Latest news with #KissofLife
Korea Herald
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Kiss of Life to return with fourth EP '224' next month
The K-pop girl group often called a 'miracle from a small agency' will be dropping their fourth EP '224' on June 9, Kiss of Life's agency S2 Entertainment announced Monday. The teaser video, released via the company's official YouTube channel at midnight, opens with a close-up of Haneul's face, followed by captivating visuals of the other members standing under dramatic lighting. The striking imagery and atmospheric sound design heighten expectations for the upcoming release. Since its debut, Kiss of Life has explored the theme of 'freedom' through music and visuals. With '224,' anticipation is building around the message the group will deliver in this next chapter. Meanwhile, the group is set to hold an encore concert for its first world tour, 'Kiss Road,' at Jangchung Arena in Seoul on July 19 and 20 'The tour began in Seoul and went on to span the globe. We ask for your continued support and anticipation for what Kiss of Life will bring to the stage as it returns to where it all started,' S2 Entertainment said in a statement, Thursday. Kiss of Life kicked off its world tour last October at Olympic Hall in Seoul and has since connected with fans across the US, Europe and Asia. On May 7, the group also released a special digital album titled 'Kiss Road,' capturing their growth as artists and the close bonds they built with their fandom, Kissy, during the tour.
Korea Herald
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Kiss of Life to hold encore in Seoul in July
S2 Entertainment, the agency behind Kiss of Life, announced on Thursday that the group will perform again in Seoul on July 19-20 to conclude its first international tour. The quartet kicked off its 'Kiss Road' tour in Seoul in October and traveled to 39 cities worldwide, including 15 in the US and 12 in Europe. Earlier in May, the group dropped the special digital single titled after the tour to reflect on the journey, fronted by the R&B pop tune, 'Live, Love, Laugh.' The group is expected to return with a new album in June, about eight months after its third EP 'Lose Yourself.' The main track from the 2024 mini album 'Get Loud' came in first place on a television music chart show, while the B-side track 'Igloo' went viral and made Melon's Top 100 Chart.
AsiaOne
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Byeon Woo-seok, Park Eun-bin, Kiss of Life: A peek at their childhood photos on South Korea's Children's Day, Entertainment News
Every year on May 5, South Korea and Japan celebrate Children's Day and some celebrities commemorate the occasion by taking to social media and posting pictures of themselves from their childhood. Here's a look at some Korean stars from when they were cute little ones. Park Eun-bin Today (May 5), actress Park Eun-bin joined in on the fun and posted on Instagram an adorable picture of herself as a young tree-hugger. The 32-year-old is well-known for her versatility in acting, excelling in dramas like Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022) and most recently Hyper Knife. Next up, we will see her in drama series The Wonder Fools starring Cha Eun-woo. Kiss of Life K-pop girl group Kiss of Life shared photos of their younger selves yesterday. On their X page, a chalkboard collage edit was put up of the four girls — Julie, Belle, Natty and Haneul — with short text scribbled in the members' handwriting. In case you missed it, they had an exciting concert in Singapore just two weeks ago and announced that they have a new song coming up. Stay tuned! Byeon Woo-seok Last year, actor Byeon Woo-seok's agency posted on Instagram a scrapbook-style picture of their talents as children, and the Lovely Runner star can be seen dressed stylishly in a beige coat and scarf. Even from such a young age, his fashion sense was already so pronounced. The 33-year-old, who was recently in Singapore to attend an event by Cartier, is set to be the main lead in the upcoming K-drama The 21st Century Grand Prince's Wife starring IU later this year. Jackson Wang He's not Korean but he did make his showbiz debut in the K-pop boy band Got7. On his 31st birthday this year, Jackson Wang's mum posted a picture of him on Instagram and dedicated some sweet words to him. In her post, she wrote: "My dear son, time flies and it's your birthday again... Looking back on the past, you have overcome all obstacles and bravely pursued your dreams. Every step you took has witnessed your transformation and made you the outstanding person you are today. "Use your kindness and tenacity to write your own wonderful chapter, filling the eyes of all those who love you with proud stars. In the new year, I wish that you'll have a healthy body to embrace every morning and evening; I wish your life to be poetic and picturesque, filled with incomparable sunshine and laughter." In March, Jackson hopped on Super Junior Eunhyuk's podcast Hey, Come Here?, where he spoke candidly about quirky moments with Got7 throughout the years. The Hong Kong-born former national fencer even recounted that he once "threw instant rice" when asked to reveal their biggest fight. Twice To borrow the name of one of their hit songs, it's pretty 'Fancy' how the members of K-pop girl group Twice all understood the assignment and dressed the part to recreate their childhood photos. In 2022, the girls made a side-by-side comparison post of themselves on Instagram, donning fits inspired by their kid-selves and in the same poses too! View this post on Instagram A post shared by TWICE (@twicetagram) Just last month, they performed as special guests at Coldplay's Music of the Spheres World Tour concerts in Seoul. They will also embark on their sixth world tour this year. Keep your ears peeled for their tour stops! Ma Dong-seok Actor Ma Dong-seok, also known by his English name Don Lee, posted a video compilation on Instagram last May of himself through the years, from when he was four years old. The 54-year-old will be starring in Pig Village, the first large-scale English-language film to be produced almost entirely in South Korea. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Don Lee 마동석 (@donlee) [[nid:717521]] No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.
