DIA“Summer Ade” InterparkMany say that DIA is one of the most underrated K-pop acts, with its music always dwelling somewhere between “decent” and “superb.” Summer EPs have traditionally served as a means for K-pop groups to pursue different genres or go full-on-summery, like what GFriend and Red Velvet have done with “Sunny Summer” and “Summer Magic,” respectively. What DIA has done with its EP “Summer Ade,” however, doesn’t belong to either of the categories, ambiguously floating between two,

Rising K-pop duo MXM, consisted of two former contestants of popular audition program “Produce 101 Season 2,” returned Tuesday with its first full-length album “More Than Ever.” Fronted by bubbly chill trap number “Ya Ya Ya,” the 14-track album has the fingerprints of Im Young-min and Kim Dong-hyun all over it, from songwriting to designing the album cover. The lead track, which lyrically compares love with the process of being addicted to bitter Americanos, makes ample use of breathy synths,

YG Entertainment announced Tuesday it is launching a major legal battle against vicious online comments targeting its artists.The major K-pop agency said it has gathered evidence from February and has filed complaints concerning a dozen posts containing malicious rumors, slander and pornographic content, as well as 57 posts intended to humiliate the agency’s artists.(YG Entertainment)A legal move of this scale is seen as rare in South Korea’s entertainment industry, and could send a strong messa

Boy band BTS released photos for its upcoming repackaged album “Love Yourself: Answer” on Monday. The photos revealed via the band’s official homepage featured two different concepts: “S” and “E.”  (Big Hit Entertainment)The “S” group photo features a red background with members appearing impassive. Individual shots show each member seemingly trapped in a red box with different obstacles.  (Big Hit Entertainment)The “E” group photo shows members tied to strings and looking at the camera. Individ

Even if you have something you love as a lifelong career, there can be moments you lose the passion you once had. Pianist Kim Sun-wook said during a press conference Tuesday that he had those moments over the last few years but has since regained the love for classical music he had when he was younger.  Pianist Kim Sun-wook speaks during a press conference held in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap)“I used to like having things planned out. I used to dream big and make plans accordingly. Like going to th

Donghae and Eunhyuk of Super Junior D&E talk about their new album, look back on their career

H.O.T., one of the biggest groups in K-pop history, is holding its first concert since its 2001 break-up.Local promoters for the concert on Monday confirmed earlier reports that the boy band will hold a concert in October at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium in southern Seoul, after their comeback performance on MBC’s “ToToGa 3: Return of the Kings” made headlines and created a nationwide buzz.H.O.T. (S.M. Entertainment)“There have been a parade of requests from the fans since the ‘Totoga’ concert in F

BTS and its fan club ARMY were named Choice International Artist and Choice Fandom at the 2018 Teen Choice Awards.  (Big Hit Entertainment)US broadcaster Fox aired the 20th Teen Choice Awards held in California on Sunday. The annual event celebrates the year’s notable achievements in music, film, TV and fashion, based on votes by US viewers aged 13 to 19. (Twitter)ARMY outdid the fan clubs of Fifth Harmony, Taylor Swift, Black Pink, CNCO and One Direction, while BTS bagged the Choice Internation

Pianist Kim Tae-hyung and members of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will perform in a concert featuring chamber music pieces composed by Russian composers on Aug. 24 at the Sejong Chamber Hall in Seoul. Chamber pieces by Rachmaninoff, Medtner and Tchaikovsky will be performed under the title of “Russian Romantics,” with Rachmaninoff’s Trio Elegiaque for violin, cello and piano No. 1 in G minor opening the concert. Pianist Kim with violinist Kim Deok-woo and cellist Kim So-yeon, both of the SPO

BTS has released a trailer for its upcoming album, raising fans’ expectations. At midnight on Thursday, the group revealed a teaser video titled “Epiphany” for its upcoming album “Love Yourself: Answer” through its official YouTube channel.  Big Hit Entertainment)The video features the group’s member Jin sitting in the middle of a room alone, while “Epiphany,” a track from the album plays in the background. Then another image of Jin appears, showing various images of him in the same place. The r

Red Velvet“Summer Magic”IRIVERUntil now, we all thought that nothing would top “Red Flavor,” Red Velvet’s biggest feat that was even blared at North Korea, where K-pop is forbidden. But with the act’s new seasonal album, Red Velvet proves that it does not linger in the past, but instead takes itself to the next level. Living up to the group’s nickname “summer queen,” Red Velvet’s new EP “Summer Magic” is rife with all the elements that will elevate your mood. Don’t let your expectations get too

Pop duo MXM has released concept photos ahead of the release of its debut album “More Than Ever” next week.The duo, Im Young-min and Kim Dong-hyun, released two sets of photos on Instagram on Monday, as the upcoming album is to be released Tuesday the following week in two different versions.The “More” version showed the duo’s youthful side, with the two in bright clothes and flashing a smile.Members of MXM cut a stylish figure in a new teaser image. (Brand New Music)MXM looked more mature in th

(Screenshot from YouTube)K-pop powerhouse Red Velvet is famous for its quirky and memorable music videos. While some aspects are pretty obvious, such as featuring the girls in the most stylish and savvy way possible, the videos always contain some multi-layered messages, allowing fans leeway to make various interpretations. Following last year’s chart-topper “Red Flavor,” Red Velvet returned with new summer single “Power Up,” which is also rife with hidden meanings and references. Here are some

The self-proclaimed “biggest outdoor club in the world” is gearing up for this year’s edition at Korea’s port city of Incheon, with BigCityBeats World Club Dome Korea 2018 to be held from Sept. 14-16.The Korea Tourism Organization on Tuesday signed an agreement with the Incheon Metropolitan Government and Peter Pan MPC, the host of the show, to cooperate for the successful operation of the event. Last year’s event brought together over 100,000 fans from Korea and overseas. The organizers of the

Girl group Mamamoo’s Moonbyul is actively promoting K-pop to Vietnamese audiences as a video jockey on a music chart show in the Southeast Asian country.  (RBW Entertainment)Moonbyul already meets with Vietnamese fans every Thursday through Vietnam’s only chart program, “V Heartbeat,” which airs via Naver’s V app. Now Moonbyul is joining “V Heartbeat” as a VJ to introduce K-pop news and music. Mamamoo’s songs have ranked highly on Vietnam’s iTunes chart, and the Vietnamese audiences have been qu