Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
The K-pop girl group Young Posse released the stunning music video for “Cold” on March 2. It’s by far one of the most meaningful videos I’ve watched in a long time — maybe since K. Will’s “No Sad Song for My Broken Heart” and IU’s “Love Wins All.”
Each of us has our own favorite K-dramas that are informed by our own personal experiences (and access). For instance, I was never able to get my hands on South Korea’s early dramas like “Death Row Prisoner,” which premiered in 1956. Therefore, my picks are influenced by what I’ve seen, which are primarily shows from 2000 onward.
Being No. 1 certainly is an achievement. But what “Study Group” tells us is that the process of learning is the true achievement, and that these small victories are worth celebrating.
“My band and I each have our own dedicated tub of Ben & Jerry’s, which we enjoy with peanut butter at night after the shows,” said Canadian musician LØLØ. “It’s the perfect combination.”
How does the multinational K-pop group AMPERS&ONE communicate? “Konglish all the way!”
Gavin Rossdale is the lead singer and songwriter for the British grunge rock band Bush and an occasional actor (“The Trainer,” “Constantine”). He’s also the host of his own VIZIO WatchFree+ cooking show, “Dinner With Gavin Rossdale,” where he has conversations with guests like Serena Williams, Brooke Shields, Selma Blair, Common and Sir Tom Jones over meals that he prepares for them.
Traveling soon? These are some of the places my family and I have stayed. Some were amazing, while others were just meh. If you’ve got a recommendation for me, be sure to leave a comment and let me know.
This emotionally-engaging show is less of a rom-com than it is a slice-of-life K-drama that explores how familial loss greatly impacts who we are today.
“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.”
There is a lot going on in “Bogotá: City of the Lost” — shootings, explosions, backstabbing. But when it’s all over, you realize that it was mostly much ado about nothing.
“Sometimes I’ll write a TV or feature project for a specific location, just to have an excuse to go stay there,” said “Nightbitch” actress Adrienne Rose White. “I co-wrote a feature script set in Salton Sea after I saw these gorgeous photos of this lake in a desolate desert. And now that you’ve asked, I think I’ll set my next feature in Fiji.”
An interview with the Korean German actor on why he joined the cast of “The Recruit”
Born and raised in Germany, educated in the United States and now based out of South Korea, BAFTA Awards-nominated actor Teo Yoo (“Past Lives,” “Decision to Leave”) doesn’t take any of his success for granted. He had already spent many years turning down parts that cast Asian characters in a disparaging light. In his latest role in the espionage series “The Recruit,” he plays Jang Kyu, a South Korean intelligence agent, who teams up with Noah Centineo.
The Korean-Australian singer-songwriter Hannah Bahng is winning fans with her confessional indie-rock songs. My latest exclusive for Rolling Stone.
“Taking care of yourself is one of the boldest acts of love you can commit, to yourself and to the people around you. It’s not selfish. It’s necessary,” said “Sprinter” musician Cat Ridgeway.
“Even before I knew I was going to get to play the part, I was very excited when I saw the breakdown of the character,” said “XO, Kitty” star Gia Kim. “She was described as this queer, Korean, queen bee. I’ve never seen that combination in a character before. There are so many aspects to her that I thought, ‘She’s gonna just be a whole new archetype of a character. And I’m so thankful it was me who got cast to play her.’”
“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.”
“I visited the Philippines for the first time when I was 12, for a cousin’s wedding,” “The Pitt actress Amielynn Abellera remembered. “I don’t think I was conscious of it at the time, but deep down, I think I was expecting to have a pivotal experience with a deeply shared connection to the people, culture and land. Upon arrival, however, I felt disconnected, isolated and even more of a minority than I ever had. I didn’t speak the language, the locals treated me differently and put me on a pedestal because I was an American.”
NPR invited me back on their Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast to discuss the second season of the Korean series “Squid Game.”
“I grew up in San Diego during the ’50s, and it was a racist environment then,” said Academy Award nominated actress Margaret Avery. “I was taught at an early age that a colored girl must work 10 times harder than the whites. People that looked like me could not purchase homes in certain neighborhoods. Articles in the local papers about colored people were limited to stories of crime.”