Tag: EXO

K-Pop Powerhouse SM Entertainment, Home to NCT 127, SuperM and EXO, Inks With CAA

Jae-Ha Kim

Just weeks after the Korean boy band SuperM held a showcase in Los Angeles, their management company, SM Entertainment, announced that it has signed with CAA for representation in all areas. Founded in 1995 by Soo-Man Lee — one of Variety’s 2019 International Power Players — SM Entertainment’s roster also includes K-pop luminaries NCT 127 (pictured above), EXO, Girls’ Generation, Super Junior and Red Velvet.

New K-Pop Avengers SuperM, Assemble!

Jae-Ha Kim

The K-pop group SuperM kicks off its North American tour on November 11 in Fort Worth, Texas. If you live in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, you’ll have the opportunity to see them perform live. But because they have many fans who don’t live in the cities they’ll be visiting, the group made the decision to shoot “SuperM the Beginning.” The hour-long episodes give fans a taste of their whirlwind debut.

Are They Really Dating?!

Jae-Ha Kim

Since the beginning of time, celebrities have tried to hide their dating status. Part of it was for privacy issues. But there was also a business element. Managers wanted to make it appear as if their clients were available to fans. Certainly, this holds true for K-Pop and K-Drama stars, who are forced to spend an inordinate amount of time evading questions about their love lives.

Idolmakers: D.O., Suzy, Henry, Minho

Jae-Ha Kim

One of the things that has impressed me about K-Pop’s idol system is that it has developed some truly talented actors. They remind me of performers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, when entertainers were trained to sing, dance and act. Two highly-acclaimed K-Dramas — “SKY Castle” and “Memories of the Alhambra” — featured young K-Pop stars in strong co-starring roles. In the former, SF9’s Chani (né Kang Chan-Hee) put in a stellar performance as a high school student framed for murder. In the latter, EXO’s Chanyeol (né Park Chan-Yeol) played a terrified teenage game developer.

“Memories of the Alhambra” (알함브라 궁전의 추억)

Jae-Ha Kim

A unique series that kept me guessing until the end, “Memories of the Alhambra” starts off with a strong, intriguing premise: A teenage videogame developer has created an addictive world of augmented reality (AR), where players interact seamlessly with medieval warriors. Gamers go to real-life places (e.g. restrooms in neighborhood bars) to acquire weapons, which are only visible to people wearing special optical lenses.

Go Away With … Lay

Jae-Ha Kim

Musician/producer Lay is celebrating his recent 27th birthday with the release of his latest solo album, “NAMANANA,” on Oct. 19. Born Yixing Zhang in Hunan, the EXO star recorded each song, including his self-produced single, “Give Me a Chance” — in both English and Mandarin. A workaholic who says he’s happiest when he’s busy, he made his solo United States festival debut this past summer at the Chicago stop of Lollapalooza.

Can you ever be too old for K-Pop?

Jae-Ha Kim

A month ago, KPop For Thought contacted me, asking if I would like to answer a question for her online newsletter about K-Pop. And this is the question she sent me: “I always see you bonding with your son through K-pop on Twitter, and it’s such an amazing thing. In times where some people say that being over 18 is too old to like pop music, could you talk a bit about your experience as a K-pop fan and mother?”

EXO continues to “Growl”

Jae-Ha Kim

Super rookie K-pop boy band EXO continues to raise eyebrows, in a good way. The 12-member boy band was nominated for song of the year, new artist of the year, and top song for dance and electronic music with “Growl” at the Korean Music Awards. The group made its mark in the music industry where its first full-length album “XOXO” (Kiss&Hug) became a million-seller for the first time in 12 years.