Articles by Choi Ji-won
Choi Ji-won
jwc@heraldcorp.com-
Hip-hop 6-piece 82Major hopes to top K-pop
New boy band 82Major on Wednesday threw its hat into the ring with the debut album "On." The six-member group, consisting of Nam Sung-mo, Park Seok-joon, Yoon Ye-chan, Cho Seong-il, Hwang Seong-bin and Kim Do-gyun, is the first boy band debuting under novice label Great M Entertainment. Celebrating their debut, the group held a media showcase event in Seoul on Wednesday. The name, 82Major, combines the country code of South Korea, 82, with the word "major," reflecting the gro
K-pop Oct. 11, 2023
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Half of Loona restarts as quintet Loossemble
Loona's Hyunjin, Yeojin, Vivi, Go Won and Hyeju are starting off afresh as Loossemble under a new label on Tuesday. The quintet held a debut press showcase in Seoul on Tuesday afternoon, greeting local press for the first time since its self-titled debut album, "Loossemble," released Sept. 15. "Half nervous, half excited," was how Vivi and the rest of the members said they felt as they set off from scratch again. "We look forward to our future as Loossemble," H
K-pop Oct. 10, 2023
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Jungkook becomes first Korean soloist to log 2 songs in Top 5 of Billboard's Hot 100
BTS' Jungkook has become the first South Korean soloist to place two songs in the top five of Billboard's Hot 100 main singles chart. Jungkook's latest single, "3D (feat. Jack Harlow)," debuted at No. 5 on this week's Hot 100 chart dated Oct. 14. The BTS vocalist topped the chart earlier in July with "Seven (feat. Latto)." The latest feat adds to Jungkook's record-setting streak on the global chart. With "Seven," he had become the second S
K-pop Oct. 10, 2023
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[Herald Review] Ive gives a sneak peek of new album, kicks off first world tour with Seoul gigs
The first concerts of Ive's "Show What I Have" world tour in Seoul on Saturday and Sunday were more than just the group's first-ever live music gigs since its debut in December 2021. The shows represented a dream-come-true moment and the realization of the band's biggest goal, which the members set for themselves less than two years ago when they set foot in the music scene. "It's been a dream to hold a concert. I said during our debut showcase that we wanted t
K-pop Oct. 9, 2023
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Ive kicks off first world tour, 'Show What I Have'
Ive launched its first world tour, "Show What I Have," in Seoul on Saturday. The two-day event, held over the weekend at the Jamsil Arena, comes a few days ahead of the group's comeback, set for Friday. On Sunday, the six-piece girl group held a press conference at the concert venue a few hours ahead of its gig that evening. "It was our dream to hold a concert. I said during our debut showcase (in 2021) that we want to hold a world tour, and I'm delighted that my dream a
K-pop Oct. 8, 2023
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'We overcame together': NCT127 returns on more solid ground
NCT127 seems to have safely survived K-pop's notorious "seven-year curse," although not things didn't go as smoothly as expected. "Reaching our seventh anniversary, it's been a tough year for all of us. Different thoughts and concerns have crossed our minds and we faced many temptations. We even felt lost at times," Taeyong, the group's leader, said during the band's press conference in Seoul on Friday. "It hit me then that NCT127 exists because
K-pop Oct. 6, 2023
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Stray Kids to release new album 'Rock-Star' on Nov. 10
K-pop's powerhouse band Stray Kids are set to return with a new album next month, JYP Entertainment said Friday. The eight-piece boy group will drop its new album, "樂-Star (Rock-Star)," on Nov. 10, the band's agency announced Friday. The agency also released a prologue video on the group's official social media platforms. "樂," pronounced "rock" in Korean, is a Chinese letter that could mean both joy and music. The new album will mark the group's
K-pop Oct. 6, 2023
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Fan meeting offers 'Break Time' for 'Dream Academy' trainees on their way to debut
