K-pop artists postpone music releases, debuts amid Omicron surge Eight of the nine members of boy group Cravity tested positive for COVID-19. Courtesy of Starship Entertainment By Lee Gyu-leeA number of K-pop groups are postponing their scheduled activities as the current wave of COVID-19 infections is rocking the music industry. More than 30 artists have been confirmed to be infected with the virus, and the country is struggling to contain the high transmissible spread of the Omicron variant. Korea saw yet a new daily record, with the number of COVID-19 cases surpassing 93,000 on Wednesday.The rookie group, TEMPEST, which was slated to make its debut next Monday, has pushed back the release of its debut album, “It's ME, It's WE,” to next month after all of its seven members tested positive for the virus.“One of the staff reported getting infected, so we got the members tested and heard back that the results were positive,” the group's agency Yuehua Entertainment said in the statement, adding that the members had each received twFeb 17, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee
To bow, or not to bow: Should Chinese K-pop stars adhere to Korean culture? Ningning of K-pop girl group aespa / Courtesy of SM EntertainmentBy Dong Sun-hwaAnti-China sentiment triggered by recent Olympic controversies has spilled over to the K-pop scene, with internet users from Korea and China fiercely quarreling over whether Chinese K-pop stars should bow like Koreans even though both cultures have different customs.The heated debate started a few days after Korean short tracker Hwang Dae-heon was disqualified from the men's 1,000m semifinals during the Beijing Olympics, Feb. 7, despite finishing first. In the wake of his disqualification ― which most Koreans believe was due to unfair officiating ― two Chinese skaters advanced to the final and ended up winning gold and silver, respectively. The incident has prompted an online war between Korean and Chinese people, with the former insisting that the host country's athletes were given home advantage. As the war of words continued, some Koreans switched their target to Ningning, a Chinese member of the K-pop girl group aespa, who celebrated the Chinese team's success after it clinched its first gold medal inFeb 17, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
MSG Wannabe M.O.M to drop new single, Feb. 26 Members of MSG Wannabe M.O.M / Courtesy of MSG Wannabe M.O.MBy Dong Sun-hwaMSG Wannabe M.O.M, a project group formed on the MBC reality show “Hangout with Yoo,” is slated to put out a new digital single, “Would You Want to Hear,” Feb. 26. It took about eight months for the four-member act to come up with a new song since the release of “Foolish Love” last June. Songwriters Park Geun-tae and Kim Do-hoon, who composed “Foolish Love,” have again teamed up with the group to drop “Would You Want to Hear,” a moombahton-flavored track that has a different vibe from “Foolish Love.” MSG Wannabe M.O.M, consisting of comedian Ji Suk-jin (Byuloo-G) and singers KCM (Kang Chang-mo), Wonstein and Parc Jae-jung, took the music scene by storm last year with “Foolish Love,” topping the major Korean music streaming charts on Melon, Genie and Bugs. MSG Wannabe, which is made up of two sub-units M.O.M and JDSK, was created by comedian Yoo Jae-suk, the host of “Hangout with Yoo,” who aimed to launch an all-maleFeb 17, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
BTS to hold first live concerts in Seoul in over 2 years next month BTS / Courtesy of Big Hit Music K-pop supergroup BTS will hold its first live concerts in Seoul in about two-and-a-half years next month, the group's management agency said Wednesday.Three concerts, under the title "BTS Permission To Dance On Stage ― Seoul," will be held on March 10, 12 and 13, at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium in southern Seoul, Big Hit Music said in a statement on Weverse.This will be the septet's first in-person concerts in Seoul since its world tour performance in October 2019.The first and the last shows will be streamed live online while the second one will become available for "live viewing" at movie theaters around the world, according to the agency. (Yonhap)Feb 16, 2022
TREASURE takes next step in musical journey with 'JIKJIN' Members of K-pop boy group TREAUSRE pose during an online press event, Tuesday. Courtesy of YG EntertainmentBy Dong Sun-hwaThe K-pop business has taken a big hit following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the hardest hit were rookie singers, who could hardly meet their fans face-to-face and perform live concerts. But groups like TREASURE didn't just sit on their hands. The 12-piece act, which burst onto the K-pop scene in 2020, has continued to put out new releases and honed its skills to seek musical maturity while waiting for the pandemic to end. And the group's growth is highly visible in its new EP, “THE SECOND STEP : CHAPTER ONE,” that will come out on Tuesday afternoon.“'THE SECOND STEP : CHAPTER ONE' will be a stepping stone for us to take a further leap,” member Jihoon said during an online press conference on Tuesday morning. “As we worked on different albums, we came to discover the styles we prefer and became even more serious with our music and performance. This time, we will strive to show our unique color, especially through theFeb 15, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
