[Herald Interview] Ahn Ye-eun returns as a storyteller with 'Story Bundle'

Singer-songwriter Ahn Ye-eun returns as a storyteller of whimsey and heartbreak with her new EP "Story Bundle." Since her debut eight years ago, Ahn has carved out a niche in the music industry, and her new album masterfully balances her style with the public's taste. "This time, I wanted to create music that listeners can approach more easily," Ahn explained. Ahn is known for her vocal tone -- resembling the style of Korean traditional singing, pansori -- and creative l

K-popNov. 21, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Lisa to roll out 1st solo LP

Lisa of Blackpink will release her first solo full album on Feb. 28, announced agency Lloud Company Wednesday. She will pour everything she has honed through her career into the album dubbed “Alter Ego,” it added. The artist has dropped singles “Rockstar,” “New Woman” and “Moonlit Floor” since June. “Rockstar” ranked No. 70 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and the Rosalia collaboration No. 97. The first earned Lisa her first Billboard Globa

K-popNov. 20, 2024

Labor Ministry dismisses Hanni harassment case

The Ministry of Employment and Labor has ruled that allegations of workplace harassment involving Hanni, a Vietnamese Australian member of K-pop girl group NewJeans, do not fall under labor law protections, as she is not classified as a worker under the Labor Standards Act. On Wednesday, the ministry announced the closure of a complaint filed last month by NewJeans’ fan base, known as "Bunnies," which alleged that Hanni was subjected to workplace harassment at Hybe’s headqu

K-popNov. 20, 2024

Former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin quits Hybe, declares legal war

Min Hee-jin, former CEO of Hybe subsidiary Ador, announced on Wednesday her resignation from her post as an internal director at Ador, signaling a complete departure from Hybe. She also declared her intent to take legal action against the K-pop powerhouse, accusing the company of breaching shareholder agreements and engaging in unlawful practices. “I have decided to resign as an internal director of Ador today,” Min said in a statement. “I will terminate my shareholder agreemen

K-popNov. 20, 2024

Music performances to end the year on high note

As the year-end draws near, there are major music awards to look forward to here, where the most talented and popular artists are rewarded for their work and fans are rewarded with witnessing first-ever collaboration stages and spectacular performances. This year's Mnet Asian Music Awards, the world’s largest K-pop awards ceremony organized by CJ ENM, is the frontrunner, taking place at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles Thursday local time, and at the Kyocera Dome Osaka,

K-popNov. 20, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Rose to drop another prerelease from solo LP

Rose of Blackpink will put out a B-side track from her upcoming first solo studio album on Friday, agency The Black Label said Tuesday. The track “number one girl” will be one of 12 tracks from her LP “rosie,” due for release Dec. 6. The single comes about a month after Bruno Mars collaboration “APT.” swept music charts in Korea and abroad. Inspired by a Korean drinking game, the infectious tune topped iTunes Top Songs chart in 40 regions and ranked No. 8 on B

K-popNov. 19, 2024

Why are Yale students taking K-pop classes?

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut — At Yale University, K-pop is not just a global music phenomenon -- it is the subject of serious academic inquiry. During the recent two-day K-Pop: Musical Production and Consumption conference on Thursday and Friday, 160 participants gathered to explore the genre’s history, industry dynamics and cultural impact. Among them were students from one of Yale’s five K-pop-related courses, including a class taught by Grace Kao, an IBM professor of sociology an

K-popNov. 19, 2024

[K-pop 101] How 'homma' became little helpers of Korean celebrities' rise to stardom

"Homepage masters," also known as “Homma” among K-pop fans, are superfans who, armed with professional cameras with sophisticated lenses, take high-quality pictures of their favorite artists. These superfans follow their artist’s official schedules such as fan meetings, concerts, end-of-the-year awards ceremonies and world tours. They use the pictures taken at these events to create content of their favorite artists, which gets redistributed by other fans to different

K-popNov. 19, 2024

Singer Ailee to tie the knot with actor Choi Si-hun

Singer Ailee is set to marry actor Choi Si-hoon next April, A2Z Entertainment announced Tuesday. The two met through a mutual acquaintance and have been openly dating for about a year. They became engaged in May after developing a deep bond built on love and trust, the agency said. "I have met someone who is not only supportive and caring, but also someone I can rely on. His understanding and consideration made me want to spend the rest of my life with him,” Ailee shared on her offici