The 18 trainees vying to be part of the group who debuts with Hybe and Geffen's joint girl group project held their first gathering with fans in Seoul on Wednesday. Hybe and Geffen's joint girl group project, "The Debut: Dream Academy," held its first fan gathering in Seoul on Wednesday and came face-to-face with their fans for the first time. The 18 trainees of the project, "Dream Academy" in short, took the stage at the event held at a local theater in Gangnam, Se
K-pop Oct. 4, 2023
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Blackpink's Jennie to drop new solo single on Oct. 6
Blackpink's Jennie is making a solo comeback. YG Entertainment, the quartet's agency, on Wednesday announced the singer was dropping a new solo single, "You & Me," on Oct. 6. The song will be only the second solo outing for the singer with the first release being 2018 single "Solo." According to YG, "You & Me" will come out at 1 p.m. on Oct. 6. It will be a long-awaited official release of the song which Jennie had performed onstage during the group's recent
K-pop Oct. 4, 2023
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BTS' Jungkook to extend solo parade with 1st album 'Golden'
Jungkook of K-pop sensation BTS will release his first solo album, "Golden," next month, the next step in his journey as a solo artist. BTS' agency Big Hit Music on Wednesday announced that the album will drop at 1 p.m. on Nov. 3. "'Golden' is an album inspired from solo artist Jungkook's golden moment," the firm said in its statement, adding, "Jungkook will manifest his identity and colors candidly through the album." The upcoming album will be an 11-track collecti
K-pop Oct. 4, 2023
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Where is Blackpink headed?
Will Blackpink continue or will the group disband? Are the members moving to a different label or will they go independent? Rumors have been swirling as K-pop's biggest girl group and its agency, YG Entertainment, remain silent on the future, despite their seven-year contract having apparently reached the end of its term in August. On Tuesday, it was reported Jennie and Jisoo had established their own independent labels, though YG Entertainment denied to confirm the reports. "Nothing has be
K-pop Oct. 1, 2023
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XG storms back with 'New DNA'
Japanese K-pop band XG returned to the music scene on Wednesday with its first EP "New DNA." The latest release by the seven-piece girl group comes nine months after the launch of the third single "Shooting Star" in January. "New DNA" is a six-track package expanding on XG's sonic scape, weaving through multiple new genres the likes of UK Drill and Jersey Club to the group's essential hip-hop and R&B sound. The album is led by the title song "Puppet Show&qu
K-pop Sept. 27, 2023
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[Herald Interview] Forever is not impossible: Oneus aspires to global reach with 'La Dolce Vita'
Every Oneus album is a well-made package of music, story, artistry and performance. With its latest EP, "La Dolce Vita" released on Tuesday, the group once again takes listeners on an adventure of new wonders. In "La Dolce Vita," the quintet plunges into the depths of the ocean, like mermaids dancing with loved ones at night. The Latin pop texture of the album's title song "Baila Conmigo" was the first inspiration to the mermaid story, according to the members
K-pop Sept. 26, 2023
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Will Kep1er disband? Project group eyes extension with 'Magic Hour'
Halfway through its 2 1/2-year stint, project girl group Kep1er voiced hopes it can keep on going through its new album "Magic Hour." Formed through Mnet's audition program "Girls Planet 999" in 2021, the nonet officially debuted in January 2022 as a project team set to terminate in July 2024. The nine-piece girl group on Monday released the album, its fifth EP, five months since putting out "Lovestruck!" in April. Since then, the girls held their first arena t
K-pop Sept. 26, 2023
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Jakarta lights up in pink with SMTown Live 2023
SM Entertainment, home to some of the biggest K-pop names like aespa, Red Velvet and NCT, covered Jakarta in pink -- the company's iconic color -- on Saturday with its label concert, "SMTown Live 2023." The star-studded event, officially titled "SMTown Live 2023 SMCU Palace @Jakarta with KB Bank," took place on Saturday evening at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium located in Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The one-day gig is the latest edition of the company's joint label
K-pop Sept. 25, 2023
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