Samantha Lui 呂詠琛

Singer-songwriter eaJ on the importance of not staying silent The Korean American opens up about speaking out on Gaza, mental health and being a source of support for fans.

Spoke with singer-songwriter eaJ about music, mental health and why he’s using his platform to speak out on Gaza.

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Fans of K-pop group P1Harmony scramble for surprise meet at Toronto park after concert postponed | CBC News Toronto fans of the K-pop group P1Harmony were greeted with a surprise fan meeting at Trinity Bellwoods Park Wednesday evening.

K-Pop group P1Harmony held an impromptu fan meet last night at Toronto's Trinity Bellwoods Park after the band's concert got postponed due to a system outage at the Canada-U.S. border. I was there to see Markham's KEEHO give thanks to his hometown fans! My piece for CBC News:

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How Toronto Director Maggie Kang Created a Hit With ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ - RepresentASIAN Project “It’s been really cool to go from where I had to hide my K-pop love to see Korean culture so globally embraced.”

Who knew the mastermind behind 'KPop Demon Hunters' is a fellow Torontonian? I chatted with co-director Maggie Kang about making the biggest film of the summer and how she tapped into her Korean culture to create a story that is now being embraced across the globe.

Is Jackson Wang really everywhere? Or is it good marketing?

Is Jackson Wang everywhere? Or is he just an expert at marketing? I take a look at his promotional run for his new album MAGICMAN 2, and write about why more artists should take notes.

bunnipop.substack.com/p/is-jackson...

In Amsterdam, Jin of BTS created a giant hangout with fans From telepathy games to sing-alongs, #RunSeokjin_Ep.Tour was part concert, part variety show

I took a train from Berlin to Amsterdam to catch Jin close off his first solo tour. On my newsletter, I write about how the BTS member created the vibe of a giant hangout with friends.

The new BTS Army doc, and the case for why Sean Feucht should play in Canada YouTube video by Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

I was a guest on CBC’s Commotion last week, reviewing the new documentary “BTS ARMY: Forever We Are Young.” I love talking about K-pop and how it intersects with fandom. Grateful for the opportunity. www.youtube.com/live/iz4eAax...

Screenshot of a headline about Justin Trudeau maybe dating Katy Perry and I’d have to pay to read the article which was sobering and I am grateful

Have never felt more looked out for by a paywall

Jackson Wang Talks 'MAGICMAN 2,' Reunion With GOT7 & His Life-Changing Year Off | GRAMMY.com With his new album, the Chinese multi-hyphenate unleashes his most personal chapter to date. Wang details how he found strength and purpose through 'MAGICMAN 2': "I don't want to compromise anymore."

'MAGICMAN 2' is the most personal Jackson Wang has ever been in his music. I spoke to the Chinese singer about his new era, making music on his own terms and a life changing year-off.

Read more for The Recording Academy.

When K-pop fans were the guinea pigs for Toronto's new temporary stadium "We're legit in the middle of nowhere," said Stray Kids leader Bang Chan

Delayed, but hopefully still interesting! I wrote about the new Rogers Stadium. I discuss the lack of attention paid to K-Pop fans’ very legit concerns about the venue, and how mainstream outlets only started caring when it was time for Coldplay to play a show.

Meet f5ve, the hyperpop queens turning up the J-pop world The quintet chat about working with BloodPop on their latest album 'SEQUENCE 01', speaking up against beauty standards and their brilliant social media game

J-pop group f5ve is having a moment, from their meme-worthy social media content to releasing hyperpop bangers. I spoke to the quintet about their latest album 'SEQUENCE 01', speaking up against beauty standards and their playful sense of humour.

Read more: bunnipop.substack.com/p/meet-f5ve-...

From Coming Out on Stage to Taking Music Risks, JUST B is Leading a New Era for K-Pop - RepresentASIAN Project In an interview, JUST B’s Geonu and Bain open up about hardships, building resilience and Bain’s groundbreaking coming out announcement.

A couple months ago, I had a one-on-one interview with JUST B's Geonu about the band. He also talked frankly about burnout and survival reality shows. But one month later, the story evolved further after member Bain broke ground and came out on stage. My latest profile on JUST B

12 Artists Helping Mandopop Become The Next Global Genre: Jay Chou, G.E.M., Xiao Zhan & More | GRAMMY.com With international interest in Asian culture continuing to grow, Mandopop is on its way to new heights. As the Recording Academy celebrates AAPI Heritage Month on a global scale, meet some of the vete...

From veterans like Jay Chou, G.E.M. and JJ Lin to rising stars like Xiao Zhan, Cai Xukun, I dive into mandopop artists who are pushing the genre to new heights.

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How Labubu Became the Hottest Bag Charm on the Market - FASHION Magazine The snaggletoothed Labubu is the keychain hanging off everyone’s favourite bags. Here, we unpack the appeal behind the most in-demand bag charm on the market.

