“I was into all kinds of art when I was growing up. One time I wanted to be a painter, then I thought of becoming a fashion designer, I wasn’t sure about singing,” CHE, a Seoul-born singer-songwriter, says thoughtfully as he speaks about whether music was his intended career path from the start. Exposed to…
Tag: music
The Unbearable Lightness of Being: BTS’ “BE” Album Review
BE is BTS’ fourth (Korean) studio album and follows the record-breaking Map of the Soul: 7 from earlier in the year (February 21). Released on the 20th November, six months after the later, BE is a project album that is best understood as a personal response to COVID-19. BE is grounded in reality; while the…
In Conversation with DONGKIZ, a South Korean Idol Group
“I was drawn to how I can express my own thoughts and emotions through the lyrics or the melody”, says Jaechan, a 19-year-old member of a South Korean group, DONGKIZ, when asked if music was his future. While not all of the members thought of starting their adult lives as a part of a K-pop…
“Artists Must Guard and Maintain One’s Own Style and yet Be Able to Show Various Colours.” – In Conversation with SURL, a South Korean Rock Band
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…
“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…
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…
“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…
Dancing the Night Away: Review of BTS’ ‘Dynamite’
“With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now” – Art Buchwald. Dynamite is BTS’ first English language single since their collaboration with Steve Aoki for Waste it On Me (25th October 2018). The surprise release of the single was announced on 2nd August and accompanied by a countdown…
D-2: The Pursuit of Perfection (Album Review)
Min Yoon-gi’s alternative rap persona Agust D (as separate from Suga) dropped his second mixtape, appropriately titled D-2, on 22nd May 2020. Earlier the same week, Big Hit started a mysterious countdown showing a barely distinguishable shadowy figure against a black background with the timer at the centre, starting from D-7. On D-2, the mixtape…
“With Our New Album, We Wanted Listeners to Get a Complete Picture of Who We, BURSTERS, Are.” – In Conversation with BURSTERS
With BURSTERS’ 2nd album, Once and for All, being released in March of this year, the Korean hard rockers have recently focused on producing something different. While keeping their heavy sound, the band embraced different genres as well, making their new album explosive and musically ambitious. Once and for All, fully written in English, showed…
With Their Vivid Performance, DAY6 Takes Over the Brixton Academy in London
JYP Entertainment, one of the main players on the Korean music market, made the right decision by giving DAY6 their debut. Since 2015, the group has been storming the world with its rock, K-pop and pop-punk tunes continuously. Comprised of Jae, Sung-jin, Young K, Wonpil and Do-woon, the group embarked on their 2nd World Tour…
2019 Zandari Festa in Seoul – Dead Buttons
Like all great adventures, the Dead Buttons gig at Zandari Festa ended too soon. Deep in the belly of Seoul’s Club FF surrounded by layers of graffiti and stickers on neon washed walls, a small stage held Dead Buttons and all their energy, all their sound, all their passion. As the venue filled and the…
“We Wanted to Be a Voice for the Silent, a Light in the Dark, and Spread Hope to the Hopeless” – In Conversation with FYKE
The world has never been an easy place to live in and nowadays, more and more people struggle to endure, with the younger generation often feeling helpless and lost. Still; no matter how hard it might get, there is always a bright side to life – and for some, music is the answer; a ‘helping…
KUN (Cai Xukun) Electrifies the Audience with His Performance at Electric Brixton
Cai Xukun, also known as KUN, has garnered stardom in China as one of the country’s most promising young singers, songwriters, rappers and DJs. After participating in Idol Producers and receiving overwhelming votes from fans, the artist became a sensation overnight. In addition to his solo career, the velvet-eyed KUN is also a leader of a…
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