K-popNov. 19, 2024

BTS’ Jin releases ‘Running Wild’ remix album

Jin of BTS is releasing the remix album, “Running Wild (Remixes),” at 2 p.m., Tuesday. The album contains eight versions of “Running Wild,” the main song in Jin’s first solo album “Happy.” The eight versions are the original version, instrumental, extended, band, ballad, holiday, Afropop and UK Garage versions. The extended version features an extra chorus, intensifying the song's energy, while the band version amplifies the song’s genre appea

K-popNov. 19, 2024

Lee Seung-gi to mark 20th anniversary with album release next month

Singer and actor Lee Seung-gi is celebrating his 20th debut anniversary with a new album next month. According to Big Planet Made Entertainment, Lee will drop “With” on Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. This marks Lee’s first physical album release in four years since his seventh LP “The Project” in December 2020. Reflecting on this 20-year career as a singer, Lee shared his enthusiasm and vision for the upcoming album, the agency said. The album title symbolizes reuniting and colla

K-popNov. 19, 2024

Stray Kids to perform at Son Heung-min's home stadium as part of world tour

Stray Kids to perform at Son Heung-min's home stadium as part of world tour K-pop sensation Stray Kids will perform at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, home to English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and its star player Son Heung-min, on July 18, 2025, as part of their expanded "dominATE" world tour, becoming the first K-pop act to do so, the band's agency said Tuesday. JYP Entertainment announced that the tour will include 20 new concerts across Latin America, North America,

K-popNov. 19, 2024

[K-pop 101] Celebrate your fave K-pop artist’s birthday at a ‘birthday cafe'

Have you ever attended a birthday party without the guest of honor? That’s exactly what K-pop fans are doing: celebrating their favorite artists' birthdays at cafes that allow them to be used for this purpose. In Hongdae and Myeong-dong in Seoul, where many of these birthday cafes are located, you’ll find cafes decorated with neon signs, posters and balloons in honor of various K-pop idols. Fans from both Korea and abroad flock to these celebrations. “I live in Japan, but

K-popNov. 18, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen subunit BSS to return soon: report

The return of Seventeen subunit trio BSS is pending, according to a local media report Monday. The subunit of Seungkwan, Dogyeom and Hoshi had already finished shooting a music video in Seoul, it added. The group's agency, Pledis Entertainment, only said it would make an announcement when the date is finalized. The trio was launched in 2018 with digital single “Just Do It” and dropped first single album “Second Wind” in February last year. It nabbed eight trophies fr

K-popNov. 18, 2024

[Herald Review] Jin celebrates first solo album release, brings happiness to fans

Jin mesmerized fans with his wide musical spectrum and vibrant energy at the fan showcase “Jin ‘Happy’ Special Stage” on Sunday. Held Saturday and Sunday, the showcase marked the first live performance of songs from Jin's first solo album "Happy." Over two days, Jangchung Arena in Seoul was packed with approximately 3,800 fans. As Jin appeared on stage by parting the red curtains, the arena erupted into thunderous cheers. "Two days ago, my album was re

PerformanceNov. 18, 2024

K-pop's global fandoms, musical evolution discussed at Yale

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut -- Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, hosted a two-day K-pop conference under the banner of “K-Pop: Musical Production and Consumption” on Thursday and Friday, featuring discussions by scholars in social sciences and the humanities alongside presentations by industry professionals. Sixteen speakers delivered talks across four sessions, examining topics ranging from fandom dynamics and musical identity to K-pop’s historical trajectory and global ma

K-popNov. 17, 2024

Stalker fans, or 'sasaeng' continue to plague entertainment landscape

The darker side of fame continues to haunt stars as the South Korean entertainment scene has recently been rocked by a series of incidents involving "sasaeng" fans -- meaning obsessive fans who engage in behaviors that invade the privacy of celebrities, including stalking. IST Entertainment, home to the popular K-pop group The Boyz, revealed on its fan cafe site Thursday that member Sunwoo was ambushed by a sasaeng fan hiding in the emergency stairwell where the group members live as h

TelevisionNov. 17, 2024