Greenplugged Seoul 2014 features 97 local acts of various genres

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) ― The wildly popular “Gangnam Style” music video cemented its place Saturday as one of the defining soundtracks of the digital age, smashing through the 2 billion barrier on YouTube.The infectious and satirical mega-hit by South Korean pop star Psy became a worldwide sensation, fueling a South Korean “K-pop” trend after it was first uploaded to the popular video sharing platform in July 2012.It continues to garner thousands of looks daily and already was hundreds of thousands

NEW YORK (AP) ― Five years after her musical breakthrough, Susan Boyle says she’s feeling confident and comfortable ― and ready to launch her first U.S. tour. The 53-year-old will hit the road in October on a 21-date trek. Boyle said she hadn’t been ready to take on the tour after her pop culture moment in 2009, but now she’s more relaxed and ready to perform. “I didn’t have the confidence. I didn’t have the right experience, but I feel more ready now, and I really can’t wait,” she said in a pho

 Pop MusicUltra Korea Music Festival: The annual Ultra Music Festival, one of the world’s largest outdoor electronica music fests, will be in full swing in Seoul once again. Last summer’s event drew more than 80,000 EDM fans. Like last year, this year’s lineup will include a handful of world famous DJ acts including Steve Aoki, Above & Beyond, Steve Angello and Paul Vanduk. The festival will be held on June 13 and 14 at Seoul Olympic Park’s Olympic Stadium Complex. Tickets are listed at 130,000

Iggy AzaleaLOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Australian rapper Iggy Azalea has scored a U.S. chart double only previously achieved by the Beatles, with hits at No. 1 and No. 2, Billboard magazine said Wednesday. The Aussie star’s “Fancy” rose from the No. 2 spot to top the Billboard Hot 100, while she appears as a guest on Ariana Grande’s “Problem,” which moved from third to second place. The Fab Four are the only other band to have their two debut hits score the top two spots, with “I Want to Hold Your Hand”

Hyundai Card announces second-string lineup that also includes Hoobastank, Locofrank, Cocobat and Yellow Monsters

TOMS RIVER, New Jersey (AP) ― Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora drew on his own past in debuting a song at a New Jersey forum on drug abuse. Tuesday night’s event at a high school arena was aimed at raising awareness about the abuse of heroin and prescription painkillers along the Jersey shore. A New Jersey native, Sambora unveiled a song he wrote called “Lighthouse,” about providing hope to people mired in addiction. He acknowledged he once abused drugs, but said he’s clean now. “I got firsthan

New band debuts with ‘Well-known Melody’

Seoul Philharmonic, NHK Symphony to perform Mahler symphonies

Fly to the Sky continues to soar on new albumFly to the Sky“Continuum” (LOEN Entertainment)Despite five years of being apart, popular male R&B duo Fly to the Sky has returned strong and unchanged with its ninth studio album “Continuum.”The 10-track album is filled with the duo’s signature sound, characterized by the deep, resonant vocals of Hwanhee, which are balanced out by Brian Joo’s light and clear singing.“You You You,” the second track, is a yearning ballad about not being able to let go o

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Big-voiced rocker Caleb Johnson is the season 13 “American Idol,” winning the title over teenage pop singer Jena Irene. “This is crazy,” Johnson said after host Ryan Seacrest announced the TV audience’s decision on Wednesday’s season finale of the Fox contest. Johnson, 23, of Asheville, North Carolina, and Irene, 17, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, told each other “you da bomb” before the result was revealed. Runner-up Irene is getting a consolation prize: The two competitors a

At 91 years of age, legendary Israeli violinist Ivry Gitlis shows no signs of retiring his bow as he has returned to Korea after two decades to perform a special solo concert in Seoul and to conduct two master violin classes. “I don’t remember exactly when it was (when I was last in Korea), but it was anyways the last century,” said Gitlis during a press conference held in Jung-gu on Wednesday. In his nearly nine-decade-long affair with the violin, Gitlis has become one of the most highly decora