G-Dragon to release new album next month G-Dragon of boy band BIGBANG will release his first individual album in four years on June 8, his agency said Wednesday.The YG Entertainment, however, did not give any details of the upcoming album.Debuting as a BIGBANG member in 2006, the singer whose name is Gwon Ji-yong made a solo debut in 2009 with "Heartbreaker." He has since released two more albums: "One of a kind" in 2012 and "Coup d'etat" in 2013.Following the release of the new album, the singer is to begin a concert tour of 19 big cities around the world in Seoul on June 10. (Yonhap)May 31, 2017
Chu debuts as first Filipino-American K-pop soloist Kriesha Chu performs stage for the press at Ilchi Art Hall in Gangnam, Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Urban Works EntertainmentBy Kim Jae-heunKriesha Chu, runner-up in the popular TV audition series “K-Pop Star 6: The Last Chance,” has become the first Filipino-American to debut as a K-pop soloist.Chu’s first solo recording has yet to make a strong showing in music charts. But her debut as a soloist has drawn much attention because she will be a litmus test for other foreign-born performers preparing to debut in Korea. For this reason, Korean entertainment companies are keeping a close eye on Chu. “I am a foreigner, so I have to work harder and study harder,” she says. “I have to study (lyrics) in details, too. It is a tough job, but I am having fun.”Many K-pop groups have foreign-born members, but Chu is the first soloist.Earlier, many speculated that Chu would debut in a girl group with Korean members because she is not fluent enough in Korean to be a soloist. But the doubters were wrong. It took just a little over a month for May 26, 2017
BTS fans enraged over racist comments K-pop boy band BTS with the Billboard Music Awards ‘Top Social Artist’ trophy at the T-Mobile Arena in Nevada. / YonhapBy Lee Han-sooFans of BTS, a K-pop boy band also known as The Bangtan Boys, and netizens are outraged about online racist comments about the group winning a Billboard Music Award.“I don’t even know who those Asians were,” a netizen said. “I don’t want to know. I’m baffled. I didn’t understand what they said. Award shows are so trashy now.”Her quote referred to the acceptance speech delivered in English after the band won the Top Social Artist category.Another netizen quipped, “Who are these Asians with the bowl cut?”The comments were met with a wave of anger from the band’s fans, with some SNS users closing their accounts.One fan said, “The ignorance is astounding. They could have said something less derogatory, like ‘Who are BTS?’”Another added, “You became famous for being close-minded and racist. Congrats.”BTS is the first K-pop group to win the award,May 26, 2017
Radio France Philharmonic returns with Mikko Franck Music director Mikko Franck of Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra / Courtesy of SCPABy Yun Suh-youngThe Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra), one of France’s representative orchestras, will be making a return to Korea four years after its last visit with then music director Chung Myung-whun.On its first visit to Asia with new Finnish music director Mikko Franck, who took over the baton from Chung in 2015, the orchestra makes its finale performance in the country in Seoul on Thursday, following visits to Busan, Tongyeong, and Daejeon. The Seoul performance will take place at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.The program includes Sibelius' Nocturne from King Christian II Suite, Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F, Ravel's Ma Mere l'Oye Suite, and Daphnis et Chloe Suite No. 2. Pianist Son Yeol-eum will perform with the orchestra for Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F, a song which is better known as figure champion Kim Yuna's free skating song during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.Conductor Mikko Franck, 38, has been touted May 23, 2017
K-pop band SISTAR breaks up Members of SISTAR, from left, Dasom, Hyorin, Bora and Soyou pose for picture at "31st Golden Disk Award" at Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Jan. 13. / The Korea Times fileBy Kim Jae-heunPopular K-pop girl band SISTAR disbanded Tuesday, unable to overcome the jinx facing most K-pop girl groups, who struggle to last more than seven years.The four members of SISTAR _ Hyorin, Soyou, Bora and Dasom _ posted handwritten letters to their fan club homepage to confirm the breakup and express their sincere gratitude for their fans’ support and love.“We, SISTAR members, have decided to walk different paths and pursue our second careers,” Hyorin said. “We will cheer for each other’s dreams and do our best in each position to develop and return with improved skills.”Bora also wrote every moment they spend with their fans was important and happy for SISTAR. The rapper feels sad she has not done more for her fans and she stirred up many memories while writing the letter to fans.Hand-written letter by Hyorin, left, and Bora / YonhapThe girl band’s disbandment May 23, 2017
