Record-breaking, global music phenomenon drops hot tropical track preceding much-anticipated conclusion to studio album
Summer calls for new music! Influential, global icon and China’s top superstar LAY (Lay Zhang) drops BOOM as his LIT album, by Zhang Yixing Studio, comes to completion with the final six songs, bringing his twelve-track album to fruition. Following the record-breaking success of the first six songs of LIT, LAY continues to bridge two cultures and two sounds, while showcasing his personal growth in his artistry. LAY gracefully forges together tropical and hip-hop elements, perfect for the hot season with pre-single BOOM. The smooth track is an easy-on-the-ears, sway-with-the-breeze tune, accentuated by refreshing lyrics and a catchy hook that’ll be stuck on repeat in listeners’ heads.
BOOM signals the forthcoming of the much-anticipated conclusion to LAY’s twelve-track album. LAY teams up with GRAMMY Award-winning producer and songwriter Scott Storch (50 Cent, Beyoncé, DJ Khaled, Snoop Dogg) for the last six songs featured on the final piece, demonstrating a groundbreaking blend of hip-hop and Mandopop. Previously, LAY worked with producer heavyweight Murda Beatz (Travis Scott, Gucci Mane, Drake) on the first six songs of the LIT album. LIT is a handcrafted, masterpiece featuring twelve tracks, and all songs on the album are co-written by LAY himself, who also personally co-produced every track, ensuring his message and story are clearly instilled in each song. The new project strongly holds a backbone in modern hip-hop with an enjoyable sound, never done before.
LAY received tremendous success this year garnering international attention after joining forces with Steve Aoki and will.i.am for the hit cross-cultural collaboration Love You More, reaching #1 on the QQ Music China chart. He became a household name in Asia and one of the most beloved stars in the region with a loyal 49.4 million followers on Weibo and over 12 million followers on Instagram. As a solo artist, LAY’s career has skyrocketed from tremendous success becoming the highest-ranked Mandopop star on Billboard 200 chart and the first Chinese artist to enter the iTunes Top 60 in the US with his third album NAMANANA.
The pre-order for Lay Zhang’s new digital album LIT went live on China’s QQ Music platform, and 9 certification records were instantly broken as it went live. The digital album surpassed 1.5 million pre-orders within 7 minutes and 19 seconds of launch, locking in the #1 position on QQ Music’s daily and weekly album sales chart. The music video and EP for LIT went on to break records for a Chinese artist. In 24 hours, LAY received over 1.6 million views on his YouTube channel, and over 5 million views in four and a half days on the music video for LIT. Organically, LAY received over 100 reaction videos on YouTube within a week of the music video’s release, which led to 1 million subscribers in that same week on LAY’s YouTube channel (officially June 6th). Additionally, LAY’s song debuted at #22 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales Chart while LAY peaked on Billboard’s Social 50 Chart at #36.
Outside of music, he is a powerhouse in the acting world of TV and film and hosted multiple top-rated reality shows in Asia, all while being the face of and representing top-tier brands such as Converse, M.A.C, and Biotherm Homme in Asia, as well as Calvin Klein and Daniel Wellington Watches globally.
ABOUT LAY
LAY (Lay Zhang) is a multi-talented Chinese artist, producer, singer-songwriter, actor, dancer, fashion muse, and philanthropist. He is China’s current top #1 idol becoming the highest-ranked Mandopop star on Billboard 200 chart and the first Chinese artist to enter the iTunes Top 60 in the US with his third albumNAMANANA. His big screen debut was the romantic-comedy film Ex-Files 2 and he won the Best Movie Original Soundtrack at 16th Top Chinese Music Awards for the film. His first solo single What U Need? debuted at #4 on China V Chart and Billboard’s World Digital Songs. His EP Lose Control stayed at #1 on Billboard’s China V Chart for 6 weeks in a row, reached #1 on the Gaon Album Chart, and reached #4 on Billboard’s US World Albums Chart. His second album Lay 02 Sheepbroke five records on QQ Music, reaching Diamond Record in 9 hours and 11 minutes. His third album NAMANANA debuted at #21 on Billboard 200, ranking first on World Albums and Independent Albums chart. Last year, he released a digital EP titled Honey and its title track of the same name in June 2019. The EP reached over 1.87 million digital sales in just three minutes after its release on QQ Music in China. In 2019, LAY was invited as China’s Promotional Ambassador to attend the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. He reached unprecedented success when tickets for the concert at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China had sold out in eight seconds, while the stop in Nanjing, China had its tickets sold out in twenty-five seconds. He debuted in the music industry as a K-Pop idol with best-selling group, EXO.
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On July 4, FNC Entertainment released the following statement:
“First, we would like to apologize for causing concern to many people through the events related to Jimin that have been unfolding recently.
From this moment forth, Jimin has decided to leave AOA and halt all of her activities in the entertainment industry.
Additionally, our agency accepts responsibility for this entire situation, and we will put our full focus on managing our artists. Once again, we apologize for causing concern through these unfortunate matters.”
On July 3, former AOA member Mina shared multiple posts on Instagram stating that Jimin had bullied her for years while she was in the group. Mina also revealed that Jimin had visited her in person to apologize – but although she wrote that she had decided to accept Jimin’s apology – she was uncertain whether it was sincere.
Jimin went on to share a public apology on her Instagram on July 4, to which Mina responded with a currently-deleted post.
J. Chung.
The number of hospitals’ internal infections add up to 12% of all coronavirus cases confirmed in Japan. The number of deaths connected with cluster infections in hospitals accounted for 24% of all coronavirus deaths in Japan.
