GFriend’s car accident caused by inattentive driver: agency

Source Music issued a statement Sunday on a recent car accident that involved GFriend, saying that the singers did not sustain any major injuries and that the accident was caused by the inattentive driving of the group’s manager.  (Source Music)According to the agency, GFriend was on its way to Incheon Munhak Stadium for the 2017 Incheon K-pop Concert when its car hit the vehicle in front of it while changing lanes on the Second Gyeongin Expressway at around 5:30 p.m. Saturday. “The recent accid

Sept. 10, 2017

Seo Taiji to hold encore shows for 25th-anniversary concert

K-pop icon Seo Taiji will hold concerts at the end of the month, as encore for his 25th-anniversary concert that took place last week.Seo Taiji Company said Friday that in return for the fans’ support on Seo Taiji’s 25th-anniversary concert on Sept. 2, the singer will hold “Time: Traveler Encore” at the Olympic Hall inside Olympic Park on Sept. 29-30.“The 25 years of Seo Taiji is the 25 years of history with fans,” the agency said, adding that the show was prepared to give fans an opportunity to

Sept. 8, 2017

R&B artist G.Soul soars high with ‘Circles’

The eagle is finally soaring. G.Soul, a soulful R&B artist relatively new to the K-pop scene, waited a long time to take flight, honing his skills under the watchful eyes of JYP Entertainment for 17 years before his debut. But it’s at his new label that he’s really been able to spread his wings.He returned with the self-produced EP “Circles” featuring the lead track “Can’t” on Thursday. But while his voice is warm and sweet as a melting marshmallow, it also carries the flavor of alcohol on his n

Sept. 8, 2017

[Album review] Where did EXO’s power go?

EXO“The War: The Power of Music”Genie Music　Before anything else, there is one question that needs to be answered regarding “Power” from EXO’s extended re-release of July’s “The War”:  What’s up with the line “We got that power, power”? The reigning K-pop act intended to show off its comical side in the music video, morphing into animated extraterrestrial characters wielding superpowers. But it is difficult to shake off the feeling the song sounds like a childish cartoon theme song. Starting wit

Sept. 7, 2017

BTS caught up in blackmail, marketing controversy

K-pop group BTS’ label Big Hit Entertainment has come under fire, suspected of using expedient means to promote its Billboard award-winner BTS. (Big Hit Entertainment)On Wednesday, Seoul Central District Court sentenced a former business associate of the label, surnamed Lee, to one year in prison for blackmailing the agency and receiving payments. The man threatened to reveal information about the company’s inappropriate methods used to promote BTS.  In an official statement released Wednesday e

Sept. 7, 2017

U-Kiss’ Kiseop suffers second-degree burns while filming music video

Kiseop of U-Kiss suffered burns from an explosion during the filming of a music video “U-Kiss member Kiseop was in an accident involving an explosion while filming a music video,” said the K-pop group’s agency in a statement Wednesday night.According to NH EMG, the smoke emitter that the singer was holding exploded toward his face. He suffered second-degree burns and was hit by dozens of shrapnel. He was rushed to a hospital in Incheon, near the filming set. “He received primary care at a nearby

Sept. 7, 2017

S. Korean band Hyukoh announces N. American tour

South Korean indie rock sensation Hyukoh will embark on an eight-city North American tour, according to its management agency Thursday.The band will kick off the tour at The Opera House in Toronto on Friday (local time) and later travel to six US cities, including New York, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles, according to DRDRamc. Hyukoh will finish the tour in Vancouver on Sept. 23.The band will also participate in Vancouver's Albatross Music Festival and the Modern Sky Festival 2017 in Arca

Sept. 7, 2017

Lee Seung-hwan, CJ to provide leg up for indie musicians

Three-man rock band iamnot will take the stage in front of a 2,000-strong audience in October as part of CJ Culture Foundation and singer Lee Seung-hwan’s joint project to support up-and-coming indie musicians.The project, which will launch with iamnot’s concert in October, plans to support local aspiring musicians by enabling them to hold bigger stage performances.Lee, a local music legend with a 28-year career under his belt, said there are a lot of talented musicians in the indie scene. Lee S

Sept. 6, 2017

April to release album on Sept. 20

K-pop group April will release the album “Eternity” on Sept. 20, its agency said Wednesday.DSP Media revealed a teaser image for the six-piece group, which featured a drawing of a diamond as a symbol of something that lasts forever.  A teaser image for April’s “Eternity” (DSP Media)The agency said that the album represents the hope that the group’s music will remain in people’s memories forever.It marks the band’s first release since the single “Mayday” in May.The group, which debuted in 2015 wi

Sept. 6, 2017

NCT 127 to become special DJ for Beats 1 Radio

South Korean boy band NCT 127 will take over as DJ for Beats 1’s radio program “Take Over: NCT 127 Request.” It is the first time for a Korean artist to host a show on Beats 1.The members of the K-pop group finished recording the show on Aug. 21 at Beats 1 studio in Los Angeles during which they shared their thoughts on the group’s performances in the US such as “Today at Apple,” “KCON 2017 NY” and “KCON 2017 LA.” They also communicated with fans through FaceTime and introduced song requests.  N

Sept. 6, 2017

Pentagon solid with self-produced ‘Demo_01’

