'Piano Battle' duo returns for a second concert in Korea “Piano Battle” duo Paul Cibis, left, and Andreas Kern / Courtesy of Stomp MusicBy Yun Suh-young Watching a classical music concert may not be the most exciting experience in a person’s life time, especially if they are not a classical music aficionado. But after watching “Piano Battle” they might think otherwise.Two Caucasian men ― one wearing a black suit and the other wearing white ― appear on stage and start making jokes. After a quick chitchat with the audience, they settle at their respected pianos. They each play a piece that they have prepared for that particular challenge (one begins after the other is finished). The pieces range from those of Chopin, Liszt and Debussy to Mozart and Bach. When one round is over, the audience votes, each holding up either a white or black card. This is repeated six times. The audience gets to see 12 performances. The pianist who wins the most number of rounds is the winner of that day's battle.Having performed in Korea for the first time in May last year, the duo is returning for a second concert inMay 22, 2016
Chinese girl group allegedly copies K-pop's GFriend Chinese girl band AOS (up) and K-pop band GFriend / Screen capture from YouTubeBy Kim Da-heeChinese girl band AOS is under fire in Korea for allegedly copying the style of K-pop girl band GFriend.AOS, which debuted with the track “With You” on April 11, also released a music video for the song. In it, members dance in school uniforms, the fashion style of the Korean band that took a break on March 13.Many viewers also said AOS’s choreography reminded them of GFriend. They added the melody style of “With You” sounded similar to that of the Korean band. Some claimed the song also reminded them of “Into the New World” by K-pop girl band Girls’ Generation.AOS has not yet commented on the issue. May 18, 2016
'Fly' doesn't fly: KBS bans Jessica Jung's new song Jessica Jung / Courtesy of Coridel EntertainmentBy Kim Da-heeKBS TV has banned Jessica Jung’s new song “Fly.”The broadcaster said Wednesday it decided to ban the song from the former K-pop band Girls’ Generation singer because it mentioned specific car brands, Ford and Mercedes-Benz. “Fly,” the title track of her first solo album, was released Tuesday. Written by Jung, the lyrics include: “Haters wanna see me in a Crown Victoria, but I’m in a Benz AC on 70.”“The controversial part will be modified to be approved by KBS,” Coridel Entertainment, Jung’s agency, said.KBS has approved five other tracks on the album, “With Love, J.”Jung has made a chart-topping comeback, with “Fly” ranked first on eight major online music charts including Naver Music and Olleh Music.May 18, 2016
Redfoo to heat up Seoul Jazz Festival Redfoo / Courtesy of Warner Music KoreaBy Park Jin-haiSeoulites, get ready to party.Stefan Gordy, better known by his stage name Redfoo and for his shuffle dance moves, is coming to Seoul for this year’s Seoul Jazz Festival later this month.The rapper, DJ and music producer, part of the Los Angeles-based electro-hip-hop duo LMFAO, will heat up the stage during the two-day annual music festival at Olympic Park in Jamsil, southern Seoul, May 28-29.“There is definitely a party between me and Korea,” said Redfoo, 40, in an e-mail interview with The Korea Times ahead of his scheduled performance here. “Me and my Party Rock Crew, we just party and have a good time every time we were in Korea. I think I express myself very openly and that’s why people might like me for,” he said.Together with his nephew Sky Blue, the duo’s chart-topping single “Party Rock Anthem,” released 2011, went viral, bombarding dance floors around the globe for the last five years. Its YouTube music video featuring the Melbourne shuffle has recorded over 1 bMay 18, 2016
Jessica Jung's first album sells out Jessica Jung's first solo album "With Love, J" / Courtesy of Coridel EntertainmentBy Kim Da-heeK-pop girl band Girls’ Generation former member Jessica Jung’s first solo album “With Love, J” has sold out with pre-orders.Before its release on Tuesday, the album had been pre-sold since May 9.“60,000 pre-orders of Jessica’s first solo album were all sold out while the album has topped the chart for pre-sales,” Coridel Entertainment, Jung’s agency, said Monday. “Additional copies are being produced.”Jung’s first solo album contains six tracks, including the lead track “Fly.” She wrote four of the songs.The music video for “Fly” will be released on Naver’s real-time broadcasting app V at 11 p.m. on Monday.May 16, 2016
