Author: Denise Coley
I’m a huge RM fan. I loved mono and Indigo. This album is nothing like those! Which to be honest, was a tad disappointing, but Right Place, Wrong Person transports listeners in a new way, and that’s worth exploring. Right People, Wrong Place: 8/10 This track is unlike anything I’ve heard from RM before. The layers are eerie, curious, and deep. The experimental style probably won’t resonate with everyone, but I liked it. The most understood lyric in this track is “Getting high on a forest fire” and that seems to melt into how the song feels. Nuts: 7/10 The…
MetaMoon Partners with Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment at LIU for Innovative Education Initiative with Summit on Asian Representation in Live Music Industry MetaMoon Music Festival, the event celebrating Asian/AAPI artists and pop culture, is back with two days of programming during the last weekend of September. Headlining the concert at the newly renovated Brooklyn Paramount on Saturday, September 28th will be global superstars Eric Nam and Henry Lau, with rising artists Emei and SUNKIS rounding out the rest of the lineup. This concert marks a milestone for Henry Lau as he makes his solo performance debut in the United States, giving his fans the chance…
It has been about 8 years since the talented Orange Caramel girl band’s performance as a group. The trio debuted in June 2010 with the ‘Magic Girl” single. Orange Caramel is a sub-unit birthed from Pledis Entertainment agency’s After School girl group. Orange Camael’s final concert was in April 2016 at the SBS’ 2016 Cultwo Show Legend Concert. As of now, only one member is under Pledis Entertainment agency and is still part of the After School group. However, although the other two members left both After School group and Pledis Entertainment, Orange Caramel has not yet disbanded which is…
There is strength in silence when the silence becomes your testimony of what is too difficult to speak aloud. In director Jee Hyewon’s latest documentary VOICES, which screened in the Korean Cinema program of the 2024 25th Jeonju International Film Festival, the silence and voices of the female survivors of the violent massacres that took place in 1948 on Jeju Island, are finally being shared with the world to listen to. On April the 3rd, 1948 armed forces of the Namrodang South Korean Labor Party attacked 12 police stations located on the island of Jeju off the southern coast of…
In a country and culture where the R&B music genre is still gaining traction, HALLEY band has made groundbreaking strides and gained global attention despite their recent debut. This young and multi-cultural band’s music pieces are a fusion of Asian pop, jazz, funk, gospel, and soul music vibes showcasing their uniquely diverse backgrounds. K-Crush America Magazine sits with HALLEY band members; Taehyung (vocals), Shin Nishiyama (keyboards), Haru Toyama (guitar), Naoto Shimizu (drums), and Kay Takahashi (bass), to have a glimpse of what their musical journey entails. Given your diverse roots, how did you all meet? We met at the university…
Global K-pop boy group A.C.E is gearing up to meet “CHOICE” (official fandom name), through their A.C.E 2024 US Tour [REWIND_US]. The five-member boy group, managed by BEAT INTERACTIVE, will showcase their charms in fourteen cities, including Madison, Denver, Santa Rosa, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Houston, Tampa, Orlando, Nashville, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Detroit, New York and San Juan. The tour kicks off in Madison on June 19, 2024, and concludes in San Juan on July 18, 2024. A.C.E returns to A.C.E 2024 US Tour [REWIND_US] for the first time in a while. A.C.E, a quintet under the label BEAT INTERACTIVE, comprises members…
Download and streaming links Japanese pop artist SANTA, who has a huge fan base across Asia, will release his first solo album ‘Prologue’ on May 20. But you don’t have to wait until then – seven tracks including lead song ‘Let em Out’ have been made available on streaming services as an early taste of what’s to come. This will be SANTA’s first full-length album since beginning his solo career last year. The album includes songs based on the four most important milestone ages in SANTA’s life: ages 14, 17, 21 and 25. On the album, SANTA expresses his life through…
Written by student filmmaker Kim Junhyung, A Sucker Punch is a short which film premiered in the Korean Competition for Shorts program at the 25th Jeonju International Film Festival, in Jeonju, South Korea. Despite its 15 minute run time, A Sucker Punch is a very effective demonstration of how the simplest games can work as observational studies in human behaviour and motivations. Led by Doyeon (Im Harry), a weekly game session of Mahjong becomes filled with tension when a new invitee, Hyunwoo (Jang Taehyun), to her regular group is added at the invitation of Soyeon’s romantic interest Sian (Song…
Kwon Eun Bi and TWICE’s Nayeon will be making solo comebacks this June. Eunbi is scheduled to make a comeback this June. The “Summer Queen” hit-maker will be returning to the entertainment world after 8 months since the October 2023 “Like Heaven” release. Eunbi debuted under Ye-A girl group back in 2021. She then moved to Iz*One girl group in 2018 before venturing into the solo artist realm in 2021 with the ‘Open’ EP which skyrocketed her fame. Kwon Eunbi’s agency, Woollim Entertainment confirmed that the start will be making a comeback this June with a new…
SHINee’s Taemin and ONEW have taken huge milestones after leaving their past agency of 16 years. SHINee’s Taemin official fun club is finally out. The fan club which goes by the name “TEAMate” solidifies the stars change of agency move. “TEAMate” is a combination of “Teamin”, the artists himself, and “Mate”, which means a close friend. The fan club name denotes that fans are Taemin’s closest friends. Taemin, who left SM Entertainment agency last month alongside band teammate ONEW, joined Big Planet Made Entertainment agency. The launched “TEAMate” fun club will help Taemin strengthen his brand while…
