Chie Izuno works full time at an office Branch. Though she’s 30, she’s very young at heart and kind of innocent. She tries hard to go into the dating field but finds herself struggling due to her weight and self-esteem issues. She meets up with one of the company’s investors, Jin Harada, a super sucessful and young business man. However Jin has a severe lack of social skills. Chie strives to make a deal with Jin in order to aide her in her goal to lose weight and gain confidence, she tells Jin she can help him with his own flaws. Where will this agreement lead them to, and can two total opposites and flawed individuals overcome their personal demons?
Many of you will have witnessed a lot of “Jade Rollers” these days being advertised as a useful beauty and skincare tool. Jade roller is said to do great wonders to your skin and bone structure by many dermatologists, beauty influencers and skin experts, but in many Asian countries, Jade has been known to be great for a large number of things to improve your health and looks for many centuries. Frequent use of this beauty gadget can vastly benefit the skin and prevents aging in various ways, so I’m told. It tightens, smooths and sculpts the skin, lessens wrinkles, promotes elasticity & firmness, generates a cooling effect, reduces puffiness and dark circles.
That’s not all. It eliminates toxins, helps facial oil and skin products see better results, stimulates blood circulation and oxygen, while relieving facial tension, headaches and a bunch of other mental stress, fatigue, anxiety… Basically, this Jade roller can do a ton of good, not just to your skin complexion/tone/condition, it offers a lot of health benefits to the modern generation.
Jade has played a special part in Korean tradition and history as far as back c. 850 BC – the precious stones used on the jeweled ornaments were exclusively owned by the Korean royalty and elites of high ranks from the times of the Shilla Dynasty (c. 300~668 AD) and still widely utilized and loved today.
For many centuries, the precious gems were worn by royals and Jade symbolized the wearer’s rank and position. The king’s throne amongst other royal possessions would be produced of Jade because the precious gems were very scarce, only the privileged were able and allowed to wear or own them.
Jade consists of approximately 45 different natural minerals and since the substances of calcium and magnesium are scientifically proven to be able to prevent far infrared ray emission, it has been known throughout numerous generations that by wearing the gems can benefit one’s state of physical health and well-being.
Jade’s Health Effects
The Jade contains the minerals, calcium, and magnesium which are crucial elements for the human body, 40 plus percent of which consists of magnesium comprised of chlorophyll. The cells that make up the human body are also structures of magnesium; this is why the vibration waves of the energy emitted from the Jade is almost the same as those of the human body cells. The Jade is regarded as a breathing material, giving off vibrations that act as resonance entering into our body cells in due proportion, resulting in the revival, improving physical structures, blood circulation and moderate alkalization and eliminates harmful substances in the body: this is the particular effect the Jade has on the maintenance of human health.
The precious stone has the tendency to be cool to wear in the Summer and warm during the Winter. The qualities of the wondrous gem vary vastly, depending on where they were cultivated and the skill of its craftsman. It has been stated in Dongui Bogam which is an ancient literature compiled by the Korean physicians that the energy produced by the body and wavelength is almost identical which helps to soothe the internal system and tensions of one’s physique. Jade goes beyond than being just a beautiful ornament or jewelry because unlike most other gems and precious stones, it has been known for centuries, proven through medical research to be extremely beneficial to the health of the wearer. Jade is said to be able to effectively elevate and miraculously treat various illnesses and diseases that even modern science cannot solve at times. Below is the list of some of the symptoms Jade can provide cure or treat blood pressure, indigestion, constipation, menstrual pain, palsy, diabetes, neuralgia, chronic headache, arthritis, infertility, postpartum depression, obesity and the long list goes on.
The Jade is incredibly beneficial in cases of dull headaches and limp legs, cold sweat and frequent feelings of fatigue. The resonance-vibration effect of jade revitalizes the bowel dynamics, removing old lesions such as decayed protein or residual fat, the causes of obesity, as well as gas, resulting in slimming of the body. Since Jade is amazingly effective for both people’s physical and mental well-being, Jadestone beds are also very popular in Asia and known to be very beneficial to one’s states of health.
— J. Chung.
October 9th is a national holiday to commemorate the proclamation of Hangeul, the Korean alphabet. The day was declared a holiday quite recently, in 2013. The commemoration itself has a longer history, however. It was in 1926 that a group of nationalistic activists, gathered to work towards the preservation of the Korean language under the Japanese colonial rule, designated the last day of the ninth month (then according to the lunar calendar system) to celebrate the 480th anniversary of the invention and declaration of Hangeul.
