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JSW Countdown 2024 – A Glimpse into the Past, Present, and Future with the drive force of K-Pop Craze

January 5, 2024 | 5604 Visits

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On the last day of 2023, we headed to Jeju Island to attend the annual JSW Countdown held by Jeju Shinhwa World.

According to the organizers, Jeju Shinhwa World, the two-day year-end festival, held on December 30th and 31st, attracted over 20,000 attendees to a special outdoor venue spanning 6000 square meters.

And the presale age group ranged from the 20s to 50s, attracting a diverse audience. Foreign tourists from Southeast Asia, China, Europe, including fans of Sandara Park from the Philippines, were notably present.

The first day’s performance on the 30th required raincoats due to rain and strong winds, and the second day on the 31st was cold, but the audience enjoyed the shows regardless.

 

Legend Special Concert | Dec. 30

The event kicked off with performances by DJ Kyte and DJ Mewloud. Heavy rain started from the entrance queue, peaking during Wheesung’s 8 PM performance.

 

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Wheesung, soaked for 30 minutes, showed a ‘rainy-day spirit’ by performing hits like ‘Insomnia,’ ‘With me,’ ‘Incurable Disease,’ and ‘I Thought of Marriage.’ He candidly discussed his wandering and challenging times. As someone who attended Wheesung’s debut concert in 2002, hearing him 21 years later brought different emotions. He mentioned having news about a new album but plans to limit his activities. I hope he continues his music and personal life as he wishes.

 


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Sandara Park’s performance followed. Known for 2NE1, it was intriguing to see her solo act, which exceeded expectations. Sandara brought positive energy to the stage and introduced lesser-known songs from her solo album. Her performance of <DARA DARA>, produced by Gray, perfectly captured her charm. She then reminded the audience of the 2010s with 2NE1’s hit songs.

 

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Jinusean’s presence was still strong, over 30 years since their 1997 debut. Their stage manner, energy, and appearance were unchanged, offering the most moving performance. Their message, “To someone who had a hard time, don’t forget Jinusean is cheering for you, and better days are waiting just beyond the tough moments,” resonated warmth. Sean recently broke ground for a Lou Gehrigโ€™s disease care hospital, a 14-year dream. Sean has been actively campaigning for the hospital’s construction. They also performed ‘Gasoline,’ his debut song that shaped Jinusean today, adding an emotional touch.

 


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The event on the 30th truly lived up to its theme, spending time with K-pop legends. It was a meaningful experience, filled with songs and life stories that resonated deeply. The night ended with a spectacular fireworks display.

2024 JSW Countdown | Dec. 31ย 

The second day opened with DJ B4SSDROP. Despite the cold weather and contrary to the weather forecast, no rain fell, and a large crowd filled the venue. Mirani and Hyolyn created a young and hot atmosphere.

 

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Kim Jong-kook, active since 1995 with Turbo, took the audience on a nostalgic journey with his numerous hits. His unwavering vocal skills and voice, just like in his prime, were astounding. Kim Jong-kook, who maintains his robust physique through excellent self-care, showed his professionalism as a singer. Mikey, also from Turbo, made a surprise appearance, adding to the excitement.

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As the countdown approached, more people gathered, anticipating Dynamic Duo’s performance. Debuted in 2000 as CB Mass and rebranded in 2004 as Dynamic Duo, they have numerous hits like ‘Confession,’ ‘Rewriting Resume,’ ‘Check-in,’ ‘Motherโ€™s Soybean Paste Soup,’ ‘BAAAM,’ ‘Girl,’ and more. ‘AEAO'(2014) re-trended and charted in 2023 again, and ‘Smoke’ became a sensation through Street Woman Fighter, making their performance the most enthusiastically received.

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The fireworks show scheduled for the 31st countdown was canceled due to the weather, but a few fireworks were set off to lessen the disappointment. The presence of warm zones and snack booths gave a well-prepared festive feel.

Reflecting on 2023 with K-pop legends left me deeply satisfied. Recalling the past with numerous songs that accompanied my life, empathizing with the musicians’ life stories, and stepping into 2024 with hopeful and vigorous strides filled me with excitement on January 1st.

 

[All photos are property of KCrush]

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—Jiyoung Lee

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JSW Countdown 2024

K-Pop์˜ ์ฃผ์ธ๊ณต๋“ค๊ณผ ํ•จ๊ป˜ ๋“ค์—ฌ๋‹ค๋ณด๋Š” ๊ณผ๊ฑฐ, ํ˜„์žฌ, ๋ฏธ๋ž˜ย 

2023๋…„ ๋งˆ์ง€๋ง‰๋‚ , ์ œ์ฃผ๋„๋กœ ํ–ฅํ–ˆ๋‹ค. ์ œ์ฃผ์‹ ํ™”์›”๋“œ๊ฐ€ ๋งค๋…„ ์ง„ํ–‰ํ•˜๋Š” JWS Countdown์„ ๋ณด๊ธฐ ์œ„ํ•ด์„œ๋‹ค.

12์›” 30์ผ, 31์ผ ์–‘์ผ๊ฐ„ ์—ด๋ฆฐ ์—ฐ๋ง ์ถ•์ œ์—๋Š” 6000 ์ œ๊ณฑ๋ฏธํ„ฐ ๊ทœ๋ชจ์˜ ํŠน๋ณ„ ์•ผ์™ธ ๊ณต์—ฐ์žฅ์— ํ•ฉ์‚ฐ 2๋งŒ๋ช…์ด ๋„˜๋Š” ๊ด€๊ฐ์ด ๋ชจ์—ฌ๋“  ๊ฒƒ์œผ๋กœ ์ง‘๊ณ„๋˜์—ˆ๋‹ค.

์ฃผ์ตœ์ธก์— ๋”ฐ๋ฅด๋ฉด ์‚ฌ์ „์˜ˆ๋งค ์—ฐ๋ น๋„ 20๋Œ€๋ถ€ํ„ฐ 50๋Œ€์— ์ด๋ฅด๊ธฐ๊นŒ์ง€ ๋‚จ๋…€๋…ธ์†Œ๊ฐ€ ๋ชจ๋‘ ์–ด์šฐ๋Ÿฌ์กŒ๋‹ค๊ณ  ํ•œ๋‹ค. ํ˜„์žฅ์—์„œ ํ™•์ธํ•˜๊ธฐ๋กœ๋„ ํ•„๋ฆฌํ•€์—์„œ ์˜จ ์‚ฐ๋‹ค๋ผ๋ฐ•์˜ ํŒฌ์„ ๋น„๋กฏํ•ด ๋™๋‚จ์•„์‹œ์•„, ์ค‘๊ตญ, ์œ ๋Ÿฝ ๋“ฑ์ง€์—์„œ ์˜จ ์™ธ๊ตญ์ธ ๊ด€๊ด‘๊ฐ๋“ค๋„ ๋งŽ์ด ๋ˆˆ์— ๋„์—ˆ๋‹ค.

30์ผ ์ฒซ๋‚  ๊ณต์—ฐ์€ ๋น„์™€ ๊ฐ•ํ’ ๋•Œ๋ฌธ์— ์šฐ๋น„๋ฅผ ์ž…์–ด์•ผ ํ–ˆ๊ณ  31์ผ ๋‘˜์งธ๋‚ ์€ ๋‚ฎ์•„์ง„ ๊ณต๊ธฐ ๋•์— ์ถ”์œ„ ์†์— ๊ณต์—ฐ์„ ๊ด€๋žŒํ•ด์•ผ ํ–ˆ์ง€๋งŒ, ๊ด€๊ฐ๋“ค์€ ์•„๋ž‘๊ณณํ•˜์ง€ ์•Š๊ณ  ๊ณต์—ฐ์„ ์ฆ๊ฒผ๋‹ค.

 

Legend Special Concert | 12.30 19:00-22:00

30์ผ์€ DJ Kyte์™€ DJ Mewloud์˜ ๊ณต์—ฐ์œผ๋กœ ์‹œ์ž‘๋˜์—ˆ๋‹ค. ์ž…๊ตฌ์— ์ค„์„ ์„ค ๋•Œ๋ถ€ํ„ฐ ๋งŽ์€ ๋น„๊ฐ€ ์Ÿ์•„์กŒ๊ณ  ๋น„๋Š” 8์‹œ ํœ˜์„ฑ ๊ณต์—ฐ ๋•Œ ๊ฐ€์žฅ ๊ฐ•ํ•˜๊ฒŒ ๋‚ด๋ ธ๋‹ค.

ํœ˜์„ฑ์€ 30๋ถ„๋™์•ˆ ๋น„๋ฅผ ํ ๋ป‘ ๋งž๊ณ  โ€˜๋น—์†ํˆฌํ˜ผโ€™์„ ๋ณด์ด๋ฉฐ Insomnia, With me, ๋ถˆ์น˜๋ณ‘, ๋„ˆ์™€ ๊ฒฐํ˜ผ๊นŒ์ง€ ์ƒ๊ฐํ–ˆ์–ด ๋“ฑ ํžˆํŠธ๊ณก์„ ๋“ค๋ ค์ฃผ์—ˆ๋‹ค. ํŠนํžˆ ๊ณต์—ฐ ์ค‘๊ฐ„์ค‘๊ฐ„, ๋ฐฉํ™ฉํ–ˆ๋˜ ์‹œ๊ฐ„, ํž˜๋“ค์—ˆ๋˜ ์‹œ๊ฐ„์— ๋Œ€ํ•ด ํ—ˆ์‹ฌํƒ„ํšŒํ•˜๊ฒŒ ๋Œ€ํ™”๋ฅผ ์ด์–ด๋‚˜๊ฐ”๋‹ค. ํ•„์ž์™€ ๋™ํ–‰์ธ์€ 2002๋…„ ํœ˜์„ฑ์˜ ๋ฐ๋ท” ์ฝ˜์„œํŠธ๋ฅผ ๊ด€๋žŒํ–ˆ๋Š”๋ฐ 21์ฃผ๋…„์„ ๋งž์•„ ๋‹ค์‹œ ํœ˜์„ฑ์˜ ๊ณต์—ฐ๊ณผ ์•„ํ””์— ๋Œ€ํ•ด ๋“ค์œผ๋‹ˆ ์†Œ๊ฐ์ด ๋‚จ๋‹ฌ๋ž๋‹ค. ์•ž์œผ๋กœ ์ƒˆ ์•จ๋ฒ” ์†Œ์‹์ด ์žˆ๋‹ค๊ณ  ํ•˜๋Š”๋ฐ ํ™œ๋™์„ ๋งŽ์ด ํ•˜์ง€๋Š” ์•Š์„ ๊ณ„ํš์ด๋ผ๊ณ  ํ–ˆ๋‹ค. ๋ณธ์ธ์ด ์›ํ•˜๋Š” ์Œ์•…๊ณผ ๊ฐœ์ธ์ƒํ™œ์„ ์ž˜ ์ด์–ด๊ฐ€๊ธธ ๋ฐ”๋ž€๋‹ค.

์ด์–ด์„œ 2NE1์œผ๋กœ ์œ ๋ช…ํ•œ ์‚ฐ๋‹ค๋ผ๋ฐ•์˜ ๊ณต์—ฐ์ด ์ด์–ด์กŒ๋‹ค. 2NE1์€ ์›Œ๋‚™ ์ธ๊ธฐ๊ณก์ด ๋งŽ๊ธฐ๋Š” ํ•˜์ง€๋งŒ ์†”๋กœ๋กœ ์–ด๋–ค ๋ชจ์Šต์„ ๋ณด์—ฌ์ค„์ง€ ๊ถ๊ธˆํ–ˆ๋Š”๋ฐ, ๊ณต์—ฐ์€ ๊ธฐ๋Œ€ ์ด์ƒ์ด์—ˆ๋‹ค. ์‚ฐ๋‹ค๋ผ๋ฐ•์€ ํ˜ผ์ž์„œ๋„ ๋ฌด๋Œ€๋ฅผ ๋”ฐ๋œปํ•˜๊ฒŒ ์ฑ„์šฐ๋Š” ๊ธ์ •์ ์ธ ์—๋„ˆ์ง€๋ฅผ ๊ฐ€์ง€๊ณ  ์ฒญ์ค‘์—๊ฒŒ ๋‹ค๊ฐ€์™”๊ณ , ์•„์ง ๋งŽ์ด ์•Œ๋ ค์ง€์ง€ ์•Š์•˜๋˜ ์†”๋กœ ์•จ๋ฒ” ์ˆ˜๋ก๊ณก๋“ค๋„ ์ž”์ž”ํ•˜๊ฒŒ ์†Œ๊ฐœํ•˜๋Š” ์‹œ๊ฐ„์„ ๊ฐ€์กŒ๋‹ค. ํŠนํžˆ ๊ทธ๋ ˆ์ด๊ฐ€ ํ”„๋กœ๋“€์‹ฑํ•œ <DARA DARA>๋Š” ์‚ฐ๋‹ค๋ผ๋ฐ•์˜ ์ƒํผํ•จ์„ ์ž˜ ํ‘œํ˜„ํ•œ ๋ฌด๋Œ€์˜€๋‹ค. ์ดํ›„ย  2NE1์˜ ํžˆํŠธ๊ณก๋“ค์„ ๋ถˆ๋Ÿฌ ์ฒญ์ค‘๋“ค์—๊ฒŒ 2010๋…„๋Œ€ ๊ฐ์„ฑ์„ ๋ฆฌ๋งˆ์ธ๋“œ ์‹œ์ผœ ์ฃผ์—ˆ๋‹ค.

