Over the last few weeks, the novel coronavirus pandemic has brought the K-pop scene to an unprecedented standstill. Most concerts and meetup events, both at home and abroad, have been cancelled or postponed, while weekly TV shows are being held without audiences. The prolonged COVID-19 crisis may be taking a heavy toll on the whole K-pop industry, but small and midsized music labels in particular are feeling the pinch, as their business model relies heavily on tickets, physical albums and forei

Founder and executive producer of Cube Entertainment Hong Seong-sung announced Tuesday that he was leaving the label, about a month after the firm’s ownership changed. He wrote on his Twitter that “I am leaving Cube Entertainment which I had bet my life on” and “I will stand in front of public again in some other way.” On his reasons for leaving, he said “It didn’t take much time for me to realize they, whom I thought would be good partners that prov

Singer AleXa released her very first EP “Do Or Die” on Wednesday. Featuring a total of eight tracks including the lead single “Do Or Die” and her previously single “Bomb,” the EP encompasses all of her work she’s released since her official debut last October and more. “Do Or Die” also features a EDM remix version of her debut single “Bomb” -- a stomping, bombastic pop song with a heavy dose of electro beats that helped her mak

K-pop super band BTS cheered up its fans and audiences across the world Tuesday with a special performance on a US TV show, broadcast from the band's own studio in South Korea, in a time of social distancing over the COVID-19 pandemic. The members of BTS were the penultimate artists that James Corden, the host of the CBS program "The Late Late Show with James Corden," connected with in his video calls for the special quarantine edition of the show, which aired Monday night (US time)

Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, concerts and music festivals worldwide have been canceled or postponed, including BTS’ world tour in Seoul and North America and the Coachella festival, at which Big Bang plans to make a comeback after a two-year hiatus. But many K-pop artists and labels have made the best out of the situation by utilizing what they know best -- social media and online platforms. Idol groups including GFriend, Loona and Pentagon have celebrated their comeback with

Suho of EXO released his first solo album, “Self-Portrait,” on Monday, hoping to connect with the audience through the most personal side of himself. “As a solo artist, I wanted to make music that captured the color and musicality of Kim Jun-myeon (Suho’s given name), not the one I had shown through EXO as a group. I do feel burdened, but excitement outruns nervousness,” Suho said in a statement. The six-track EP is fronted by lead track “Let’s Love,

Local fans use K-pop references to subtly take swipe at Thai king

BTS will appear in James Corden’s “Homefest” in the latest effort of #TogetherAtHome on Tuesday. “Homefest: James Corden’s Late Late Show Special” will feature artists from all over the world performing from the safety of their homes. In addition to BTS from South Korea, artists scheduled to appear include opera singer Andrea Bocelli from Italy, Dua Lipa from London, John Legend with Billie Eilish and Finneas from LA, among others. James Corden will be hosti

K-pop girl group TWICE has canceled its Japanese concerts, originally scheduled for mid-April, amid the global COVID-19 outbreak. An announcement on the band's official Japanese website last week said "Twice World Tour 2019 'Twicelights' in Japan," scheduled to be held at Tokyo Dome on April 15 and 16, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. "In light of the situation with no prospect of easing at this time and the policies of governments and related organizations, e

Late Goo Hara’s brother Goo Ho-in is pushing forward his petition to legislate a “Goo Hara Law,” while also juggling a lawsuit against his mother over the singer’s inheritance. During a recent interview with local publication Woman Chosun, he spoke candidly on his reasons for the legal battle, only three months after the singer passed away. “I am wary of how my acts have been portrayed as mere defamation against our mother. I petitioned for the ‘Goo Hara L

BTS paved the way; more effort needed to overcome language barriers

K-pop boy band BTS put off the American leg of its upcoming world tour, "Map of the Soul Tour," Friday over the global spread of COVID-19. "The 'BTS Map of the Soul Tour - North America,' originally scheduled to take place from April 25 to June 6, will be rescheduled to a later date," the band's management agency, Big Hit Entertainment, said on the Weverse mobile app. "We are closely monitoring and following the guidance of all local governments regarding public event

Coronavirus outbreak has drastically changed this reporter’s life in Seoul

Boy band Golden Child on Tuesday streamed a full version video of its first solo concert, “Future and Past,” on Twitter, attracting almost 650,000 views during the three-hour run. The footage was released at 8:28 p.m. here as a surprise for fans around the world, many of whom may be coping with self-isolation amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The band performed 24 tracks, including debut song “DamDaDi,” for the concert that was originally held in January in Seoul.

BTS will join the recording of the original soundtrack for an upcoming Japanese TV series, the band's second-ever OST project in Japan, news reports said Thursday. According Billboard Japan and Oricon News, BTS's new song, "Stay Gold," has been selected for the original soundtrack of a Japanese TV series, "The Spiral Labyrinth-DNA Science Investigation," which will go on-air next month. The song is one of the tracks to be included on the band's new Japanese album, set for