It has been just over two years since SURL, a pop/rock band, debuted. Although they are fresh-faces in the South Korean music market, Ho-seung, Han-bin, Myung-seok and Do-yeon have already won over not only a domestic audience but also gained a decent European fanbase. In September of 2018, SURL released their 1st official song called…
Category: In Conversation with
“I Want to Definitively Develop My Colour as a Dancer so That I Become an Irreplaceable Master No One Else Can Copy.” – In Conversation with Jay Kim, a Contemporary Dancer and Choreographer
Dancing has been a way of life for Jay Kim, a former 1Million Dance Studio choreographer and contemporary dancer, since he was 13 years old. Known for his artistic choreography for K-pop idols such as Taemin of SHINee, Luhan (former member of EXO), The Boyz, Jay Park, and an emerging group called KAACHI, Jay Kim…
“I Will Work Harder to Grow Into an Incredible Artist.” – In Conversation with Kisu, a South Korean Singer-Songwriter
What really happens to idols after leaving their K-pop groups? Following several years of training and sometimes years of performing, regardless of their level of fame, the future is often bleak. There are various reasons for why idols part ways with their companies, but from what one has seen, it is often because of the…
“My Latest Album, UNITY II, Is the Beginning of My New Chapter as a Musician.” – In Conversation with Samuel Seo, a South Korean Artist
Neo-soul is believed to have originated in the mid-1990s with the exquisite work of Tony! Toni! Toné! and with D’Angelo’s debut album, Brown Sugar, released in 1995. While Tony! Toni! Toné! was well-known for their soul and R&B sound in the late 1980s, it was their 4th album, the last one they made as a…
“My Constant Wish Is to Make Good Music and Have a Lot of People Listen to It.” – In Conversation with Grizzly, a South Korean Singer-songwriter
R&B, like many other musical genres, has evolved over the years. Originally having its roots in blues, jazz and gospel, with time, it embraced a mixture of pop and soul with elements of hip-hop. And with many new emerging talents on the horizon, the R&B music market is experiencing a huge boom – just look…
In Conversation with IN2IT, a South Korean Idol Group
Can an idol group become independent artists after leaving their management company? They surely can, as IN2IT are living proof of that. Founded through a survival show, Boys24, the group officially debuted in October 2017 with the song Amazing which quickly brought them recognition among not only Korean but also international fans. Consisting of six…
“I Cannot Say That Working in the Music Industry Is Easy, However, I Am Very Thankful That I Can Still Make Music” – In Conversation with AOORA, a South Korean Artist
Music has been in Park Min Jun’s veins, a.k.a AOORA, since he was a young boy; his passion for the arts led him to majoring in dance and art. After debuting as a solo artist in 2009, he was seen as a young and promising artist. Two years later, he launched his career as a…
“Being an Artist Has Opened Me up to Loving a Much Bigger and Beautiful World.” – In Conversation with Dabit
Born and raised in the state of Ohio, Kim Jeong-wook, also known by his stage name Dabit, discovered his passion for music at the age of 10. Prior to moving to Seoul, South Korea, he went to a school for contemporary music and jazz. Dabit began his professional journey as a solo artist back in…
“Painting Makes Me Feel Like I’m Dancing Internally.” – In Conversation with Hwang Sunyoung, a South Korean Artist
How does art make you feel? Whether you feel happiness, sadness, joy or disgust, all emotions are welcome and valid when witnessing, experiencing and even making art. For many artists, producing work allows space for their internal worlds to be released onto the page or canvas, establishing an intimate experience of contemplation, flow and a…
“I Always Want to Be Able to Be a Voice in Any Way Possible and It Doesn’t Matter Which Country I’m in. A Country Does Not Define Me, My Opinion, My Voice or My Identity.” – In Conversation with Ana Kim, a DJ and Model
Social media can be a wonderful thing when one wishes to communicate with like-minded people. The first time I came across Ana Kim, a model and a DJ, was on Instagram. Her positive attitudes, intelligence and beauty struck me straight away. It took me a while to approach Ana with my personal opinion about the…
“It’s a Challenge Being Involved in This Industry.” – In Conversation with Jvde, a South Korean R&B Singer
South Korea not only dominates when it comes to technology, but it is also a leader when it comes to pop music. While K-pop plunges through the globe, there are various other genres that deserve one’s attention, not only Korean hip-hop, but also R&B. R&B is not unknown to the Korean market; although it has…
“My Origins are Part of My Identity, They Have Built Within Me a Dual Artistic Personality and Each Culture Influences the Other” – In Conversation with Tiffany Bouelle
The undulating lines and curves within the geometric formations of Franco-Japanese artist Tiffany Bouelle’s work provide us with a refined view of complex subjects. Having extensively travelled from a young age, Bouelle is concerned and simultaneously fascinated by culture, drawn towards the similarities and differences within her surroundings and the people she encounters. Most recently…
“For Me, Art is a Special, Sometimes Anonymous, and Sometimes a One-way Channel that Transmits an Emotional Message Without Connecting the Sender and Receiver.” – In Conversation with Appias Albina
Jevgenija Jones, known by her artistic name, Appias Albina, dreamed of being an artist since she was a young girl. Born and raised in Vilnius, Lithuania, Jevgenija graduated from the Academy of Arts and went straight into making art. On top of that, she also worked as a jewellery maker, graphic designer, illustrator and audiovisual…
“I Would Love to Bring Value to the Different Communities that I Could Influence Through My Art.” – In Conversation with Gabby Onme
Hip-hop has always been recognized as the most politicized genre of music. Compared to pop, rock and other genres, hip-hop has been franker and more ruthless. However, no one could have predicted that hip-hop, which was supposed to be another form of entertainment, would overturn the modern way of understanding the function of art in…
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