๋งˆ์ง€๋ง‰์œผ๋กœ ์ง€๋ˆ„์…˜์˜ ์กด์žฌ๊ฐ์€ ์—ฌ์ „ํ–ˆ๋‹ค. 1997๋…„ ๋ฐ๋ท” ์ดํ›„ 30๋…„์ด ํ›Œ์ฉ ๋„˜์—ˆ์ง€๋งŒ, ๊ทธ๋•Œ์™€ ๋ฌด๋Œ€๋งค๋„ˆ๋„, ์—๋„ˆ์ง€๋„, ์™ธ๋ชจ๋„ ๊ทธ๋Œ€๋กœ์˜€๊ณ  ๊ฐ€์žฅ ๊ฐ๋™์ด ํฐ ๋ฌด๋Œ€๋ฅผ ์„ ์‚ฌํ–ˆ๋‹ค. ํŠนํžˆ โ€œํž˜๋“  ์‹œ๊ฐ„์„ ๋ณด๋ƒˆ์„ ๋ˆ„๊ตฐ๊ฐ€์—๊ฒŒ, ๊ทธ ์ˆœ๊ฐ„๋งŒ ์ง€๋‚˜๋ฉด ์ •๋ง ์ข‹์€ ๋‚ ๋“ค์ด ๊ธฐ๋‹ค๋ฆฌ๊ณ  ์žˆ๋‹ค๋ฉด์„œ ์ง€๋ˆ„์…˜์ด ์‘์›ํ•˜๊ณ  ์žˆ๋‹ค๋Š” ๊ฑธ ์žŠ์ง€ ๋ง๋ผโ€๋Š” ๋ฉ˜ํŠธ๋Š” ํŒฌ๋“ค์—๊ฒŒ ๋”ฐ๋œปํ•œ ๋งˆ์Œ์„ ์ „๋‹ฌํ•˜๋ ค๋Š” ์ง„์‹ฌ์ด ๋А๊ปด์ง€๊ฒŒ ํ–ˆ๋‹ค. ์ตœ๊ทผ ์…˜์€ 14๋…„๊ฐ„์˜ ๊ฟˆ์ด๋˜ ๋ฃจ๊ฒŒ๋ฆญ์š”์–‘๋ณ‘์›์˜ ์ฐฉ๊ณต์‹์„ ๊ฐ€์กŒ๋‹ค. ์…˜์€ ๋ณ‘์› ๊ฑด๋ฆฝ์„ ์œ„ํ•ด ๊ฐ์ข… ์บ ํŽ˜์ธยท์ฑŒ๋ฆฐ์ง€๋ฅผ ํ™œ๋ฐœํžˆ ํŽผ์ณ์™”๋‹ค. ๋˜ํ•œ ์‹ ๋‚˜๋Š” ํžˆํŠธ๊ณก๋“ค ์™ธ์—๋„, ์ž์‹ ์„ ์˜ค๋Š˜๋‚ ์˜ ์ง€๋ˆ„์…˜์œผ๋กœ ๋งŒ๋“  ๋ฐ๋ท”๊ณก โ€œ๊ฐ€์†”๋ฆฐโ€์„ ์žŠ์ง€ ์•Š๊ณ  ๋ถˆ๋ €๋‹ค๋Š” ์  ์—ญ์‹œ ๊ฐ๋™ ํฌ์ธํŠธ์˜€๋‹ค.

30์ผ ๊ณต์—ฐ์€ ์ •๋ง ํ…Œ๋งˆ ๊ทธ๋Œ€๋กœ ์ผ€์ดํŒ์˜ ๋ ˆ์ „๋“œ๋“ค๊ณผ ํ•จ๊ป˜ ํ•œ ์‹œ๊ฐ„์ด์—ˆ๋‹ค. ๊ฐ์ž์˜ ๋…ธ๋ž˜์™€ ์ธ์ƒ์„ ํŒฌ๋“ค๊ณผ ๊ณต๊ฐํ•œ ์‹œ๊ฐ„๋“ค์ด์–ด์„œ ๋งŽ์€ ์ƒ๊ฐ์„ ํ•˜๊ฒŒ ๋˜์—ˆ๋˜, ์ƒ๊ฐ๋ณด๋‹ค ๋„ˆ๋ฌด ๋œป๊นŠ์€ ๊ณต์—ฐ์ด์—ˆ๋‹ค. ๋งˆ์ง€๋ง‰์— ์ •๋ง ๋ฉ‹์ง„ ๋ถˆ๊ฝƒ์‡ผ๊ฐ€ ์ง„ํ–‰๋๋‹ค. ๋„“์ง€ ์•Š์€ ๊ณต๊ฐ„์— ๊ด€๊ฐ๋“ค ๋จธ๋ฆฌ์œ„๋กœ ๋–จ์–ด์งˆ ๊ฒƒ ๊ฐ™์€ ๋ฉ‹์ง„ ๋ถˆ๊ฝƒ์œผ๋กœ ํ•œํ•ด์˜ ๋งˆ์ง€๋ง‰์„ ์žฅ์‹ํ•  ์ˆ˜ ์žˆ์—ˆ๋‹ค.

 

2024 JSW Countdown | 12.31 20:30-00:30

๋‘˜์งธ๋‚  ๊ณต์—ฐ๋„ DJ B4SSDROP๊ฐ€ ๋ฌธ์„ ์—ด์—ˆ๋‹ค. ์ด๋‚  ์ผ๊ธฐ์˜ˆ๋ณด์™€ ๋‹ฌ๋ฆฌ ๋น„๋Š” ๊ฑฐ์˜ ๋‚ด๋ฆฌ์ง€ ์•Š์•˜์ง€๋งŒ ๊ธฐ์˜จ์ด ๋š ๋–จ์–ด์ ธ ์ถ”์šด ๋‚ ์”จ์—๋„ ์ˆ˜๋งŽ์€ ์ธํŒŒ๊ฐ€ ์ด˜์ด˜ํžˆ ๊ณต์—ฐ์žฅ์„ ๋ฉ”์› ๋‹ค. ๋ฏธ๋ž€์ด์™€ ํšจ๋ฆฐ์ด ์ Š๊ณ  ๋œจ๊ฑฐ์šด ๋ถ„์œ„๊ธฐ๋ฅผ ๋งŒ๋“ค์–ด์คฌ๋‹ค.

1995๋…„๋ถ€ํ„ฐ ํ„ฐ๋ณด๋กœ ํ™œ๋™ํ•œ ๊น€์ข…๊ตญ์€ ์›Œ๋‚™ ํžˆํŠธ๊ณก์ด ๋งŽ์•„ ์ฒญ์ค‘๋“ค์—๊ฒŒ ์ถ”์–ต ์—ฌํ–‰์„ ์„ ์‚ฌํ–ˆ๋‹ค. ๋ฌด์—‡๋ณด๋‹ค๋„ ๋†€๋ผ์šด ๊ฒƒ์€, ๊ทธ ๋ˆ„๊ตฌ๋ณด๋‹ค๋„ ํ”๋“ค๋ฆผ ์—†์ด ์˜ˆ์ „ ๊ทธ๋Œ€๋กœ์ธ ๊ฐ€์ฐฝ์‹ค๋ ฅ๊ณผ ๋ชฉ์†Œ๋ฆฌ์˜€๋‹ค. ๋›ฐ์–ด๋‚œ ์ž๊ธฐ๊ด€๋ฆฌ๋กœ ํƒ„ํƒ„ํ•œ ์™ธ๋ชจ๋ฅผ ๊ทธ๋Œ€๋กœ ์œ ์ง€ํ•˜๋Š” ๊น€์ข…๊ตญ์€ ๊ฐ€์ˆ˜๋กœ์„œ๋„ ํ”„๋กœํŽ˜์…”๋„ํ•œ ๋ชจ์Šต ๊ทธ๋Œ€๋กœ์˜€๋‹ค. ๋˜ํ•œ ํ„ฐ๋ณด ํ™œ๋™์„ ํ•จ๊ป˜ ํ–ˆ๋˜ ๋งˆ์ดํ‚ค๋„ ๊นœ์ง ๋“ฑ์žฅํ•ด ํ•จ๊ป˜ ๋ฌด๋Œ€๋ฅผ ๊พธ๋ฉฐ ๋ฐ˜๊ฐ€์›€์„ ๋”ํ–ˆ๋‹ค.

์นด์šดํŠธ๋‹ค์šด ์‹œ๊ฐ„์ด ๊ฐ€๊นŒ์›Œ์ง€๋ฉด์„œ ์ ์  ๋” ๋งŽ์€ ์ธํŒŒ๊ฐ€ ๋ชจ์—ฌ๋“ค์—ˆ๊ณ , ๋ชจ๋‘๊ฐ€ ๋‹ค์ด๋‚˜๋ฏน๋“€์˜ค์˜ ๊ณต์—ฐ์„ ๊ธฐ๋‹ค๋ฆฌ๋Š” ๋ˆˆ์น˜์˜€๋‹ค. 2000๋…„ CB Mass๋กœ ๋ฐ๋ท”ํ•ด โ€˜์ง„์งœโ€™, โ€˜๋™๋„คํ•œ๋ฐ”ํ€ดโ€™ ๋“ฑ์œผ๋กœ ์ธ๊ธฐ๋ฅผ ์–ป๊ณ  2004๋…„ ๋‹ค์ด๋‚˜๋ฏน๋“€์˜ค๋กœ ์ด๋ฆ„์„ ๋ฐ”๊ฟ” ๋“ฑ์žฅํ–ˆ๋‹ค. โ€˜๊ณ ๋ฐฑโ€™, โ€˜๋‹ค์‹œ์“ฐ๋Š”์ด๋ ฅ์„œโ€™, โ€˜์ถœ์ฒตโ€™, โ€˜์–ด๋จธ๋‹ˆ์˜ ๋œ์žฅ๊ตญโ€™,โ€™์ฃฝ์ผ๋†ˆโ€™, โ€˜BAAAMโ€™, โ€˜ํ•ด๋œฐ๋•Œ๊นŒ์ง€๋งŒโ€™ ๋“ฑ ์ˆ˜๋งŽ์€ ํžˆํŠธ๊ณก์ด ์žˆ์ง€๋งŒ, 2023๋…„์—๋Š” ํŠนํžˆ โ€˜AEAOโ€™๊ฐ€ ์ฐจํŠธ๋ฅผ ์—ญ์ฃผํ–‰ํ–ˆ๊ณ  ์Šค์šฐํŒŒ๋ฅผ ํ†ตํ•ด โ€˜Smokeโ€™ ๊ด‘ํ’๊นŒ์ง€ ๋ถˆ์—ˆ๋‹ค. ๊ทธ๋ž˜์„œ ๊ทธ๋Ÿฐ์ง€ ๊ฐ€์žฅ ์—ด๊ด‘์ ์ธ ํ˜ธ์‘์„ ์ด๋Œ์–ด๋ƒˆ๊ณ  ๋…ธ๋ จํ•œ ๋ฎค์ง€์…˜์œผ๋กœ ๊ด€๊ฐ๋“ค์„ ๋›ฐ๊ฒŒ ๋งŒ๋“ค์—ˆ๋‹ค.

31์ผ์€ ์นด์šดํŠธ๋‹ค์šด์— ๋งž์ถฐ ๋ถˆ๊ฝƒ์‡ผ๊ฐ€ ๋˜ ํ•œ๋ฒˆ ์˜ˆ์ •๋˜์–ด ์žˆ์—ˆ์ง€๋งŒ, ๊ธฐ์ƒ ๊ด€๊ณ„์ƒ ์ทจ์†Œ๋˜์—ˆ๋‹ค. ๊ทธ๋Ÿผ์—๋„ ๋งˆ์ง€๋ง‰์— ํ•œ๋‘๋ฒˆ์˜ ๋ถˆ๊ฝƒ์€ ๋ณด์—ฌ์ฃผ์–ด ์•„์‰ฌ์›€์„ ๋‹ฌ๋žฌ๋‹ค. ๊ณณ๊ณณ์— ์›œ์กด์ด๋‚˜ ๊ฐ„์‹์„ ๋จน์„ ์ˆ˜ ์žˆ๋Š” ๋ถ€์Šค๋“ค์ด ์„ค์น˜๋˜์–ด ์žˆ์–ด ์•„๊ธฐ์ž๊ธฐํ•œ ์ถ•์ œ๋ฅผ ์ž˜ ์ค€๋น„ํ•œ ์ธ์ƒ์„ ๋ฐ›์•˜๋‹ค.

2023๋…„์„ ์ผ€์ดํŒ์˜ ๋ ˆ์ „๋“œ๋“ค๊ณผ ํ•จ๊ป˜ ํ•œ ์†Œ๊ฐ์€ ๋Œ€๋งŒ์กฑ์ด์—ˆ๋‹ค. ๊ทธ๋™์•ˆ ์‚ถ์„ ํ•จ๊ป˜ ํ•ด ์˜จ ์ˆ˜๋งŽ์€ ๋…ธ๋ž˜๋“ค๊ณผ ํ•จ๊ป˜ ๊ณผ๊ฑฐ๋ฅผ ๋Œ์•„๋ณด๊ณ , ๋˜ ๋ฎค์ง€์…˜๋“ค๊ณผ ์‚ถ์— ๋Œ€ํ•œ ์ด์•ผ๊ธฐ๋„ ๊ณต๊ฐํ•˜๋ฉด์„œ ๋‹ค๊ฐ€์˜ค๋Š” 2024๋…„์„ ์œ„ํ•ด ๋‹ค ๊ฐ™์ด ํฌ๋ง์ฐจ๊ณ  ํž˜์ฐจ๊ฒŒ ๋ฐœ๊ฑธ์Œ์„ ํ•œ๋‹ค๋Š” ์ƒ๊ฐ์— ์„ค๋ ˆ๋Š” 1์›” 1์ผ์„ ๋งž์ดํ–ˆ๋‹ค.

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KCrush visited the special influencer expo organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government

‘The 2023 SeoulCon’ is the world’s first global influencer expo organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Economic Promotion Agency. Unlike traditional expos that focus on products or services, this unique event targets influencers (people) as its main subject. It is also part of the Seoul Winter Festa, a major winter festival in Seoul. The Seoul Economic Promotion Agency (SBA) announced on January 3rd that approximately 100,000 people participated in the ‘2023 SEOULCon,’ the world’s first and largest influencer expo, held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) from December 30th last year to January 1st.

 

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Influencer Expo SeoulCon 3

Influencer Expo SeoulCon 4

 

At SeoulCon, influencers from over 50 countries with a total of 3 billion subscribers were invited. Notable domestic and international influencers like Kristel Fulgar and Anushka Sen also attended. Among them, Jang Elina, Kika Kim, Kristel Fulgar, Anushka Sen, Cam, and Cassandra Bangson, six global influencers, were included in the 22 people who participated in the New Year’s bell-ringing event, which was broadcast live worldwide and became a topic of discussion.

 

Influencer Expo SeoulCon 5

 

The event showcased Seoul’s lifestyle in content, beauty, fashion, and more, leveraging the expertise of the Seoul Promotion Plan (SPP) and the experience in supporting the overseas expansion of small and medium-sized enterprises in Seoul.

‘2023 SEOULCon’ featured 28 diverse programs across four categories: festivals, conferences, content, fashion, beauty, performance, and entertainment. This included the APAN Star Awards, SeoulCon X World K-Pop Festival & Countdown, and 2023 T1Con, all held successfully with great participation.

 

Influencer Expo SeoulCon 6

AI App Experiences K-Pop Dance

Sidewalk Entertainment, a real-time motion recognition AI startup, set up STEPIN, a K-Pop dance AI platform, featuring K-Pop Random Play Dance Battle, STEPIN Score Challenge, and a STEPIN Experience Zone.

 

Influencer Expo SeoulCon 7

 

On the stage set up at the venue, the K-Pop Random Play Dance Battle was conducted in pairs in real-time, selecting the final winner, and the STEPIN Score Challenge alternated, challenging participants to score over 70 points using STEPIN’s AI scoring feature. There was also a zone where attendees could freely use STEPIN.

 

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The K-Pop Random Play Dance Battle, in particular, drew attention. The battle, conducted in a tournament format, featured participants with outstanding dance skills, heating up the atmosphere inside the venue.

 

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Kukgi Bong, the CEO of Sidewalk Entertainment and a former professional gamer, said, “The K-Pop Random Play Dance Battle feature, which debuted today, will soon be available through the app.”

