Documentaries on K-pop artists become increasingly popular K-pop girl group Mamamoo's documentary series “MMM_Where Are We Now,” released on Wavve, Friday / Courtesy of WavveBy Lee Gyu-leeDocumentaries on K-pop stars have been soaring in popularity, offering fans a glimpse of their personal and behind-the-scenes stories.Homegrown streaming platform Wavve released its original documentary starring four-member girl group Mamamoo, “MMM_Where Are We Now,” Friday.The four-part docuseries follows the seven years of the group's career since debuting in 2014 with the single “Don't Be Happy.”The group members ― Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa ― go on their dream trip together and share their personal accounts of the group's rise to global stardom from being an underdog K-pop group. Singers like Lee Hyo-ri and Baek Ji-young also make appearances to offer the perspective of fellow K-pop artists who have witnessed their success from the sidelines. “The documentary, shedding light on Mamamoo's incredible journey to success, will deliver a message of hope and empathy to the young adults of today,” the strMar 25, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
NCT 127 to hold concerts in Japan By Dong Sun-hwaA poster for NCT's world tour, “NEO CITY ― THE LINK” / Courtesy of SM EntertainmentK-pop act NCT 127 is set to perform five concerts in three Japanese cities ― Nagoya (May 22), Tokyo (May 28-29) and Osaka (June 25-26) ― its record label, SM Entertainment, said, Thursday.It will be the group's first “dome tour” in Japan, in which it performs in dome-covered stadiums that can accommodate massive crowds. The concerts are also part of NCT 127's “NEO CITY ― THE LINK” world tour, which kicked off at Gocheock Sky Dome in Seoul in December. After performing in Japan, NCT 127 will play concerts in different cities across the globe, although the exact dates and locations have been kept under wraps. “In Japan, NCT 127 will mesmerize fans with its music and performances,” SM said in a statement. NCT 127, a sub-unit of the 23-member K-pop boy band, NCT, debuted in 2016 with the EP, "NCT #127," and has put out a series of hits such as, "Kick It" (2020). The group's third studio album, "Sticker" (2021), and its repackaged version, "FavoMar 24, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
BTS' J-Hope tests positive for COVID-19 J-Hope / YonhapJ-Hope of K-pop supergroup BTS has become the sixth member of the band to test positive for COVID-19, according to its agency, Thursday.The 28-year-old singer, whose real name is Jung Ho-seok, visited a hospital to take a coronavirus test Wednesday after experiencing a sore throat, which returned a positive result, the group's agency Big Hit Music said on Weverse.He has completed two rounds of vaccinations and received a booster shot, according to the agency."J-Hope has isolated and treated himself at home, and has no symptoms other than a sore throat," it said, adding he will join the group activities planned for next month after completing the at-home treatment.He is the sixth member of the septet to test positive for COVID-19. Starting with Suga in December, RM, Jin, Jimin and V were confirmed to have been infected and then recovered. Jungkook is the only BTS member who has not tested positive.The band is soon set to leave for Las Vegas, where it will hold four live concerts.In the U.S. city, the group will attend the 64th Grammy Awards on April 3 and hold concerts Mar 24, 2022
TXT becomes 1st K-pop boy band to be on Billboard's Song Breaker chart K-pop boy group Tomorrow X Together (TXT) / Courtesy of Big Hit MusicBy Dong Sun-hwaTomorrow X Together (TXT) has become the first K-pop boy group to make it onto the Billboard's Song Breaker chart.TXT, consisting of Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and HueningKai, secured the No. 18 spot on the chart, according to Billboard, Wednesday. The Song Breaker chart ranks content creators who amplify music and music-based trends in the digital space. The first K-pop act that got on the chart was TWICE, last year. “Thanks to sincere lyrics and trendy melodies of its songs, TXT has often been voted the K-pop group that best speaks for Generation Z,” the quintet's management company, Big Hit Music, said in a statement. “The group has been actively interacting with its global fans on various social media platforms like TikTok.”Recently, a dance challenge for “PS5,” the 2021 collaborative single by two TXT members ― Yeonjun and Taehyun ― and pop star Salem Ilese, has taken TikTok by storm. As of Wednesday, TXT has garnered 16 million followers on the platformMar 23, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
Cravity brings refreshing vibe on new song 'Adrenaline' Members of K-pop boy group Cravity pose during an online media event, Tuesday. Courtesy of Starship EntertainmentBy Dong Sun-hwaCravity is one of the K-pop acts that were hit hardest by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Starship Entertainment group was slated to drop its new album, “LIBERTY: IN OUR COSMOS,” on Feb. 22, but it pushed the date back to March 22 after all nine members ― Serim, Allen, Jungmo, Woobin, Wonjin, Minhee, Hyeongjun, Taeyoung and Seongmin ― tested positive for COVID-19. But the postponement did not frustrate them, the members say. “It would have been better if we had released our album last month according to our initial plan, but all of us tried to think in positive ways,” Woobin said during an online press conference, Tuesday. “Thanks to the delay, we were given more time to hone our skills and reorganize ourselves. Since the goal of our release was to display our musical growth, we tried not to be too hasty.”Serim elaborated, “I had a sore throat, but all other symptoms were mild. Many people around us, including ourMar 23, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
