BTS scoops up Billboard Music Award for top social artist

BTS grabbed the award in the top social artist category at the Billboard Music Awards on Monday.The boy band has not only made history as the first K-pop group to attend the show but also nabbed a prize there.  BTS (Billboard)BTS faced competition for the award from other big-name celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande, who were all nominated.  (Big Hit Entertainment)Earlier, the seven-member group also performed strongly on Billboard’s music charts. BTS’s latest hit s

May 22, 2017

K-pop group EXP-Edition from NY seeks own musical color

In August 2016, four New Yorkers hailing from different backgrounds boarded a Korea-bound plane with one question that brought them together: Who says only Koreans can become part of a K-pop idol group? With the tagline “Born in New York, made in Seoul,” K-pop idol group EXP-Edition sings in Korean and dances K-pop style, but none of its members are Koreans. This unique international K-pop band, with ethnic backgrounds ranging from Portuguese to Croatian, entered the K-pop scene with its electro

May 21, 2017

Kim Jang-hoon apologizes for ‘cursing’ incident

Singer Kim Jang-hoon apologized Sunday for using vulgar language during a memorial for former President Roh Moo-gyun on Saturday.Kim, who performed during a memorial at Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul, used foul language on stage while talking about his quarrel with a police officer over his illegal parking. “I apologize to all those who love President Roh and came (to Gwanghwamun) with good intents” he wrote on his Facebook page. Kim Jang-hoon speaks during a memorial former President Roh Moo-gyun o

May 21, 2017

[Eye] ‘Art is necessary in the process of becoming a citizen’

At the Deoksugung branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, an exhibition of Egyptian surrealist art is underway in the west wing that was added to Seokjojeon, the country’s first Western-style building, in 1938 during the Japanese colonial period.It is coincidence that the period covered in the exhibition runs from 1938 to 1965. But nevertheless, the venue seems an apt one for the exhibition that covers a period in Egypt soon after it became fully independent from col

May 19, 2017

Chris Norman to perform in Korea

Chris Norman will bring back 1970s nostalgia for fans in Korea this week and next, as the former front man for Smokie will hold a concert in four cities. Norman, 66, will be returning to the country for the second time in less than a year, having performed in Korea last October. He is set to sing hits like “I’ll meet You at Midnight,” and “Living Next Door to Alice,” which are favorites among Korean fans. He will kick off the tour in Seoul on Saturday with a concert at KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul

May 17, 2017

HyunA to perform at Dream Station

K-pop icon HyunA is the latest addition to the lineup for the upcoming Dream Station Live for Now festival to be held May 27 in Seoul.Organizers of the event revealed the final list of artists who will be hitting the stage in Nanji Hangang Park. This includes EDM artists ShowTek, Nervo, Vicetone and StadiumX, along with K-pop stars such as Red Velvet, NCT 127 and DinDin. A poster for Dream Station Live for Now (Dream Maker Entertainment)Dream Station Live for Now is a spin-off of last year’s Spe

May 17, 2017

[Photo] Kriesha Tiu reveals concept image for debut single

As Kriesha Tiu counts down the release of her debut single next Wednesday, the Filipino-American K-pop star dropped a concept image for the record on Wednesday.The image showed Tiu in a seemingly calm demeanor, focusing on a sight far off. It marked a contrast to the previously-revealed image of her lead track “Trouble” which showed a playful side of the singer. (Urban Works ENT)Tiu, 18, was a runner-up in Korean audition program “K-pop Star” season 6, which aired from November 2016 to April thi

May 17, 2017

Band Raw By Peppers to release album ‘Cosmos’

Post-rock band Raw By Peppers hopes to mesmerize fans with its unique sound and style with its first studio ‘Cosmos,’ to be released on noon Thursday. According to its agency Craft and Jun, the album will consist of 13 tracks and will build on the dreamlike and peculiar sound that it has shown in the previously-released EP “Spaceship Out of Bones.” The theme of the album will be “a space travel of three boys,” modeled after the trio. Raw By Peppers (Craft and Jun)“In order to carry the full ener

May 17, 2017

China rappers to Seoul: 'Big brother' opposes missile shield

BEIJING (AP) _ A rap group backed by China's government is warning South Korea in a music video that "you're going too far" with the deployment of a US missile defense system, as Beijing seeks to bring its state-supported cultural forces to bear in the international dispute. A member of the group CD REV said government officials worked with them on the video and helped to promote it on foreign websites, many of which are blocked in China by official censors emboldened by the ruling Communist

May 17, 2017

Black Pink to debut in Japan this summer

Black Pink will be taking its first step into the global music scene with a Japanese release, the group’s agency YG Entertainment said Wednesday. The K-pop quartet will be holding a showcase at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan arena on July 20. The showcase will be funded by Tokyo Girls Collection, a semiannual fashion festival launched in 2015 and Japan’s largest fashion event. The group will release an album in Japan on Aug. 9. The Japanese debut EP will include Black Pink’s hit tracks, including the re

May 17, 2017

BTS tops weekly Oricon Charts with ‘Blood’