 

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Influencer Expo SeoulCon 11

โ€˜SeoulCon Media Trailerโ€™

The cast of Netflix’s survival entertainment program ‘Physical 100’ and global influencers competed in a ‘Squid Game’ challenge. ‘Physical 100’ winner Woo Jin-yong, along with Kim Kyung-baek, Jo Jin-hyung, and ‘Australian Tarzan,’ were among the four ‘Physical 100 Crew’ members who participated. Contestants from Netflix’s dating show ‘Solo Hell’ conducted love counseling and talk shows.

Moreover, about 50 domestic and international influencers who participated in the 2023 SeoulCon were also present.

 

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Influencer Expo SeoulCon 13

‘2023 Creative Force Awards’

Oh Se-hoon, the Mayor of Seoul, gave a welcoming speech at the 2023 SeoulCon Creative Force Awards. He presented the Mayor of Seoul Award to five outstanding beauty creative force teams and six teams for this year’s creative force.

 

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In his speech at the award ceremony, Mayor Oh Se-hoon said, “We have entered an era where the creative industry and creative convergence industry determine the future of the country. Fortunately, thanks to K-Content, the world has begun to pay attention to Seoul, South Korea. It is a pleasure and gratitude to see how your efforts are doubling the speed and effectiveness of this attention.”

 

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The Creative Force is a project conducted by the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government to foster individual media creators who will promote Seoul’s outstanding resources in tourism and small businesses. Participants were provided with various support programs, including a dedicated single-person media studio and partners’ space, a corporate matching and branded content production program, and mentoring and networking with professionals in the industry and single-media experts.

Since its launch in 2017, Creative Force, now in its eighth year, has produced 1,006 active creators, generated over 90 billion video views, and supported 5,235 campaigns for a subscriber base of approximately 136.79 million.

 

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Mayor Oh Se-hoon personally presented the awards to six outstanding beauty creative force teams and five teams in this year’s Creative Force category. The Outstanding Beauty Creative Force is an award for teams that have promoted Seoul’s beautiful spots, excellent beauty companies, and brands through beauty content this year. NASU, Rachel Kim, Restoration King, IMDAY, and Jiwon were honored with awards.Influencer Expo SeoulCon 18jpg
This year’s Creative Forces included six teams. The channel ‘Jin and Hattie’ with the steepest subscriber growth won the Growth Award, while ‘On Oppa,’ the most subscribed channel.

 

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Continuing, the award for Passion went to ‘Nukkimchaek,’ which was selected the most for the highest number of branded content production projects. ‘DicoDCO,’ which had the highest usage of studio and equipment rental, received the Activity Award. The Proactive Award was given to ‘Coyoupu TV’ for participating in the most diverse range of SBA single-person media support projects.

 

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K-Pop Random Play Dance

Right in front of the exit, a dance battle took place, drawing a large crowd of spectators, creating a bustling atmosphere.

At the Oullim Square, when the song ‘Standing Next to You’ by Jungkook of BTS started playing, about 50 influencers from around the world began dancing in unison to the same choreography. During the dance break sections, following the beat, the influencers’ flashy moves prompted hundreds of citizens and foreign tourists to quickly take out their smartphones to record and cheer loudly. Every 30 seconds, music from leading K-pop groups like BLACKPINK, NewJeans, aespa, and Seventeen flowed, and the influencers smoothly performed the choreography. In the special K-pop Random Play Dance segment for artists, 49 members from 8 rookie idol groups, including AMPERS&ONE, 82MAJOR, YoungPaci, Rocking Doll Roa, Eโ€™LAST, Eastshine, Busters, and Beauty Box, participated.

 

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Influencer Expo SeoulCon 22

โ€˜Original Seoulโ€™

‘Original Seoul,’ showcasing Seoul’s street fashion, featured 22 fashion brands including Levi’s and Musinsa, each setting up booths to display the essence of Seoul’s street fashion.

 

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Original Seoul, held at the DDP Design Lab 1st floor D Forest, was themed ‘Fashion-based Original Brands Coming Together to Voice the True Original.’ It showcased the unique perspectives of each brand on Original Seoul, presenting sustainable Seoul fashion and culture.

 

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Although not as crowded as other events, it was mainly influencers who were observed exploring the exhibition.

 

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Shinsegae’s select shop CaseStudy decorated a unique exhibition space using a variety of collaborative products they recently worked on. Popular fashion brands among the younger generation, such as 2000Archives and THUG CLUB, also participated. Particularly, THUG CLUB has been recognized as an emerging street fashion brand by global fashion magazines.

Saytouche is a brand that showcases clothing based on artistic works. At this Original Seoul event, they provided a unique experience by displaying their products as art pieces. The fashion brand Sunwoo exhibited concept clothing, while Danha presented modern reinterpretations of traditional Korean hanbok clothing and accessories. Danha has recently gained international attention after featuring in a BLACKPINK music video. The select shop Aglet displayed clothing collaborated with contemporary British artist Damien Hirst. The global electric bicycle brand MATE also participated, exhibiting electric bicycles created in collaboration with fashion brands like Moncler. The outdoor brand Helinox showcased camping gear and clothing in collaboration with IAB Studio. The F&B culture brand CNP participated with brands like NICE WEATHER, OLD FERRY DONUT, and PACINO ESPRESSO.

 

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Costume Play

Wrap-Up

SeoulCon extended beyond just an influencer expo, integrating various events of Seoul city. The highlight of SeoulCon, the SeoulCon x World K-Pop Festival & Countdown, held at the DDP, welcomed the new year with a countdown attended by global influencers, citizens, and K-pop fans from various countries, totaling over 4,000 participants. Performers like Jay Park, Apink, Ash Island, Hi Cutie, Lee Gikwang, N-Sign, Secret Number, and Chungha joined to celebrate the new year, alongside a K-pop and EDM concert surrounding the Bosingak bell-ringing ceremony. The concert featured traditional Korean music group S.O.S, mask dance and Bukcheong Lion Dance, Nongak (farmer’s music) troupe, Ambiguous Dance Company, Zerobaseone, Enhypen, The Boyz, and Oh My Girl, showcasing the charm of Korean culture and K-pop’s global status. A light show centered around a 12-meter structure symbolizing the midnight sun was displayed at Gwanghwamun Square.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Economic Promotion Agency plan to establish Seoul as the hub city for global individual media industry trends and business through this event.

 

—- Samual Kim

 

#SeoulCon #SeoulConinfluencerexpo #SeoulConWorldKPopFestivalandCountdown #kpop #kcrush #kcrushnews #JayPark #Apink #AshIsland #SOSmaskdance #BukcheonLionDance #koreanculture #kcrushamerica #Chungha #AmbiguousDanceCompany #kcrushtopasianamericanentertainmentmagazine #kcrushonsite #kcrushcoverage #GwanghwamunSquareNewYearsLightShow #SeoulEconomicPromotionAgency #Cosplay #Saytouchefashion #SunWoofashion #Danhafashion #Helinoxfashion #Moncler #THUGCLUBfashion #2000Archivesfashion #DDPDesignLab #SeoulStreetFashion #Levis #Musinsa #OullimSquare #KPopRandomPlayDance #kpopmusic #Nukkimchaek #DicoDCO #CoyoupuTV #SeoulMayorMayorOhSehoon #MayorofSeoul #NASU #RachelKim #RestorationKing #IMDAY #Jiwon #SeoulMetropotianGovernment #SeoulWinterFesta #NewYearsBellRinging #SidewalkEntertainment #NetflixssurvivalentertainmentprogramPhysical100 #SquidGame #T1Con

yaosobi

 

J-Pop superstar duo YOASOBI unveil a new song โ€œHEART BEAT;โ€ listen/share HERE.

The song will act as the theme for NHKโ€™s โ€œYOASOBI 18 Fest,โ€ an annual television program in Japan in which a group of eighteen-year-olds submit messages, essays and performance videos following a specific theme. This yearโ€™s theme is โ€œheartbeat.โ€ YOASOBI then joins the participants to help create and perform an original song together based on these submissions, working alongside each other through the creative process, having conversations and sharing stories of when they were eighteen.

YOASOBI are celebrating a banner yearโ€”Their global smash hit song โ€œIdolโ€ has officially been named the #1 Song of the Year on Billboard Japan Hot 100. Originally released in April, the song smashed records, amassing 21 consecutive weeks in the #1 spot.

The song also broke the record for the fastest single to reach 200 million streams on the Billboard Japan chart and surging to #1 on the Billboard Global Excel U.S. chart, which made it the first song originally performed in Japanese to top this chart. The cumulative number of streaming views has exceeded 300 million and counting, making it the fastest single in history to reach that mark as well.

The duo opened for Coldplay on back-to-back nights of their acclaimed Music of the Spheres World Tour at the Tokyo Dome, and they recently released โ€œBiri-Biri,โ€ a song celebrating the one-year anniversary of Nintendoโ€™s hit games Pokรฉmon Scarlet and Violet.

Comprised of composer Ayase and vocalist ikura, YOASOBI are record breaking, international superstars in the making. Their first song, โ€œInto The Night (Yoru ni Kakeru),โ€ was released in November 2019, immediately attracting attention by achieving #1 on numerous streaming charts in Japan and appearing on viral charts in several countries. It was #1 on the 2020 Billboard JAPAN Combined Song Chart and Streaming Song Chart, and in January 2023 the total plays surpassed 900 million streamsโ€”making this a first in Japan.ย YOASOBI started gaining international attention and reached #1 on the Spotify charts for the Japanese Artist Most Played Internationally in 2021. Their song โ€œMonster (Kaibutsu)โ€ was named one of the 10 Best Songs of 2021 by TIME.

In April of this year, YOASOBIโ€™s TikTok LIVE performance achieved the highest ever viewership for a Japanese artist on the platform when it was streamed by more than 630k fans with simultaneous viewers surpassing 120k. Their first arena tour โ€œYOASOBI ARENA TOUR 2023 โ€˜Denkosekkaโ€™โ€ consisted of fourteen shows in seven cities with a total of 130k attendees as the duo continues to attract attention in all directions of their career. Earlier this year, the duo made their U.S. debut at the Head in the Clouds Festival in Los Angeles.

 

YOASOBI LIVE
Asia Tour 2023-2024โ€”South Korea, Singapore, and more
ZEPP TOUR 2024โ€”POP OUTโ€”Tokyo, Sapporo, Yokohama,
Fukuoka, Osaka, Nagoya

 

#YOASOBI #YOASOBILive #MonsterbyYOASOBI #kcrush #kcrushnews #HeartBeat #YOASOBINewSong #kcrushtopasianamericanentertainmentmagazine #YoasobiHeartBeat #JapaneseArtistMostPlayedInternationallyYOASOBI #DenkosekkaYoasobi #NHKYoasobi #YOASOBIHeadintheCloudsFestivalLosAngeles #USdebutLosAngeles #YOASOBI18Fest #annualtelevisionshow #Japaneseannualtelevisionshow #kcrushamericamagazine #topmagazine #news #jpop #jpopgroup #jpopduo ZEPPTour2024

10 K Pop Songs I Loved In 2023

 

Well so long and farewell 2023 and on to 2024. Time for some of you to begin your New Year resolutions. As for me, it is time to reflect on some k-pop songs I loved in 2023. With that said, donโ€™t let me have all the fun, you can let your voice be heard by voting in KCrushโ€™s annual music awards. Some of the categories include: best crossover song (any song done in English), best male solo, best new female artist, best collaboration, best dance performance, best hip-hop / rap / R&B / electronic, best group, best album and best rock group / soloist or band. You can submit your picks on the homepage up until January 13th. The results will be out in the third week of January.

 

Cupid by Fifty Fifty

1. โ€œCupidโ€ by Fifty Fifty

Kicking off the list is โ€œCupidโ€ from Fifty Fiftyโ€™s debut album โ€œThe Beginning: Fifty Fifty.โ€ The song is about keeping an open heart to romance after being burned the second time. The first thing that hooks me is the bass, itโ€™s so steady and fun. The vocals are so soft and smooth, the rap verse sounds very Doja Cat like. The sound of it reminds me of an Ariana Grande song, but just a little bit more sweet.

 

Grabby Girl by Ryu Su-jeong

 

2. โ€œGrabby Girlโ€ by Ryu Su-jeong

Last year Ryu Su-jeong made my top 10 with โ€œPink Moonโ€ and sheโ€™s doing it again with โ€œGrabby Girl,โ€ from her first album โ€œArchive of Emotions.โ€ The lyrics are about a girl starved for affection and isnโ€™t afraid to grab it. Ryuโ€™s voice is so sultry, with some confidence and soul. The beat is so laid-back, it has a little bit of a 90โ€™s R&B smooth sound to it.

 

Seven By Jung Kook Featuring Latto

3. โ€œSevenโ€ by Jung Kook Featuring Latto

Coming in at 3rd is โ€œSevenโ€ by BTSโ€™ Jung Kook. This song is so huge and great for many reasons. It has a really good rap verse by female rapper Latto (โ€œBig Energyโ€). It was also produced by Andrew Watt, who just produced The Rolling Stones best album in decades. It is a song about sexual desire and it really doesnโ€™t hold back on being explicit. The beat is absolutely perfect, Jungkook and Latto both sync seamlessly to it. It has a nice kind of 2000s hip-hop type of sound, a really smooth guitar riff with a little soul.

 

Donโ€™t Ever Say Love Me by Colde Featuring RM

 

4. โ€œDonโ€™t Ever Say Love Meโ€ by Colde Featuring RM

Number four is โ€œDonโ€™t Ever Say Love Meโ€ by Colde, featuring RM from BTS. This is from his fourth EP โ€œLove Part 2.โ€ It is a nice dark tone song about cheating with some great piano play. I really love the pace of the song. It opens with a smooth sound and when RM comes in with a bit of a dark shadow. Itโ€™s a bit of a contrast of sadness and darkness. Coldeโ€™s vocals are so smooth and filled with sorrow.

 

Cotton Cand0y by Jinyoung

 

5. โ€œCotton Candyโ€ by Jinyoung

After being a member of Got7 since 2014, Jinyoung is doing his own thing. Number five is โ€œCotton Candyโ€ from his EP โ€œChapter 0: With.โ€ Like cotton candy I really enjoy the taste of this song. Jinyoungโ€™s vocals are so smooth. The song has a really solid rhythm to it. Itโ€™s a nice laid-back and relaxing track.

 

Back for More by TXT Featuring Anitta

 

6. โ€œBack for Moreโ€ by TXT Featuring Anitta

Coming in the sixth spot is TXTโ€™s โ€œBack for Moreโ€ featuring Anitta. Itโ€™s a non-album release single that didnโ€™t hit the charts, but I view it as their best of the year. It has amazing bass, some Spanish flare from Anittaโ€™s verse and the attitude of the lyrics is what sets it apart from their other singles of 2023. The chorus line, โ€œI can see you coming back more, coming back for more, if you walk out that door,โ€ is so catchy and fun.

 

I Hate You by Jane Chun

 

7. โ€œI Hate Youโ€ by Jane Chun

Coming in seventh is โ€œI Hate Youโ€ by Jane Chun (formally of The Ark). This is such a hidden gem of a song. It is certainly the best k-pop break up song of 2023. It is a song about the grievances of a jilted lover. It is executed in such a fun manner. The song sounds very dreamy and relaxing, with a little bit of an island type of beat to it. Jane Chun rides the waves of the rhythm with pure perfection.

