ChoA to leave K-pop girl group AOA By Lee Han-soo ChoA, the main vocalist of K-pop girl group AOA, will leave the band, she announced on Thursday.ChoA said in a long letter on Instagram that she has been suffering long-term depression and insomnia and that medication had not helped."I've tried to treat my insomnia and depression by taking medication and reducing my schedule for two years,” she said.“However, it came to a point where I had to cease all activities, as the problem wasn't due to fatigue."After talking it over with my agency I plan to leave AOA effective immediately and cheer on my fellow members as a fan."However, AOA’s managing company, FNC Entertainment, did not confirm ChoA’s announcement."ChoA’s departure is still being discussed and has not been decided yet,” a company official said. “We plan to reach a decision after thorough talks with her.”Following ChoA’s announcement, rumors spread that she was leaving to get married.Then Sports Seoul reported on Friday that she recently went on took a romantic trip to Japan with Lee Suk-jin, aJun 23, 2017
BLACKPINK reveals digital single before Japanese showcase Members of K-pop girl band BLACKPINK, from left, Rose, Lisa, Jennie and Jisoo, talk during the round interview with press at YG Showroom in Mapo, Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of YG EntertainmentBy Kim Jae-heunK-pop girl group BLACKPINK returned with the new digital single “As If It’s Your Last,” Thursday, mixing the genres of house, reggae and moombahton music.YG Entertainment’s BLACKPINK has been pursuing hip-hop and dance music _ genres that are popular among YG musicians _ in its previous singles produced by renowned YG producer Teddy.The girl group said they wanted to celebrate the summer and claimed “As If It’s Your Last” is perfectly suited to the season as it would help listeners cool down from the hot weather with its bright and cheerful tune.“The music we pursue in our new single may not be familiar to the public, but we are not strangers to it,” Jennie said during a press conference at YG’s cultural space in Mapo-gu, western Seoul.“We tried out various genres when we were trainees. We hope people like our new Jun 22, 2017
Vinyl-pressing plant breathes new life into recording industry Machang Music & Pictures’ marketing manager Yong Lee holds vinyl record of Common Ground’s fourth album “Dance Republica,” manufactured at the company’s vinyl pressing plant in Seongsu, eastern Seoul. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Kwon Mee-yooIn the era when G-Dragon's new thumb drive album causes a dispute over what defines a music album, there are people who return to an antiquated and cumbersome format of music appreciation ― vinyl records.The resurgence of vinyl is visible all across the globe, emerging from the late 2000s. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, 5 million vinyl records were sold in 2008, but the number jumped 600 percent to 32 million in 2015.Machang Music & Pictures opened a brand-new vinyl record-pressing plant in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul, earlier this month, signaling the resurrection of the vinyl records industry in Korea.Vinyl records enjoyed their golden age in the 1970s and '80s, but the music industry was reorganized centering on digital mediums such as CDs and music fJun 22, 2017
9Muses returns as 4-member act 9Muses / Courtesy of Star Empire EntertainmentBy Kim Jae-heunK-pop girl band 9Muses by Star Empire Entertainment returns as a four-member act, releasing a new mini-album “Muses Diary Part.2: Identity” two years after the group’s previous album “Lost.”Originally formed with nine members, the girl group had five members when it lost Sungah last year, who hopes to focus on her individual activities as a DJ.“Sungah wanted to study music and pursue her DJ career for a while and we thought it would be hard for her to join our return this time,” band member Hyemi said during a press conference at YES24 MUV Hall in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Monday.Hyemi is the group’s only remaining original member.“I also had a hard time deciding whether to continue in this band or not as my contract term was coming to an end,” Hyemi said. “However, I spent all my adult life with 9Muses and I could not imagine myself leaving the group. I wanted to prove 9Muses is not dead and we are still alive.”For this reason, 9Muses had a long talk to define tJun 21, 2017
PyeongChang Music Festival to feature Russian masters Poster of PyeongChang Music Festival & School / Courtesy of the festivalBy Yun Suh-youngThe 14th annual PyeongChang Music Festival & School, July 18 to Aug. 8, will focus on Russian music as the festival's fifth and last in the series of geographically oriented themes. The summer festival will be the last music festival to be held before the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February, as the International Olympic Committee suspended the winter music festival in preparation for the Olympics.So far, the music festival has covered various regions for their themed performance series such as northern Europe, southern Europe (Italy and Spain), France, Germany and Austria. Dubbed the "Great Russian Masters _ Song of the Volga River," this year's summer music festival will feature music by legendary Russian composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich.“This year we will be spotlighting music from Russia which has produced some of the world’s greatest musicians over the past 150 years,” artistic director Chung Myung-wha said during a pressJun 21, 2017
