Latest news with #C-pop
Hype Malaysia
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
Haidilao Teases Possible Collab With C-pop Group WayV; Will They Be Coming To Malaysia?
Haidilao Malaysia recently announced a collaboration with GOT7 member Jackson Wang in support of his new album, 'MAGIC MAN 2'. The partnership features rotating merchandise, from collectable photocards to plush pillows, offered as part of a special set meal curated by the superstar himself. However, it seems the popular hotpot chain has no plans to slow down, as they are now preparing for an upcoming collaboration with a C-pop idol group, which also happens to be a sub-unit of K-pop boyband NCT. Here's what we know so far about the partnership: On Tuesday (22nd July), the brand shared a teaser featuring the silhouettes of a five-member boy group. 'A major collaboration is about to be revealed! 🔥 With a blazing rhythm, a special encounter is heading your way 🎼 Get ready to share a vibrant summer with them — only at Haidilao! ✨,' the company wrote on social media. As expected, fans flocked to the comments section to submit their guesses on who the mystery artists might be. The majority, however, had one group in mind: WayV (威神V/웨이션브이). As with previous instances, this speculation arose after fans recognised the members' silhouettes, which matched a pose from one of the group's promotional photos for their single 'BIG BANDS'. So, does this mean the idols will be coming to Malaysia soon? Fans have expressed their excitement, with many hoping that WayV might make a special appearance. However, while the anticipation is high, there has been no official indication that the group will be visiting Malaysia for an event. It remains unclear whether this collaboration will follow the same format as Haidilao's current partnership with Jackson Wang. Still, that hasn't stopped fans from urging the hotpot brand to organise an event that would give them the chance to see the Chinese stars in person. Perhaps, with enough demand, more exciting news could be on the horizon. For now, however, we'll just have to wait for the official announcement. What do you think the collaboration could be? Here's the full post: Source: Instagram
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Why is she smiling?' Former EXO idol Kris Wu's accuser Du Meizhu draws backlash for 'gleeful' tone while recalling sexual assault
Content warning: This article contains discussions of sexual assault that may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised. The name Kris Wu once echoed through stadiums and fan hearts, however, now, when one talks about the former EXO idol, it leaves a bad taste to the mouth. The singer is currently sitting behind bars, serving a 13-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2022 for multiple sexual offenses, including rape. His downfall began in 2021 when Chinese influencer Du Meizhu, then just 17, publicly accused the Chinese-Canadian singer of date-raping her. Her brave revelation sent shockwaves through the C-pop and K-pop communities - and sparked a flood of similar allegations from more than 20 other women, eventually leading to Wu's arrest and conviction. Du Meizhu recalls the incident with Kris Wu Now, years later, Du Meizhu has returned to the public eye, and her latest appearance has ignited a new wave of controversy. In an interview on an online talk show, the now 23-year-old influencer gave a chilling, detailed account of the night she claims changed her life forever. She recounted playing cards with Kris Wu and a group of acquaintances, where alcohol flowed freely. "Kris was very nice about it and even offered to help me drink," she recalled. "He came across as a kind, older guy - very gentlemanly." But as she became more intoxicated, things took a dark turn. Meizhu said Kris' female manager led her to a room to rest. She remembered a man lying beside her, whispering, "Baby, I really like you," before kissing her and walking away. She believes she was later taken to another location - where the alleged assault took place. "When I woke up, we were in bed together. I was dizzy, confused. It had never happened to me before. I wanted to leave, but he held me back," she said Kris tried to calm her down and proposed they become a couple, promising to take responsibility. "I felt like I could only pick the second option," she said, referring to accepting the relationship rather than confronting the trauma. Netizens unhappy with Du Meizhu's confession about Kris Wu However, what was meant to be a vulnerable confession has sparked fierce debate - not over the sexual assault, but her demeanour. Many viewers were taken aback by her tone, calling out her "smiling" and "gleeful" expressions during the segment. "Why is she smiling?" one Weibo user asked bluntly. Another added, "She doesn't come off like the victim. She sounds almost excited." Some even questioned her motives and timing: "Why bring this up again four years later?" It's not the first time Meizhu's credibility has come under fire. Her former boss once accused her of exploiting a male model, calling her "not a good person." Even her former best friend sided with Kris Wu, alleging that Meizhu had once bragged about dating the idol and planned to use the scandal for financial gain. However, there were also many who rallied behind her, slamming the backlash as classic victim-shaming. "So now victims aren't allowed to smile? Do we want them to cry on cue?" one user wrote. Another said, "This reaction just proves how little society understands trauma." As the debate rages on, one thing is clear: the Kris Wu saga continues to haunt the entertainment world - not just for what happened, but for how the world chooses to respond. For all the latest K-drama, K-pop, and Hallyuwood updates, keep following our coverage here.