 

Super Shy by NewJeans

 

8. โ€œSuper Shyโ€ by NewJeans

At the number eight spot is โ€œSuper Shyโ€ from the NewJeans EP โ€œGet Up.โ€ It is a song about the pains of liking someone, but being too shy to do anything about it. Weโ€™ve all been there before right? I really love the sound of this song. It is very upbeat with a techno meets hip-hop kind of swing to it. Itโ€™s both a good dance song and relaxing.

 

Love Lee by AKMU

 

9 โ€œLove Leeโ€ by AKMU

Coming in at ninth is โ€œLove Leeโ€ by the sister and brother duo AKMU. Love is in the air as they sing about the happiness Cupid brings. Itโ€™s a very gentle and upbeat song with some soul to it. Itโ€™s very peaceful and relaxing to listen to. I really love how Lee Su and Lee Chan harmonize so beautifully together.

 

In the Mood by Wheein

 

10. โ€œIn the Moodโ€ by Wheein

Topping off the list is Wheenin with โ€œIn the Mood.โ€ It is the title track from her debut album. I am so much in love with the bass this song kicks out. Itโ€™s very upbeat and addictive. Wheeinโ€™s vocals match the rhythm with perfection. Itโ€™s relaxing and something you can dance to as well.

 

—- Cwamne Howard

 

 

#10BestKPopSongsof2023 #KpopSongsof2023 #kcrush #InTheMoodWheein #kcrushamerica #kpop #kpopidols #kpopdance #LoveLeeAKMU #SuperShyNewJeans #IhateYoubyJaneChun #BackForMorebyTXT #CottonCandybyJinyoung #DontEverSayLoveYoubyColdeandRM #RMofBTS #JinyoungofGOT7 #kcrushtopasianamericanentertainmentmagazine #topsongs2023 #SevenbyJungKookandLatto #JungKookofBTS #Latto #GrabbyGirlbyRyuSuJeong #korea #10BestSongs #CupidbyFIFTYFIFTY #songsof2023 #topkpopsingers2023 #kcrushwritertopsongs #kcrushcontent 10kpopsongsIlikedin2023

O Chaemin 1 1024x682

 

The JSW Countdown 2024, which will be held at the outdoor special stage of Jeju Shinhwa World on December 30th and 31st, is themed as ‘The Ultimate Jeju Countdown with Legendary Artists’. It will be staged with popular singers who have ruled the Korean music industry, offering a platform enjoyable for everyone. The December 30th performance, from 7 PM to 10 PM, will feature a ‘Legend Special’ with artists Wheesung, Sandara Park, and Jinusean. The December 31st event, from 8:30 PM to 0:30 AM the next day, will conclude 2023 with a ‘Hip’ lineup, including Mirani, Hyolyn, Kim Jong-kook, and Dynamic Duo. The music festival will also feature various food booths and special fireworks to light up the night sky on both days.

Interpark has started the official ticket sales exclusively. The prices are 66,000 KRW for a one-day pass, 88,000 KRW for a two-day pass, 44,000 KRW for a one-day pass and 55,000 KRW for a two-day pass for Jeju Shinhwa World hotel guests and Shinhwa Rewards members. Jeju residents and Shinhan card customers can purchase tickets at 33,000 KRW for a one-day pass and 44,000 KRW for a two-day pass.

 

1. For KCrush readers and overseas tourists, please explain what Jeju Shinhwa World is.

Jeju Shinhwa World, officially opened in March 2018, is one of the largest integrated resorts in South Korea, offering a range of tourist facilities. These include premium hotel brands, a theme park, a water park with various amusement facilities, a multi-purpose convention center, over 40 dining establishments, and the largest foreigner-only casino shopping area in Jeju. Jeju Shinhwa World boasts over 2,000 rooms, catering to families, business clients, VIP guests, and a diverse array of travelers. Additionally, it is located in Andeok-myeon, famous for its stunning landscapes and proximate to some of Jeju’s most beautiful beaches. It also offers convenient access to Gotjawal, a unique natural lava forest exclusive to Jeju.

 

2. For K-pop and K-culture enthusiasts, what experiences can they expect at Jeju Shinhwa World?

Jeju Shinhwa World, as a five-star hotel and the largest integrated resort in South Korea, offers a multitude of unique experiences exclusive to its guests. The resort features a theme park, a water park, over 40 different types of food and beverage options, and a cinema. It hosts a variety of cultural events and entertainment throughout the year, transforming into a hub of cultural and artistic enjoyment. Highlights of Jeju Shinhwa World include the daily lighting shows and the weekend fireworks displays, which are must-see attractions for visitors.

 

3. What is the purpose and goal of JSW Countdown, which is celebrating its fourth anniversary this year? How did you start to host such a concert?

The JSW Countdown, now in its fourth year, began with the aim of creating a cultural event where tourists visiting Jeju and the residents could come together and enjoy. As a result of receiving a lot of attention and love, we set a goal to further develop the JSW Countdown into a signature event that symbolizes Jeju Shinhwa World. Last year, we moved to a larger venue and expanded the stage to accommodate artists popular across various age groups. The event transformed into a grand and splendid venue, and the two-day JSW Countdown concert attracted over 20,000 visitors to Jeju Shinhwa World last year. The on-site ticket sales were an instant sell-out. While there is still a long way to go, we are confident that this countdown event will eventually become a mega event representing not just Jeju Shinhwa World, but also Jeju and South Korea.

 

O Chaemin 2 1024x683

 

4. What is the lineup and concept of JSW Countdown 2024? We understand that there will also be a fireworksโ€™ display to coincide with the countdown. Could you please provide a brief overview of the viewing area and other details for enjoying the fireworks together, as well as some other things to check and enjoy.

Thanks to the interest and love shown by many for the JSW Countdown performance, we are able to hold the event again this year on December 30th and 31st. The December 30th event will feature a ‘Legend Special Concert’ with artists from various genres who have numerous hit songs. The lineup includes Wheesung, a legend in ballads and R&B, Sandara Park, a long-admired member of the global girl group 2NE1, and Jinusean, a legend in Korean hip-hop. The following day, December 31st, will cover artists appealing to all age groups for the countdown concept, with Mirani, a female rapper representing the MZ generation, Hyolyn, beloved by those in their 20s and 30s, Kim Jong-kook, a favorite among those in their 30s and 40s, and the all-round legend Dynamic Duo to join us on the last night of 2023.

The countdown will feature performances by famous artists, and the key programs include a lighting show and fireworks at the end, with over 200 show lights, including moving lights, lasers, strobes, etc., for a spectacular lighting show and fantastic fireworks display. Additionally, there will be warm zones to briefly escape the cold weather and various food booths, essential for a music festival.

 

5. If you could recommend things to do and must-eat foods for overseas readers who are considering visiting Jeju Island in 2024, what would they be?

Jeju offers a variety of experiences in every season. However, one timeless activity is visiting the forests. Gotjawal, a unique natural lava forest only found in Jeju, means a dense forest in Jeju dialect. Visiting Gotjawal, with its diverse trees and plants, allows you to experience fresh air, the sounds of birds and wind, and the island’s beautiful nature. Jeju Shinhwa World is conveniently located near Gotjawal.

Jeju is also famous for its diverse food, especially fresh seafood suitable for each season. In winter, it’s recommended to try yellowtail. Yellowtail, which tastes better the larger it gets, is rich in fatty acids, giving it a savory flavor. It’s great as sashimi, grilled, or in stews. Mosulpo, near Jeju Shinhwa World, is famous for yellowtail.

 

6. When would you recommend visiting Jeju Shinhwa World other than the end of the year? If there are any events that overseas tourists who love Korean culture and K-pop should keep an eye out for, please give us a heads up.

Jeju is an island overflowing with unique charms in every season, with beautiful flowers, lush forests, the sea, and the wind. Nature lovers will fall in love with Jeju upon visiting. Jeju hosts various events throughout the seasons. Checking these events before visiting Jeju will be helpful for your trip.

 

O Chaemin 3 1024x682

 

7. Finally, is there anything you would like to say to our KCrush readers?

We wish you a new year filled with love, happiness, the fulfillment of your wishes, and good health, and invite you to visit Jeju, a world-class vacation destination with a breathtaking natural landscape.

 

We want to thank O Chaemin for a great interview.

 

[‘JSW Countdown 2024’ l Image provided by Jeju Shinhwa World]

 

—-Jiyoung Lee

 

#JSW #JSWCountdown2024 #kcrushnews #JejuShinhwaWorld #JejusAndeokmyeon #kcrushamerica #kpop #hiphop #pop #ShinsegaePremiumOutlets #kcrushtopasianentertainmentmagazine #2023countdowncelebration #Wheesung #ballads #DJKite #DJMuraoud #DJBasedrop #Jinusean #SandraPark #DynamicDuo #Hyolyn #Mirani #InterparkTicketSales #hiphop #newyearcountdown #koreanJejuisland #KimJongKook #JejusBestCountdownWithLegendaryArtists #ticketssoldnow #ticketssoldonInterparknow #Shinhwa #kcrushinterview #kcrushfeaturedinterview #kcrushgoogleindexed #OChaemin #Gotjawal #MZgeneration #2024NewYear

Shut Up Flower Boy Band 1

 

Shut Up: Flower Boy Band is a television series released in 2012 and is praised for its intriguing coming-of-age storyline. The series revolves around a high school Eye Candy rock bandโ€™s strive through friendship, romance, and rivalry. Sought from all corners of the entertainment world, the bandmembers have evolved throughout the decade with each fulfilling their destined paths. Unlike other acts that fallout after finishing a project Shut Up: Flower Boy Band casts have maintained a close relationship despite their roads taking different turns. Letโ€™s have a snip view of where these individuals are now.

 

Sung Joon

 

1. Sung Joon

In Shut Up: Flower Boy Band, Sung Joon played Kwon Ji Hyuk; the free-spirited Eye Candy rock band leader, vocalist, and guitarist.ย  After this series, the model-turned-actor has continued to showcase his acting talents through various acts. Sung Joon has appeared in various television series including Can We Get Married? (2012), High Society (2015), and Ms. Perfect (2017) among others. Sung Joon has starred in films such as Ghost Mansion (2021) and web series such as Mojito: The Magic (2021). Before quietly enlisting in the military in 2018, Song Joon married his non-celebrity girlfriend with whom he had a baby. The couple held a marriage ceremony in late 2020 after Sung Joon returned from the military. Sung Joon’s latest appearances in Island (2023), and Call It Love (2023) have further intensified this icon’s popularity in the K-drama world as fans await more of his acts come 2024.

 

L (Kim Myung Soo)

 

2. L (Kim Myung Soo)

Professionally known as L, Kim Myung Soo played Lee Hyun Soo; the short-tempered โ€œice princeโ€ and Eye Candy band guitarist. This Infinite K-pop boy band member has continued to soar higher in the music and acting worlds. In the music world, L has done various acts including singles such as โ€œMemoryโ€™โ€™ in 2021 and OSTs such as “The Nights That I Miss You” (๋„๊ทธ๋ฆฌ๋Š”๋ฐคโ€) for Angel’s Last Mission k-drama in 2019. L has created a name in the music industry especially after his “It’s All For You” track which he wrote and produced in 2018. โ€˜L has appeared in various notable K-dramas including Master’s Sun (2013), The Emperor: Owner of the Mask (2017), Angel’s Last Mission: Love (2019), and Numbers (2023). In addition to hosting the 2022 Changwon K-POP World Festival, L released a 2-parts L’s Bravo Viewtiful photobook in 2013. L has won various awards including the Global Star Award in 2022 at the Korea Drama Awards.

 

Lee Hyun Jae

 

3. Lee Hyun Jae

Famously known as Hyun Jae, Lee Hyun Jae, played Jang Do-il; Eye Candy band drummer and the son of a high-ranking mob boss. After Shut Up: Flower Boy Band, this model-actor-musician went on to act in other television series including Reckless Family (2013), Song of Phoenix (2016), and Please Find Her (2017) among others. Hyun Jae graced the Real Hero (2015) television show as a guest. He was also cast in several films including the famous Chinese films, Tiny Times 3 (2014) and Tiny Times 4 (2015). Hun Jae also appeared in The Old Cinderella 2 (2015) and Movie Master of Pretending (2016) films. Unlike other Shut Up: Flower Boy Band fellows, Hyun Jae has maintained a low profile in the entertainment world, especially in the acting arena, over the last 5 years. Nonetheless, Hyun Jae recently exchanged vows with the love of his life and graced some notable modeling gigs.

 

Yoo Min Kyu

 

4. Yoo Min Kyu

Yoo Min Kyu played Kim Ha Jin; Eye Candy band bassist and a notorious playboy. Min Kyu appeared as a guest in Matersโ€™ Sun (2013) drama in which his mate L also acted. Min Kyu also starred in other television series including Shining Romance (2013), Be Arrogant (2014), Queen for Seven Days (2017), and Black Dog: Being A Teacher (2019). Min Kyu was also cast in the Ensemble (2020) film, Monday Kizโ€™s “You” (2013) music video, and Kisaragi Miki-chan (2012) theatrical performance. Min Kyuโ€™s popularity has been on the rise, especially with his latest appearance in Mr. Queen K-drama released in 2020.

 

Kim Min Seok

 

5. Kim Min Seok

Kim Min Seok played Seo Kyung Jong; Eye Candy bandโ€™s kind and funny keyboard guy. After Shut Up: Flower Boy Band, Min Seok went on to act in other television series before landing a role in the hit drama, Descendants of the Sun (2016). Min Seok has had a successful life in the entertainment world which has seen him appear in notable television series, web series, television shows, and films. Min Seok has starred in The Doctors (2016), Because This Is My First Life (2017), Delivery Man (2023), Heart Surgeons (2018), and A Good Day to Be a Dog (2023-2024) television series. He also appeared in Lovestruck in the City (2020) and Shark: The Storm (2023) web series as well as Long Live Independence (2021) and Empty Nesters – Suri Suri Village Suri (2023) television shows. In addition to hosting Inkigayo (2016-2017) TV program, Min Seok starred in Han Seung Yoonโ€™s “Lovender” (2022) music video and Shark: The Beginning (2021) film. Min Seok has been recognized for his acting through various awards including 2 Best New Actor awards in 2017, the Best Entertainer award (2016), and the Breakout Actor award (2017). In October, it was confirmed that Min Seok will be starring in an upcoming horror movie, Noise, alongside Lee Sun Bin. The movie is set to be released in the second half of 2024.