Taeyeon explores different forms of love in new release, 'INVU' By Dong Sun-hwaGirls' Generation member Taeyeon poses during an online press conference, Monday. Courtesy of SM EntertainmentLove is one of the most recurring themes in music, but K-pop diva Taeyeon has brought it to the fore in her third full-length album, “INVU,” to give listeners another chance to muse about its essence. “Love seems common, but it is still an inseparable part of our lives,” Taeyeon said during an online press conference, Monday. “It can exist in various forms, and this is what I want to highlight this time. My new songs all revolve around love, but listeners can choose which one to appreciate depending on their situations. I think they will easily find them relatable.” “INVU,” which dropped Monday afternoon, comes from the sentence, “I envy you.” It is fronted by the lead track of the same name, which is a pop dance tune with a dreamy vibe and emotional weight. “What this song says is that I envy you for receiving so much love from me and for not being as hurt as I am,” the K-pop star explaineFeb 15, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
'We put our heart and soul into our new album': Apink K-pop girl group Apink / Courtesy of IST EntertainmentBy Dong Sun-hwaFor the members of K-pop act Apink, their upcoming album, “Horn,” means more than anything. The album, which marks the 10th anniversary of the group's debut, is proof that Apink has stood the test of time in the cutthroat K-pop industry.“All of us dedicated our heart and soul to making 'Horn' and actively took part in its creative process,” Nam-joo said in an email Q&A, Monday. “We poured in a lot of time and effort, as if we were preparing for our debut.”Leader Cho-rong elaborated, “We have a lot of affection for this album and it is full of great tunes.” “Horn,” which came out Monday afternoon, is led by “Dilemma,” a dance track peppered with an addictive hook. It was produced by Black Eyed Pilseung and Jun Goon, who were behind the success of Apink's previous hits, such as “%%” (2019) and “Dumhdurum” (2020). “Our lead single revolves around a person in a quandary, who cannot decide whether to break up or not,Feb 14, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
EXO's Suho discharged from alternative military service Suho of K-pop boy group EXO / Courtesy of SM EntertainmentBy Dong Sun-hwa Suho of K-pop boy group EXO has returned to civilian life, ending his 22-month alternative military duty.The K-pop star, who had been serving as a social service worker at the Seocho District Office in Seoul, was discharged on Sunday. He started his duty in May 2020. The reason that he had to perform an alternative service has not been disclosed, but many fans speculate that his past injuries made it impossible for him to join the Army. Suho has not yet sent a message to his fans. The singer, 30, is the third EXO member to fulfill his service, following Xiumin and D.O., who were discharged in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Currently, three EXO members ― Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Chen ― are still serving their compulsory service. Suho, whose real name is Kim Jun-myeon, debuted as the leader of EXO in 2012 with the track, “MAMA.” EXO unleashed a series of hits including, “Growl” (2013) and “Call Me Baby” (2015). In 2020, Suho released his first solo EP, “Self-Portrait.” Feb 13, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
Scandal-free virtual singers carve out niche in music industry Virtual influencer Rozy / Courtesy of Sidus Studio XBy Dong Sun-hwaHuman-like features of virtual singers often evoke a sense of uneasiness in many people, but their number is growing as more companies seek to carve out a niche using their competitive edges.Rozy, the first virtual influencer in Korea devised by content creation group Sidus Studio X, is set to kick-start a new career as a singer later this month, the company said Friday. Her debut track will be produced by Jung Jae-won of indie band Vanilla Acoustic, who was behind the success of indie band BOL4's songs like, “Leo" (2020). Sidus partnered with production company MUSIC VINE for this project. Sidus breathed new life into Rozy by combining different faces preferred by Millennials and Generation Z ― better known as the MZ generation ― using artificial intelligence (AI). The virtual star was first known to the public through a TV commercial for insurance company Shinhan Life last year, which aimed to grab the attention of the MZ generation. The company's experimental attempt turned out to be a success, with the commeFeb 13, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
'We don't want to tarnish GFriend's reputation': VIVIZ From left, SinB, Eunha and Umji of K-pop trio VIVIZ pose during an online press event, Wednesday. Courtesy of Big Planet Made (BPM)By Dong Sun-hwaSix years was not long enough for members of K-pop act GFriend to fully display what they have, whether it was their musical talent or personal magnetism. Thus, the three members ― SinB, Eunha and Umji ― decided to reform as a trio named VIVIZ, after GFriend's contract with its management company Source Music terminated last year. And VIVIZ ― a short form of “VIVId dayZ” ― made its much-anticipated debut Wednesday, dropping its first EP, “Prism Beam.”“As we did not want to tarnish GFriend's reputation, we poured a lot of effort into making VIVIZ's new EP,” Umji said during an online press conference that took place a few hours before the release of “Prism Beam.” “Other GFriend members cheered us on, saying they have no worries about us. Although three of us have been part of GFfriend for many years since its debut in 2015, we still have a lot of new things to showcase. Through 'Prism BeaFeb 10, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa
