Thai K-pop fans trending #Dispatch to vent frustration at monarchy

Frustrated with the monarchy’s actions -- or inaction -- amid the COVID-19 outbreak, some K-pop fans in Thailand are using memes and lyrics to express their discontent. On Sunday, the hashtag #Dispatch dominated Thai Twitter for hours as local fans translated a report from a Korean media outlet as to the whereabouts of the king of Thailand. The online story heavily relies on reporting from the German media, which appears to refer to reporting by German news website Bild. According to th

K-popMarch 30, 2020

BTS to join James Corden’s quarantine concert, ‘Homefest’

BTS will appear in James Corden’s “Homefest” in the latest effort of #TogetherAtHome on Tuesday. “Homefest: James Corden’s Late Late Show Special” will feature artists from all over the world performing from the safety of their homes. In addition to BTS from South Korea, artists scheduled to appear include opera singer Andrea Bocelli from Italy, Dua Lipa from London, John Legend with Billie Eilish and Finneas from LA, among others. James Corden will be hosti

K-popMarch 30, 2020

TWICE cancels Tokyo Dome concerts over COVID-19

K-pop girl group TWICE has canceled its Japanese concerts, originally scheduled for mid-April, amid the global COVID-19 outbreak. An announcement on the band's official Japanese website last week said "Twice World Tour 2019 'Twicelights' in Japan," scheduled to be held at Tokyo Dome on April 15 and 16, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. "In light of the situation with no prospect of easing at this time and the policies of governments and related organizations, e

K-popMarch 30, 2020

Goo Hara’s brother pushes for law under her name

Late Goo Hara’s brother Goo Ho-in is pushing forward his petition to legislate a “Goo Hara Law,” while also juggling a lawsuit against his mother over the singer’s inheritance. During a recent interview with local publication Woman Chosun, he spoke candidly on his reasons for the legal battle, only three months after the singer passed away. “I am wary of how my acts have been portrayed as mere defamation against our mother. I petitioned for the ‘Goo Hara L

K-popMarch 27, 2020

How K-pop is becoming mainstream on US talk shows

NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” made an unprecedented effort for BTS’ premiere performance of its new single “On” last month. The production team booked New York’s Grand Central Terminal, one of the busiest transit hubs anyway. The station was shut down to keep filming top-secret. And a crew of 180 people moved with extra scrutiny to pull off the landmark show solely dedicated to BTS. For the five-minute spectacle, the whole arrangemen

K-popMarch 27, 2020

BTS puts off N. American leg of world tour over COVID-19

K-pop boy band BTS put off the American leg of its upcoming world tour, "Map of the Soul Tour," Friday over the global spread of COVID-19. "The 'BTS Map of the Soul Tour - North America,' originally scheduled to take place from April 25 to June 6, will be rescheduled to a later date," the band's management agency, Big Hit Entertainment, said on the Weverse mobile app. "We are closely monitoring and following the guidance of all local governments regarding public event

K-popMarch 27, 2020

What it’s like to be stuck at home as a music reporter

It’s been over a month since I last went to a media showcase event for a new music release. When I arrived at YES24 Live Hall for Pentagon’s showcase on Feb. 12, I knew things were changing, given the presence of a thermal camera, not to mention that I had just been sprayed with a disinfectant upon arrival. But I never thought that would be my last press event for weeks to come. Nowadays, I open emails from management agencies about new releases without the expectation of an invit

K-popMarch 26, 2020

Golden Child streams concert on Twitter for fans in isolation

Boy band Golden Child on Tuesday streamed a full version video of its first solo concert, “Future and Past,” on Twitter, attracting almost 650,000 views during the three-hour run. The footage was released at 8:28 p.m. here as a surprise for fans around the world, many of whom may be coping with self-isolation amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The band performed 24 tracks, including debut song “DamDaDi,” for the concert that was originally held in January in Seoul.

K-popMarch 26, 2020

BTS to join soundtrack for Japanese TV series

BTS will join the recording of the original soundtrack for an upcoming Japanese TV series, the band's second-ever OST project in Japan, news reports said Thursday. According Billboard Japan and Oricon News, BTS's new song, "Stay Gold," has been selected for the original soundtrack of a Japanese TV series, "The Spiral Labyrinth-DNA Science Investigation," which will go on-air next month. The song is one of the tracks to be included on the band's new Japanese album, set for

K-popMarch 26, 2020

BTS to join lineup for special self-quarantine edition of popular US TV show

K-pop boy band BTS will join a star-studded lineup for a "special self-quarantine edition" of popular American TV show "The Late Late Show with James Corden," set for next week, according to its broadcaster. BTS will be one of the high-profile acts performing from home for the "Homefest: James Corden's Late Late Show Special," to be aired Monday (US time), according to CBS.  The line-up also includes Italian singer Andrea Bocelli, British pop diva Dua Lipa

K-popMarch 26, 2020

[Herald Interview] DKB hopes to make splash with free-spirited, rebellious energy

