K-Pop Journalist. Online Editor.
No one does K-pop concerts like SM Entertainment. From the bright visual stage effects, signature K-pop dance routines, dazzling outfits to a star-studded line-up, the SMTown Live World Tour VI in Dubai was an unforgettable night for K-pop fans. Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumi from Exo’s subunit, Exo-CBX, …
If the frenzy that followed their appearance on Thursday night in Dubai Mall was anything to go by, the K-Pop mania is well and truly here to stay. Ahead of their Friday concert at the Autism Rocks Arena on Friday, SM Town artists spoke about …
After taking off with its first tour in Asia in 2008, SMTown Live, a global performance brand managed by South Korean entertainment agency SM Entertainment, has been held in cities including Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Bangkok, Paris and Seoul.
This is the first time Dubai has been added to the massive K-Pop world tour series.
The SMTown Live World Tour VI in Dubai will include four hours of performances by BoA, TRAX, EXO, Red Velvet, Girls’ Generation, Kangta, Super Junior, SHINee, NCT U, NCT Dream, TVXQ!, f(x) and Henry, as well as musical collaborations and an exclusive EDM section.
Not sure what the fuss is all about? Gulf News tabloid! brings you the A to Z guide on the K-Pop stars that will take over the city.
Kangta — real name Ahn Chil-hyun — is a singer-songwriter, music producer, radio DJ and actor. He was a former member and lead singer of SM Entertainment’s first boy group H.O.T, aka High-five of Teenagers, which was one of the most popular K-pop groups during the late 1990s in South Korea and across Asia.
After the group’s disbandment in 2001, Kangta, who was only 13 years old when first discovered by his agency, pursued a solo career under SM Entertainment.
Client: Gulf News tabloid!
Hundreds of dedicated EXO fans, who go by EXO-L or EXO-LOVE, were eagerly waiting to watch the launch of EXO’s Korean song Power at the Dubai Fountain Show on January 16. Fans of all ages were seen holding EXO’s official fandom light sticks and banners, which read …
Korean pop group Exo aren’t your average boy band. Their well-mannered personality, preternaturally good looks and talents catapulted them into superstar status in Korea and across Asia. Since 2013, they’re the first K-pop group to sell more than one million physical copies with each album, …
At a glance, South Korean boy band Bangtan Boys (BTS) are the complete K-Pop package – they are multi-talented young men with good looks. The seven-member group has recently been conquering music charts, not only in Korea but also in the U.S. Their newly released album, Love Yourself: Her, debuted at No. 7 on Billboard 200 album chart, making it the highest-ranked album by a Korean artist. They also became the highest-charting K-Pop group to land on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart with their title track, DNA.
But, why are they so popular? Well, here’s what makes them stand out from others in the K-Pop industry:
They compose and produce socially-conscious music
BTS, who debuted under agency Big Hit Entertainment in 2013, decided to take on a non-traditional path in music.
“BTS ultimately stands out in K-Pop for their emphasis on singing about relatable and realistic topics,” says Jeff Benjamin, Billboard.com’s K-pop columnist.
The Korean artist tackles personal and controversial subjects – politics, loneliness, mental health, adolescence, even women’s empowerment – that resonated with fans all over the world.
Client: Khaleej Times
When the boy band GOT7 held a fan meeting in Australia late last month, Twitter lit up with a series of hashtags that revealed a growing Australian appetite for catchy K-pop – the music genre originating in South Korea that is a heady mix of catchy …