Apr 8, 2020

[Herald Interview] AleXa on becoming K-pop star, dancing in boots and cyborg aesthetic

Up-and-coming singer releases electro-pop EP after making a splash with cyberpunk concept

Apr 8, 2020

AOMG to host charity live show online

Hip-hop label AOMG will host online streaming show “AOMG Quarantine Nonstop Live” on Sunday, with an aim to promote social distancing and help curb the spread of COVID-19. All profits collected during the show will be donated to support underprivileged families struggling from the outbreak. The label’s artists, as well as their friends, plan to perform on the donation-based show, which will air on AOMG’s official YouTube and Twitch channels. Previously, the label&rs

Apr 7, 2020

(G)I-dle sings self-confidence in ‘I Trust’

(G)I-dle returned with new album Monday, sending message of self-confidence. Six-piece act (G)I-dle’s third EP is fronted by lead track “Oh My God,” a dynamic urban hip-hop track that switches between various rhythms and melodies. Written and composed by bandleader Soyeon, the dynamic song alludes self-confidence, the main topic of the album, to complex feelings of love. “I believe that our (team) confidence comes from believing in myself,” explained Soyeon duri

Apr 6, 2020

TVXQ’s Changmin releases first solo album

K-pop duo TVXQ’s Changmin released his solo album “Chocolate” on Monday. It is the singer’s very first album as a solo artist since debuting as a part of TVXQ back in 2003. The album, featuring a total of six tracks, shows off the artist’s wide vocal range. Changmin participated in writing the lyrics for the title track “Chocolate” and “No Tomorrow.” “Chocolate” is an addictive dance-pop that attempts to portray an intense de

Apr 6, 2020

BIGBANG’s top 50 tracks, ranked

Here is a look back at the veteran boyband’s back catalogue

Apr 3, 2020

7 boy bands to compete in ‘Road to Kingdom’

Mnet’s new idol competition show “Road to Kingdom” has been unveiled, before its official premiere on April 30. Seven boy bands will go against each other and showcase their charm through various performances. The viewers will vote on their favorite team and stages, and the final winner will have a priority to join the subsequent show “Kingdom.” Teaser clips of the bands’ first performances were released Monday online along with a preshow preference poll

Apr 2, 2020

Smaller K-pop labels hit hard by coronavirus

Over the last few weeks, the novel coronavirus pandemic has brought the K-pop scene to an unprecedented standstill. Most concerts and meetup events, both at home and abroad, have been cancelled or postponed, while weekly TV shows are being held without audiences. The prolonged COVID-19 crisis may be taking a heavy toll on the whole K-pop industry, but small and midsized music labels in particular are feeling the pinch, as their business model relies heavily on tickets, physical albums and forei

Apr 1, 2020

Cube Entertainment founder resigns after ownership dispute

Founder and executive producer of Cube Entertainment Hong Seong-sung announced Tuesday that he was leaving the label, about a month after the firm’s ownership changed. He wrote on his Twitter that “I am leaving Cube Entertainment which I had bet my life on” and “I will stand in front of public again in some other way.” On his reasons for leaving, he said “It didn’t take much time for me to realize they, whom I thought would be good partners that prov

Apr 1, 2020

AleXa releases electrifying first EP “Do Or Die”

Singer AleXa released her very first EP “Do Or Die” on Wednesday. Featuring a total of eight tracks including the lead single “Do Or Die” and her previously single “Bomb,” the EP encompasses all of her work she’s released since her official debut last October and more. “Do Or Die” also features a EDM remix version of her debut single “Bomb” -- a stomping, bombastic pop song with a heavy dose of electro beats that helped her mak

Mar 31, 2020

BTS performs from home for US TV show in time of social distancing

K-pop super band BTS cheered up its fans and audiences across the world Tuesday with a special performance on a US TV show, broadcast from the band's own studio in South Korea, in a time of social distancing over the COVID-19 pandemic. The members of BTS were the penultimate artists that James Corden, the host of the CBS program "The Late Late Show with James Corden," connected with in his video calls for the special quarantine edition of the show, which aired Monday night (US time)

Mar 31, 2020

Here are K-pop live streams to combat self-isolation (updating)

Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, concerts and music festivals worldwide have been canceled or postponed, including BTS’ world tour in Seoul and North America and the Coachella festival, at which Big Bang plans to make a comeback after a two-year hiatus. But many K-pop artists and labels have made the best out of the situation by utilizing what they know best -- social media and online platforms. Idol groups including GFriend, Loona and Pentagon have celebrated their comeback with

Mar 30, 2020

EXO’s Suho hopes to show real self in solo album

Suho of EXO released his first solo album, “Self-Portrait,” on Monday, hoping to connect with the audience through the most personal side of himself. “As a solo artist, I wanted to make music that captured the color and musicality of Kim Jun-myeon (Suho’s given name), not the one I had shown through EXO as a group. I do feel burdened, but excitement outruns nervousness,” Suho said in a statement. The six-track EP is fronted by lead track “Let’s Love,

Mar 30, 2020

Thai K-pop fans trending #Dispatch to vent frustration at monarchy

Local fans use K-pop references to subtly take swipe at Thai king

Mar 30, 2020

BTS to join James Corden’s quarantine concert, ‘Homefest’

BTS will appear in James Corden’s “Homefest” in the latest effort of #TogetherAtHome on Tuesday. “Homefest: James Corden’s Late Late Show Special” will feature artists from all over the world performing from the safety of their homes. In addition to BTS from South Korea, artists scheduled to appear include opera singer Andrea Bocelli from Italy, Dua Lipa from London, John Legend with Billie Eilish and Finneas from LA, among others. James Corden will be hosti