Singer Lee Hyori has attempted to play with her image a bit in the music video for “Going Crazy,” from her fifth album “Monochrome.”The music video, unveiled Wednesday, features a male version of Lee, looking very handsome with a mustache and dressed head to toe in a man’s outfit. Having transformed herself into a “Miss Korea” and then a “Bad Girl,” now she appears as a bad boy flirting with a handful of pinup girls who are the actual candidates from modeling-based reality show “Korea’s Next Top

It’s hard to digest all of Kanye West on his new album.“Yeezus’’ is the rapper’s darkest, eeriest and most erratic album of his six solo releases. He is in militant form on the 10-track set, rapping over beats that are artsy, electronic and gloomy. It’s a far stretch from the contemporary rap and pop success he achieved with more than a dozen Top 10 hits, including “Gold Digger,’’ “Stronger’’ and “Heartless.’’ But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.“Yeezus’’ continues on the dark and emotive pat

2NE1 is releasing its long-awaited new single next month, YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun-suk announced Tuesday morning through the agency’s website. According to the press release, the group will release a series of new singles, one at a time, from July to September. 2NE1 is also planning to release either an EP or full-length album in October, followed by a concert. On their upcoming song “Falling in Love,” 2NE1 have tried an entirely new genre, reggae, according to Yang.“2NE1 is certainly tryi

Despite lackluster chart performance, track ensures rapper is no one-hit wonder

Singer Lim Kim of singing duo Togewol has unveiled her first album as a solo artist.Titled “A Voice,” the album features five songs including the pre-released track “Number 1.” The album is slated for an official release on Tuesday, but the tracks were made available for downloading a day earlier.The title track “All Right” swept local music charts just hours after its release, topping at least five charts including, Mnet, Naver and Bugs and taking the No. 2 spot on Melon behind Sistar’s “Give I

With female K-pop singer after singer making their comeback with a “sexy code,” South Korea‘s music scene is bursting with eye-catching performances.Four-member girl group Sistar returned to the stage with their latest single “Give It To Me,” showing off dazzling gold and silver outfits resembling those of the divas of “Moulin Rouge.” The main choreography of the song, dubbed the “touch dance,” where the members tap their own bodies three times, adds to the sexy vibe. After School, often referre

　Rapper Simon D of Supreme Team and his girlfriend and singer Lady Jane have broken up after six years together, Simon D’s agency said. 　“They broke up about a month ago and now they stay as friends and coworkers,” the agency said.  　Sources said the busy schedules of the two musicians were the reason behind the break-up.　They started dating in October 2007 and Simon D revealed their relationship in December 2009 on SBS music program “Kim Jung-eun’s Chocolate.” 　　By Choi In-jeong, Intern reporte

Korea’s showbiz powerhouse S.M. Entertainment’s latest product, 12-member boy band EXO, topped the Billboard World Albums Chart as of June 22, the agency said Friday. The band’s full-length debut album, “XOXO(Kiss&Hug)” with the title track “Wolf,” was released worldwide on June 3 through iTunes and other music file distribution sites. It received 299,280 preorder sales and has become the best-selling album at Hottracks and others, while topping music charts on KBS, MBC and SBS over the weekend.

Vampire Weekend turns down tempo on 3rd CDVampire Weekend“Modern Vampires of the City”(XL Recordings)After releasing two bouncy albums of reggae-flavored pop laced with African rhythms, Vampire Weekend turns down the tempo and ups the indie-rock vibe on its third effort. “Modern Vampires of the City,” which the band characterizes as the culmination of a trilogy, puts singer-songwriters Ezra Koenig and Rostam Batmanglij‘s guitars and harmonies front and center. The New York quartet maintains the

Sexy four-member girl group Sistar has returned to the music scene with their second full album, “Give It To Me,” with most of the songs sweeping the local music charts. The 11-track album was released on Tuesday and as of Thursday afternoon Sistar’s lead track “Give It To Me” still sits at the No. 1 spot on all the major local music charts. Eight tracks, including “Bad Boy,” “The Way You Make Me Melt” and “Summertime,” made it into Naver’s Top 10 real-time music chart while six ranked on the Da

Girl group After School released on Thursday its sixth album together with a music video of its title song “First Love.”In the music video, the eight members of the group dance along to the funky and groovy melody, singing about unforgettable first love. Seeking to shed their established image, After School put on a sentimental look, accentuating each singer’s sorrowful vocals.After School partnered again with famed Korean producer and songwriter Brave Brothers -- the creator of “Because of You”

Lee Hyo-ri has finally marked her return to the music scene after a three-year hiatus. The K-pop diva’s fifth album “Monochrome” not only highlights Lee’s quest to become a singer-songwriter but also her new retro sound with the help of foreign composers.Including the lead single “Bad Girls,” 12 out of 16 tracks were by songwriters from abroad. Critics are seeing her album more fitting for Lee than any of her previous releases, escaping her hip-hop sounds one tracks like “Chitty Chitty Bang Ban