 

Jo Bo Ah

 

6. Jo Bo Ah

Jo Bo Ah might not have been an official part of the Eye Candy rock band but she was a main character that heavily entangled with the boys in the Shut Up: Flower Boy Band series. Jo Bo Ah played Soo Ah; a kind-hearted daughter of a wealthy family that had gone bankrupt. The Shut Up: Flower Boy Band series elevated Bo Ahโ€™s popularity accrediting several high-rank act roles including in The Kingsโ€™ Doctor drama which aired later that year. In 2013, Bo Ah hosted Mnetโ€™s M Countdown show alongside Kim Woo Bin and starred in her first film, Innocent Thing, in 2014. Since then, Bo Ah has appeared in various television series including My Strange Hero (2019), Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 (2023), Destined With You (2023), and several television shows such as Battle Trip (2017), and Europe Outside the Tent (2023). This legend has hosted several events including the 2020 KBS Drama Awards, starred in music videos including Chunghaโ€™s “Everybody Has” video, and acted in web series such as Love Cells 2 (2015). In addition to winning several awards, Bo Ah was the National Tax Serviceโ€™s Public Relations Ambassador in 2022 and even received a Presidential Commendation state honor for it. Bo Ah ranked 29th in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40 in 2019. With Bo Ahโ€™s ensuing web series, Hong Rang, scheduled for 2024, the K-drama fan world is in an excitement frenzy.

 

Jung Eui Chul

 

7. Jung Eui Chul

Jung Eui Chul played Yoo Seung Hoon; the pianist and leader of Strawberry Fields band which is Eye Candy bandโ€™s rivalry. After Shut Up: Flower Boy Band, Jung Eui Chul made a cameo in Vampire Prosecutor (2012), a guest role in Cheese in the Trap (2016), and starred in Buzzer Beater (2017). Since then, Eui Chul has maintained a low profile in the entertainment world. Nonetheless, this icon showcases his love for basketball and travel throughout his social media platforms.

 

Lee Min Ki

 

8. Lee Min Ki

Lee Min Ki played Joo Byung Hee; the charismatic original leader of Eye Candy who died after being hit by a truck minutes after a fight with the rival Strawberry Fields band. After Shut Up: Flower Boy Band, Lee Min Ki appeared in other dramas including Because This Is My First Life (2017) alongside his mate Kim Min Seok. Min Ki also starred in What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018), The Lies Within (2019), Oh My Ladylord (2021), and My Liberation Notes (2022) television series among others. Min Ki went on to star in the Look at Me (2023) web series and in several films including Monster (2014), Shoot Me in the Heart (2015), Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead (2018), and Decibel (2022). In addition to appearing in Han So Hyeonโ€™s “I’m Sorry” (2013) music video, this actor-model-singer also featured in the โ€œThose Days I Had with Youโ€ and โ€œEverythingโ€ hit singles alongside 3rdcoast in the same year. Lee Min Kiโ€™s latest appearance in the trail-blazing Behind Your Touch (2023) television series has skyrocketed his popularity on a global scale.

 

โ€”-Karen Mwenda

 

#ShutUpFlowerBoyBand #kdrama #k-drama #kcrush #LeeMinKi #ShutUpFlowerBoyBandKDrama #Korea #KoreanDrama #JungEuiChul #JoBoAh #TaleOfTheNineTailed1938 #KimMinSeok #DeliveryMan #kcrushcontent #kdramawherearetheynow #kcrushtopasianamericanentertainmentmagazine #YooMinKyu #LeeHyunJae #kcrushamerica #kcrushgoogleindexed #kcrushkdramanews #KimMyungSoo #SungJoon #CallItLove #NumbersKDrama

Lee Sun-kyun death

 

Actor Lee Sun-kyun, 48, was found deceased in his car near Waryong Park, Seoul, on December 27th, amid a drug use investigation. A note resembling a suicide note was mentioned, but its contents remain undisclosed at his family’s request.

Lee had faced allegations of using marijuana and psychotropic drugs since October. Despite negative drug tests, the investigation continued, with Lee asserting his innocence and requesting a lie detector test. His death likely concludes the case with ‘no prosecution.’ Lee, a renowned actor known for his roles in ‘Coffee Prince’, ‘My Mister’, and notably ‘Parasite’, which won the Palme d’Or and the Academy Award for Best Picture, leaves a legacy of diverse performances. His recent works, ‘Escape: PROJECT SILENCE’ and ‘The Land of Happiness’, face indefinite postponement.

Lee’s achievements include several prestigious awards, and his wake at Seoul National University Hospital was attended by his wife, Jeon Hye-jin, family, and colleagues from the entertainment industry.

We offer our sincere condolences to Lee Sun-kyunโ€™s family.

 

—-Jiyoung Lee

 

#LeeSunkyun #ParasiteactorLeeSunKyun #kcrushnews #Parasite #CoffeePrince #kdramaactor #NetflixParasiteactorLeeSunkyunpassesaway #kcrushtopasianamericanentertainmentmagazine #KoreanactorLeeSunKyun #LeeSunKyundeceased #kcrushamerica #kcrushmedia #kcrushdramanews #kcrushkdramanews

Americas 2024 K Pop Tours 1

 

2024 is expected to kick off with a high Korean pop vibe in America given the numerous scheduled K-pop tours. Notable K-pop artists are expected to grace several stages across America throughout the first quarter of 2024 in appreciation of their international fans. Below are some of the K-Pop artists having tours across America between January and April of 2024.

 

Americas 2024 K Pop Tours 2.5 819x1024

1. VAV

VAV will start 2024 by taking over the US, from the East Coast to the West Coast, with the โ€˜Subcรถnsciรณusโ€™ tour. This tour, set from 5th to 21st January 2024, is expected to revamp the groupโ€™s upcoming June mini-album titled โ€œSubcรถnsciรณusโ€. This 6-member boy band will kick off the tour in New Jersey, before heading to Illinois, Puerto Rico, and Florida. VAV will then proceed to woo their legion of fans, the Vampz, across Georgia, Arizona, and Texas. VAV is expected to wrap up the โ€˜Subcรถnsciรณusโ€™ tour in Washington and California.

 

Americas 2024 K Pop Tours 2

 

2. IVE

IVE is a rising force in the K-pop industry and is validated after the group maintained a top 5 position in November 2023 TOP 100 Korean Singer Brand Reputation Rankings.ย  This sextet girl band is looking to solidify its global brand reputation with their first-ever world tour, the โ€˜Show What I Haveโ€™ tour. Taking place in North America, this tour is expected to kick off in March 2024 with the stakes of supporting the groupโ€™s latest โ€œIve Mineโ€ EP. NJโ€™s Prudential Center, Newark, is one of the places where the IVE girl band is expected to showcase its charm and bond with its followers who go by the fandom name DIVE.

 

Americas 2024 K Pop Tours 3

 

3. Car, The Garden

Car, The Garden is on the road again. This iconic figure is expected to hold the โ€˜Harmonyโ€™ tour across North America from 23rd January to 6th February 2024. Car, The Garden will be kicking off the performances performing in San Francisco before wrapping up in Toronto. Seattle, New York, and Somerville are other places where this legendary artist will be ushering his charms.

 

Americas 2024 K Pop Tours 4

 

4. TWICE

This legendary girl band will sweep their American fans off their feet this coming January 2024. TWICE will be going on the “Ready To Be” world tour set to kick off in February through early March. The tour will start in Mexico before heading to Las Vegas on 16th March. The “Ready To Be” tour, the group’s 5th world tour, will promote TWICE’s twelfth EP titled Ready To Be.

 

Americas 2024 K Pop Tours 5

5. GOT7’s BamBam

BamBam from the legendary GOT7 boy band will engage with his American fans early next year through his solo “Area 52” world tour. Spanning through February, this tour will see BamBam, the former GOT7 member, feature shows in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington DC among others.

 

Americas 2024 K Pop Tours 6

 

6. MCND

MCND, run by TOP Media, will be having its โ€˜ODD-VENTUREโ€™ tour in February 2024 across the US, almost a month after their Europe tour. For the US tour, this 5-member boy band is expected to kick off the performances at New York Cityโ€™s Racket NYC venue on 9th February. MCND is expected to gear up the performances with shows in Chicago, Atlanta, and Dallas, before closing down the curtain in California.

 

Americas 2024 K Pop Tours 7

 

7. Amber Liu

Global pop icon and former member of the F(X) girl group, Amber Liu, plans to strengthen her global footing in the entertainment industry with the upcoming โ€˜No More Sadnessโ€™ 2024 world tour. The tour is planned to take place in Asia, the UK, and the US. In the US, the tour will take place from the 17th to the 30th of January 2024. The US tour will kick off in Seattle, through Chicago and Toronto, before wrapping up in Washington.

 

Americas 2024 K Pop Tours 8

 

8. ODD EYE CIRCLE

This trio girl band will be leveling up their game come next year with their scheduled “Volume Up” 2024 tour. Taking off on January 16 through early February, ODD EYE CIRCLE will be performing across Mexico and the United States mainland. In the US, the band will perform in several cities including Atlanta, Houston, Orlando, and San Francisco. The “Volume Up” tour will be in support of the band’s “Version Up” EP that topped iTunes charts worldwide upon its release in July 2023.

 

Americas 2024 K Pop Tours 9

 

9. OnlyOneOf

OnlyOneOf is set to hit international entertainment arenas mid 2024 with a world tour targeted at Asia, North America, Latin America, and Europe. Under 8D Entertainment, this 6-member boy band is expected to start its US tour in Vancouver on 17th April 2024. OnlyOneOf will then perform in Chicago and other cities before finishing off the tour in Los Angeles in May 2024.

 

Americas 2024 K Pop Tours 10

10. Rad Museum, Miso & Tabber

Rad Museum, Miso, and Tabber will be showcasing their innate talents across North America early next year. The trio will be doing the โ€˜you,will.knovvโ€™ tour from 19th January to 6th February 2024. The tour will start in Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto through Houston, before the curtains close in Seattle city.

 

โ€”-Karen Mwenda

 

#Americas2024KPopToursJantoApril #kcrush #kcrushcontent #RadMuseumMisoandTabber #OnlyOneOf #kpop #kpoptour #OddEyeCircle #AmberLiu #MCND #BamBamGot7 #TWICE #CarTheGarden #IVe #VAV #kpopmusic #JanuarytoAprilTours #kcrushtopasianamericanmagazine #kpoptour2024 #kcrushgoogleindexed #kcrushamericamagazine #korea #koreangroups

MIKA 1

 

Pop singer/songwriter Mika Hashizume is finally debuting his solo career with his brand new EP, ‘bleached’. The EP’s soulful lead track, characterized by R&B flavors and alternative elements titled “So I Don’t Forget”, was produced by GRAMMY-nominated producer Patrick “J.Que” Smith, who is also one of the co-writers of Joji’s “Die For You”.

The drifting atmosphere of “So I Don’t Forget” carries a sense of nostalgia, and the fleeting worldview evokes a feeling of transience. The track is not only for listeners with a high sensitivity to music, but also for those close to Western music culture.

“In the beginning stage of creating the EP, I didn’t have a fixed concept, except for the fact that I wanted each song in the EP to represent styles and genres that I fell in love with after starting my song-writing journey. It was only after I assembled the five songs of the EP, and the title and theme ‘bleached’, captured the moment I embarked on the journey I’m currently on, and the moments my career changed courses.

Though the process, one of the best moments of my life, came with difficulties, like everything else. The one aspect that could visually capture this beautiful yet painful period of my life was ‘bleached’,” MIKA shares.

MIKA – “So I Don’t Forget”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPgURoYSShY

With a track record of consistently pushing boundaries in both recording and live performances worldwide, MIKA demonstrated his international appeal with two captivating performances on the popular program “Drama’s Catchy Songs 2023” on Youku, one of China’s top online video and streaming service platforms where the performances ranked on all major top music charts.

In 2023, MIKA made a headline appearance at the TMEA Music Festival, sharing the stage with esteemed names in the lineup such as Taeyang, Le Sserafim, and more. Beyond his musical prowess, MIKA’s distinctive fashion sense and unwavering style have earned him coveted spots on the covers of esteemed publications like GQ, L’OFFICIEL HOMMES, as well as notable brand partnerships including Bottega Veneta, Tiffany & Co, Tom Ford, YSL, and more.

The new EP ‘bleached’ draws from MIKA’s emotions and experiences cultivated from growing up in different parts around the world like Hawaii, Tokyo and Beijing, marking a new chapter in his solo endeavours. Having took the Chinese music scene and Southeast Asia by storm, MIKA has grown a significant base across Asia with Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Indiaย  and the Philippines in his Top 10 streaming markets worldwide.

‘bleached’ Track List

  1. stupid love
  2. melancholy song
  3. forever you
  4. ้‚ฃไธ€ๅˆปๆˆ‘่ง‰ๅพ—่ฟ™ไธ–ไธŠไธไผšๆœ‰ๆฏ”ๆˆ‘ๆ›ดๅ–œๆฌขไฝ ็š„ไบบไบ†
  5. So I Don’t Forget

 

MIKA 2

 

Stream the EP ‘bleached’ here

https://mika-digital.lnk.to/bleached

 

MIKA 3 1024x683

 

About MIKA

Born and raised on Honolulu, Hawaii, MIKA embarked on his music career in 2016, moving to Tokyo to enter the group, INTERSECTION. Debuting in 2018, they collectively wrote and released their self-titled album ‘INTERSECTION’ in 2019, which combined the sounds of Western and Eastern pop. MIKA then broke through the Chinese music market after entering the show “CHUANG 2021”, with his versions of “So Sick” by Ne-Yo, “ๆฐธไธๅคฑ่”็š„็ˆฑ” by Eric Chou, and “่พ“ๅ…ฅๆณ•ๆ‰“ๅฏ็ˆฑๆŒ‰็ฌฌไบ”” that accumulated more than 880+ million views, as well as dominating the Chinese top charts that propelled MIKA to pop music stardom.

After the completion of the show, MIKA made his China debut with the group INTO1, having released 4 albums in both Mandarin and English. Within the two years, MIKA released covers and singles such as “Beautiful”, which ranked #1 on multiple charts.

After five years of journeying through different countries and collaborating with diverse groups, MIKA is poised to make his solo artist debut in 2023. From production and lyrics to creative direction, MIKA has crafted an EP titled ‘bleached’, merging his immersive musical journey with the earnest and introspective world of MIKA.

 

โ–ถ๏ธInstagram https://www.instagram.com/28mmika

โ–ถ๏ธYouTubeใ€€https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfwKISeDJDc1z8DLNBL6ZWw

 

#MIKA #BleachedMIKA #MIKAnewsolo #INTO1 #kcrushnews #INTERSECTION #CHUANG2021 #Epop #Cpop #Jpop #TMEAMusicFestival #kcrushtopasianentertainmentmagazine #kcrushamerica #DramasCatchySongs2023 #Youku #MikaHashizume #MIKAnewEP #GRAMMYnominatedproducerPatrickJQueSmith #kcrushsince2014 #Japanese

LIL LEAGUE 1024x787

 

Japanese dance/vocal/rap group LIL LEAGUE have released their new single ‘FeiLong’, the official theme tune of the SoftBank Winter Cup 2023 national high school basketball tournament.

FeiLong is the name of a mythical flying dragon from Chinese legend, and LIL LEAGUE’s new single is an up-tempo song that cheers on the young basketball athletes, likening their determination to reach the top with a dragon that soars ever-higher into the sky. Tokyo-based trackmaker KENTZ, who has produced numerous gold and platinum-selling hits, has created a hard-sounding track with its roots in 2000s hip-hop and breakbeat.

