Kiha & The Faces to tour North America

Kiha & The Faces will be playing its brand of quirky music for audiences in North America in its first tour there beginning April 1, the band’s management agency announced Wednesday. The six-member act will perform in 14 cities in Canada and the US, including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle, Chicago and Vancouver as part of a tour running until April 26. The band will be joined by Japanese rock musician Miyavi and Thai rock band Slot Machine in the tour, title

March 29, 2017

BTS signs contract with Def Jam Recordings

Boy band Bangtan Boys, better known internationally as BTS, signed a new record deal with Def Jam Recordings in Japan.  Bangtan Boys (Big Hit Entertainment)“BTS recently signed the contract to release a new single, featuring a Japanese version of ‘Blood, Sweat & Tears,’” Big Hit Entertainment, which represents the idol group in Korea, said Tuesday. “The single is set to be released on May 10.”　Def Jam Recordings is an American hip hop and urban music record label owned by Universal Music Group.

March 28, 2017

[Next Wave] The chemistry of Life and Time

The Korea Herald is introducing Korean singers, musicians and actors poised to join the next wave of top stars in a twice monthly series. – Ed.Three-piece Life and Time is known for its seasoned playing, groovy rhythms and highly technical drumming skills.According to bassist Park Sun-bin, however, Life and Time is a group of three individuals who each lack something.“If each one of us were perfect, we would each do everything ourselves. But I think that a band is a group of people who lack some

March 27, 2017

Girls’ Day returns with new EP

Girls’ Day made a splash on local music charts Monday with its new EP “GIRLS’ DAY EVERYDAY #5,” achieving immediate impact with its first recording in 20 months.The main track of the four-member group, “I’ll be Yours,” entered the local Genie chart at No. 2, right behind IU’s “Through the Night.” It was also seen rapidly climbing up other charts here, notching the No. 11 spot on the Melon chart just one hour after its noon release. Girls’ Day (DreamT Entertainment)The latest EP by Girls’ Day fea

March 27, 2017

Hyolyn storming across US

Girl group Sistar’s lead vocalist Hyolyn is gaining recognition abroad, according to reports. US music media outlet Billboard lauded the singer as “one of the most recognizable voices in K-pop” in an interview at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, which took place March 10-19.“Her husky, airy tone has resulted in multiple appearances on a variety of Billboard charts, both through her solo work and collaborative efforts,” Billboard said last week. 　 Hyolyn (Starship Entertainment)H

March 27, 2017

EXID to release 3rd EP album 'Eclipse' next month

EXID, the South Korean girl group of the hit track "Up & Down," will release its third EP album titled "Eclipse" next month, its agency said Monday.The album containing five new tracks, including title track "Night Rather Than Day," will go on sale from April 10, according to Banana Culture Entertainment, the team's agency. The album will also include an instrumental version of "Night Rather Than Day," co-produced by Shinsadong Tiger, KeeBomb and EXID member Eli. A promotional photo of South Kor

March 27, 2017

BTS heats up Newark on North American leg of ‘Wings Tour’

BTS, also known as Bangtan Boys, thrilled its fans in Newark on its “2017 BTS Live Trilogy Episode III The Wings Tour.”Thousands of fans attended the concerts held Thursday and Friday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. BTS performs its “2017 BTS Live Trilogy Episode III The Wings Tour” concert in Newark, New Jersey, on Friday.　(BTS Twitter account)The tickets for the group‘s US tour sold out within minutes, which led the septet to add two more shows -- one in Newark and the other in

March 26, 2017

[Exclusive] Hwang Chi-yeul set for summer album release

Singer Hwang Chi-yeul is due to release a new album just in time for summer.“The exact release date hasn’t been decided yet, but maybe in June?” the artist told The Korea Herald on Thursday. “I think it might be unveiled before summer.”   Singer Hwang Chi-yeul poses for The Korea Herald at an afterparty held at Lotte L7 Hotel in Seoul on Thursday to celebrate Bada’s wedding. (Jie Ye-eun/The Korea Herald)Hwang said that he participated in the writing of the upcoming album. “There will be a song t

March 26, 2017

iKon performs at Tokyo Girls Collection

K-pop group iKon excited Japanese fans with its performance at the Tokyo Girls Collection 2017 Spring/Summer, its agency said Sunday.Standing in front of the 31,400-strong audience at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo on Saturday, the seven-member boyband sang the remix versions of its hits including “Dumb & Dumber” and “Sinosijak,” according to YG Entertainment.  caption:iKon performs during the Tokyo Girls Collection 2017 Spring/Summer held Saturday in Tokyo. (YG Entertainment)YG’s fashio

March 26, 2017

BIGBANG's Daesung to release new album simultaneously in Korea, Japan

Daesung, a member of the popular boy band BIGBANG, will drop his new individual EP album simultaneously in South Korea and Japan next week, his agency said Friday.The "D-Day" album will be uploaded on major online music sites of the two countries on Tuesday ahead of his first solo Japanese dome tour set to begin on April 15. The album is scheduled to hit Japanese record stores on April 12. Above is the cover image of Daesung's forthcoming EP album "D-Day." (Yonhap)The album produced by himself w

