VIXX to embark on Southeast Asian tour

VIXX is set to embark on a tour of Southeast Asian countries in July, according to the group’s agency Jellyfish Entertainment.  VIXX (Jellyfish Entertainment)The agency said Monday “VIXX Fan Meeting Tour in Se-Asia” will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Bangkok, among other cities. The tour kicks off July 27. “MyMusicTaste,” a Seoul-based crowdsourcing platform for music and live events, organized the event, making it meaningful, the agency added. The six-member group is also planning for

April 24, 2017

BTS wins 9th Shorty Awards

BTS has been recognized as the most influential musician on social media by the ninth Shorty Awards.  BTS delivers an award acceptance speech in a YouTube video posted Sunday after winning the ninth Shorty Awards. (Screen capture from BangtanTV)The seven-member group received an award in the music category. A ceremony was held in New York on Sunday. The award recognizes an individual or a group for their real-time presence on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube an

April 24, 2017

Yeeun, Jung Jin-wun reportedly end their 3-year relationship

Yeeun from the K-pop girl group Wonder Girls and Jeong Jin-woon from boy group 2AM are said to have ended their relationship, industry sources said Monday. (Yonhap)They have been together since early 2014 but decided to go their separate ways. The reason for the breakup is not known, except that a source told Yonhap News Agency that they naturally drifted apart. The two naturally became close because they used to belong to the same entertainment firm JYP. Their relationship was first reported in

April 24, 2017

BoA to drop new single next week

Pop singer BoA will release her new song "Spring Rain" next week, her management agency said Monday. (Yonhap)S.M. Entertainment said that "Spring Rain" will be out on Friday, next week, as the fifth runner of the season 2 of the agency's weekly digital music release project "Station."Composed by Kenzie, who have collaborated with the singer on such songs as "My Name," "Garden in the Air" and "Moto," the R&B number features sensual lyrics about extreme emotions of love and hatred.BoA is scheduled

April 24, 2017

Jaden Smith looks to debut as K-pop artist

American actor and rapper Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith, is looking to a fresh career as a K-pop singer. “I will be dropping a K pop single in the next 4 months,” Jaden tweeted to his 6.28 million followers on April 21. Jaden Smith (Jaden Smith‘s Twitter)The Hollywood star’s son showed his eagerness to be a K-pop star, posting a series of tweets in December which said, “I’m serious I actually wanna be a K pop star” and “I just wanna be a K pop star.” In 2013, the Smiths visited Korea to promote

April 24, 2017

Sechskies to drop 20th anniversary album

K-pop group Sechskies will be releasing an album marking the 20th anniversary of its debut Friday, the group’s agency YG Entertainment announced Saturday. “Sad Song,” one of the two main tracks of the album, was produced by rapper Tablo and YG’s producing team Future Bounce. Contrary to its name, “Sad Song” is an upbeat, rhythmical tune about not wanting to listen to any more sad songs, YG said.  A promotional image for Sechskies’ upcoming release “Sad Song” (YG Entertainment)Sechskies is curren

April 23, 2017

Psy to return in May

Global K-pop star Psy will release a new full-length album in May, according to his agency on Friday. K-pop singer Psy (YG Entertainment)“Psy has been preparing for the new album for a year. The exact date of release has not yet been confirmed but he is slated to drop the album sometime in May,” YG Entertainment said. The artist also finished filming two music videos for the songs, which will be featured in the upcoming album, according to the agency. This will mark his return to the spotlight a

April 21, 2017

CNBLUE to embark on Asia tour in July

K-pop boy band CNBLUE will start its Asia tour concert “2017 CNBLUE Live Between Us” with an event in Singapore on July 1, its agency said on Friday.“CNBLUE has decided to launch the tour to commemorate the group’s latest EP titled ‘7℃N,’ which was released in March,” FNC Entertainment said. K-pop boy band CNBLUE’s ‘2017 CNBLUE Live Between Us‘ tour poster (FNC Entertainment)After the first concert, the group will visit Manila on July 8. CNBLUE will then hold concerts in Jakarta on July 15, Bang

April 21, 2017

Lovelyz to release album on May 2

Lovelyz on May 2 will drop a repackaged version of its second studio album on May 2, according to the group's agency.Woolim Entertainment on Friday uploaded a 30-second “prologue film” promoting the upcoming repackaged album on its official YouTube channel. The repackaged album will be a follow-up to “R U Ready?” and will include a few new songs added to the original track list.Blurry images of the band were shown in the brief clip.It would mark an unconventionally quick return for Lovelyz, as t

April 21, 2017

Mamamoo to return in June

Mamamoo is set to return in June, according to the group’s agency RBW Entertainment. Mamamoo (Yonhap)The agency said Thursday the group is currently working on a new album, while the exact date for the comeback is yet to be revealed. The four-member group will celebrate its third anniversary in June. The group debuted on June 19, 2014, with the mini album “Hello.”It released its fourth mini album “Memory” with the lead track “Decalcomanie” last November, which went on to sweep several local musi