Korea Herald
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Once on stage, now behind scenes: Kim Su-bin blends idol insight with songwriting craft
With over 400 songs to his name, Kim says understanding each idol's voice and story is key to great K-pop When Kim Su-bin debuted in 2013 as a member of the K-pop boy band Say Yes, he was 27 — an unusually late age in an industry built on youth. 'Most idols debut in their teens or early 20s and I was considered too old,' Kim said during an interview with The Korea Herald on May 8. 'So I signed a five-year contract instead of the usual seven.' Now 38, Kim has transitioned from idol to full-time songwriter and producer. He has written more than 400 songs across K-pop, J-pop and C-pop — credits that include Super Junior's 'Super,' Exo-CBX's 'Gentleman' and Twice's recent track 'Dive.' But long before he took the stage, he was producing behind the scenes. 'I was already writing songs in 2008,' Kim said. 'Back then, collaboration between songwriters wasn't common in Korea. Usually it was just one or two people. I did both producing and toplining on my own and recorded demos in my own voice.' One of those demos landed on the desk of Kim Chang-rak, then-CEO of Music Factory, who offered Kim the opportunity to debut in a band. 'I thought it was an interesting proposal,' he said. 'So I started training and after about two years, I debuted with Say Yes.' His time as an idol, Kim says, taught him far more than how to perform — it reshaped the way he writes music today. 'I learned how singers manage their vocal positioning, how they sing while dancing, how diction varies depending on mouth shape,' he said. 'Before I became a singer, I had trouble writing songs for others. I didn't know how to accommodate those differences. But now I understand which melodies are right for which voice, and what makes a song easier to perform. That insight helps determine whether something becomes a title track or not.' Understanding idols as individuals is just as important as understanding their voices, which Kim says is something most producers overlook. 'A lot of songwriters don't even know the members' names,' he said. 'But I was an idol, so I studied other groups a lot. If another idol did something cool on stage or had a unique singing style, I'd keep that in mind. The skills I picked up back then help me today, especially when directing vocals. I know what makes the artist more comfortable and how to bring out their best.' Kim has also watched the way K-pop songwriting has changed, especially as the industry has gone global. 'In the early 2010s, Korean producers usually worked solo,' he said. 'Maybe we'd hire a guide vocalist, but collaboration wasn't part of the culture. Around the mid-2010s, that started to change. More global collaborations happened — entertainment companies, publishers, song camps, sessions. It became a system.' These days, song creation is a structured, collaborative process. There's the producer, who creates the instrumental base; the topliner, who writes the vocal melody; and the lyricist, who provides the lyrics. Sometimes the lyricist is the topliner, sometimes not. 'Mixing is like cooking, (it's) combining ingredients to make a delicious dish,' Kim explained. 'Mastering is like inflating that dish so it's louder and more impactful. Damping gives the track more punch and clarity.' While some songs are created in one-on-one settings, K-pop's competitive ecosystem often means producers distribute tracks to multiple collaborators globally. 'Sometimes the company or publisher sends a track to top musicians in several countries. Sometimes it's sent to close topliners directly,' Kim said. 'On average, about five people work on one track, usually more topliners than producers, and most of the time, topliners also write the lyrics.' Because idol groups often have multiple members, variety in vocal tone is key, which is why working with different topliners can elevate a song. 'We work from a shared reference point. It could be a musical color, a universe building concept, a lyrical theme, even the fandom's name,' he said. 'The lead producer ensures everyone stays in the same lane. Usually, whoever has the most experience takes that role.' So, what's trending in K-pop right now? Kim points to a return of early-2000s sounds. 'People are getting tired of overly digitalized music,' he said. 'There are a lot of new groups embracing 2000s-style production. The girl group Kiss of Life is a good example.' One song that stood out to him was the group member Natty's solo song 'Sugarcoat,' released in 2023. 'I was shocked when I heard it,' he said. 'It's the kind of music I grew up listening to. The trend has come full circle. I think what's popular now is expressing old-school sound in a Gen Z way.' Today, Aiming Music, the label Kim founded seven years ago, works with 17 songwriters, including many from outside Korea. And he's recently noticed something new: more American producers are showing interest in K-pop. 