K-Pop Journalist. Online Editor.
Celebrate Halloween differently this year by dressing up like your favourite K-Pop artists. To help prepare you for the spooky day, here are seven outfits inspired by some of the most popular artists around that will make everyone take notice: 1. SuperM — The K-Pop …
A number of K-Pop acts debut every year, vying for a chance to make it big in the highly competitive industry. But D-Crunch — short for Diamond-Crunch — are hitting the ground running and are ….
K-Pop fans in the UAE were in for a treat on October 17. The weekend kicked off with an unforgettable K-Pop concert featuring Korea’s talented and prolific artists, including boy bands SF9 and Seventeen.
Stand-up comedian and media personality, Wonho Chung, welcomed the first artist of the night at the Korean Brand and Content Expo, with singer Punch captivating fans with her vocal prowess while singing her notable tracks from Korean dramas.
Her performance was followed by duo Beatpella — short for Beatbox and A cappella — and they did not fail to impress with their renditions of ‘Kill This Love’ by BlackPink, Dua Lipa’s ‘New Rules’, as well some BTS songs.
However, one of the most exciting acts of the night was boy group SF9. The all-all-male act fulfilled their fanbase Fantasy’s dreams with hit songs like ‘RPM’, ‘Now or Never’ and ‘O Sole Mio’. Despite Ro Woon not being able to join his bandmates due to filming a drama in Korea, the remaining members kept the energy flowing, especially Da Won who was noticeably wearing an eye patch but managed to pull through.
SF9’s In Seong saying ‘Thank You, I Love You’ in Arabic prior to performing the last song was definitely one of the concert’s highlights.
Award-winning actress Ha Ji Won soon brightened up the stage with her presence and greeted fans before introducing the final performers of the night, Seventeen.
The audience cheered even louder when 13 multinational members made their way to the stage. The born entertainers brought the house down with their explosive energy and highly synchronised choreography that had fans jumping to their feet.
After performing iconic songs like ‘Oh My!’ and ‘Fear’, the versatile K-Pop boy group ended the night just right, with powerful dance song ‘Hit’. .
Based on the concert’s turnout at the Dubai World Trade Center and bringing in talented acts to Dubai to promote Hallyu or Korean wave was proof that’s only getting started.
Client: Gulf News tabloid!
Main image by Virendra Saklani/Gulf News
Since the start of their career, SF9 have showcased creative concepts and sonic styles in the K-Pop scene. It’s hard to deny the nine-member male group has a following in the UAE, seen when #SF9inDubai was one of the trending topics on Twitter in the UAE ….
Seventeen is one of K-Pop’s most dynamic groups and most popular boy act. The multifaceted members will take centrestage in Dubai for the first time. Ahead of their debut performance on October 17 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, here are five things you need …
SF9 is a rising K-Pop act consisting of nine well-rounded members ready to conquer the music scene their own way. As part of their brand ambassador duties for ‘Korea Brand & Content Expo 2019 Dubai’, the members are ready to make their mark in the UAE and capture local fans’ hearts with their presence and performances. Here is what you need to know about 2019’s breakout act:
1. They’re FNC Entertainment’s first male dance-focused act
SF9, or Sensational Feeling 9, is a nine-member act currently signed under FNC Entertainment, home to artists like girl group AOA and pop-rock bands FTISLAND, N.Flying and CNBLUE. With that being said, the nonet is the Korean talent management agency’s first dance-oriented boy band.
2. They’re experimental with their music
The K-Pop group is recognised not only for their stylised and synchronised choreographies but also their diverse, sleekly produced music. Whether it’s their futuristic ‘RPM’, sensuous dark pop ‘Now or `Never’, Latin pop ‘O Sole Mio’, and 60s rock ‘Mamma Mia’, they continue to experiment with diverse genres and sounds in various releases.
Client: Gulf News tabloid!
Nicknamed the Avengers of K-Pop, SuperM made an electric debut with new track ‘Jopping’ and a self-titled mini-album accompanied by a futuristic music video, which was filmed in Dubai over the summer. Within eight hours of its big Hollywood launch, the music video had already …
The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) in Dubai has officially confirmed to Gulf News tabloid! that K-Pop boy groups Seventeen and SF9, South Korean actress Ha Ji Won as well as singer Punch and duo Beatpella will be flying down to Dubai next month. The …
K-Pop fans are diverse, creative and dedicated. Their love is well-documented on social media and is seen through fan-run projects. Whether it’s trending hashtags on Twitter locally or securing a star for their favourite artists on Dubai’s Walk of Fame, avid listeners in the UAE promote Korean pop acts and celebrate the global phenomenon in any way they can.
All this came to the fore last Thursday, as Canadian University Dubai held its very first K-Pop dance competition. I was so honoured to be invited to attend and be part of the judging panel.
The sound of cheering and K-Pop’s hyper-produced earworms echoed down the halls of the institute as I entered the front door.
Predominantly occupied by students, the event was filled by a number of excited fans and attendees. Though the small auditorium didn’t have enough seats for everyone, students were seen gathered around a big TV screen that live-streamed the event at the centre of the building.
Eight soloists and nine groups in colour-coordinated attire took to the stage to showcase K-Pop’s impeccably choreographed dance routines from the industry’s popular soloists and artists, including NCT Dream, Red Velvet, TXT, Jeon Somi, Mamamoo, Chungha, ITZY and more. More than 50 gifted participants wowed the crowd, with some even leaving quite an impression.
Nate K, a preteen contestant, stole the spotlight for his remarkable performance of K-Pop boy group Seventeen’s ‘Don’t Wanna Cry’. Jared’s dance cover of ‘Lie’ by BTS’ Jimin was also a crowd-pleaser mainly for his intricate and expressive movements. There were also groups that brought their A-game like District 9 and Felicity that got the crowd cheering for their in synch, powerful performances to Stray Kids’s ‘Miroh’ and NCT 127’s ‘Cherry Bomb’, respectively.
Critiquing wasn’t a simple task, considering all the young contestants managed to pull off the choreographies in their own way and to the best of their abilities.
Before the winners were announced, Prism, a Dubai-based BTS cover group, took to the stage as the final guest performers, bringing an energetic performance of the septet’s hit song ‘Mic Drop’ featuring Steve Aoki. The auditorium soon filled with the prominent group’s fan chants, proving that BTS’ popularity is unquestionably present in the UAE.
All the contestants didn’t leave empty-handed. The winners were rewarded with prizes while the remaining young participants received certificates for their hard work.
Apart from the live performances, quizzes and random play dance challenges, the student-run event was much more than a competition. It was a celebration of the love for K-Pop that transcends age, gender, culture and language, and showed that the cultural phenomenon truly catapulted listener’s growing interest in the UAE.
Overall, it was memorable and a special experience for all, including myself. K-Pop still exists on the periphery of the local scene and is no doubt making its mark.
Client: Gulf News tabloid!
Images by Antonin Kélian Kallouche/Gulf News
Kevin Woo is not unheard of in the music scene. The California native has been in the K-Pop limelight in over a decade. It all started back when he was first discovered by a Korean talent agency at the age of fifteen and later found success in male outfit U-Kiss — an acronym for Ubiquitous Korean International Idol Super Star — formed in 2008 …..