Japanese-American mixed-culture boyband INTERSECTION are exploding in popularity in Asia following a number of killer performances on Chinese variety show ‘CHUANG2021’, resulting in their music video ‘You’re the Reason’ surpassing 5 million views on YouTube.
INTERSECTION already had a strong following in Japan, where they have been most active until now. Their popularity skyrocketed in 2019 when INTERSECTION member Mitchell Kazuma, a multitalented fashion model who has walked the runway at Paris Fashion Week, appeared on a reality show on AbemaTV called ‘Okami-chan ni wa Damasarenai’ (Don’t be Fooled by the Wolf). During one memorably romantic scene, Kazuma, who was studying abroad at Boston’s Harvard University at the time, confessed his feelings for his Japanese female co-star and invited her to join him in the United States, setting fans’ hearts alight and igniting major interest in the group.
Now, Kazuma has been joined by fellow INTERSECTION members Mika Hashizume and Caelan Moriarty to appear on ‘CHUANG2021’, the hugely successful Chinese version of hit music variety show ‘PRODUCE 101’ – and their good looks and singing ability have become a hot topic around Asia.
The reality show focuses on the cultural exchange between its domestic and international guests, and shows how the participants work hard to grow their talents. Over the course of three series, it has exceeded a staggering 5 billion views in China. The current series began broadcasting on February 17, featuring roughly 100 participants from a variety of countries and backgrounds, and a panel of mentors that includes such stars as Amber from the popular K-pop group f(x).
After the initial broadcast, reactions to INTERSECTION’s performance immediately began trending online, with Chinese social media platform Weibo flooded with comments praising the boys’ impressive singing voices and their Chinese language ability topping the keyword trending chart. A clip on video platform Bilibili of Hashizume’s solo vocal performance surpassed 1 million views in just two days, while his personal page on the official ‘CHUANG2021’ app operated by broadcaster WeTV was the first among all the participants to surpass 1 million followers. His passionate cover of Ne-Yo’s ‘So Sick’ ranked No.1 on Chinese music streaming site QQ Music, and with every new broadcast INTERSECTION once again dominate Weibo’s trending chart.
The fever reached Thailand, where the show was also broadcast, and this time the name ‘Mika’ took the No.6 spot on Thailand’s Twitter keyword ranking.
INTERSECTION’s music video ‘You’re the Reason’ has now reached 5 million views on YouTube, and those views are climbing as ‘CHUANG2021’ is broadcast in China and other countries and the group’s exposure continues to increase. As their performances on ‘CHUANG2021’ grow ever more exciting, INTERSECTION have become a boyband you don’t want to miss.
‘CHUANG2021’ is broadcast on WeTV and YouTube throughout Asia, and subtitled in seven languages: English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian.
Links
‘CHUANG2021’ YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA5scr9hNC7nMmDhdU8hkXA
INTERSECTION performance ‘Swim’:
Mika Hashizume solo performance ‘So Sick’:
Mitchell Kazuma solo performance ‘Mercury Records’:
Caelan Moriarty solo performance ‘The Search’:
INTERSECTION YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4NV2P_DEw7GI7s50Z_BIAA
INTERSECTION ‘You’re the Reason’:
INTERSECTION official website:
https://intersection-tokyo.jp/
INTERSECTION Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/intersection_tokyo/
—
Images:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/mma7gt4y9m2plhb/AAA3ajMJQHgp5h1AqQKKqt4Wa?dl=0
If you’re a fan of the Paula Hawkins’ 2015 novel The Girl on the Train and the 2016 film of the same name starring Emily Blunt, Netflix recently released the Hindi version of The Girl on the Train. As of March 4, 2021, the film has been one of the top-ten trending films in the United States. However, just because a movie is trending doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a stellar film. In fact, the latest version of The Girl on the Train is quite the opposite thanks to poor acting, snooze-worthy yet laughable scenes, and a questionable ending that changes the whole original story. Buckle up! You’re going on a wild ride on one rickety caboose of a story!
Like the original story, the Hindi version of The Girl on the Train is set in London, England. The story follows Mira (Parineeti Chopra) as she unravels, becomes an alcoholic, and struggles with amnesia following the loss of her unborn child and marriage after an accident. As she continues to go off the rails, she watches and idealizes a young woman’s (Nusrat, played by Aditi Rao Hydari) married life from the window of a train. In the original book and film, the main character’s named Rachel, while the woman she watched is Megan. From here, the similarities between the stories end. While the original focuses on how three women are tied together thanks to someone in their lives, the latest version of the story takes that original plot and tosses it out.
With the latest retelling, it’s difficult to tell if the movie takes itself too seriously or if it doesn’t know how to execute the suspense-thriller genre. This is sometimes evidenced by slow montages set to sappy music where the viewer sees the “anguish” Mira feels. During these moments, the movie turns into a weak drama. Any suspense the movie has is, at times, laughable due to the almost cartoonish events meant to provide jolts of fright. For example, at the beginning of the movie, Mira is supposed to be scared and running from a Jeep following her, but it ends up looking like a scene from a bad zombie flick. Even when the Jeep’s sitting in her driveway following a cliché “rock-through-the-window-with-a-childish-looking-note” moment, Chopra’s shock looks more like disappointment that she spilled some milk instead of a look of genuine fear.
The stilted acting doesn’t help the story at all. Chopra’s take on Mira looks like a combination of over-the-top melodrama, 1990s after-school special, and early 2000s teen-oriented TV show. Her inability to show true emotion, save for the scene in the bathroom where Mira fantasizes about murdering Nusrat, makes the movie boring. Chopra isn’t believable as a raging alcoholic. Similarly, Kirti Kulhari’s Detective Bagga is unconvincing as a badass cop. Kulhari’s role’s forced and unrealistic. Her character is supposed to be cold, calculating, and tough, but the lack of expression murders the character. Kulhari doesn’t work as a cop or a villain.
The men in film are also severely undeveloped and interchangeable, so much so that between the three—Dr. Kapoor (Mira’s ex-husband played by Avinash Tiwary), Anand (Shamaun Ahmed), and Dr. Hamid (Tota Roy Chowdury)—it’s hard to distinguish who is who because they are all styled similarly: Unshaven, rugged, and handsome. The only distinguishing characteristics between the three is that Dr. Kapoor is tall and Dr. Hamid wears glasses. Beyond this, the male characters are empty husks with no real purpose beyond serving as Mira’s reason to become unhinged (Dr. Kapoor) and somewhat move the plot along.
Speaking of plot movers, the characters of Walter (Richie Lawrie) and “Horse Guy” are comedic even though this isn’t the intention (I hope). Walter’s appearance is brief and left more questions than answers since he knows who committed the investigated crimes. On the other hand, “Horse Guy” literally just stands in a field with horses and never moves from one of them even though time advances. It must be a lonely existence just standing in a field propped up by a horse.
