Articles by Park Jun-hee
Park Jun-hee
junheee@heraldcorp.com-
Gravitate to what your heart says: Oneus on 8th EP ‘Malus’
Right in time for the autumn breeze and the changing of seasons, boy band Oneus hopped on the September music craze lineup with its eighth EP, “Malus,” released Monday evening. This marks a return for the K-pop act for the first time in four months since its last musical project, “Trickster,” released in May. “I believe it’s the first time showing our slinky and seductive side since our debut. I know how meaningful it is for us to be able to showcase our so
K-pop Sept. 5, 2022
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[Herald Interview] Blending old and new: SMMT on what makes timeless music
Comfortable in a pair of sneakers and a T-shirt, SMMT has been soaking up the spotlight as a globe-trotting DJ. Not much is known about him, but concertgoers will see him mixing live sessions for local rappers pH-1 and Sik-K and taking over the deck at parties. He’s also a member of Yelows Mob, a music crew helmed by Sik-K. Born Jung Sung-min, SMMT is one of the faces under H1ghr Music with a unique background. He kicked into gear as a DJ at 20. In 2020, he earned his first credit as a p
Performance Sept. 5, 2022
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Spotify’s Korean hip-hop playlist rebranded as ‘KrOWN’
Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming platform, has rebranded its flagship Korean hip-hop playlist “K-Hip-Hop+82” to “KrOWN,” the company said Wednesday. K-Hip-Hop +82 was first launched in April 2017 as Spotify’s first-ever editorial playlist focusing on South Korea’s East-meets-West music. The playlist on the platform presents the latest and most famous Korean hip-hop tracks on the playlist. The word is a coined term combining “Korea,&r
K-pop Sept. 1, 2022
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In the right denim, NewJeans aims to be an everyday symbol of music
Less than a month since its debut, NewJeans, the first girl group from Ador, an independent label under Hybe, is taking the music world by storm. Seventeen days after dropping its namesake digital debut album on Aug. 1, the band’s title track “Attention” rose to No. 51 on the Billboard Global Excl. US chart, which ranks songs based on streaming and/or sales activity from more than 200 territories around the globe, excluding the US. The group’s name stems from a class
K-pop Aug. 25, 2022
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CIX delves into essence of love in ‘OK Not’
Boy band CIX has rounded out the summer by finally deciphering the code to its “OK” series. The quintet dropped its 5th EP “OK’ Episode 1: OK Not” on Monday evening. This marks the boy band’s first return to the local music world since the release of its first LP “‘Ok’ Prologue: Be OK” in August 2021. “We’ve poured all we got into this project because it’s been a year since we last released an album. From settling
K-pop Aug. 22, 2022
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[Feature] Enter stage right: Musical theatre holds opportunities for K-pop idols
Over the past few years, K-pop idols have been expanding their horizon through onstage debuts, with more singers entering the world of musical theatre, which was once considered an elitist realm only for the classically trained. The latest to make it on stage is Mamamoo‘s lead vocalist Solar, who made her debut in the titular role of “Mata Hari” in May. The cast included Chang-sub of boy band BTOB and rock band FT Island’s Lee Hong-ki, who played Armand, the mal
Performance Aug. 22, 2022
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[Herald Interview] Boycold explores foolish romance on ‘Daft Love’
“Hey boy, it’s cold” -- Boycold’s producer tag isn’t subtle about who it represents, but it’s a guarantee of high production values. Boycold, whose real name is Jeong Seong-won, debuted in 2015 through “Boys to Men,” a track on rapper Crucial Star’s “Boyhood” EP. Zig-zagging between hip-hop and R&B, he’s a jack of all trades with a knack for soundscapes. The beatmaker now has a long list of hits under his belt. He m
Performance Aug. 17, 2022
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Dance competition Chumsaeng to welcome applicants from Sept. 1
South Korea’s first dance management company, Zinhipz Entertainment, is launching a world dance competition titled “Chumsaeng.” The label is home to Heady, the winner of JTBC’s dance survival program “Showdown,” Comet, Zooty Zoot, Teenie, Ogong, Starry and Javeline. Under the slogan “dance is life,” Chumsaeng is a dance show with a difference. Instead of vying for the top spot, participants will use dance to express themselves and show the imp
