Pianist Cho Seong-jin on Thursday announced his first nationwide recital tour, scheduled to kickoff in Busan on Sunday. At a press conference held at the Seoul Arts Center on Thursday, Cho said that the program for the tour features his favorite pieces, including those by Beethoven, Debussy, as well as Chopin, for whom the Korean pianist is best known.Pianist Cho Seong-jin performs during a press conference held at the Seoul Arts Center in Seoul on Thursday. (Yonhap)“I have been wanting to play

Suzy will return with her second solo EP in late January. The singer-actress’s agency JYP Entertainment announced Thursday that “Suzy’s new EP will be dropped on Jan. 29 through local music applications and websites. Some of the tracks will be prereleased a week earlier.”  Suzy (JYP Entertainment)Suzy is currently in Los Angeles shooting four music videos for the EP. Formerly a member of the now defunct group Miss A, Suzy has contributed to the soundtracks of drama series in which she also had a

S.M. Entertainment, one of Korea’s leading K-pop agencies, announced Thursday that it will hold auditions around the world to search for aspiring K-pop stars. The upcoming auditions, titled “2018 S.M. Global Audition,” will begin in Korea on Jan. 21 before traveling to 45 cities across 10 countries, including China, the US and Japan, until December. S.M. will also be holding an audition in Vietnam for the first time. Auditions will be held in five cities in Korea -- Seoul, Jeonju, Daejeon, Gwang

About eight months after introducing her sweet and bubbly self to the K-pop scene, soloist Kriesha Chu released her first EP “Dream of Paradise” Wednesday. When this 20-year-old Filipina-American K-pop sweetheart released her debut single “Trouble” in May, she was covered in an innocent and pure vibe, more so because of her signature beaming smile that brightened up the stage. With “Dream of Paradise,” Chu’s sugary and bubbly nature remain the same, but there seems to be a slight change in her s

EXO’s Baekhyun apologized for his choice of words regarding depression. A supposed fan uploaded a clip from a conversation that she had with the singer at a fan event on Dec. 30. In the audio clip, Baekhyun could be heard saying, “I don’t know why people get depressed.”  (S.M. Entertainment)The singer was criticized for being inconsiderate of people who suffer from depression. The statement came as a shock for fans, especially since his label mate Jonghyun died by suicide last month and had suff

Chin Un-suk, Berlin-based composer of contemporary classical music, on Tuesday said that she has decided to leave the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, where she has been its composer-in-residence since 2006. Chin also held the orchestra’s artistic adviser post since 2016, a year after maestro Chung Myung-whun left the SPO at the end of 2015 after 10 years. Chin Un-suk (SPO)“I hope to later return to make a contribution to Korean music,“ Chin said in the email she wrote to her colleagues and fans. “

Solo artist Sunmi will drop her new single “Heroine” on Jan. 18, her agency MakeUs Entertainment said Tuesday, about five months after she released the infectious dance pop song “Gashina.” A teaser image released on her official social media account showed roses of different colors frozen in a chunk of ice. Roses have been an overarching image and concept for her East-Asia-inspired “Gashina.” A teaser image for Sunmi’s upcoming single “Heroine.” (MakeUs Entertainment)According to the agency, Sun

BTS’ success expected to spill over to rest of K-pop scene

Dating rumors between Big Bang‘s G-Dragon and singer-turned-actress Lee Joo-yeon have resurfaced. A local media outlet on Monday reported that the Big Bang frontman and Lee, formerly a member of K-pop girl group After School, have been secretly dating for over a year, claiming that the two celebs recently went on a four-day trip to Jeju Island together. The two were swept up in dating rumors in November last year, when the photos of the two enjoying a trip in Hawaii raised suspicions among fans.

Reigning K-pop act Twice became the first K-pop act to attend Japan’s renowned year-end music festival “Kohaku Uta Gassen” in six-years. On Sunday, the nine-piece girl group performed the Japanese version of its breakout hit “TT” at the annual Japanese show produced by NHK and held live at NHK Hall. The group was the latest K-pop artist to have participated in the show, following TVXQ, Kara and Girls’ Generation. Due to the show’s wide reach, the program is known for inviting artists with the mo

Rounding out 2017, K-pop act Big Bang on Sunday wrapped up its last concert as a group before members’ upcoming military enlistment, with a promise to return as the complete five-piece.“Big Bang 2017 Concert Last Dance in Seoul,” the two-day concert that kicked off Saturday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, was especially meaningful to both the K-pop act and fans, as it marked Big Bang’s last performance before it goes on hiatus due to members G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung’s upcoming enlistment. And

Preparing for the first release since the departure of member Hoya, Infinite on Friday revealed a teaser image for its upcoming album “Top Seed.”The image, which was released via Woolim Entertainment’s official social media services, has the members staring at a camera as a group, which the agency said was to hint at the chemistry of the six. The album will be released on Jan. 8. Inifite (Woolim Entertainment)The K-pop act’s new album will mark its third full-length studio album, and the first r

From an unprecedented mega-hit debut to groundbreaking overseas successes, K-pop had one of its biggest years in 2017 in terms of diversity, substance and global outreach. And it will continue to be at the forefront of the resurgence of “hallyu,” or the global popularity of Korean pop culture, into 2018, according to industry watchers. From the start, the 2017 K-pop calendar was filled with back-to-back releases, with the first half and early summer highlights predominantly coming from female st

Another record was added to BTS’ collection as its member V was named the most handsome face of 2017. The Independent Critics led by TC Candler unveiled its annual lists of the 100 Most Handsome Faces of 2017 and the 100 Most Beautiful Faces of 2017 on Thursday.  (Screen captured from YouTube)On this year’s list, the K-pop superstar cruised to the top from last year’s No. 60. His bandmate Jungkook took the No. 13 spot while Jimin reached No. 64. The list was filled with many of other K-pop stars