Hangeul was invented in the 15th century by the King Sejong (1397~1450), known as Sejong the Great, and his scholar-officials. There are only a couple of monarchs in the entire Chosun dynasty always mentioned by the people of today along with the epithet ‘the Great’, and King Sejong is one of them mainly because of his work on the Hangeul system. Hangeul was proclaimed under the title of Hunminjeongeum – roughly translated as “Correct Sounds for the Education of the People”. The term Hangeul was suggested by Ju Si-gyeong, a scholar of the Korean language and culture, in 1913: soon after Japan’s annexation of Korea.
In 1940, the exact lunar date of the proclamation of Hangeul was discovered, and the day was fixed as October 9th according to the Gregorian calendar.
It is a popular belief that the introduction of Hangeul was the result of consideration and care for the common people, who were not educated enough, or could never be educated enough to read or write in classical Chinese. A more somber perspective would be that Hangeul was intended to strengthen the barrier between the gentry and the common man. It should also be noted that whatever the intention behind the Hangeul system had been, there must have been a need felt by at least some of the ruling class for letters for the uneducated, for various purposes, perhaps including commercial and contractual ones.
Whatever the truth may be, Hangeul is today the national alphabet system of Korea. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, definitely one of the reasons why it has survived for so long in more or less the same form. Hangeul originally had 28 letters, 17 of which were consonants and 11 were vowels. Four of them were dropped to make in total 24 letters, or 14 consonants and 10 vowels.
Hangeul is thought to be very reflective of phonology, with consonants that are shaped to resemble the sounds they are supposed to make. One may not realize this at first but even without knowing, it makes the learning curiously easy. It is trickier, however, to get the exact placement of letters right for every sound (work equivalent to “spelling” in Roman alphabets), because of the irregularities that exist within the Korean diction and sound system.
Still, Hangeul is a very instinctive way of expressing basic sounds present in all languages. Unlike other alphabet systems that cannot be traced back to their inventors Hangeul is, as an invention by a great king, celebrated every year.
— J. Chung.
Fresh from her SM Entertainment contract expiration and signing with Steel Wool Entertainment, Amber Liu released the dates of her upcoming North American X tour.
The North American leg of her X tour begins January 2020 and will stop at 24 cities across the United States and Canada. For the tour, she will be joined by Meg & Dia (all tour dates), Justice Carradine (January 17- February 4, 2020), and Justin Park (February 5-22, 2020).
Tickets for the tour go on sale October 4, 2019 at 10am local time. Fan and VIP ticket sales started October 1, 2019, but the sale continues until October 3 at 10pm EST. Tickets are available on Future Beat and Amber’s official website.
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Friday January 17, 2020 |
Fresno, California |
Strummers |
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Saturday January 18, 2020 |
San Francisco, California |
The Warfield |
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Monday January 20, 2020 |
Portland, Oregon |
Wonder Ballroom |
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Tuesday January 21, 2020 |
Seattle, Washington |
The Showbox |
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Thursday January 23, 2020 |
Vancouver, British Columbia |
Vogue Theatre |
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Saturday January 25, 2020 |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
The Complex |
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Sunday January 26, 2020 |
Englewood, Colorado |
Gothic Theatre |
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Tuesday January 28, 2020 |
Minneapolis, Minnesota |
Varsity Theater |
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Thursday January 30, 2020 |
Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
The Rave |
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Friday January 31, 2020 |
Indianapolis, Indiana |
Deluxe at Old National Centre |
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Saturday February 1, 2020 |
Chicago, Illinois |
House of Blues |
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Tuesday February 4, 2020 |
Boston, Massachusetts |
Paradise Rock Club |
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Wednesday February 5, 2020 |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Theatre of Living Arts |
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Friday February 7, 2020 |
New York, New York |
Terminal 5 |
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Saturday February 8, 2020 |
Silver Springs, Maryland |
The Fillmore Silver Spring |
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Sunday February 9, 2020 |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
Rex Theater |
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Tuesday February 11, 2020 |
Detroit, Michigan |
Saint Andrews Hall |
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Thursday February 13, 2020 |
Columbus, Ohio |
Newport Music Hall |
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Friday February 14, 2020 |
Atlanta, Georgia |
The Masquerade |
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Sunday February 16, 2020 |
Dallas, Texas |
South Side Music Hall |
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Monday February 17, 2020 |
Houston, Texas |
House of Blues |
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Tuesday February 18, 2020 |
Austin, Texas |
Scoot Inn |
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Friday February 21, 2020 |
Los Angeles, California |
The Wiltern |
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Saturday February 22, 2020 |
San Diego, California |
Music Box Theater |
Many cities that previously weren’t considered as suitable venues for other K-Pop acts will now have a chance to see a now-former K-Pop idol in action, and perhaps successful ticket sales for those venues will provide hints to other K-Pop acts to consider these cities in the future.
