logo
1Verse debuts with diverse background, single vision

1Verse debuts with diverse background, single vision

Korea Herald5 days ago
1Verse, a multinational K-pop group whose members include North Korean defectors, officially debuted on Friday
1Verse, another ambitious rookie group, embarked on a musical journey on Friday with its first album 'The 1st Verse.'
The five-member group consists of Hyuk and Seok -- both of whom were born in North Korea and later defected to South Korea -- along with Japanese member Aito; Kenny, who is Chinese American; and Nathan, a Laotian-Thai American.
The group name, 1Verse, means each member brings their unique 'verse' to form a unified 'universe' of stories and identity. 'It can be lonelier as a verse, but together we can form a song. It means we each bring stories and verses from our lives, and make our own universe together,' said Kenny during the press conference held in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Friday.
'Shattered,' the main track of the group's debut single "The 1st Verse," blends hip-hop energy with pop sensibility, featuring aggressive rap verses, catchy hooks and emotional melodies. The group said the song expresses the chaos and confusion one feels when 'the whole room seems to fall apart.'
'We tried to depict that through raw lyrics and explosive sounds,' said Kenny, who participated in the songwriting.
Hyuk added with a smile, 'Our CEO made me record the rap verse 11 or 12 times. It was fun, but painful.'
'Everyone goes through a moment when their world feels like it's falling apart. Our members have been there too, and we tried to reflect that in the lyrics,' he said.
Prerelease track 'Multiverse,' which was released on July 4, is a retro-flavored, bright pop track. Hyuk participated in songwriting and lyric writing, while Aito created choreography.
'The message of this song is 'I will love you in every version of the world, in every version of you.' It's something we want to say to ourselves, but especially something we want to tell our fans. You deserve to be loved,' explained Aito.
Though not included in the album, the group also performed 'Ordinary Person,' a track composed by Hyuk and originally released as a mixtape on YouTube before the group's debut. The song reflects his powerful desire to 'live like an ordinary person' after defecting from North Korea.
Hyuk defected from North Korea in 2013 at the age of 13, while Seok defected in 2018, when he was 18.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

[Exclusive] Big Bang's T.O.P talks with CJ ENM for solo comeback
[Exclusive] Big Bang's T.O.P talks with CJ ENM for solo comeback

Korea Herald

time4 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

[Exclusive] Big Bang's T.O.P talks with CJ ENM for solo comeback

Industry source says rapper is considering several partners for solo album slated for late 2025 T.O.P, a former member of K-pop boy band Big Bang, is said to be in discussions with CJ ENM over a potential exclusive contract to support his solo career, according to an industry source Wednesday. The rapper spoke last month about his plans to return as a solo artist this year during a promotional interview with an international media outlet. He is currently not signed to any agency. 'T.O.P is in talks with CJ ENM for a solo contract, including plans for a new solo album scheduled for release in the second half of this year,' the source told The Korea Herald on condition of anonymity. 'But among global music distributors, CJ ENM is just one of several options he is considering.' CJ ENM is a major Korean entertainment company with music subsidiaries under its wing such as WakeOne Entertainment and Stone Music Entertainment. It also operates Lapone Entertainment, a joint venture with the Japanese conglomerate Yoshimoto Kogyo, known for producing K-pop groups with Japanese members. It remains unclear which specific label under CJ ENM is involved in the talks. When asked for comment, CJ ENM denied any such discussions. 'There have been no talks regarding an exclusive contract or comeback with T.O.P,' a CJ ENM official said. T.O.P parted ways with YG Entertainment in February 2022 after his exclusive contract ended, and in May 2023, he officially withdrew from Big Bang, stating he was entering a new chapter in his life. Since then, he has been pursuing solo activities independently — mostly acting. The rapper-turned-actor made his return to the screen last December in Netflix's 'Squid Game' Season 2, playing a former rapper named 'Thanos.' It marked his first major public appearance since receiving a suspended prison sentence in 2017 for marijuana use — a case that led to a hiatus from the entertainment industry and his eventual departure from Big Bang. In a local interview earlier this year, T.O.P publicly apologized for the controversy, signaling a desire to resume his career. 'For the past 10 years, I've only been going back and forth between my home and my music studio,' he said in January. 'I made a lot of songs. There's no exact release plan yet, but I do have something in mind for the near future." While he has yet to release any new music, fans have been anticipating a musical comeback. His most recent solo release was the single 'Doom Dada,' which dropped in November 2013. Meanwhile, Big Bang is set to mark its 20th anniversary next year. The iconic group first burst onto the K-pop scene in August 2006 and went on to become one of its most influential acts.

