Universal Music to launch Korean label

Global record label Universal Music will launch its first Korean label, On the Record, the company said Tuesday. “On the Record” is meant to signify that the label will present music that needs to be more widely known, according to the company. (Universal Music)Universal Music has various subsidiary labels over the world, including Def Jam where Justin Bieber is signed, Republic with Ariana Grande and Interscope with Eminem. However, this marks the first time for the music giant to launch a Kore

April 11, 2017

Quartet EXID seeks to grow despite Solji’s absence

An eclipse is usually associated with an image of darkness and shadow, and such was the case for EXID with its main vocalist Solji missing from the launch of its latest EP “Eclipse.”The remaining four members, however, said the temporary shake-up is only a prelude to better things to come. “The title symbolizes our changes as an artist and our commitment to ‘rise again’ as a full five-member team after Solji’s return, as does the full moon after a lunar eclipse,” LE said during a media event hel

April 11, 2017

Former Wonder Girl Ha:tfelt joins Amoeba Culture

Park Ye-eun, former member of Wonder Girls also known by her stage name “Ha:tfelt,” has inked a management deal with Amoeba Culture, the agency said Tuesday.“As of April 7, 2017, Ye-eun has become the newest member of the Amoeba Culture family as solo artist Ha:tfelt,” the agency said in a press release. “She has shown a lot of potential both with her career as a member of the Wonder Girls and as a solo artist. We will try our best to make sure that she can show off her wide spectrum of musical

April 11, 2017

BTS among nominees for Billboard's Top Social Media Artist

K-pop idol group BTS or Bangtan Boys has been nominated for the "Top Social Media Artist" of the Billboard Music Awards 2017, the organizer unveiled on its website on Monday. (Yonhap)The popular boy band will compete with Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande and Shawn Mendes. It is the only Korean artist on the nominee list.The Billboard said they were picked based on "key fan interactions with music, including album and digital songs sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social eng

April 11, 2017

‘SMTown Live’ concert will be back in Seoul

S.M. Entertainment artists will reunite at the 2017 SMTown concert tour titled “SMTown Live,” according to the agency Tuesday. S.M. Entertainment artists perform at the “SMTown Live Tour V in Japan” held at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan, in 2016. (S.M. Entertainment)“The upcoming concert will gather the artists on the big stage again in Korea since the fourth tour, which was held in 2014 in the country,” an S.M. Entertainment representative said.The 2014 “SMTown Live World Tour IV in Seoul” featu

April 11, 2017

Kim Hyun-joong to push ahead with Japan tour amid DUI charge

South Korean singer-actor Kim Hyun-joong will hold his upcoming publicity events in Japan as scheduled despite being charged with drunk driving, his agency said Monday. (Herald DB)According to Keyeast Entertainment, Kim will release a new single in Japan on June 6 and hold a 16-city tour there, titled "Inner Core," starting the next day. Kim, a member of the K-pop boy band SS501, was caught driving under the influence of alcohol on a street in Seoul's Songpa Ward around 1:55 a.m. on March 26, ac

April 10, 2017

BTS tops brand value for five consecutive months

Bangtan Boys, or BTS, has been ranked as the boy band with the highest brand value for the fifth consecutive month. The Korea Reputation Center analyzed over 39 million pieces of data on 43 Korean boy bands between March 7 and April 8 and the result showed BTS receiving the highest consumer participation although the amount of its big data decreased by 5.48 percent compared the previous month.Korean boy band BTS (Big Hit Entertainment)“The amount of big data decreased for BTS but its music sourc

April 10, 2017

Winner among Apple Music’s ‘Best of Week’

Boy band Winner’s recent single “Really Really” is making an impact on foreign charts, with Apple Music Pop selecting it as one of the songs on its “Best of the Week” list.Winner (YG Entertainment)The list compiles popular songs across the globe, selected by Apple Music’s editors. Among the songs on the latest list were “Last Day Live” by the Chainsmokers and “Galway Girl” by Ed Sheeran.Winner last week unveiled its single album “Fate Number For,” which topped iTunes album charts in 21 regions a

April 10, 2017

[Next Wave] Deepflow looks to make his crew next big thing

His name may be obscure to many, but Deepflow and his crew are artists that no self-respecting Korean hip-hop lover would gloss over. Considered one of the most prominent underground rappers in the country, the rapper-producer’s pride rested on showing off “real” hip-hop that you cannot see on TV.Deepflow (Vismajor Company)But Deepflow has overcome his disdain for the mass media, introducing his crew Vismajor to the general public. “Back when I made the album “Yanghwa” (in 2015), I wrote the lyr

April 10, 2017

Junggigo to release solo album

Hip-hop musician Junggigo, who has collaborated with K-pop’s trendiest artists, will be releasing his first solo LP on April 20. 　“Junggigo will kick off his official activities with a media showcase at the Hyundai Card Understage in Itaewon on April 20,” Starship Entertainment, Junggigo’s label, said Monday. Junggigo revealed the cover art for the album, titled “Across the Universe,” on Sunday.The 36-year-old singer-producer recently released “Let me Love You” with boy band EXO’s Chanyeol.Album

