 |
| Members of Beast perform during “Music Bank,” a K-pop artists’ concert, in Hong Kong on Saturday. (AP-Yonhap News) |
It has been announced that girl group SISTAR will be holding their very first solo concert!
On July 9th, Starship Entertainment stated to Star News, “This coming September, SISTAR will be holding their first concert at Seoul’s Olympic Hall and meeting with their fans.” They added, ”The members will be showing off their diverse charms [through their concert] performances.”
After having debuted around 3 years ago, SISTAR has risen to the point of standing among the top stars. Along with songs such as “Push Push”, “Shady Girl”, “So Cool”, and “Ma Boy”, SISTAR established themselves with their ultimate hit, “Alone”. With this hit song, they transformed their musical style with a more retro feel. The fact that they can still maintain a high position on the charts with their summer special album’s title song “Loving U” while facing other popular girl groups such as T-ara and 2NE1 is also quite impressive.
As a group who is drawing in popular interest both domestically and overseas via the Hallyu Wave, SISTAR is now prepared to fully expose their capabilities and personalities through their first concert.
Source: Star News
Tip: Miria
U-KISS has announced that they will be rubbing shoulders with pop star Shakira at an upcoming Latin American concert!
U-KISS is the first ever Asian artist to be invited to perform at the biggest Latin American concert titled the ‘2012 EVENTO 40‘, which will be held at Bogota, Colombia. Hosted by the ‘Caracol TV Principales‘, the concert is a two day event complete with press conferences that will be broadcast to all of the major networks in Latin America.
The members of U-KISS commented, “We’re glad to be able to represent Korea at such a large stage. This is our first visit to Colombia, and as we will be representing Asia, we’ll return after spreading the K-Pop virus everywhere.”
The concert will be held on May 11th and 12th.
In related news, U-KISS will be releasing their new mini-album, ‘DORADORA‘, on April 25th.
Source + Photos: TV Daily via Nate
On April 16th, singer IU‘s agency LOEN Entertainment unveiled the official poster for her first independent concert a day ahead of tickets officially going on sale.
“Her slightly parted lips express her timid and bashful nature, while her white veil connotes both reality and fantasy,” they said, explaining the poster to her ‘REAL FANTASY‘ concert.
‘REAL FANTASY’ is IU’s first independent concert since her debut 4 years ago, and will take place at Kyunghee University for two days on June 2nd and 3rd.
Director G.Gorilla who has been working with IU until now will be serving as the musical director for this concert, and the theater-like stage will put more emphasis on the music, allowing a better experience for the fans.
Tickets to IU’s concert begin going on sale April 17th at 8:00AM KST.
Source & Image: XportsNews via Nate
Singer Sung Si Kyung has revealed that he will be opening a concert specifically for couples!
Sung Si Kyung is known as one of the most romantic ballad singers in the country. His songs are often used for proposals and romantic situations, so it’s no wonder fans are already lining up to be able to hear his songs live.
Scheduled for May 26th and the 27th at the outdoor theater at Yonsei University, the concert for lovers is aptly titled ‘The Wedding Banquet‘. Different from his standard concerts, the singer will not be performing a string of his hit songs, but rather a careful selection of songs fit for the warm breeze of May.
There will be a dress code for the couples attending, and the event will also include various testimonies and stories of couples, making this an event you won’t want to miss if you happen to be in the area! Tickets will go on sale April 12th through Interpark.
Source + Photos: Donga via Nate
The top idol stars of today will gather together for the 18th annual ‘Dream Concert‘ in May.
The 2012 Dream Concert is usually the biggest and baddest contest in Korea and this year will be no different. The concert will take place on May 12th at the World Cup Stadium in Seoul, and 20 of today’s hottest K-Pop stars will be performing at this mega event, including TVXQ, Girls’ Generation, 2PM, miss A, 2AM, MBLAQ, SISTAR, SECRET, IU, BEAST, 4minute, INFINITE, TEEN TOP, T-ara, KARA, Davichi, K. Will, and more.
The annual ‘Dream Concert’ has been an iconic Hallyu concert, drawing in fans from not only Korea but Japan, South America, the Middle East, and more, contributing to further spread K-Pop awareness across the globe.
The concert is organized by the Korean Entertainment Producers’ Association (KEPA) who has donated the profits from the concert to various charities since 2009. This year, KEPA will be creating a ‘Dream Concert Scholarship Fund’ with the profits, helping young students in financially difficult situations to study and fulfill their dreams.
KEPA Chairman Kim Young Jin remarked, “Our dream is for the world to become united as one through ‘Dream Concert’, hoping for world peace and order. We hope that teens everywhere will be able to dream bigger dreams through music without borders.”