May 2024 is a busy month with several K-pop acts expected to make a comeback. Others have already made a comeback including YOUNITE (released the 6th EP ‘Another’ on May 1) and Hyuna (released the EP ‘Attitude’ on May 2). Here are some K-pop artists and groups making a comeback this May 2024. 1. BTOB’s Sungjae BTOB’s Yook Sungjae’s is set to make an official comeback this May with the “EXHIBITION: Look Closely” single. With trailers and concept photos already circulating the internet, the MV official release is scheduled for May 9. This will be Sungjae’s first release…
Sunmi, who’s been away since her October 2023 “Stranger” track, is also gearing up for a comeback. Abyss Company, Sunmi’s agency, confirmed that the star just finished shooting her upcoming MV in Croatia. This was a day after the star announced the exciting news on her socials during her birthday celebrations broadcast. Sunmi also revealed the upcoming song’s title, “Balloon with Love”. The fact that the upcoming MV is a self-composed piece creates more anticipation among fans across the globe. The talented dancer and singer became a global sensation with her “Gashina” track followed by “Tail” single…
Pledis Entertainment agency’s boy group TWS is gearing up for a comeback scheduled for June. On May 3, Pledis revealed that TWS will be making a comeback this coming June. The agency added that the rookie group is currently in Hong Kong wrapping up the comeback MV. The rookie group recently dominated domestic charts with the “Plot Twist” track. TWS boy group released its last piece in January with their first-ever mini album titled “Sparkling Blue”. The album was also the group’s debut release. TWs will drop a pre-release single in early June in preparation for the…
The 7-year curse of K-pop groups disbanding after 7 years seems to have gone with the wind. the increasing autonomy in the entertainment industry has given K-pop artists the freedom to continue their passion despite contract terminations. This new breeze also enables the artists to explore and test their skills and abilities in different environments. Over the last quarter, several K-pop stars have switched agencies. Some like Jessi, GOT 7’s Youngjae, VIXX’s Ken, Davichi, and VAV band have also left their agencies but are yet to officially announce their latest agencies. Here are some K-pop stars who have confirmed…
Known for managing notable bans including NCT and RIIZE, SM Entertainment is out to validate its dominance in the K-Pop entertainment industry. On 1st May 2024, SM Entertainment officially launched its latest label, KRUCIALIZE, through a short trailer on the group’s already-set social media accounts (Instagram, Twitter). The trailer, which reveals KRUCIALIZE label’s logo, is also an invitation to learn more about the group. The interaction is scheduled to take place at Seoul Forest Understand Ave from the 4th to the 9th of May 2024. SM Entertainment further elevated its fanbase’s excitement with the 도착…
If there is one regret that will follow me after this experience, it’s that I did not bring a whistle. Since January 2012, albeit I didn’t become a fan of K-pop until October that year, it’s widely known that a whistle… a Matoki support whistle, at that… is forever tied to Bang Yongguk (Korean: 방용국). On April 17, 2024, charismatic artist Bang Yongguk, brought ‘III’ THE US TOUR 2024 to House of Blues Houston, Texas. The leader and unmistakable voice of former group B.A.P. rocked the stage with nothing but a deejay, microphone, and charisma that ranged from relentless…
April has been a roller coaster of emotions with heart-wrenching twists and turns from notable k-dramas, especially the highly rated ‘Queen of Tears’ K-drama. May is here and it’s time to start bingeing on the most anticipated K-dramas this month. Here are some must-watch K-dramas this May. 1. The Midnight Romance in Hagwon May is about to get hot and spicy with this highly anticipated rom-com drama starring Jung Ryeo Won and Wi Ha Joon. ‘The Midnight Romance in Hagwon’ drama has created a buzz in the K-drama scene with alluring teasers. Expected to premiere on 11th…
D’FESTA LA Brings the Best of K-Pop to the US LOS ANGELES, CA – D’FESTA LA, an immersive and interactive K-pop exhibition originally held in Korea and Japan, is now coming to the US. The exhibition will be held at The Source OC in Buena Park, CA, from June 21st to August 18th and is set to feature official and exclusive content featuring nine K-pop groups including BTS, Twice, Enhypen, Tomorrow x Together, Stray Kids, NCT Dream, NCT 127, Seventeen, and Nu’est. D’FESTA LA will feature three parts: THE EXHIBITION, THE MOVIE, and THE EXPERIENCE. THE EXHIBITION…
Japanese four-piece rock band I Don’t Like Mondays. have released new song ‘New York, New York’, their first new release of 2024. This year marks the 10th anniversary of I Don’t Like Mondays.’s major-label debut. 2024 is already off to a great start: The band’s first tour of China sold out the day it went on sale, and they wrote ‘LOVE TRIGGER’, the 10th single by Snow Man, which sold a million copies within its first two days on sale. ‘New York, New York’ is the first song marking the 10th anniversary of I Don’t Like Mondays., and is…
Japanese boyband Da-iCE released their latest song ‘I wonder’ on Wednesday, April 17. The lyrics to this new song were written by members Taiki Kudo and Sota Hanamura, with Hanamura also composing. The song incorporates the vibe of a drama series, focusing on the dual themes of “love” and “finding yourself” and comparing them to colors, from vivid ones to black and white, and all the layered combinations in between. At 21:00 Japan Standard Time on the same date, a performance video for ‘I wonder’ was also released as a YouTube Premiere. The choreography was devised by Hanamura in…