For K-pop artists, pursuing their own projects is a big step forward as many of them find it hard to cultivate their creative sides in the midst of hectic schedules. But for this 10-member K-pop boy band Pentagon, making a quick return to the scene with a new record packed with self-produced songs less than a year after its debut, and only two months after dropping its last record, meant something bigger than a step forward. Ten-piece boy band Pentagon performs during a media showcase for its fo

Sept. 6, 2017

EXO's repackaged edition of 'The War' tops 33 iTunes charts

Boy band EXO's repackaged edition of its hit album "The War" conquered Apple iTunes album charts in over 30 countries, according to its agency Wednesday.EXO's "The War: The Power of Music," released on Tuesday, climbed to the No. 1 spot on 33 iTunes album charts, including in Spain, Japan, Indonesia, Russia and Hong Kong as of Wednesday, S.M. Entertainment said. Other nations included Finland, Denmark, Poland, Mexico and Malaysia.The album also made it to the top 10 on the iTunes charts in U.S.,

Sept. 6, 2017

Black Pink’s Japan debut tops Oricon chart

Black Pink’s popularity is growing in Japan, with its debut EP “BLACKPINK” notching the No. 1 spot on Oricon’s weekly CD chart.The EP, which was released Wednesday, sold 39,000 copies in a week to top the Japanese chart.  (YG Entertainment)Black Pink became the second Korean artist to top Oricon’s weekly CD chart with its debut album. It was also the third foreign-based artist to do so.YG Entertainment’s girl group has enjoyed a successful Japan debut, topping the daily chart for two days in a r

Sept. 5, 2017

Antenna kicks off second label concert

K-pop artists managed by Korean record label Antenna Music, led by You Hee-yeol of Toy, held the second part of their label concert series, “With, Antenna,” at Jamsil Arena in Seoul, on Saturday and Sunday.A total of 11 acts -- Toy (You Hee-yeol), Jung Jae-hyung, Lucid Fall, Peppertones (Shin Jae-pyung and Lee Jang-won), Park Sae-byul, Lee Jin-ah, Chai, Jung Seung-hwan, Kwon Jin-ah and Sam Kim -- performed in front of some 90,000 fans over the weekend at the four-hour concerts.  A promotional po

Sept. 4, 2017

YoonA’s ‘You Are My Star’ next in line for SM Station

YoonA of Girls’ Generation is set to drop her new solo track “You Are My Star” on SM Station, S.M Entertainment’s weekly digital music release channel.         A teaser photo for YoonA’s upcoming solo track “You Are My Star” (S.M. Entertainment)According to the agency Monday, the upcoming track, which marks YoonA’s second solo work since “Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway,” will be released in both Chinese and Korean on Friday evening via several local music streaming sites including Melon, Genie and

Sept. 4, 2017

[Next Wave] Glen Check tells stories of Seoul, curiosity, experience

Electronic duo Glen Check are nothing if not careful in crafting their music. 　It has taken the group four years to drop “The Glen Check Experience” -- a multi-genre EP consisting of five tracks that came out on Aug. 13. It wasn‘t a lack of inspiration or difficulty getting together that led to the substantial gap between the two albums. Glen Check’s Kim June-one, 23, and Kang Hyuk-jun, 22, say that “every single day of the four years” was spent on developing the album’s story, one that could de

Sept. 4, 2017

‘Culture President’ reigns once again with BTS

Even after two decades and a half since his debut, “culture president” Seo Tae-ji, who was a K-pop icon before K-pop was even a thing, proved to more than 35,000 fans why he still remains a legend and pioneer of K-pop. Staying true to its concept of “Time: Traveler,” the Saturday concert that was held at Jamsil Olympic Stadium to commemorate the 25 year anniversary of Seo’s debut, revived a trove of memories from the past, as it showcased the barrage of megahits by the singer. The concert was a

Sept. 3, 2017

BTS to hold 1st dome concert in Japan

BTS is at it again, this time with an October concert in Japan.Big Hit Entertainment said Sunday the K-pop act would hold a concert on Oct. 14 and 15 at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, marking its first concert at a dome in the country.The boy band has enjoyed popularity in the country, with its Japanese tour gathering some 145,000 fans across Osaka, Hiroshima, Nagoya, Saitama, Fukuoka and Sapporo from May to July. A poster for BTS’ upcoming concert in Japan (Big Hit Entertainment)Its single “Blood Sweat

Sept. 3, 2017

IU to drop second cover EP this month

Singer IU will release her new album “A Flower Bookmark Two” in mid-September, her agency FAVE Entertainment said Friday. The album is the singer’s second cover EP following “A Flower Bookmark” released in May 2014. The 2014 album featured the singer’s cover versions of K-pop classics from 1980s to 90s, such as Kim Chang-wan’s “The Meaning of You,” Kim Wan-sun’s “Pierrot Smiles at Us” and Kim Kwang-seok’s “Flower.” It received favorable reactions both from critics and the general public, sweepin

Sept. 1, 2017

Lena Park to become KBS World Radio DJ

Power vocalist Lena Park will be debuting as a radio DJ on the program “One Fine Day” on KBS World Radio.　“It’s been my longtime dream to be a DJ,” she told reporters at a press conference Friday at the Yeouido KBS headquarters. 　“One Fine Day” will be delivering Korean music and musicians’ stories to listeners in English. “I want to make a program that can get close to and offer good music to foreigners in Korea and people abroad,” the veteran R&B singer said. 　Park, who married a Korean-Americ

Sept. 1, 2017