AKMU sings adolescence in new album AKMU performs during a mini concert at Seoul Forest in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, May 5./ Courtesy of YG EntertainmentBy Kim Jae-heunSibling duo Akdong Musicians, also known as AKMU, released their mini album “SPRING Vol. 1” last week after a two year break. The album is the first of a two-part series ― the second part will be released later this year.The Korean title for the duo’s new album is “Adolescence,” which Lee Chan-hyuk, the songwriter and older brother of Lee Su-hyun, named because the six tracks are about their youth back in Mongolia where the two lived for five years. The duo named the album’s English title “SPRING” because they compared adolescence to this season of new life, a time when thoughts start to sprout and develop. Adolescence is often understood as a sensitive time for teenagers but AKMU sees it as a period that comes to anybody at anytime regardless of their gender or age. “When we released our first album Play, we were very young like babies,” said Chan-hyuk during their press conference at YG EntertMay 16, 2016
Olivia Newton-John takes Seoul audience back to '70s Olivia Newton-John performs with her band members in April 2014. / Courtesy of World Show MarketBy Park Jin-haiOlivia Newton-John, star of “Grease” (1978), a movie adapted from the musical of the same name which made her an entertainment icon in the 1970s and ’80s, returned to Seoul 16 years after her last tour.Performing here as the final stop on her Asian tour this year, the blonde beauty in black leather pants reversed time during her concert at Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Jamsil, southern Seoul, Saturday, taking audiences back to the glitzy London nightclubs of the 1960s where a teenaged Newton-John performed, as well as to scenes of the famous musical film “Grease,” where she starred as Sandy singing “Summer Nights” opposite John Travolta. “Grease and playing Sandy has been such an amazing part of my life. People come up to me all the time and say ‘I just watched Grease again ― with my grandchildren,’” said Newton-John, during an interview with The Korea Times ahead of her concert. “That means a loMay 15, 2016
EXO's Baekhyun to release song with K.will EXO's Baekhyun (up) and vocalist K.will / Courtesy of SM EntertainmentBy Kim Da-heeK-pop boy band EXO’s Baekhyun will release a song, “The Day,” with vocalist K.will on Friday, SM Entertainment said.The song is part of SM’s “Station” project, which releases digital tracks - including collaborations between SM artists and other artists - every Friday on SM Station, the agency’s online music channel.The folk ballad is the 14th number to be introduced on SM Station. The song delivers the appealing vocals of the two singers with orchestral sounds. The song’s lyrics are about longing for past love.Earlier in the week, SM shared black and white teaser images of Baekhyun and K.will on its official SNS accounts, including Instagram and Vyrl, raising people’s expectations of the new song. May 12, 2016
Sibling duo's new album sweeps music charts Akdong Musician (AKMU) / Courtesy of YG EntertainmentBy Kim Da-heeK-pop duo Akdong Musician (AKMU) has made a chart-topping comeback with its new album, “Puberty-Former,” released online at midnight Sunday.The album’s two lead tracks, “Re-Bye” and “How People Move,” ranked first and second in eight major charts, including MelON, Genie Music and Olleh Music, on Wednesday morning. Four other tracks were also included in the charts’ top 10. AKMU’s Lee Chan-hyuk, 19, wrote and produced the songs. The group’s other member is Lee Soo-hyun, 16.The band will hold a mini concert at the Seoul Forest at 3 p.m. Thursday.May 4, 2016
Opera 'Rusalka' premieres in Seoul A scene from “Rusalka” / Courtesy of KNOBy Yun Suh-youngThe Korean premiere of Antonin Dvorak's opera "Rusalka" will be performed in Seoul today at the Seoul Arts Center. The opera by Czech composer is presented by the Korea National Opera (KNO) and is being performed for the first time in the country.The opera is a mysterious and tragic story about a water nymph that falls in love with a human but faces sad consequences. One day the nymph Rusalka, who lives by a lake, meets a human prince in the misty woods. The two immediately fall in love but soon after, Rusalka is betrayed. With a broken heart, she becomes a spirit of death living in the depths of the lake, killing the prince with her kiss.The mysterious story of Rusalka is the Czech version of "Undine" which is a German romance novel by Friedrich de la Motte Fouque on the fatal love of a water fairy named Undine and a knight. The three-act opera “Rusalka” premiered in Prague in 1901. Today’s premiere of “Rusalka” is directed by the KNO’s artistic director Kim Hak-min andApr 27, 2016
