BTS hints at new project by flying mysterious blimps

Not long after completing promotions for the group’s latest EP “Love Yourself Seung Her,” BTS swiftly moved on to its new project, this time in the form of advertisement blimps. On Monday, two large ad blimps that showed members Jin and Jimin’s photos appeared in the skies over Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province and Busan, respectively. The blimp in Gwacheon, Jin’s hometown, featured a phrase “Love Myself” on the front and “I Will Always Love ARMY” on the back. The one in Busan, where Jimin is from, ha

Oct. 17, 2017

[Herald Review] Taemin showcases talent as soloist at Seoul concert

  Taemin performs during a concert at Jamsil Gymnasium in Seoul on Sunday. (S.M. Entertainment)Taemin has pushed the boundaries of his music career, growing from one-fifth of boy band SHINee into a prominent soloist. On the eve of his long-waited return to the K-pop scene with a new solo album, Taemin took to the stage Sunday to showcase the versatility he has built over his nine-year career as a K-pop idol.Taemin hit the stage with songs from his upcoming album at the “Taemin 1st Solo Concert”

Oct. 16, 2017

Twice to release 1st full-length album

Twice on Monday confirmed the upcoming release of its first full-length album “Twicetagram.” The album, to be released at 6 p.m. on Oct. 30, will feature a title track “Likey,” according to JYP Entertainment. Twice performs during a fan event in Seoul on Monday. (JYP Entertainment)It would mark the third comeback for the girl group this year, after “Knock “Knock” and “Signal” were both very well-received.Fans got a hold of the news firsthand during the “Twice Fan meeting Once Begins” on Sunday,

Oct. 16, 2017

[Next Wave] Starting from scratch, Paul Kim says music his reason for living

There are those life-changing events that are beyond any words or logic. And for rising singer-songwriter Paul Kim, the most striking moment of his nondescript 20s came one ordinary night at an Army base while serving his mandatory military service. Flipping through the booklet of his favorite singer Lee So-ra’s fifth album, Kim encountered a phrase: “I am a little seed that sprouted out to sing.” From that moment, the magic was on. Kim’s heart started to throb and his mind was awash with inexpl

Oct. 16, 2017

BTS announces new single release in December

BTS will release a new Japanese single by the end of the year, the group announced during its show in Japan on Saturday. The group greeted some 80,000 fans at Kyocera Dome in Osaka on its “2017 BTS Live Trilogy Episode III The Wings Tour in Japan -- Special Edition” concerts over the weekend. During the show on Saturday, the K-pop sensation thrilled its fans by revealing that it will release its eighth Japanese single album on Dec. 6. The new album will include the Japanese version of its hit tr

Oct. 16, 2017

‘Blind star’ BeWhy serenades loyal fans in 1st concert

There was a time when BeWhy was the hottest name in the Korean hip-hop scene, having just won the popular Mnet show “Show Me the Money 5.” “That’s what the title (of my studio album) means: ‘Blind Star.’ Blinded by money and fame,” the rapper said in his first solo concert held at Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul.  BeWhy performs at his concert in Seoul on Saturday. (Live Nation Korea) BeWhy performs at his concert in Seoul on Saturday. (Live Nation Korea)After the “bubble” in popularity of the

Oct. 15, 2017

Grammy for BTS? Experts, fans weigh in on nomination

Boy band BTS has taken the K-pop scene by storm again, with its latest EP album selling over 1.2 million copies in Korea in little less than a month. The lead song "DNA" made BTS the first Korean boy band to land on Billboard's main "Hot 100" chart. Now with BTS wrapping up its media promotion activities for the album, "Love Yourself: Her," fans and industry observers are guessing what will be the next surprise. No wonder many are betting on the possibility of a 2018 Grammy Awards nomination.The

Oct. 14, 2017

Balladeer Im Chang-jung to return on Oct. 23

Balladeer Im Chang-jung will make his long-awaited return on Oct. 23, according to the artist’s NH Entertainment Media Group label on Friday. According to the label, Im’s new EP will feature several ballad tracks and a duet number. The singer recently finished filming a music video for the new single in Seoul.  Im Chang-jung (Herald DB)“Im has put a lot of effort into the new album so as not to disappoint fans. The upcoming songs will be loved by fans as much as his previous hits,” an agency off

Oct. 13, 2017

BTS album 'Love Yourself: Her' sells over 1.2 mln copies

"Love Yourself: Her," the latest EP by K-pop act BTS, has sold over 1.2 million copies to become the biggest-selling Korean music record in 16 years, data showed Friday.The album sold 1.2 million copies between its Sept. 18 release and the end of last month, according to Gaon Chart, the country's benchmark music sales tracker. (Yonhap)"Love Yourself: Her" became the biggest-selling K-pop album by month in 16 years, coming second to boy band g.o.d's fourth album, which was released in November 20

