Billie Eilish, Finneas win big at Grammys Alicia Keys, from left, and Dua Lipa present Billie Eilish with the award for best new artist at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, in Los Angeles. APMembers of Korean band BTS arrive for the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., U.S., Jan. 26, 2020. EPAThe edgy, avant-pop album that siblings Billie Eilish and Finneas created in a small bedroom made a big splash at the 2020 Grammy Awards, winning 11 honors for the musical family.``When We All Fall sleep, Where Do We Go?'' _ created in the musicians' Los Angeles home _ helped Eilish win the top four honors, including album, song and record of the year, along with best new artist. The 18-year-old is the young artist to achieve the feat.Finneas _ who co-wrote, produced and engineered the album, walked away as Sunday's top winner with six. Eilish won five honors.Together, they also won best pop vocal album, while Finneas' individual honors included home producer of the year (non-classical) and best engineered album (non-classical). ``This is my first Grammys. I never thoughtJan 27, 2020
Grammy hopefuls set for glitzy gala as storm brews backstage This combination of photos shows, from left, Lizzo performing at the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans on Oct. 27, 2018, Lil Nas X performing "Old Town Road" at the BET Awards in Los Angeles on June 23, 2019 and Billie Eilish performing during the "When We All Fall Asleep" tour in Chicago on June 9, 2019. Lizzo, Eilish and Lil Nas X lead in nominations at the 2020 Grammy Awards. APLizzo, Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X are ready to make a splash at Sunday's star-studded Grammy awards, where pop's new guard is poised to win big ― even as scandal backstage has threatened to tarnish the glitz.Music's marquee night in Los Angeles promises to deliver rollicking performances from the zeitgeist-capturing newbies, as well as tributes to the veteran rockers Aerosmith and the late rapper Nipsey Hussle.But even as the glamorous show aims to reinvent itself with an injection of youth, while also spotlighting women and promoting diversity within its ranks, controversy is simmering.Just days before the gala, the Recording Academy's suspended CEO Deborah Dugan ― the first woman to lead the embattlJan 26, 2020
Ousted Grammy chief suggests awards are tainted This Nov. 14, 2019 file photo shows Grammys CEO Deborah Dugan at the 20th Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas. APThis Nov. 30, 2012 file photo shows Deborah Dugan posing for a portrait in New York. AP-YonhapThe ousted head of the Grammy Awards says that music's biggest awards are tainted because of conflicts of interest that infect how certain songs and artists are nominated.Nevertheless, Deborah Dugan said in an interview on ABC's “Good Morning America” on Thursday that she plans to watch the Grammys this weekend.Dugan was fired only months into her job as head of the Recording Academy and this week filed an explosive complaint with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission that alleged she was sexually harassed and that the music organization was a “boy's club” that favors friends. The academy, which has accused Dugan of misconduct, has said it has launched an investigation.The personnel allegations had largely overshadowed Dugan's charges about the integrity of the Grammys' awards process _ a huge problem given that its annual ceremony is set to be televisedJan 24, 2020
Jannabi, Baek Ye-rin lead Korean Music Awards nominations From left are KMA committee members Jung Min-jae, Kim Chang-nam, Park Hee-a and Ko Jong-seok, at Korea Press Center in Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Korean Music AwardsBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe Korean Music Awards (KMA) committee has announced the nominees for this year's event, with Jannabi and Baek Yerin leading the pack with five nominations each.At the press conference held at the Korea Press Center, Wednesday, to unveil the list of nominees for a total of 24 categories, the organizing committee said they put a focus on singers' musical achievements and artistic merits rather than album sales and fame.“We really believe music should be judged upon artistic merit, not its windowing strategy or popularity,” committee head Kim Chang-nam said. “We also aim to go beyond the barrier between mainstream and non-mainstream music.”Despite violence and corruption scandals involving two group members, indie rock band Jannabi has been nominated for five categories, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Artist of the Year. Baek Ye-rin has been nominated for fiveJan 22, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo
Pop star Halsey releases album featuring BTS's Suga Halsey released her third studio album “Manic” on Friday. Courtesy of Universal MusicBy Dong Sun-hwaAmerican pop star Halsey, best known for her smash-hit “Without Me” (2018), on Friday released an album featuring Suga of K-pop phenomenon BTS. The singer released her third studio album “Manic,” which includes the ballad “Suga's Interlude,” according to Universal Music. In 2019, Halsey featured in BTS's song “Boy With Luv” and appeared in the seven-piece group's music video (MV) as well. Fronted by lead track “You Should Be Sad,” her album also includes her previous hits “Graveyard” (2019) and “Clementine” (2019).The star is set to play a solo gig at Olympic Park, eastern Seoul, on May 9 Her last concert in Seoul took place in 2018. Pre-sale tickets are available from Jan. 22-23 through Live Nation Korea. Halsey released her debut EP “Room 93” in 2014. She featured in The Chainsmokers' popular single “Closer” and topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “WithoutJan 19, 2020By Dong Sun-hwa