USB release - album or not? Rapper G-Dragon’s new solo album “Kwon Ji Yong” is released in a thumb drive on June 8. / Courtesy of YG EntertainmentG-Dragon’s memory stick format triggers disputeBy Kim Jae-heunK-pop icon G-Dragon’s new music released on a thumb drive is causing a dispute — whether to accept it as a real album or not.The popular idol group BIGBANG’s rapper released his first solo work in four years, introducing his new album “Kwon Ji Yong” that contains five new tracks including the title song “Untitled, 2014” on June 8.G-Dragon, who always seeks originality and innovative approaches in music and fashion, avoided recording his music on a disc in favor of a memory stick.Gaon Music Chart, a weekly music chart sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, denied to approve it as an official album.According to Gaon Music Chart, G-Dragon’s memory stick does not contain any music files and it only connects to YG Entertainment’s website where people can download music after inserting a serial number.Last year, the cJun 20, 2017
Ariana Grande to hold Seoul concert Aug. 15 By Yun Suh-young Ariana GrandePop star Ariana Grande will hold her first concert in Seoul on Aug. 15, at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, southwestern Seoul.The concert will be part of Hyundai Card's culture project, aimed at introducing a variety of cultural icons. The musical project has previously invited popular musicians such as John Mayer, Beck and Coldplay."Equipped with great vocal and performance skills, Ariana Grande is an artist so many Korean fans have been waiting for," a Hyundai Card official said through a press release."This will be an opportunity for Korean fans to check out for themselves the true character of Ariana Grande. She is a brave artist who performed a repeat concert after the terrorism in Manchester."Despite the attack during her concert in Manchester on May 22, which killed 22 concertgoers, Grande returned to the same location to hold a benefit concert on June 4. She also visited the hospital where a young girl was hospitalized by the attack.Ariana Grande debuted in 2008 in the musical "13" on Broadway. In 2013, her single "The Way" was ranked ninthJun 20, 2017
NCT 127's return grabs global attention NCT 127 members perform to their title track “Cherry Bomb” during the press conference at YES24 LiveHall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, last Friday. / Courtesy of S.M. EntertainmentBy Kim Jae-heunNCT 127, the Korean boy band NCT’s Seoul-based sub-unit group, is receiving big global attention with its third mini-album “Cherry Bomb” released last Wednesday.The latest album’s title track of the of same name topped the popular Chinese music chart Xiami Music on Friday and Saturday while renowned Chinese media like People’s Daily, China Youth and United Daily News reported NCT 127’ comeback as their main entertainment news.The band also became the No. 1 real-time search word on China’s Internet portals, such as Tencent and Sohu TV.American music cable channel FUSE TV introduced NCT 127’s “Cherry Bomb” describing it as edgy and explosive. The cable TV channel further described their new title as the most sophisticated track by the group so far.Early last week, NCT 127’s third album topped iTunes Album ChJun 19, 2017
Singer makes successful comeback with new album Singer Hwang Chi-yeul poses during an interview at a cafe in Gangnam, Seoul, last Friday. Hwang released the new album “Be Ordinary” 10 years after his 2007 debut album. / Courtesy of HOW EntertainmentHwang Chi-yeul sweeps charts with new songsBy Kim Jae-heunSinger Hwang Chi-yeul’s first mini-album “Be Ordinary” topped iTunes Album Chart in Malaysia and Singapore, Wednesday, kicking off a successful start not only in Korea, but also on the global scene.Hwang’s new album is currently ranked second on the iTunes Album Chart in Hong Kong and Taiwan and third in Macao.Hwang released his first mini-album in Korea 10 years since he came out with his debut album in 2007. However, the singer was forced on a long hiatus when his agency closed down due to financial difficulties.In March 2015, Hwang appeared in a music show “I Can See Your Voice” on cable TV channel Mnet, which became a turning point in his life. The episode shed new light on his musical career and Hwang instantly rose to stardom to star in mainstream TV shows.In the sJun 16, 2017
Seodaemun-gu hosts music festival June 17-18, 21 By Yun Suh-youngThe French Embassy is sponsoring a street music festival in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, this weekend and on June 21.The “Fete de la Musique,” which is an annual street music festival in France, will take place in the streets of Sinchon and Chungjeongno. Previously, the festival was held annually on a smaller scale in Seorae Village, a French community in Bangbae-dong, southern Seoul. In France, the festival is held every year on June 21, the longest day of the year. It started in 1982.The festival is free and features musicians ranging from amateurs to professionals. It is open to all genres of music. The festival was created to commemorate music in general, regardless of type and style. Last year, the music festival was held simultaneously in 120 countries around the globe.This weekend, the festival will be held in the streets of Sinchon near Yonsei University, from noon to 8 p.m. On June 21, the festival will be held in Chungjeongno starting at 7 p.m.In Sinchon, the streets will be decorated with the French flag, and a variety of French artworks, foods and musiJun 16, 2017