BTS’ seventh single “Blood, Sweat and Tears,” released in Japan on May 10, has topped the weekly Oricon Charts, Japan’s largest music chart.The album ranked No. 1 on the list with a total of 238,795 Oricon points.Having debuted in Japan in June 2014, BTS broke the mark of 200,000 points on the Oricon charts in the shortest amount of time ever, according to the boy band’s agency Big Hit Entertainment. BTS first topped the Oricon charts in June 2015 with its fourth Japanese single “For You.”  Prom

May 16, 2017

Foo Fighters, Liam Gallagher to rock out in Korea

Rock legends Foo Fighters and Liam Gallagher will land in Korea on Aug. 22 for a concert in Seoul, the show’s promoters said Tuesday.According to Live Nation Korea, the two acts will take the stage in a concert “Live Forever Long” along with Korean band The Monotones. It will be the Foo Fighters second Korean performance in as many years. The band, founded by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, is one of the most successful alternative rock bands in the world. It has won multiple Grammy Awards fo

May 16, 2017

Boy band iKON to drop new song next week

Idol band iKON will release a new single album next week, its management agency said Wednesday. (Yonhap)YG Entertainment said the band will put out the as-of-yet unnamed album on Monday, its first brand-new release since "What You Doing" from May of last year. The company uploaded a teaser image on its official blog."The new song is iKON's best song to date," YG founder Yang Hyun-suk was quoted as saying by the company.iKON has gained a solid fandom and is widely expected to be the successor of

May 16, 2017

Twice sends ‘Signal’ with fourth EP

Nine K-pop darlings came back with a powerful “Signal” that another Twice sensation would hit the country and the world hard.  Twice, the K-pop girl group that has taken Asia by storm, dropped its fourth EP “Signal” Monday, with a lead track also titled “Signal.” The song marked the first collaboration with Park Jin-young, the founder and head producer of their label JYP Entertainment.  “If there is a big difference from our previous projects, it is that we attempted powerful choreography for th

May 16, 2017

‘G-Dragon’ forest opens in Jeju

A special forest to celebrate G-Dragon’s birthday opened on Jeju Island. Forest Kwon Ji-yong (Yonhap)The forest, named after the artist’s real name Kwon Ji-yong, had its opening at the Citrus Museum in Seogwipo Sunday. A total of 50 citrus trees have been planted in the forest located within the museum. The project was co-organized by G-Dragon’s official fan site Always-GD and Tree Planet, a Seoul-based crowdfunding service for forest planting.The two organizations began the project in August la

May 15, 2017

Netflix will not be demise of theaters: ‘Okja’ director Bong Joon-ho

Upcoming movie “Okja” has sparked heated debate about how films released almost exclusively online will affect the film industry, but the film‘s visionary director, Bong Joon-ho, doubts platforms like Netflix will replace theaters. Controversy brewed over Netflix‘s refusal to screen “Okja” at French cinemas after its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and the festival organizer’s announcement that from next year, any film that screens in competition will have to first commit to showing in Fren

May 15, 2017

YG stars take a walk for the kids

Cha Seung-won, Kim Sae-ron, Son Ho-jun, Sean of hip-hop duo Jinusean and other stars from YG Entertainment laced up their shoes and went for a stroll in a charity event held Sunday to help children.Musicians and actors from YG took a four-kilometer walk around Sangam World Cup Stadium in Seoul in the first YG X UNICEF Walking Festival held at Sangam World Cup Stadium in Seoul. “I’m proud to take part in such a meaningful event. I think I’m giving back some of the love we (Jinusean) got during ou

May 15, 2017

[Herald Review] Taeyeon mesmerizes fans at solo concert

Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon captured the hearts of some 9,000 fans at her second solo concert Sunday with a dynamic performance that made the most of her powerful vocals. Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon performs at Olympic Hall of Seoul Olympic Park on Sunday. (S.M. Entertainment)The singer kicked off the third day of the 180-minute “Taeyeon solo concert: Persona” with a soft rendition of “U R,” the lead track of her first mini album “I” released in October 2015.Taeyeon showed off her famed vocal pr

May 15, 2017

VIXX seeks ‘Shangri-La’ with 5th anniversary project

Since its 2012 debut, VIXX has been noted for its on-stage concepts -- from vampires and voodoo dolls to even cyborgs.But its concept for upcoming EP “Shangri-La/Paradise on Earth” is about its search for the fictional utopia, which the band says has a special meaning to them.“To us, Shangri-La is when we are on stage. It’s when we communicate with the fans and share mutual love between each other. How we accomplish things one-by-one is our paradise,” said Leo during a press conference in Seoul

May 14, 2017

Seventeen to launch first world tour in July

Korean boy band Seventeen will kick off its first global tour concert series “2017 Seventeen 1st World Tour Diamond Edge,” with events in Seoul from July 14 to 16. Seventeen’s agency made the announcement via Seventeen’s official website Saturday.  (Pledis Entertainment)“In this year’s world tour, Seventeen will visit 13 cities. Members will perform various songs and performances in the unique way of Seventeen’s style,” Pledis Entertainment said in a statement. After the first concert, the tour

May 14, 2017