Sadly, the makeup has more acting range than the people in the film. Mira’s garish head wound and eyeliner become characters all their own. As The Girl on the Train unfolds, both the gash and the eyeliner become distractions as they change in almost every scene. The gash goes from almost healed to nasty and peeling in a weird sequence from scene-to-scene, while the eyeliner switches between raccoon-thick and Goth teenager at a My Chemical Romance concert, so it becomes humorous to see how it changes as the story progresses. The makeup shouldn’t take on a life of its own unless the script depicts it.
The plot has several issues and holes. One of the most annoying elements is how Detective Bagga questions a murder suspect in the middle of a busy sidewalk where everyone can overhear. In real life, that would never happen because the integrity of a case would be sullied if these shenanigans occurred.
Then there’s Jimmy Bagga (Krishan Tandon), a gangster that somehow puts the whole plot in motion. Jimmy isn’t in the original story. For some reason, the writers thought The Girl on the Train needed a gangster (which, why are gangsters in movies almost always named “Jimmy?”) to help show that Mira was once a successful lawyer. Her win at a trial is the reason for the unnecessary spin the movie takes, setting up an unrealistic story that gives The Girl on the Train a massive “wtf?” moment in the chaotic last 20 minutes of the film.
The ending and the reveal make zero sense given the original story. The last 20 minutes feel like a rushed train to Weirdsville as an odd plot-point’s revealed. The ending has three characters in a house with one of them revealing the details of a crime. As the character’s giving away the intentions behind the crimes, it’s a moment that feels almost Scooby Doo-like to where the line “And I would have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for you meddling kid!” could have dropped any moment. For fans of the original story, the twist is unnecessary and inauthentic given the massive plot holes that exist (one of the characters touches pretty much everything in the house, so if you want to frame someone for something you did, this isn’t the way to go). The ending’s abrupt and will make you yell “what in the actual ___?!” if you saw and read the original stories.
Overall, The Girl on the Train is on a train to nowhere. The film lacks direction, strong characters, and a solid story. This story may not be worth it if you are familiar with the original, but it is worth watching if you enjoy cringy takes on best-selling novels. The Girl on the Train earns a disappointing 1/5.
The Girl on the Train is available on Netflix.
Photo cr. The Indian Express, Hindustan Times
—-Olivia Murray
Dreamcatcher Stands At The “CROSSROADS” To Their Third Online Concert
Popular South Korean girl group, Dreamcatcher prepares dual concepts with a live band for their third online concert [DREAMCATCHER CONCERT CROSSROADS], a two-night event happening on March 26 and March 27 at 10pm KST.
Dreamcatcher has garnered significant attention, even claiming the title of K-pop’s first female act to hit #1 on Billboard’s Next Big Sound Chart. It’s not their first run on the Billboard Charts though, as the musical septet have ranked on the Billboard World Albums Chart and Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart multiple times since their re-debut as Dreamcatcher in 2017 with hits like “데자부 (Deju Vu)” from their special mini-album Raid of Dream.
Sonically, they differ from most other K-Pop groups, choosing to take on a more pop rock and metal sound that has gained them popularity globally. Their Dystopia trilogy of music releases dropped hits like “Scream” and “BOCA”, that pushed the message of reflecting on the modern day “witch hunt” in today’s technologically advanced society that is ripe with hate comments and ‘cancel’ culture. Their latest song, “Odd Eye” comes off the last installment of the trilogy, the sixth mini album Dystopia : Road to Utopia. Their music video for the title track currently has 32 million views, cementing their position in the K-Pop wave as an influential artist.
With their most recent online showcase and previous successful online concerts that brought in over 13,000 viewers per show, Dreamcatcher is ready to meet their fans, InSomnia [official fan club name] again for their third online concert.
Dreamcatcher’s third online concert will be split into two nights. The first night of the show, March 26, is ‘Part 1. Utopia’ – showcasing their angelic voices in an acoustic setting. The following night, March 27, is ‘Part 2. Dystopia’ – is the flip side of their story that highlights a rock-n-roll theme. Each night of the concert will show a different side of Dreamcatcher in their journey to close the Dystopia trilogy together with their fans. The title of the concert, [CROSSROADS], emphasizes the final place the group stands at in the end of the storyline of their Dystopia trilogy as they searched for their Utopia in a neverending Dystopia.
For this concert, Dreamcatcher continues their collaboration with MyMusicTaste, a technology forward platform that breaks the barriers set by the pandemic and brings fans and artists together to create a new way of connection. DREAMCATCHER’s seven members: JI U, SU A, SIYEON, YOOHYEON, DAMI, HANDONG, and GAHYEON
Further information regarding ticketing and the show itself can be found through https://mmt.fans/MjNU and https://mmt.fans/Mj7A or through MyMusicTaste’s other social media channels.
드림캐쳐 Dreamcatcher [DREAMCATCHER CONCERT CROSSROADS: Part 1. Utopia] March 26, 2021, 10:00PM KST – MyMusicTaste
드림캐쳐 Dreamcatcher [DREAMCATCHER CONCERT CROSSROADS: Part 2. Dystopia] March 27, 2021, 10:00PM KST – MyMusicTaste
About MyMusicTaste: MyMusicTaste is a fan initiated live event making service that brings fans, artists and promoters from all over the world together in one place to create a valuable and meaningful concert experience for everyone involved. MyMusicTaste puts the power in the fans’ hands, allowing fans to request their favorite artist’s concert in their city. With the mission to connect and amplify the voices of fans all over the world, MyMusicTaste successfully promoted concerts of artists such as EXO, GOT7, MONSTA X, The xx, Machine Gun Kelly, and more in over 57 different cities. With the simple idea–empowering fans to bring their favorite artist’s concert in 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. Currently, www.mymusictaste.com supports more than 30 countries and offers 15 different languages.
About DREAMCATCHER COMPANY: Established in 2008, DREAMCATCHER COMPANY is a South Korean record label and entertainment agency founded by the prominent production duo E-tribe. Since the debut of its first artist Nassun, the company has grown in size over the years, producing artists and idol groups under its own name. V.O.S, Dalshabet, and DREAMCATCHER are the major artists that are currently associated with the label. Recently, the company also launched subsidiary labels HF Music Company, Dreamcatcher Company, and D1CE Entertainment and is garnering much attention and recognition from the public as the rising creator of future K-pop artists.
On February 28, 2021, the 78th Golden Globe Awards were held. This year’s awards were a socially distanced and virtual affair thanks to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
During this year’s awards, two Asian and Asian-American directors made a splash.
Lee Isaac Chung’s film, Minari, won the Best Motion Picture- Foreign Language category. The film, which is about a Korean-American family searching for the American dream during the 1980s, was shrouded in controversy.
Minari received a nomination in the Best Foreign-Language Film category instead of the Best Motion Picture category because it failed to “meet the Globe’s 50 percent English language requirement.” The characters speak Korean in the film, but the film was shot in America and backed by American companies.
In an interview with the New York Times, Chung stated, “Maybe the positive side of all of this is that we’ve made a film that challenges some of those existing categories and adds to the idea that an American film might look and sound very differently from what we’re used to.”
In his acceptance speech, Chung, who is American, seemingly took a stab at the language requirements for Best Motion Picture: “Minari is about a family. It’s a family trying to learn how to speak a language of its own. It goes deeper than any American language and any foreign language; it’s a language of the heart.”
