Author: Denise Coley
Having performed for audiences across Asia, Europe and North and South America, Japanese rock band BACK-ON release ‘FLIP SOUND’ on February 17, an album of self-covers featuring re-recorded versions of their most popular worldwide hits. The collection includes versions of BACK-ON’s theme tunes for globally celebrated franchises such as the ‘Gundam’ anime series and PlayStation Portable game ‘Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2’, making it a truly special must-hear collection for fans. Some of these songs were originally released many years ago, so these brand-new self-covers are a chance to hear classic BACK-ON tunes reborn with a modern…
The former CEO of Melon – South Korea’s top music streaming service – has been given three and a half years imprisonment for stealing billions of won (US$16.4 million) from musicians’ royalties. He has been arrested and put into prison since the ruling. The Seoul Eastern District Court gave out the sentence on Tuesday to the chief of Loen Entertainment on fraud charges. Loen Entertainment was formerly in charge of operating Melon from 2009, and it was renamed Kako M Corp in 2018. The company is currently owned by Kakao Corp. The court also sentenced the company’s former vice president…
Hailing from YG ENTERTAINMENT, the management stable behind global megahit artists BIGBANG and BLACKPINK, TREASURE are Korea’s hottest boyband right now. In 2020 they dominated the rookie category at numerous awards ceremonies, including the 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards. Now they are blowing up in Japan, with the February 14 release of the full version of ‘BEAUTIFUL’, their first original Japanese-language track. This will be followed by a full major-label debut Japanese album on March 31, titled ‘THE FIRST STEP: TREASURE EFFECT’. Japan digital single ‘BEAUTIFUL’ download and streaming links: https://treasure.lnk.to/beautiful_0214 ‘BEAUTIFUL’ was selected as the new ending theme…
Vicke Blanka is blowing up big, with theme songs for several anime, TV dramas and commercials in Japan, while his music has received sustained attention from around the world, racking up some 200 million plays on streaming services. February 12th, he released his latest single, ‘Ponytail’, along with an accompanying music video. This breaking Japanese singer-songwriter, disregards genres such as pop and rock to deliver his own brand of melodic music. Among his various tracks for popular TV shows and commercials in Japan, ‘Black Rover’ and ‘Black Catcher’ – his two opening theme tunes for the anime series ‘Black…
The 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards ceremony was held on February 9 at Paradise City in Incheon, South Korea. Actress Kim Hye-soo and Actor Yoo Yeon-seok were the presenters for the annual film event for the third time. The nominations were selected via a survey of film industry experts and ordinary movie watchers on Korean films released from October 11, 2019 until October 29, 2020. We congratulate all the winners! Best Picture: The Man Standing Next Best Director: Im Dae-hyung (Moonlit Winter) Best Actor: Yoo Ah-in (Voice of Silence) Best Actress: Ra Mi-ran (“Honest Candidate”) Best Supporting Actor: Park…
Valentine’s Day is almost upon us and that means finding the perfect date for a romantic evening on the town. Unfortunately, the pandemic has put a damper on the Valentine’s Day date plans of people all over the world. With many restaurants and pubs closed, lockdowns, and the threat of a deadly virus, more and more people are choosing to stay at home for Valentine’s Day and find ways of making the most of their date’s in. K-Pop fans have a different idea, however. Rather than sitting at home feeling down about their situation, they are playing a game of…
WATCH FOR FREE AT: HTTP://SESSIONSLIVE.COM/JOYRUCKUSCLUB OVER 180 ARTISTS CONFIRMED FOR ONE OF THE LARGEST ONLINE MUSIC FESTIVALS EVER CREATED! Headlined by superstar South Korean idol HYOLYN, this 6-day free music festival features 9 separate stages featuring over 180 different performers of Asian descent from around the world to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Feb. 17th is a special focus on Canadian talent presented by The KCN Agency featuring top DJ’s including CTRL ZERO and YUKA K, and live performances from HMLT & KEI-LI, FOREIGN FLOW, AIKO TOMI, EMI CHOI and many others. The Canada Stage will be…
South Korea has again landed first place in Bloomberg’s list of innovative countries, which is ranked annually. South Korea is the only country that has been placed in the top spot in seven out of the nine years since the index has been published. The country also scored 90.49 points on a scale from 0 to 100, as the only country with more than 90 points. The index evaluates various criteria, including research and development spending, manufacturing ability and concentration of high-technology companies. Bloomberg stated, “The 2021 rankings reflect a world where the fight against Covid-19 has brought innovation…
Kassy (Kim So-yeon) is a Korean singer who debuted in 2015 and competed on Unpretty Rapstar Season 3 in the following year. She has so far released the extended plays, I Want Love (2018) and Rewind (2019). We would like to thank Kassy for this great interview and wish her a lot of success in the future. Hello, thank you for taking the time out for an interview with us. Please introduce yourself to our readers please. Hello, I am a Korean singer called Kassy. Tell us about the process of how you became a singer. I…
BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE unveiled the video for their latest track ‘Animal’ on February 1, following a countdown to its premiere release on their YouTube channel. Today (February 3), they release the full version of the ‘Animal’ single, including bonus tracks. There’s a lot to check out, so read on for more info! The video and song show a sexier and more mature side to BALLISTIK BOYZ, while the lyrics express the members’ feelings about the women they admire. In the video, these emotional lyrics are represented on-screen with rich scenes that were shot using film cameras. The video…