Roy Kim seeks to 'Blossom' again with new album Singer Roy Kim performs at MUV Hall in Hongdae on Tuesday to promote his latest mini-album “Blossom.” / Courtesy of FortuneBy Kim Ji-sooLooking enthusiastic, Roy Kim, 25, came onto a stage that was fully decorated with flowers — flower baskets and a chair adorned with flowers — perhaps in line with the title of his mini-album “Blossom.”The EP, his first in a year and a half, contains five songs contains five songs he wrote the music or lyrics for and "Heaven". The album’s theme is about love and relationships as seen through the eyes of Kim, five years since he emerged to win Mnet’s talent show “Superstar K4” in 2012. He had a mega-hit song, “Bom Bom Bom,” from his first album “Love Love Love” released in 2013.Image of Roy Kim's mini-album "Blossom"“Blossom” comes on the heels of the albums of fellow 25-year-old Korean singers such as IU and Hyukoh; their albums, like that of Kim, are about coming of age, of adulthood hanging over their heads like a cloud.“Twenty-five, it’s notMay 19, 2017
More EDM festivals open summer Musicians perform during the 2016 Ultra Korea Music Festival at Jamsil Olympic Stadium in southern Seoul. / Courtesy of Ultra Korea Music FestivalBy Park Jin-haiDeep into the green of spring, the season is calling you to venture beyond your mundane life.The season of music festivals has begun. Starting with Seoul Jazz Festival, various festivals in a wide range of different music genres are lined up in the coming months to give music fans the chance to let their hair down and bask in music this year.Seoul Jazz Festival, a local festival that has grown into a representative spring festival over a decade, will take place at Seoul Olympic Park on May 27 and 28. This year the festival invited many prominent jazz artists including Jamiroquai, a British funk and acid jazz band, which returns to Seoul for the first time in four years. The Grammy Award-winning band with a large local fan base will play classic disco-funk from their new album “Automaton.” Jazz diva Dianne Reeves, R&B-based jazz big band Tower of Power, and legendary jazz guitarist Pat Martino will perform, aloMay 18, 2017
Singer Choa of AOA denies rumor of dating businessman Choa, the main singer of South Korean girl group AOA, on Wednesday denied rumors that she was dating a businessman."After confirming with Choa, the person mentioned in the report is a mere acquaintance and the dating rumor is not true," FNC Entertainment, which represents AOA, said.Earlier, Sports Seoul reported that the singer became romantically involved with a local businessman in his 30s, who runs a large consumer electronics retail business in South Korea.As of late, rumors of Choa possibly bolting from AOA have also surfaced over the Internet amid the singer's absence from group publicity events. On Thursday, she posted on her Instagram that "she's just taking a pre-arranged break."The 27-year-old singer also wrote "I hope no more bad stories come out" regarding her situation. (Yonhap)May 17, 2017
Twice continues winning streak with 'SIGNAL' Members of K-pop girl band TWICE of JYP Entertainment perform during a press showcase for their fourth album “SIGNAL” at Blue Square in Hannam-dong, Seoul, Monday. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunTWICE, one of K-pop’s hottest girl groups these days, released its fourth mini-album “SIGNAL,” topping seven online charts with its new title track.The song “SIGNAL” instantly swept major music charts such as MelOn, Genie, Mnet and Olleh after it was released yesterday.The girl group has been putting all their title tracks on top since they debuted a year and a half ago. TWICE’s winning streak began with its first hit song “Like Ooh-Ahh,” followed by “Cheer Up,” “TT,” “Knock Knock” and the recent “Signal.” The girl group even surpassed the seemingly invincible global K-pop star, Psy, who also released a new album last Wednesday. It took less than a week for TWICE to bring down Psy’s double tracks “I LUV IT” and “New Face” from the top spot.“SIGNAL” is rMay 16, 2017
PHOTOS K-pop diva marries professional golfer / Courtesy of Sung's agencyBy Park Si-sooK-pop diva Sung Yuri has married her pro-golfer boyfriend Ahn Sung-hyun, her agency said Tuesday.They had a closed-door ceremony at an unidentified location with only their family members attending. The two had dated for four years.“Sung Yuri and Ahn Sung-hyun, who have been in a serious relationship for the past four years, held a marriage ceremony in the form of a family religious service on May 15,” Sung’s agency SL Ent said in a statement. “They chose to donate the funds for their marriage ceremony because they wanted to keep things quiet and focus on each other in a peaceful environment. So we were not able to announce the news beforehand.”Sung made her debut in 1998 as a member of first generation K-pop girl band Fin.K.L. After the group disbanded in 2002, she became an actress, starring in several TV dramas and hosting TV shows.Her husband is a coach for Korea's national golf team. May 16, 2017