LIL LEAGUE performed ‘FeiLong’ during their first solo concert-hall tour of Japan this year, titled LIL LEAGUE LIVE TOUR 2023 “LIL GATEWAY”. The group’s powerful performance of the song on stage left fans hungry for its release, which has finally come.

As LIL LEAGUE prepare for the release of their first album ‘TRICKSTER’ in February 2024, be sure to check out this energetic single that will conclude the group’s debut year!

 

โ LIL LEAGUE MEMBERS

Sena Iwaki (19)

Tatsuhiro Nakamura (19)

Kodai Yamada (18)

Matora Okao (15)

Haima Momoda (15)

Sora Nanba (14)

 

โ RELEASE INFORMATION

LIL LEAGUE

‘FeiLong’

Digital single released December 20, 2023

Download and streaming links:

https://lilleague.lnk.to/1220_feilong

 

LIL LEAGUE

‘TRICKSTER’

First album released February 28, 2024

List of formats (10 formats in total)

โ–ผ General distribution editions

โ‘  Limited edition first pressing CD: RZCD-77898; 3,500 yen (including tax)

โ‘ก Live version CD + Blu-ray: RZCD-77899/B; 7,700 yen (including tax)

โ‘ข Music video version CD + Blu-ray: RZCD-77900/B; 5,500 yen (including tax)

โ‘ฃ CD only: RZCD-77901; 2,500 yen (including tax)

 

โ–ผ Made-to-order limited physical edition with goods

* Exclusively available from the LDH official store and mu-mo Shop

* Limited made-to-order production (reservations accepted until Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 23:59 JST)

โ‘ค CD + trading card holder (Sena Iwaki version): RZC1-77902; 4,000 yen (including tax)

โ‘ฅ CD + trading card holder (Tatsuhiro Nakamura version): RZC1-77903; 4,000 yen (including tax)

โ‘ฆ CD + trading card holder (Kodai Yamada version): RZC1-77904; 4,000 yen (including tax)

โ‘ง CD + trading card holder (Matora Okao version): RZC1-77905; 4,000 yen (including tax)

โ‘จ CD + trading card holder (Haima Momoda version): RZC1-77906; 4,000 yen (including tax)

โ‘ฉ CD + trading card holder (Sora Nanba version): RZC1-77907; 4,000 yen (including tax)

 

โ˜… CD purchase links:

https://lilleague.lnk.to/0228_1stAL

 

Tracklist:

Visit the link below for full details (Japanese):

https://lilleague.jp/news/detail.php?id=1112972

 

โ LIL LEAGUE official links:

https://linktr.ee/lilleague

 

#LILLEAGUE #kcrush #LILLEAGUEDebut #Japanese #FeilongLILLEAGUE #newsingle #LILLEAGUErapgroup #JPop #SoftBankWinterCup2023 #TRICKSTER2024 #TokyobasedtrackmakerKENTZ # LilLeagueMemberSenaIwaki #TatsuhiroNakamura #KodaiYamada #MatoraOkao #HaimaMomoda #SoraNanba #kcrushtopasianentertainmentmagazine #kcrushgoogleindex #dance #vocal #rap #newgroup #debutgroup #EXILETRIBE

JSW Countdown 2024 1024x682

 

Jeju Shinhwa World, the largest integrated resort in South Korea, is preparing to celebrate the upcoming New Year with a legendary countdown concert.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeju Shinhwa World had scaled down or canceled countdown events in the past, but last year, they successfully hosted an unprecedentedly large countdown concert, attended by over 20,000 people over two days. Thanks to the generous support of residents and tourists, they are now announcing an upgraded version of the ‘JSW Countdown 2024’ concert.

This year’s event will take place on December 30th and 31st at the outdoor special performance venue at Jeju Shinhwa World. The theme is “Jeju’s Best Countdown with Legendary Artists,” and it will feature popular singers who have dominated the Korean music scene, providing a stage that anyone can enjoy.

The concert on the 30th, themed as a “Legendary Special,” will feature legendary artists such as the emotional ballad legend Wheesung, the girl group legend Sandara Park, and the first-generation Korean hip-hop legend Jinusean. The lineup combines popularity and musicality, promising a hit song medley that will resonate with the audience. It’s designed as a performance that everyone, regardless of age or gender, can enjoy. In particular, Jinusean’s return after six years since the “2018 Countdown Party” held in 2017 has generated high expectations.

The concert on the 31st, marking the end of 2023, will feature a lineup that represents the trendy music scene. It includes the powerful female rapper Mirani, the versatile vocalist Hyolyn, the owner of a captivating voice Kim Jong-kook, and the top-notch Korean hip-hop duo Dynamic Duo. Following their appearance at Jeju Shinhwa World last year, Dynamic Duo is set to ignite the last night of the year with their mega hit song “Smoke,” which went viral throughout the year.

The event will also feature DJ performances by DJ Kite (December 30th), DJ Muraoud (December 30th), and DJ Basedrop (December 31st), which have gained great popularity among the MZ generation. Attendees can also enjoy various food booths and a special fireworks display that will beautifully light up the night sky for two days.

Jeju Shinhwa World had previously unveiled the final lineup of ‘JSW Countdown 2024’ on December 16th and officially started ticket sales on the 17th. Tickets are available exclusively through Interpark, with regular prices of 66,000 KRW for a one-day pass and 88,000 KRW for a two-day pass. Discounts are available for Jeju Shinhwa World hotel guests and Shinhwa Rewards members, with one-day passes at 44,000 KRW and two-day passes at 55,000 KRW. Jeju residents and Shinhan Card customers can also book tickets at 33,000 KRW for one-day passes and 44,000 KRW for two-day passes.

 

2024 JSW Countdown 1024x682

 

They are also offering a room package called ‘Adieu 2023,’ which includes accommodation, concert tickets, and a beverage voucher. The concert ticket type (one-day or two-day) is provided based on the duration of the stay. Guests can choose between ‘M Lounge’ wine set and ‘S BAR’ beer set for their beverage. The stay period is from December 30th to 31st, and reservations can be made until December 29th.

For more details about ‘JSW Countdown 2024’ and ‘Adieu 2023!’ packages, you can visit the official Jeju Shinhwa World website [www.shinhwaworld.com].

Introduction to Jeju Shinhwa World

Opened in March 2018, Jeju Shinhwa World is one of the largest integrated resorts in South Korea. It offers a variety of tourist facilities, including premium hotel brands, theme parks, water parks, multipurpose convention centers (the second-largest in the province), over 40 dining establishments, Shinsegae Premium Outlets with more than 60 brands, and a foreigner-only casino, making it one of the largest integrated resorts in the country. Jeju Shinhwa World boasts over 2,000 guest rooms and provides facilities tailored to a diverse range of travelers, including family tourists, business travelers, and VIP guests. Located in Jeju’s Andeok-myeon, known for its breathtaking landscapes, the resort is adjacent to some of Jeju’s most beautiful beaches and offers convenient access to the natural wonder of Gotjawal, a unique volcanic forest found only on Jeju Island.

[‘JSW Countdown 2024’ l Image provided by Jeju Shinhwa World]

 

#JSW #JSWCountdown2024 #kcrushnews #JejuShinhwaWorld #JejusAndeokmyeon #kcrushamerica #kpop #hiphop #pop #ShinsegaePremiumOutlets #kcrushtopasianentertainmentmagazine #2023countdowncelebration #Wheesung #ballads #DJKite #DJMuraoud #DJBasedrop #Jinusean #SandraPark #DynamicDuo #Hyolyn #Mirani #InterparkTicketSales #hiphop #newyearcountdown #koreanJejuisland #KimJongKook #JejusBestCountdownWithLegendaryArtists #ticketssoldnow #ticketssoldonInterparknow #Shinhwa

When the hit anime series ‘Initial D’ began broadcasting in 1998, it sparked the street-racing and Eurobeat boom. Now, on December 20, 2023, a dream collaboration album has been released featuring two Eurobeat legends who each created music for ‘Initial D’ โ€“ “King of Eurobeat” Dave Rodgers, and m.o.v.e member MOTSU. The album is titled DAVE RODGERS ‘EUROBEAT KINGS feat. MOTSU’.

Download and streaming links:

https://avex.lnk.to/EURO_KINGS

The two legends collaborated on cover versions of m.o.v.e’s hit song ‘Gamble Rumble’ in February 2023 and Rodgers’ hit ‘SPACE BOY’ in July, surprising and delighting fans of Eurobeat, before finally releasing brand-new song ‘FLASH INTO THE NIGHT’ on December 13. Don’t miss these high-octane Eurobeat tunes born from the incredible chemistry and crushing power of two superstar artists.

‘Initial D’, the driving force behind the street-racing and Eurobeat boom, now has an official successor: ‘MF GHOST’. This all-new anime series from ‘Initial D’ creator and manga artist Shuichi Shigeno began broadcasting in October 2023, drawing attention from fans around the world. The Eurobeat scene grows stronger every day โ€“ now’s the time to climb into the passenger seat!

 

Release information

โ–  DAVE RODGERS ‘EUROBEAT KINGS feat. MOTSU’

Collaboration album released December 20

AVCD-63541ใ€€2,000 yen + tax

Download and streaming links: https://avex.lnk.to/EURO_KINGS

 

Tracklist:

M1. DAVE RODGERS ‘FLASH INTO THE NIGHT feat. MOTSU’

M2. DAVE RODGERS ‘Gamble Rumble feat. MOTSU’

M3. DAVE RODGERS ‘SPACE BOY feat. MOTSU’

M4. DAVE RODGERS ‘FLASH INTO THE NIGHT feat. MOTSU’ย (Instrumental)

M5. DAVE RODGERS ‘Gamble Rumble feat. MOTSU’ย (Instrumental)

M6. DAVE RODGERS ‘SPACE BOY feat. MOTSU’ย (Instrumental)

M7. DAVE RODGERS ‘Gamble Rumble feat. MOTSU’ย (Extended ver.)

M8. DAVE RODGERS ‘SPACE BOY feat. MOTSU’ย (Extended ver.)

 

=================================

โ–  DAVE RODGERS ‘FLASH INTO THE NIGHT feat. MOTSU’

YouTube: https://youtu.be/ourEp0JAVk4

 

โ–  DAVE RODGERS ‘SPACE BOY feat. MOTSU’

YouTube: https://youtu.be/3phhdxzCqzg

 

โ–  DAVE RODGERS ‘Gamble Rumble feat. MOTSU’

YouTube: https://youtu.be/-zu5KOWemAw

=================================

โ–  Original version of DAVE RODGERS ‘SPACE BOY’

Download and streaming links: https://va.lnk.to/nII98

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvUTNX0FDPA

 

โ–  Original version of m.o.v.e ‘Gamble Rumble’

Download and streaming links: https://avex.lnk.to/GambleRumble

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhTxlm4REQc

=================================

 

About Dave Rodgers

Known to his fans as the King of Eurobeat or even the Emperor of Eurobeat, Dave Rodgers is the shining star of the Eurobeat world. He created numerous Eurobeat songs for the ‘SUPER EUROBEAT’ series, which is synonymous with the birth of major Japanese record label avex, and has produced and composed music for top J-pop artists including TM NETWORK, Namie Amuro and V6. He also provided several Eurobeat songs for the ‘Initial D’ anime series, such as ‘SPACE BOY’, ‘BEAT OF THE RISING SUN’ and ‘DEJA VU’, becoming a favorite among anime fans and gearheads while also becoming a mainstay of online memes and finding fans around the world!

 

About MOTSU

At age 22, MOTSU visited the United States and taught himself rap and dance, before making his debut as the leader of dance music unit MORE DEEP. Since then, he has launched and participated in multiple music projects, including m.o.v.e, ALTIMA and motsuร—DJ KAYA, operating at the forefront of the Japanese music scene. He has also been proactive in pursuing a global career, with successful overseas performances in around a dozen countries outside of Japan, helping to lay the path for other Japanese artists to follow.

Since the early days of rap and dance music in Japan, MOTSU has used his unique performance skills, his gift for producing sound and lyrics, and his distinctive music sense to transcend borders and genres, representing Japan to reach audiences around the world with unstoppable momentum.

 

Links

<DAVE RODGERS>

โ–  Official website: https://www.daverodgers.it/

โ–  X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/daverodgers2020

โ–  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedaverodgers

 

<MOTSU>

โ–  Official website: https://avex.jp/motsu/

โ–  X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/Motsu_MC

โ–  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GhettoBlastaMotsu

โ–  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motsumc/

โ–  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@motsumc

 

#DaveRodgers #MOTSU #kcrushnews #rapanddancemusic #Japanesemusic #Eurobeats #FlashIntoTheNight #SpaceBoy #GambleRumble #animeseries #InitialDanimeseries #kcrushamerica #kcrushtopasianamericanmagazine #kcrushgoogleindex #ghettoblastaMotsu #DaveRodgersandMotsu #dancemusic #m.o.v.e #ALTIMA #motsuร—DJKAYA

XIKERS

 

Rising K-pop sensation, xikers, is set to embark on their inaugural European tour through โ€œ2024 xikers WORLD TOUR TRICKY HOUSE : FIRST ENCOUNTER IN EUROPE.โ€ The ten-member boy group, managed by KQ Entertainment, will showcase their talent in seven European cities, including London, Madrid, Berlin, Milan, Amsterdam, Warsaw and Paris. The tour kicks off in London on January 28, 2024 and concludes in Paris on February 10, 2024.

Debuting on March 30, 2023, with their first EP, โ€˜HOUSE OF TRICKY : Doorbell Ringingโ€™, xikers quickly gained recognition as โ€œmonster rookies.โ€ Their debut EP secured top positions on various Billboard charts, including No.1 on the Emerging Artists Chart, No.4 on the World Albums Chart, and No.75 on the Billboard 200 Chart.

Following their debut, xikers exceeded expectations with their second EP, โ€˜HOUSE OF TRICKY : HOW TO PLAYโ€™, setting new sales records within the first week. Their global popularity was further solidified with performances at major events like โ€œKCON LA 2023โ€, โ€œ2023 KPOP LUX by SBS Super Concert in Madridโ€, and โ€œ2023 KOREA ON STAGE IN LONDONโ€.

Their recent U.S. tour, โ€œ2023 xikers WORLD TOUR TRICKY HOUSE : FIRST ENCOUNTER IN USAโ€, was a testament to their international appeal, captivating audiences with energetic performances and a dynamic discography.

xikers embarked on a successful tour of six cities in the U.S., filling over 10,000 seats and garnering recognition for their talent, paving the way for future success on a global scale. Their debut U.S. performance in New York solidified their status as burgeoning โ€˜performance blockbustersโ€™, eliciting vibrant applause from fans. The tour reached its dazzling climax in San Francisco, marking a spectacular finale to xikersโ€™ U.S. journey in 2023. The group expressed gratitude to their dedicated fan base, officially known as โ€œroad๐“จ.โ€

As they gear up for their first European tour, xikers anticipates creating more unforgettable moments with their fans. The groupโ€™s versatile musical sound and powerful dance performances are expected to captivate audiences across Europe during the โ€œ2024 xikers WORLD TOUR TRICKY HOUSE : FIRST ENCOUNTER IN EUROPEโ€.