April 10, 2017

Taeyeon of Girls' Generation to hold solo concert in May

Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation will hold a solo concert series in Seoul next month to kick off her Asia tour, her agency said Friday.The “Taeyeon solo concert: Persona” series will be held from May 12 to 14 at the Olympic Hall of Seoul Olympic Park in southern Seoul, according to S.M. Entertainment. It will mark the second time she will perform in solo concerts, following Seoul and Busan gigs last year. Following the Seoul concert, Taeyeon will embark on a tour across Asia, covering cities includi

April 7, 2017

Controversial rap show ends with more noise than it would like

The rap audition program “High School Rapper” went out on a high note last week by becoming one of the most-talked about shows in the country. But it also attracted criticism and sparked controversy over its contestants’ alleged wrongdoings.Its final episode last Friday pitted seven high schoolers against each other, and Yang Hong-won -- who had been the front-runner throughout the show -- came out victorious. Yang -- who goes by the stage name of Young B -- now has a chance to work with hip-hop

April 7, 2017

K-pop group 2PM will resume concerts in June as Jun. K recovers

K-pop boy group 2PM will return to the stage as one of its members is quickly recovering from injuries he sustained while performing in February, its management agency said Friday.JYP Entertainment said in a statement the six-member group will hold its concert "6Nights" six times from June 2-4 and 9-11 at Hwajung Stadium of Korea University in Seoul. (JYP Entertainment)On Feb. 26, Jun. K fell off a moving vehicle while performing at Seoul Olympic Park, fracturing his right elbow and right ring f

April 7, 2017

VIXX’s rapper Ravi surprises fans with 'Lucid Dream' mixtape release

Ravi of boy band VIXX caught fans off-guard with a pleasant surprise of an unscheduled release of his mixtape titled “Lucid Dream,” Friday.The song, also featuring rapper Microdot, was released at midnight via YouTube and SoundCloud. Its title conveys a message of “being able to accomplish anything one sets his mind on,” according to his agency Jellyfish Entertainment.Cover image for Ravi’s “Lucid Dream” (Jellyfish Entertainment)The 24-year-old has been working to hone his skills as not only a r

April 7, 2017

GFriend to hold fan meeting in Bangkok

K-pop group GFriend is seeking to expand its global popularity by holding a fan meeting in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday.According to its agency Source Music, the six-member team will hold “Fan Meeting in Bangkok 2017” at the Muangthai GMM Livehouse at Central World. During the event, GFriend will perform its hit songs live and communicate with Thai fans in various segments.  GFriend (Source Music)“GFriend has been garnering a lot of attention in overseas markets. We’ve decided on a fan meeting

April 6, 2017

Singer-actor Kim Hyun-joong referred to prosecutors for alleged drunk driving

Police said Thursday they have recently referred the drunk driving case involving popular singer-actor Kim Hyun-joong to the prosecution.The member of the K-pop boy band SS501 was caught on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol on a street in Seoul's Songpa Ward around 1:55 a.m. on March 26, according to the Songpa Police Station. Police recommended an indictment, sending the investigation result to the prosecution Monday, officials said. (Yonhap)Kim was driving his car on his way ho

April 6, 2017

[Herald Interview] Winner back 4 more

The number 4 was plastered all over the release of Winner’s new single album, “Fate Number For.” In addition to the title -- the obvious dual meaning of “for” and “four” -- the album was released on the fourth day of the fourth month, at 4 p.m.“Four was never really my favorite number, but it’s starting to grow on me,” said Lee Seung-hoon with a hint of a smirk.The quadruple emphasis on the number was the boy band’s way of paying tribute to Nam Tae-hyun, whose departure made Winner into -- you g

April 5, 2017

EXID’s song banned from KBS for ‘vulgarity’

Seemingly unintended vulgarity plagued EXID as KBS banned the group’s song “Velvet,” after the broadcaster said its lyrics sounded suspiciously like a curse word. Banana Culture Entertainment, the agency for the five-member group, confirmed reports that the song -- included in the soon-to-be-released EP “Eclipse” -- was deemed unsuitable for broadcast. EXID (Banana Culture Entertainment)According to an earlier report, KBS said the English word “sip” is thought to represent a similarly sounding K

April 5, 2017

Actor Kim Soo-hyun to appear in IU's upcoming music video

Kim Soo-hyun, star of hit South Korean drama "My Love From The Star," will appear in a music video for singer IU's new album, according the stars' agencies Wednesday. (Yonhap)According to IU's agency Fave Entertainment, Kim has finished filming for the video to a song on IU's upcoming fourth album. The track, whose name wasn't revealed, was written by singer-songwriter Sam Kim, according to the company."We're producing several videos for the fourth album," a Fave Entertainment representative sai

April 5, 2017