Psy's agency vows to seek novelty to garner international appealIn the ever-changing world of music, the key to success is to be constantly searching for“something new and fresh, something that will appeal to people from all over the globe, the head of YG Entertainment said Sunday."We've been trying different genres of music based upon hip-hop since the establishment of the agency, and our efforts to lead the global trend now seem to be paying off," said Yang Hyun-seok whose singers have gained huge global attention this year.Yang, also known as Yang Goon, rose to stardom in Korea as a member of Seo Taiji and Boys, one of the country's first-generation of boy bands, which formed in 1991. He then went on to establish YG Entertainment in 1997 following the group's disbandment.Since the creation of his agency, Yang has produced a slew of successful artists, including recent stars Psy, Big Bang, and 2NE1."Psy achieved amazing results, creating a priceless value across the world," said the 43-year-old founder and CEO of YG Entertainment, one of the largest record agencies in Korea. "I feel grateful for him as he gives us tips on where to go downDec 23, 2012
Psy's "Gangnam Style" music video hits 1 bil. views on YouTubeThe music video of "Gangnam Style" by Korean singer-rapper Psy has become the world's first-ever to get more than 1 billion views on YouTube, the service said Saturday.The music video has been viewed over 1 billion times as of 00:50 a.m. (Seoul time), according to YouTube."Gangnam Style" took the top position on YouTube's all-time list of most-viewed videos as of Nov. 24, surpassing the music video of "Baby" by Canadian singer Justin Bieber.The music video also holds the Guinness World Record of "the most liked video" on YouTube with over 6.15 million "likes" as of Saturday. (Yonhap)Dec 22, 2012
Gangnam Style 'hottest' K-pop video in 2012Korean rapper-singer Psy's catchy global hit "Gangnam Style" ranked as the most viewed and searched K-pop music video this year, ousting K-pop idol Super Junior from the top spot, data showed Monday.The wacky music video featuring Psy's hallmark horse-riding dance topped the list of this year's most popular K-pop music videos on YouTube, according to the video-sharing Web site. Last year, Super Junior's "Mr.Simple" ranked No. 1.More than 923 million users have watched "Gangnam Style" since its YouTube debut on July 15, which translates to over 7 million views each day, it said.Psy's viral success also impacted other videos on the list. "Oppa is Just My Style," a spin-off of "Gangnam Style" featuring K-pop idol Hyuna, ranked as the No. 2 most-viewed K-pop music video.Parodies of "Gangnam Style" also swept a separate list of popular videos created by local users, with five of the top 10 UGCs (user-generated content) stemming from the viral hit, according to YouTube.Also among the top 10 most-viewed K-pop music videos were Big Bang's "Fantastic Baby" and 2NE1's "I Love You."Meanwhile, dDec 10, 2012
Psy performs 'Gangnam Style' in event attended by ObamaWASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- Korea's Psy performed at a charity event attended by U.S. President Barack Obama as scheduled on Sunday, despite a controversy over the anti-American lyrics of his song several years ago.Psy, who has gained popularity worldwide, was among the "artist performers" in the "Christmas in Washington" concert, according to a pool report of the White House correspondents.Obama and his family participated in the evening concert held at the National Building Museum.No Korean reporter was allowed to cover the event hosted by U.S. TV network TNT.Clad in a red suit with a sparkling top, Psy appeared on the stage with dancers wearing reindeer antlers and performed his trademark "Gangnam Style" dance highlighted by horse-riding motions.Obama briefly talked with Psy after the performance, but he did not demonstrate the dance, a pool reporter said.After months of galloping to popularity in the U.S. like in many other nations, Psy, whose birth name is Park Jae-sang, has come under fire after revelations that he joined a performance in 2004 of a song with sharply-worded criticismDec 10, 2012
Psy issues apology for anti-American lyricsKorean rapper-singer Psy has issued a formal apology Saturday for anti-American lyrics he performed at a 2004 concert protesting the U.S. presence in Iraq, following their recent revelation in U.S. media two days before he is set to perform for the U.S. president and his family.The 35-year-old rapper, who became a worldwide star with his hit song "Gangnam Style," said in the statement that the concert was held as a "deeply emotional reaction" to the war in Iraq following the beheading of a South Korean missionary there and the 2002 deaths of two Korean schoolgirls who were crushed by an armored recovery vehicle.The controversial Korean-language lyrics that triggered the outrage, particularly in the United States where Psy has gained a large following, call for slowly and painfully killing U.S. soldiers and their families. They were performed during a live performance of Korean rock band NEXT's song "Dear American" at the 2004 concert, but the English translation of the lyrics has only recently been widely circulated in the U.S. media. Media reports also said the singer took part in aDec 8, 2012
