• BoA opens up about her struggles with online hate comments: "Celebrities shouldn't be venting targets"

    BoA, the K-pop icon, has recently shared her personal battles with online hate comments.

    On the upcoming March 30th episode of 'NewsA', fans will get a chance to catch up with BoA, who's back in the spotlight as a singer.

    Celebrating her 24th anniversary in the music industry this year, BoA made a visit to Channel A's open studio. She talked about her new track 'Really, Isn't There? (Emptiness)', a song she personally composed, wrote, and arranged.

    She described it as a tune that breaks away from the typical SM Music Performance style, offering a unique BoA flavor.

    She also shared some behind-the-scenes stories about the 'golden apple' that features in the music video for 'Really, Isn't There? (Emptiness)', a song that delicately explores the journey of a breakup.

    Having debuted at the tender age of 13, BoA compared her life to 'The Truman Show', where every aspect of her life was under public scrutiny. She expressed her hope that celebrities, who are often forced to live their lives in the public eye, wouldn't become targets for people to vent their frustrations.

    She candidly revealed her struggles with online hate comments and admitted that she felt she "couldn't enjoy life" during her 24-year career. Regarding the title 'K-pop Empress', she confessed, "It felt distant and burdensome, but now I've decided to embrace it."

    BoA, who has been hailed as the 'Star of Asia' since her early debut, confessed, "Honestly, it's hard to dance now that I'm in my 30s." She singled out 'Only One' as the most challenging song and dance routine.

    In an era where music is often consumed and forgotten, she expressed her desire for her music to serve as a "real time machine", allowing listeners to be transported back to the era when they first heard it.

    The open interview with BoA, who has broken free from the mold and started creating her own music 24 years after her debut, will be aired on NewsA at 7 pm on March 30th.

    Source[1]

  • RIIZE’s Wonbin Reveals Surprising Story Behind His SM Casting—‘I Was Just Lying in Bed When I Got the DM’

    The casting stories of SM Entertainment stars like aespa’s Karina, RIIZE’s Wonbin, and NCT WISH’s Sion are now out, and they’re all pretty wild!

    On February 1st, the second part of SBS’s K-POP The Beginning: SMTOWN 30 aired, shedding light on SM’s casting system—from the 90s street casting days to today’s high-tech methods.

    Fans were shocked to learn how some of their favorite idols got discovered in the most unexpected places!

    The head of SM's Artist Development Center shared how dedicated the team is, saying, "We go everywhere teenagers might be—schools, academies, and even social media! We’re everywhere." This is how Karina, Wonbin, and Sion got their big breaks.

    Karina revealed that she was first contacted by SM through an Instagram DM when she was in middle school and again in high school.

    Zion shared his story too, saying, "I made an Instagram, and SM saw it and DM’d me." But it was Wonbin’s story that really stood out!

    Wonbin confessed, "I was lying in bed after school when I got a DM saying it was from SM. I thought it was a scam, but I decided to go to the audition just in case."

    The head of the Artist Development Center shared more, saying, "When we first saw Wonbin’s video, they told us he was from Ulsan. I told them, ‘Pick him up at Seoul Station.’ Normally, we don’t do this, but we made an exception and had him brought in."

    Looks like you never know when the next big star could be discovered—even while lying in bed!

    Source: [1]