Boy band 2PM celebrated eight years together with their fans at two “House Party” concerts at the Olympic Park Gymnastics Arena on Saturday and Sunday in Seoul. Kicking off the performance with a rendition of “Go Crazy” packed with special effects, 2PM sped forward with their past hit “I Hate You,” two songs from their new album, “Jump” and “Magic,” and their party song “Hands Up.”2PM performs at the 'House Party' concert (JYP Entertainment)The stage was set to sprawl across the arena‘s floor, w

Hudson Mohawke’s ‘Lantern’ illuminates nicely　　Hudson Mohawke, “Lantern.”(Warp)　 Scottish electronic music producer Hudson Mohawke is out with his sophomore album, “Lantern,” a lush blend of edgy vocals and smartly managed mixes that are ripe for hip lounge listening.　Ross Birchard, who goes by the stage name Hudson Mohawke, began his mix career on traditional turntables before migrating to more intricate remix environments. “Lantern” builds well on his discography, coming off experimental and u

Nah Youn-sun hopes to be a bridge, inspiration

　BoA will become the first female idol star to have a solo concert at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, according to her agency SM Entertainment on Wednesday.　The singer will be performing at the iconic Sejong Center in time to mark the 15th anniversary of her debut. The concert is particularly meaningful because of the prestigious Sejong Center’s reputation for being a tough venue to break into for pop artists.  BoA (Herald file photo)　BoA debuted in 2000 with “ID: Peace B” and went on

　JYP Entertainment confirmed Wednesday that the Wonder Girls are preparing to return to the stage.　The girl group, which debuted in 2007 and rapidly rose to fame through dance hits including “Tell Me,” “So Hot” and “2 Different Tears,” will be switching up their style on their next album by performing as a four-member band.  Wonder Girls (JYP Entertainment)　Original members Sunye and Sohee will be missing from the lineup, leaving Yubin on drums, Hyelim on guitar, Yenny on keyboard and Sunmi on b

　AOA’s Jimin, Choa, Hyejeong, Seolhyun, Mina, Yuna and Chanmi are back as lacrosse players for their third EP, “Heart Attack,” dressed in sporty blue and yellow outfits for the stage. 　Monday they held a press showcase at the AX-Korea Concert Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, styled in the format of a sports contest.AOA performs "Heart Attack" at AX-Korea on Monday. (Yonhap)　On their long-awaited comeback, Hyejeong noted, “It‘s been eight months since we all performed together as a group. We missed ea

Singer-songwriter Jane Jang spent three years away from the public eye fighting a creeping paralysis resulting from a neurological condition called dystonia.Although it must have been a difficult period for the 24-year-old singer-songwriter, Jang did not let any negativity break her bubbly mood as she spoke with The Korea Herald at a cafe in Seoul on June 17.“The past three years? I had a great time,” she said. “I got to hang out with friends, enjoy the small everyday things.”“Still, I feel rela

‘My goal is and always has been, “Be a better pianist than yesterday.’”

Singer-songwriter Hong Dae-kwang rose to fame through the TV star discovery program “Superstar K4,” but that wasn’t his first experience performing for the public. On the show, he created buzz by talking about his extensive experiences busking on the street, and he says that those experiences influenced the way he approached his third EP, “With You.”“I worked with a team that is really experienced and talented at creating really commercial albums,” Hong said in a conversation with The Korea Hera

Despite the ongoing Middle East respiratory syndrome scare in South Korea, an annual international EDM festival drew as many as 100,000 music lovers in Seoul over the weekend.Ultra Korea, the Korean arm of the global Ultra Music Festival, soldiered on with its schedule on June 12 and 13, opting to reinforce preventive measures against the outbreak rather than calling off the event. Bottles of disinfectant gel were placed in and out the stadium while everyone entering was scanned with body temper

Kim Feel, a breakout star from the audition program “Superstar K6,” dropped his first EP, “Feel Free,” Thursday. The EP, he said, would be a way to introduce himself to the world as a musician.“On ‘Superstar K,’ we mostly performed cover songs. This is the first time that I’m coming out with songs that I helped to create, with my stories, with the kind of music I hope to keep performing in the future,” Kim said at a press showcase at M Cube in Seoul on Thursday.With the exception of just one tra

Popular singer and actor Lee Seung-gi on Wednesday dropped his long-awaited album “And ... .”The sixth full-length album, which was unveiled on local music sites, arrives almost three years after Lee’s last EP, “Forest,” released in November 2012 and four years since the fifth full-length album, “Tonight,” in Oct. 2011. The first single of the album, “And Goodbye,” is a rock ballad track crafted by renowned composer Kim Do-hoon, who is behind Lee’s popular songs “Words That Are Hard to Say,” “Wi

Band’s three members push themselves to find new psychedelic thrills for fans

Two of K-pop’s biggest acts, Big Bang and Beast, held sold-out concerts in China and Taiwan over the weekend.Big Bang hit the stage at the Beijing MasterCard Center on June 5 and 6 on their “MADE” tour. The 25-song set list included past hits like “Tonight” and “Bad Boy,” as well as “Loser” and “Bae Bae” from their “M” EP and “Bang Bang Bang” and “We Like 2 Party,” the two songs from their most recent “A” EP released a week ago. Beijing was the first city to see “Bang Bang Bang” performed live o

Nelson, Haggard uninspired on 4th collaborative discWillie Nelson and Merle Haggard“Django and Jimmie”(Sony Legacy)The two grand old men of country music, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, are among the last living ties to an era when giants like Ernest Tubb and Bob Wills filled honky tonks. Nelson is 82 and Haggard is 78, and while their warm voices show some mileage, their range of expression remains remarkable, and their phrasing often is impeccable.On their fourth album together, “Django and