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
TWICE returns more youthful, lively JYP Entertainment’s girl band TWICE performs “Cheer Up” at YES24 Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of JYP EntertainmentBy Kim Jae-heun TWICE, the leading girl band of JYP Entertainment, presented its second mini-album “Page Two,” Monday. “We have become more healthy and lively like our team name,” said Nayeon, one of the members, during a press conference at YES24 Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul. “We want to be the vitamins, looking more joyful and happier.”TWICE released its new album consisting of seven songs, including the lead track “Cheer Up.”“Cheer Up” is an easy dance song of the color-pop genre composed by Black Eyed Pilseung, who wrote the band’s debut EP title “Like OOH-AHH.” The music blends multiple genres such as hip-hop, tropical house and drum and bass.“Cheer Up” was presented to the public at midnight prior to the press conference on the same day and immediately topped major real-time online music charts suApr 26, 2016
Chung to conduct Seoul Phil at Lotte opening concert By Park Jin-haiChung Myung-whunChung Myung-whun, former music director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), will return to conduct the SPO in an opening performance for the Lotte Concert Hall in August. “The opening performance will feature Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Chung will be on the podium on Aug. 18 and 19,” said an official from the Lotte Concert Hall. This is the first classical concert hall to open in Seoul since the Seoul Arts Center (SAC) was built 28 years ago. The new concert hall is located in Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, southeastern Seoul.“Lotte has made all the decisions on the conductor, orchestra and performance pieces. In light of its symbolic significance as Seoul’s second large-scale classic concert hall, Chung has accepted its offer,” an SPO official said.Lotte had booked Chung as director for the opening concert three years ago. However, he abruptly resigned as music director, ending his 10-year tenure with the SPO last December, following infighting over the removal of the SPO’s former CEOApr 25, 2016
Spring gagok concert held today Poster for Spring Gagok ConcertBy Yun Suh-youngA spring gagok, concert will be held today at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. This is the 22nd Spring Gagok Concert organized by Dongin Music.Gagok in Korean refers to a genre of vocal music using lyrics from a poem. This year, 28 gagok pieces will be performed during the concert. Four pieces are by renowned composer Lee An-sam who is also the chairman of the concert's organizing committee.Lee An-sam’s composition "Our Love" will open the concert with soprano Lim Chung-wha and tenor Lee Hyun singing."This is a song based on an eponymous poem which is about a couple's ideal married life. The poem was written by Seo Young-soon. The piece is very uplifting as it is about the couple's beautiful and romantic years together and pledges for their happy future," said Lee An-sam during a phone interview with The Korea Times."When composing music, you need to know the character of the person who wrote the lyrics. So with this poem, it was easy to compose ― it only took 15 days compared to my usual two to three months ―&nApr 25, 2016
'My music is not for tango only': bandoneonist Koh Sang-ji Bandoneon player Koh Sang-ji / Courtesy of Private Curve, Robin KimBy Baek Byung-yeul Koh Sang-ji is one of a few bandoneon players in Korea.Ever since the 32-year-old lost her heart to the songs of tango great Astor Piazzolla while at university, she has taken an interest in the accordion-like instrument bandoneon and the experience has changed her life forever.Though she started learning the instrument out of simple curiosity, she soon became skillful at playing it and enjoyed busking in the street along with her university professor who played jazz saxophone.After leaving university, Koh buckled down to learn the instrument more professionally for three years from prominent Japanese bandoneon player Ryota Komatsu and stayed in Argentina for two years, attending Orquesta Escuela de Tango Emilio Balcarce, a music school specializing in tango.In 2011, Koh had a shot at unexpected stardom when she appeared on the popular MBC variety show “Infinite Challenge.” Koh was in the show’s song contest episode accompanying comedian Jung Hyung-don and delivered a reeApr 24, 2016
