Singer Hwang Chi-yeul will return with a new album on Jan. 21.The upcoming record will be his second album since his debut in 2007 with the album “Five Senses.” Representing the singer, How Entertainment said Wednesday, “The album will feature Hwang’s unique yet sentimental voice.” (Yonhap)Hwang released the EP “Be Myself” in April last year. The 36-year-old singer rose to stardom in 2015 after nearly a decade in obscurity. Since then, Hwang has established himself as one of the hottest K-pop so

There might be a new power couple in K-pop on the horizon as reports have revealed EXO’s Kai and Black Pink’s Jennie are dating.The singers, from two of K-pop’s most popular groups, were seen walking while holding hands in a park in Mapo-gu in Seoul, Dispatch reported Tuesday morning.(Yonhap)Pictures obtained by the media outlet show the two going for a drive around Sangam-dong before having a stroll at Haneul Park where the two were seen layered up in a coat and a scarf to brace for the cold.Th

Wrapping up a whirlwind of a year with ear-splitting rock sound, over 4,000 concertgoers at YB Band’s Seoul concert either let go of their bygone days or brought up long-buried emotions with the band’s thought-provoking songs and stories. If there’s any reason why people chose the veteran rock band over younger and trendier musicians for their year-end concert, it’s probably the band’s masterful onstage tricks that it has crafted for over two decades and its ever-developing musicality. And YB Ba

Darlim&Hamabal creates YouTube sensation by covering J-pop

The 2019 classical music season is a promising one, with numerous stars and prestigious orchestras set to perform in South Korea. Here’s a taste of what lies ahead.  The London Philharmonic Orchestra (Vincero)Star pianists play Rachmaninoff in JanuaryKorea’s 2018 classical music scene opened with pianist Cho Seong-jin’s first-ever nationwide tour. The date on the calendar has changed, but again it is Cho who will be raising the curtain. Cho will perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D M

Shoo, a member of S.E.S., a girl group popular in the 1990s, has been prosecuted for habitually engaging in overseas gambling, the prosecutors’ office said Friday.The prosecution filed the criminal charge of “habitual gambling” against the 37-year-old entertainer whose real name is Yoo Soo-young. She was indicted without physical detention.According to the prosecutors’ office, Shoo engaged in gambling on several occasions in foreign countries, including Macau from August 2016 to May this year. T

First-generation K-pop boy band g.o.d will drop an album on Jan. 10 in celebration of its 20th anniversary.Representing g.o.d, Sidus HQ said Thursday the upcoming album will consist of 10 tracks, including not only new songs but also remakes of the group’s biggest hits. (iHQ)A remake of “Road,” the title track of g.o.d’s fourth album, was arranged by MeloMance’s Jeong Dong-hwan. Singers IU, Henry, Yang Da-il and Jo Hyun-ah are also featured in the remake.The boy band will hold a concert at the O

Diamonds are rock-solid, but they’re not unbreakable, says D-Crunch.With its name abbreviated from Diamond-Crunch, referring to the group’s powerful performance and musicality fit to crush diamonds, the fresh K-pop rookie overflows with youthful energy and ambitions.Having just started to make its mark in the K-pop scene, the nine-piece group of Hyunwook, Hyunho, O.V, Minhyuk, Hyunwoo, Hyunoh, Chanyoung, Jungseung and Dylan said it hopes to spread its messages around the globe. (Video shot by Li

Jeon Tae-kwan, the drummer of the 30-year-old rock band SSAW, or Spring Summer Autumn Winter, has died of renal cancer at the age of 56, his bandmate said Friday."I inform you of heartbreaking news. Last night, drummer Jeon Tae-kwan passed away," Kim Jong-jin said.   This image of Jeon Tae-kwan is captured from the official blog of SSAW. (Yonhap)"After struggling with renal cancer for the past six years, Jeon couldn't overcome the illness and breathed his last breath with his family by his side,

YouTube channel DKDKTV wants to become ambassador of Korean pop culture

Genie Music has revealed some of the most-streamed Christmas carols in December.The music steaming service said that “Because It’s Christmas” by Jelly Christmas 2012 Heart Project was the No. 1 Christmas single between Dec. 1 and Thursday. The song by the supergroup boasting singers Sung Si-kyung and Park Hyo-shin as members was the only South Korean act to chart in the top five. (Yonhap)Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath The Tree” from her album “Wrapped in Red” was a runner-up, while Mariah Carey’s

BTS has left yet another mark in Korea’s music history, as its music video for “Mic Drop (Steve Aoki Remix)” has become its fifth video to surpass 400 million views on YouTube, the most for any artist in the country. As of 11:09 a.m. Sunday, the remixed version of the megahit had hit the milestone, a little over a year after its initial 2017 November release. As of now, the boy band has five songs with over 400 million views, including “DNA,” “Fire,” “Dope” and “Fake Love.”The most-viewed video

New group seeks to bridge two of South Korea’s biggest cultural exports

Instagram announced its list of the most beloved Korean celebrities of 2018 on Thursday.The yearly roundup, “Instagram Awards in Korea,” was launched last year to recognize highly influential celebrity Instagrammers. 　 (Big Hit Entertainment, YG Entertainment, S.M. Entertainment)The photo-sharing platform described the nascent awards as a way to celebrate K-pop’s status as “one of the most buzzed-about music genres three years in a row from 2015 to 2017,” adding that 2018 “was the year in which

Singer-songwriter Troye Sivan will hold his first solo concert in Korea in April.　Live Nation Korea announced Wednesday that Sivan will come to Korea as part of his world tour titled “The Bloom Tour.” He will perform at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul on April 27. (Live Nation Korea)This will be Sivan’s second visit to Korea after his performance at the Jisan Valley Music & Arts Festival in 2016.Sivan will also tour other Asian countries, including Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines, from A