April 20, 2017

IU teases fans with new ‘Palette’ clip

A day before the release of her anticipated album “Palette,” IU on Thursday revealed a new teaser music video clip for the single of the same name from the album.The 24-second video of “Palette” was posted via social media and the YouTube channel of IU’s agency Fave Entertainment. A screenshot from the teaser image for IU’s upcoming single “Palette” (Fave Entertainment)The video features the singer posing with various clothing and hairstyles to words like “I’m 25,” showing off her charms as one

April 20, 2017

EXID’s ‘Eclipse’ ranks fourth on Billboard chart

K-pop girl group EXID has secured the No. 4 spot on Billboard’s World Albums chart with its third EP “Eclipse” for the week of April 29.On Thursday, the group broke its own record, setting its highest ranking and making its first top five entry. K-pop group EXID (Banana Culture Entertainment)“EXID is the only Korean artist to be listed in the upper ranks of the Billboard’s chart,” Banana Culture Entertainment said. The five-member group first featured on the chart in 2015 with its second EP “Ah

April 20, 2017

A week of Beethoven

Paris-based Korean pianist Paik Kun-woo is back performing all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas.This is not the first time Paik is playing the complete Beethoven piano sonata cycle -- he played the 32 pieces in December 2007 at Seoul Arts Center in eight concerts over a period of seven days. The concerts marked the completion of the three-year project to record the complete Beethoven piano sonatas under the Decca label.Ten years later, Paik is taking Beethoven sonatas on a nationwide tour, planning to

April 19, 2017

Sechs Kies to release an album with new songs for 1st time in 17 years

Iconic 1990s K-pop band Sechs Kies plans to release an album April 28, which would mark the first time since 2000 for the group to release an album of new songs.The boy band’s agency YG Entertainment on Wednesday uploaded a poster of the group’s 20th anniversary project, which featured the phrase “New Album[The 20th Anniversary]” on the top.“If last year’s (digital) single ‘Three Words’ heralded a new beginning for Sechs Kies, this album will present a new path for the group,” YG Entertainment s

April 19, 2017

10 K-pop springtime tunes

Cherry blossoms have peaked and are falling, marking the arrival of spring. In celebration of warmer days, The Korea Herald has compiled a list of 10 K-pop tunes -- old, familiar, lesser known and newly released -- for road trips and lazy days in grassy parks.  Clazziquai -- “Fiesta”　Listed in the experimental band’s 2007 album “Love Child of the Century,” “Fiesta” is an ambient techno-infused tune about taking off on an unexpected holiday to a tropical beach.f(x) -- “Traveler” feat. Zico　Like i

April 18, 2017

Sting to perform in Korea in May

World-renowned musician Sting will hold a concert in Seoul in May, the show’s promoters Hyundai Card said Tuesday.“Hyundai Card Curated Sting” will be held May 31 at the Hyundai Card Understage in Itaewon, central Seoul. The venue is a 400-seat hall, which officials said the company has reserved for handpicked artists. “Sting is a world-famous artist who seeks to convey his philosophy and change society through music. The concert will be a special chance (for the audience) to enjoy the essence o

April 18, 2017

Twice confirms new album release in May

K-pop group Twice on Tuesday confirmed its new album release here in May.K-pop group Twice (JYP Entertainment)“Twice is gearing up to return to the spotlight next month, but the exact date of the album release has not been set yet,” the group’s agency JYP Entertainment said, confirming an earlier media report that Twice was planning to drop a new album around the third week of May. But JYP Entertainment denied the report about the group’s plan to promote the album for two weeks before heading to

April 18, 2017

Challenge accepted: All-American 'Korean' group seeks glory in K-pop land

Over the past few years, South Korean pop music, or K-pop, as a whole has grown into a legitimate cultural force to be reckoned with. And while the scene has moved and evolved at lightning pace, some also began to look back and wonder: what makes K-pop K-pop?EXP Edition, an experimental boy band which released its debut single "Feel Like This" on Monday in South Korea, is the brain child of Kim Bora, through which she asks that exact question in a unique and interesting approach.The four-member

April 17, 2017

Big Bang’s Daesung launches Japan tour

Daesung of Big Bang on has successfully launched his first dome concert tour in Japan, YG Entertainment said Monday.According to the agency, the singer held concerts in Metlife Dome -- formerly known as Seibu Prince Dome -- in Saitama, Japan on Saturday and Sunday. It marked the first of his “D-lite Japan Dome Tour 2017,” after his Japanese stage name “D-lite.” Daesung performs at his solo concert held at the Metlife Dome in Saitama, Japan. (YG Entertainment)Daesung showed off his hit solo singl

April 17, 2017