reporters Wednesday at an old fashioned cafe near her home in Gugi-dong, Seoul, at the foot of Bukhansan National Park.“Come and see how I perform if you are curious,” said Chung a few days ahead of her recital Sunday, dispelling concerns about the less than stellar reviews of her performances over the past few years.　The iconic violinist’s confidence is evident in he

June 3, 2018

BTS world tour sold out

BTS has sold out its upcoming “Love Yourself” world tour scheduled across 10 cities throughout Europe and North America.According to Big Hit Entertainment, all of the 180,000 tickets for North America and 100,000 tickets for Europe have been sold. BTS (Big Hit Entertainment)Starting with concerts on Aug. 25 and 26 in Seoul, BTS will embark on its world tour of 21 concerts, holding 14 in North America and seven in Europe.The destinations include Los Angeles, Oakland, Fort Worth, Newark, and Chica

June 3, 2018

BTS sells out North American, European dates on world tour

Tickets for the North American and European dates of K-pop sensation BTS' upcoming world tour have sold out, the group's agency said Sunday.Big Hit Entertainment said 280,000 tickets for 21 shows in 10 venues during the "Love Yourself" tour sold out during the sales window from May 5 to June 1.BTS will perform in Los Angeles, Oakland, Fort Worth, Newark and Chicago in the United States and Hamilton in Canada. In Europe, the seven-member group will stop in London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris. (BT

June 3, 2018

Growing up with BTS

What else is there to say about BTS’ global fame? International media have been rushing to cover the K-pop act’s coming-of-age saga and President Moon Jae-in sent a personal congratulatory message to the band on the septet becoming the first K-pop act ever to top the Billboard 200 chart with its “Love Yourself: Tear” album. Only a few days later, the group’s single “Fake Love” hit the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10. BTS debuted in 2013 as a hip-hop heavy-act with “2 Cool 4 Skool” EP under Big Hit En

June 1, 2018

Black Pink to ‘Square Up’ with new EP

Black Pink is set to release a new EP titled “Square Up” on June 15, ending the band’s yearlong hiatus.According to YG Entertainment, “Square Up” will be the third part of Black Pink’s “Square” series, following the singles “Square One” and “Square Two.” While the previous works were a single or a double-single, “Square Up” will be the band’s first EP, consisting of multiple tracks.  Black Pink (YG Entertainment)The release has been highly awaited, as agency’s head Yang Hyun-suk previously revel

June 1, 2018

NU’EST W confirms June return

NU’EST W is preparing a new album for release this month, its agency said Friday.According to Pledis Entertainment, the K-pop act is currently putting the finishing touches on the album and has decided on its lead track. It marks the first record for the boy band -- a subunit of NU’EST -- since its first EP “W,Here” in October last year.The group had a tumultuous 2017, with dramatic ups and downs. After years of obscurity since its 2012 debut, it sent one of its members, Minhyun, to the audition

June 1, 2018

Ultra Korea finalizes lineup for this year

Ultra Korea has announced the final lineup for this year’s festival, slated to take place on June 8-10 at southern Seoul.A total of 103 acts will be performing at this year’s festival to be held at Jamsil Olympic Complex in Seoul, as 81 teams of various genres from EDM to hip-hop, K-pop were added to the list earlier in the week.  A photo from Ultra Korea 2017 (Ultra Korea)Among the new names are some of the most well-known Korean musicians, including CL, Dok2, Drunken Tiger, Yoon Mi-rae and Biz

June 1, 2018

Nine Inch Nails, Shinoda to headline Incheon Pentaport Rock Fest

American rock band Nine Inch Nails, singer Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park and several other renowned musicians will headline the 2018 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, one of South Korea's longest-running summer music festivals, organizers said Friday.The three-day rock-electronic music blowout will be held from Aug. 10 to 12 at Songdo Moonlight Festival Park, also known as Pentaport Park, in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, according to the festival authority. (Official Facebook page of Incheo

June 1, 2018

Richard Yongjae O’Neill returns to Ansan with Ditto Fest

When violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill on Wednesday announced the program for the upcoming 11th Ditto Festival in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, a city some 30 kilometers from Seoul, he did so in front of an unusually sparse audience -- less than a handful of reporters.Ansan, while not the best place in terms of accessibility, holds a special place in O'Neill’s heart.”Ansan is the most familiar to me as I spent so much time here when we were filming ‘Hello?! Orchestra.’ In 2012, I was here constantly,

May 31, 2018

‘K-pop Star’ winner Katie to release debut single

Katie, the winner of the audition program “K-pop Star,” heralded the release of her first single Wednesday with teaser images on her social media accounts. Some of the images showed the singer dressed in white, while another had information on subsequent releases. Her second single will be released on Aug. 8 and her first studio album will be revealed on Oct.10. Katie (Axis)The single that will be released Wednesday at 6 p.m. is a song off the singer’s upcoming debut album “Log.” An official fro

May 31, 2018

BTS 'deeply touched' by President Moon's tweet celebrating Billboard feat

K-pop superstars BTS thanked President Moon Jae-in on Thursday for celebrating their Billboard Hot 100 performance in his Twitter message, tweeting back, "We are deeply touched.""Wow! We can now fully believe after seeing it with our own eyes. President Moon Jae-in, we thank you for congratulating BTS on its No. 1 victory on Billboard," BTS' Twitter account (@BTS_twt) replied. President Moon sent two congratulatory tweets Monday on BTS' conquering of the Billboard chart of the 200 most popular a

May 31, 2018