Author: Denise Coley
BTS’ “Boy with Luv” is on fire! The track, which features Halsey, comes from their newest album, Map the Soul: Persona and was released April 12, 2019. As of this writing, “Boy with Luv” currently has over 135 million views on YouTube and is still trending on YouTube’s trend list (as of April 15, 2019, it is ranked 45). As it continues to rack up YouTube views, “Boy with Luv” and Map the Soul: Persona have been breaking records across several music charts. Map the Soul: Persona became BTS’ third album to rank number one on the Billboard 200 chart.…
SHINee’s Minho enlisted into the Marines April 15, 2019. Prior to his enlistment at the Marine Corps training center in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Minho shared a letter with SHAWOLs along with an image showing off his military haircut. #빛나는샤이니 #SHINee #샤이니 @shinee#민호 #MINHO #CHOIMINHO 건강하고 안전하게 ?? pic.twitter.com/JJ12SxMXse — SHINee (@SHINee) April 14, 2019 #빛나는샤이니 #SHINee #샤이니 @shinee#민호 #MINHO #CHOIMINHO 건강하고 안전하게 ?? pic.twitter.com/B0V3v9vkkN — SHINee (@SHINee) April 14, 2019 Minho wrote: Hello, everyone~ it’s SHINee’s Minho!! It seems like it’s been a while since I’ve written my feelings down. Everyone knows, right? I will be enlisting…
Brave Girls is a Korean girl group formed by the inventive rapper, songwriter and producer Brave Brother, the founder and CEO of Brave Entertainment. The group made their debut with the album The Difference in April of 2011. In July of the same year, Brave Girls released Easily from their mini album Back to da Future, and later promoted a remix version. The group went on a hiatus from early 2014 until 2016, and returned with seven members – the two founding members Hye-ran and Yoo-jin, joined by Eun-ji, Ha-yun, Min-young, Yu-jeong and Yu-na – while Eun-young, Seo-a and Ye-jin left…
Kcrush America K-Pop Top 30: March 2019
ONCES have double the chances to be excited as TWICE announced their new album, Fancy You, will be released April 22, 2019. Additionally, the title track, “Fancy,” will be coming out soon. Based on the teasers, the album and single may have a throwback vibe to it. Fancy You will be the girl group’s seventh EP since they debuted in 2015. The EP will have six songs. In addition to the lead single “Fancy,” other tracks include “Girls Like Us,” “Hot,” “Strawberry,” “Stuck in My Head,” and “Turn it Up.” Albums are available for pre-order on WithDrama, Ktown4U, Kpoptown, and…
Kang Ji Hwan in a still from 2018 reality show ‘Real Men 300’. His story Jo Tae-gyu, or better known under his stage name Kang Ji-hwan, is a 42 year old South Korean actor who first debuted as a musical actor before branching out into television dramas and movies, becoming a household name not only in his native country but also throughout Asia making him one of the Korean Hallyu (Korean wave) stars. After securing small roles in television in the early years, he won the lead role in the 2005 drama ‘Be Strong, Geum-soon!’, which opened the door…
EXO-Ls will soon have to start the process of waiting for their favorite idols to return from the military as EXO’s Xiumin has announced his plans to enlist in May. SM Entertainment and Xiumin both confirm that he will be enlisting as an active duty soldier May 7, 2019. The idol also wishes to enlist quietly, so there are no planned goodbye events or a fan sendoff. Details about when and where he will enlist are private. In a letter, Xiumin acknowledged his upcoming enlistment. Hello, EXO-L. This is Xiumin! Flowers have been blooming well these days. Have you…
Big Hit Entertainment, which is home to BTS, announced that their rookie group, TXT (TOMORROW x TOGETHER), will be holding their debut showcase tour in the United States. Powerhouse Live will be hosting the event. TXT debuted March 4, 2019 with the song “Crown” and their EP The Dream Chapter: Star. Plans for TXT’s debut were in-place starting in 2017, while confirmation of their debut was announced in November 2018. On January 10, 2019, the group was announced, and member introductions began soon after. The group, which is now over a month old, already has an impressive résumé as they…
The 17th Korea Times Music Festival is fast-approaching, and this year’s festival has a fantastic lineup in-store for fans! The Korea Times Music Festival is one of the United States’ most-successful Korean festivals as The Korea Times and its broadcast partners in South Korea bring several artists over the reflect many different generations. In addition to some of today’s hot and up-and-coming K-Pop groups, singers familiar to more mature generations also come over for this yearly family-friendly event. This year’s festival will be held Saturday April 27, 2019 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California. The festival begins at 6pm…
Another K-Pop group will be touring North America! VAV (Very Awesome Voice) will embark on their North American tour starting April 25, 2019 until May 5, 2019. This will be the group’s second North American tour since 2018. The A-TEAM Entertainment group recently made a comeback with their fourth mini album Thrilla Killa and lead single of the same name. So far, Thrilla Killa has been VAV’s most successful album to date, peaking at number 20 on the Gaon Music Chart. This year’s tour includes a meet and greet and a performance. Be sure to check VAV out…
On April 4, 2019, BLACKPINK made their much-anticipated comeback with “Kill This Love.” The single also includes three new B-sides: “Hope Not,” “Don’t Know What to Do,” and “Kick It.” While “Kill This Love” has racked up several honors including over 50 million YouTube views in under 24 hours (a new record and a first for any music group) and several number ones on global music charts, the track isn’t one BLINKS or K-POP fans earned or deserved. BLACKPINK are about to embark on their In Your Area tour. With this, they’ve already laid down the groundwork for a…
