K-pop fills the autumn air

The fall season has not only ushered in cooler weather, but a wide variety of concerts and performances by top K-pop artists.

Many artists have been taking their act abroad, demonstrating the popularity of K-pop overseas.

Rain chose to make his first public appearance after being discharged from the military not in Korea but on the final episode of a popular Chinese audition program called “Kuaile Nansheng.” The episode aired on Sept. 27, showing the performer decked out in sunglasses and singing the song “Hip Song.” 

G-Dragon appeared in China to perform on stage in Chinese superstar Jackie Chan’s charity concert in Hangzhou on Monday. The singer, known for his fashion as much as for his music, performed some of his top hits including “One of a Kind,” “Fantastic Baby” and “Crayon” in front of a reported crowd of 23,000 people. The artist is also participating in the global music festival “Shanghai W-Bank Music Festival” on Tuesday, which is expected to gather an estimated crowd of 60,000 people. 

JYJ member XIA Junsu recently held a concert titled “XIA Incredible Concert in Australia” at Australia’s Big Top Sydney on Sept. 28, and attracted 2,500 fans. The singer performed tracks from both his first and second albums, including “Tarantallegra,” “Incredible,” “Fever,” “Rainy Eyes” and “Uncommitted.”

More K-pop concerts are coming up for the fall season.

The “2013 Hallyu Dream Concert” is set to take place in Gyeongju on Oct. 6 at the Gyeongju Public Stadium. The concert will usher in the biggest K-pop stars in the industry, including TVXQ, Crayon Pop, 2AM, U-KISS and T-ara.

Busker Busker, whose new album has been maintaining top spots on the charts, is going to perform in venues around Korea starting in Busan on Oct. 3 and then moving on to Daegu on Oct. 20 and Seoul on Nov. 1 and 2.

Kim Jaejoong is planning an Asia-wide tour that will kick off Nov. 2 in COEX Mall in Samseong-dong, commemorating the release of his first full-length album.

“SMTOWN Live World Tour III in Beijing,” featuring 10 S.M. Entertainment-affiliated K-pop artists such as BoA, Super Junior, EXO and f(x), is set for the stage at the Beijing National Stadium on Oct. 19. This is the first time Korean artists have access to the exclusive “Bird’s Nest” stadium which has not been open to foreign artists since the 2008 Olympics. The venue is capable of holding up to 90,000 people at a time.

“It’s the first time foreign singers are holding concerts at the Beijing Olympic Stadium where only big Chinese stars like Jackie Chan and Andy Lau can stand,” an official from the S.M. Entertainment was quoted as saying in the local media.

By Cha Yo-rim (yorimcha@heraldcorp.com)