Tag Archives: CJ ENM

K-Pop Star Kang Daniel Talks Latest Album ‘Act’ and What’s Next

There are two sides to Okay-pop star Kang Daniel. One second the 27-year-old will probably be commanding an viewers as he works the stage, performing his newest single “Electrical Shock,” and the subsequent he’s in a comfy sweater, seemingly a bit extra reserved throughout a Saturday afternoon Zoom from Seoul with The Hollywood Reporter.

Kang has had a while to determine what works greatest for him, as he’s been working within the business because the age of 20. In 2017, he received his begin after successful the second season of Korean music competitors present Produce 101, incomes him a spot within the present’s momentary boy group Wanna One. After a profitable run with the group for a yr and a half, the singer determined to launch his solo profession. His followers, collectively identified now as FLOWD, have been with the performer since day one.

Since then, Kang has had a number of critically acclaimed albums in Korea. He’s additionally acted, making his onscreen debut within the 2022 mini-series Rookie Cops, Disney+’s first Korean authentic sequence. The Okay-pop star additionally hosted the wildly fashionable Korean dance competitors sequence Road Lady Fighter and its equally fashionable spinoffs Road Dance Ladies Fighter and Road Man Fighter.

Now, the singer is again with a brand new EP, Act, having signed with a brand new administration firm, Inventive Spherical Alliance, identified merely as ARA. He joined the company after shuttering his self-founded company Konnect Leisure on account of embezzlement by a serious shareholder.

The singer says it “wasn’t really easy” for him to maneuver on from his earlier firm, however releasing his newest album has virtually felt like he was “restarting” and persevering with his job as an artist once more.

Under, Kang opens up in regards to the course of of constructing his fifth solo album, what an ideal free day appears to be like like for him and what’s subsequent for his music and performing careers.

What was your expertise like making Act? How did you are feeling going via selling the album?

Being a solo artist, I at all times must act for my music movies. This time I performed two roles. It was sort of a brand new expertise for me as effectively. It was a extremely good time capturing my music video.

Have you ever had a favourite a part of the album launch, whether or not or not it’s capturing the music video, performing or anything?

The music video. I imply, that is my job. The music video is a part of my job, however I really feel prefer it’s one thing model new this time.

Do you are feeling that your personal private journey as an artist and as an individual on the earth influences your music?

Normally, once I watch motion pictures or drama [series], I take into consideration music too, although I’m making an attempt to not do my job at any time when I’ve time to loosen up at dwelling. That’s my passion — watching motion pictures and drama sequence — and it makes me think about so much. Typically it’s actually useful to me, that creativeness [it] brings to my work. I may say that this sort of influences my music.

How do you recharge? What do you love to do in your free time?

There’s a variety of methods to recharge. Some individuals exercise or watch motion pictures however, for me, simply staying in my dwelling… I imply house is every part to me. I’ve received cats in my dwelling. I’ve received my laptop in my dwelling. I’ve received TVs in my dwelling. Yeah, simply staying at dwelling.

How are your cats? They’re very cute cats.

They’re actually cute. They’re at all times cute. They’re good.

Do you’ve got any hopes to behave once more sooner or later? Was that one thing you loved and need to attempt once more?

Possibly. If I get the possibility, I’d like to. Once I was capturing [Rookie Cops] for the primary time, I’d really feel actually nervous. However now I really feel comfy. I can do extra stuff.

How do you need to be seen as a performer at this level in your profession? Clearly, since you’re so younger, it’s humorous to say, however you’ve had a protracted profession already. How would you like individuals to see you? Is it completely different than it was?

Thanks. [Laughs]. Thanks for saying that. I like to be myself on stage and in performances, however for me, somewhat than being somebody’s greatest singer of their reminiscence, I need to be a singer of their playlist. That [they] hearken to my music usually. That’s a part of my objective.

For those who may say one thing to your followers at this second in time, what that will be?

To my FLOWD. Sadly, I had no selection and I had a scenario that sadly we modified the fandom title. Even earlier than and even now, I admire all my followers. I wish to say thanks to your assist on a regular basis. I used to be capable of launch this album all due to you, and I’m going to grow to be a cool individual in order that the route that I selected doesn’t deviate out of your creativeness on a regular basis.

Awkwafina to Appear on The CW’s KCON L.A. Live Broadcast

Actress Awkwafina is about to seem throughout The CW‘s upcoming stay broadcast of the 2024 version of KCON Los Angeles, The Hollywood Reporter has completely discovered.

