Following the smartly organized, decadelong K-pop marketing formula, boy band BTS has unexceptionally heralded its new album releases with advance teaser videos and music samples during its past seven-year career.But instead of getting advance SNS hints and teasers about the band's newest song, fans of BTS were completely left in the dark until the very moment of the official release of "Black Swan" last Friday. "Black Swan" is the first BTS single pre-released from its upcom

K-pop star’s unexpected marriage announcement sparks conflict with fans

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- "Parasite" shocked the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday by landing the night's top prize, a historic win which thrusts the South Korean black comedy into Oscars contention.The critical smash hit film overcame the language barrier to win outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture, the SAG equivalent of a best film Academy Award."I'm a little embarrassed feeling like we're the parasites of Hollywood now," joked actor Lee Sun-Kyun.Director Bon

Bong Joon-ho's sensation "Parasite" won the top prize for best edited feature film at the 70th annual ACE Eddie Awards, US media have reported.It marked the first time that a foreign language film has won the top prize in ACE Eddie Awards history. Parasite editor Yang Jin-mo said in an acceptance speech, "First of all, this all feels like a dream. I can't believe this is happening," according to Deadline Hollywood, an entertainment industry news site."It's such a huge ho

BTS' global contemporary art initiative, "CONNECT, BTS," has landed in Berlin, the second destination following London, the band's management agency said Sunday.Big Hit said, "Rituals of Care," an exhibition of performances, kicked off at Martin-Gropius-Bau, a modern art museum in the German capital Wednesday as the second leg of the "CONNECT, BTS" art project.  The first "CONNECT, BTS" project opened at London's Serpentine Gallery Tuesday, an exhibit

K-pop super band BTS will appear on US broadcaster CBS' "The Late Late Show with James Corden" later this month to showcase their new single, the band's management agency said Saturday.Joining the famous US talk show on Jan. 28 (US time), BTS will stage "Black Swan," a track from the bands' upcoming "Map of the Soul: 7" album, according to Big Hit Entertainment. BTS previously appeared on the show in 2017 and 2018.  The song hit major South Korean and overseas

‘The Man Standing Next’ chronicles 40 days leading up to 1979 Park Chung-hee assassination

Offering a taste of its “Map of the Soul: 7” album, BTS unveiled “Black Swan,” the first single of the group’s upcoming LP. On Friday evening, the seven-piece act released the song on streaming sites at home and abroad, along with an art film performed by Slovenian dance troupe MN Dance Company.  Based on the emo hip-hop genre, the reflective song delves deeply into BTS members’ emotional depth and contemplations as artists. Lyrically, the musicians fear

Actress Han Ye-seul goes bold, backed by 620,000 YouTube subscribers

KCON, an annual overseas K-pop concert series from entertainment giant CJ ENM, will hit four global cities this year including Tokyo and New York, the company said Friday. This year's KCON, a festival of Korean music and culture, will kick off on April 3 at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba Prefecture, just outside Tokyo, for a three-day run. For the American leg, KCON will move to New York's Manhattan from June 12-14 before a four-day event in Los Angeles from Aug. 27-30.The show wi

Portrait of a Lady on Fire(France)Opened Jan. 16Drama, RomanceDirected by Celine SciammaFrance, 1760. Marianne (Noemie Merlant) is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Heloise (Adele Haenel), a young woman who has just left the convent. Because Heloise is a reluctant bride-to-be, Marianne approaches her under the guise of companionship, observing Heloise by day and secretly painting her at night. The two women become closer as they share Heloise’s last moments of freedom before th

British rock legends to perform hit songs with vocalist Adam Lambert