The data conducted in May with medical institution and local government representatives indicates that in-hospital cluster infections broke out at 99 medical institutions in 21 prefectures. The largest number of cases was recorded in Tokyo, with a total of 714 having been confirmed infected in 19 hospitals, Kanagawa’s 242 cases in 13 hospitals, and Hokkaido’s 228 cases in 10 hospitals. Saitama has 140 cases in 8 hospitals, Osaka recorded 285 cases in six hospitals, and Hyogo recorded 101 cases in 6 hospitals.
The number of nationwide in-hospital infections reached 1,028 patients in total, 1,013 health care workers, and 55 miscellaneous employees including clerical staff and external contractors.
Some hospitals have not revealed their COVID-19 fatality figures, but at least 205 patients, or 20% of those infected while staying in hospital have reported to have died. The death rate for patients in hospital clusters was four times greater than all infected persons in Japan, which is 5%.
–J. Chung.
JEONGMIN is a Korean singer-songwriter, well-known for his sensitive and touchy love songs. Previously a member of a K-pop idol group ‘BOYFRIEND’, he had his debut in 2011 as a lead vocal position. With outstanding performance and singing, he has gained global attention and popularity until the disbandment of the group in 2019. To keep going on with his passion in music, JEONGMIN established an entertainment label ‘Araline’ with other music producers. Through his second debut as a solo artist he is boosting to step further as a singer-songwriter, publishing solo albums ‘Nearby’, ‘WHY?’, ‘Winter Dream’ in 2019, and 4th single album ‘REWIND’ in 2020. We want to thank Jeongmin for this interview.
It has already been a year for you to resume K-Ent activities as a singer-songwriter, with a new label. It is indeed a difficult choice to make, can you make some comments about your last year, and what has changed the most from Jeongmin in BOYFRIEND to Jeongmin as a singer-songwriter?
For last year I got chances to look back on myself. Reflecting the reason that I became a singer, that passion and enthusiasm towards music at the very first time – I made up my mind to grow up as a more passionate artist. My daily life itself hasn’t changed much; but I put more effort on everything such as composing songs, preparing my stage, etc. as I am all on my own now.
Which part of yourself did you want to express through your latest 4th single album? Are there any songs from your past two solo albums that you have special feelings or memories with?
I wanted to describe the longing out of love. My recent album goes the best with what you feel by the riverside in a sunset. One of my favorite song is my solo debut song, ‘Twenty-one, me and you’. Personally, I feel that love is a bucket with smallest memories; I’ve put such feelings in my music to depict how my feelings were in past days, and how I’ve grown up.
In these pandemic days, what is it that you usually do alone at home? What is the first thing you want to do after COVID 19?
I think I take some more sleep, as I got less hectic than before. I got more spare time to work on my new songs, too. But above all I hope to perform on stage soon, as soon as COVID19 vanishes. (LOL) I really look forward to seeing my fans.
You have support from so many international fans all over the world. If some of them travel to Korea, which place or activity would you recommend to them the most?
I’d like to recommend ‘Hongdae (Hongik University Entrance)’ as the hottest spot in Korea. It’s called ‘a street of youth’, you can find artworks out of freedom & unique originality there. At Hongdae you can easily spot free street buskings of musicians and dancers, too bad they are not allowed in COVID19 era.
Your latest title song, ‘The Day of Ours’ was with refreshing melody and sentimental lyrics. Where do you usually get such sentiment to compose song lyrics?
I usually watch videos, movies and dramas to get ideas for my music. Recalling movie or drama scenes, I always imagine what kind of music would go well with the scenes. These days I fell for ‘Itaewon Class’, a famous TV drama in Korea. I find myself immersed into its plot and music tracks.
What was your favorite subject in school? You had debuted as an artist at quite an early age, what was your childhood dream before becoming an idol trainee?
I loved studying Korean the most in school days, but I always devoted myself to music. Before debut I dreamt to be a composer, on my way to build a career as a songwriter I attended an audition of my previous entertainment company -which led to my debut as an idol singer.
You have recently started your YouTube mini radio channel-greeting your fans online. As you have long been famous for a well-rounded singer, are you interested in any other field than singing, such as DJ, Show host or actor?
I love when people smile at me or feel happy because of me. Now I publish my own album and sing on my own, but whenever my fans leave good comments on my songs, I instantly get my energy back. I don’t mind trying many new channels to meet my fans on stage.
Is there any new genre or style of music that you want to try as a singer-songwriter? Could you also give us a hint for your next album?
As a role model for music, I like the singer and producer Yoo Hee-Yul; his own color and feelings on music I like the most. I also like festival music, what makes everyone stand up, dance and enjoy. So I think next album might be something energetic. (LOL)
Though being such a tough year, what is the final goal you want to achieve in 2020? How do you wish to be remembered in after 10 years?
This year I hope to express my own color enough with solo albums on my own. To go further, I want to remain as a good musician with impressive, heart-touching music.
We would like to say thank you, again for taking this interview and assuming that you have had less chances to communicate with fans for the last few months, would you leave any words or messages to your fans?
I feel really bad that I can hardly get chances to see my fans. I’m all set to run at my best, can’t wait to perform at stage. Such heartbreaking times, but cheer up, everyone! See you so soon, I really miss all of you…!
—-Uinn Peng
Guinness World Records revealed that BLACKPINK has five titles with their latest music video “How You Like That” which was released on June 26.