The 36-year-old actress will seem as a particular visitor with host Kim Soo Hyun, a wildly well-liked Korean actor, through the Ok-pop pageant’s primetime broadcast.

Earlier this month, the Nexstar-owned broadcast community and Korean leisure large CJ ENM introduced they had been partnering for the stay broadcast of the KCON L.A.’s Sunday evening live performance, which is about to air at 8 p.m. ET on July 28. The published would be the first time a Ok-pop efficiency present shall be proven on nationwide TV in primetime.

“It is a groundbreaking broadcast for Ok-Pop and the music business and having Awkwafina as a particular visitor for the night is a dream come true,” CJ ENM’s head of music leisure Harry H.Ok. Shin mentioned in an announcement. “Her dynamic persona and presence on stage will add that further layer of pleasure we’re in search of to make the evening one for the entire nation to recollect.”

CJ ENM has additionally introduced that The CW broadcast will embrace a particular pre-recorded stage from boy group Enhypen, together with particular performances from BIBI, Hyolyn, INI, TWS and ME:I. They be part of beforehand introduced performers Jeon Somi, NCT 127, STAYC, Zerobaseone and Zico for the Sunday evening live performance.

Izna, the newly shaped woman group comprised of seven contestants from the lately concluded South Korean music survival present I-Land 2: N/a, had been initially slated to carry out, however the pageant introduced Friday evening that the group shall be unable to take part in KCON L.A. as a result of surprising visa points.

KCON — a worldwide Ok-pop pageant that includes performances and panels — has had a constant presence in Southern California for greater than a decade and considers L.A. to be the flagship occasion of the CJ ENM-produced pageant sequence.

The three-day occasion, going down this 12 months on the Crypto.com Enviornment, L.A. Conference Heart and Gilbert Lindsay Plaza in downtown Los Angeles, provides Ok-pop followers the prospect to see a slew of well-liked teams. Increasing from years previous, KCON plans to make the most of 4 levels: The M Countdown (named after the weekly Korean music present from KCON’s dad or mum firm) stage is inside Crypto.com Enviornment, and the others — together with a showcase stage to introduce L.A. followers to rookie acts who haven’t promoted closely within the U.S. — are on the Conference Heart and plaza.

For daytime programming, the pageant places on fan actions and stay performances, and it ends every day with a live performance at Crypto.com Enviornment. Samsung Galaxy is the title sponsor for this 12 months’s pageant.

The L.A. pageant will happen July 26-28, with tickets obtainable on the pageant’s web site.

CJ ENM Names Jang Kyung ik CEO of Studio Dragon

Korean leisure powerhouse CJ ENM has named veteran govt Jang Kyung ik CEO of its Okay-drama subsidiary Studio Dragon. The appointment was revealed on Monday in Seoul. 

A longtime determine within the Korean leisure panorama, Jang involves CJ ENM from content material investor-distributor Subsequent Leisure World (NEW), the place he served as head of the corporate’s movie division, in addition to president of its not too long ago launched international content material manufacturing subsidiary Studio & NEW. He scored a serious win final 12 months with Studio & NEW’s manufacturing of the Okay-drama motion sci-fi collection Transferring, which grew to become Disney+’s most-watched worldwide streaming collection to this point. 

“With the appointment of Jang, CJ ENM goals to strengthen Studio Dragon’s place as a number one content material studio within the international market,” stated a spokesperson from CJ ENM in an announcement. 

Different highlights of Jang’s tenure at NEW embody hit dramas like Descendants of the Solar and Physician Cha, in addition to function movies like The Nice Battle,” which earned over $41 million. 

Since its launch in 2016, CJ ENM’s Studio Dragon has grow to be a formidable drive in each Korean and international collection creation. With eight drama studio subsidiaries in operation, the corporate has produced 249 collection totaling some 3,928 episodes, together with titles that achieved smash international success because of a former output take care of Netflix, resembling Candy Dwelling, The Glory and Crash Touchdown on You. 

In his new position, Jang will drive the corporate’s ongoing internationalization. In 2019, Studio Dragon launched its first U.S. department in Los Angeles, adopted by the opening of Studio Dragon Japan in 2022. The studio partnered with Apple TV+ and Skydance Media on the English language collection The Large Door Prize, which ran for 2 seasons in 2023 and 2024. The corporate has varied different worldwide co-productions within the works, in addition to U.S. remakes underway of a few of its hit Korean collection, like Crash Touchdown on You and Vincenzo.