—-Olivia Murray
Pledis Entertainment announced that Seventeen will embark on their latest tour in 2020.
Produced by Live Nation, Seventeen’s eight-city North American-leg of the Ode to You tour kicks off January 10, 2020 in New Jersey. Ode to You is Seventeen’s first North American tour since 2017’s Diamond Edge tour.
The Ode to You tour—which kicked off August 30, 2019 in Seoul, South Korea and is now currently working its way through Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand—is named for the group’s Ode To album that dropped in September. Ode To is currently Seventeen’s best-selling album.
The North American tour leg will stop in New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Mexico City, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Seattle when it rolls through in January. Unfortunately, venues have not been announced yet,* but tickets are available for pre-sale already via Ticketmaster.
Live Nation partnered with Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan platform. From now until October 20, 2019, fans who wish to attend Seventeen’s concerts can register on the verified fan page to receive a code. Then, those with verified fan codes can purchase tickets October 22 at 4pm local time until October 24, 2019 10pm local time before the general public can purchase tickets.
If you want to see Seventeen in concert, here are your chances to do so:
- January 10, 2020 – New Jersey
- January 12, 2020 – Chicago
- January 14, 2020 – Dallas
- January 15, 2020 – Houston
- January 17, 2020 – Mexico City, Mexico
- January 19, 2020 – Los Angeles
- January 21, 2020 – San Jose
- January 23, 2020 – Seattle
SEVENTEEN WORLD TOUR <ODE TO YOU> NORTH AMERICA pic.twitter.com/Po1gyoGAsd
— 세븐틴(SEVENTEEN) (@pledis_17) October 1, 2019
*Venues will be added to article when they are announced.
—-Olivia Murray
This winter South Korean boy band A.C.E is coming back with their newly announced tour A.C.E CONCERT [UNDERCOVER: AREA US].
The tour will kick off in Chicago on December 1; and in the span of three weeks, the members of the band will meet their fans in a total of 10 different cities all across the United States.
Although it has only been a year since A.C.E’s last tour in the USA, the band’s fans eager to see the artists again initiated a viral movement on www.mymusictaste.com, an online service that brings together music fans to request their favorite artist’s concert. In response to the growing demand, A.C.E and MyMusicTaste collaborated to make A.C.E fans’ dream come true.
This time, A.C.E is returning stronger than ever with their latest comeback “Under Cover,” which proves to be a real show stopper. Since their debut in 2017, the band has never been afraid to experiment with their concepts and sound. With each release, they have been able to surprise their fans. Once again, A.C.E showcases their versatility as “Under Cover” offers a balanced mash-up of rock and hip-hop genres juxtaposed with their husky vocals in the chorus, which later climaxes into a clear falsetto delivery towards the end of the track.
Their newly refined sound and powerful looks promise stage-burning performances that fans can look forward to. The group’s five members, Jun, Donghun, Wow, Kim Byeongkwan, and Chan, are ready to sweep away their audience with their dynamic energy and intensity.
More information about the tour and ticket details will be announced soon via MyMusicTaste’s official channels on social media and https://mmt.fans/CE0M/.
A.C.E CONCERT [UNDER COVER: AREA US Schedule:
- December 1 – Chicago @ Park West
- December 4 – Atlanta @ The Masquerade
- December 6 – Minneapolis @ Pantages Theatre
- December 8 – New Jersey @ White Eagle Hall
- December 11 – Miami @ Revolution Live
- December 13 – Puerto Rico @ Bellas Artes de Caguas
- December 15 – Dallas @ Granada Theater
- December 18 – Seattle @ The Neptune Theatre
- December 20 – San Francisco @ August Hall
- December 22 – Los Angeles @ The Fonda Theatre
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 52 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.
SuperM are hitting the road across North America starting in November! All tickets will be on sale Saturday, October 5th, 10:00 a.m. local time. http://SuperMOfficial.com! They stated that all tickets purchased will include a copy of their first Mini Album! More dates are expected to be announced soon!
Currently, a Flash Sale is taking place until October 11th for some of their merchandise such as the Limited Edition SuperM Picture Disc Vinyl exclusively found only in their webstore
Are you excited for their first North American tour as SuperM?
On September 26, 2019, the Ministry of Employment and Labor confirmed that a former TS Entertainment employee reported the company for failure to pay its employees.