Minari wins Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language at the #GoldenGlobes! pic.twitter.com/486jld6AIz
— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) March 1, 2021
However, another film by an Asian director, Nomadland, earned the award for Best Motion Picture-Drama. Nomadland, which is about a woman who lost everything in the Great Recession and journeys throughout the Western United States as a modern-day nomad, was directed by Chloé Zhao.
Zhao was one of three women to be nominated for the award. Regina King (One Night in Miami) and Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) also earned nods.
“This award belongs to the whole Nomadland team,” Zhao said. “Thank you, everyone who made it possible for me to do what I love.”
Zhao, 38, made history as the second woman to win the Best Director Golden Globe award. She is second woman after Barbra Streisand who won for Yentl in 1984. Moreover, Zhao is the first Asian director and the first woman of color to nab the award. Her win prompted Streisand to celebrate on Twitter.
It’s about time! Congratulations Chloé! Well deserved!
— Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) March 1, 2021
The Golden Globes, like many other award shows held in America, went on with a shadow of controversy hanging over them due to the lack of diversity in the voting categories each year. This year’s awards were slammed for not having black representation within the voting body as well as allegedly having ethical issues within the ranks. Show hosts Amy Poehler and Tina Fey made quips throughout the night about the lack of diversity within the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Meanwhile, Tina Tchen, president and CEO of Time’s Up, stated “We listened tonight and hoped to hear the HFPA respond with some awareness that the industry wide discontent with your organization’s practices goes far beyond what you offered tonight and in the days preceding.”
As always, a hope for change and a charge for diversity is always welcome, and hopefully some of the wins by minority actors, actresses, and directors help signify legitimate change instead of a pittance to quell voices that want representation.
Photo cr. Image Journal, CNN, BBC
—-Olivia Murray
At Kcrush, we’ve interviewed Josh Johnson who is the Lead Designer at Golden Gear Press that recently created a fun board game KPOP: Becoming an Idol. We hope this interview draws more interest to the work and we wish Josh and his team a lot of success!
Hello! Could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers, please?
Hi! I’m Josh and I’m the Lead Designer at Golden Gear Press for KPOP: Becoming an Idol. My team and I are all professional game designers and huge K-pop fans so Becoming an Idol is a real passion project for us. My team and I are hugely excited to finally be able to show off the results of all our hard work!
Tell us about your K-pop Board game and how you came to create it.
KPOP: Becoming an Idol is a project that we’ve always wanted to do. Everyone at Golden Gear Press have been K-pop fans for years, but until 2020 arrived we were having a hard time figuring out exactly what our K-pop board game would look like. Once quarantine began, we had the time to work out the details and create a fun board game that is steeped in K-pop culture.
When we designed KPOP: Becoming an Idol, we wanted 2 things to stand out:
This is a game with K-pop at its heart. We’re fans, and so we wanted to design a game that other fans would know is real and authentic. Rather than picking up another game design and slapping some K-pop words on it, we designed the game from the ground up so that K-pop was woven into every aspect of the game.
Anyone can play this game and enjoy it. We wanted friends and family to be able to play with you whether they were new to K-pop or if they had been fans for years. Sharing your love for K-pop is something that unites the community, and we felt that making the game entertaining for everyone was a great way to bring people together in mutual love for K-pop!
It is our hope that when the fans see our game, they will agree that we have achieved both of these goals to make a board game that is worthy of their support!
What can the players expect from the game?
Lots of fun, of course! Seriously though, KPOP: Becoming an Idol is a game about living life as a K-pop trainee preparing for their final Evaluation.
You and your friends will be rolling dice and moving around a massive 20×20 game board which is separated into 4 colored Sections – Dance, Vocal, Rap and Fans. Each section of the board gives you a different way to improve your character as you prepare to head into the center and face the Evaluation judge.
Of course, the board is only half of the game: as you draw cards and improve in your training each player will be keeping track of how well they’re doing on a separate 10×10 Player Mat. And that’s just the beginning! Here’s a list to give you an idea of what you’ll see as you play:
80 Story cards that explain how you’re doing in your training.
95 Skill cubes for everyone to keep track of all their skills!
Contest Spaces – Compete with your friends to see who is the best Dancer, Vocalist, or Rapper!
5 Evaluation Tokens – Prove yourself worthy to enter your Evaluation.
More!
What inspired you in the process of designing the board game? Were there any K-pop artists that inspired your project?
Our biggest inspiration was actually K-pop fans themselves! We loved seeing how everyone pulled together to help and support each other this past year even if they supported different groups. That element actually made it into the game, too! Some cards allow you to give yourself and one other player a benefit, so over the course of a game players can end up working together even while they’re competing to see who is the best!
Please tell us about your previous designs or projects in the past.
This is our first big project in the K-pop area, but we’re looking forward to continuing to give fans new and interesting board games and other projects from our studio in the future.
What are your hopes and plans for this year?
KPOP: Becoming an Idol is going to be launched on Kickstarter coming this April, and we’re putting all our energy into being ready for that! After the Kickstarter is over, our team will be managing the manufacturing process to get the game out to all of our supporters, as well as working to get the game into the hands of local retailers all over the world! It’s no exaggeration to say that this board game is going to be our prime focus for all of 2021.
–J.Chung.
“Beauty Water” is now the first Korean animated film to be honored as the best animated feature award at the 46th Boston Science Fiction Film Festival.
As the oldest independent genre film festival in the United States, the Boston Science Fiction Film Festival runs for 10 days, showcasing over 100 science fiction features from around the world.
The best animated feature award of 2021, was awarded to “Beauty Water,” which was directed by Cho Kyung-hun. The animation, displayed mostly in 3D, tells the story of a homely makeup artist who meets horrific consequences after she comes across “beauty water” that enables her to drop weight and transform her into a beauty.
The animation was originally adapted from a hit web series called “Tales of the Unusual” by Oh Seong-dae.
“It’s quite rare for feature-length animations, especially those of the horror genre, to be successfully put on screen, not just in Korea but in the animation industry overall,” director Cho Kyung-hun said, while explaining what he thought was a main reason why festivals were in favor of the production. “The film questions the standard of beauty. When we accept our own beauty, it’s usually based on the standards set by the society. We think ourselves beautiful only when others do. This perspective itself is a form of violence, and I wanted to show that a web of such violence can become a hell for some.”
Even during the global pandemic, “Beauty Water” pulled in more than 100,000 viewers into cinemas in South Korea on its release in September 2020 – and was also screened in numerous regions including Taiwan, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
Since the latest work proved to be successful, the “Beauty Water” fans could anticipate for a follow-up of another episode from the Tales of the Unusual, hopefully.
Here’s the link to our interview with Oh Sung-dae, the writer and creator of Beauty Water. https://www.kcrush.com/kcrush-interview-with-webtoon-artist-oh-sung-da
–J.Chung.