PHOTOS Jazz singer, K-pop writer, SK Telecom win Korea Image Awards From left, SK Telecom Vice President Yoo Young-sang, jazz vocalist Nah Youn-sun, CICI President Choi Jung-wha and Billboard columnist Jeff Benjamin. YonhapBy Dong Sun-hwaJazz vocalist Nah Youn-sun, Billboard K-pop columnist Jeff Benjamin and mobile carrier SK Telecom won Korea Image Awards for enhancing Korea's national image. Nah won the Korea Image Fire Stone Award for spreading K-jazz around the globe. “I hope my enthusiasm for jazz can have a greater influence around the world and help spread a positive image of Korea,” she said as she accepted the prize. Benjamin, who has been promoting K-pop in the media, nabbed the Korea Image Stepping Stone Bridge Award. The Korea Image Stepping Stone Award went to SK Telecom. The carrier was recognized for commercializing 5G technology worldwide. U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris speaks during the Korea Image Awards at the InterContinental Seoul COEX, Tuesday. YonhapThe award ceremony took place Tuesday at the InterContinental Seoul COEX. Some 600 guests, including U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris, British Ambassador Simon Smith and CJ GrJan 15, 2020By Dong Sun-hwa
INTERVIEW What makes Nah Youn-sun most acclaimed Korean jazz singer Jazz vocalist Nah Youn-sun speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the InterContinental Seoul COEX, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Lee Min-youngBy Dong Sun-hwaSoulful-voiced Nah Youn-sun is undoubtedly the most acclaimed Korean jazz singer in the world. Boasting particular popularity in France, where almost every city has its own jazz festival, Nah last year received the Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters). It is a prestigious award from the French Ministry of Culture that recognized her contribution to the arts and the enrichment of French cultural inheritance. She was the first Korean vocalist to earn the order. There is even a road named after her in France.But what brought her into the limelight? When The Korea Times posed the question, the singer was bashful at first, saying she had no idea. In fact, Na looks self-assured and charismatic on stage, but is utterly different off stage. She mostly talked in low tones. “So far I have been holding on to my own style instead of following in others' footsteps,” NahJan 15, 2020By Dong Sun-hwa
First-ever Asian concertmaster of German orchestra to perform solo recitals in Seoul Violinist Lee Ji-yoon speaks during a press conference at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapSouth Korean violinist Lee Ji-yoon, the first Asian concertmaster of Staatskapelle Berlin, said Tuesday that she thinks the prestigious German orchestra has recognized her musical potential."I think the orchestra thought I was very fresh," Lee said during a press conference in Seoul. "The Staatskapelle Berlin was seeking a generational change and I auditioned at an opportune time."Lee became the concertmaster of the German orchestra in 2017 and was granted lifetime tenure a year later. She was the youngest and the first Asian to fill the post in the company's 450-year history.Founded as a court orchestra in 1570, the Staatskapelle Berlin is the resident orchestra of the Berlin State Opera. Argentina-born maestro Daniel Barenboim has been serving as the orchestra's general music director and conductor since 1992."I had no experience as a concertmaster at all," she said. "But one of my colleagues told me, the company acknowledged that I could start with a clean slate."Lee performs during tJan 14, 2020
Music festival to promote peace beyond borders Son Yeol-eum, artistic director of the classical music festival “Music in PyeongChang Winter Festival,” speaks during a press conference at Four Seasons Hotel, central Seoul, Monday. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonThe winter series of the biannual classic event “Music in PyeongChang” aims to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula ― and success for the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics ― with its largest-ever lineup in February which includes a collaborative work between artists from war-torn Koreas and Israel and Palestine, its artistic director said Monday.“We would like to deliver a peaceful melody to audiences through our festival. As many remember the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics as one promoting the value of peace, Peaceful NEWS, a concert of Music in the PyeongChang Winter Festival reminisces about the peaceful Olympics… We decided to call the event NEWS as it is an abbreviation of the North, East, West and South hoping the four should peacefully work together,” Son, a renowned pianist and the artistic director of the festival, said during a press coJan 14, 2020By Park Ji-won
Zico tops music charts with new single Zico's new single has zoomed to the top of music charts. Courtesy of KOZ EntertainmentBy Cho Hae-minK-pop artist Zico topped local music charts with his new single “Any Song” almost immediately after it was released at 6 p.m. Monday. By 8 a.m. Tuesday, the single had swept charts on major music streaming sites, including Bugs, Melon, Soribada and Genie. The song, which he co-composed and wrote the lyrics for, has rhythmical flows and witty words.He said on MBC FM4U's “Good Morning FM with Jang Sung Kyu” Tuesday that he wanted to make songs that people can enjoy listening to without any deep thought and the concept for his new song was based on this.Zico debuted as a member of the group Block B on April 15, 2011. He made his solo debut with the single “Tough Cookie” on Nov. 7, 2014. He also established the music label KOZ Entertainment in January last year. Jan 14, 2020