Source & Image: StarNews via Nate
Core Contents Media, home to artists like T-ara, Davichi, Yangpa, and more, has found themselves in the middle of a lawsuit.
You may remember the ‘K-pop Power & Beauty’ concert that was scheduled to take place back in January of this year in San Francisco, California. The concert, which would have featured T-ara, Davichi, and Yangpa, was unfortunately postponed due to Visa issues, and later cancelled. Due to the cancellations, concert organizer, Namu Entertainment, has submitted a lawsuit against Core Contents Media.
On April 5th, Namu Entertainment sued Core Contents Media and First Creative Company for 390 million Won (~ $344,974 USD) as compensation for damages, at the Seoul District Court.
Namu Entertainment stated, “We had contracted a San Francisco concert featuring T-ara, Davichi, and Yangpa with Core Contents Media… However, with the excuse that they were unable to obtain the visas necessary, they cancelled the event with four days left til the concert.”
They continued, “With the concert being suddenly cancelled, we have suffered great damage, such as losing the trust of those within the industry.”
Core Contents Media fired back, “Preparations such as obtaining Visas were something that Namu Entertainment should have taken care of… We cannot comprehend why they have submitted a lawsuit against us when it was them who didn’t do their job properly.”
The agency further revealed, “We are currently obtaining related documents to counter-sue.”
Source + Photo: Star News
In addition to dominating online music charts with the release of their debut album, indie band Busker Busker is on a fast rise to the top as they have sold out their first concert!
Within moments of the tickets for their first concert, ‘Youth Bus‘, going on sale, all of the tickets were completely sold out, forcing concert sponsors CJ E&M to hurry and add additional dates to fulfill the requests.
Fans that weren’t able to purchase tickets called in nonstop for more, and their voices were heard, for in addition to the original dates for May 5th and 6th, Busker Busker will also be performing on the 4th for a total of three concerts. Each concert will house a 900 member audience.
To further excite fans, Busker Busker revealed that they are also planning a tour for the suburban districts.
In related news, Busker Busker has been catering to a busy schedule, with love calls for events and college festivals coming in left and right. It seems 24 hours won’t be enough for this new band!
Source + Photos: OSEN via Naver
MBLAQ‘s G.O. and Seungho showcased their more suave, and sensual charms.
On a recent recording of MBC‘s ‘Beautiful Concert‘, G.O. & Seungho performed a piano version of Eric Benet‘s ‘Hurricane‘, displaying a fresh new image that’s different from their usual fierce stage personas.
Seungho who is known to be a skilled piano player opted to play the intro of the song with his piano replacing the guitar in the original song. Living up to his title as ‘Yang Chopin’, Seungho impressed with his flawless piano playing.
G.O. also did not disappoint, and his appealing husky vocals harmonized well with Seungho’s performance, swooning the ladies in the audience.
MBLAQ also performed their powerful performance for “Run“, displaying their classically explosive masculine charms.
The MBLAQ episode of ‘Beautiful Concert’ airs on April 3rd at 5:00PM KST.
Source & Image: MyDaily via Nate
Members of idol group INFINITE are hard at work, preparing for their upcoming encore concert performance.
On April 1st, 10,000 fans will be flocking to Seoul Olympic Park to attend INFINITE’s ‘Second Invasion-Evolution’ concert, the encore performance to their first concerts which took place this past February.
With only a few days remaining, the boys are rehearsing day and night without rest. Member Hoya who turned 22 on March 28th was more concerned with perfecting their stage performance that he postponed celebrating his birthday to focus on rehearsals.
INFINITE has sold out both this upcoming ‘Second Invasion-Evolution’ concert as well as their first performances held at the Handball Stadium. Though it is an encore performance, the boys have completely reorganized the format, and all of the members’ individual performances will be different as well. Furthermore, the boys will also be revealing songs from their new album scheduled to drop this May.
In addition, YouTube will be streaming five of their song performances from the ‘Second Invasion-Evoluion’ concert live and various other clips of the boys will also be revealed.
Source & Image: Newsen via Nate
“Trend idols” INFINITE has partnered with YouTube to put on a special, one-time event.
INFINITE, who is set to hold their encore concert ‘Second Invasion-Evolution‘ at the Seoul Olympic Park Arena on April 1st, will broadcast a special video titled ‘Exclusive! INFINITE Special‘ on YouTube right before the start of the concert.
‘Exclusive! INFINITE Special’ is raising the anticipation of fans as it will not only show various “making-of” clips for INFINITE’s flashy performance, but will also broadcast worldwide five of the songs, live from the encore concert.
