Music, music, music
I’ll be updating this page periodically to include music that’s piquing my interest at the moment. Song of the day: “Pretty Baby” by Blondie.
Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
I’ll be updating this page periodically to include music that’s piquing my interest at the moment. Song of the day: “Pretty Baby” by Blondie.
“I knew that I had to have a comeback eventually, because I had promised my fans that I would,โ says the adventurous K-pop star Chung Ha. โThis is what I love to do”
In the Academy Award-nominated film โPast Lives,โ the Korean concept of inyeon is used to lead viewers into believing that Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae-sung (Teo Yoo) are destined to be together โ if not in this lifetime, then in the future. Or perhaps they were together in a distant past that neither can recall. The introduction of the word leaves moviegoers hoping that these two can have a happily-ever-after ending, despite his living in Seoul, 7,000 miles from her apartment in New York City.
The K-pop sensations and TODAYโs latest cover stars open up about self-care, sisterhood, and their new project, โWith YOU-th.โ
Itโs not easy for two well-known celebrities to immerse themselves in their roles so well that we donโt seeย them, but rather their characters. But watching IU’s music video for “Love Wins All,” I didnโt see pop stars IU and V, but rather a pair of anguished characters who were trying desperately to survive in this post-apocalyptic inferno.
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.
I was the first guest of 2024 on Phil Yu and Jeff Yang’s podcast, “They Call Us Bruce.” We discussed K-dramas, BTS, Lee Sun-kyun’s tragic death and how annoying it is when non-Asian members of the media co-opt our stories.
The gore in this K-drama is intense and unrelenting โ so much so that it ironically begins to lose impact. But amidst all the violence are well-developed stories of families, love and patriotism โ and thatโs what prevents this series from being just another horror show.
“BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star” isn’t always easy to watch. Very real issues are discussed, including severe depression that hints at suicidal ideation. But what comes through is that itโs the groupโs hope, friendship, humor and love that binds them together.
What a year for great K-dramas. With so many choices, it was difficult leaving out some of my favorites from this best K-dramas list. As for my top selections, I chose them because each is binge-worthy and features superb acting, well developed storylines that inform and celebrate, and explorations of real-life issues that may be specific to South Korea, but also share universal relevance.