[Herald Review] NCT 127’s ‘Beyond Live’ was unexpectedly intimate

The long-awaited “Beyond Live” concert of NCT 127 finally happened Sunday, and they certainly didn’t disappoint. Facing the release of their repackaged second full-length album on Tuesday, the nine-piece group performed the lead tracks “Punch” and “Make Your Day,” two days before their official release. They also sang “Boom,” a track from their second full-length album for the first time on stage. In keeping with the band’s full nam

K-popMay 18, 2020

TXT embraces dark side of friendship with ‘Can’t You See Me?’

Having spent a remarkable year in K-pop, TXT returned with its brand new single “Can’t You See Me?” that touches on the group’s struggle and growth as a youth band. The newest boy band from BTS’ agency Big Hit Entertainment, TXT unveiled the new song during its online media showcase that was livestreamed on YouTube on Monday. “Can’t You See Me?” fronts the group’s “The Dream Chapter: Eternity” EP, which is the third part of it

K-popMay 18, 2020

[Newsmaker] 4 K-pop stars test negative after visiting Itaewon last month

BTS' Jungkook and three other K-pop idol singers visited Itaewon, the center of the recent outbreak of the new coronavirus in Seoul, together late last month but have tested negative for the virus, their agencies said Monday. A local internet-based daily reported earlier in the day that Jungkook, Jaehyun of NCT, Mingyu of Seventeen and Cha Eun-woo of Astro hung out at a restaurant and two different bars on April 25 in Itaewon, Seoul's most popular nightlife and multicultural neighborhood, whil

K-popMay 18, 2020

Following protests, YG announces plans for Blackpink’s first full-length album

Blackpink will release their much-anticipated first full-length album in September, YG Entertainment confirmed Monday. The announcement comes just days after fans dispatched a truck outside the agency’s building in Seoul last week to protest the group’s lack of activities. The lead single from the upcoming album is slated for release in June, followed by another track in the following months before the album’s release later this year, with the full album arriving in three ph

K-popMay 18, 2020

Despite news of new music, Blackpink fans are not happy

Twitter was abuzz on Thursday as Blackpink fans also known as “Blinks” stormed the platform with the hashtag “NO_More_Lies_YG.” In Seoul, a truck hired by fans was dispatched outside YG Entertainment’s building in the city’s Mapo District, for the second time within six months, as YG staff members coming out of the building looked dumbfounded. “Let’s kills this love,” the group’s 2019 hit single “Kills This Love” was bein

K-popMay 15, 2020

Beauty of Hangeul rediscovered through Korean pop songs

The National Hangeul Museum in Seoul has recently reopened with a special exhibition titled “Korean Pop Lyrics -- Melodies of Life.” The exhibition that opened Friday celebrates the beauty of the Korean language through the lyrics of about 190 beloved Korean pop songs since the 1920s. Consisting of two parts, its first section called “Power of Lyrics” examines the changing themes and messages of songs’ lyrics depending on the era. The second section, “Fla

K-popMay 15, 2020

50 songs from Monsta X to mark band’s 5th anniversary

50. Underwater Monsta X uses sea metaphors to convey the feeling of being lost, singing “I’m falling for you,” in this love song from its second studio album. 49. Lost in the Dream As the title suggests, this mid-tempo track creates a dreamlike atmosphere as the group sings the dramatic melodies against strong beats and piano riffs. 48. By My Side Despite normally opting for a powerful synth-dance sound, the group adopts a soft-rock arrangement for &l

K-popMay 14, 2020

Will virtual concerts replace offline tours?

When the coronavirus epidemic first struck South Korea, many expected the K-pop scene to take a major financial blow. Tours worldwide got postponed, long-awaited new music releases were delayed, showcases canceled. According to the Record Label Industry Association of Korea, a total of 211 concerts were canceled from February to April, accruing losses of almost 63.32 billion won ($51.6 million). But as in any crisis, artists and their labels found ways to adjust and not only came up with innov

K-popMay 14, 2020

Global K-pop fest KCON to be streamed on YouTube amid outbreak

KCON, a major K-pop and Korean culture festival series held overseas every year, will be held partly online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its organizer announced Thursday. Under this year's banner theme "KCON:TACT 2020 Summer," KCON will be streamed on June 20-26 through the channel "M-net K-POP" on YouTube, according to South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM. Content will be streamed 24-hours a day for seven days, spanning a total of 168 hours, CJ said. Without naming

K-popMay 14, 2020

With BIGBANG, BTS on course to return, K-pop scene to present dream team lineup

With two K-pop sensations, BTS and BIGBANG, warming up to release new albums, the K-pop community is on course to host a unprecedentedly star-studded lineup of artists coming back to rock the music scene this year. Breaking out of its more than two-year hiatus due to members' military service, boy band BIGBANG is scheduled to drop new music this year, the band's first release since "Flower Road" in March 2018, according its management, YG Entertainment. The exact date of the new mus

