BTS announce new single ‘Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)’

Kang Daniel recently offered his insight on the creative process behind his recent release, ‘The Album’.In a recent interview with Rolling Stone India, the soloist talked about taking more creative liberties on his first-ever studio album ‘The Story’, which dropped earlier this week, instead of leaning toward mainstream trends with his work, following the release of his ‘Color’ trilogy in 2021 and 2020.“I think that every artist who is appealing to mass culture comes across that dilemma every once in a while,” the singer explained. “I think it’s that intricate balance between creativity or the mainstream or the message of whatever the fans want, and what to give more weight to in terms of priority.”The singer elaborated that, this time around, he followed his “gut feeling and just went with the flow” while working on the record.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefTang Wei, the Chinese star of Korean film “Decision to Leave,” says she told director Park Chan-wook that he’d made her life complete after seeing the finished version of the film at its Cannes Film Festival gala premiere.The film played in competition this week in Cannes. She revealed her confession on Tuesday at a press event, accompanied by Park, cast member Park Hae-il and scriptwriter Chung Soo-kyung.Switching between Chinese and English, Tang Wei said: “This in not the first time I’ve worked with a Korean director.

While Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden dealt with a lot of sex and kink in its story of a handmaiden who gets into the good graces of her Japanese heiress, only to defraud her, the Korean filmmaker in his latest Decision to Leave, dotes on a detective Hae-Joon (Park Hae-il) who is head over heels with a very possible murder suspect, Seo-rae (Tang Wei).

Park Chan-wook made a big impact in Cannes in 2004 with his lurid revenge drama Oldboy, which took the Grand Prix from Quentin Tarantino’s jury, made a cult star of Choi Min-sik, and alerted audiences everywhere to the perils of eating live sushi. Since then, the director has been a semi-regular fixture at the festival, returning in 2009 with his literary vampire horror Thirst and again in 2016 with The Handmaiden, a delirious, taboo-busting erotic thriller set in 1930s Korea. Director Park’s trademark is not just his fluidity when dealing with genre but his mastery in bending it to his will—and Decision to Leave promises to be yet another stylish, category-defying composition.

Mark Schilling Japan CorrespondentThe Japanese film industry has long been notoriously insular, a tendency the pandemic only exacerbated. As the Hollywood pipeline shut down in 2020, local audiences flocked to local films.

Glamour. “I was finding a spot to sit, looking around, and thinking, ‘Hey, I can actually have a relationship or some type of connection with everyone that I see in this space.’ I was craving that social connection and working somewhere that wasn't my guest room. I was craving having a coffee with someone who wasn't my husband or my dog."While the future of a formal “return to office” in lieu of Zoom meetings in dresses over sweatpants (something Cho jokingly admits is still her WFH uniform) is still up in the air, the idea of pushing a female-led company forward has long been a driving point for women imagining a better world. Below, we talked to Jennifer Cho for about the beginnings of her career working as an intern alongside Eminem, her experience growing up as the child of Korean immigrants, and more.As I get older, I remember all of the things my parents told me about raising the bar and advocating for myself, and those are all things I want to transfer.

GFRIEND member Yerin has shared a teaser for her upcoming debut solo single ‘Aria’, from her first mini-album of the same name.In the vibrant clip Yerin is perched on a swing, and smiles as gigantic flowers bloom around her and petals fall from the sky. In another scene, she dances to a snippet of the track with a group of backup dancers.

P1Harmony and American singer-songwriter Pink Sweat$ are set to collaborate on the upcoming single, ‘Gotta Get Back’.Yesterday (May 16), the boyband announced the upcoming digital single on Twitter, and also released the song’s pastel-coloured cover art. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, Pink Sweat$ composed the forthcoming collaboration, while P1Harmony members Intak and Jongseob helped pen lyrics for the track.

Pixar has unveiled the title and plot of its 27th feature film – the one that will follow next month’s hotly awaited Toy Story spin-off, Lightyear – with a classic Pixar trope given a breath of fresh air.The film is titled Elemental, and is currently bound to hit cinemas on June 16, 2023. It’s being directed by Peter Sohn, who’d previously helmed 2015’s The Good Dinosaur (and before it, the short film Partly Cloudy).

BTS broke a record previously held by Destiny’s Child at tonight’s (May 15) Billboard Music Awards, which are being held in Las Vegas.The annual awards show is currently underway at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, although the record-breaking band are not present at the event.Earlier today, it was announced that BTS had won the awards for Top Duo/Group, Top Song Sales Artist and Top Selling Song for ‘Butter’. The new wins take their total across all BBMAs to 12 trophies, becoming the group with the most victories in the history of the event.Destiny’s Child’s previous record – which was unbeaten for 17 years – was 11 wins.

Epik High have announced an Asia Pacific tour that so far spans five stops in Southeast Asia and Australia.This July, the Korean hip-hop group will head to Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney, Bangkok and Jakarta for the Epik High Is Here Tour, they announced today (May 14). A tour poster hints at four more stops that have yet to be revealed.The tour will kick off in Singapore on July 9 then head to Australia for stops in Melbourne (July 11) and Sydney (July 12).

(G)I-DLE have announced a 2022 world tour that will take the Korean girl group to North America, Asia and more.The group took to social media on Wednesday (May 11) to announce the tour, titled ‘Just Me ( )I-DLE’. The tour, which so far runs from June to October, will see the group perform in the United States, Mexico, Chile, South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan and Singapore.