Tickets for the 2024 xikers WORLD TOUR TRICKY HOUSE : FIRST ENCOUNTER IN EUROPE will go on sale on December 18, 10:00 AM GMT / 11:00 AM CET local time.

Information regarding ticketing for the shows can be found on: mmt.fans/bw3N

2024 xikers WORLD TOUR TRICKY HOUSE: FIRST ENCOUNTER IN EUROPE – Tour Dates

About KQ Entertainment:

KQ Entertainment is a fast-growing global entertainment and content company based in South Korea that continuously evolves with the expanding domestic and overseas markets. Using a system that considers the characteristics and needs of musicians to nurture artist development better, the label aims to create a positive impact on the music industry. The system in practice creates a virtuous cycle that establishes a new paradigm of artist discovery, support, and production between idol groups and musicians for a mutually beneficial relationship growth in innovating music. KQ Entertainment currently houses the global phenomenon ATEEZ, and super rookies xikers, as well as top producers and artists EDEN and Maddox.

About MyMusicTaste:

MyMusicTaste organizes fan-initiated concerts around the world. Weโ€™re driven by our mission to connect and amplify the voices of fans all over the world. Weโ€™ve successfully promoted concerts of artists such as EXO, Machine Gun Kelly, ATEEZ, and more in over 40 different cities. With the simple idea – empowering fans to bring their favorite artistโ€™s concert to the city of their choice based on fan demand–MyMusicTaste is challenging the $27 billion concert market through cutting-edge technology and sophisticated, user-friendly service. Our service currently supports more than 30 countries and offers 15 languages.

 

#xikers #kcrush #kcrushnews #KQEntertainment #xikerseuropeantour2024 #London #Berlin #Milan #Warsaw #Paris #kcrushmedia #kcrushtopasianamericanentertainmentmagazine #MyMusicTaste #WorldTrickyHouseWorldEncounter #monsterrookies #XikersReadyToConquerEuropeTour2024

Phoenix Storm 1

 

Celebrated artist Phoenix Storm has once again captivated audiences with his latest musical masterpiece, “A Christmas Flavor.” The K-pop sensation, whose illustrious career spans over a decade, teams up with bass music producer JAPANDA to bring a fresh and vibrant holiday spirit to the music scene.

Known for his exceptional contributions to the industry, Phoenix Storm has left an indelible mark on the global music landscape. His previous work on Snowman’s “JUICY” music video achieved remarkable success, earning 2x Platinum certifications in Japan and amassing an impressive 55 million views. The album “Snow Mania S1,” on which Phoenix played a pivotal role, soared to unprecedented heights, securing its place as the best-selling album in the first week of releaseโ€”a historic feat in Japan’s music history for a boy band’s studio album.

In 2022, Phoenix Storm received platinum and multi-platinum accolades for his contributions to three chart-topping hits, collectively selling a staggering 2,600,000 physical copies. The artist’s influence continued into 2023 with significant contributions to NCT’s chart-topping hit “Kangaroo” and Kim Jae Joong’s acclaimed “Born Again” album.

“A Christmas Flavor” is set to become the new holiday anthem, infusing the season with Phoenix Storm’s signature style and festive charm. The track is a testament to the artist’s ability to transcend boundaries and deliver a musical experience that resonates with audiences globally.

Experience the magic of the holiday season with Phoenix Storm and JAPANDA’s “A Christmas Flavor,” available now on all major streaming platforms.

For updates, follow Phoenix Storm onย Instagramย and check out his website!

 

 

#PhoenixStorm #kcrushnews #JAPANDA #AChristmasFlavor #streamingplatforms #kcrushamerica #jpop #kpop #KangarooNCT #KimJaeJoongBornAgainalbum #topasianamericanentertainmentmagazine #music #newmusic #christmas #snowmansJuicymusicvideo #newholidayanthem #kcrushmedia #kcrushgoogleindexed

Kimwoojin 1 724x1024

 

K-Pop solo artist KIM WOOJIN is heading to Europe for his โ€œTHE MOMENT TOUR EUROPEโ€. He is ready to take on five cities in Europe with stops in Paris, Warsaw, Berlin, London, and Madrid. The Europe tour kicks off in Paris on January 17 and continues through three more cities before reaching the last stop in Madrid on January 25.

KIM WOOJIN is a K-Pop male solo artist under KREATION Music Rights. KIM WOOJIN made his solo debut in August 2021 with the album โ€˜The moment : ๆœชๆˆๅนด, a minor.’ and imprinted his name to K-Pop listeners by entering the iTunes Chart in 13 countries worldwide, including Taiwan and the United States.

He proved his potential for success as a solo artist and even participated in the writing of the entire album. KIM WOOJIN recently won the Top Artist award at the Asia Top Awards 2023. As he took his first step as a solo artist, he remained active in acting, participating in K-Drama OSTs for K-Dramas like โ€˜King The Landโ€™ and โ€˜Reborn Richโ€™, and went on global tours and musicals. The solo artist completed The Moment Tour India 2023 in October. As a headliner for various famous festivals as well as concerts, he kept his promise to his long-awaited fans in India.

KIM WOOJIN quickly surpassed 1 million views on his official debut song as well as pre-debut, attracting global fans with his steep rise to popularity, proving himself as a rookie-monster. His pre-debut song “Still Dream” surpassed 1 million views in just 210 hours, and his official debut song “Ready Now” also quickly reached 1 million views, kickstarting his career as a solo artist with a flourish. Furthermore, his official SNS and Spotify followers also presented significant growth rates, showing a remarkable increase in fandom indicators.

KIM WOOJIN starred in โ€˜Beyond The Wardrobeโ€™, a Brazilian HBO Max original, playing the character Kyungminโ€™ making him the first Korean to lead an HBO Max series. Through this show, he succeeded in drawing enthusiastic attention not only from Brazil, but also from several South American countries. Additionally, he surprised fans by challenging the musical “Sherlock Holmes: Secret Of The Anderson Family” based on his experience in acting and global tours.

KIM WOOJIN participated in songwriting in his second mini-album ‘The moment : ็พŽๆˆๅนด, Bounce.โ€™, proving his limitless growth by sincerely capturing his story. As an extension of the last album, it contains a desire to present more challenging and bright songs as a gift to CUBS (official fandom name) and to be recognized by the public with his songs. “The moment” series captures the emotions we have experienced in our lives or at the moment and inserts messages throughout the album to bring sympathy and comfort to the public. KIM WOOJIN unravels his message and aspirations to the world in his way in every album and shows off his refreshing vocals.

In 2022, KIM WOOJIN proceeded with his first world tour “STILL DREAM” in 27 cities in various countries, including the United States, Europe, South America, and Japan. The tour was named after “STILL DREAM,” his pre-debut single. Through the world tour, which has been a long-awaited dream, he expressed his eagerness to run toward his dream with his fans. At the time of the world tour, not only the entire mini-album tracks but also the drama OST that he participated in, showed off a variety of charm to the audience. Fans are paying keen attention to his upcoming tour, awaiting what setlist will surprise fans this time.

It has been over a year since his last world tour KIM WOOJIN 1ST WORLD TOUR 2022 โ€˜STILL DREAM, the upcoming THE MOMENT TOUR EUROPE is sure to be a meaningful time not only for CUBS (official fandom name) but for him as well. During his previous Europe tour, KIM WOOJIN had no choice but to raise his in-ear monitor volume because the fans cheered so passionately. He conveyed that the cheer was loud enough to cause tinnitus all day long after the performance. As this tour is also expected to be full of energy, it is exciting to look forward to the stage where KIM WOOJIN and CUBS(official fandom name) will be together.

Proving his capabilities as a solo artist, KIM WOOJIN is ready to take center stage on his second Europe tour. He has showcased his presence through special performances combined with an attractive voice.

With fascinating tracks and choreography that allows him to show who he is, KIM WOOJIN invites fans to his unique shows through a series of live performances. After the tour announcement, he has garnered keen attention from local fans alike as they anticipate making memories together through his second Europe tour.

Pre-sale tickets for London will go on sale on December 16, 09:00 (GMT) and general sale for all cities will start on December 18, 09:00 (GMT). Information regarding ticketing for the shows can be found on: mmt.fans/bw2B

 

KIM WOOJIN: THE MOMENT TOUR EUROPE – Tour Dates

17 Jan – PARIS – La Bellevilloise

19 Jan – WARSAW – Hybrydy

21 Jan – BERLIN – Columbia Theater

23 Jan – LONDON – O2 Academy Islington

25 Jan – MADRID – Changรณ Club

 

About KREATION Music Rights:

Established in 2020, KREATION Music Rights is a K-pop agency that aims to innovate communication between artists and fandom.

 

About MyMusicTaste:

MyMusicTaste organizes fan-initiated concerts around the world. Weโ€™re driven by our mission to connect and amplify the voices of fans all over the world. Weโ€™ve successfully promoted concerts of artists such as EXO, Machine Gun Kelly, ATEEZ, and more in over 40 different cities. With the simple idea โ€“ empowering fans to bring their favorite artistโ€™s concert to the city of their choice based on fan demandโ€”MyMusicTaste is challenging the $27 billion concert market through cutting-edge technology and sophisticated, user-friendly service. Our service currently supports more than 30 countries and offers 15 languages.

 

 

#KimWooJin #KimWooJinEuropeanTour #kcrushnews #MyMusicTaste #KREATIONMusicRights #kpop #tour #europeantour #KimWooJinTour2023 #kcrushamerica #Paris #Warsaw #Berlin #London #Madrid #koreansinger #TheMomentTourKimWooJin #CUBSKimWooJinFas #kcrushtopasianamericanmagazine #ReadyNowKimWooJin #kcrushgoogleindex #kcrushcontent #kpopidol #kdramaOST #MyMusicTasteKimWooJinTour

CheNelle 1 1024x1017

 

Che’Nelle has released ‘I AM’, her first CD and digital single with Japanese lyrics in six years, on December 13.

Che’Nelle made her global debut in 2007 on the major US label Capitol Records. Her song ‘Love with DJ’ from her first album was a big hit in Japan, and the album reached No. 1 on the Oricon Western music charts in Japan, and also won the Rookie of the Year award at the Gold Disc Awards. Later, ‘Baby I Love You’, a cover of TEE’s famous song with English lyrics, created a sensation in Japan and made her a household name in the J-pop world. After that, ‘Believe’, the theme song for the movie ‘BRAVE HEARTS Umizaru’, and ‘Happiness’, the theme song for the Fuji TV drama ‘Dear Sister’, became big hits. But with a number of personal events since 2018 such as childbirth and childcare, as well as restrictions on visiting Japan during the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been six years since she has released a CD or sung a new song with Japanese lyrics.

The title track, ‘I AM’, was composed by SUNNY BOY, a producer and songwriter who has produced numerous hit songs. It is a ballad with a chill and beautiful melody typical of Che’Nelle, and with lyrics that preach the importance of self-acceptance.

With the lyrics “I am all I want” and “I am all I need”, the chorus teaches the importance of affirming and accepting yourself as you are. Che’Nelle hopes that listeners will feel the same way after listening to her lyrics. She tells her listeners, “Even if you have a day when things don’t go well, as long as you know your own self-worth, you can handle anything.”

The first pressing of the CD includes a bonus message card from Che’Nelle to remind you to love yourself, reflecting the song’s theme.

 

Release information

โ–  Released Wednesday, December 13

  1. I AM
  2. Ame no Sei
  3. I AM (English version)
  4. I AM (Chinese version) *digital exclusive

https://avex.lnk.to/IAM_CheNelle

 

CD ‘I AM’

AVCD-61384 / Price: 1,155 yen (including tax)

 

โ–ผ CD purchase links:

https://avex.lnk.to/CheNelle_1213CD

 

Che’Nelle official links

โ–  LINE: https://page.line.me/?accountId=che_nelle

โ–  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh5Jn_Vg4oa5CQK3v-4a0vA

โ–  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chenelleworld/?hl=ja

โ–  Twitter: https://twitter.com/chenelleworld

โ–  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chenelleworldjapan

 

#CheNelle #CheNelleJapaneseLyrics #IAMCheNelle #composedbySUNNYBOY #kcrushnews #JPop #JapanesePop #CDCheNelle #DigitalSingleCheelle #BelieveThemeSongForBraveHearts #kcrushamerica #kcrushmedia #loveyourselfisIAMtheme

FEMM 1

 

Japanese mannequin duo FEMM will be performing their final show with the collaboration withย  fancyHIM on Christmas Eve in Tokyo, Shibuya.

fancyHIM continues to provide fashionable and exciting nights that transcends gender, they can clearly be titled as “Tokyo’s cutting edge.” FEMM has a long history with them, since fancyHIM were the ones who first discovered FEMM back in 2015, and kept on collaborating. It is truly a “home ground” for FEMM.

This event will feature a number of guest artists who have a close relation with FEMM, such as singer-songwriter Yup’in who worked with FEMM in the group “FAMM’IN,” and Micro Mica who co-starred in their Europe tour “FEMM-Isation UK/EU tour 2022,” and “KANNAGI,” who are a vogueing dance duo. As for DJs, UNA + MATCHA, who are famous for spinning at high fashion events and are close performing buddies with FEMM for years. PELI, the designer of “PAMEO POSE,” and UNO FUMI, DJ and fashion press for “PAMEO POSE.” “Wabisabi,” who captivates with music and costumes of various genres. Artists based in “FancyHIM,” are “fancyBOYS”, “NAOPIS + TARO” who are also a model and product designer, “CLOUDOM” who is active as a DJ and beauty Youtuber, BCG, who consist of Gwns who actively works to protect the cuteness of orangutans, and ERI KAWAKAMI, a painter. “SHINTAKA” from Osaka is also performing.

The last performance outside of Japan will be “Last FEMM-Isation” in London, which will be held on December 16th. This will be an emotional show and will be a must see for sure. They will have special merchandise for the day as well.

 

“HIMM & FEMM”

Date: December 24, 2023

Venue: BAIA Shibuya

official site:

https://passmarket.yahoo.co.jp/event/show/detail/02nrfep8upf31.html

 

ใ€ŽLast FEMM-Isationใ€

Date: December 16, 2023

Venue: The Lower Third (London)

Afternoon performance: https://link.dice.fm/Q2874d426e29

Night performance: https://link.dice.fm/gafa1aeb6fcb

JPU official site:

https://jpurerecords.com/blogs/news/last-femm-isation-concert-london

 

2023/11/15 Distribution release

ใ€ŽCHERRYใ€

1.CHERRY

  1. We Flood the Night (MYLK Remix)
  2. SUN
  3. Living in the Spotlight
  4. Butterfly to the Moon

 

FEMM / Profile

Two mannequins with intentions / Female rap duo by RiRi and LuLa. Their first album “Femm-Isation” entered the top 10 of the US Billboard chart “World Albums” and was selected as “Best Indies Album” at all HMV stores in the UK. The latest album “Tokyo Ex Machina” features participation from world-class producers such as “Jenna Andrews,” who worked with BTS, and “Kool Kojak,” who worked with Ariana Grande and Doja Cat. “We Got Each Other”, which was one of the first to incorporate Y2K pop punk, was ranked on the major US radio chart “Mediabase Activator Chart” for 12 consecutive weeks. In 2023, which will be the 10th anniversary of their activities, they announced that they will cease their activities by the end of the year.