The group has been rewarded for Guinness World Records as the “Most viewed YouTube video in 24 hours” as well as the “Most viewed music video on YouTube in 24 hours,” and “Most viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours by a K-pop group.”
BLACKPINK’s 24-hour view count for their latest single was 86.3 million by YouTube.
The first mentioned three achievements were set by BTS with their music video “Boy With Luv,” which has 74.6 million views in the first 24 hours.
In addition, “How You Like That” also hold titles for “Most viewers for the premiere of a video on YouTube” and “Most viewers for the premiere of a music video on YouTube.”
YouTube announced that the single had set the record with 1.66 million simultaneous viewing. BTS’s “ON” previously held the record for most-viewed YouTube Premiere.
Looks like BLACKPINK’s hard work has been paid off. Congrats!
–J.Chung.
The latest “State of World Population 2020” report by the UN Population Fund shows that an average North Korean is expected to live 72 years, which puts the nation at 118th position in terms of life expectancy in the world. This is 11 years shorter than the life expectancy of South Korea.
South Korea is currently 9th among 198 countries with an average life expectancy of 83 years.
North Korea which has a population of 25.8 million – also has a low birth rate – with the average number of children per female estimated at 1.9 this year.
–J.Chung.
Please briefly introduce yourselves to our readers please.
Hyunduk: Hello, I am Hyunduk and I am the vocalist from TRISS.
Youngkwon: Hello, I am Shin Youngkwon, the drummer of TRISS.
Daisy: I am Daisy and I play the synthesizer.
Minkyu: I am Kim Minkyu and I am the bassist of TRISS.
Please explain about what kind of music TRISS offers.
Hyungduk: TRISS’ music is based on 80’s Synth music. We select a concept when we get inspiration from a scene or a picture. For example, we think of a scene – a 80’s racing animation, a tennis court in front of an apartment complex or something – then we produce a song that could be used showing the scene through sound and synth music.
Youngkwon: We use a digital instrument called a synthesizer to make unique and fun rock music mixed with fresh mood.
Minkyu: We produce a lot of diverse music. Our asset I think would be that four of us all play and perform.
How did you get together as a band?
Hyungduk: We formed as a band in 2017 since we wanted to create a new band that plays synth music. We began with Mingyu who was playing for a different band, then we were introduced to Youngkwon the drummer. Then we were joined by Daisy who was a frequent performer at live clubs last.
How often do you have sessions or practice a day?
Hyungduk: We hold sessions one or two times a week, and we practice as much as we need individually. I take once a week to write songs at the studio.
Youngkwon: We’re all busy so we have group sessions for about 4 hours a day.
Daisy: It depends on the day, but sometimes I practice all day.
Minkyu: I do a lot of work in the studio and practice rooms. Recently, I’ve been writing a lot of ballads and taking the time to work on other projects.
Which musician or artist do you admire the most?
Hyungduk: This is hard because there are so many. I listen to a lot of music by Tame Impala and Foster the People. Since I was young, I was a fan of Foo Fighters, Muse, Radiohead and The Strokes.
Youngkwon: I admire Foo Fighters and like Chvrches.
Daisy: Mark Foster (Foster The People)
Which song or album do you listen to the most these days?
Hyungduk: I’ve been listening to a lot Tame Impala’s latest album. Personally, I like to listen to new music that’s come out, but I take the time to listen to Foo Fighters – Nothing Left to Lose and Pheonix – Wolfgang Amadeus a lot since I’ve been listening to it for years.
Youngkwon: I listen to Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways album a lot.
Daisy: I listen to a lot of classical music these days.
Minkyu: The Strokes’ new album came out, so I am listening to that. I used to listen to a lot of rock music but I’ve recently moved onto a lot of Hip Hop and R&B.
What are your current hobbies?
Hyungduk: I usually sit at home with my wife and play Heroes of the storm. Since I like playing console games, I play most of the recent Ps4 games that are available. I also so on walks to the park with my wife and dog. The name of our dog is Jessie.
Youngkwon: I go on walks or watch baseball.
Daisy: I do all sorts of things and listen to a lot of classical music.
Minkyu: I play games or work on new and diverse music with my friends at my home.
Where do you think is the best place to travel in Korea?
Hyungduk: I recommend Sokcho. It’s a small city by the East Sea – the sea is clean and there aren’t that many people around the area compared to where tourists go. There’s a lot of nice stuff to eat at the nearby market and since it’s only 2~3 hours away from Seoul so it’s convenient to visit.
Daisy: Geoje-do.
Minkyu: Korea has a lot of great places to visit since it has the oceans on three of its dimensions. On the westside, there is Incheon. On the east – Gangneung, in the southern part – there is Jeju and Busan.
Please tell us about your future goals and plans.
Hyungduk: We want to continue making music for a long time, if possible. To me, making music is a hobby and a challenge that helps to develop myself. I wish our first album being released this year will be something I can be proud of.
Youngkwon: We are currently working on it, and it is our goal to release an album this fall.
Daisy: I want to achieve the basics of a professional musician.
Minkyu: I am always thinking our video contents. I want us to challenge ourselves on a new genre of music.
Please leave a comment for the fans.
Hyungduk: Thank you for your continued support. Please show much interest to our upcoming album as well.
Youngkwon: We thank so many people who support us and we’ll repay you with great music.
Daisy: We’re always so grateful. We’re inspired by you every time we feel like giving up.
Minkyu: We’ll always be here. Please come see us perform.
TRISS – Rolly Rolly MV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb91RXuRGN0
TRISS Brazil Tour: https://youtu.be/oORp4-_tb48
–J.Chung.
