Black Pink has done it again.　Back with its second EP “Square Two,” the rookie girl group topped both local and global music charts upon the mini album’s release Tuesday. “Playing with Fire,” one of two title tracks from the EP, dominated seven local music charts -- Olleh Music, Mnet, Bugs, Naver Music, Soribada, Monkey3 and Genie -- as of Tuesday morning. Ranked just below “Playing with Fire” is the other lead track “Stay,” which topped iTunes charts in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Thailand and

It has been another big year for Korean hip-hop, with more talent entering the mainstream music scene this year. Hip-hop survival shows like “Show Me the Money” continued to be major boosters of the genre, even driving ordinary office workers to rent studios and try their hand at rapping. However, the trend could change next year, according to Brave Entertainment CEO and chief producer Kang Dong-cheol, who goes by the stage name Brave Brother. The 37-year-old star producer believes that electron

Local opera lovers will get the chance to see two vastly different operas this November -- Richard Wagner’s rarely staged “Lohengrin” and Giuseppe Verdi’s musical interpretation of one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies “Macbeth.” Following on the heels of “Tosca” earlier this month, the National Korea Opera is gearing up to present its second production of the season -- the mystically romantic tale of “Lohengrin,” which is being staged for the first time in Korea in four decades. In 2013, the

After returning with one of the most anticipated albums of the season, Twice continues to set new records.　The group’s latest mini album “TWICEcoaster: LANE 1,” which topped major local music charts after its release on Oct. 24, has so far sold some 165,000 copies, according to Gaon Music Chart on Monday. To date, it is this year’s fastest-selling album from a K-pop girl group within a week. Twice’s second EP “Page Two,” just recently reached the 165,000 sales mark, six months after its release.

CL of South Korean girl group 2NE1 set out on her first-ever solo North America tour, her agency said on Sunday.The 25-year-old female rapper threw the first party of her "HELLO BI+CHES TOUR 2016" at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York on Saturday, US time, YG Entertainment said in a press release. (YG Entertainment)The K-pop artist will hold concerts in a total of nine cities in the US and Canada.The New York concert kicked off with an introductory video presentation of CL's personal history,

NEW YORK (AP) -- Say hello to Jennifer Lopez in NBC‘s forthcoming “Bye Bye Birdie.”NBC says the actress-singer will headline its 2017 live holiday musical. She will play Rosie, the role originated on Broadway in 1960 by Chita Rivera.Tony Award-winning Harvey Fierstein will write the script.“Bye Bye Birdie Live!” airs a year from now as the next in NBC’s annual live-musical tradition. “Hairspray Live!,” starring newcomer Maddie Baillio, is set to air on Dec. 7. Jennifer Lopez performs at a Get Ou

Celebrations to focus on Yun’s musical legacy

B1A4 is expanding its presence in Japan.　The K-pop boy band recently signed to Universal Music Japan in an effort to increase its popularity in the country, according to the group’s local management agency WM Entertainment on Friday. 　“We decided to work with B1A4 for the group’s appeal, shown by each member’s limitless potential and their abilities as singers and producers,” said Universal Music Japan in a statement. “We will be actively overseeing and managing the group’s Japanese releases.”Ot

Members of girl group Rainbow are heading in different directions, the group’s management agency DSP Entertainment announced Friday.　“After a long discussion about their futures, Rainbow’s Kim Jae-kyung, Go Woo-ri, Kim Ji-sook, Noeul, Oh Seung-ah, Jung Yoon-hye and Jo Hyun-young unfortunately decided to go their separate ways,” the agency said in a statement. 　The group’s contract with company is scheduled to come to an end on Nov. 12. 　 “We are sincerely grateful for all of the fans who have su

Lady Gaga“Joanne”(Universal)Lady Gaga has spent the last few years proving her vocal chops -- the Grammy-winning album with Tony Bennett, the show-stopping “Sound of Music” tribute at last year’s Academy Awards, her performance of “Till it Happens to You” for her Oscar nomination this year -- and her strong voice is the star of the promising but uneven “Joanne.”Those performances may have hinted at what this album could be: a stylistic departure from her dance-pop past. “Joanne” is more like a r

The Pretenders“Alone” (BMG)Chrissie Hynde reverts to her Pretenders moniker on “Alone,” a soulful production helmed by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and starring her tough-as-nails vulnerability. Hynde’s wonderful voice, one of rock’s best, can weaken knees even by reading a phone book. While the album sports all kinds of modern-retro sounds, her vocals propel the fast ones and elevate the ballads with her usual empathy and authority.Opening with the declarative title track, which has a piano rif

Leonard Cohen“You Want It Darker” (Columbia Records)Leonard Cohen’s late, late career resurgence reaches new heights on “You Want It Darker,” an elegant treatise with deep-felt layers of wisdom and a sense of finality. Produced mostly by son Adam, Cohen’s third studio album in five years puts his most effective musical forms through a filter of restraint. Nothing distracts from the 82-year-old’s haunting lyrics, and his vocals remain both otherworldly and down-to-earth.A physical, naked bass lin

Pop Music“2016 Shinwa Live -- Unchanging”: Shinhwa, a K-pop boy band that has been active since 1998, is holding a concert at the Korea International Exhibition & Convention Center in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, on Dec. 17 and 18 at 4 p.m. Prior to the show, Shinhwa will be releasing its 13th studio album “Unchanging” on Nov. 29. A track on the album titled “She Said” was released on Oct. 22. The six-member veteran boy band has a number of hits under its belt, including “This Love,” “Wild Eyes,” “

Singer-songwriter Kangta is returning to the spotlight for the first time in nearly a decade.Best known as part of first-generation K-pop boy band H.O.T, Kangta will unveil a new album next month, according to the artist’s management agency S.M. Entertainment on Thursday. 　This is the singer’s first release since his fourth solo album “Eternity,” which was announced in 2008 before he embarked on his mandatory military service.  Over the years, Kangta has appeared on various television programs i

K-pop boy band Beast may be taking on a new venture in the entertainment industry. 　The group, which celebrated its seventh anniversary earlier this month, is reportedly partnering with a former producer from JYP Pictures -- a moving pictures unit of K-pop powerhouse JYP Entertainment -- to create a new entertainment agency, according to industry insiders on Thursday. 　With this new project, Beast is setting its sights beyond the music industry with the aim of appearing in more dramas, variety s