“TS Entertainment has been reported on charges of failing to pay stipends for unused annual leave and severance pay to employees. Following an investigation by a labor supervisor, they have been forwarded to the prosecution on charges of violating the Labor Standards Act,” a government representative said.
The official could not confirm if the former employee stated if other employees also weren’t paid. However, the official stated that the prosecutors are working on gaining more details regarding the claim.
The claim by the former employee is the latest in a long line of claims against the embattled company starting back in 2014. To date, all of B.A.P, Jieun and Hyoseong from Secret, rapper Sleepy, and Sumin and Nahyun from Sonamoo have all filed suits against TS Entertainment for contract nullification due to failure to pay. In each instance, TS Entertainment maintains their innocence while snidely suggesting the artists are acting in unfair and one-sided manners.
TS Entertainment has yet to respond to the allegations as of this writing.
—-Olivia Murray
When it was announced that Sonamoo’s Sumin and Nahyun filed a lawsuit for contract termination, TS Entertainment initially lacked a response to the announcement. On September 23, 2019, however, TS Entertainment released a statement addressing Nahyun and Sumin’s claims.
In the statement, TS Entertainment said:
Hello, this is TS Entertainment.
This is our official statement regarding SONAMOO.
This past August, SONAMOO’s Nahyun and Sumin filed a lawsuit to confirm the non-existence their contracts.
Earlier this year, [Nahyun and Sumin] sent us a certification of contents regarding contract termination. They had been practicing without issue until the day before the documents arrived, but afterward, they suddenly cut contact, even with their fellow members.
The two members’ unexpected actions greatly affected the rest of the members, who wanted to protect the group. Their actions damaged group promotions affecting the group’s album release, schedules, and events.
After in-depth discussions with the remaining members and the members’ parents on how we should proceed, we’ve decided that SONAMOO will continue as a five-member group.
Moreover, we will be taking legal action regarding the two members that have caused these issues with their one-sided decisions.
Closing, we apologize for causing concern to all those who love our artists, and we will be giving our full support so that the remaining SONAMOO members can continue promotions.
Thank you.
Meanwhile, four members of Sonamoo lent their voices to the single “We are Legendary.” The single is for the game Legendary Game of Heroes. High.D was absent due to promoting V-1.
—-Olivia Murray
On September 24, 2019, Sonamoo’s Sumin shared an Instagram post addressing why she and fellow Sonamoo member Nahyun filed a suit against TS Entertainment for contract termination.
Sumin shared the following in her message:
Hello, this is Sumin.
First of all, I’m incredibly sorry to greet you all with this issue. However, after seeing articles circulating the Internet, I’m writing this post because I feel so frustrated.
After continuously receiving payments as a group this entire time, we decided to receive individual payments starting from 2019. A few years after signing our contracts, there was a formal settlement procedure in which no proof of settlement was provided, except for a confirmation of the settlement statement that was typed up by the company, but we never received any payments. Because of this, Nahyun and I wanted to look at the settlement data clearly from the beginning and share it with the members. So, I asked the company to show me the data that could serve as evidence for the settlements, but after waiting for 30 days, the company gave me only a small portion of the settlement data.
After reviewing that small portion of the settlement data provided by the company, we found that a substantial amount of evidence was missing, so we sent the company a certification of contents in order to request a confirmation of this. As soon as the settlement data was confirmed through the certification of contents, we said that we would continue to work hard as SONAMOO.
But the company didn’t show the settlement data we requested, and they seemed to talk badly about us to the other SONAMOO members, saying that because we had sent a certification of contents without properly discussing the matter with them, it was a shame. I heard through an acquaintance that the company told the other members not to contact the two of us. At the time, Nahyun and I believed the company would send us the settlement data, so we had decided to go back and explain it to [the other members] later.
Furthermore, I exchanged text messages with my manager even after sending the certification of contents, and I continued to keep in touch with the company’s current CEO even until the day before we submitted the complaint.
We also expressed our willingness to participate in the Makestar project for the fans who had been waiting, but the company did not respond.
What’s more, we were faced with the threat of our power going out and the water getting shut off, and we were eventually kicked out of the dorms, so our situation isn’t too different from those who are currently in dispute with the company. I’ll talk about the rest in court and cut back on my writing.
We tried really hard to smooth things over until the end, but the trust was completely broken, so we ended up taking legal action. I had a lot of concerns about the lawsuit, and I’m still scared. In addition, I want to sincerely apologize to fans for causing worry and being unable to join everyone else as a member of SONAMOO due to this decision I made under difficult circumstances.