Clips of the true kings of the stage BTS, J-Hope and GOT7 Jackson Wang! About K-Crush We are a contemporary urban lifestyle digital and printed publication dedicated to keeping you updated on the latest entertainment news and events in Asia. Over the past four years we have been working tirelessly behind the scenes, to ensure that you receive the latest scoops and those exclusive interviews on your favorite Asian artists and celebrities. Our mission is to bring you a more in depth insight into Asian culture and the Asian entertainment scene uniting both Asian and American cultures through collaborations that will inspire present and future generations.
KPop Social Night (KPSN) and parent company, MACG Productions, will host their first-ever online festival, #KPSNPODCASTFEST! Slated for the weekend of July 18, 2020, KPSNPODCASTFEST is an online event curated to showcase the diverse voices in the Hallyu fan community. Due to the current global health crisis, most conventional festivals either canceled or postponed their schedules. Fortunately for Hallyu fans, KPSN is continuing the Hallyu experience in new and exciting ways.
By providing a space for fans to converse with each other while being safe in their homes, KPSN shows support to Hallyu fans. KPSNPODCASTFEST will help fans worldwide break up the monotony of social distancing.
“Hallyu commentary continues to diversify beyond what YouTube originally provided content creators,” States Ashley Griffin, President of Operations of MACG Productions. “In placing the podcast and online radio community center stage, we hope to create an event that promotes the awesome content these hosts bring to the fandom.”
For only $5, fans can participate in chats and experience live interviews of the hosts. Attendees will also receive access to live show recordings of the podcasts. Additionally, broadcasters will have the chance to interact live with listeners as well as promote themselves and charitable causes. Attendees can directly contribute if they so choose.
MACG Productions is proudly a safe and inclusive environment. To better ensure both the broadcasters and fans will have pleasant experiences, KPSN will closely screen and moderate all chats.
Interested podcast and online radio hosts and emcees can apply for registration between June 18 – June 26, 2020, at this official link. For press access, contact pressandpr@macgproductions.com.
The full lineup and schedule will be released on June 29 on Eventbrite.
Kpop Social Night hosts Hallyu events that encourage fun and fandom pride, created by Multifacetedacg Productions, LLC.
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That simple act of making a cup of tea has somewhat ritualistic, relaxing, and healing effect. Whether you prefer black tea, herbal tea, or tea with milk, we always prepare our current favorite picks whenever we start our day. While the global tea market is facing rapid changes of consumer demands and preferences, emerging power of Asian tea brands is highly noticeable.
The Asian region has their unique, long-standing culture of enjoying tea; even predating written history. The act of pouring tea has been elevated into the level of art, with years of training. Its sophisticated tea culture and different varieties of tea works as strong points to attain market competence, attracting tea enthusiasts all over the world.
The list below contains the most prominent 10 brands of tea in the Asia-Pacific region, among them China, Japan and India in particular. As tea is the most beloved beverage in these countries, growing demand from these countries are credited for their dominance of the global tea market.
China
Da Yi Tea (Taetea)
Initially Da Yi (‘Great benefit’ in Chinese) was a name of a tea brand from old Menghai tea factory, one of the biggest manufacturers of ripe (Shu) Pu-erh tea in Yunnan during 1938-1950. With a group of over 90 tea professionals with origins from all over China, this factory is the oldest specialized tea factory in Yunnan Province.
Da Yi tea has a solid reputation, well renowned by Pu-erh tea lovers. Their tea leaf pancakes with white and red printed packaging are one of distinctive features you can find from Da Yi tea. Farmed in Kunming region and stored in maturation process, Da Yi patties are well known for its high-quality puerh tea bulks. Established as a group company in 2004, it is looking for global market sales with continuous R&D under the name of ‘Taetea’.
Bama Tea
Spanning four centuries, the former royal tribute tea from Fujian Province has transformed into a high-end Chinese tea chain with more than 1,800 stores. Their signature product is Tiegwanyin tea, known as one of the 4 precious varieties of Chinese tea with Puerh and Longjing and Jasmine tea. Its deep fruity flavor is beloved among generations of tea lovers.
Bama’s owner, Wang family has kept the lineage of providing tea for Qing emperors since the discovery of this breed in 1736. Well acknowledged in Southeast Asia, Bama started to expand its business globally with refined facilities- now exporting over 2000 tons of tea products all over Europe, North America, and Africa.
Wuyutai
Wuyutai holds its name from almost all of tea lovers in Beijing. First established in 1887, Wuyutai has won high reputation as one of the historical brands of China, well-known for its high-quality tea products. Wu Xiqing from Anhui province opened a tea store in Beijing during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), naming the shop ‘Yutai’; later updated to include his family name ‘Wu’. For over 120 years, Wuyutai has been holding up its unique tea producing methods. The most beloved is its secret jasmine tea recipe – a sought-after mixture of green tea and jasmine. Rebranded as Beijing Wuyutai Co. in 2005, it now has more than 190 chain stores in China.
Japan
Fukujuen
Established in the Yamashiro region of Kyoto in 1790, Fukujuen has a long tea-making history. Honoring its history and tradition, ‘Iyemon Tea’ was named after the founder, Iyemon Fukui. The tea master of Yamashiro was assigned to deliver the official tea to Japanese Bakuhu governments.
Tea from Yamashiro has contributed largely to the famous “Uji-cha” (Uji tea), which is a product of Fukujuen well known in all over Japan and even globally. One distinct characteristic in their tea-farming process is that they take time to pull out the highest quality of matcha from their stone mills.
