Music Bank is a premier South Korean music program, and since its debut in 1998, it has become one of the most popular and influential music shows in the country, it is also broadcast in over a hundred countries via KBS World, making it accessible to a global audience. Interestingly, Music Bank replaced a previous…
Tag: BTS
All the World’s A Stage: Review of RM’s “Right Place, Wrong Person” Album
While the 11-track album, which dropped three weeks ago, has been lauded as the sophomore follow-up to the critically and commercially successful Indigo, it is in fact Namjoon’s fourth solo excursion. Looking back to his ‘mixtapes’, RM in 2015 and Mono in 2018, it is clear to see Namjoon’s artistic journey, which starts with the…
RM Contemplates with His Latest Single “Come Back To Me” – MV/Single Review
In an industry where 3.5 minutes are considered too long for a song, RM takes a bold approach with his new single, Come Back to Me. The track runs for 6:29 and is complemented by a superb music video. True to his style, RM has collaborated with top talent from the film and television industry,…
SEVENTEEN Are Right Here: A Nine-Year Celebration of Their Greatest Hits – Album Review
Every excellent SEVENTEEN song begins with ‘Seventeen right here.’ But how does one describe Seventeen’s discography without veering into sentimentalism or turning it into a thesis? The 13 members are now reminding everyone of their immense talent with their latest release, 17 IS RIGH HERE. This box set of greatest hits is a proud display…
ONE N’ ONLY Release Their New Single “DOMINO”
ONE N’ ONLY comprised of TETTA, REI, EIKU, HAYATO, KENSHIN, and NAOYA, has once again impressed their global fans with the release of their latest single, DOMINO. The six-member dance and vocal group, formed by a well-known talent agency Stardust Promotion, is no newbie to the music industry. Debuting in 2018, ONE N’ ONLY is…
Zipping Through “HYPERSPACE”: DXMON’s Debut Mini Album Review
In terms of likelihood for success, 3rd Gen K-pop was the golden era; as the genre really began to reach the other side of the globe, even small groups had their hits. 4th Gen subsequently built on the immense rise in popularity caused by the previous years of music, as companies trained up and pumped…
P1Harmony’s Troxy Triumph – Concert Review
P1Harmony’s Troxy performance in London wasn’t your run-of-the-mill musical soirée; it was an intense night filled with energy and the radiant personalities of Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul, and Jongseob. The group’s P1ustage H: P1oneer tour kicked off in January 2023 in Seoul and later moved to the US, where they performed in twelve cities….
TRENDZ To Perform in Europe and North Africa
South Korea’s music scene is no stranger to dynamic and talented boy groups, and the emergence of TRENDZ in 2022 has shown the country’s continuous musical evolution. Formed under Interpark Music Plus, TRENDZ comprises seven members: Havit, Leon, Yoonwoo, Hankook, ra.L, Eunil, and Yechan. Since their official debut with Blue Set Chapter 1. Tracks, the…
BLITZERS Discuss Their Fan Concert, “Macarena” Single, and Plans for the Future – Exclusive Interview
After a few months of silence and our last conversation in January, BLITZERS have finally returned with intensive performances in Japan. Although they released their last single, Macarena, back in April, the group is still actively promoting their music, not only in their native country of South Korea but also in Japan. With a series…
Jungkook’s Star Shines Brightly on “Golden” – Album Review
Jungkook is the youngest member of the mega-group BTS and the last to debut as a solo artist. With eleven songs, his debut album, Golden, runs at just under 32 minutes. The album features two pre-release singles, the record-breaking “Seven” (feat. Latto) and “3D” (feat. Jack Harlow) which sees the return of David Stewart (part…
Jungkook’s “3D” feat. Jack Harlow: Eroticism and Hapticality – Single Review
In an era where sexting and cybersex are part of the rich fabric of human sexuality, 3D tackles the desire for a return to physicality, wherein touch removes sex from the cold spaces of the virtual and brings it back to the warmth of corporeality, bodies not separated by the screen; Jungkook’s opening lines: “I…
Slow Dancing with V: “Layover” Album Review
V is the final member of BTS to officially debut as a solo artist. Like the other members, he has participated in solo projects, both as part of BTS – “Stigma” (Wings: 2016), Intro: Singularity” (Love Yourself Tear: 2016) and Inner Child (Map of the Soul: 7: 2020) – and on his own or as…
Jungkook Comes of Age: “Seven” – Single Review
Seven is the first official solo single by Jungkook of BTS. Like other members of the group, he has released solo singles either as part of concept albums or as gifts to ARMY on Soundcloud. Unlike the other members – Jin, J-hope, RM, Suga (as Agust D), and Jimin, he is the only one to…
“Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS” – How an Idol Group From a Small Agency Shook the World of K-Pop (Book Review)
While much has been written and/or documented about BTS’s unprecedented rise to global fame, most of these have been “unofficial” narratives designed to cash in on BTS’s popularity. Through their reality TV shows including In The Soop (2020 – ) as well as the documentary TV series, Bring the Soul (2019) and Break the Silence…
VIEW OF THE ARTS 