Korean singers and actors are often seen dressed in outfits worth thousands of dollars. Not only is that undoable for the average person, these celebrities hardly ever own the clothes. With this in mind, Kpop fans launched Fashion Chingu in 2018, after realizing how hard it was to find affordable alternatives to what their favorite idols were wearing. After fine-tooth combing the internet every time a style interested them, they noticed that not one website focused on this niche. Finding a single piece might have taken up to several days. Sometimes, a good enough match would never even come up.
In actuality, entertainment companies often have their stylists borrow garments from designer brands. These are meant to be featured in music videos, performances, live appearances, etc. So, idols get to wear these for free and brands get celebrity exposure. A single piece in an outfit can be worth thousands of dollars. For example, it’s said that one of Jennie’s Chanel costumes in BLACKPINK’s “DDU DU DDU DU” music video is worth approximately $20.000! And other designer brands like Burberry, Balmain, or Prada are also big favorites. Even smaller pieces like jewelry, hats and hosiery are marked up in the hundreds. With the increasing growth of the Hallyu wave worldwide, more and more fans are trying to copy the stars’ looks. The monthly average Google search requests for ‘blackpink outfits’ tops 20.000 searches. But it’s not realistic nor doable for fans to afford these heavy prices.
At Fashion Chingu, fans can find highly resembling options that are both carefully selected and great in quality. The brand prides itself in being able to sell at an affordable price point, whilst never compromising their standard of quality. They also make sure to not sell any fake or illegal items, as no protected brand names or designs are replicated onto their clothes. There’s plenty of outlets selling merch, such as printed tees and sweaters. But much like how it’s always been with pop culture, k-pop followers want to reproduce their idols’ looks, not just wear their face on a t-shirt. This is where Fashion Chingu comes in and offers their solution – idol fashion made affordable.
Trigger warning: Story discusses sexual harassment/assault. Reader discretion advised.
After three years and ten trials, Kim Himchan, 30, received his sentence for the sexual harassment allegations stemming from a July 2018 incident.
After years of back-and-forth between the defendant (Kim) and the plaintiff (the unnamed female), the Seoul Central District Court convicted Kim and sentenced him to 10 months in prison and 40 hours of sexual violence treatment.
“The evidence, including statements from the victim, is credible and backs the charges,” Judge Jung Sung-hwan said. “The seriousness of the crime and the fact that the victim did not forgive him were factored into the sentencing.”
Kim, who is a former member of B.A.P, was accused of sexual assault when he, two other males, two other females, and the female victim spent time at a vacation home in Namyang-ju July 24, 2018. During their stay, Kim was accused of sexual harassment by the female victim; the victim called the police following the incident claiming Kim kissed her against her will and fondled her breasts.
Kim, at the time, stated the events that occurred that night were consensual and that there was a “misunderstanding.”
There were feelings of interest between the two. It wasn’t explicit consent, but there was implied consent, which is why it is not indecent act by compulsion,” Kim’s lawyer said during the initial July 2019 trial. “It’s clear that there were feelings of interest between them. We acknowledge the truth of the kissing and the touching of [her] chest, but there was no other physical contact beyond that.”
In August 2019, Kim’s lawyers accused the victim of blackmail. That case was forward to the prosecution.
During the February 24, 2021 sentencing, Judge Jung did not immediately send Kim to prison.
“While the defendant is being sentenced to prison today,” Judge Jung said, “the court is not placing him in detention so that he is given a chance to seek forgiveness from the victim.”*
In addition to the charges of “indecent acts by compulsion,” Kim has experienced additional legal woes since B.A.P disbanded in February 2019.
In October 2020, Kim attempted a comeback as a singer with “Reason of My Life,” but his comeback as a soloist was cut short when he was booked for drunk driving. At the time, Kim released an apology for the incident.
Hello, this is Himchan.
First, I sincerely apologize to my fans for conveying bad news.
I once again deeply apologize for causing a controversy through the drunk driving accident that happened yesterday. I am deeply reflecting on having disappointed the public with an inappropriate and shameful incident.
I am regretting and reflecting on drunk driving, and I will earnestly take part in a police investigation if there is need for one in the future. Also, from today onward, I will be living my life with self-restraint and self-reflection.
I apologize again for causing worry and concern for my fans who always supported and loved me. Drunk driving is something that must never be done, and I must take responsibility for that. I sincerely apologize again for causing many people concern with this shameful incident.
I am sorry.
Kim has yet to release a statement regarding the sentencing or a public apology for the July 24, 2018 incident. Stay tuned for updates if any come to fruition.
*At the time of this writing, it is unclear if the forgiveness seeking period means Kim will not serve his prison sentence if forgiveness is given or if he will still serve time even if forgiveness is received. Once clarification is received, this information will be updated.
Photo cr. The Korea Times
—-Olivia Murray
Oakland-based hip-hop orchestra Ensemble Mik Nawooj unveils a new track today, “Who Would Be Born,” alongside a video, which exclusively premiered last week via Glide Magazine—watch it here. The new track is from the group’s forthcoming album, Death Become Life, out March 19. All music composed and orchestrated by JooWan Kim. All lyrics written by Sandman Produced by JooWan Kim and Christopher Nicholas. In collaboration with Asian Art Museum and Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
Inspired by Herman Hesse’s Demian, “Who Would Be Born” is an apocalyptic rap score on the destruction of the world and Gnostic god Abraxas. “The general idea of this piece was to portray the end of the old and beginning of the new,” EMN’s composer JooWan Kim says. “The whispers at the end of this piece are magical syllables within the Mik Nawooj universe called ‘Syllables of Transmutation,’ which allow the user to open up all five energies of internal organs and transform into a god.”
The new track follows the first offering from Death Become Life, “Beethoven on Struggle,” which premiered exclusively via Mundane Magazine and was praised by RIFF Magazine as a “masterpiece.”
Additionally, Ensemble Mik Nawooj will host an exclusive album release livestream event co-presented by San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum and Yerba Buena Gardens Festival on March 25 at 7pm PST, featuring a 22-piece orchestra performance, the premiere of five music films documenting the recording of the album and a Q&A portion with panelists from the ensemble. Tickets are now available for purchase on the Asian Art Museum’s website here.
Furthermore, JooWan Kim and Christopher Nicholas from EMN recently appeared on Georgio Savvides’ podcast Hip Hop Orchestra Presents to discuss the group’s inspiration, method sampling and more—watch a clip here.
Death Become Life consists of ten tracks and five accompanying live performance videos. Three of the compositions—together known as the Fountainheads Suite—are a direct response to COVID-19 and its disproportionate effects on marginalized communities, meditating on concepts such as finding peace in conflict, joy in sadness and freedom in confinement and aiming to help audiences from all walks of life heal from the trauma of the pandemic. The Suite’s three compositions deconstruct classic works of Mozart (“Mozart on Joy”), Beethoven (“Beethoven on Struggle”) and Bach (“Bach on Transcendence”), and each corresponds with a principle of Greek philosophy: Ataraxia (freedom from fear of death), Apatheia (freedom from violent emotions) and Eudaimonia (blessedness).