Giontsujiri
Its initial history dates back to 1860, but its first store – Tsujiri Tea Shop was opened in Taipei in 1902. First store in Japan was opened in 1948 after war in Gion, Kyoto. Being famous for its Uji tea and Ooolong tea, Giontsujiri’s Uji Tea is majorly sourced from southern Kyoto province. Giontsujiri produces a wide stretch of tea leaves numbering up to 12 – on top of that, Giontsujiri is growing famous for its eye-pleasing dessert products made with green tea flavors.
IPPODO
Located in the heart of Kyoto, Ippodo Tea Co. has been providing the highest quality Japanese green tea for over three centuries, cultivated in fields of Kyoto and its surroundings. This region is renowned for producing the highest grade of green tea in Japan, thanks largely to its mild misty climate, mineral-rich soil and near-perfect balance of sunshine and rainfall.
Its origin dates back to the year 1717, when founder Rihei Watanabe established a tea shop called OMIYA at Teramachi Nijo. The shop’s reputation for providing high quality tea grew quickly, receiving recognition from royal court. In 1846, the shop was renamed IPPODO(preserve one).
India
Taj Mahal Tea
Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea initially started in 1966 in Kolkata, soon established its position as India’s first premium tea brand. Their tea farms are located in the gardens of Assam, Darjeeling and the Nilgiris.
Launching its tea houses in collaboration with Unilever in 2015, it seeks for global expansion -Their products include loose teas, whole leaf tea bags as well as their Gourmet Chai collection, with teas such as Karipatta Delight and Mint Masala tea.
The Hillcart Tales
This Kolkata-based premium tea brand was launched in by a family with over five generations in tea trade business. With 32 variants and with Green tea, Black tea, Orthodox long leaf etc. All the tea variants include no processed sugar. But what features the most of this brand is wide range of Dessert teas, known for their rich flavor – named as Tiramisu Delight, Apple Strudel, Lemon Cake, Caramel Dream, Strawberry Lime, and Exotic Mélange.
Bio-degradable tea bag made of muslin cloth is one of the distinctive features of this brand. Having supply chains to more than 40 destinations worldwide, this company has also been associated with world’s luxury Hotel chains such as Marriott, Hyatt, Trident, Westin.
Korea
Osulloc
Osulloc is a top-notch Korean tea brand, well known for its exquisite Jeju green tea products. their premium tea product ‘Illohyang’ and ‘Sejac’ has been awarded the first place at the North America Tea Championship and the World Green Tea Contest.
Jeju island, where Osulloc’s tea farm is located, is a best green tea field with an annual temperature over 14℃, slightly acid soil of pH4.0~5.0, and the hot and humid climate with annual precipitation of more than 1,600mm. Once a barren and rocky field, Jeju Island.has turned into the best tea field for premium green tea with Osulloc’s passion and devotion.
With its nation-wide fame and worldwide acknowledgment, it has established tea cafes at the major locations in Seoul. Osulloc is now expanding and developing its specialties, with a variety of different tea products and green tea-based desserts; including green tea icecream, green tea cookies and cakes.
Ogada
Founded in 2009, Ogada is an emerging Korean blended tea franchise, operating 131 local stores in Korea. Ogada has its passion of targeting consumers of all ages to break stereotypes about tea and encourage general tea consumption. Ogada incorporate herbs, fruits and local ingredients blended into modern tastes based on traditional tea.
With skyrocketing sales growth of around 30 percent, it is receiving the benefit of tea boom in Korea – expecting to achieve 10 billion won ($8.82 million) sales by 2020.
—-Uinn Peng
After successfully captivating audiences all over the world in 2019, DREAMCATCHER is determined to stay connected with their fans through their very first online concert titled DREAMCATCHER CONCERT GLOBAL STREAMING INTO THENIGHT & DYSTOPIA.
DREAMCATCHER’s first online concert was made possible by a technology forward platform, MyMusicTaste, that not only allows fans to request physical concerts of their favorite artists in their cities, but also provides the newly added feature of online streaming, which allows artists and fans to stay connected in the pandemic age.
This show comes after DREAMCATCHER’s successful completion of their North American, European and Latin American tours, also actualized through the overwhelming requests of fans on MyMusicTaste. In today’s reality of restricted travels and social distancing, this unique online concert will allow global fans of the Seoul-based group to experience their music and energetic performances from the comfort of their homes.
DREAMCATCHER debuted in January 2017, with the single “Nightmare” and quickly caught the attention of music critics with their unique “Young Metal” sound, and intoxicatingly enthralling choreography. Voted no.3 on Billboard’s Best New K-Pop Acts in 2017, the group’s worldwide fame has grown exponentially since; their title track, “데자부 (Deju Vu),” from their special mini-album Raid of Dream released in September 2019 entered Billboard’s World Albums Chart at no.10. Shortly after its release, Raid of Dream also topped the iTunes album charts of nine different regions—Argentina, Peru, Finland, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates—and entered the top five iTunes album rankings in ten additional countries, further solidifying DREAMCATCHER’s rapidly increasing K-pop influence.
DREAMCATCHER’s burgeoning fandom was also demonstrated by the rapid trajectory of their two crowdfunding projects. Both crowdfunding projects were launched in collaboration with MyMusicTaste and easily surpassed their respective funding goals: their first crowdfunding project opened in July 2018, and reached 555% of its funding goal, while their second crowdfunding project opened in November 2019, and reached 779% (raising $233,823) of its funding goal. DREAMCATCHER is composed of seven female members: JiU, SuA, Siyeon,Yoohyeon, Dami, Handong, and Gahyeon.