AsiaOne
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
'Unlike other K-pop concerts': Small venue means Kiss of Life fans get intimate performance from girl group , Entertainment News
K-pop girl group Kiss of Life certainly lived up to their name at their first concert in Singapore on April 26. The buzz of excitement was hard to miss; inside and outside Capitol Theatre, there were snaking queues to enter the concert hall and of Kissys (their fans) taking pictures of themselves and their photocards. Fervent screams for Julie, Belle, Natty and Haneul echoed through the concert hall every time the girls appeared on the dual screens before the show started, reaching a high when the concert kicked off proper with a flashy entrance for Get Loud. Apart from their hit songs such as Igloo, Sticky and Midas Touch, other highlights of the concert would have to be the girls' solos – especially maknae Haneul's wholesome and energetic performance of Play Love Games. In a ment after their solos, Haneul, who turns 20 next month, said, "Usually I walk beside and through the Kissys, but this time I was right in front of you guys. Seeing our Kissys up close, I also find our Kissys so pretty, so chio." The smaller concert venue proved to be a huge advantage for Kissys, as the girls sashayed down the aisles flanking the standing pen back and forth during No One But Us, serving mega fanservice. Fans could see them up close and Natty even took some of their phones to snap photos and videos of herself and the crowd.
Korea Herald
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Kiss of Life's troubles with 'cultural insensitivity' nothing new in K-pop
Kiss of Life, a K-pop girl group managed by S2 Entertainment, has come under fire for a livestreamed birthday party for one of its members that many viewers found culturally and racially insensitive. The agency issued an official apology the following day and the group later shared a handwritten letter on social media addressing the criticisms. While K-pop agencies have increasingly made efforts to educate their artists on cultural sensitivities, historical context and even regional taboos, such controversies continue to resurface. Kiss of Life livestreamed Julie's birthday party themed around old-school hip-hop on April 2. The content quickly drew fire, as the bandmates appeared dressed in styles associated with Black rappers, mimicked African American Vernacular English and exaggerated gestures, which many of those watching deemed as racially insensitive. Following the backlash, the agency deleted the video and issued an apology, saying, 'We will take a more respectful and careful approach when incorporating cultural elements in the future.' However, the issue continued to grow — particularly among international fans, and the girl group posted another apology via its official social media. 'Our intention was to show how much we loved the genre of old-school hip-hop because it greatly influences our music. … We realize now that our content was culturally insensitive and take full responsibility for our actions and can only promise to do better,' the group wrote. A 33-year-old Black American entertainer based in Seoul pointed out that the biggest issue of Kiss of Life's case isn't necessarily the outfit, but rather the mannerism and acting the girl group exhibited. 'During the clip, they are seen adopting a 'blaccent' and imitating mannerisms they perceive to be stereotypical of Black American women," the entertainer said on condition of anonymity, Monday. "Throughout this, they're often giggling — as if mocking the way Black women interact. As a result, it feels like they see Black American culture as comical rather than inspirational.' Grace Kao, a sociology professor at Yale University, also criticized the video clip. 'Cultural appropriation has to do with members of the majority group taking cultural aspects from a minority group and using it in a disrespectful manner. I think this is a simple example of mocking or a parody of a stereotype. Not a good look for anyone," Kao said. "To many Americans, this would seem like mocking Black hip-hop artists. It does seem disrespectful.' In 2019, Twice was criticized for mosque-like imagery used as a backdrop during a televised performance. Although the concept was said to have been inspired by Disney's 'Aladdin,' the inclusion of Islamic motifs, such as a crescent moon, prompted backlash from Muslim fans who called it culturally insensitive. Mamamoo apoliogized in 2017 after using dark brown makeup to imitate Bruno Mars for a cover of "Uptown Funk," a year after its member Hwasa faced criticism for singing a version of Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" that included a racial slur. Another girl group, Oh My Girl, has also faced repeated criticism for cultural missteps. In 2016, one of its music videos featured a Native American tipi, leading to accusations of cultural appropriation and boycott threats from Indigenous communities in the US. 'K-pop has been going global since the early 2010s, and these controversies have occurred regularly since then — often at least once a year,' said music critic Lee Hee-yun on Monday. 'Given the history, most agencies have become more cautious, so for something like this to happen again points to a clear lack of attention.' An entertainment industry official agreed, calling the agency's oversight 'careless.' 'These days, artists receive detailed cultural training before going on tour — including gender issues, regional sensitivities and even specific gestures to avoid,' the official said. 'It's not just about touring anymore. Platforms like Weverse have increased direct communication between idols and global fans, so agencies have to be much more mindful,' the official added. 'This Kiss of Life incident is clearly a misstep by the company. There have been many similar cases before — Hwasa comes to mind. The group may have had good intentions, but race-related issues are something agencies now educate artists on very thoroughly.' jaaykim@
