K-pop act Dia returned fully charged with powerful energy with its third EP “Love Generation.” Clad in black-and-white school uniforms, the group’s nine singers sparkled as they took to the stage at a media showcase for their new EP in Seoul on Tuesday. Dia is short for “Diamond.”(Yonhap)“Love Generation” marks Dia’s first release since its second full-length album “YOLO” four months ago. The EP delves into the feelings of a teenage girl dabbling in love. Each track features a different musical

Dance music fans may recall Garenz at the 2017 Seoul World DJ Festival in May, an energetic and funky Korean DJ duo that danced atop the DJ booth while spinning one of the anthems for this year’s annual electronic dance music festival.   The DJ duo that produced “Wanna Get You Closer,” chosen as one of two official tracks for this year’s festival at Jamsil Olympic Stadium, said it was time for DJs to move beyond the ailing local club scene and explore their options as artists.  (DCTOM)Consisting

Lee Jun-ho of 2PM has been cast as the lead in an upcoming JTBC drama, according to his label JYP Entertainment on Monday.  Lee Jun-ho of 2PM (JYP Entertainment)According to the creators of “Just in Love,” which will air in the second half of this year, the show is about ordinary people experiencing love and hardship. It will be Lee’s first time in a lead role in a drama series. He will play Lee Gang-du, a former athlete who was injured in an accident that killed his father and shattered his dre

Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation took to Instagram to share her thoughts after a harrowing experience at a crowded airport in Indonesia.  Taeyeon (S.M. Entertainment)　The singer flew to the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday for promotional activities, accompanied by a single manager. As soon as Taeyeon landed at the airport, however, she encountered an unruly crowd that rushed toward her, eventually knocking her down.  Taeyeon wrote via her Instagram on Friday to address the issue. “People’s fe

Fans of iKon announced they will boycott all goods produced by YG Entertainment, claiming that the label has been mistreating both the K-pop act and its fans.  iKon (YG Entertainment)　iKon’s fandom iKonic released a statement on Thursday that read, “We decided to boycott all upcoming products from YG, including the DVD ‘iKon Summertime Season2 in Bali,’ until we receive complete and sincere feedback from YG.”The statement also revealed that fans sent an 18-page document on July 24 to YG accusing

As the clock ticks past midnight in the crowd-packed clubs of Gangnam-gu DJ Juncoco, who draws enormous cheers from avid clubbers, is getting ready to step into the DJ booth.  As one of the most in-demand DJs today, he is treated like a rock star at weekend club parties. The pulsating and sassy electro dance music he spins under the colorful LED lights doesn’t let clubbers slow down. His tunes, which show a touch of moody French style EDM and old-school pop melodies, compel the clubbers to jump

Tiffany of Girls’ Generation may head to the US for her studies, a local media outlet reported Thursday. Tiffany of Girls’ Generation (Herald DB)The report said the singer had recently decided to study acting in the US, quoting a source close to Tiffany who said the singer has already told her close friends about the plan and they are supporting her decision. Following the report, Tiffany’s agency S.M. Entertainment commented on the matter later in the day, saying “We are discussing things relat

The “Dangerous Woman” songstress’s first performance in Seoul would have been perfect, if the singer didn’t leave fans disappointed and upset at what they referred to as her “disrespectful” attitude. Despite pouring rain, some 20,000 people flocked to Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Tuesday, which was also Korean National Liberation Day, to see the American pop star who won hearts around the world by returning to the stage just three weeks after a suicide bomber attacked her concert in Manchester i

From “Hot” and “Solar” to “Rise,” the past album titles of Big Bang’s Taeyang describe the singer himself. Taeyang, whose stage name means “Sun” in Korean, returned with his third full-length solo album “White Night” on Wednesday, more than three years after his second full-length album “Rise” in 2014.(YG Entertainment)“I came up with the new album’s concept when I was working on my previous album ‘Rise.’ I didn’t want the sun to go down after it rose, and the image of ‘white night,’ a natural p

Ji Chang-wook started his mandatory military service Monday. Ji Chang-wook salutes at a recruit training center at Cheorwon in Gangwon Province, on Monday before enlistment. (Yonhap)Ji’s agency Glorious Entertainment said the actor will undergo basic military training at a recruitment training center at Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, after which he will be in active service for 21 months. Ji enlisted in the military on Monday evening without a press event. After his latest SBS drama “Suspicious Par