MONSTA X’s six members have yet to renew their contracts with Starship Entertainment, the company as revealed.Yesterday (May 9), the K-pop entertainment company shared that it was still in talks with half the members of MONSTA X – namely vocalist Minhyuk, and rappers I.M and Joohoney – regarding the renewal of their contracts, which are set to expire later this year.“We are carrying out in-depth discussions to find out what the best direction is for both the group and the members,” Starship Entertainment shared in a statement, per Korea JoongAng Daily. The fate of MONSTA X, should any of the members choose to leave the agency, is not yet known.Meanwhile, the agency also confirmed that members Shownu, Kihyun and Hyungwon have already agreed to renew their contracts, and promised to “continue to support them with faith and trust.”The news comes shortly after the arrival of the boyband’s 11th mini-album ‘Shape Of Love’ late last month.

BTS’ Suga has praised Psy’s global megahit ‘Gangnam Style’, saying it “paved the way for K-Pop” around the world.Released in 2012, The K-pop icon became the highest-charting Korean pop act on the Billboard Hot 100 when ‘Gangnam Style’ peaked at Number Two. Since then, only BTS have gone on to best his record, hitting Number One six times since 2020.Earlier this month Psy released ‘That That’, the lead track from new album ‘Psy 9th’ which was produced by and features Suga.Now the pair have teamed back up for an interview on Psy’s YouTube channel.

BTS‘ exemption from the nation’s mandatory military service.The Culture Minister proposed in a press briefing on May 4 that globally recognised male pop-culture artists should be allowed to substitute their compulsory two-year conscription for alternative programmes.“It’s time to create a system for incorporating popular culture-art figures as art personnel,” Hwang said, per Yonhap News Agency, in recognition of figures such as award-winning athletes and classical musicians and their roles in enhancing South Korea’s image overseas.“The [exemption] system has been operated meaningfully to give those who have enhanced the national status based on their excellent skills more chances to contribute to the country, and there is no reason the popular art-culture field should be excluded from this,” he continued.Under South Korea’s current Military Service act, all able-bodied Korean men are required to enlist for approximately two years of military service before the age of 30. This was after an amendment to the act was made in late-2020 where the age limit was raised from the initial 28.“I thought somebody should be a responsible voice at a time when there are conflicting pros and cons ahead of the enlistment of some of the BTS members,” Hwang added.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefK-pop superstars BTS could be given exemption from compulsory military service in South Korea.“It’s time to create a system for incorporating popular culture-art figures as art personnel,” said Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Hwang Hee, at a press briefing on Wednesday, according to reports by the Yonhap news agency. Hwang said he aims to push a new law through parliament that would allow the stars of popular culture to serve their country outside the military.Under the present Military Service Act all able-bodied Korean men must enlist for roughly two years of military service before they reach age 30.

Psy has credited BTS with having achieved the “unfulfilled dreams” of his 2012 hit single ‘Gangnam Style’.The K-pop icon became the highest-charting Korean pop act on the Billboard Hot 100 with the track peaking at Number Two. Since then, only BTS have gone on to best his record, hitting Number One six times since 2020.Speaking at a press conference for his new album ‘PSY 9th’ – which includes the single ‘That That’, featuring and produced by BTS’ Suga – Psy reflected on the success of ‘Gangnam Style’ almost a decade ago.

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korean superstar PSY said his new album marks a “farewell to ‘Gangnam Style’" — the hit song that propelled him to superstardom exactly a decade ago.Indeed, the music video for the lead single — “That That” featuring Suga from BTS - shows PSY in the famous blue suit he wore in the “Gangnam Style” video.“So, a guy in a blue tuxedo comes out and gets a slap from Suga and goes on his way,” eluding to his old self walking away from the past, PSY told The Associated Press during an interview before the album's release. His latest album “PSY 9th," released Friday, has 12 songs, including one featuring Korean-Canadian rapper Tablo.PSY, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, swept the world with “Gangnam Style” in 2012. The song, with its addictive horse-riding dance and catchy melodies, made a global splash and currently has over 4.4 billion views on YouTube.In an interview, PSY discussed the long gap in recordings, whether he’s still pressured by the global success of “Gangnam Style,” and what he envisions for himself and the Korean pop industry.Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.———AP: “PSY 9th” took five years.

Wilson Chapman editorAsian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month arrives on Sunday, and Ella Jay Basco is celebrating with “Bubble Tea,” the latest single from her upcoming album.Best known for her role as Cassandra Cain in the 2020 superhero film “Birds of Prey,” Basco got her start as a child actor in show’s like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Veep.” But after “Birds of Prey,” she began exploring music, releasing an EP “Middle School” when she was just 13. Half-Korean and half-Filipino, Basco often draws upon her heritage and culture when constructing her songs.

HYBE, the label behind BTS, is set to launch ‘Now: Work Out With BTS’, a 5-day exercise programme featuring the K-pop boyband.Today (April 29), HYBE Edu announced on Twitter that it will be launching a new exercise programme titled ‘Now: Work Out With BTS’, where the boyband are expected to share their personal work-out regimes with fans and viewers.“BTS is always serious about working out. Let’s get energised just like them and start working out!” read the tweet.