Having joined the competitive K-pop scene just last month, DKB has already proven itself as a breakout rookie group, equipped with rebellious energy and various talents. The nine-member act is the first boy band under Brave Entertainment in eight years, an agency founded by K-pop hit maker Brave Brothers. An abbreviation of “Dark Brown Eyes,” referring to “nine Asian brown-eyed boys stretching out to the world,” DKB debuted with its first EP “Youth” and lead

K-popMarch 25, 2020

Quick review of ‘Learn Korean with BTS’

The first three episodes of Big Hit Entertainment’s education initiative “Learn Korean with BTS” were released Tuesday. Available free of charge on Weverse, a fan-community app created by the label, each is a three-minute-long compilation of footage of BTS from shows like “Bangtan Bomb” and “BTS Episode,” repeating a simple phrase or expression. Here’s our quick review: Fun and attention-grabbing Learning a foreign language can be exciting

K-popMarch 25, 2020

BTS' 'Map of the Soul: 7' drops to 11th on Billboard 200

"Map of the Soul: 7," the latest album by BTS, dropped to 11th on the Billboard 200 albums chart for this week in its fourth week on the list, chart updates showed Wednesday. The latest standing for the week of March 28 marks three notches down from the eighth spot the previous week. It marks the album's fourth week on the chart after debuting atop the Billboard 200. Another BTS album, "Love Yourself: Answer," also entered the albums chart for this week at 180th. 

K-popMarch 25, 2020

Kang Daniel hopes to spread positive energy with new music amid coronavirus outbreak

Kang Daniel released his new EP “Cyan” on Tuesday, moving forward with the decision without any changes in schedule. In a statement, the singer acknowledged the record comes at a tumultuous time for the music industry, but said he decided to push ahead to spread positivity. “Everyone is going through a hard time together and I hope I could spread positive energy through this album,” he said. “I am delighted and happy to be able to make music and perform on stage

K-popMarch 24, 2020

BTS cuts down world tour itinerary due to coronavirus

K-pop boy band BTS announced Tuesday it will cut down the itinerary of its upcoming world tour, "Map of the Soul Tour," due to the coronavirus pandemic. "With the global spread of COVID-19, in some countries and cities, the level of unpredictability is becoming higher to prepare for the shows," the band's management agency Big Hit Entertainment said in a notice posted on the Weverse mobile app. "As a result of the current global circumstances, we anticipate having to

K-popMarch 24, 2020

New albums to warm up K-pop scene hit by coronavirus

K-pop concerts, showcases and various other promotional events have been canceled due to the spreading of the new coronavirus. But that does not mean the industry is at a total standstill. Many established and rising K-pop artists, including Kang Daniel and EXO leader Suho, are ready to drop new albums in coming weeks to warm up the scene hit by the virus, according to their management agencies. Kang's first EP, "CYAN," is set for release Tuesday evening, officially bringing him bac

K-popMarch 24, 2020

BLACKPINK's 'Ddu-du Ddu-du' tops 1.1b YouTube views

The music video of K-pop girl band BLACKPINK's 2018 song "Ddu-du Ddu-du" topped 1.1 billion YouTube views Tuesday, the strongest YouTube feat yet by a K-pop band. The sensationally popular song achieved the feat in one year and nine months after its official release in June 2018. That makes "Ddu-du Ddu-du" the most-watched YouTube music video by a K-pop band, as well as the only music video by a K-pop band that topped the 1 billion YouTube view milestone. BLACKPINK is

K-popMarch 24, 2020

Spotify seeks expansion in Korea

The world’s largest music streaming platform Spotify is ramping up to launch its services in Korea. According to industry sources on Tuesday, Spotify has recently set up its Korean office at a WeWork building in Daechi-dong, southern Seoul, with Peter Gradelius, the firm’s head of corporate legal, registered as the Korean chief. Speculation has been growing about Spotify’s imminent launch here. During its second-quarter earnings call last year, CEO Daniel Ek pointed to Kore

K-popMarch 24, 2020

My time: How Jungkook’s time arrived in soulful R&B track

Though the lead single, “On,” made a splash with a surprise No. 4 debut on Billboard’s singles chart, two other songs from BTS’ latest album, “Map of the Soul: 7,” also made it into the Hot 100. “My Time” and “Filter” landed at No. 84 and No. 87, respectively. Jungkook’s solo track remains the highest-charting solo track from the group to date in the US -- a soulful R&B track with a modern finish in which the 22-year-old look

K-popMarch 23, 2020

BTS sends out message of encouragement as Korea struggles to fight coronavirus

K-pop boy band BTS sent out a message of encouragement for South Koreans Monday as the country struggles to stem the spread of COVID-19. The video message was uploaded on BTS' official YouTube account and its "Love Myself" campaign account on Twitter, in response to a request by a group of nurse officers at the Korea Armed Forces Nursing Academy. "Taking the stage of an empty auditorium, we are acutely feeling how meaningful it was to breathe with you in the same space," m

K-popMarch 23, 2020