Culture Aug. 17, 2022
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Hyperound K-Fest 2022 to be held in Abu Dhabi next month
A Korean music festival in Abu Dhabi, dubbed “Hyperound K-Fest 2022,” will be held on Sept. 10 at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, the largest indoor entertainment venue in the Middle East. Jointly hosted with the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism and Yas Island, the one-day festival aims to bring artists who continue to spread K-music around the globe. The star-studded list of artists slated to perform in the UAE are up-and-coming K-pop rookie boy band P1harmony, South
Performance Aug. 11, 2022
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Seoul Festa 2022 kicks off spectacle-filled five-day run with K-pop Super Live
The Seoul Metropolitan government kicked off its annual tourist event, Seoul Festa, on Tuesday, marking the event’s return after two years of a pandemic-induced hiatus. With the ambition to boost tourism in the capital city, the festival kicked off Tuesday for a five-day run across the city until Sunday. The city embarked on its large-scale, global event with a K-pop concert titled “K-pop Super Live” Tuesday evening at the Olympic Main Stadium in Jamsil Sports Complex, sout
Social Affairs Aug. 11, 2022
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Blackpink to drop 2nd LP ‘Born Pink’ next month, begin world tour
Global K-pop sensation Blackpink is returning with its 2nd LP titled “Born Pink” on Sept. 16, marking its return to the music scene after nearly two years away. On Wednesday, the band’s agency YG Entertainment dropped a teaser image with the date “2022.09.16,” the date of its second album release. “As the title suggests, ‘Born Pink’ shows the confidence and splendor Blackpink is known for. The album will be brimming with Blackpink’s uniq
K-pop Aug. 10, 2022
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[Herald Review] Noisy crowds, fan chants and sing-alongs: Itzy makes up for lost time through first world tour ‘Checkmate’
Boisterous crowds, fan chants, sing-alongs and clapping are back – and so were the concertgoers who filled the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium Sunday night as girl group Itzy took the stage to make up for the lost time through its first world tour “Checkmate” in Seoul. Sunday’s concert was a jam-packed two-hour event. The five members performed 20 songs and prepared five encore performances to bring joy to their fans. The set list was composed of the K-pop act’s bi
K-pop Aug. 8, 2022
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Choi Yena brings summertime magic to beat the heat with ‘Smartphone’
Out with the old, in with the new, Choi Yena welcomed the hottest season of the year with her improvement-themed second EP, “Smartphone,” released Wednesday evening. This marks the soloist‘s return, nearly seven months since she released her first EP, “Smiley,” in January. During Wednesday’s press conference, Choi said the theme of her new album is “upgrading.” The singer said she is back with new songs that have improved in sound, reflecting
K-pop Aug. 3, 2022
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Girls’ Generation, Blackpink and Twice: K-pop A-listers gear up for summer
As a slew of big-name K-pop artists are set to return with bops for the sweltering summer, with major girl groups among those vying to make their way into summer playlists. On the star-studded roster is Girls’ Generation, one of the longest-running K-pop girl groups, making its long-awaited full-group comeback to celebrate its 15th anniversary. After rumors that the K-pop icons were returning with new songs, the band’s agency SM Entertainment confirmed that the band would drop i
K-pop Aug. 3, 2022
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Trendy rapper Zico returns with 4th EP ‘Grown Ass Kid’
The season of upbeat music has arrived, and rappers are known to save their strongest material for summer, Zico made his grand return with his 4th EP, “Grown Ass Kid,” released Wednesday evening. This marks the solo artist‘s return nearly two years since he last released his “Random Box” in July 2020. It’s also his first material after officially being discharged from his mandatory military service in April this year. Zico dropped “Grown Ass Kid&rdq
K-pop Aug. 1, 2022
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