Rothy is an up-and-coming South Korean singer and musician, who is currently just 19 years of age. Not only is Rothy known for her angelic voice and obvious musical talent, she initially garnered much attention from the media for being the protégé of Korea’s legendary singer-songwriter Shin SeungHun. Rothy’s debut single Stars, which is a dreamy ballad infused with hip-hop, was released in November of 2017; fully showcasing her vocal ability and raw talent in music. She went on to feature in various soundtracks for Korean drama series, including What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?, The Beauty Inside and Jugglers.…
As NCT-127 prepare to advance into the American market, SM Entertainment announced that the group as signed with Capitol Music Group (CMG) for their North American promotions. The signing also includes a deal with CMG’s sub-label Caroline, which will handle the group’s global distribution. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Kim Young-Min (Group CEO of SM Group) and Nikki Semin Han (CEO of SM Entertainment) to further the phenomenon of NCT-127 around the world,” CMG chairman and CEO Steve Barnett said through a press release. “The band’s potential for global success is virtually unlimited, and SM Entertainment is a…
Katie Kim, who also goes by KATIE, recently joined American recording label AWAL. AXIS Entertainment, Kim’s Korean label, confirmed the signing on April 5, 2019. AWAL helps independent artists distribute music globally according to their website. Musicians submit their work through AWAL’s online application platform; the company then decides if the artist’s work is worthwhile by checking it against their criteria list, then they sign an artist to be part of the team. Currently, AWAL’s roster includes Little Simz, Madison Beer, deasmau5, The Naked and Famous, Aly & AJ, and Greyson Chance. Kim, who is Korean-born but hails from…
On March 22, 2019, K-Rapper, KK (KEIKEI), became paralyzed following a diving accident in a Thailand resort swimming pool. In an Instagram post, KK posted that he broke his neck in two places. Following the accident, it was revealed that KK may be paralyzed even though doctors do remain hopeful there is a possibility for rehabilitation. KK, whose real name is Kim Kyu Wan, had two surgeries at Chiang Mai Hospital following the accident. While at the hospital, he also contracted pneumonia, which caused an inability to travel abroad. On April 4, KK, via his wife, posted on Instagram…
On April 5, 2019, actor Lee Il Jae passed away following a battle with lung cancer. He was 59-years-old. Lee revealed his cancer diagnose in 2018 while appearing on The Victory with Doctors. While on the show, he expressed how he planned to fight his cancer and eventually return to acting. Lee, born November 13, 1960, was a graduate from the Department of Theater and Film at Hanyang University. He was a stage and screen actor best known for his roles in the General’s Son trilogy, Bridal Mask, King and I, and King’s Dream. He was a prominent figure…
On Thursday April 4, 2019, a transformer fire started a wildfire in Eastern Gangwon Province. The fires then spread to the cities of Sokcho and Gangneung according to Reuters. According to the Gangwon Fire Headquarters, fire broke out on a roadside in Goseong before spreading to a nearby mountain. Strong winds in the region are blamed for the fire’s quick spread. Meanwhile, a separate fire also started on Thursday April 4 in Okgye County, Gangneung. The fire in the Sokcho region has been contained, the South Korean government said, while about 50 percent of the fire in the Gangneung region…
Roy Kim, the once squeaky-clean singer of the hit songs “Bom Bom Bom” and “Love Love Love,” has now been implicated of passing around explicit photos in the infamous Jung Joon Young Kakao chats. Kim, who is currently in the United States attending Georgetown University, was booked by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency for distributing illegal photos on April 4, 2019. Police have requested he return to South Korea for questioning immediately. Kim initially received a summons to appear for questioning April 2, 2019. According to Insight, Kim allegedly said that he wanted to become a singer because he “wanted girls.”…
On April 4, 2019, former Superstar K 4 contestant and singer-songwriter Eddy Kim was revealed as another participant of the sexually-explicit Jung Joon Young KakaoTalk chats. Originally, he was named as a witness and questioned on March 31, 2019, but on April 5, he was booked on charges of spreading illegally taken photos. Kim is the eighth person booked in connection to the chats. His reveal comes on the heels of the police-booking of fellow Superstar K 4 contestant, singer, and friend Roy Kim. Roy Kim was booked for allegedly sharing lewd photos within the chats. Eddy Kim’s agency, Mystic…
Embattled company, TS Entertainment, is back with another lawsuit as they are reportedly seeking to sue former SECRET member Song Jieun for damages. TS Entertainment claims that when Jieun signed with Haewadal Entertainment in January 2019, she was in violation of her exclusive contract with TS Entertainment. As part of their claim, TS Entertainment wants Jieun to pay double the contract termination fees. A few days ago, Jieun and Haewadal parted ways as her contract was terminated on mutual grounds after only three months with the company. “The mutual decision was made to terminate the contract as we came to…