A plushie keychain known as Labubu has gone viral, becoming the it charm to hang on your handbags or belt loops.

I wrote about the hit plushie toy, who has famous fans including Blackpink's Lisa and Rihanna.

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Hwasa spreads her message of self love and empowerment in Toronto The MAMAMOO singer recently made her Canadian debut during a show at Toronto's HISTORY

Hwasa has become a beloved figure in South Korea and beyond for sharing messages of empowerment and body positivity in songs like “Maria” and “I Love My Body.” She recently made her first concert appearance in Canada, playing a sold out show in Toronto.

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One thing I noticed having watched Suga and j-hope perform is that their tours felt like two chapters of the BTS story. Separate, but best paired together. Both had minimalist moving stage set ups, but also told their life’s story.

With 'Hope on the Stage', j-hope pays homage to his roots In his debut solo tour, the BTS member showcases his passion and energy for the stage

Bucket list item checked ✅ I saw j-hope open the U.S leg of his ‘Hope on the Stage’ tour, which paid tribute to his past and present.

An unofficial stream of the band's performance today reached more than 1.2 million viewers at a time. Many are curious as to what these girls are up to next, and fans present in Hong Kong loudly chanted, "NJZ! NJZ! NJZ!"

"It feels heavy to deliver this news. Today's performance might be our last for a while. Out of respect for the court's decision, we have decided to pause all activities for the time being. It wasn't an easy decision, but we believe it's necessary at this moment."

Today at ComplexCon, NewJeans—or NJZ—announced they would be going on a hiatus following the court's recent decision to ask the band to stop pursuing separate activities outside of ADOR.

For Fans of NCT, Mark Lee is a Symbol of Asian Canadian Pride - RepresentASIAN Project The Toronto-born, Vancouver-raised singer recently performed a show in his home country for the first time in six years

NCT 127's recent concert in Toronto was one of Canadian pride. Fans showed up for the hometown boy Mark Lee, signing Canadian flags and creating banners to welcome him back home for the first time in six years. I chatted with some NCTzens about why this moment was so special.

Keith has surely met tons of people throughout his career. But I won't ever forget being part of his cohort at Poynter Institute's Diversity of Voices course. He was a kind and encouraging voice that always told us to never give up and speak our minds.

In response to the rise of deepfake crimes affecting K-pop artists, HYBE released a statement saying it is working with police to combat content.

"HYBE is steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding the rights of our artists in today’s digital age.”

Despite snow-'Armageddon', aespa lit up Toronto. But did the crowd deliver? From awkward dance challenges to a low energy audience, the vibes were uncharacteristically off

K-pop group aespa made their long-awaited debut in Canada with a sold-out show at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena. But despite an electrifying performance, many fans turned to social media to ask -- "Why was the crowd so dead?"

Who Are Aespa? | RepresentASIAN Project Introducing aespa, a hit-making group is bring the metaverse into the K-pop world.

Who is heading to aespa's concert in Toronto this week?

You may know the songs, but are you aware of the band's lore? I dove into the aespa universe, and explain the complex world behind the group.

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1Verse: How a North Korean went from begging to K-pop The first K-pop boy band with North Korean members aims to debut in the US later this year.

1Verse (pronounced "universe") is made up of five members: Hyuk, Seok who is also from North Korea, Aito from Japan, and Asian Americans Kenny and Nathan - all prefer to go by their first names. They are set to make history as the first K-pop boy band to debut with North Korean defectors.

Inside the retro horror world of J-pop group Phantom Siita In an interview, the group talks about working with Ado, their album ‘Girlhood Memories’ and going on a world tour

Phantom Siita is a J-pop girl group whose concept is retro horror. Dark, edgy and reminds me a lot of the film Battle Royale!

I chatted with the band ahead of its Toronto tour stop.

The group also announced their next scheduled appearance, which will take place at ComplexCon in Hong Kong in March.

Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein—who formerly introduced themselves as NewJeans—are now using the name NJZ.

The name change comes as the group is at the centre of a lawsuit over the validity of their contracts with the agency ADOR.

Megan Thee Stallion, Psy to Star in K-Pop Competition Series for Apple Apple TV+ has ordered a K-pop competition series with "Gangnam Style" singer Psy and Megan Thee Stallion set to star.

Apple TV+ has ordered a K-pop competition series with “Gangnam Style” singer Psy and Megan Thee Stallion set to star.

The series titled “KPopped" sees western icons reimagine one of their biggest hits, collaborating with top-tier K-pop idols to deliver spectacular battle performances.

“As there has been no official channel to convey our position, we have made numerous attempts to communicate the facts through direct interviews with various media outlets or by reaching out to journalists we have come to know."