Author: Denise Coley
Based on the popular webcomic Pleasant Bullying by Kim Soong-nyoong, writer and director Um Tae-hwa’s Concrete Utopia the world seems to have come to its apparent end. Millions in the once densely populated city of Seoul, South Korea’s capital and social centre have been killed in a massive earthquake that decimated the country, and perhaps the world. But strangely amidst the destruction and impending decay, stands Hwang Gung Apartments. In Hwang Gung Apartments, social collapse has occurred but over time the inhabitants begin to rebuild it one rule at a time but unfortunately not for the better. The residents,…
For the seventh consecutive year, Kcrush America invites you, our readers, to vote for our year-end superlatives. We love to hear from our readers, and we enjoy seeing who you view as the best each year. The past two years have yielded several surprises in each category, so we expect much of the same this year! For 2023, soloists brought their A-games, especially those artists from idol groups who showed us what they’re made of away from their ensembles. Some of the top nominees include BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, BTS’ Suga (Agust D) and Jimin, and OMG’s Jini for their impressive…
Highly acclaimed Japanese artist Vicke Blanka has announced his first-ever headline tour of North America, simply titled ‘Vicke Blanka North American Tour 2024.’ The tour will include a total of 10 shows, launching in Vancouver on January 31st and closing in New York on February 20th. This year, Vicke Blanka has performed at a number of overseas events, drawing a peak attendance of over 5,000 fans per show. In May, he played at Jeddah Events Calendar 2023 Anime Village at City Walk in Saudi Arabia, in July he performed at Riminicomix in Italy and at Japan Expo 22nd Impact…
ATEEZ is back with their second full-length album, THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL. This album has everything– hype tracks, ballads, hip-hop, rap, cinematic tracks, and dance grooves. ATEEZ only continues to thrive and show their talent with each new release. THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL is no different! Here’s how I rank each song. WE KNOW: 8/10 “WE KNOW” ushers in the album with an interesting synth and an almost mysterious sound. This track is great to listen to because it’s unpredictable, with powerful vocals and bold rap around every corner. The chorus is a bit simple, but the song needs…
K-pop girl group EVERGLOW is gearing up to meet their fans, “FOREVER” (official fandom name), in Europe through their highly-anticipated EVERGLOW EU TOUR [ALL MY GIRLS]. This series of shows marks the group’s first Europe tour and is sure to captivate fans in six different cities across Europe throughout January and February of 2024. EVERGLOW is a six-member girl group formed by Yuehua Entertainment on March 21, 2019, consisting of members SIHYEON, E:U, MIA, ONDA, AISHA, and YIREN. The group debuted with their first single album, Arrival of Everglow, and its lead single track, “Bon Bon Chocolate”. Arrival of…
South Korean Singer-Songwriter Zion.T releases the final single and music video “V (Peace) (feat. AKMU)” from his 10-track album titled [Zip] via THEBLACKLABEL. The K-Pop sibling sensations deemed “prodigies’, Akdong Musician (AKMU) link up for a second time after previously featuring Zion.T on their 2021 track “BENCH”. “V (Peace) (feat. AKMU)” is the third single off of the album arriving two days after the release of “UNLOVE (prod. HONNE)” and “Stranger”. The colorful music video finds Zion.T being followed by a group of dancers wearing his face as a mask as he moves through various parts of the city. Throughout the video, a peace sign…
https://windows10spotlight.com/images/30088 Korea… …may look small on a map. And that includes a unified Korea, which comprises a considerably bigger landmass than if we just consider North or South alone. But Korea has a lot going on, North and/or South! Certainly, a reference to Korea as a whole, or one of the two Koreas will bring to mind a whole laundry list of things. The Korean War, K-Pop, K-Dramas, Hallryu, Gangnam Style, nuclear threats, kimchi, K-Beauty, BTS, Squid Game, and much, much more. One thing Korea, at least the South, may be known for is its 24/7 non-stop energy and drive.…
Korean-Inspired Christmas Gifts Christmas holiday is here and it’s time to pamper and show affection to our friends and loved ones. A thoughtful gift would go a long way in expressing your desire to be part of your loved ones’ life journey. It would ooze your support towards their dreams, even in the little things such as hobbies and likes. For your friends and loved ones who are obsessed with all things Korea, we’ve got you covered with Korean-inspired gift ideas that will blow their minds this holiday season. Foodies For food and drink enthusiasts, the choice for…
This third full-length album from Red Velvet is a sonic adventure that truly displays the group’s evolution as professional artists. The incredible soundscapes created show their explosive dynamic as a collective and the lyrics of some songs provide a means for down-to-earth reflection. Red Velvet is unafraid to push the boundaries and break conventional molds. Chill Kill is a testament to their continual growth and artistry. Here’s how I rank the songs! Chill Kill: 8/10 This song had surprises around every turn! It was anything but predictable. “Chill Kill” starts with a mysterious feeling–echoing vocals, anxious bass, and synths.…
Thanksgiving has come and gone, it’s time to put away the turkey and bring out the Christmas films. There are always tons of choices, but when it comes to representation of the Asian community within Christmas movies, the choices are very slim and they’re a bit hard to find. So, I decided to put together a list of a few such projects. 1. “Dash & Lily” (2020) Streaming on Netflix, 7.5/10 IMDb Technically, “Dash & Lily” is not a movie, but rather a limited series. There’s not a Christmas where I don’t rewatch all eight episodes, I…
