BEIRUT (AFP) ― A Syrian from war-torn Aleppo was declared the winner of this year’s “Arab Idol” singing contest at the grand finale of the grueling four-month television competition in Beirut last weekend.The audience at Saturday’s finale broke into applause and cheers, chanting “Syria! Syria!” and “Hazem!” when the jury of the pan-Arab song contest announced Hazem Sherif as the winner.The 21-year-old kept clear of politics, avoiding taking sides in the nearly four-year conflict that has divided

NEW YORK (AP) ― If you wanted to make a time capsule of what happened in pop music this year, Friday night’s Jingle Ball ― the annual extravaganza held in Madison Square Garden put on by pop station Z100 ― would most likely provide the most accurate account. There was Pharrell ― with the hat ― crooning his hit “Happy”; Iggy Azalea rapping and posturing as she breezed through “Fancy”; Jessie J and Ariana Grande playfully one-upping each other in the power-vocal showcase smash “Bang Bang”; and Meg

Lorde’s ‘Mockingjay’ soundtrack gets darkVarious artists“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”(Republic Records)It was only a matter of time before Lorde graduated from contributing a song for “Catching Fire” to taking over the soundtrack for the latest “Hunger Games” soundtrack in which the 18-year-old chanteuse curates a concoction of dark magic, enchanting tunes and revolutionary feelings. As the world of Katniss Everdeen gets darker with sacrifice, violence

A memoir by the late rock singer Shin Hae-chul will be published on Christmas Eve, the publisher Munhakdongne said.“Mawang Shin Hae-chul” is a collection of short essays and stories that Shin wrote before he died in October. “Mawang,” or demon lord, is the late singer’s nickname. Having found Shin’s writings on his personal computer, the bereaved family decided to publish the book to tell the legendary rocker’s personal story.  Late singer Shin Hae-chul’s posthumous book “Mawang Shin Hae-chul.”

NEW YORK (AFP) ― Bob Dylan’s new album which will come out in February will feature interpretations of classics sung by Frank Sinatra, all stripped down and recorded with minimal studio production.Dylan had previously confirmed he was working on his 36th studio album, entitled “Shadows in the Night,” but little was known about it.The album features the 73-year-old rock legend’s versions of 10 popular songs, which are mostly from the 1940s. All have been performed by Sinatra among other artists.“

After moving to New York from Paris with wide-eyed dreams of moving to Harlem to pursue a life with jazz, David Naze instead found himself unexpectedly enthralled with Korean culture. Living in Big Apple for two years and being exposed to the city’s large Korean community, Naze said that he was so eager to discover Korean culture that he decided to pack his things and do away with his American dreams to move here despite having no concrete plans. Now in his third year in Korea, Naze has founded

A scene from FrozenNEW YORK (AP) ― The soundtrack for “Frozen” and Pharrell’s viral “Happy” are the year’s top-selling album and song on iTunes. Apple announced Monday that Taylor Swift’s “1989,” just released in October, is behind “Frozen.” Coldplay’s “Ghost Stories,” Sam Smith’s “In the Lonely Hour” and the “Guardians of the Galaxy” soundtrack round out the Top 5 albums. John Legend’s “All of Me,” Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse,” “Talk Dirty” by Jason Derulo and Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” follow “Happy”

NEW YORK (AP) ― The year’s brightest newcomer, Sam Smith; the most nominated female in Grammy history, Beyonce; and mega-producer Pharrell led the Grammy Award nominations announced Friday, with six nominations apiece. Smith’s “In the Lonely Hour,” Beyonce’ surprise self-titled release and Pharrell’s “G I R L” will compete for the coveted album of the year, along with Beck’s “Morning Phase” and Ed Sheeran’s “X,” the most streamed album on Spotify this year. Beyonce Knowles (AP/Evan Agostini), Sa

Rejoice for the return of the kings of rock and roll comedy. Hollywood actor and notoriously foul-mouthed comedic icon Jack Black and his rock and roll partner in crime, Kyle Gass, delivered a non-stop barrel of laughs during Tenacious D’s first concert in Korea at the Seoul Olympic Park on Friday night. A band that’s all about racy humor and politically incorrect lyrics, Tenacious D ― with Black on lead vocals and guitar and long-time friend Gass on guitar ― performed two live shows at the Olym

Pop music“Tenacious D”: Rock musician and Hollywood actor Jack Black, best known for his role as Dewey Finn in the blockbuster hit “School of Rock,” will be coming to Seoul along with bandmate Kyle Gass for the comedy rock duo Tenacious D’s first concert in Korea. The band is known for Black’s thespian-like vocals and the quick-witted crude humor that people have come to expect from the rocker-comedian. In 2012, Tenacious D released its most recent album, “Rize of the Fenix,” which received a Gr

Sam Hunt’s ‘Montevallo’ romantic, relaxedSam Hunt“Montevallo”MCA NashvilleA former college football quarterback, Sam Hunt might be expected to huddle up with all the macho, in-your-face male country singers currently filling the radio airwaves. But the Georgia native takes a more relaxed, romantic stance on “Montevallo,’’ his R&B-influenced country music debut. While most contemporary country stars lean on hyper hip-hop beats and fast-moving raps to accent their dirt-road sound, Hunt turns to R&

NEW YORK (AFP) ― U2, whose last tour in 2009-2011 was the highest-grossing ever, on Wednesday announced concerts in 2015 across North America and Europe and promised variety in its sets.The tour plans indicate that front man Bono expects a full recovery after a bicycle accident last month. He was replaced by Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay’s Chris Martin during a surprise show for AIDS relief Monday in New York.The Irish superstars announced shows in 19 cities starting with Vancouver’s Rogers Are