BTS wins two prizes at iHeartRadio Music Awards Korean boy group BTS / Courtesy of Bighit MusicKorean boy group BTS has taken home two prizes from the iHeartRadio Music Awards, one of the American music industry's award shows. The septet won best music video for its 2021 megahit single "Butter" and best fan army for its international fandom ARMY during the awards ceremony held in Los Angeles on Tuesday (U.S. time).It marks the third consecutive year for the group to win in the best music video category, following 2020 for "Boy With Luv" and 2021 for "Dynamite."The honor for the best fandom went to BTS' ARMY for the fifth year in a row."Your love and support brought us the awards, and it means everything to us that we have ARMY," the group said in an acceptance speech via video link. "We have always been together, and ARMY, you're always amazing. You are the best. Thank you."BTS was also nominated for best duo or group of the year, but the honor went to Silk Sonic, the super duo made up of pop star Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak.Founded by U.S. online radio broadcaster iHeartRadio in 2014, the iHeartRadio Music Awards has been held Mar 23, 2022
Red Velvet wants to be 'queen of all seasons,' not just 'summer queen' Members of K-pop girl group Red Velvet pose during a press event in Seoul, March 21. Courtesy of SM EntertainmentRed Velvet, known as "summer queen" in the music scene for its refreshing summery hit songs like "Red Flavor," said Monday it would like to be the queen of all seasons as it is set to drop the first installment of this year's new album series in the evening."The ReVe Festival 2022 ― Feel My Rhythm," set to come out at 6 p.m., is the first release from the group in seven months since the last EP titled "Queendom" released in August.The upcoming EP also is the first of "The ReVe Festival 2022" series and Red Velet plans to release more albums of the series this year under the theme of "imaginary trip," according to the group.In 2019, the five-member band had many hit songs such as "Zimzalabim," "Umpah Umpah" and "Psycho" when it released albums under a series with the same "ReVe Festival" title. Leading the new album is the title track "Feel My Rhythm," a pop dance song that combines delicate and elegant string melodies and intense trap beats. "We chose it as the main track,Mar 21, 2022
Seven labels under Hybe to hold first joint audition in US The company logo of Hybe, the K-pop powerhouse behind BTS / Courtesy of Hybe Seven music labels under the wing of Hybe, home of K-pop groups such as BTS and Seventeen, will hold their first-ever joint audition in the United States next month, the company said Monday.The Hybe Multi-label Audition will take place four times in Las Vegas, April 8 and 9, and 15 and 16 (local time), Hybe said.The company has multiple subsidiaries, including Big Hit Music, which manages BTS, Source Music, Pledis Entertainment, Belift Lab and KOZ Entertainment, collectively known as Hybe Labels. It will be the first joint audition by the seven labels.Hybe expects global talents, including those in North America, to actively participate in the audition.Anyone aged 11 to 19 can apply regardless of gender in three categories ― vocal, rap and dance, according to the company.In Las Vegas, BTS is scheduled to attend the 64th Grammy Awards on April 3 and perform four live concerts at Allegiant StMar 21, 2022
K-pop seeks collaborations with liquor industry Singer and producer Jay Park unveils Won Soju, the first alcoholic beverage launched by his company, Won Spirits, at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeongdeungpo District, Feb. 25. Courtesy of Hyundai Department Store By Park Han-solAs the K-pop industry seeks to expand beyond the realm of music and popular media content, some labels and artists have found the answer by forming new collaborations with the alcohol sector.While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to the hospitality industry in general, the liquor sector has been seeking a breakthrough, as it began shifting its focus to the increasing number of stay-at-home drinkers and small house parties.Collaborations between these alcoholic beverages and popular K-pop artists with worldwide followings have turned out to be win-win situations in several cases, in terms of launching viral marketing and developing a new revenue stream.One such product is Won Soju, a premium distilled alcohol made from Korean ricMar 20, 2022By Park Han-sol
Henry Lau apologizes after anti-bullying ambassador appointment irks some Korean fans Singer Henry Lau poses at Mapo Police Station, Seoul, March 15, after being appointed as the honorary ambassador for the anti-school bullying campaign. Courtesy of Mapo Police Station By Lee Gyu-leeCanadian singer Henry Lau has apologized after the news of him becoming the Mapo Police's anti-bullying ambassador stirs controversy among some Koreans, who claim he is an inappropriate choice because he allegedly showed support for China's cultural appropriation of Korea's heritage.“I'm sorry if I did anything wrong and I apologize for the actions I did wrong and the words I said wrong,” the singer wrote on social media, Saturday. “I just wanted to give joy, emotions and smiles to people through music, performances and TV shows.” Adding that he missed Korean fans, he said that the controversy is due to his ethnic Chinese background. “What hurts me the most is that people are not uncomfortable with something that I said or did, but it is because of my blood,” he said. “AlMar 20, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
