K-pop megastar BTS is set to appear in a year-end concert organized by its agency, Big Hit Entertainment, the agency-label announced Thursday. Big Hit Entertainment, which also runs a namesake label, said the seven-member act will be included in the lineup for the "2021 New Year's Eve Live presented by Weverse" gig. The concert is expected to be a rare treat for K-pop fans to see their favorite singers in person after a spate of in-person concerts were cancelled amid the new coronavi

Boy band Seventeen now has two million-selling albums after its latest EP, "Semicolon," breached the one-million sales mark, its agency said Thursday. "Semicolon" has sold more than 1.06 million copies since its release on Oct. 19, Pledis Entertainment said, citing data from Gaon music chart run by the Korea Music Content Association. "Semicolon," released four months after the album "Heng:garae," features six songs, fronted by the retro-swing lead track

South Korean R&B singer-songwriter Crush has joined the army to fulfill his mandatory military service, his agency said Thursday. The 28-year-old, whose real name is Shin Hyo-seob, has entered an army boot camp for basic military training, according to P Nation, the management agency led by K-pop star Psy. Crush is set to serve as a public service worker for roughly two years. In October, Crush released the star-studded EP "with HER," featuring K-pop artists, like Lee So-ra, Yoon

As the latest Netflix original film, "Hillbilly Elegy," has hit screens of South Korea's two biggest multiplex chains of CJ CGV and Lotte Cinema, the yearslong conflict between major theaters and the global streaming giant has apparently come to an end amid the COVID-19 pandemic. CGV and Lotte Cinema decided to screen the Netflix-made film from Wednesday for two weeks before Oscar-winning director Ron Howard's drama is released on Netflix on Nov. 24. It is the first time that a Netfl

German classical music label DG releases album with two Korean-language songs

K-pop megastars BTS on Wednesday unveiled the details of their much-anticipated album "BE," scheduled to be released later this month. An image posted on the band's agency Big Hit Entertainment's Twitter account showed a handwritten list of the eight songs that will be featured on the album set for release on Nov. 20. The simple image shows the main track "Life Goes On" as well as the titles for seven other songs -- including "Blue & Grey," "Skit",

Kai, a member of K-pop boy band EXO, is set to release his first solo album in November, his agency said Wednesday. The six-track album titled "KAI (开)" is scheduled to be released on Nov. 30, SM Entertainment said, without elaborating on the main track and track list. KAI, who debuted in 2012 as the main dancer of EXO, has gained popularity for his dance skills and solid performance. He is also the main dancer of SuperM, a project group managed by SM Entertainment. Apart from his m

When it comes to K-pop career, WEi is no stranger to spotlight, even though it debuted as a group just last month. Consisting of Jang Dae-hyeon, Kim Dong-han, Kim Yo-han, Yoo Yong-ha, Kim Jun-seo and Kang Seok-hwa, the six-piece group debuted under Oui Entertainment on Oct. 5 with its debut EP “Identity: First Sight,” featuring lead single “Twilight.” The group just made its first step, but the footprints of the bandmates are everywhere in the K-pop industry. Both Daehy

Soprano Park Hyesang said Tuesday that she has picked two Korean-language songs for her new album to show her own process of self-discovery as a Korean vocalist. Her latest album "I Am Hera," named after her English name, was released last Friday, with the German classical music record label Deutsche Grammophon (DG). It was DG's first official recording since the COVID-19 outbreak. "Many people had advised me to come up with a stereotypical repertoire that would never fail for

A new original musical created to be presented online rather than put on stage is set for release later this month. While it has become the norm for performing arts production companies to stream their shows online during the pandemic, musicals created for the screen remain a novel idea. Produced by EMK Entertainment, affiliated with major musical production company EMK Musical Company, the musical “A Killer Party” consists of nine episodes, with each running about 10 minutes.

American music publication Rolling Stone is set to roll out a Korean edition starting this month in the latest addition to its international edition series. Rolling Stone Korea, the 12th international edition by Rolling Stone, will be produced in partnership with e.L.e Media, under a license agreement with Penske Media Corp., according to the publication. The Korean edition, which the magazine said will be a mix of local content and syndicated articles, will be available in a bi-monthly print

South Korean all-female band BLACKPINK's music video "Kill This Love" has topped 1.1 billion views on YouTube, its agency said Tuesday. The four-member act's music video of the iconic hit song reached the milestone at around 11 p.m. on Monday, according to YG Entertainment. "Kill This Love," released in April 2019, is one of the band's most popular songs, having ranked No. 41 on the US music chart Billboard's main singles chart in its first week of release. An extended play

GFriend released its new full-length album, “Walpurgis Night,” Monday. “Right after releasing our previous ‘Song of the Sirens’ album, we’ve been constantly working on the new album right until the comeback. We really did our best to make it happen as soon as possible,” said band leader Sowon during an online press showcase for the new album in Seoul on Monday. The fully packed collection is fronted by upbeat disco track “Mago,” which abou

The number of South Korean TV drama series is expected to decrease next year due to the fallout of the protracted novel coronavirus pandemic, experts said Monday. In the summer, when the country was struggling with a resurgence in novel coronavirus infections, TV studios and broadcasters halted productions of dramas and shows. Entertainment giant CJ ENM and its drama production affiliate Studio Dragon suspended drama filming for a week in August, with several shows on tvN and OCN affected by t

K-pop megastar BTS has clinched four trophies at this year's MTV Europe Music Awards (EMA), including the coveted Best Song prize. The seven-member act took home four prizes in total, winning the Best Song category with its latest hit "Dynamite" and Best Virtual Live for its concert that was held online amid the new coronavirus pandemic. The ceremony was streamed live earlier Monday. Other nominees who competed for Best Song included DaBaby with "Rockstar," featuring Roddy