Wonderego is a well-crafted album with 19 tracks, each having Crush’s signature on them. He was heavily involved in this project, from the lyrics to production, and this proves he is successful at his craft on multiple levels. Here’s how I rate each song! New Day: 10/10 “New Day” is an intro track, with only 72 seconds! But what a great minute and 12 seconds it is. Crush enters confidently with his vocal groove and rap. It doesn’t take long to get excited to see what this talented artist is going to do in Wonderego. Hmm-cheat: 6/10…
The November list is out and the competitor amongst K-Pop artists is a chaotic beauty to uphold. With new ‘artists joining this month’s top five list, others have barely managed to hang on but at lower positions. As expected, this month’s top K-pop act has taken the world by storm beating their seniors to shine and reign. 1. New Jeans This bubbly fresh-off the boat K-pop act has yet again proved its sovereignty by taking the lead in this November’s Top Korean Singer Rankings with a brand reputation index of 7,323,578. Up from last year’s 4th position.…
The Dallas, Texas Concert was really jumping and ecstatic!! The girls performed their iconic songs with a mixture of some cover songs too, which they did a cover on one of my favorite songs I like to listen to. It’s awesome to see how the girls have grown from their rookie days to now doing their first ever USA tour! It was cool to see a mixture of Plories alike there from kids to young adults to adults. The Plory were really happy to be there and showing their support for the girls; shouting their names, saying “I love…
It’s not often that I have the opportunity to speak with and interview directors of films I’ve seen, and even more rare to be able to speak to those who’ve produced one of the best action films in the last few years like A Man of Reason directed by and starring Jung Woo-sung, the found-family dramatic feature Broker by Japanese film legend Hirokazu Kore-eda, or The Guest, the intense psychological thriller feature debut by Yeon Je-gwang who’s work premises a very successful career following a successful premiere at the 2023 Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) The Guest…
This is my time learning of Vince, but it wasn’t my first time encountering his work. You likely have listened to some of the famous hits he has contributed to as well such as SUNMI’s “Gashina”, LISA’s “MONEY”, and BLACKPINK’s “Shut Down.” Though he has released a handful of singles over the past few years, The Drive is his first EP Album. With a mix of R&B, hip-hop, soul, and pop, Vince truly displays his artistry and skill as a solo artist. Let’s dive into how the tracks rank! Work: 8/10 “Work” is the first solo song I’ve…
She Her Her Hers is an alternative band consisting of the trio of Hiroyasu Takahashi, Tomasong and Taiki Matsuura. Despite the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic, the group continued to work hard, releasing music and streaming performances online, and since the start of 2023 they have appeared in numerous events and festivals both domestically and internationally, expanding their activities proactively both at home and abroad. Against this backdrop, their new album ‘Diffusion of Responsibility’ was released on Wednesday, November 15th. In tandem with the release of the new album, they also announced a tour to accompany the release. It…
Not every guest is welcome, and certainly not those at a creepy motel located in the middle of nowhere. Written and directed by Yeon Je-gwang, The Guest is a psychological thriller that asks what would you do if you see someone’s worst nightmare begin to unfold before you. Based on his original short film which screened at the Cannes Film Festival and won Best Thriller at the LA Independent Film Festival, The Guest had its world premiere at the 2023 Busan International Film Festival, and is Yeon’s feature debut. It stars Oh Hye-won, Jeong Sook-yo,…
Stray Kids don’t miss! I had high hopes for their latest album drop, ROCK-STAR, and I have to say that I was not disappointed. Stray Kids brought their A-game and were as bold as ever! This group always has at least two or three hype tracks, as well as a sincere ballad, on their full-length albums. And don’t forget the incredible choreography that goes along with them. They met that quota on this album for sure! Here’s how I rate the album. MEGAVERSE: 10/10 Opening up the album with a bassy track and Felix’s classic deep vocals, I…
The Golden Maknae has released his debut solo album. With an all English tracklist, and plenty of features, I was curious how GOLDEN would display who BTS fans already know to be an unstoppable force. Jung Kook is a treasure, but I was disappointed with how some of this album played out. 3D (feat. Jack Harlow): 1/10 This track might feel a bit jarring to BTS audiences that are used to only the slightest hint of suggestive lyrics. “3D” is filled with sexual references and carries an explicit warning. Jung Kook has fully broken the “wholesome” mold and…
From playing the trendiest hits to endlessly streaming performances by various K-pop acts, Music Bank has become the global go-to for K-pop gurus and rookie artists in South Korea. Fashioned back in 1988, this record chart has grown to become a global sensation broadcasted in over a hundred countries through KBS World. Music Bank took over the then famous Top 10 Songs (가요톱10) show which had debuted in 1981 and was done away with owing to a controversy. Lee Hwi Jae and Song Hye Kyo (hosts – 2000) Airing on Fridays at 6:30 (KST), Music Bank took Korea…