I hope there will be no more unfair treatment with the excuse of “mutual trust.” Thank you so much for reading this long post.
In addition to Sumin and Nahyun, TS Entertainment is also involved in legal disputes with Sleepy and Secret’s Jieun and Hyoseong. They also had a lawsuit against them in 2014 when B.A.P filed for contract termination.
With each suit, TS Entertainment maintains it’s the artists that are the issue.
—-Olivia Murray
After signing with STX Lion Heart back in June 2019, B.A.P’s Jung Daehyun will be making his second solo comeback this year, his first with his new agency.
“My staff and I have been staying up many nights to prepare for this album. All the hard work can be seen through the quality of the album,” Daehyun said during a recent V-Live.
According to the agency, Daehyun will be introducing a new style via the mini-album’s release. The album and promotion period won’t just feature Daehyun’s vocal abilities: He is expected to also show off some rap and dance abilities.
On September 27, the teaser schedule and album name dropped. Beginning September 30, teaser images for AIGHT will drop, followed by the album’s track listing, highlight medley, and teaser videos. The album will be release October 11, 2019.
Prior to the album announcement, on September 6, Daehyun announced the name of his solo fandom during a V-Live special. Between the choices of “Daily” and “IY,” Daehyun selected “IY” for his fan club name.
“‘IY’ means ‘you, who are so precious and special that you are irreplaceable.’ ‘You’ can stand for either Daehyun or the fans,” Daehyun explained during the V-Live.
Daehyun expounded on the name further by explaining the name is a homophone of “ai” (the Japanese and Chinese word for “love”) and “아이” (ai), which means “child.” He also explained that as he continues to grow as an artist, the BABY fandom (B.A.P’s fandom name) will also be growing into children; he also addressed that he will still use the BABY fandom name.
“The word ‘BABY’ is forever,” Daehyun said. “I think of ‘IY’ as a name that arose from within BABY, and BABY will always be a part of me. That’s what I think. I’m always going to use ‘BABY’ as well as ‘IY.’”
Are you excited for Daehyun’s comeback?
—-Olivia Murray
Earlier in 2019, Mystic Entertainment stated that iconic girl group Brown Eyed Girls, famous for there 2009 hit “Abracadabra,” would be making their comeback in the first half of the year. With the year now almost over, hope dwindled, and it seemed like one of the poster groups for female empowerment and sexuality would not return this year. Then, on September 25, Gain, JeA, Miryo, and Narsha held a V-Live livestream where Gain announced the girls’ impending October comeback!
https://www.vlive.tv/video/151715
“We are discussing the album and will come back in October,” Gain said. “It’s really at the last preparation stage. We are not lying.”
“Because we know that you are really eagerly waiting,” JeA added, “we are doing our best to prepare a great performance for you.”
JeA further confirmed the news on Instagram when she posted an image of the girls with the caption “I think I snapped this photo really well, guys #album meeting #browneyedgirl.”
It will be the girls’ first comeback since late 2015 when they released Brave New World. Since then, each member has been busy with solo activities and personal business.
Are you excited for a Brown Eyed Girls comeback?
—-Olivia Murray
Another artist has decided to depart JYP Entertainment.
On September 16, 2019, Baek A Yeon posted an Instagram story featuring the JYP Entertainment building. In the caption, she said goodbye.
In a statement, JYP confirmed her departure from the agency (along with confirmation that 15&’s Baek Ye-Rin and Park Jimin also departed) following her contract expiration August 30.
Hello, this is JYP Entertainment.
We would like to inform you that the exclusive contracts of our artists Baek A Yeon and Baek Yerin (15&) expired on August 30 and September 14 respectively.
By seeking their own musical color while trying various genres, Baek A Yeon and Baek Yerin have moved listeners with their beautiful vocals and music. Although we are now parting ways, JYP will continue to sincerely support these two artists and their bright futures.
Thank you to the fans who have sent so much love to these two artists. We ask for your continued support so that they can become even more beloved artists who give happiness to others.
Thank you.
Baek A Yeon debuted under JYP in 2012 with her track “Shouldn’t Have.” Prior to signing with the agency, she appeared on 2011’s TV show K-Pop Star. The songstress has had a string of hit songs including 2015’s “Shouldn’t Have” and 2016’s “So-So.”
Baek A Yeon has also leant her voice to several drama OSTs. She’s also a talented song writer, so her skills will get her far wherever she signs.
—-Olivia Murray
iHeartRadio recently announced the lineups for this year’s iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour!
