LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Pharrell Williams will perform at the Academy Awards. Oscar producers said Tuesday the producer-performer will sing his nominated song “Happy.” There was no word on whether his Grammy Award-stealing hat would make an appearance. Williams wrote “Happy” for “Despicable Me 2.” It’s nominated for original song along with U2’s “Ordinary Love” from “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” “Let It Go” by Idina Menzel from “Frozen” and Karen O’s “The Moon Song” from “Her.” The 40-year-old Wil

Ballad rock singer and big-time philanthropist Kim Jang-hoon, who has been dubbed the nation’s “Donation Angel,” has finally unveiled his latest charity project after more than a decade in the making. “Back in 2002 I had hurt my shoulder and while I was at the hospital getting treatment there was a man sitting next to me; the man was a firefighter,” said Kim at a press conference held at the Press Center in Seoul on Wednesday. “He told me that despite the difficult situations they face, they are

SM Entertainment’s ballad project group SM The Ballad will release its sophomore album “Breath” next week, the nation’s top entertainment agency said Tuesday.Prior to the album’s formal release next Thursday, three songs, including the title track, will be unveiled one by one, starting on Monday, the company said. “Breath” will feature the collaborative efforts of eight singers from SM boy and girl groups: Jonghyun from SHINee, Max Changmin from TVXQ, Krystal from f(x), Zhoumi from Super Junior-

NEW YORK (AP) ― Americans who will be at the Winter Olympics should look beyond the facilities created for the games and take a hard look at the host country itself, two members of the Russian protest punk band Pussy Riot said Tuesday. Maria Alekhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova made their first public appearance in the United States, arriving to take part in Amnesty International’s “Bringing Human Rights Home” concert on Wednesday in Brooklyn, where they will be introduced by Madonna. The women w

With nearly two decades in the rock music scene, the members of the Glasgow-based post-rock band Mogwai have made a return with their first album in three years and will be performing live in Seoul. The band recently released its eighth studio album, “Rave Tapes,” last month and in its first week, the 10-track album landed at No. 10 on the U.K. Album Charts and No. 2 on the Scottish Album Charts. To follow up their latest release, Mogwai has embarked on a worldwide tour that will bring them to K

Baroque music feature of spring concert schedules

Kim Hyung-jun of the formerly popular five-member boy band SS501 will be holding a special solo concert this week in celebration of his third anniversary since he debuted as a solo artist with his EP album “My Girl” in 2011. SS501 debuted in 2005 and released their last group album in 2010. Although its members moved on to pursue individual careers before their agency contracts expired, the group still maintains that SS501 has not disbanded. According to a representative of Kim’s agency S-Plus E

Young singer Yoo Seung-woo ― the “naturally gifted” musician who first garnered widespread attention on the singing audition program Superstar K4 as a 16-year-old high school student ― will return with his second EP album “Early 19.” Yoo’s upcoming album is scheduled to be released on Monday, with the singer looking to show listeners a new, more mature side as he enters adulthood, turning 19 this year. “This album will be drastically different from Yoo Seung-woo’s previous releases because it wi

After making a successful solo debut with hit track “24 Hours,” former Wonder Girls member Sunmi will return to the music scene with her first EP album this month. Officials at JYP Entertainment have announced that Sunmi has already completed the first half of the album and is currently working on the second. The EP is expected to be released in the middle of February and will feature around five to six tracks, including the lead track produced by Park Jin-young. It was previously suggested that

Nothing could bring back more nostalgic memories of the beginning heyday of K-pop boy bands than the news of the possible return of popular idol group g.o.d. It was previously revealed late last year that the stars of g.o.d. would be reuniting this year in honor of the group’s 15th anniversary. The rumor mill is continuing to circulate with the most recent claims that the members are already gearing up for a comeback and that they have already completed recording one track from their upcoming al

DAKAR (AFP) ― Senegalese music icon Youssou N’Dour has told AFP he is ready to travel to the Central African Republic to spread his message of peace amid inter-religious violence which has torn the country apart.Speaking late Sunday at the recording of a single dedicated to reconciliation in Central Africa, N’Dour said artists had a role in talking about world events such as the CAR crisis and that music “allows us to take shortcuts” to speak to a wider audience.“We can participate in bringing p