Actor Lee Min-ho to meet with fans in JapanActor Lee Min-hoBy Baek Byung-yeulHallyu star Lee Min-ho, 25, met his Japanese fans for a third time Sunday, at the National Convention Hall of Yokohama, Japan.“I finally have a chance to meet my fans after a long time because of the long shooting period of my latest drama. I’d like to have a heartwarming time with my fans and build up good memories as it is the cold season and Christmas is coming soon,” said Lee in a press conference at the Inter Continental Yokohama Grand held prior to the meeting.Lee recently wrapped up “Faith,” a fantasy time-travel drama depicting a romance between Choi Young, a warrior of the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) and Yoo Eun-soo (Kim Hee-sun), a doctor from the 21st century.The drama garnered moderate ratings, an average of 11.4 percent but had some core followers. It will be broadcast through the smartphone-TV network, “Nottv,” on Wednesdays and Thursdays in Japan from Dec. 5. The drama’s DVD box sets are also going to be released next year.At the meeting, Lee read letters from fans and sang Japanese arDec 3, 2012
Psy to perform at Christmas concert in USKorea's pop sensation Psy will perform at a Christmas concert to be held in Washington that U.S. President Barack Obama is set to attend, his agency said Friday.The 34-year-old rapper, whose song "Gangnam Style" has swept the globe, plans to do a special performance at the close of the concert called "Christmas in Washington 2012" to be held on Dec. 21, according to U.S. cable channel TNT, host of the concert.The concert, which marks its 31st anniversary this year, is attended each year by dignitaries including the U.S. president and first lady, TNT said.Psy's music video for "Gangnam Style" ranked first on YouTube's all-time list of most-viewed videos on Saturday, beating out Canadian singer Justin Bieber's "Baby."Psy's agency said that the concert will close with his performance, but it is not certain whether he will perform his signature horse-riding dance in front of President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama."But chances are high that he will do so," the agency added. (Yonhap)Dec 1, 2012
Psy says he would like to see Obama do 'Gangnam Style' moveHONG KONG (Yonhap) -- Korea's pop sensation Psy said late Friday he would like to see Barack Obama do the "Gangnam Style" dance move when he meets the U.S. president at a Washington D.C. concert later this month.The 34-year-old singer and rapper, whose video of his song "Gangnam Style" became a YouTube megahit, is to perform at the concert called "Christmas in Washington" to be held on Dec. 21, hosted by U.S. cable channel TNT. The annual concert is attended by dignitaries including the U.S. president and first lady."I cannot force him to dance," Psy said in a press conference held after a music awards event held in Hong Kong."But I heard a news report that he said he can do the dance move. It would be a very exciting show if he could at least move his hands," he said in the Korean language, which was not fully translated into English.His song, which pokes fun at the affluent business and residential district of Gangnam in the southern Seoul, is popular partly for the signature horse-riding dance.Obama said earlier that he has seen Psy's popular music video and that he thinks he can Dec 1, 2012
Psy's Hong Kong performance to be broadcast to 85 countriesHONG KONG (Yonhap) -- Korean pop sensation Psy's performance of his megahit single "Gangnam Style" in Hong Kong later Friday will be broadcast to 85 countries, concert organizers said.The Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), in which Psy, along with other Korean pop (K-pop) singers, will participate, is scheduled to be held at the Convention and Exhibition Center in central Hong Kong at 6:00 p.m. (Hong Kong time), South Korea's conglomerate CJ Group said.The MAMA is one of the major K-pop music award ceremonies being hosted by Mnet Media, an entertainment subsidiary of CJ Group.It has been held annually in one of the Asian cities since 2009, with some of the most popular Korean singers participating.The previous events were held in Singapore, Macao and Seoul. Hong Kong's largest commercial television station TVB, mainland China's most viewed Hunan TV and FOX International Channels have participated as media partners, simultaneously airing the awards event live, CJ officials said."This Year's MAMA will be aired live on terrestrial broadcast channels in Asia expanding its coverage in Nov 30, 2012
Wonder Girls' leader to marry in JanuaryKorean pop group Wonder Girls' leader Sunye will tie the knot with her Korean-Canadian missionary boyfriend in January, her agency said Tuesday."Sunye will marry her 28-year-old boyfriend surnamed Park who is a Christian missionary," JYP Entertainment said in a press statement. "She recently informed the agency of the decision, and we have decided to respect it understanding that her decision has come after much thought."The 23-year-old member, whose full name is Min Sun-ye, unveiled her romantic relationship when appearing on an SBS TV program in November last year.The two, both faithful Christians, met while taking part in evangelizing activities in Haiti, according to Sunye's aides.It is rare for pop stars in South Korea to wed at the peak of their popularity.The singer also announced her decision on the official Internet cafe of the girl group."Some might feel it's too early, but please respect my decision and bless us," she wrote.Sunye has led the Wonder Girls for the past six years since the team debuted in 2007. "Sunye will be focusing on her marriage and family life for the tNov 27, 2012