For the second consecutive year, Monsta X will join the tour. This year, Monsta X will join the following artists at these locations:
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Monday December 9, 2019 |
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota |
Katy Perry, Camila Cabello, 5SOS, Why Don’t We, Monsta X, Lauv |
Xcel Energy Center |
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Wednesday December 11, 2019 |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Halsey, 5SOS, Lizzo, Niall Horan, Why Don’t We, Monsta X, Lewis Capaldi |
Wells Fargo Center |
|
Friday December 13, 2019 |
New York City, New York |
Taylor Swift, Jonas Brothers, Camila Cabello, Halsey, 5SOS, Niall Horan, Lizzo, Dan+Shay, Monsta X, Lewis Capaldi, Fletcher |
Madison Square Garden |
BTS will be making their iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour debut this year when they perform in Los Angeles, California Friday December 6 at the Forum. BTS will join Halsey, Katy Perry, Billie Eilish, Sam Smith, Camila Cabello, French Montana, Lizzo, and Normani.
This year, the New York City show on December 13 will broadcast across 100 iHeartRadio stations and livestream on the CW App and CWTV.com.On December 19, the CW Network will air the concert at 8pm CST, so if you can’t catch Monsta X live, you can see them on TV.
Unfortunately for ARMY, BTS’ tour date is not expected to be recorded or air on TV.
Tickets for the concert go on sale Monday October 7 at 10am local time until Wednesday October 9 at 10am local time for Capital One cardholders. General public tickets go on sale Friday October 11 at noon local time. Tickets for the general public can be purchased on the iHeartRadio website or TicketMaster.
—-Olivia Murray
Like her 15& mate, Baek Ye-Rin opted to depart JYP Entertainment when her exclusive contract with the company expired September 14, 2019. Her duo partner, Park Jimin, left the label in August.
In a message posted on her Instagram (which is set to private), Ye-Rin said:
Hello, this is Yerin!
It’s suddenly become very cold out, are you doing well?
Sadly, my contract with JYP is ending as of September 14.
I have worked hard while at JYP for the long time of 12 years, ever since I was in elementary school. I received the gift of great and precious opportunities, and although I’m still lacking now, they taught me many things as I became the person I am and gave me gifts. I am so grateful to the president who worked together with me for a long time and played a role that was sometimes like my parent and sometimes like my teacher and guardian, to Park Jin Young (we’ve decided to be best friends now), and to everyone at JYP.
Also, with the help of those around me, I’m going to start an independent label! I feel sadness too because we’ve been together for a long time and doing something on my own is a bit scary, but I want to gather up strength and let you hear a lot of great things!
I’ll try to keep improving.
I’m always grateful for the support and love you give me!
Following her announcement, K-Netizens criticized the artist by stating her alleged negative attitude was the reason for her departure, but it appears the split was amicable following the contract expiration.
Ye-Rin plans on creating her own independent label. Her last comeback was with her City-Pop track “Suddenly.”
—-Olivia Murray
Former 15& member Park Jimin didn’t have much down time since her departure from JYP Entertainment!
Via Twitter, DIVE Studios announced on September 24, 2019 that Park—who is now using her English name, Jamie Park—will has a Podcast titled What Would Jamie Do?
DIVE Studios’ newest show ‘What Would Jamie Do?’ hosted by the one and only @jiminpark07 is coming very soon!
Want some life advice from Queen Jamie? #WWJD #parkjimin #jamiepark #divestudios #kpop pic.twitter.com/7T8EOSoKbx
— DIVE Studios (@thedivestudios) September 24, 2019
For her Podcast, Park will answer questions from listeners and give advice based on what she would do in each situation.
Park isn’t a stranger to hosting shows, which is a skill that will work in her favor. She is one of the hosts of After School Club, a gig she’s had since 2014.
While DIVE Studios—which also produces Tablo and Eric Nam’s Podcasts—hasn’t stated when the show will begin, in the show’s teaser, Park asks people to send her questions, and that the show will start very soon.
Will you be tuning in to Jamie Park’s Podcast when it begins?