K-popMay 13, 2020

How Chung Ha’s house-inspired ‘Stay Tonight’ came to life

Chung Ha’s latest single, “Stay Tonight,” came as somewhat of a surprise. To begin with, it was a pre-single before the upcoming release of her very first full-length studio album, which meant the singer wouldn’t promote the track the way she would a lead single. Despite the lack of media exposure, the song’s multilayered structure, stomping beats and voguing-inspired video propelled it into the top 10 on streaming service Melon’s weekly chart for the week

K-popMay 12, 2020

BIGBANG's 2nd documentary featuring Taeyang to hit YouTube next week

The second documentary film by iconic K-pop band BIGBANG will hit YouTube next week, featuring member Taeyang, in the runup to the band's upcoming music release, its agency said Monday. The first episode of the eight-part documentary, "White Night," will hit BIGBANG's official YouTube channel on May 18. Each of the rest of the shows will be released every Thursday and Monday for the duration of four weeks, according to YG Entertainment. The upcoming documentary featuring Taeyang, BI

K-popMay 11, 2020

Bang Si-hyuk named chairman of Big Hit

Big Hit Entertainment, home to the likes of BTS and TXT, announced Monday that founder and largest shareholder Bang Si-hyuk added the title of chairman of the company in a recent shareholders meeting. Bang, who also maintains the CEO title as chief producer, will be “leading the company from the forefront,” making decisions on core business projects and key issues as well as creative aspects including music production, the company said in a statement. The decision to elevate Bang&

K-popMay 11, 2020

Boy band NU'EST drops new alum 'The Nocturne'

Returning to the K-pop scene with a new album, "The Nocturne" Monday, five-member boy band NU'EST explores the thrill and fascination of nighttime with an homme fatale concept. The EP is NU'EST's first music release since "The Table" seven months ago. It marks a dramatic style change into alluring R&B pop from the previous album's breezy, uplifting sound. Member Baekho lent his talent to the composition and writing of five of the album's six tracks, including the lead

K-popMay 11, 2020

DAY6 temporarily suspends team activities

Five-piece boy band DAY6 will suspend all upcoming team activities, its label, JYP Entertainment, announced late last night via social media. “Recently, several members acknowledged suffering symptoms of psychological anxiety. We immediately conducted a medical examination and received professional medical advice that sufficient rest and psychological stability were essential,” read the statement. “For this reason, after an extensive discussion with the DAY6 members, we hav

K-popMay 11, 2020

BLACKPINK's 'Playing with Fire' tops 500m views

The video for BLACKPINK's 2016 song "Playing with Fire" topped the milestone of 500 million YouTube views Friday. The music video surpassed the threshold early in the day, becoming the group's fifth piece to achieve the feat following "Ddu-du Ddu-du," "Boombayah," "As If It's Your Last," and "Kill This Love," according to the K-pop band's management agency, YG Entertainment. BLACKPINK became the first K-pop girl band to have five music videos

K-popMay 8, 2020

Bol4 releases duet ‘Leo’ with EXO’s Baekhyun

Bol4 released the new single “Leo,” featuring Baekhyun of EXO, on Thursday. Released as one of two lead tracks from the one-man band’s upcoming “Youth Diary II” EP, “Leo” is a relaxing love song that fits this warm spring season. Balanced by jazz piano and string ensemble sounds, the mellifluous song teems with an array of instruments, adding layer to the lighthearted melody. Read as “Butterfly and Cat” by its Korean title, “Leo”

K-popMay 7, 2020

[Herald Review] Twice’s ‘Seize the Lights’ shows girl group as genuine as can be

Last year, Twice embarked on the girl group’s most monumental journey since debuting -- their first world tour: “Twicelights.” It was their longest tour yet, spanning almost a whole year, kicking off in Seoul on May 25, 2019, going around Southeast Asia and North America and closing in Japan just a couple of months ago. Their finale shows initially scheduled to be held in March at Tokyo Dome and KSPO Dome in Seoul were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. This isn&rsquo

K-popMay 7, 2020

IU, Suga's collaboration song 'Eight' becomes chart sensation

Topping iTunes singles charts in 59 countries and territories Thursday, "Eight," a high-profile collaboration song between K-pop queen IU and BTS' Suga, became a chart sensation. Following its official release Wednesday evening, "Eight," a pop rock number, topped the iTunes singles chart in the United States, France, Singapore, New Zealand, Finland, Malaysia, the Philippines and 52 other countries and regions as of early Thursday, according to Edam Entertainment, the agency

K-popMay 7, 2020

IU drops collaboration single with BTS’ Suga

Ready to reign K-pop charts, IU’s new single “Eight,” featuring Suga of BTS, was released Wednesday evening. The much-anticipated song has been co-written and composed by the singer-songwriter and the BTS member, who’s not only served as a producer but also lent his vocal for the track. Its title refers to the age of the two musicians, as both are 28 (Korean age). “As musicians of the same age, the two singers could relate to one another and create their own uni

K-popMay 6, 2020