Korean group signs with former Guns N’ Roses manager Doug Goldstein

NEW YORK (AP) ― The Super Bowl will have a touch of the classical this year: Opera star Renee Fleming will sing the national anthem. The four-time Grammy winner will perform before the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Feb 2. Fleming is the first opera star to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl. In recent years, it has been performed mainly by a mix of pop and country stars. Known as “The People’s Diva,” the soprano is closely id

Asian viewers have their eyes on South Korean dramas and actors. Kim Soo-hyun, in particular, hero of the hit drama “Man from the Stars,” is gaining explosive popularity in China, topping the “Today’s Actor” chart on China’s largest search engine Baidu on Jan. 14. “Kim Soo-hyun is handsome, and many girls would want to approach him,” said Connie Pang, 33, a big fan of Korean dramas who lives in Hong Kong. 　The 27-year-old heartthrob has been well-regarded for his acting, too. “Kim Soo-hyun is on

Production power is driver of K-pop success, says SM Entertainment

MOSCOW (AFP) ― The Bolshoi Theater on Monday presented its new musical director, who has been appointed to help restore the tarnished reputation of the scandal-ridden theater.Tugan Sokhiev, a 36-year-old conductor who studied in Saint Petersburg, is currently musical director of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse and of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.On Monday, the Bolshoi’s general director Vladimir Urin presented Sokhiev to journalists, calling him “one of the most in-dem

Actress to unveil her real personality in hospital-based romantic comedy

Veteran hip-hop and dance group Koyote returned to the music scene Tuesday with its new mini-album “1999,” bringing back ’90s style and celebrating the 17th anniversary of the group’s debut.Filled with upbeat, discoesque rhythms, Koyote’s new album is expected to bring a fresh array of the group’s signature “old school” sounds to a K-pop music scene dominated by an avalanche of young boy and girl groups. “We launched our new album with the hope of making listeners feel as if they have really gon

Popular K-pop band CNBLUE returned home from Japan on Sunday after promoting its first documentary film, “The Story of CNBLUE: Never Stop,” which was released in Japanese theaters last week.The two-hour film depicts the band’s daily life before its formal debut, personal interviews and behind-the-scenes footage of world tours. The documentary was directed by Jeon Yong-seung, a renowned director who produced highly acclaimed works including the “NHK Special” and “Jung Yul Dae Ryuk.”The four-membe

Controversy over obsessed fans is firing up again after a netizen posted an online ad Monday, advertising a pair of underwear for sale, supposedly belonging to D.O., a member of K-pop group EXO.　On Jan. 20, a photo of men’s underwear was posted on social network service Kakao Story with the caption, “Do Gyung-soo’s (D.O.) underwear for sale.”　The poster, who is believed to be a “sasaeng fan,” offered to sell the underwear for 100,000 won ($94), writing that she had taken the item from his dorm h

YG Entertainment CEO and producer Yang Hyun-suk has been recognized by U.S. Billboard magazine as an “international power player” for bringing about significant changes in the dynamics of the world music market. According to a press release on Saturday by YG Entertainment, Yang was the only South Korean leader on the list of “international power players” recognizing world-renowned leaders in the music business. The list was compiled for the first time by Billboard magazine and Midem, an annual i

“Frozen,” a 3-D animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, topped the Korean box office chart this weekend, beating the local megahit court drama “The Attorney.”“The Attorney,” inspired by the early years of the late President Roh Moo-hyun, had remained No. 1 on the local chart for four consecutive weeks until Jan. 16. Last weekend, it became the ninth Korean movie and 10th overall to draw more than 10 million spectators in Korea.Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s f