—-Olivia Murray
Kcrush K-Pop Top 30: August 2019
Sorry for the delay in posting the video. Sometimes personal life matters come first. BUT, here is who you voted for for August 2019. The poll for September 2019 will be available early next week. #Up10tion #Target #Fantasy #KIndie #Kpop #Crush #KRandB #RnB #Irene #RedVelvet #Raiden #WekiMeki #X1 #MyNameisRedHairedAnne #015B #Zelo #BAP #Sunmi #Hatfelt #Ravi #VIXX #Wyne #Mamamoo #Solar #In2It #CelebFive #Venus #Everglow #OMG #OhMyGirl #TRCNG #IZ #Onewe #Yoonmirae #Bizzy #SNSD #GirlsGeneration #TiffanyYoung #BIG #Benji #TheRose #PinkFantasy #KoreanPop #Korea #SouthKorea #Music #AsianPop #Hallyu #KoreanWave #August2019 #August #KpopList
Earlier in September, a photo featuring five Sonamoo members—Minjae, D.ana, Eujin, High.D, and Newsun—circulated the Internet, leading to speculation that Sumin and Nahyun have departed the group. As it turns out, the pair are on the outs due to issues with TS Entertainment.
On September 23, 2019, Korean media reported that Sonamoo’s Sumin and Nahyun have filed a request to have their exclusive contracts with TS Entertainment terminated. The news comes on the heels of Sleepy’s (Untouchable) request to do the same.
Sumin and Nahyun have been on hiatus from the group since earlier this year. The company announced the pair would not participate in the Makestar campaign that was created to fund their next album due to “personal issues.” They did record the album that was supposed to be released this spring but has been inexplicably delayed. Fans have expressed their displeasure at the delays as they funded the Makestar for Sonamoo’s Happy Box Part 2 album only to be left albumless and without indications regarding the girls’ comeback. The delays have even caught the ire of Makestar as they have offered to create rewards for donators at their own expense due to TS Entertainment’s negligence to do so.
[INFO/UPDATE] [MAKESTAR] Notice Regarding Rewards for SONAMOO Album Project Part 2 (8/30) #소나무 pic.twitter.com/rOia7ZoTww
— SonAmoo World #SONAMOOISBACK (@sonamoo_world) August 30, 2019
TRCNG had another comeback in the meantime.
According to sources, Sumin and Nahyun filed their initial termination suit in May 2019. TS Entertainment failed to respond to the initial filing, so Sumin and Nahyun sought legal representation in August.
Originally, TS Entertainment said “making an official statement is difficult” regarding the Sonamoo girls’ lawsuit, but in a phone interview, a company representative said “It is true that SONAMOO’s Nahyun and Sumin have filed to terminate their contract with TS Entertainment. One of the reasons SONAMOO have yet to return is the lawsuit. We will release a full statement soon.”
Industry insiders stated that other Sonamoo members may be following Sumin and Nahyun with lawsuits of their own.
Meanwhile, Nahyun opened her own Instagram account in August, another indicator that she has parted way with TS Entertainment. Her caption states she is an “ordinary college student who just wants to graduate,” so it seems possible that she wants to leave the celebrity life behind her as well.
Hopefully the lawsuit between the Sonamoo girls and TS Entertainment resolves fairly and quickly and doesn’t drag on like with B.A.P and Secret’s lawsuits. But, it is TS Entertainment, so expect it to drag with many twists along the way.
—-Olivia Murray
In a shocking move to absolutely no one, Untouchable’s Sleepy departed TS Entertainment after he filed to have his contract terminated. In turn, TS Entertainment announced they will be seeking to sue Sleepy for embezzlement. Sleepy announced the moves on Instagram.
Hello, this is Sleepy.
First off, I am very sorry to be greeting you with this unfortunate news.
My exclusive contract with the agency that I spent more than 10 years at after my debut has been terminated through a legal dispute.
In the past, when my colleagues sued the agency, I believed the agency over and over again. However, after the CEO passed away last April, matters that I could not understand occurred.
I asked point-blank multiple times to be shown my account statements, but I was never shown a proper one.
After showing me a few arbitrarily written up pages, the current management told me that they had shown me everything. Even now, as I don’t know exactly how the appearance fees I earned while promoting were used, this problem is not just my own.
In fact, because the management fees and rent for my dorm were continuously pushed back seven to as much as 12 months, I lived uncomfortably with my water and electricity cut off, and I was eventually evicted.
I was afraid to sue, and because hiring a lawyer would cause a strain on my already difficult financial situation, I really worked hard to bear with it until the last moment. However, as the agency had even my broadcast appearance payments seized by creditors, I could not take it anymore and decided to sue.
I feel it is unfortunate that the current management claimed that they are going to take legal measures against me for embezzling money despite my exclusive contract already being terminated.
I did not embezzle money. I am actually trying to recover my rights through receiving the money that was withheld from me through suing the agency. I always want to greet you with good news, but because I couldn’t do that, I am sorry. However, I will not despair. I am really working hard every day. I want to overcome this, and I will.
Thank you for reading my rambling.