Online show ticketing info: Ticket sale is open from July 12, 11:00 AM KST, onMyMusicTaste.com. Early Bird special prices are applied on a very limited quantity of tickets.
Handong will not be participating in this show due to her activities in China.
Further information regarding ticketing and the show itself can be found throughhttps://mmt.fans/HQRW or through other social media channels of MyMusicTaste.
DREAMCATCHER CONCERT GLOBAL STREAMING INTO THE NIGHT & DYSTOPIA July 4, 2020, 23:59 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 oftheir 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 Happy Face Entertainment: Established in 2008, Happy Face Entertainment is a South Korean entertainment company 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 and Dreamcatcher Company, and is garnering much attention and recognition from the public as the rising creator of future K-pop artists.
News of yet another death of a young K-Pop star has reached us. Kim Jeong-hwan, better known as his stage name of Yohan, has passed away at the age of 28. He was a member of Top Secret (TST), a boy band formed by JSL Company and making its debut in 2017 with Time’s Up.
The agency has confirmed Yohan’s death, the cause of which is to be kept private, because of the wishes of his family to be discreet. Many of such cases tend to be suicides, although a few recent deaths of persons in the public eye in Korea have also been conjectured to be due to the recent spread of the new coronavirus. Nothing, however, is confirmed about Yohan’s death.
Top Secret started off as a seven-member group. With a member leaving and another entering military service, the group became a five-member band. Yohan was the second oldest member of the group and sub-vocal.
The TST star had recently celebrated his 28th birthday, on 16th of April.
A wake for the singer is to be held at the Severance Hospital in Sinchon, Seoul. Then Yohan is alleged to be moved to a cemetery in Yongin on 18th June.
A statement from KJ Music Entertainment is as follows:
“Hello, this is from TST’s agency KJ Music Entertainment.
We have come forward to tell everyone some very sad and heartbreaking news. The TST member Yohan has passed away on June 16th.
His bereaved family is in deep mourning. We cordially ask the media to refrain from spreading rumors and speculation on Yohan’s cause of death.”
—-J. Chung
E.O.S is a 3-member South Korean group. E.O.S debuted through the album <E.O.S First Album> in 1993. They regrouped in 2018 with two new members.
We would like to thank the members for this great interview and wish them all the success in the future!
Would you please introduce yourselves to our readers?
Kim Hyung-joong: Nice to meet you all. This is singer Kim Hyung-joong.
Bae Young-joon: I am so happy to be featured on KCrush American Magazine. I am Bae Young-joon the producer and bassist.
Cho Sam-hee: Hello, this is Cho Sam-hee on the guitar.
How did the band name E.O.S come about?
Cho Sam-hee: Young-joon and I joined the band in 2018. The founding member Hyung-joong will answer the question for you.
Kim Hyung-joong: When we started the band in 1993, our name was Eos which referred to Goddess of the Dawn. However, after restarting the band in 2018 with the new members, we changed the meaning of the name to abbreviation “E.O.S” meaning – “Excuse Our Survival.” We mean to provide new and grand music even though we’ve around for so long.
Introduce E.O.S music to us.
Bae Young-jun: You’ll be able to hear three records from us, including <25> which was released in 2018, <Shall We Dance> and <The Greatest Romance> released in 2019. It’s Electronica music with mixture of diverse genres, like fun EDM, rock and R&B.
Which musicians/artists do you respect the most?
Kim Hyung-joong: I respect Pink Floyd and like Coldplay.
Bae Young-joon: There are countless great musicians out there but I always had respect Led Zeppelin, Steely Dan, Lenny Kravitz and Depeche Mode. I always wait for their new albums to be released.
Cho Sam-hee: The Beatles, David Foster, Michael Jackson and guitarist Michael Landau.
What kind of songs or album do you listen to the most?
Kim Hyung-joong: Daft Punk – Random Access Memories, Coldplay – Live 2012, and Portishead – Roseland NYC Live.
Bae Young-joon: LSD – Labrinth, Sia & Diplo Present…LSD, The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy, and Rudimental – Toast To Our Differences. Oh! I am listening to Hall & Oates music again these days.
Cho Sam-hee: Old Pop, Rock, and anything that is in trend right now.
What do you do for leisure?
Kim Hyung-joong: I like all kinds of sports including baseball. Since I spend a lot of time at home due to the coronavirus, I’ve gotten into a habit of doing origami as a hobby.
Bae Young-joon: I love collecting comic books and reading them. Out of Korean comics, I would like to recommend Huh Young-man’s work and S.I.U – Tower of God which I like very much. I also collect figures and like Tetsujin 28-go and Mazinger Z toys.
Cho Sam-hee: I collect vintage effects units and analyze the tone. Other than that, I like to travel like everyone else. I also love to ride the bike.
If you were to compare your music to a color, what would it be?
김형중 A translucent color that can see through all colors? I think we’re on an endless journey to make music translucent.
배영준 I think yellow. Even though E.O.S is an old band – the three of us got together since about 2 years, so we’re at out earliest stage like a spring chicken. That’s why I think fragile yellow color suits the group. We expect the chick to grow into a mature rooster with brown feathers someday.
Cho Sam-hee: Blue? The third album <The Greatest Romance> that was released after I joined the band, has a track called Sweet & Sweat and in the music video, the color blue that was featured seemed to go well with the music.
Which food or beverage do you like?
Kim Hyung-joong: I like raw fish, yukhoe and etc. I also like drinking coffee.