 

Music release information:

Latest album “CHERRY”

DL & Streaming: https://femm.lnk.to/1115CHERRY

 

We Got Each Other (Music Video)

https://youtu.be/_FEBK7xZOEA

 

Falling For A Lullaby (Music Video)

https://youtu.be/lpBoFZL_dBA

 

Crystal Ball (Music Video)

https://youtu.be/CYh9RUBiQyI

 

YouTube: https://bit.ly/2THLXBn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/femm____/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FEMM____

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@femm____

Official Website: https://femms.jp/

 

#FEMM #fancyHIM #ChristmasEveInTokyo2023 #Japanesesingers #kcrushnews #JPop #CHERRYalbumFEMM #JapanesemannequinduoFEMM #mannequinduoJapanese #kcrushmedia #WeGotEachOthermusicvideoFEMM #CrystalBallmusicvideoFEMM #FallingForALullabyFEMM #TokyoEvent #rapduobyRiRiandLuLa #RIRI #Lula #Y2KPopPunk #kcrushamerica #rap #pop #kcrushtopasianamericanentertainmentmagazine #ButterflyToTheMoonFEMM #FEMMIsation #kcrushgoogleindex #TokyoShibuya #Shibuya

THREE1989 1024x1024

 

Japanese band THREE1989, whose three members were each born in 1989 and whose band name is simply pronounced “Three”, have been selected to provide the ending theme tune to the new TV drama ‘kissร—kissร—kiss~LOVE ii SHOWER~’, which began broadcasting on TV Tokyo on Thursdays, November 2. Their ending theme song ‘Aiiro’ was released on November 8.

TV Tokyo has teamed up with avex to create a series for broadcast television based on the successful show ‘kissร—kissร—kiss’, which was originally shown on dTVยฎ, racking up some 220 million views and an audience including more than 5 million women. The new song will be used as the ending theme for the project’s second season.

The song is closely based on the TV series itself, with the band members reading the show’s script before writing the lyrics and composing the music. The song was arranged by kei matsuura, who worked with the band early on in their career. Each episode of the TV show tells a different story, and the song’s lyrics express the diversity of modern romance through the conceptual use of “color”, using as few sounds as possible and featuring a piano melody that shines from the intro, resulting in a mellow love song.

 

THREE1989 2 1024x683

 

THREE1989 profile

THREE1989 was formed by three members who were each born in 1989. Each of the three members write the music and lyrics together, uniquely blending 1970s, ’80s and ’90s sounds such as New Jack Swing, funk, disco and R&B, interwoven with dance music to create a sound that is both modern and what the band call “New Nostalgic”.

The band are set apart by vocalist Shohei’s incredible singing technique and stunning voice, DJ Datch’s play style that uses scratching and samplers to go beyond the usual framework of a DJ, and keyboardist Shimo’s impressive multi-instrumental abilities.

The band have already held headline shows at prestigious venues in Japan such as Liquidroom in Tokyo and appeared at multiple Japanese music festivals, as well as performing overseas in countries such as Taiwan, South Korea and Spain. They have also worked with several artists from around the world, releasing musical collaborations with Ink Waruntorn (Thailand), Midas Hutch (The Netherlands) and LINION (Taiwan) โ€“ placing THREE1989 firmly on the global stage.

 

Further information

Official website: https://www.three1989.tokyo/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/three1989.tokyo

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/three1989tokyo/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/THREE1989tokyo

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@three1989tokyo

 

#Three1989 #Japaneseboygroup #kcrushnews #threememberband #newmusic #three1989tokyo #LiquidRoomTokyo #kcrushamerica #kcrushcontent #Shohei #DJDatch #Shimo #jpop #newjackswing #funk #RnB #disco #dancemusic #kissxkissxkissTVshow #Aiiro #TVdramakissร—kissร—kissLOVEiiSHOWER #topasianentertainmentmagazine #americanmagazine #googleindexed #globalstageThree1989 #TVTokyo #Avex #keimatsuura #topjapaneseboygroup #newnostalgic ย #Shohei #vocals #Datch #DJ #Shimo #keyboard

SEOULCon 1

 

SEOULCon Announces Official K-Pop Lineup and Programming Details With League of Legends’ World Champion T1 Team Alongside Global Brands

Cultural Event Offers Asian Entertainment Diaspora of State-Of-The-Art Technology, Interactive Netflix Programs, and More

ย The world’s largest influencer expo with 3,000 teams from 50 countries participating

ย SEOULCon, a dynamic two-day exhibition, is set to captivate audiences with its celebration of Asian entertainment and culture on December 30 and 31. Organized independently and driven by a passion for promoting diversity in creative expressions, SEOULCon aims to connect various facets of Asian music, media, technology, art, and consumer entertainment entities. In a world where Asian influence continues to shape global pop culture, the exhibition provides a platform to unite these diverse elements into a seamless, immersive experience. SEOULCon’s attendees will explore and appreciate the rich tapestry of Asian artists and cultures, offering a multi-sensory, live event that bridges the present, the new, and the next in Asian creative expressions. The full music artist lineup consists of K-pop heavyweights such as Jay Park, APINK, ASH ISLAND, CHUNG HA, DJ Soda and LEE GIKWANG of HIGHLIGHT.

The exhibition will take place at various locations within the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), including the Art Hall, Oullim Square, and Design Lab, and will house all programming listed below. There will be over 20 programs created to showcase the latest lifestyle of Seoul, amongst the present and future of technology companies that are highlighted through the ‘Seoul Tech Meetup & Technology Demonstration’, which showcases the innovative technologies of Seoul-based tech companies such as AI, robots, fintech, biotechnology, mobility, and notably popular content creators.

T1, as one of the most prominent teams, has won a record total of four League of Legends World Championship titles (2013, 2015, 2016 and 2023), two Mid-Season Invitational titles (2016 and 2017). ‘T1 CON’, a fan meeting program of the world’s top e-sports club T1, will be held. The T1 team, including Faker, will hold an event to repay the fans who have supported them throughout the year.

SEOULCon aims to secure the ‘content industry’ as a new driving force for the Seoul economy through various programs such as the exhibition related to Hallyu content, beauty activations presenting a sustainable fashion in Seoul launching shows for promising small and medium-sized enterprises, and exhibitions and demonstrations of the latest technologies. The event’s focus is to enhance its competitiveness in the global social media and business lifestyle industries by showcasing invited content creators who share a common interest in SEOULCon’s initiatives and bring them together to collaborate.

 

SEOULCon 2 1024x576

 

Consumer Entertainment

Popular Netflix programs such as “Single’s Inferno” and “Physical 100” who’ve become global sensations when first premiered, have continued their commercial dominance and cultural omnipresence in 2023. Some of the cast members from both programs will participate in panels and a live Drawing Show.

 

Hallyu Star and Global Influencer Awards

On December 30, the Hallyu Star and Global Influencer Awards will collaborate with the 2023 APAN Star Awards for an awards ceremony featuring multiple entertainment categories such as domestic broadcasting and OTT drama; to be attended by actors, journalists, and global influencers. This ceremony will be attended by numerous Hallyu stars. The 2022 Grand Prize Winner was Song Joong-Ki from the hit Netflix series, Vincenzo.

 

Street Fashion and Sneakers Market

Starting from December 30 for two days, the “2023 SEOULCon:ORIGINAL SEOUL” will feature numerous domestic and international street brands, presenting hip fashion trends. Each brand will showcase their latest lineups, limited-edition goods, and conduct brand-specific events. Brands participating will be including Musinsa, Another Shop, Kasina, Peaches, LEVI’s and more.

 

2023 SEOULCon Media Trailer

On December 31, the 2023 Media Trailer will kick off their program where popular or highly anticipated content participants, including those from past successes or upcoming works, engage in experiences and talk shows with the audience. This will feature a showdown between the popular Netflix series ‘Physical 100’ cast and global content creators attending. Winners of ‘Physical 100’ program, including Woo Jin-yong, along with celebrities like Jo Jin-hyung, and Australia Tarzan, will face off against notable creators. ‘Single’s Inferno’ participants from previous seasons such as Oh Jin-taek will also host relationship counseling and talk shows in a panel.

 

SEOULCon 3

 

K-Pop Random Play Dance & Meet and Greet

At the DDP Oullim Square, from December 30 (Saturday) to December 31 (Sunday), the K-Pop Random Play Dance will take place, bringing together entertainment networks and domestic dance crews to collaborate; KBS, DGDG Studio and more taking part in this installation. On the 30th, T1 from League of Legends will hold a fan meeting expressing gratitude to the fans who have supported them throughout the year.

 

K-Pop Concert

On December 31st (Sunday) from 18:00, the highlight of the 2023 SEOULCon edition, the K-Pop Concert, will take place with some of the biggest artists in the genre currently. As the clock strikes midnight on January 1 (Monday), the celebration will continue, heating up the atmosphere to welcome the year 2024. The lineup consists of Jay Park, APINK, ASH ISLAND, CHUNG HA, DJ Soda and LEE GIKWANG of HIGHLIGHT.

 

Notable Attending Content Creators

Anushka Sen is an Instagram influencer with an impressive 40 million followers. Representing India, Sen has been appointed as an honorary ambassador for promoting Korea as a tourist destination, expressing her aspiration to be a bridge connecting Korea and India.

Kika Kim, born to Korean parents in Russia, has amassed 36 million followers on TikTok since she began creating.

Attendees can look forward to musical artist showcases, captivating dances and various content experiences. SEOULCon promises a unique and immersive experience, bringing together enthusiasts to celebrate the richness of Korean arts in the heart of Seoul.

 

 

#SEOULCon #JayPark #APINK #kcrushnews #ASHISLAND #CHUNGHA #DJSoda #LEEGIKWANGHIGHLIGHT #kpopidols #kpopcontent #NotableAttendingContentCreators #AnushkaSen #KikaKim #KPopConcert #kpopmusic #kcrushamerica #SeoulBusinessAgency #KPopRandomDancePlay #KBS #DGDG #dancecrew #T1fromLeagueofLegendsfanmeeting #kcrushmedia #DDPOullimSquare #kcrushtopasianamericanentertainmentmagazine #googleindexkcrush #Netflix #NetflixseriesPhysical100 #WooJinyong #JoJinhyung #AustraliaTarzan #SinglesInfernoparticipants #OhJintaek #Musinsa #AnotherShop #Kasina #Peaches #LEVIs #streetfashion #sneakersmarket #hallyuย  #HallyuStarandGlobalInfluencerAwards #2023APANStarAwards #SBA #WomensWearDailyKorea #kpopculture #eSportschampionshipT1

 

Based on the popular webcomic Pleasant Bullying by Kim Soong-nyoong, writer and director Um Tae-hwaโ€™s Concrete Utopia the world seems to have come to its apparent end. Millions in the once densely populated city of Seoul, South Koreaโ€™s capital and social centre have been killed in a massive earthquake that decimated the country, and perhaps the world. But strangely amidst the destruction and impending decay, stands Hwang Gung Apartments.

In Hwang Gung Apartments, social collapse has occurred but over time the inhabitants begin to rebuild it one rule at a time but unfortunately not for the better. The residents, wanting a leader, choose Young-tak, an at first unassuming taxi driver played excellently by Lee Byung-hun. As his almost de facto second is Geum-ae (Kim Sun-young), his right-hand man Min-sung (Park Seo-jun), and Min-sungโ€™s wife, a nurse played (Park Bo-young).

In this interview director Um talks about being inspired by the quest for ownership of space and apartments in South Korea, to create a film about social inequality and hierarchy. We spoke about how rather than in a way levelling the playing field, Young-Tak, Geun-ae, and other residents choose to exclude and push out others they now see as beneath them.

These themes that are relatable to anyone anywhere, the terrific performances by the filmโ€™s ensemble cast, flawless VFX that create an immersive and frightening new environment for the survivors, and Umโ€™s steady directing make Concrete Utopia a very entertaining watch but one that doesnโ€™t detract from the serious of the subject matter. Because why should class and what floor of a crumpling apartment building you hold onto matter if you lose your humanity in the process.

Follow this link to watch a previously recorded interview with director Um Tae-hwa and Lee Byung-hun which took place during a press junket.

Concrete Utopia is distributed by LOTTE Entertainment and Climax Studio Inc. It was an Official Selection and screened at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Fantasia Fest, and Stiges Orbita festival.

It has its North American theatrical release December 8th, and wide release December 15th.

 

Carolyn Hinds

Freelance Critic, Journalist & Podcaster
African American Film Critics Association Member, Tomatometer-Approved Critic
Co-Host & Producer So Hereโ€™s What Happened! Podcast
Bylines at http://Authory.com/CarolynHinds
Twitter & Instagram: @CarrieCnh12

Webby Awards 2023 Photo Winner Announcement Email Header 1024x577

 

For the seventh consecutive year, Kcrush America invites you, our readers, to vote for our year-end superlatives.ย  We love to hear from our readers, and we enjoy seeing who you view as the best each year. The past two years have yielded several surprises in each category, so we expect much of the same this year!

For 2023, soloists brought their A-games, especially those artists from idol groups who showed us what theyโ€™re made of away from their ensembles. Some of the top nominees include BLACKPINKโ€™s Jisoo, BTSโ€™ Suga (Agust D) and Jimin, and OMGโ€™s Jini for their impressive solo work, while perennial voting favorites Eric Nam, Sunmi, KangDaniel, Shaun, and Jackson Wang have a tough climb ahead of them.

On the idol group side, (G)I-dle, Dreamcatcher, ATEEZ, Stray Kids, EPIK HIGH, and SHINee continue to shine, proving yearly that theyโ€™ll always be contenders. However, new school powerhouses like Le Sserafim, New Jeans, and the surprising-yet-surprisingly-dysfunctional Fifty-Fifty aim to knock previous generations from their podiums in our polls.

If the brewing drama in the K-Pop polls isnโ€™t enough, you can, of course, vote for your favorite K-Dramas. Will Tale of the Nine-Tailed: 1938 and Mask Girl be worthy winners, or will there be a different King of the Land?

From December 13, 2023 to January 13, 2024, let your voices be heard! We canโ€™t wait to see who your winners are this year!

#kcrushkpopmusicawards2023 #kcrushamericakpopmusicawards2023 #kcrush7thkpopmusicawardspoll #kpop #kpopidol #koreanmusic #kdramas #koreandramas #voteforyourfavorites #hallyusurveykcrush #rnb #kindie #ksoul #groupfavorite #soloartist #votetodaykcrushmusicawards #kcrushawards #kcrushcontent #kpopawards2023 #ATEEZ #BlackPink #EpikHigh

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