World famous rock bands such as U2 and Coldplay, and world famous pop artists have broadcasted their concerts live through YouTube before, but INFINITE is drawing attention for being the first K-Pop artist to ever to broadcast their concert live through YouTube.
INFINITE’s agency, Woollim Entertainment, revealed the purpose of the special event, saying, “Although they are not broadcasting the entire concert, we hope that INFINITE’s fans all over the world can watch the live broadcast of part of their show and feel like they are actually with INFINITE at the actual venue.”
A representative from YouTube also revealed, “Starting with INFINITE, YouTube plans to form strategic partnerships with other K-Pop artists to continuously generate new content.”
INFINITE is currently increasing the anticipation of fans with their fierce teaser for the encore concert.
Source + Image: Hankyung via Naver
After completely selling out their first Japanese tour, KARA has gone ahead to fulfill the requests of fans by adding two more tour dates!
Starting April 14th, the girls were originally scheduled to tour Japanese cities: Yokohama, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Osaka, and Tokyo for a total of 10 performances. Tickets were sold out the minute they went on sale. Due to the influx of fan requests asking for more seats, KARA has decided to add two more concerts, for a total of 12 concerts, on May 26th and 27th at the Saitama Super Arena, which seats between 22,000 to 37,000 fans depending on its configuration.
Through their interview with Sports Nichi, the girls expressed their excitement over their upcoming tour, commenting, “We worked really hard to prepare a lot, and we’re aiming to show something different from our Korean concerts. We are also planning to perform songs never sung before in Japan.”
Source + Photos: SPHK via Naver
INFINITE has revealed that they will be revealing a new song for the very first time at their encore concert!
On April 1st, the boys will be holding the ‘Second Invasion – Evolution‘, where leader Sunggyu will be revealing a song off of their upcoming album through his solo stage.
INFINITE has been a hit with every activity they pursue lately, as not only did they sell out their first Korean concert, but also two concerts in Japan, as well as their encore concert.
As this encore concert in particular will be releasing a new song off of their May release, officials have put up high security measures to ensure that the song cannot get leaked prematurely. The members stated, “We’re practicing as if this is another of our first concerts, not an encore.”
To fulfill what lacked at their first concert last month, the boys are going above and beyond to come back with even more spectacular stages.
Woolim Entertainment expressed, “Fans can consider this an upgraded version of their last concert, as it’s full of more variety than ever before. It will be a concert to remember, one where the boys work as closely with their fans as possible together.”
Netizens cheered, “Looking forward to the success of INFINITE”, “I want to go to their concert to hear their new song”, “Wondering what their new song will sound like!” and “I’m so excited for their new song!”
Source + Photos: TV Report via Naver
On March 18th, Tony An made a surprise appearance on KBS 2TV‘s ‘Gag Concert‘.
During the program, Tony An stated, “My profile says I’m 175cm (~5’9″)”. Comedian Hwang Hyun Hee wittingly replied, “I’m 168cm. Take off your shoes.”
After Tony An took off his shoes, he became similar to Hwan Hyun Hee’s height, causing the audience to burst out in laughter.
On March 19th, Tony An tried to defend his case through Twitter, tweeting, “I’m over 170cm.” He added, “Did you enjoy ‘Gag Concert’ yesterday? I’m on my way to practice for tomorrow’s ‘Sketchbook‘. Tomorrow, I’m singing ‘Memories’ Song‘. I don’t know if I’m allowed to sing this song.”
Meanwhile, Tony An is currently collaborating with his agency’s new boy group SMASH and is promoting as one group.
Source: Newsen via Nate
LEDApple is getting ready to take on the Japanese market!
Ahead of their official debut, the boys will be attending the ‘K-Pop Rookies Party Vol. 1‘ as the final performance that night. To be held at the Nakano Sun Plaza on March 16th, the two-part concert invites only the up-and-coming rookies to the event.
LEDApple will be performing “Sadness“, “Time Is Up“, as well as a special hidden track as the concert’s finale.
Their agency expressed, “This is a special stage that LEDApple has prepared for their Japanese fans since they’ve only been able to meet them at Korean performances. The concert hosts have revealed that Japanese fans are already calling in to question where they can send congratulatory wreaths to celebrate the boys’ first performance in Japan. We’ve prepared a lot for their patient fans so please look forward to it.”
Source + Photos: Sports Chosun via Naver
BoA has announced that she will be releasing a special DVD of her Japanese live concerts in Korea!
On December 10th and 11th of 2011, BoA celebrated her 10th anniversary as well as the Christmas holiday with a live concert at the Tokyo International Forum. Fans that missed out need not fret, as all of the performances have been recorded for this special DVD release.
