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
BTS' 'On' video passes 300 million YouTube views BTS / AP-Yonhap The music video for K-pop superband BTS' "On" has passed 300 million views on YouTube, its management agency said Saturday. The video for the lead track on its fourth full-length album "Map of the Soul:7" released in February 2020 reached the milestone at around 4 p.m. Friday, Big Hit Music said.It became the seven-member group's 19th music video to hit 300 million YouTube views.BTS has a total of 36 music videos with more than 100 million views on the global music sharing site, with "Boy with Luv," "DNA" and "Dynamite" each topping 1.4 billion hits. (Yonhap)Mar 19, 2022
'Oddinary:' Stray Kids sing about being weird and unique Members of K-pop act Stray Kids pose during an online media event, Friday. Courtesy of JYP EntertainmentBy Dong Sun-hwaFounded in 1997, K-pop powerhouse JYP Entertainment is home to a slew of superstars, but among them, Stray Kids is the first act to sell more than a million copies of an album. The group pulled off the feat in 2021 with its second studio album, “NOEASY.” Numerous factors ― such as the close-knit chemistry of the members ― seem to have driven the success of the octet, but one of its biggest weapons is that its members are capable of writing their own songs that highlight the group's uniqueness. Bang Chan, Changbin and Han, who are collectively called, “3RACHA,” have been composing tracks for their group since its debut in 2017, giving birth to a series of hits like “God's Menu” (2020) and “Thunderous” (2021). This time, the trio has joined forces again to bring “Maniac” ― the lead single off Stray Kids' new EP, “Oddinary” ― to life. “Oddinary” is a combination of the two words, “Mar 18, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
K-pop-inspired Hollywood creations increasing 4★TOWN, the fictional boy band in the movie “Turning Red” / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company KoreaBy Dong Sun-hwaAs K-pop revs up its global presence, a growing number of creators in Hollywood are climbing on the bandwagon to produce more K-pop-inspired content. The popular Disney-Pixar film “Turning Red,” which hit streaming platform Disney+ on March 11, features a five-member boy band inspired by K-pop acts like BIGBANG and 2PM. “4★TOWN,” the fictional group in the movie, also includes a Korean member named Taeyoung.“4★TOWN is based on the groups like BIGBANG and 2PM that I loved when I was a student,” director Domee Shi said. “Turning Red” is a coming-of-age movie revolving around Chinese Canadian girl Meilin Mei Lee, who becomes a giant red panda whenever she gets too excited. According to streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol, “Turning Red” has been dominating Disney+'s daily top 10 rankings in numerous countries, including Korea and the U.S., since its premiere. Sony Pictures Animation is also planning to prodMar 18, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
EXO to mark 10th anniversary with fan meeting K-pop boy band EXO / Courtesy of SM EntertainmentK-pop boy band EXO will celebrate its 10th anniversary with an in-person fan meeting in Seoul next month, the group's agency said Thursday.The "2022 Debut Anniversary Fan Event: EXO" will take place at Jamsil Gymnasium in southern Seoul at 7 p.m., April 9, SM Entertainment said in a release.The event will also be streamed live on Beyond Live for the group's fans outside the country.Members Suho, Xiumin, D.O, Kai and Sehun will take part in the fan event, performing the group's hit songs, playing games and having a talk session with fans, according to the agency.The nine-piece group debuted on April 8, 2021, and has been standing at the forefront of the global K-pop boom with hit singles, such as "Growl" and "Call Me Baby."Its special album "Don't Fight the Feeling," which was released last June, has sold more than 1 million copies, becoming the sixth million-selling album by the group. (Yonhap)Mar 17, 2022
