Rain and Kim Tae-hee held a private wedding ceremony Thursday at Gahoe-dong Cathedral in central Seoul.  Rain (left) and Kim Tae-hee (Yonhap)The superstar couple’s wedding Mass lasted about 90 minutes. Rain wore a black suit while the bride wore a white dress that hit above knee. Only family members and a few close friends, including Park Jin-young, the head of JYP Entertainment and Rain‘s former boss, attended the Mass. In celebration of the new couple, Park sang “Only You,” the song he had wri

Markus Stenz debuts as SPO conductor-in-residence with milestone performance

NEW YORK (AFP) -- Chart-topping singer John Legend and metal legend Metallica will be among the performers at this year’s Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy announced Wednesday.The music industry’s signature gala takes place in Los Angeles on Feb. 12, with Beyonce leading nominations.Legend, who is best known for his ballad “All of Me,” is a favorite of the Grammys. The 38-year-old has won 10 awards and has performed each year since 2014.Metallica, one of the most influential groups in heavy m

NEW YORK (AFP) -- In an era of intense political division, the new production of “Romeo et Juliette” at New York’s Metropolitan Opera brings the classic tale of warring families to a universe of palpable power and ostentation.Director Bartlett Sher’s vision for the opera, written in 1867 by Charles Gounod, keeps the action in Verona but shifts from the Renaissance to the 18th century -- a decadent world of puffed-up wigs that recall Marie Antoinette and ball gowns in royal reds and purples.“When

LONDON (AFP) - British conductor Simon Rattle on Tuesday called for a new concert hall in London to make the city more competitive on the international music scene, as he takes up his baton at the London Symphony Orchestra.He threw his weight behind a 280 million pound ($347 million) project aimed at creating a “Centre for Music” equipped for the digital era.The plans involve building a new hall on the site of the Museum of London, which is relocating nearby, which would become the new home of t

South Korean girl group TWICE will roll out a special album next month, seeking to carry on its winning streak of online music streaming and album sales in the competitive, rapidly changing market, the band's management agency said Wednesday. (JYP Entertainment)According to music industry sources, the special album is currently in production for release in late February. It will be a repackaged version of the group's hit third EP "TWICEcoaster:LANE1," which will include a newly produced track."I

The agencies of K-pop star BoA and actor Joo Won on Wednesday confirmed reports the two are in a romantic relationship. Earlier in the day, a local media outlet reported the two had been dating since late 2016. They reportedly met via a shared acquaintance. Confirming the reports, BoA’s agency S.M. Entertainment said in an official statement the two had “grown fond of each other through shared interests such as music and acting.”Joo Won’s agency Huayi Brothers also confirmed the reports, althoug

Project girl group I.O.I reached for the sky for the final time with the latest single “Downpour” topping local music charts after its release Wednesday.“Downpour,” the last single for the rookie sensation, stood firmly at No. 1 on Mnet and Genie chart. It slipped to No. 3 on Melon after debuting at the top spot upon its midnight release.The song’s lyrics depict the sadness of leaving someone, likening it to an abrupt downpour. The 11-member band reportedly decided on their last song through a p

Suzy of MissA topped major Korean music charts with a new solo track Tuesday, emerging triumphant in a highly anticipated face-off with Seohyun of Girls’ Generation.Suzy’s “Pretend” was the No. 1 song as of 8 a.m. on eight streaming services, including Melon, Mnet, Genie, Olleh Music and Naver Music. Her full EP album will be released on Jan. 24.Seohyun’s “Don’t Say No,” which also came out Tuesday, stood in second place on Mnet and Olleh Music, third on Bugs Music and 19th on Melon. Both releas

Singer Rain announced Tuesday he plans to marry Kim Tae-hee, an actress he has dated for over four years. “I am going to be a good husband and man as a head of one family,” he said in a handwritten letter posted on his Instagram account earlier in the day. “She has always kept her place beside me whenever I am in hard times or happy and showed affection in many ways,” he said. Singer Rain Actress Kim Tae-heeThe date of marriage was not given, with Rain only saying, “Regarding the time and the we

The group's youngest member steps out of shadows in her solo debut

Rain is back with the release of his single “Best Present” after a three-year break in his singing career.The single was released midnight Sunday. It garnered a solid response from the public, reaching No. 13 on Genie’s daily music chart, while marking No. 2 on Mnet’s. “Thank you for all the attention, even though it has been three years. I will be releasing a dance number, soon,” the singer said via Twitter. Co-written and produced by Psy and Yoo Gun-hyung, the R&B song has lyrics depicting a c

K-pop sensations Exo and Twice scooped up the grand prizes for the best album and best song of the year at the 31st annual Golden Disc Awards.The annual award show has been decorating the most prominent artists in Korea since 1986. Since 2006, it has been holding separate ceremonies for best album and best song categories. Exo’s third studio album “Ex’Act” landed the boy band its fourth consecutive grand prize in the album category. The accolade wrapped up another impressive year for the K-pop j