Among the album’s other tracks are pieces about the passing of Kim’s mother and a longtime family friend in 2014, an apocalyptic rap-score on the destruction of the world and three selections from the group’s multidisciplinary theater and dance project, Death Become Life, through which they collaborate with region-specific artists to render variations in live performances. The accompanying five performance videos are co-sponsored by Asian Art Museum and Yerba Buena Gardens Festival.
Ensemble Mik Nawooj is led by artistic director and classically trained South Korean composer JooWan Kim, who became increasingly disillusioned with Eurocentric concert aesthetics while studying music composition at Berklee College of Music in his 20s. Eventually, Kim found the missing ingredient and his ultimate inspiration in hip-hop, describing the epiphany he had upon hearing N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton for the first time. “I knew at that moment, I had to examine the underlying structures of hip-hop and create concert music with them,” Kim says. Ever since, Kim has been making music with his own multiracial and multi-genre crew—consisting of classical musicians like flute, clarinet, violin, cello, bass, soprano, a hip-hop MC (Sandman) and a Turf dancer—to bridge the gap between tradition and the modern day.
ENSEMBLE MIK NAWOOJ—DEATH BECOME LIFE
1. Death Become Life
2. May Good Conquer Evil
3. May Death Become Life
4. Everything Ends
5. Hymn
6. Everything Returns to One
7. Who Would Be Born
8. Mozart on Joy
9. Beethoven on Struggle
10. Bach on Transcendence
Dancers – Yung Phil & Telice
𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 🔥 𝙒𝙝𝙤 𝙒𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝘽𝙚 𝘽𝙤𝙧𝙣 ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗞 𝗜𝗧 𝗢𝗨𝗧 & 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘❗
𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆: https://music.emnsound.com/uMEk8HQv
𝗶𝗧𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘀: https://music.emnsound.com/DUCxJqrr
𝗚𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: https://music.emnsound.com/IysVMCTA
𝗪𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲: https://music.emnsound.com/iyjeaBiI
FB/Twtr/Insta @miknawooj
Composition/Piano – JooWan Kim
Lyrics/Rap – Sandman Soprano – Anne Hepburn Smith
Flute – Joyce Lee Oboe – Liam Boisset
Clarinet – Davis Hampton Bassoon – Jamael Smith
French Horn – Craig James Hansen
Violin 1 – Clare Armenante
Violin 2 – Laura Keller Viola – Ivo Bokulić
Cello – Evan Kahn Bass – Michel Taddei
Drums – Lyman Jerome Alexander II
Having performed for audiences across Asia, Europe and North and South America, Japanese rock band BACK-ON release ‘FLIP SOUND’ on February 17, an album of self-covers featuring re-recorded versions of their most popular worldwide hits. The collection includes versions of BACK-ON’s theme tunes for globally celebrated franchises such as the ‘Gundam’ anime series and PlayStation Portable game ‘Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2’, making it a truly special must-hear collection for fans.
Some of these songs were originally released many years ago, so these brand-new self-covers are a chance to hear classic BACK-ON tunes reborn with a modern glow-up.
Download/ streaming:
BACK-ON members KENJI03 and TEEDA made the following comments to mark the album’s release.
Comment from KENJI03
BACK-ON celebrated our 15th anniversary in October last year, and now we are excited to release this collection of newly arranged self-covers of songs from our back catalogue that we have played live around the world! Once things return to normal, we can’t wait to get back on the road and see everyone – until then, we hope you’ll enjoy this album, and let’s all get through this together!
Comment from TEEDA
While we’re excited to release this 15th anniversary album ‘FLIP SOUND’, I’m so sorry that we cannot perform these updated versions of our songs live for our fans around the world. But this situation will end eventually – and when it does, we’ll be right there, so please wait for us!
———————————-
Release information
Artist: BACK-ON
New album: FLIP SOUND
Release date: February 17, 2021
Download & streaming links: https://avex.lnk.to/FLIPSOUND
Tracklist
01. Butterfly
02. STRIKE BACK
03. flower
04. flyaway
05. Nibun no Ichi
06. DRIVE
07. Sands of time
08. a day dreaming…
09. BLAZE LINE
10. NEW WORLD
11. Hikari Sasuhou
12. Over
13. INFINITY
14. Believer
15. Ultimate Adachi
———————————-
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BACKON.JAPAN/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/info_backon
Twitter (TEEDA): https://twitter.com/TEEDA_BACKON
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/back_on_jpn/
Instagram (KENJI03): https://www.instagram.com/kenji03_bo/
Instagram (TEEDA): https://www.instagram.com/teeda_bo/
Official website: https://www.back-on.com/
—
Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rvduy2cxxvcydao/AAAbzZrDWDwjlMjWC-961BXKa?dl=0
The former CEO of Melon – South Korea’s top music streaming service – has been given three and a half years imprisonment for stealing billions of won (US$16.4 million) from musicians’ royalties. He has been arrested and put into prison since the ruling.
The Seoul Eastern District Court gave out the sentence on Tuesday to the chief of Loen Entertainment on fraud charges. Loen Entertainment was formerly in charge of operating Melon from 2009, and it was renamed Kako M Corp in 2018. The company is currently owned by Kakao Corp.
The court also sentenced the company’s former vice president to two and a half years of imprisonment, suspended for four years. And its former head to one and a half years of imprisonment, suspended for three years, for the same criminal charges.
Prosecutors indicted the three men back in September 2019 for illegally stealing royalties worth around 18.2 billion won from numerous musicians who shared their music on Melon’s streaming service.
“The defendants’ acts are highly condemnable as they deprived the victims of trust by deceiving them and taking their money away.” the court said.
In 2009, the defendants started a paper company – a record label named LS Music – and registered songs that were unprotected by copyrights, as if they had ownership to them. Through the paper company, they went on to manipulate Melon users’ download history to fabricate streamings and collected profits worth around 4.1 billion won.
It was also discovered that the convicted three men had excluded 14.1 billion won worth of unused subscription fees from inactive users, which should have been given to copyright owners, from their royalty settlement without informing the artists.
The three have deleted proof of documents to keep artists blinded, for their own financial gain.
–J.Chung.
Hailing from YG ENTERTAINMENT, the management stable behind global megahit artists BIGBANG and BLACKPINK, TREASURE are Korea’s hottest boyband right now. In 2020 they dominated the rookie category at numerous awards ceremonies, including the 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards. Now they are blowing up in Japan, with the February 14 release of the full version of ‘BEAUTIFUL’, their first original Japanese-language track. This will be followed by a full major-label debut Japanese album on March 31, titled ‘THE FIRST STEP: TREASURE EFFECT’.
Japan digital single ‘BEAUTIFUL’ download and streaming links:
https://treasure.lnk.to/beautiful_0214
‘BEAUTIFUL’ was selected as the new ending theme tune to the hugely popular ‘Black Clover’ anime series, based on the Weekly Shonen Jump manga. When the first episode featuring the song aired on January 5, the hastag #BlackClover_with_TREASURE immediately topped Twitter’s global real-time trending chart. A mid-tempo ballad that shows a new side to TREASURE, ‘BEAUTIFUL’ features richly layered vocal melodies, and a level of vocal control and nuance that is way beyond what you would expect from a group of newcomers.