'Ten years ago, most international songwriters we worked with were from Sweden,' Kim said. 'These days, it changes daily. There's still a lot of activity from Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and New Zealand. Even Germany and the UK. But since last year, there's been a clear uptick in interest from the US.' The reason? More K-pop groups are touring the US, and the economics still make sense. 'It used to be hard to connect with American songwriters,' he said. 'But now that more idols tour the US, there's more interest. And in Korea, physical albums are still printed, so writers can earn from CD printing, unlike the US or Europe, where streaming dominates and physical sales are rare. That might be another reason.' In this series, The Korea Herald sits down with some of the key behind-the-scenes creatives in K-pop — the producers and songwriters shaping the sound of a global phenomenon — to hear their stories, trace their career paths and explore their insights into the industry's evolving trends. -- Ed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jolin Tsai to release new album in May
4 Apr - Seven years after her last album, "Ugly Beauty", Jolin Tsai revealed that she will be releasing her new album in May. The Taiwanese queen of C-pop shared the good news at the press conference of a well-known beauty brand in Shanghai, saying that the album cover and the music video have already been shot in Los Angeles. "Wait one more month. One more month and we can sing new songs together!" she enthused. She stated that the new album, her 15th overall, is of great significance to her and something that she had never tried before and had always wanted to explore. "Even the makeup style is different. It will be quite in line with the concept," she said. At the same time, Jolin also plans to go on tour to promote the album, adding, "It won't be in the first half of the year. The first half of the year is for the album release." It was back in December last year that Jolin revealed she has completed the recording of her new album. (Photo Source: Jolin IG)
Korea Herald
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
BlingOne China aims to bridge K-pop and C-pop
BlingOne China, a franchise girl group formed through the World K-Pop Center's global audition project 'Click the Star,' is setting out to serve as a bridge between K-pop and C-pop, Chinese pop, blending elements from both industries. The six-member group -- Ranee, Katrina, Sandy, Cassie, Junny and Chloe -- held a press showcase in Seoul on Wednesday to introduce their debut digital single, 'Bubble Gum.' The event took place a day before their official Korean debut on Thursday. "Bubble Gum" is a hybrid K-pop track that merges an energetic hip-hop dance beat with bright, lively synth sounds. The song also incorporates a melodic theme from an 1829 classical overture, making it easy for people of all ages to sing along. It is released in both Korean and Mandarin versions. BlingOne China's members arrived in Korea in September 2023 after passing a highly competitive audition process in China. Out of 1,000 hopefuls, only 17 candidates were initially selected. After three months of intensive training and evaluations, six finalists made it to debut. Unlike many K-pop groups that aim for global fame, BlingOne China's focus is on promoting both Korean and Chinese cultures through music. The group emphasizes that while they were trained under a K-pop system, they do not strictly identify as either a K-pop or a C-pop group. "Since we were formed through 'Click the Star' in China, we represent China among the 32 participating countries. It would be great if we could establish ourselves as Chinese K-pop ambassadors,' said member Chloee. Another member, Cassie, highlighted China's long artistic traditions as a strength that could enrich their performances. 'China has a rich history and deep artistic traditions. With this background, we can blend diverse influences and showcase them on the global stage,' she said. 'As Chinese members, we see K-pop -- an internationally popular medium -- as a great opportunity to share our unique charm with the world,' Cassie added. BlingOne China will begin its musical promotions this week with performances on Korean music programs including "Music Bank," "Show! Music Core," and "M! Countdown." The group will then travel to China next week to officially debut in their home country. Meanwhile, Seoul's World K-Pop Center aims to launch 32 girl groups worldwide through 'Click the Star' over the next five years. Each group, composed entirely of nationals from their respective auditioning countries, will debut under the BlingOne brand with their country name attached. The project began with BlingOne Peru, which debuted in June 2023. The second season, originally planned for Mongolia, was postponed due to contractual issues.
