The Korea Herald

[Herald Review] Mraz captures his niche live, pared back and unplugged

Nov 25, 2014

Sharing more popularity in the country than almost any other international pop star on the planet, Jason Mraz returned to Seoul for his seventh concert performance here in eight years ― only this time around, the singer left his amps at home. Invigorating thousands with his signature earthy, groovy beats in two sold-out acoustic concerts at the Sejong Center on Monday and Tuesday, an acoustic evening with Mraz and friends was an unexpected revelation, speaking as someone who has seen the singer
Cyndi Lauper to hold first S. Korea concert in 26 years

Nov 25, 2014

Cyndi Lauper, a popular American pop star of the 1980s, will hold two concerts in South Korea to mark the 30th anniversary of her debut solo album "She's So Unusual," a local concert agency said Tuesday. The concerts, her first in South Korea since 1989, will take place at Seoul's Olympic Park on Jan. 23-24, YESCOM Ent. said. They will be held as part of the "She's So Unusual: 30th Anniversary Tour" that began in June 2013 last year to mark the anniversary. The tour has since visited 56 cit
1D, Katy Perry win big at American Music Awards

Nov 24, 2014

American girls love British boys: One Direction won artist of the year at the American Music Awards, taking home three honors and was the night’s big winner next to Katy Perry, who didn’t attend the show. One Direction also won favorite band, duo or group ― pop/rock and favorite album ― pop/rock for “Midnight Memories” at the fan-voted show on Sunday night. “This has been a real perfect day. ... America feels like a second home to us,” Liam Payne said onstage with his band mates when they won th
Detroit to create city symphony through noise

Nov 23, 2014

NEW YORK (AFP) ― The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is asking residents to record sounds around the city in an experiment on how to turn everyday noises into classical music.The orchestra billed the project as an innovative way to involve the community in the Motor City, which has struggled economically for decades but has increasingly turned into a hub for artists drawn in part by the lower costs.Composer Tod Machover, who is also a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will use s
Gay singers test country music’s appeal

Nov 23, 2014

NEW YORK (AFP) ― Church, pickup trucks and dive bars ― the imagery of classic country songs evokes “traditional” small-town American life. Now a rising number of openly gay crooners are testing just how inclusive that vision can be.Two prominent singers came out of the closet within hours of each other on Thursday. Ty Herndon, who rose to stardom in the 1990s with both love ballads and Christian songs, declared himself to be an “out, proud and happy gay man.”Herndon, who at 52 has been married t
Billboard chart to include streaming

Nov 23, 2014

NEW YORK (AFP) ― Starting this week, the Billboard chart, the benchmark for U.S. music sales, will include streaming in its measurements to reflect the rapid growth of services such as Spotify.Billboard magazine, which produces the weekly charts with tracking company Nielsen SoundScan, described the move, announced Wednesday, as the biggest overhaul in its methodology since 1991, an era when CDs were replacing cassettes.The change indicates that the music industry is expecting a permanent role f
Eyelike: Florida Georgia Line fun on 2nd album

Nov 21, 2014

Florida Georgia Line fun on 2nd albumFlorida Georgia Line“Anything Goes”(Republic Nashville)Busting out with a record-breaking country single, as Florida Georgia Line did with its multiplatinum smash, “Cruise,” doesn’t always ensure long-term success. But “Anything Goes,” the duo’s second album, suggests they have enough talent and ideas to get past the backlash that comes with overexposure. Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley keep the mood fun and grooving, with producer Joey Moi bringing plenty of
Calle 13 wins early Latin Grammys

Nov 21, 2014

Calle 13 kicked off the 2014 Latin Grammys by giving a strong performance that looked like it was inside an Irish bar ― and by taking a pair of trophies. Calle 13 won best urban album for “Multiviral” and best alternative song for “El Aguante” (“To Tolerate”), which they performed at the top of the awards show, airing live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Thursday’s Latin Grammys were delayed about 17 minutes because of President Barack Obama’s speech on immigration, which aired liv
Singer-songwriter Choi Gonne talks ‘I was, I am, I will’

Nov 21, 2014

After releasing her debut EP in 2010, local indie singer-songwriter Choi Gonne has spent the last four years bringing her music around the world and taking all the leisurely yet methodical steps she needed to perfect her soon-to-be-released first full-length album, “I was, I am, I will.” Gonne unveiled a number of her newest singles during a press showcase held at the KT&G Sangsang Madang on Thursday, where she admitted to having recorded the entire 13-track album using only one-take sessions wi
Han Young-ae returns after 15 years

Nov 20, 2014

It has been 15 years since classic rock singer Han Young-ae released a new album. Yearning to tackle the arduous task of adapting her original ’80s psychedelic music style to today’s more eclectic music scene, Han admitted to adding a new word to her repertoire to help jumpstart her upcoming sixth studio album, “Shakipo.” “‘Hybrid’ ― have you ever heard of this?” asked Han, during a press showcase Wednesday for her new album. “This is a new term that I didn’t know until recently.” Han Young-ae p
[Herald Interview] Bringing heaven down to earth

Nov 19, 2014

Pop-opera star Lim Hyung-joo to sing more pop songs, plans album of K-pop remakes
10cm gets risque on new ‘3.0’ album

Nov 19, 2014

The lighthearted lyrical masterminds of acoustic duo 10cm have finally unveiled their third studio album, “3.0,” a release that will surprise some fans with songs of a more sexual nature. Kwon Jung-yeol and Yoon Cheol-jong, the duo that helped catapult indie music into the mainstream by singing good-natured songs about Americanos and loving someone even if they smell, claim they are slowly starting to shift toward more risque topics on their new 10-track album, which dropped Wednesday. “To be pe
Foo Fighters plan U.S. baseball stadium tour

Nov 19, 2014

NEW YORK (AFP) ― The Foo Fighters, touring to promote an album that delves into the roots of U.S. music, will play some of the country’s most historic baseball stadiums starting next year.The band, led by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, on Tuesday announced shows on July 18 and 19 at Fenway Park, the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball and home of the Boston Red Sox.A show at another historic stadium, the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field, was earlier announced and is sold out. The band also a
Pharrell Williams, Plant to play Latin Lollapaloozas

Nov 18, 2014

NEW YORK (AFP) ― Robert Plant and Pharrell Williams will be among the Lollapalooza headliners in March in Argentina, Brazil and Chile, among the first dates on the global festival calendar.The South American editions of Lollapalooza, which started as a traveling alternative rock festival before finding a permanent home in Chicago and expanding overseas, will take place in Santiago on March 14 and 15, in Buenos Aires on March 21 and 22 and in Sao Paulo on March 28 and 29.The headliners ― the same
Knowles weds video director

Nov 17, 2014

Solange Knowles. (AP-Yonhap)NEW YORK (AP) ― Solange Knowles is known for her fashion as much as her music, and her weekend wedding didn’t disappoint. Her publicist confirmed Sunday that the 28-year-old singer (and sister of Beyonce) wed 51-year-old video director Alan Ferguson over the weekend. The bride and groom both wore ivory, a color also worn by key attendees, including the bride’s mother, Tina; brother-in-law Jay Z and niece Blue Ivy. This is the second marriage for Knowles, who has a 10-