When TREASURE’s debut Japanese album ‘THE FIRST STEP: TREASURE EFFECT’ is released on March 31, it will be the fourth consecutive work in their ‘THE FIRST STEP’ series of releases that has already achieved over 1 million sales since the release of ‘CHAPTER ONE’ in Korea in August 2020. The album will include the Japanese version of ‘BEAUTIFUL’ as well as hits such as ‘BOY’, ‘I LOVE YOU’, ‘MMM’ and ‘MY TREASURE’, with all 13 tracks on the album sung in Japanese. A Blu-ray/DVD is also planned, featuring music videos for the Japanese versions of ‘BOY’, ‘I LOVE YOU’, ‘MMM’ and ‘MY TREASURE’, available for the very first time.
Japan debut album ‘THE FIRST STEP: TREASURE EFFECT’ mu-mo shop page:
https://shop.mu-mo.net/avx/sv/list1/?artist_id=TRASR
The first edition of each version of the Japanese album will include a priority lottery access code for a chance to win special exclusive prizes, including an online autograph session with the members of TREASURE. The priority lottery is open to fans all around the world. Meanwhile, the mu-mo online shop is currently accepting pre-orders for limited CDs that include an acrylic stand figure of your favorite member of the group.
Digital release information
‘BEAUTIFUL’ lyrics:
https://ygex.jp/treasure/discography/lyric/beautiful.php
Japan digital single ‘BEAUTIFUL’ download and streaming links:
https://treasure.lnk.to/beautiful_0214
Lottery campaign with exclusive prizes:
https://ygex.jp/treasure/news/detail.php?id=1089447
TREASURE – ‘BEAUTIFUL’ anime music video:
Physical release information
TREASURE debut Japanese album ‘THE FIRST STEP: TREASURE EFFECT’
Release date: March 31, 2021
mu-mo shop product page:
https://shop.mu-mo.net/avx/sv/list1/?artist_id=TRASR
Exclusive bonus rewards information:
https://ygex.jp/treasure/news/detail.php?id=1088826
About the priority lottery
TREASURE Japan debut commemorative online talk event announced! The first edition of each version of Japanese album ‘THE FIRST STEP: TREASURE EFFECT’ released on March 31 will include a priority lottery access code for a chance to win amazing exclusive prizes, including an online autograph session with the members of TREASURE. Further details of the priority lottery will be announced on TREASURE’s official website and social media accounts soon.
Tracklist
CD (all versions except for AVCY-97071, listed separately below)
‘MY TREASURE’
‘BE WITH ME’
‘SLOWMOTION’
‘BOY’
‘COME TO ME’
‘I LOVE YOU’
‘B.L.T (BLING LIKE THIS)’
‘MMM’
‘ORANGE’
‘GOING CRAZY’
‘I LOVE YOU (Piano Ver.)’
‘MMM (Rock Ver.)’
‘BEAUTIFUL’
* Total of 13 songs planned for inclusion
* Order of tracklist tbc
CD (AVCY-97071)
‘BOY’
‘I LOVE YOU’
‘MMM’
‘MY TREASURE’
… and more
* Total of 7 songs planned for inclusion
* Order of tracklist tbc
DVD / Blu-ray (AVCY-97068/B, AVCY-97069/B, AVC1-97084/B, AVC1-97085/B)
Music videos:
‘BOY’
‘I LOVE YOU’
‘MMM’
‘MY TREASURE’
… and more
* order of tracklist tbc
TREASURE links
Official website: https://ygex.jp/treasure/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/yg_treasure_jp
——-
Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/d31kj1x30j5iycc/AADrht6Gm0eBSTIborDztupIa?dl=0
Vicke Blanka is blowing up big, with theme songs for several anime, TV dramas and commercials in Japan, while his music has received sustained attention from around the world, racking up some 200 million plays on streaming services. February 12th, he released his latest single, ‘Ponytail’, along with an accompanying music video.
This breaking Japanese singer-songwriter, disregards genres such as pop and rock to deliver his own brand of melodic music. Among his various tracks for popular TV shows and commercials in Japan, ‘Black Rover’ and ‘Black Catcher’ – his two opening theme tunes for the anime series ‘Black Clover’ – have been especially successful, finding massive audiences both in Japan and overseas.
‘Black Rover’, which was the opening track for Season 3 of ‘Black Clover’, has generated more than 50 million plays on streaming services outside of Japan, while fan-made cover videos of the song have totaled some 100 million plays on YouTube. Among these, versions by anime-song cover artists Raon Lee and BLINDING SUNRISE have received over 10 million and 4 million plays on YouTube, respectively. Truly, the song has been performed and adored by a variety of artists around the world.
‘Black Rover’ anime music video:
Meanwhile, ‘Black Clover’ Season 10 theme tune ‘Black Catcher’ has accumulated 40 million plays on streaming services overseas since its release in 2020.
‘Black Catcher’ music video:
‘Black Catcher’ anime music video:
Amid all of this worldwide recognition, Vicke Blanke today releases his latest single, ‘Ponytail’, along with a music video. ‘Ponytail’ is a delicate mid-tempo ballad with a springtime theme tinged with the melancholy of fleeting romance. The track was arranged by Akimitsu Honma, who has produced hit artists such as Porno Graffitti and Ikimonogakari. The track’s powerful and touching sound perfectly carries Vicke Blanka’s ephemeral melody line.
‘Ponytail’ music video:
The video for ‘Ponytail’ stars Hinako Sakurai, a rising young actress who is currently attracting a lot of attention in Japan. It follows two young people as they follow their dreams; the past and the present intersect, and their story unfolds with both joy and sorrow. With themes of opening the door to something new, taking a bold step and making a fresh start, it is perfect for springtime.
Release information
Artist: Vicke Blanka
5th single: ‘Ponytail’
Release date: February 12, 2021
Download/ streaming: https://VickeBlanka.lnk.to/Ponytail_Digital_glb
Vicke Blanka profile
Five years on from his major-label debut on October 26, 2016, Vicke Blanka is a singer-songwriter whose memorable and melodic music crosses the boundaries between pop and rock. His songs have been used on numerous popular anime series, TV dramas and commercials in Japan, while also enjoying runaway success overseas, with over 200 million total plays on streaming services. In addition to his success as a recording artist, Vicke Blanka is also a songwriter for other musicians, a radio DJ, an advertisement model and an esports streamer.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VickeBlanka
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/VickeblankaTV
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vickeblanka/
TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@vicke_blanka
Official website: https://vickeblanka.com/
The 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards ceremony was held on February 9 at Paradise City in Incheon, South Korea. Actress Kim Hye-soo and Actor Yoo Yeon-seok were the presenters for the annual film event for the third time. The nominations were selected via a survey of film industry experts and ordinary movie watchers on Korean films released from October 11, 2019 until October 29, 2020.
We congratulate all the winners!
