INTERVIEW ONEUS takes ambitious steps to become next big K-pop star K-pop boy group ONEUS / Courtesy of RBWONEUS hints at upcoming US tourBy Dong Sun-hwaTo date, many K-pop acts have woven elements of Korean traditional culture into their music and performances, putting a fresh spin on their songs while promoting the country's time-honored cultural assets.Most of them, however, gave it a shot only once or twice ― presumably due to the difficulty of fusing the old and new ― but boy group ONEUS is an exception. Since generating a buzz with the 2019 release “LIT,” characterized by the unique sound of Korean traditional music, the five-piece act has consistently been putting a traditional twist into its music offerings, carving out its own niche in the cutthroat K-pop industry.For the performance of “Luna” (2021), one of its best-known hits featuring the sound of the “gayageum” ― a 12-string Korean zither ― ONEUS members don hanbok and perform “talchum,” a traditional Korean mask dance. The song's lyrics are also written in the form of “sijo,” a Korean poetic form that is known to have emerged iDec 22, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
TWICE to return with new English single next month K-pop girl group TWICE / Courtesy of JYP EntertainmentK-pop girl group TWICE will release a new English-language single in January and its 12th EP two months later, the group's agency said Wednesday.The band also tweeted a teaser image showing the schedules for the upcoming releases, with text apparently indicating the English song will come out Jan. 4.Figure 1K-pop girl group TWICE / Courtesy of JYP EntertainmentDetails of the new releases, including the name of the song and the album, have not been given.The nine-piece group was one of the most-streamed K-pop artists of the year on Spotify, the world's largest music streaming platform, across the globe, along with BTS, BLACKPINK, Stray Kids and Seventeen, according to the list announced by the service early this month. In the United States, TWICE was the most-streamed K-pop girl group of the year on Spotify, with its songs streamed 289.41 million times as of Dec. 15, according to JYP Entertainment. Globally, they have been streamed over 5.5 billion times."Between 12," the group's latest release and its 11th EP, came out Aug. 26, whDec 21, 2022
CGV to premier BTS concert film worldwide in Feb. The poster of K-pop band BTS' live concert movie "BTS Yet to Come in Cinemas" is seen in this photo provided by the film distributor CJ CGV. YonhapK-pop sensation BTS' live concert movie will be available on big screens globally in February, film distributor CJ CGV said Tuesday."BTS: Yet To Come in Cinemas" captures the best moments from the band's free concert titled "Yet to Come" held in the southern port city of Busan on Oct. 15 to support the city's bid to host the 2030 World Expo, the multiplex cinema chain said. Fans across the globe gathered at Busan Asiad Main Stadium to see the septet's first major concert on its home turf since the COVID-19 pandemic began and the last performance with a full lineup. Jin, its oldest member, began his mandatory military service last week. CGV said its filming crew used 14 specialized cameras to get various shots of the members in order to produce quality versions for premium theaters, including 4DX, ScreenX and 4DX Screen with advanced audio systems. The 103-minute movie will hit CGV theaters in 110 nations and territories Feb. 1. (Yonhap)Dec 20, 2022
Military service no longer seen as end of K-pop star's career Members of K-pop titan BTS pose with Jin, center, before he enters boot camp at Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, to start his mandatory military service, Dec. 13. Captured from BTS' TwitterSNS, military musicals become tools for stars to communicate with fans during military serviceBy Dong Sun-hwaWill K-pop titan BTS be able to continue its winning streak?With the group's oldest member Jin, 30, starting his compulsory military service on Dec. 13, the first BTS member to do so, many people now wonder how his temporary absence ― as well as the enlistment of other members over the next few years ― will affect the Grammy-nominated group's future prospects.Under Korean law, all able-bodied men should join the armed forces and serve for about 18 months. International award-winning classical musicians and athletes are exempted from service for “elevating the national prestige,” but there is no exemption for K-pop singers.In the past, many stars felt they might be forgotten if they stayed out of the public eye for too long due to their military service. Therefore, some of them even Dec 19, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
BTS medal, stamp to be released to mark 10th anniversary of debut A commemorative medal to mark K-pop juggernaut BTS' 10th year since its debut for 2023, is on display at the flagship store of the Korea Minting, Security Printing and ID Card Operating Corp. in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Friday. Yonhap By Kim RahnA commemorative medal and a postage stamp for K-pop giant BTS will be issued in the first half of 2023, according to the Korea Minting, Security Printing and ID Card Operating Corp. (Komsco) and Korea Post, respectively. On Friday, Komsco showcased a medal celebrating the boy band's 10th anniversary since its debut next year.On one side of the medal are inscribed the group's and members' names as well as the logo of BTS. On the other side are the number 10 and star-like patterns.The medal has been made into three versions in gold and one version in silver. Only a limited number of the 87,777 pieces will be sold across the world. Reservations for purchase will be made on a first-come-first-served basis until Dec. 25 on Komsco's onlineDec 16, 2022By Kim Rahn