Oct. 13, 2017

Ex-Wanna One contenders form boy band RAINZ, drop debut album

From its record-breaking debut in August, the unprecedented breakout success of rookie band Wanna One, formed by 11 survivors of the TV audition show "Produce 101," has proven to be a classic K-pop Cinderella story. But what happens to those who narrowly missed the final cut? Former contenders who fell short of making it into the final round, many by painfully slim margins, have wiped away their tears and banded together to launch their own projects -- the first of which is RAINZ, who came out w

Oct. 12, 2017

JYP to kick off ‘Blue & Red’ tour, release two singles

Park Jin-young, better known as JYP, will embark on a new “Naughty Party” concert tour titled “Blue & Red” in December and release two songs for the concerts, the singer announced on his Instagram Thursday. The artist also said that he will release two new songs -- a ballad and a dance song -- for the tour. The ballad song, which represents the “Blue,” will be released on Monday while the dance song, which represents the “Red,” will be released in the first week of December.  A promotional poste

Oct. 12, 2017

Jay Park’s H1GHR Music Records to hold solo showcase at 2018 SXSW

Artists under H1GHR Music Records, a global hip-hop label led by Jay Park and Cha Cha Malone, will have its solo showcase at the next South by Southwest festival.Jay Park was among the first round of Showcasing Artists announced on the website of the Austin, Texas-based festival. Alongside Park on the list were other artists from the label -- Sik-K, pH-1, Woodie Go Child, Phe Reds, Avatar Darko, Yultron, Raz Simone, Jarv Dee and JP the Wavy .  A promotional image for H1GHR Music Records’ showcas

Oct. 12, 2017

[Herald Interview] GOT7 veers away from past to embark on new chapter

Veering away from its hip-hop-focused past, GOT7 is all set to embark on a new chapter with its recently released seventh EP “7 for 7,” which features the lead track “You Are.” This time, the seven-piece group is more laid-back and introspective in its musical style, with JB and Jinyoung -- members of the group’s subunit JJ Project -- joining GOT7 for the latest album after wrapping up the duo’s most recent activity for “Verse 2” in August.“It’s true that the sonic path of ‘7 for 7’ was somewhat

Oct. 12, 2017

K-pop fans pinpoint source of stars’ charm: contrasting personas

Korean fans have pinpointed the source of K-pop celebrities’ charm: the contrast between stars’ onstage and offstage personas.Online K-pop fan communities have been recently flooded with compilations of clips featuring stars, from EXO’s Baekyun to BTS’ V, and their different attitudes on and off stage.Wanna One’s Kang Daniel, who is enjoying massive popularity after nabbing first place in the second season of the K-pop idol audition program “Produce 101,” is said to embody the epitome of such co

Oct. 11, 2017

Composer Chin Un-suk wins Sibelius Prize

Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s composer-in-residence Chin Un-suk has won the prestigious Wihuri Sibelius International Prize, the orchestra said Tuesday.Established in 1953 by the Finland-based Wihuri Foundation for International Prizes, the Sibelius Prize, one of the highest recognitions in classical music composition, is awarded when a suitable recipient has been found. Chin, the first Asian winner of the prize, is the 20th winner. The prize carries a cash award of 150,000 euros ($177,130).The

Oct. 11, 2017

BTS remains on Billboard main charts for third-straight week

BTS keeps on with its chart-slaying streak as it has stayed on Billboard magazine’s Hot 100 chart and Billboard 200 chart for three consecutive weeks.On the week of Oct. 21, the band’s latest album “Love Yourself Seung Her” secured the No. 35 spot on the “Billboard 200” chart while its lead track “DNA” remained on the No. 87 spot on “The Hot 100” chart. It is the first time a Korean artist has stayed on the American music publication’s two main charts for three weeks. (Big Hit Entertainment)“It

Oct. 11, 2017

SHINee’s Taemin to drop 2nd solo album next week

Taemin of the boy band SHINee on Tuesday dropped the first teaser video for “Move,” the title track for his upcoming solo album of the same name.According to S.M. Entertainment, the vocalist is slated to release the songs at 6 p.m. Monday via local music streaming and downloading websites including Melon, Genie and Naver Music.  A promotional image for “Move” (S.M. Entertainment)It will mark the singer’s second album as a solo artist, after releasing his first solo album “Press It” in January 20

Oct. 10, 2017

Girls' Generation in crisis

Having reached the 10-year mark, which is very rare for any K-pop act, Girls’ Generation is considered a textbook example of how to succeed in the K-pop industry. The iconic group’s influence is enormous, notching countless awards and numerous hits. The revelation Monday night that three members of Girls‘ Generation are leaving their agency raises questions about the group‘s future: Will the group weather the storm intact or will it be the final straw for this legendary brand? On Monday evening,

Oct. 10, 2017

Girls' Generation's Tiffany, Sooyoung and Seohyun to leave S.M. Entertainment: sources

Tiffany, Sooyoung and Seohyun of Girls' Generation will quit their management agency S.M. Entertainment, sources in the local music scene said Monday.With the possible departure of the three members, it is unclear whether they will continue working with the idol group."The three members decided to terminate their contracts with the agency," an industry official familiar with the matter said. "Although Girls' Generation will stay afloat, it would be difficult in practical terms for those members

Oct. 10, 2017