Best Picture: The Man Standing Next
Best Director: Im Dae-hyung (Moonlit Winter)
Best Actor: Yoo Ah-in (Voice of Silence)
Best Actress: Ra Mi-ran (“Honest Candidate”)
Best Supporting Actor: Park Jung-min (“Deliver Us From Evil”)
Best Supporting Actress: Esom (Samjin Company English Class)
Best New Director: Hong Eui-jung (Voice of Silence)
Best New Actor: Yoo Tae-oh (Vertigo)
Best New Actress: Kang Mal-geum (Lucky Chan-sil)
Best Screenplay: Im Dae-hyung (Moonlit Winter)
Best Cinematography and Lighting: Hong Kyung-pyo (Deliver Us From Evil)
Best Editing: Han Mi-yeon (Beasts Clawing at Straws)
Best Music: Dalpalan (Samjin Company English Class)
Best Art Direction: Bae Jung-yoon (Samjin Company English Class)
Best Technical Achievement: Jin Jong-hyun (Ashfall – visual effects)
Best Short Film: Lee Na-yeon, Cho Min-jae (The Thread)
Popular Star Award: Yoo Ah-in, Jung Yu-mi
Audience Choice Award for Most Popular Film: Ashfall
Valentine’s Day is almost upon us and that means finding the perfect date for a romantic evening on the town. Unfortunately, the pandemic has put a damper on the Valentine’s Day date plans of people all over the world. With many restaurants and pubs closed, lockdowns, and the threat of a deadly virus, more and more people are choosing to stay at home for Valentine’s Day and find ways of making the most of their date’s in.
K-Pop fans have a different idea, however. Rather than sitting at home feeling down about their situation, they are playing a game of ‘What if’. What if you could spend Valentine’s Day with your favorite K-Pop artist? While mostly fantasy-based, it can still be a lot of fun and a great way to spend Valentine’s Day 2021.
With that in mind, which K-Pop artist would you spend Valentine’s Day with? Let’s take a look at some of the most popular K-Pop artists that would make perfect Valentine’s Day dates:
Taeyeon- Kim Taeyeon, known simply as Taeyeon, is one of the most prominent South Korean female artists alive today. As a former member of the K-pop group Girl’s Generation, Kim started her solo career in 2015 with the release of her extended play “I.”
BoA- BoA, born Kwon Bo Ah, started her career at the age of 11 and has since become one of the biggest names in K-pop. With many hit singles and a Hollywood role, BoA is a K-pop star success story.
BTS- a Valentine’s Day date with BTS? Yes, the entire group, please. While it would be a remarkably busy Valentine’s Day, BTS could escape their fanbase for just a day to spend it with you, their most loyal of fans. RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook are among K-pop’s most popular and well-known supergroups.
Chungha- Kim Chan Mi (commonly known as Chungha) is best known for being the main dancer and sub-vocalist of I.O.I. Today, she is known for her dynamic vocals and amazing performances upon going solo in 2017.
Park Jihoon- Park Jihoon is a former member of Wanna One and has had a successful solo music and acting career.
Rain- Born Jung Ji-hoon, Rain was the first K-pop star that broke onto the Western scene. He has starred in two Hollywood productions, was voted one of the “100 People Who Shape Our World” by TIME magazine in 2007 and has even served in the military.
Contact KCrush America
To learn more, contact KCrush America today and become a part of one of the largest online K-Pop communities.
If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to share it on your favorite social media sites.
—–Julie Loung
WATCH FOR FREE AT:
HTTP://SESSIONSLIVE.COM/JOYRUCKUSCLUB
OVER 180 ARTISTS CONFIRMED FOR ONE OF THE LARGEST ONLINE MUSIC FESTIVALS EVER CREATED!
Headlined by superstar South Korean idol HYOLYN, this 6-day free music festival features 9 separate stages featuring over 180 different performers of Asian descent from around the world to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Feb. 17th is a special focus on Canadian talent presented by The KCN Agency featuring top DJ’s including CTRL ZERO and YUKA K, and live performances from HMLT & KEI-LI, FOREIGN FLOW, AIKO TOMI, EMI CHOI and many others. The Canada Stage will be hosted by celebrity streamers KAIA (www.twitch.tv/kaia) and WING CHEUNG (www.wingcheung.org).
For the full schedule please refer to joyruckusclub.com
South Korea has again landed first place in Bloomberg’s list of innovative countries, which is ranked annually. South Korea is the only country that has been placed in the top spot in seven out of the nine years since the index has been published. The country also scored 90.49 points on a scale from 0 to 100, as the only country with more than 90 points.
The index evaluates various criteria, including research and development spending, manufacturing ability and concentration of high-technology companies.
Bloomberg stated, “The 2021 rankings reflect a world where the fight against Covid-19 has brought innovation to the fore –- from government efforts to contain the pandemic, to the digital infrastructure that’s allowed economies to work through it, and the race to develop vaccines that can end it. Much of the Bloomberg data comes from before the virus crisis. Still, it’s notable that many countries high on the index –- like Korea, Germany and Israel –- have been world leaders in some areas of fighting the pandemic, whether it’s contact-tracing or speedy vaccination.”
South Korea’s return to the top of the list is much credited to an increase in patent activity – which leads as the world’s top, solid performance in R&D and manufacturing.
Professor Lee Kyoung-mook of Seoul National University’s Business management commented, “R&D is essential to have a future. It’s sandwiched between more developed nations, which still outperform them in technology, and China that is catching up fast relying on lower labor costs.”
Germany’s losing out of the top spot this year follows a warning two years ago by Juergen Michels, chief economist of Bayerische Landesbank, who expressed that Germany lacked proper strategy for future generation technology.
Although the U.S. and China both influence much of the world’s innovation, they’re also currently locked in a battle over issues like intellectual property rights. This year, both nations declined in the ranking.
–J.Chung.
Kassy (Kim So-yeon) is a Korean singer who debuted in 2015 and competed on Unpretty Rapstar Season 3 in the following year. She has so far released the extended plays, I Want Love (2018) and Rewind (2019).
We would like to thank Kassy for this great interview and wish her a lot of success in the future.
Hello, thank you for taking the time out for an interview with us. Please introduce yourself to our readers please.
Hello, I am a Korean singer called Kassy.
Tell us about the process of how you became a singer.
I wanted to become a singer since I really loved the fact that I could record my story, voice, emotions and expressions that change over time, like a form of a diary. And also because I could share emotions with others and comfort them through music.
Due to the coronavirus, your activities will somewhat be limited nowadays. How are you spending the time?
I really miss performing. But it’s not possible to do that right now, so I am focused on doing covers and uploading them online. I communicate with the public through V app on a weekly basis as well. I’m currently working on preparing for future performances.
How would you describe your vocal sound and music?
I think it sounds somewhat very natural. I like to sing in a way that sounds natural and honest without fabrication, like I am telling a story naturally.
Which song or album are you listening to the most nowadays?
These days, I am listening to a lot of Ashe – The moral of the Story a lot. I love the lyrics, the sound and even the mood of the song so much, so I uploaded a piano cover of it recently.
What kind of food/beverage do you particularly enjoy?
Ice cream coated with chocolate. If nuts are added to it, then perfect.
What kind of person is your ideal?
