One of the most frequently posed questions to BTS in the last few years has been about the secret to its global success: The act started out as a lesser-known hip-hop group for whom a crossover felt like a far-fetched dream. There have been countless efforts to analyze the act’s grand saga, but BTS gave a rather clear and down-to-earth answer to that ubiquitous question: “Competition.” BTS poses during a press conference for its new album “Love Yourself: Tear” in Seoul on Thursday. (Yonhap)“We c

Backing the classical theory that spring is the best season for love, SBS’ new romantic comedy “Handsome Guy and Jung-eum” hopes to hit the small screen as the ultimate feel-good series that is free of any complications or sadness. "Our drama focuses on dating. Rather than depicting romance’s complex and heavy sides, the series is more about being comical and incorporating cartoonish elements,” said director Kim Yu-jin during a press conference for the drama in Seoul on Wednesday.  (SBS)“It’s ju

Eleven years after her debut K-pop artist Yubin is finally standing on her own, gearing up for the release of her first album as a solo artist.JYP Entertainment on Wednesday released the teaser image for her upcoming record, which will be released at 6 p.m. on June 6. The image features Chinese characters that translate to “city woman,” and “Yubin.”The agency noted that Yubin has been “carefully considering” what image to take for her new album, as this is her first step towards a solo career. T

BTS “Love Yourself: Tear”IRIVERFor artists who have become a household name, facing a tremendous burden over musical creativity and the relentless question “What should I do next to satisfy fans?” is nothing new. But BTS, one of the most popular boy bands in the world, seems to have a clear answer to the question. Since the start, BTS’ focus has always been on connecting with listeners and using its members’ own stories as leverage. And the group has not deviated from that in its new album “Love

Once-embattled orchestra struggles to return to normalcy by filling vacant posts, resuming overseas tours

Producer-CEO Bang Si-hyuk of Big Hit Entertainment, the label of K-pop heavyweight BTS, has made it to Billboard’s annual list of international power players. According to Billboard’s list on Monday, Bang, one of 73 music industry executives on the list, is included in the recording category.  (Big Hit Entertainment)The US magazine mentioned the massive global success of BTS’ albums, highlighting that the act’s “Love Yourself: Her” album, produced by Bang, has sold over 1.6 million copies worldw

Bang Si-hyuk, the chief of the talent agency managing K-pop boy band BTS, has been chosen as one of Billboard's "International Power Players." The CEO and executive producer of Big Hit Entertainment was one of 73 music industry executives who "are in the vanguard," according to the list posted on Billboard's website on Monday (US time).Bang was chosen for the "recording" category of the list, which Billboard has announced since 2014.  Big Hit Entertainment CEO Bang Si-hyuk (Twitter)"Produced by

Twice’s new single “Wake Me Up” sold over 200,000 copies within the first week of its release in Japan, marking the third straight hit for the K-pop act.The girl group has so far released three singles in the country, with “One More Time,” “Candy Pop” also selling more than 200,000 records in their first week. According to Oricon News, this makes the K-pop the first foreign artist in Japan to accomplish such feat in its first three records. Cover art for “Wake Me Up” (JYP Entertainment)The 262,5

South Koreans are known for their love for singing. Singing competition programs are always favored by the local audience, while some of them take part in the shows and rise to stardom themselves. To those who missed the chance to appear on TV, YouTube has become another outlet to show off their heavenly voices. Here is a list of the talented YouTube singers in Korea, who are best known for cover songs. 5. Lim Han-byul (118,129 subscribers) (Lim Han-byul's YouTube)Once a member of the K-pop grou

The top Psy impersonators from around the country will attempt to overshadow the “Gangnam Style” star himself, as the K-pop star on Monday confirmed his appearance on JTBC’s “Hidden Singer.”In an announcement made earlier in the day, the broadcaster said it was looking for those who can sing just like Psy. It has not been confirmed when the episode will air. Psy(Yonhap)“Hidden Singer” is a show in which singers and people impersonating them sing without showing their faces. A celebrity panel com

In 2014, when BTS was a rookie group worried about finding 200 fans to fill a concert venue in Los Angeles, who would have imagined that it would one day become the first K-pop act to fire up the Billboard Music Awards?In a watershed moment in K-pop history, BTS on Sunday won the Billboard Music Awards’ top social artist award for the second consecutive year. It also performed the world premiere of its new track “Fake Love” during the awards show at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. B

BTS performed its new track “Fake Love” at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, US time. The six-member boy band delivered an energetic performance, showing off powerful dance moves alongside emotion-filled vocals. International fans in the audience were spotted cheering and singing along to the song, with some appearing teary-eyed.The song is from BTS’ latest album “Love Yourself: Tear.” BTS won the top social artist award at the awards for the second consecutive year. By Rumy Doo (doo@he

K-pop sensation BTS won a Billboard Music Award in the Top Social Artist category on Monday, dominating the fan-voted category for the second year in a row.The South Korean septet defeated four competing singers including Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande to grab the award at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday (US time).As their name was called, the seven-member act took the stage with bright smiles amid roaring cheers from fans.  BTS attends the 2

A publicity photo of South Korea boy band BTS, provided by Big Hit Entertainment (Yonhap)The video for BTS' "Blood Sweat & Tears" has garnered more than 300 million views on YouTube, becoming the fourth video by the K-pop sensation to hit the milestone.The video for the lead song on "Wings," the group's second full-length album, released in October 2016, reached 300 million views on the global video-hosting site Sunday evening, according to Big Hit Entertainment. BTS has three other songs -- "D

Fans are flocking to watch Black Pink perform in Japan, as the girl group recently added one more concert to its first tour of arenas in the country. According to Japanese media, the tour was originally to consist of six concerts in Osaka, Fukuoka and Chiba Prefecture from July 24 to Aug. 26. But YG Entertainment decided to add one more concert in Chiba, due to a flood of requests from fans. The tour is expected to attract 66,000 fans. Last year, Black Pink held its debut showcase in the country