BTS' J-Hope to perform on ABC's New Year's Eve special show A photo of BTS member J-Hope for his first solo album, "Jack in the Box." Courtesy of Big Hit MusicJ-Hope of K-pop sensation BTS will perform on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," an annual New Year's Eve special show by ABC TV, its entertainment agency Big Hit Music said Friday.He will sing three songs, his solo "= (Equal Sign)" (2022), "Chicken Noodle Soup" (2019) and a holiday remix of BTS' mega-hit "Butter" (2021), on a stage in New York City's Times Square on Dec. 31, the agency said on BTS' official Twitter page.Korean boy band BTS member J-Hope attends the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) 2022 in Osaka, Japan Nov. 30. Reuters-YonhapIn July, J-Hope dropped his first solo album, "Jack in the Box," and took the main stage of the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago.BTS previously appeared in the famous annual show in 2017 and 2019, and sent New Year's video greetings in 2020. (Yonhap)Dec 16, 2022
NewJeans wins grand prize at AAA four months after debut The members of K-pop girl group NewJeans pose after winning a grand prize at the 2022 Asia Artist Awards (AAA) in Nagoya, Japan, Tuesday. Courtesy of ADORBy Dong Sun-hwaK-pop girl group NewJeans has won big at the 2022 Asia Artist Awards (AAA), only four months after making its official debut. The five-piece act, consisting of Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein, received one of the six grand prizes ― Performance of the Year ― and the Rookie of the Year award during the awards ceremony that took place at Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan, Tuesday. Five other grand prizes went to K-pop boy bands Seventeen and Stray Kids, girl group IVE, trot singer Lim Young-woong and singer-actor Lee Jun-ho. “We were happy and honored just to be able to perform at the 2022 AAA, but now we are so thankful to notch a grand prize in addition to the Rookie of the Year award,” NewJeans said in an acceptance speech. “We will showcase more fresh performances in the days ahead, so please give us support.”This is the third time that NewJeans has won a Rookie of the Year award, fDec 14, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
BTS' Suga to fulfill military service as social service agent BTS member Suga arrives at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, to board a flight to Las Vegas where the group will attend the 64th Grammy Awards and hold four live concerts, March 28. NewsisSuga of K-pop sensation BTS will carry out his military service as a social service agent, military and music industry sources said Tuesday.They said the 29-year-old rapper was assigned to be a social service agent instead of an active-duty soldier. But details, including when his enlistment will be, remain unknown.Suga, born in 1993, had his service deferred until the end of next year under a revised law that allows "those who excel in popular culture and art" to postpone their service until the age of 30.In Korea, all able-bodied men are obliged to serve between 18 and 21 months in the military.Big Hit Music, the band's agency, refused to confirm the news. Suga of K-pop sensation BTS receives a plaque of appointment from Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in Seoul, July 19. Newsis"(Members) will be enlisting in the military in order according to their individual plansDec 13, 2022
Ex-April member Lee Jin-sol goes solo after ostracism scandal Lee Jin-sol, former member of now-disbanded K-pop girl group April / Courtesy of STORY & PLUS By Dong Sun-hwaLee Jin-sol, former member of now-defunct K-pop girl group April, is going solo with her new song, “Let me out.” This is the 21-year-old's first solo track since she debuted as part of April in 2015. Lee has mostly been out of the public eye since March, after April's members were accused of ostracizing Lee Hyun-joo ― who left the group in 2016 ― when they were bandmates. The ostracism allegations were first raised by Hyun-joo's younger brother, who posted accusations online, insisting that April's members forced his sister to quit the group. The other members and their management company, DSP Media, denied the allegations. However, only a few months after the scandal erupted, dealing a critical blow to April's image and reputation, DSP announced the group is disbanding.Lee Jin-sol also terminated her contract with DSP and joined a new agency, STORY & PLUS, iDec 12, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
Loona to return next month as 11-member group without Chuu K-pop girl group Loona will return with a new release on Jan. 3, 2023 without Chuu. Courtesy of Block Berry CreativeK-pop girl group Loona will drop a new album next month for the first time as an 11-member group following the expulsion of Chuu, its agency said Monday.The album set to hit music services on Jan. 3 will mark the first release from the group since "Flip That" in June.Last month, Block Berry Creative announced that Chuu, whose real Korean name is Kim Ji-woo, will be expelled from the 12-piece band for alleged verbal abuse against staff.But the expulsion triggered a controversy as a spate of staff members and industry insiders who worked with her took to online communities to defend her.Chuu has also practically denied the allegation, saying she has done nothing to feel ashamed of. (Yonhap)Dec 12, 2022
![[INTERVIEW] ONEUS takes ambitious steps to become next big K-pop star](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)