Someone that I can communicate well with. I’d like to be with someone who understands what I’m saying in a telepathic way.
Other than music-related, what kind of hobbies or interests do you have?
I have several hobbies – I bake cookies, make accessories and knit bags. I write too. I usually write when I can’t go to sleep at night, and usually I find that it’s done when I wake up the next day.
Is there a special venue or a location that you’d love to perform in the future?
Just anywhere! I would really like to go somewhere to perform. I used to go anywhere to sing with just an amp but because of the coronavirus, busking is not even allowed. If i can, I’d love to go somewhere to perform! My dream for later on, is to go far away to perform.
Thank you for taking the time with us. Our last question to you is, what are your plans and hopes for the year of 2021?
I don’t know if performing will be allowed this year but it’s definitely the first on the wish list for me. Even if it’s prohibited, I will work hard to prepare myself and work on my music for 2021. Meanwhile, I want to spend the days happily while waiting for the day.
–J.Chung.
BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE unveiled the video for their latest track ‘Animal’ on February 1, following a countdown to its premiere release on their YouTube channel. Today (February 3), they release the full version of the ‘Animal’ single, including bonus tracks. There’s a lot to check out, so read on for more info!
The video and song show a sexier and more mature side to BALLISTIK BOYZ, while the lyrics express the members’ feelings about the women they admire. In the video, these emotional lyrics are represented on-screen with rich scenes that were shot using film cameras. The video has already received comments from excited fans all around the world.
BALLISTIK BOYZ are a dance and vocal group who are aiming big. Since their April 2018 formation, they have set their eyes on one goal: Their ambition is to go on a global stadium tour.
BALLISTIK BOYZ are a global-standard boy group who are leading the next generation of stars with authentic music and impressive dance performances, touring extensively not only in Japan but also in Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam on the road to world domination.
Produced by DJ and producer Cory Enemy, who has previously worked on music for Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Carly Rae Jepsen, ‘Animal’ is an R&B song with a minimalist beat and multiple layers of rich vocals and rap from the seven BALLISTIK BOYZ members. The track’s smooth backing groove stands in contrast to the group’s emotional vocal performances and passionate lyrics. Listen out for playful production tricks and samples such as coins spinning on a desk.
While ‘Animal’ was already recently released as a digital track, the full version of the single is available from today as a digital and physical release, including bonus tracks ‘Life Is Party’, ‘HIGHWAY’ and ‘WAY TO THE GLORY (BALLISTIK BOYZ ver.)’, along with instrumental versions of three of the songs. A CD set including a bonus DVD featuring the ‘Animal’ video and footage of BALLISTIK BOYZ performing at a-nation online 2020 is also available.
And if you’d like a chance to get up close and personal with BALLISTIK BOYZ, now’s your chance! A campaign is being held on social media for fans from overseas, and 30 lucky participants selected by lottery will be invited to join an exclusive online talk panel with the members. Details of the campaign can be found on the ‘Animal’ special website below.
‘Animal’ download and streaming links:
https://avex.lnk.to/01Animal27
‘Animal’ music video (YouTube Premiere):
‘Animal’ special website:
https://page.buyee.jp/ballistik_boyz/
Profile
BALLISTIK BOYZ’s self-titled debut album was released on May 22, 2019, and took the No.1 spot on the Billboard Japan Top Album Sales chart, the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart and Spotify’s Viral chart, sweeping the rankings for both CD sales and digital streaming.
Three of the group’s seven uniquely individual members – Miku Fukahori, Rikiya Okuda and Masahiro Sunada – spent three years living in New York so that they could become highly bilingual English speakers. As finalists in the VOCAL BATTLE AUDITION 5 (VBA5) competition held by music collective EXILE, Ryuta Hidaka and Yoshiyuki Kano are natural talents who sing with a deep sense of groove. Riki Matsui, a finalist in the VBA5 rap category, is fluent in Chinese, and was initially self-taught. Also a finalist in the VBA5 rap category, Ryusei Kainuma has a Brazilian mother and is a native Portuguese speaker with multicultural roots.
With their refreshingly authentic music and strong live performances, BALLISTIK BOYZ are a talented group with an ever-growing international audience. Exploding out of Japan with a global-standard level of quality, this Japanese group are finding new fans around the world.
BALLISTIK BOYZ links:
Official website: https://m.tribe-m.jp/Artist/index/195
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOB1X12CH6XJpgzOXZ2jqMw
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ballistik_fext
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ballistik.boyz.official
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ballistik_fext
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ballistikboyz.official
—–
Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jjc1ctaqehxo1nj/AABcjSC1QYq57R_vgu-kEJGwa?dl=0
K-pop band BTS has been honored as “One of the 10 best pop bands of all time” by Esquire magazine. The American magazine has a proud history of 87 years in the publication industry.
Esquire stated, “BTS is arguably one of the vanguard acts to pioneer K-Pop’s immeasurable worldwide success. With a fanbase that is aptly described as “ARMY,” BTS’s beloved septet has rapidly redefined boy bands, fandoms, and pop music itself. Their hits “Dynamite” and “Life Goes On” offer a blend of pop, hip-hop, disco, and R&B, with catchy melodies that are often laced with social commentary-based lyrics.”
The other 9 acts that were selected by the magazine as the best pop bands of all time (the list has no particular order) were the Supremes, the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Sly and the Family Stone, the Beach Boys, ABBA, the Temptations and Destiny’s Child. The listed groups, except for BTS, were all prominent during the 1960s~2000s era.
When the top list got released, Esquire commented on the website that “Pop is a genre as expansive as the term popular suggests, which is how you end up with a list that ranges from The Supremes to BTS.”
BTS was the only Asian act to make the list.
–J.Chung.
Korea’s veteran actress Youn Yuh-jung has so far collected 20 Best Supporting Actress awards in the States, for her role in the highly-acclaimed film “Minari,” written and directed by Korean-American film director Lee Isaac Chung.
Minari is a Korean word that indicates a “water dropwort,” which is an edible deep green plant that can grow in the water like weeds.
“Minari” had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020, and tells a heart-felt story about a first-generation Korean immigrant family that moves to a farm in Arkansas from California to pursue the American dream during the 80’s era.
Youn Yuh-jung – who plays a very eccentric grandmother in the film who came to America to babysit her grandchild – received her 20th trophy for Minari, as she achieved the best supporting actress title from the National Board of Review.
Lee Isaac Chung also won the best original screenplay category from the organization. The National Board of Review is known to highly influence winners to receive Oscars.
Since the 73-year-old veteran actress has won so many awards for her first non-Korean film in America, she is currently anticipated by many film critics and experts to be the likely contender to snag an Oscar at Academy Awards, which is to be held this April. We shall have to wait and see if the actress could become the first ever Korean actress to gain the prize. If she does, it will certainly become one of Youn’s most memorable accomplishments in her acting career of 55 years.
“Minari” has thus far won almost 60 awards from film organizations and festivals, and was honored to be named one of the 10 movies of the year by the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review. The film has also been nominated in five categories at the Film Independent Spirit Awards – including best supporting actor – which is to be held in April.
–J.Chung.