March 24, 2017

[Eye] Making sense of modern music

Dressed head to toe in black, with her dark black hair worn long and eyes done in her signature dark smoky look, Unsuk Chin is a force majeure.Although her name may not be well-known here, classical music fans know her as the composer-in-residence of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and, since last year, also the orchestra’s artistic adviser.“I thought about quitting after Chung Myung-whun left,” Chin said during an interview on March 8 at her office at Sejong Center in downtown Seoul. Maestro C

March 24, 2017

Dylan says Amy Winehouse was last ‘individualist’

NEW YORK (AFP) -- Bob Dylan has hailed Amy Winehouse as the last great artist with an individual style as the rock legend shared his views on music in a rare interview.In a lengthy dialogue with writer Bill Flanagan posted on Dylan’s website, the new winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature hailed the English soul singer who died in 2011 at age 27.“She was the last real individualist around,” Dylan said.Dylan, 75, also praised two living female singers with blues and folk influences, Valerie Jun

March 24, 2017

S.E.S’ Bada walks down aisle

Bada, from the hit 1990s group S.E.S, tied the knot Wednesday with a businessman, who runs a restaurant franchise in a private ceremony at Jungnim-dong Yakhyeon Catholic Church in central Seoul. Singer Bada poses during a press conference held before her wedding ceremony in Seoul on Thursday (Yonhap)Only the families and close friends of the couple were invited to the wedding, including Eugene and Shoo of S.E.S, former 2NE1 member Sandara Park, singer-turned-actress Yoonha, 2PM’s Ok Taek-yeon, a

March 23, 2017

SHINee wraps up Vancouver concert, hits Dallas next

Following Sunday’s Toronto concert, SHINee on Tuesday completed a successful Vancouver show, the group’s agency S.M. Entertainment said Thursday. The boy band held its SHINee World V concert in Vancouver at the Orpheum Theater. For 2 1/2 hours, it performed a roster of hit songs including “Sherlock,” Ring Ding Dong,” “Everybody” and “Aside,” as well as recent releases “1 of 1” and “Ready or Not” -- coupled with its signature immaculate choreography.  SHINee performs in Vancouver’s Orpheum Theate

March 23, 2017

T-ara disbands as Soyeon, Boram part ways

K-pop group T-ara announced Thursday that Soyeon and Boram will not be renewing their contracts after they expire in May.“Boram and Soyeon’s contracts expire on May 15. The remaining members -- Qri, Eunjung, Hyomin and Jiyeon -- have extended their contracts until the end of December,” T-ara’s agency MBK Entertainment said.  T-ara (MBK Entertainment)Soyeon and Boram will continue working with the group until June, according to the agency. It added that a contract extension after this year will b

March 23, 2017

CNBLUE nails it on foreign charts

K-pop band CNBLUE‘s EP “7℃N” has been going strong abroad, topping iTunes charts in nine regions as of Tuesday.The band‘s seventh EP has ranked No.1 in the top 100 music album charts in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam less than a day after its Monday release at 6:00 p.m. CNBLUE (FNC Entertainment)“7℃N” marks the first EP for the four-men band since the release of “Blueming” last April. The main track “Between Us” was written by group leader

March 21, 2017

iKON wraps Japan tour, readies for Korea comeback

Boy band iKON has successfully completed its Japan tour, wrapping up with the Japan Yokohama Arena concert on Monday, attended by some 13,000 fans.The group is now gearing up for a Korean comeback sometime before May. The seven-member boy band will be returning with two title tracks written by the group members, its agency YG Entertainment said Tuesday.  iKON performs at the Japan Yokohama Arena concert on Monday. (YG Entertainment)iKON toured three cities -- Osaka, Fukuoka and Yokohama -- and h

March 21, 2017

Rap Monster, Wale collaborate on ‘Change’

Bangtan Boys’ Rap Monster and US rapper Wale on Monday released their song “Change” along with the music video via the K-pop group’s official social networking pages. “The two artists have been interested in each other’s music and naturally came to work together,” said BTS’s agency Big Hit Entertainment.  A scene from the music video of “Change.” (Big Hit Entertainment)Wale initiated the collaboration in November when he replied to Rap Monster’s cover of his song with a comment “Collab???!” whic

March 20, 2017

Dynamic Duo's Gaeko to release second new album next month

Gaeko of South Korean hip hop act Dynamic Duo will release his second solo album next month, according to his agency Monday."Gaeko has led the album's production as well as the overall artistic direction of the music video," Amoeba culture said, and asked fans to expect new songs with Gaeko's distinct color and style.Amoeba Culture released a teaser image for Gaeko's new album, featuring what appears as an anthropomorphized elephant wearing a robe on a cloud, shooting beams from its eyes.  A tea

March 20, 2017