Bae Young-joon: I also like coffee and noodle dishes like ramen, spaghetti, noodles – I can eat noodle dishes three time a day.
Cho Sam-hee: I like tteok-bokki and red bean bingsu.
Where do you think is the best place in Korea to visit?
Kim Hyung-joong: I strongly recommend Tongyeong, Sokcho, Damyang, Jeju and Busan!
Bae Young-joon: Busan, which is also where I was born. Haeundae and Gwangalli Beach are great too but places like Bosu-dong alleyways where they sell old books is also very special.
Cho Sam-hee: Jeju Island for sure!
Tell us about your hopes and plans for the coming future.
Kim Hyung-joong: It is our hope to continue making great music as E.O.S and train new musicians.
Bae Young-joon: I think we will have a concert in November. Because the coronavirus hasn’t fully been terminated, I think it will be an online broadcast. Our hope is to make music that we love, without being too greedy.
Cho Sam-hee: Personally, we will keep playing at session, performances, TV shows, musicals and etc like we’ve always done. We will make sure you hear us perform through our fun and entertaining activies!
Please say something nice to the fans.
Kim Hyung-joong: I think it’s best to repay the fans’ love and interest with great music. We won’t stop and keep moving forward.
Bae Young-joon: I think being healthy is the best, especially in the times of covid-19. Let’s overcome this with healthy body and mind.
Cho Sam-hee: Please love our music and see you at our concerts. Keep fit!
–J. Chung.
Max Changmin of the male duo TVXQ will be marrying his girlfriend this September, his management revealed.
“Max Changmin will tie the knot with his girlfriend on September 5,” stated SM Entertainment. “He will continue to present excellent performance as a TVXQ member and an artist. We wish for (fans’) blessings for our singer who is about to enter a new phase in his life.”
Details of the wedding – the venue and time – will not be made known to the public.
Max Changmin also posted a hand-written letter addressing the news.
“I have kept a precious relationship (with my girlfriend), giving trust and faith to each other, and naturally have come to a decision to spend my life with her. I believe the road I will soon walk is a road requires greater responsibility than the one I have walked. I will try to be a husband of a family and TVXQ’s member Changmin who can return all the support and encouragement I have received.”
–J. Chung.
Korean Actor Seung-bum is currently planning to marry his girlfriend of three years, who is Slovakian and ten years younger than the actor. She resides in France and is an artist. She is presently pregnant with the couple’s first child.
Ryu Seung-bum’s agency, S.A.M. Company, confirmed the reports. “Ryu Seung Bum is planning to marry his non-Korean girlfriend, who is currently living in France. She is pregnant and will soon give birth. The couple had planned to hold a wedding with their acquaintances, but because of COVID-19, the ceremony would be held after the birth.”
—-J. Chung
Please briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hello. I am Youngjae – I debuted as a member of a group called B.A.P and currently pursuing acting.
How are you doing during the coronavirus outbreak. What are you doing during the lockdown?
I spend time wearing a mask these days. I spent more time at home and usually watch TV, movies, and YouTube.
What kind of acting roles do you wish to play for acting?
Well, I want to play a character that has deep emotions.
Who do you respect the most in the world?
My father. I’ve admired him since I was a high school student, and as time goes by, my repect for him grows. I wish to become a great father and person like him someday.
What kind of music are you listening to the most these days?
Maren Morris – The Bones and also(!) loving the new music from Drake.
What do you like to do for leisure?
I’ve been working out a lot recently. And since I’ve started a new production, I’ve been thinking a lot about the character.
What is your fav food/beverage?
I really like tteok-bokki. I am so happy that there are many brands of the food in Korea. For beverage, I drink a lot of iced Americano.
What kind of fashion do you like to wear?
I like to dress clean and neatly.
Do you have a habit that you want to fix?
I’ve been biting my nails since I was young and haven’t been able to fix the habit. So, I really want to fix it.
Let us know about your plans and goals for the future?
I think I will be able to be back with new work. It’s written really well, and I personally have a lot of expectations for it and am sure you will also like it too. Watch this space.
Please say something to the fans!
It must be hard for you all during the lockdown. But let’s overcome this and meet later with smiles on our faces. Please keep healthy and happy. Thank you and I love you.
–J. Chung.
BTS and Big Hit Entertainment have donated $1 million to Black Lives Matter – the fund was transferred to the organization this week.
BTS have issued a statement on their official Twitter account: “We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together. #BlackLivesMatter.”
K-pop fans have worked to flood the hashtag with K-pop memes, footages and other content to fight anti-Black Lives Matter and racist posts.
—-J. Chung
Song Ryunjin is a pole sports athlete in Korea. We’d like to thank her for her precious time and wish her a lot of success in her future endeavors.
Could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello. I am Ryunjin from Korea. I am a pole sports athlete.
How did you start pole dancing?
I gained some weight and I was unhappy. I was looking for a fun activity for my weight loss. Then, I found pole dancing.
Tell us about pole dance – how does it benefit the body and health overall?
First of all, pole dancing BURNS lots of calories. It helps you to burn fat really fast, gain muscles fast, and you can get strong core balance as you do all those crazy tricks!
Second of all, a lot of girls find themselves by doing pole dancing. Some of the girls have depression problems, some of them have a loss of confidence. These girls always tell me pole dance CURED them. They actually used the word ‘cure’. It helps that much. It gives you a sense of accomplishment, self-confidence, and courage.
Last of all, it is so much fun! You can’t even describe it. May be you should try to see how fun it is..?
How many hours per day do you train for?