K-pop band BTS has been honored as “One of the 10 best pop bands of all time” by Esquire magazine. The American magazine has a proud history of 87 years in the publication industry. Esquire stated, “BTS is arguably one of the vanguard acts to pioneer K-Pop’s immeasurable worldwide success. With a fanbase that is aptly described as “ARMY,” BTS’s beloved septet has rapidly redefined boy bands, fandoms, and pop music itself. Their hits “Dynamite” and “Life Goes On” offer a blend of pop, hip-hop, disco, and R&B, with catchy melodies that are often laced with social commentary-based lyrics.”…
Korea’s veteran actress Youn Yuh-jung has so far collected 20 Best Supporting Actress awards in the States, for her role in the highly-acclaimed film “Minari,” written and directed by Korean-American film director Lee Isaac Chung. Minari is a Korean word that indicates a “water dropwort,” which is an edible deep green plant that can grow in the water like weeds. “Minari” had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020, and tells a heart-felt story about a first-generation Korean immigrant family that moves to a farm in Arkansas from California to pursue the American dream during…
T1Entertainment & Sports debut their League of Legends theme song titled “Runner” today, which is a collaborative record by DJ/producer Raiden, K-Pop vocalist BAEKHYUN, and rapper/producer CHANGMO. The song incorporates a sophisticated mix of rock, trap and EDM, and consists of magnificent ambience, eerie string sounds, and dreamy vocals, perfectly deliveringT1’s resolution to start the new chapter of their dynasty in the year 2021. RAIDEN – DJ/Producer T1’s CEO Joe Marsh said, “We’re thrilled that we had the opportunity to start this season’s journey by collaborating with some of the best artists in the music industry. I hope fans…
The South Korean government has just announced its schedule for vaccination provision for Korean citizens and foreign residents in South Korea. The first round of vaccination – set to begin next month in February – will go towards the health care workers based in Seoul who are working to fight the pandemic. Starting from March, the elderly citizens and employees at care homes will receive their shots. The government is in plans to have 1.3 million of the population vaccinated by March. Citizens aged over 65, residents residing in homes, and health care employees will be vaccinated in May.…
Vietnamese Street Food Vendors Street food is the heart and soul to many of the Southeast Asian countries and Vietnam is certainly one of them. Have you ever visited Asia and experienced the street food adventure where you are literally enjoying your food right on the street with those famous tiny plastic chairs and table? If you did than you would agree with me that Vietnamese street food is nothing like the others. So, what makes Vietnamese street food so unique and special? Simple and uncomplicated food, these Vietnamese street foods will beckon your tastebuds and sneak their…
Korean TikTok and social media sensation, CHANGHA has appeared on a TikTok advertising billboard in central Tokyo- sending his fans into a frenzy. The famed content creator, who is most widely known for his entertaining short-form videos, is reportedly “honored and touched” by the support of the TikTok community for featuring him on a famous billboard. In addition to being one of TikToks most-followed creators, CHANGHA also has a huge following on Instagram and YouTube that cater to an audience comprised predominantly of Gen Z and Kpop fans. With a wide reach and a charming personality, CHANGHA makes content…
Big Hit Entertainment just announced plans for a stock exchange with Naver Corporation. Naver is South Korea’s main internet platform – launched in 1999. Naver is the world’s first operator to feature a search engine that compiles search results from on a single page. Naver has decided to invest around $371 million dollars into beNX (Big Hit Entertainment’s subsidiary) that operates Weverse. In result, Naver will own a 49 percent stake in beNX, and Naver’s V LIVE business will be transferred to beNX. Big Hit Entertainment has revealed that it will invest $63 million dollars in YG Entertainment. Big…
The music video for ‘One Hundred degrees’, the latest track by Chinese-Japanese boy group WARPs UP, was released on YouTube, January 22. WARPs UP ‘One Hundred degrees’ music video: https://youtu.be/vKUhHNx7OGM Following ‘Hali Gali’ in November 2020 and ‘Cloud 9’ in December, ‘One Hundred degrees’ is the group’s third single in three consecutive months. An instrumental version of the song was used briefly in a YouTube teaser video released over a year ago, and now for the first time it is available as a full song. This was the very first track the group worked on when they formed,…
According to the news, South Korean model and actress Song Yoo-jung has been reported to have passed away on January 23rd, at the age of 26. The cause of her death has been revealed as a result of suicide. Song began her career as a model for cosmetics brand Estee Lauder, then later got into acting. She is perhaps best known for her acting role in Make Your Wish in 2014. Song’s management agency Sublime Artist Agency commented the following regarding her unexpected death. “Actress Song Yoo-jung departed this life January 23, 2021. Following the wishes of her family,…
To the Vietnamese people, Vietnam New Year or Tet holiday is the most important festival around the year. The Tet festival often takes place from late January to early February depending on the cycle of the Lunar Calendar. The three days of January of the Lunar Calendar are the most significant days but people in Vietnam often spend nearly half of a month to celebrate the festival. This year Tet festival 2021 falls on February 12th, 2021. The Zodiac Sign of 2021 is the Buffalo. Traditionally, the purpose of the Tet holiday is that Vietnamese people would like to…