Sleepy filed a case in April 2019 to confirm his contract as invalid; in May, he filed a request to have his contract terminated. In his claim, Sleepy stated “The agency did not provide me with documents regarding payments and has never shown me a physical copy of our contract. My faith in them has broken down due to factors such as management issues.”
In TS Entertainment’s motion, they claim they paid Sleepy on the agreed upon dates and allegedly provided documents to support their claims.
In June, the Seoul Western District Court dismissed Sleepy’s contract nullification case, but in August, Sleepy and TS Entertainment agreed to part ways during another court mediation hearing. Through this mediation, TS Entertainment alleged Sleepy embezzled funds.
“Through the legal process, we terminated our contract with Sleepy,” a TS Entertainment representative said. “However, there are suspicions that Sleepy embezzled money from the agency such as through advertisement rates. We are planning to file a damage claim suit against him sometime between late September and early October.”
Sleepy, through Instagram and through Dispatch, denied the embezzlement claims. Following the claims, he released conversations he and TS Entertainment had along with a copy of his TS Entertainment contract to Dispatch to help show his side of the story. The contract contained information about profit splits, while the conversations addressed debts and payment issues.
Sleepy was with TS Entertainment for 13 years. On September 15, 2019, Korean media shared that Sleepy opened his own studio, PVO Entertainment, which stands for “Positive Vibes Only.” His rap crew with Liquor and JD shares the same name.
On September 22, Sleepy released “Trouble” featuring Bang Yongguk. The track, while short, addresses the issues with TS Entertainment.
With more court cases expected later this month and in October, The Sleepy-TS Entertainment saga appears to not be ending any time soon.
—-Olivia Murray
Actress Kim Tae-Hee and her husband, singer-actor Jung Ji-Hoon (Rain), welcomed their second daughter into the world!
Story J Company, Kim’s agency, confirmed the couple had their daughter Thursday September 19, 2019.
Hello, this is management company of actress Kim Tae-Hee.
We are happy to announce that the couple just welcomed a new member to her family.
On the morning of September 19 in a hospital located in Seoul, she gave birth to a healthy daughter. Both mom and baby are healthy, and they are under the care of a happy family’s love and blessings. Thank you all for your support for Kim Tae-Hee. She will do her best to return with good condition both as a mom and as an actress.
The couple’s new baby joins a big sister who was born in October 2017. The pair wed in January 2017.
Congratulations to the Kim-Jung family on their new addition!
—-Olivia Murray
Former Pristin member Kyla Massie recently opened a YouTube channel, and to commemorate the opening, the idol hosted her first #TeaTimeWithKyla session where she answered questions from fans. Prior to video’s posting, Kyla also announced the name of her fan club: Klassies.
In commemoration of starting my channel, I am finally officially announcing my fandom name. Hello my wonderful Klassies ❤ pic.twitter.com/rN2DY3sU6O
— Kyla Massie (@kylam_official) September 22, 2019
In the Q&A video, Kyla addressed questions from Klassies, many of which asked about Pristin’s disbandment and why she was on hiatus from the group. She addressed that people shouldn’t have believed the rumors regarding her hiatus as the rumors were inaccurate.
Regarding her hiatus, Kyla said:
…a lot of you guys have sort of speculated why I went on hiatus and I can tell you now that it wasn’t because of the hate comments, it wasn’t because you know of, my weight and how that affected my mental health.
I can understand why you would say that but, in actuality the reason why I went on hiatus is because I ended up getting injured. I got a concussion while filming our second music video, and the doctors and my company decided that it would be best if I took a period to rest and recover from this injury.
They all thought that it was important that I fully recovered before we continued on with any new promotions. So that’s the reason, and let me just say that I know that there have been a lot of rumors, there have been a lot of speculations, there are a lot of been, there have been a lot of articles that sort of went around. Saying oh, this is what happened or oh, this is what happened and let me just tell you. That’s not true.
Many questions also came up surrounding Pristin’s disbandment. Kyla said:
You guys can speculate what happened all you want, but ultimately, we all just thought that it was best if we disband it and although it is an unfortunate situation, we all take our best memories and our best experience from PRISTIN. And we’re just, we’re all so very grateful that it happened, and we had all of these amazing experiences together, and I think that that’s the most important part. You know, it was a very positive experience all around, and I’m gonna never trade it for the world. So, please do not listen to any rumors.
During her Q&A, Kyla also said she doesn’t regret idol life and that she would do it again if she had the chance. She also stated she still keeps in touch with her fellow Pristin members, debunking any rumors that strain existed in the group.
You can check out Kyla’s full #TeaTimeWithKyla below.
—-Olivia Murray