The DVD was already released in Japan on the 7th, but fans can expect a Korean release on the 19th. The DVD contains “Milestone“, “Meri Kuri“, “No. 1“, “Valenti“, and other hit songs for a total of 20 performances.
Source + Photos: OSEN via Naver
Super Junior has successfully completed their two-day concert in Macau!
On March 9th and 10th, the boys held their ‘Super Show 4‘ concert at the Venetian Hotel. Not only did this mark their first solo concert in Macau, but also the complete selling out of all their seats. The concert was such a hit that the boys went ahead and added another date to comply with the requests.
Major media outlets like CCTV and Apple Daily crowded their press conference held before their final concert.
The boys performed a total of 36 songs including hits like “Sorry Sorry“, “Mr. Simple“, and “Bonamana“. Fans showed their pride in the boys by supporting them with a sea of blue light sticks and the chanting of Korean cheers.
Super Junior will be continuing their ‘Super Show 4′ on to Bangkok on the 16th and 18th!
Source + Photos: Sports Chosun via Naver
Major media outlets of Chile have just experienced the spread of K-pop.
Before the opening of JYJ‘s solo concert on March 9th, major daily newspapers like the ‘Las Ultimas Noticias‘ covered the boys preparing for the show from the minute they arrived at the international airport.
‘Las Ultimas Noticias’ is considered one of the most influential newspapers in Chile in terms of public recognition. Under the title “Crazy for Korean group JYJ,” the paper reported, “After 40 hours, JYJ, a group that has reached the top of the world, has finally landed in Chile. Despite their arrival being in the early morning, so many fans arrived that police had to come on to the scene for security measures.”
They also went on to touch on JYJ’s social media activities and their surprise on the amount of popularity Asian artists have within their country.
Other media representatives that attended JYJ’s press conference stated, “Not only fans, but a lot of other people have begun to listen to Korean music. K-Pop is no longer staying in the enclosure of its fans, but is reaching the level where everyone is taking an interest in it.”
Source + Photos: OSEN via Nate
JYJ attended a press conference before their first ever South American concert on March 8th (local time), and addressed the controversy surrounding the group, and their thoughts about holding their first South American concert.
The group has found themselves the most talked about topic of the week with audio files, recorded back in 2009, belatedly being revealed to the public on March 6th.
The members entered the press conference with dark expressions on their faces. The boys began by revealing some of the hardships they had endured due to the actions of sasaeng fans. “Ever since debuting in 2004, we suffered from sasaeng fans everyday for eight years.”
Yoochun stated, “Having someone watching me every second, and following me around wanting to share every thing, is like being in a prison without bars.”
Junsu also added sadly, “They exposed all our phone calls, GPS-tracked our cars and secretly chased us around, and even frequently broke in and took pictures of our personal items. They even tried to kiss me while I was sleeping, and they even caused a minor collision between their taxi and the car we were in to try to see my face. A fear choking the breath out of me would wash over me everyday, and I just want to at least live like a person through this indescribable suffering.”
The group then issued an official apology for causing their fans to worry with the outbreak of the controversy. Jaejoong, stated, “I’m sorry for my wrong doings in the past… I’m sorry that many fans have been heart-sick due to this issue. From now on, no matter how mentally hard, or how far beyond the limit the situation is, we will think about all the people who love us, and for them we will not falter and fulfill our responsibility as public figures.”
-
The group then went on to discuss their thoughts and feelings on becoming the first ever Korean artist to hold their own concert in Chile (March 9th) and Peru (March 11th).
Junsu stated, “I’m so surprised that we have many fans in Chile and Peru, where we have never visited before, and so happy that we can perform here.”
Jaejoong added, “We never thought we’d be able to come to South America. It was hard to believe that there were fans here who liked our music, but after seeing all the fans who came to greet us at the airport, we’ve come to believe it.”
With the problems they experienced on their journey as a bird got sucked into the propellers of the plane that was supposed to carry them from LA to Chile, the members lightheartedly stated, “We hope there will be a flight that goes directly from Korea to South America.”
Jaejoong revealed their future hopes as he stated, “Until a few years ago, even if we performed just in Asia and one place in the U.S., the term ‘word tour’ was used. However, we have traveled all over the world including Asia, Europe, U.S., and South America. We take pride in having a true world tour. Having come to South America, we feel that there are even more countries to visit. We look forward to our second, and even third world tour.”
In related news, the group’s concerts have drawn much attention from the locals as well as the media. As if to evidence their popularity, 400 fans showed up at the airport to see the group arrive at the airport.
Source + Photo: Sports Seoul via Nate
