What do you do when you’re an artist with an already well-established visual and musical language? Do you tap back into what everyone loves you for, or try something new? Taemin is having a go at the latter in his newest 10-track EP PHASE 1: Soft Violence, promoting it with a title track we wouldn’t…
Category: Music
Love Includes Everything: JUNHEE on “LOVED METHOD”, Healing and the Music He Wants to Leave Behind – Exclusive Interview
JUNHEE, a member of the beloved K-pop group A.C.E, has worked incredibly hard to reach where he is today. Although his solo career is still in its early stages, he has already shown that he has no intention of pausing. One thing that has always impressed me is that, whether with A.C.E or as a…
XG’s THE CORE Tour Lands in London
Japan has never lacked girl groups; what it has lacked is the international machinery needed to turn its acts into global phenomena. Much of the Japanese idol industry has traditionally focused on its domestic audience, leaving many talented performers without the visibility they deserve elsewhere. Yet when a Japanese girl group does break through internationally,…
coldrain Announce Eighth Album “OPTIMIZE = OPTDEMISE”
Japanese alt-metal band coldrain are back with new music. The Nagoya five-piece has announced their eighth studio album, OPTIMIZE = OPTDEMISE, set for release on September 25, 2026, via Century Media Records. The announcement comes alongside a new single, “EX-HUMANITY”, their first new song since the OPTIMIZE EP arrived in October last year. The new track hits…
The A Festival Is Bringing Asia to Paris – And It’s Much Bigger Than You Think
Paris is hardly short of festivals, but on 24 and 25 October 2026, something rather different is taking shape at the Paris Event Center. The A Festival is setting out to bring several corners of Asian entertainment into the same space: K-pop and T-pop, P-pop, Japanese rock and pop, Chinese artists, Thai hip-hop, music from…
K-Music Festival Returns to London with Its Most Diverse Programme Yet
The K-Music Festival returns to London this autumn with another ambitious programme that highlights the richness and diversity of Korean music. Running from 28 September to 23 November, this year’s edition brings together traditional folk music, shamanic rituals, jazz, hip-hop, indie rock, experimental sound art and even video game music, offering audiences a chance to…
ZELO Finds a New Sound with “ELA” – Single Review
ZELO has never been afraid to try something different, and “ELA” is another step away from the sound many fans first knew him for. Instead of going for a powerful K-pop sound, ZELO takes a different approach with the song. The Latin-inspired pop track is light and very catchy. But while the melody feels carefree,…
The Wind: Keeping Feel-Good K-Pop Alive with “Second Wind: S#00” – Exclusive Interview
Just ahead of their appearance at Sound in Colors – the biggest and first-ever K-pop festival in Poland – View of the Arts sat down with The Wind following the release of their 4th mini-album, Second Wind: S#00. Since their debut in May 2023, the six-member group – Thanatorn, Choi Hanbin, Park Hayuchan, An Chanwon,…
HYPER JAPAN 2026: Exploring THE SIXTH LIE’s Impact on Anime and Rock – Interview
Hyper Japan is always full of surprises, but THE SIXTH LIE never needed one. The Japanese rock band walked on stage, played the first song and straight away had the audience with them. Whether fans knew every lyric or had only discovered them through anime, everyone seemed equally caught up in the performance. While the…
HYPER JAPAN 2026 – Inside avantgardey: Dance Phenomenon Takes the World Stage – Interview
Until you see avantgardey live, it’s difficult to understand why they’ve become such a phenomenon. Watching the seven members – out of sixteen – perform at Hyper Japan in London, I kept trying to pick out one dancer to follow. It lasted only a few seconds before my attention shifted back to the group. Every…
PSYCHIC FEVER on “DIFFERENT”, Songwriting and Their Global Rise – Exclusive Interview
There comes a point in every group’s career where they stop trying to prove themselves and simply start making the music they want to make. For PSYCHIC FEVER from EXILE TRIBE, that moment comes with DIFFERENT. Their second studio album doesn’t stick to one genre or one formula, and that’s exactly the point. Moving between…
TRENDZ Talks Four Years Together, Sixth Single Album “On My Knees”, and What’s Next – Exclusive Interview
“We prepared this album as though it could be our last,” says YOONWOO. It is a sentence that says everything about where TRENDZ are today. Four years after their debut, the seven-member group continues to move forward with the same determination that first introduced them to fans, but with an even deeper sense of purpose….
PSYCHIC FEVER Show a New Side on “DIFFERENT”, Their Second Studio Album
J-pop has never been more diverse, and PSYCHIC FEVER are one of the groups helping to push it in new directions. Combining R&B, hip-hop, pop and dance music, the seven-member group has built a sound that doesn’t fit neatly into one category. Now, following the success of Just Like Dat featuring JP THE WAVY, they…
Sound in Colors K-POP Exposé To Bring the Biggest K-POP Event in Poland
K-pop festivals can be hit or miss, but Poland’s August line-up looks too big to ignore. One of the joys of following K-pop in Europe is that no two festivals ever feel quite the same. Some become unforgettable celebrations where artists and fans feed off each other’s energy. Others promise a dream line-up only for…
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