K-DRAMA REVIEWS (INDEX)
SUBSTACK is the space where I curate my reviews and views about Korean-centric things happening in the pop culture realm (and beyond) that pique my interest…and I hope yours, too. Won’t you join me?
Tag: K-pop
Taz Singh: How an Indian actor from Scotland Found Himself Cast in RM’s “Lost!” Music Video
“It’s not just about BTS’s music,” said Indian-British actor Taz Singh. “It’s deeper than that. They stand for values like self love, and they’re very real and vulnerable. I feel that is why so many people can relate and connect to them so well.”
An Exclusive Interview with AMPERS&ONE
How does the multinational K-pop group AMPERS&ONE communicate? “Konglish all the way!”
Go Away With … Chung Ha
“My trip to Paris was extra special because it was my mom’s first time seeing me perform overseas, and it was right around my birthday, ” said “Alivio” musician Chung Ha. “I have so many good memories of wonderful trips. New York. Florida. The small towns in Italy were so beautiful, like a fairytale. And Jungfrau in Switzerland. The scenery there felt unreal.”
Musician KINO Had to Lose Himself Before Figuring Out Who He Really Is
“Eight years in this industry, I think I lost myself,” said KINO, who first found fame as a member of the K-pop group PENTAGON. “And right now, I am trying to figure out who I really am.” Read my exclusive interview with the Korean artist, who just released “Skyfall.”
Big Ocean: Meet the Deaf K-Pop Group That’s Breaking Barriers
Big Ocean’s Hyunjin, Chanyeon, and Jiseok talk about their remarkable journey and what they want to do next. My latest exclusive for Rolling Stone.
Behind the Scenes of K-pop
I was one of the speakers at the University of Southern California’s “Behind the Scenes of K-pop” — an all-day symposium featuring insiders and experts who fostered conversations about the art, culture, business, and the future of K-pop.
Go Away With … Hannah Bahng
With her debut record, “The Abysmal EP,” indie artist Hannah Bahng showcases the kind of lyrical maturity that belies her youth. Her ethereal track, “Tonight’s the Night I Die to a Frank Ocean Song,” is a contemplative number that reflects on a real-life traumatic airplane incident. “I know it sounds kind of cringey,” the Australian singer-songwriter-keyboardist said. “But that song was written to come to terms with my own existence.”
Go Away With … IVE
While the U.S. leg of IVE’s ‘Show What I Have’ world tour is over, the pop group will return to Chicago on Aug. 3 to make their Lollapalooza debut. While preparing for the festival, the group’s members said it was important to them to create a unique set so that their show is enjoyable for both fans and newcomers who may not be familiar with their music.
Go Away With … CIX
After debuting in 2019, the K-pop quintet CIX has had the opportunity to travel around the world, which the group acknowledges as a fun perk of their job. “I try to explore each city as our schedule allows,” said group leader and rapper BX.
TWICE is determined to keep rising — but they’ll never stop having fun
The K-pop sensations and TODAY’s latest cover stars open up about self-care, sisterhood, and their new project, “With YOU-th.”
Go Away With … KEEHO of P1Harmony
“When you’re in a new country by yourself, there’s nothing greater for character development than putting yourself out there,” said P1Harmony leader Keeho. “Having traveled so much as a kid helped me adapt to new environments. Honestly, it was not difficult for me when I moved to Korea. There was some culture shock, but it was overall just fun for me.”
Sistar19: Inside the K-Pop Duo’s Comeback
Hyolyn and Bora talk about their first new music in seven years, how K-pop has changed over the years, and their dreams for the future. My latest article in Rolling Stone magazine.
Go Away With … EVERGLOW
“We wanted to convey a message of hope to girls all around the world that they are capable of achieving anything they want,” said EVERGLOW group leader SIHYEON. Her bandmate E:U added, “With [our single] ‘SLAY,’ we wanted to send an encouraging message for all girls who are stuck in their own boundaries to step forward with confidence.”
Go Away With … Jessi
Born in New York, Jessica Ho was 14 years old when she moved to South Korea by herself to jump-start her music career. Because of her young age, Jessi – as she’s known professionally – lived with her grandmother, attended school and signed with a Korean music company. “My father hadn’t wanted me to go, because I was so young,” said the singer, rapper and on-air personality
Go Away With … xikers
Less than seven months after xikers debuted, the 10-man Korean pop group has already released two EPs and is currently on their first headlining world tour – which includes a Chicago concert at the Patio Theater on October 24.
Go Away With … Jinkwon
It is a stiflingly hot day in Seoul. But when Kim Jin-kwon – known professionally as Jinkwon – arrives for an interview at the Somerset Palace in the heart of the city, he appears cool in every sense of the word. The college student, 22, has a lot on his plate. Besides being the leader of the K-pop group Newkidd, he’s an actor who’s currently filming a new series.
Go Away With … Eric Nam
Eric Nam graduated from Boston College, worked as a business analyst at Deloitte Consulting in New York, co-founded the platforms DIVE Studios and Mindset … and is set to embark on a 7-month world tour to promote his latest album “House on a Hill.”
The 100 Greatest Songs in the History of Korean Pop Music
What follows is not only the story of Korean popular music, and how it birthed the K-pop business, but also how a small peninsula nation learned how to make art in the face of colonialism and political change, culled sonics from all corners of the globe, and keeps striving to find new ways of distilling the purest, most thrilling aspects of the human experience into four-minute packages of pop revelation. For Rolling Stone.
Go Away With … B.I
A rapper, singer, songwriter and producer, Kim Han-bin has been known professionally as B.I since his 2015 debut with the South Korean group iKON. The multi-hyphenate musician is a solo artist now and is promoting his latest album, “To Die For.” That title along with the promotional poster’s YOLO message – dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today – may lead people to speculate that the 26-year-old musician’s own mortality was on his mind when he composed his songs.