Korean selected as guest language of 2026 Avignon Festival
Korean selected as guest language of 2026 Avignon Festival

Korea Herald

time6 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

Korean selected as guest language of 2026 Avignon Festival

Next year's French festival to spotlight performing arts beyond K-culture hype The Avignon Festival, one of the world's most vibrant performing arts festivals, announced Wednesday that it has selected Korean as its official guest language for the 2026 edition. This is the first time an Asian language has been chosen as the guest language. 'The Avignon Festival welcomes an Asian language that is now enjoying worldwide popularity. South Korean culture fascinates the world: K-pop, cinema, series, literature. But beyond this soft power, we want to show the richness of Korean performing arts,' the Avignon Festival said in its announcement on Facebook on Tuesday. Held annually in July in the historic city of Avignon, the festival, founded in 1947, attracts more than 100,000 visitors and showcases performances spanning theater, dance, music and interdisciplinary works. The guest language initiative was introduced by current artistic director Tiago Rodrigues to spotlight the arts and culture of a specific linguistic region. The previous guest languages were English (2023), Spanish (2024) and Arabic (2025). With the guest language selected, a slew of Korean theater works are expected to be invited to the festival's IN (main) program. The Korea Arts Management Service, as the official partner, is working closely with the Avignon Festival on a co-curated program. Whereas the OFF section is open to independent participation, the IN program is curated by the festival. This will mark the first time in 28 years that Korean works are officially invited to the IN program, following the 1998 'Desire of Asia (Desir d'Asie)' project. Rodrigues' decision follows his visit to Korea in October 2023, when he attended the Seoul Performing Arts Festival, organized by KAMS. During the trip, he also performed his work "By Heart," a piece centered on memorizing poetry. "There's something about the power of trying to translate, trying to understand the other, which is extremely important nowadays in theater — but also in society,' Rodrigues said in the 2023 interview with The Korea Herald. 'This is a rare opportunity to share the emotional depth, experimental energy and spirit of Korean performing arts with the world,' said Kim Jang-ho, president of KAMS. 'Through continued exchange between Avignon and SPAF, we aim to strengthen the international ecosystem for Korean performing arts and expand cultural dialogue through the medium of language.'

Iconic Korean variety shows gear up for major comebacks
Iconic Korean variety shows gear up for major comebacks

Korea Herald

time6 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

Iconic Korean variety shows gear up for major comebacks

12th season of 'Show Me the Money,' global rollouts of 'Physical: 100,' season 2 of 'Culinary Class Wars' confirmed for broadcast Legendary Korean reality and competition series are making a comeback — with fresh casts, revamped formats and ambitious global editions in the pipeline. Mnet confirmed on Monday that "Show Me the Money" will return for its 12th season. The popular rap competition series, credited with catapulting Korean hip-hop back into the mainstream and launching the careers of breakout stars like Loco, Bobby and Basick, is set to begin production next month. A recent teaser released on YouTube hints at the show's comeback with imagery referencing the number 12, drawing parallels to the 12 months of the year, zodiac signs, and musical notes, under the tagline: 'The world is completed by 12.' The new season marks the show's return after a three-year hiatus. Season 11 made headlines in 2022 with a record-breaking 30,000 applicants and a win by rapper Lee Young-ji, the first female champion in the show's history. According to Mnet, casting for Season 12 is now underway. Meanwhile, Netflix is doubling down on its hit competition series "Physical: 100," announcing a slate of international editions alongside the upcoming third season. Created by MBC producer Jang Ho-gi, the reality series, whose first season set record in 2023 as the first Korean series to top Netflix's global non-English TV rankings, pits 100 contestants against each other in a series of physically demanding quests to determine the ultimate competitor. Set to premiere later this year, the show's third season, titled "Physical: Asia," will be a region-wide showdown featuring national teams from across the continent. Among the confirmed participants is Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, who will represent the Philippines. Netflix is aiming for a full-scale franchise rollout, with the platform announcing on July 16 that "Physical: 100 USA" has been confirmed for production. The US edition will feature 100 contestants, including athletes, fitness professionals and military personnel, from across North America. Netflix has also announced that a European version of the program is in development. Also returning is the fan-favorite culinary survival show "Culinary Class Wars," with season 2 set to stream on Netflix in the latter half of the year. The series topped Netflix's non-English TV chart following its debut and recently took home best entertainment program honors at the Blue Dragon Series Awards, held Friday. Although filming for season two has been complete, specific details, including the new season's theme, cast and filming schedule, remain under wraps. Meanwhile, speculation has been swirling around the possible return of celebrity judge and food mogul Paik Jong-won, who has recently come under scrutiny for a series of controversies. Paik has faced public criticism following accusations of workplace misconduct and food regulation violations, including allegations of mislabeling the country of origin on food products. A former MBC producer also accused Paik of disruptive behavior during the production of "My Little Television." Netflix has confirmed that season 2 of Culinary Class Wars will premiere later this year as planned, but declined to comment on whether Paik will return.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store