It depends on the competition schedule. I don’t usually train over an hour with pole tricks. But I do a lot of pre-exercises to avoid injury. I stretch like three hours a day.
Could you give any advice to pole dance beginners?
Most of pole dancers are very eager to do new and hard tricks. And they get serious injuries from it. So,
Do not be hasty and impatient with yourself. YOU WILL get there some day, somehow. Just enjoy.
What is your favorite food/beverage?
I like tteok-bbokki A LOT! I have a cup of coffee everyday. Sometimes I drink Coke to get a sugar rush, haha.
What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?
I listen to any music I can dance to! I like dreamy music thou.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I nap or watch movies. I don’t hang out at night. So, I do everything in my day time.
What are your future goals and plans?
I’d love to be a first Korean winner of Pole Art World Championship. It’s a big competition, athletes come to compete from over 20 countries. I will train as hard as I can, and take care of myself to become a winner of a first prize of Pole Art World Championship.
—J. Chung.
The 56th Grand Bell Awards (a.k.a the Daejong Film Awards) is organized by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea. This year’s event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Parasite” grabbed five awards at the ceremony, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress.
Here are the full list of winners:
Best Film: “Parasite”
Best Director: Bong Joon-ho (“Parasite”)
Best Actor: Lee Byung-hun (“Ashfall”)
Best Actress: Jung Yu-mi (“Kim Ji-young: Born 1982”)
Best Supporting Actor: Jin Seon-kyu (“Extreme Job”)
Best Supporting Actress: Lee Jung-eun (“Parasite”)
Best New Actor: Jung Hae-in (“Tune In for Love”)
Best New Actress: Jeon Yeo-bin (“After My Death”)
Best New Director: Kim Bo-ra (“House of Hummingbird”)
Best Planning: Kim Mi-hye, Mo Sung-jin (“Extreme Job”)
Best Screenplay: Han Jin-won, Bong Joon-ho (“Parasite”)
Best Cinematography: Kim Young-ho (“The Battle: Roar to Victory”)
Best Lighting: Jeon Young-suk (“Svaha: The Sixth Finger”)
Technical Award: Jin Jong-hyun (Visual effects, “Ashfall”)
Best Editing: Lee Kang-hee (“Exit”)
Best Music: Jung Jae-il (“Parasite”)
Best Costumes: Lee Jin-hee (“The Great Battle”)
Best Art Direction: Seo Seong-kyeong (“Svaha: The Sixth Finger”)
Achievement Award: Shin Young-kyun
—-J. Chung
KCrush Interview With Lemon Podcast Hosts On The Subjects of Culture, Racism and Much More – thank you to Cwamne Howard for conducting the interview
For this article, we’ve interviewed HarryBigButton, which is a rock band from Seoul, Korea. We’d like to thank Mr. Lee for providing an insightful interview into the band and wish the band all the best in their future endeavors!
Please introduce yourself to our readers.
Hello, I am Sungsoo Lee, the leader, vocalist and guitarist of the rock band HarryBigButton. It’s nice to meet you all.
Tell us about your music and the new album.
HarryBigButton is a Post-Hard rock band that pursues both vintage and modern sound.
The new album “Dirty Harry” is an album made up of 5 tracks that was inspired by 5 different movies. “Dirty Harry” starring Clint Eastwood, “Scarface” starring Al Pacino, “Mad Max 2” directed by George Miller, “Dawn of the Dead” directed by George Romero and “Reality Bites.”
If you like movies then please check the album out. HarryBigButton’s new
album will stimulate – not just your ears – but your imagination.
How was the band formed? Introduce to us the newly joined members.
HarryBigButton was first formed in 2011, so it would be exactly its 10th anniversary next year. Since May of last year, we’re joined with Inyoung Kim at the base guitar and Yeonsik Yoo at the drums as the guest member. They’ve only been here with us for a year but they’ve already been to Russia and Taiwan concerts and large festivals – also working on the new album.
How many hours do you practice per days?
We’ve never timed ourselves practicing but we practice every day. Our band practice is held 2 or 3 times per week. We usually practice together for about 3 hours each session but it’s always an enjoyable time and the time seems short.
Which artist or musician do you respect the most?
David Bowie. He was always moving forward and never stayed in the same place. His attitude to life and passion to art have left a big expression on me. I recall sobbing out loud when I heard the news of his death. We have a song on our second album dedicated to him, called Drifter.
What do you like to do for leisure?
I am a butler to a cat. When I am not doing music, I have the obligation to serve Koomi. ^^ And I draw a piece of drawing a day, which I think will be revealed to the public soon, if you guys want.
Where do you think is the best place in Korea to travel?
If you want to enjoy live music, you should come to Hongdae.
If you wish to enjoy both the nature and the city, I recommend Busan, the coastal city in the South of Korea. You can experience both the sea and the center of the city there. If you’re planning to visit Korea, don’t forget to check our performance schedule too. 😉
Let us know about your goals and plans for the future.
As you’re all aware, now is not the time to set too many plans. For now, we’re concentrating on preparing for the next album. Season 1 will be released on June 4th, and we’re currently selecting movies that will motivate us for Season 2. If there are any movies that you’d like to recommend us, please write to harrybigbutton@gmail.com or HarryBigButton social media.
I think sharing music with the most people possible is the best thing an artist can hope for. We hope to see the readers to meet some day at our concert!
Please say something nice to the fans!
We’re currently living in a weird world right now due to the coronavirus. But we’re going to overcome it and we’ll be able to meet. We hope that our music will provide positive energy for you all. Until next time, please stay safe, stay strong and keep rocking!
–J. Chung.