Has K-pop reached its peak? Or will it be able to keep climbing the ladder of global success? More than 20 years have passed since the first generation of K-pop boy groups H.O.T and Sechs Kies made waves within the Korean music scene in the ‘90s. In 2000, legendary dance music duo Clon went overseas and mesmerized fans in Taiwan, which heralded K-pop’s overseas popularity. Since then, the K-pop industry has never slowed down in rolling out K-pop acts that appeal to a global audience, ranging fro

MEMPHIS (AFP) - Elvis Presley, American icon and King of rock ‘n’ roll, transformed popular culture, sold over a billion records and is idolized as ever on the 40th anniversary of his tragic death. A fan takes a photo of herself at the Meditation Garden where Elvis Presley is buried alongside his parents and grandmother at his Graceland mansion on Saturday in Memphis, Tennessee. (AFP-Yonhap)His Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee -- the second most famous home in the United States after the

(YMC Entertainment)Gazing out at the packed 20,000-capacity as the crowd chanted each of their names out loud, Wanna One couldn’t help but be overwhelmed. “We’ve always dreamed of how it would be like to be on the stage of Gocheok Sky Dome. I can’t believe our dream has come true,” said Wanna One during the group’s debut concert at Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul on Monday. Wanna One is a project boy band formed with the 11 finalists of Mnet TV competition show “Produce 101,” in which viewers

When it comes to highly-entertaining K-pop performer Psy, there are some things you just can’t do: You just do not sit down at a Psy concert or leave seat in the middle of the show. Friday’s “2017 Summer Swag” concert (“Soaking Wet Show” in Korean) was over three hours of pure madness and fun that had the 25,000 fans soaked to the skin and jumping with excitement. The show was part one of a two-day extravaganza at Jamsil Olympic Stadium in Seoul, in which the crowd was sprayed with water during

Song Kang-ho won the best actor award for his work in “A Taxi Driver” at Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival, said the film’s distributor Showbox.  Song Kang-ho stars in “A Taxi Driver.” (Showbox)Showbox announced Thursday that Jang Hoon, the director of the movie, attended the closing ceremony of the festival Wednesday to accept the award on behalf of Song. The award marks Song’s second best actor prize at the festival. He won the best actor award in 2007 for his role in “The Show M

NBA superstar Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors is set to appear on MBC’s variety show “Infinite Challenge” on Saturday. A teaser photo for Saturday’s episode of MBC’s “Infinite Challenge” (MBC)A recently released preview photo showed Curry posing with other guests, including former professional basketball player Seo Jang-hoon, actor Nam Joo-hyuck, a longtime fan of the reigning NBA MVP, and actor Bae Jung-nam. The two-time MVP Curry visited Korea last week as part of his Asia promotion

Clad in matching mint-green shirts and skirts, the six members of K-pop darling GFriend performed their summery track “Love Whisper” at a showcase Tuesday. The group had made a bold move with its previous funk-driven hit “Fingertip,” diverging from its signature innocent schoolgirl image for the first time. This time, it kept to its sleek sound in “Love Whisper,” the lead track of the group’s fifth EP “Parallel,” released Tuesday evening.  GFriend performs during a press showcase for its fifth E

Five years ago, the duo of JJ Project, a subunit of chart-topping boy band GOT7, were not so different from other 18-year-olds, as they galloped on stage with their upbeat hip-hop debut single “Bounce,” full of energy. Likening their past to innocent children, JB and Jinyoung, both now in their mid-20s, said they wanted to showcase the more toned down and mature sides of themselves in their latest autobiographical album “Verse 2,” which was released Monday. (JYP Entertainment)“At first, we were

Jang Hyun-seung, formerly of Beast, apologized for his past disrespectful behavior, over a year after leaving the now-defunct boy band. His unexpected, lengthy apology to fans was made via Instagram on Monday. He shared his thoughts on his departure from the group in April last year. “During the past seven years, I was so loved by many before I left Beast. I achieved my dreams, but during the activities with the group, I had my own thirst and began to stubbornly pursue my own pleasure instead of

Despite a brutal heat wave that has plunged the country and its people into a state of exhaustion the last few weeks, rock fans of all ages are in for a treat, as Korea’s two most famous rock festivals are ready to jolt them with spectacular performances. Jisan Valley Rock Music & Arts Festival, one of Korea’s most notable annual music festivals that incorporates both music and art, is set to solidify its status again this year with eye-opening headliners and fun-filled activities.  The 2012 Jis