From The Straits Times    |

TvN STAR HUNT 2 SINGAPORE AUDITIONS: If you’ve missed the submission deadline, you can still attend the walk-in auditions on September 1, 10.30am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 4pm at Starhub Green. More details HERE. Or if you feel like cheering on the brave souls who’ve passed the first round of auditions, then watch the live performances on September 2, 1.30pm at Plaza Singapura’s Main Atrium.

JJ PROJECT TO OPEN FOR WONDER GIRLS’ SINGAPORE CONCERT: Surely something to look forward to as well – the good-looking duo of JB and Jr., who won us over in Dream High 2, will be taking the stage before the Wonder Girls at their Singapore concert.

whats hot in k-pop August 31 jj-project-1st-look

LEE SEUNG GI IN SINGAPORE: The multi-tasking performer attended a press conference ahead of his fan meeting on August 25. Obligatory black pepper crab mention aside, he also mentioned he’d like to cook for his girlfriend (which he doesn’t have right now, of course). Read the full interview HERE.

SHINEE TICKETS ON SALE AUGUST 31: Shawols, we know you’re already standing by your computers. Tickets for SHINee’s World II Concert in Singapore on December 8 will be on sale at SISTIC on August 31, starting at 3pm.

G-DRAGON’S SELF-CENSORSHIP: Upping the idgaf-ness to a new level, GD’s new song and music video, That XX, to be released on August 31, 11pm Singapore time, now has a 19+ (18 in international age) rating. What’s interesting is that YG pre-empted the ban-happy South Korean authorities and put the rating on it themselves. And rumour has it that YG didn’t submit the One of a Kind video to the Korean Media Rating Board for approval (a new law states that music videos uploaded online have to go through the board first). Oh, and the XX in the title is most likely a curse word. Looks like GD really wants to shed his idol image, and we’re all for it. Look out for Jenny Kim, the gorgeous member from YG’s much-anticipated new girl group, in the video too.

whats hot in k-pop August 31 gd-that-xx
whats hot in k-pop August 31 jenny-kimwhats hot in k-pop August 31 taeyang-instagram-youngbizy
YG Family: G-Dragon (above top), Jenny Kim (above left) & Taeyang from BIGBANG
(above right)

TAEYANG NOW ON INSTAGRAM TOO: Follow BIGBANG’s Taeyang on Instagram @youngbeezzy.

 

YEAH, WE MISS RAIN TOO: Rain’s mandatory military service ends next year but you can still catch the sexy hunk in the movie R2B: Return to Base where he plays an airforce pilot (double sexiness!). Check out some of the movie’s hot action as Rain gets passionate with Shin Se Kyung.

whats hot in k-pop August 31 rain-kiss-shin-se-kyung

 

2NE1’S FACEBOOK CHAT: If you missed watching it live, here’s the interview at Facebook HQ with 2NE1. Despite the slightly awkward start, the interviewer and the girls seemed to get more comfortable as it went on, and it’s admittedly pretty cool to hear them speaking English (three of the girls have lived in English-speaking countries).

whats hot in k-pop August 31 2ne1-fb

WATCH THE GIRLS FROM 2NE1:


Watch live streaming video from facebookguests at livestream.com

 

 

MAN CANDY OF THE WEEK: Actor Joo Sang Wook (most recently in Feast of the Gods) in leopard-print skivvies, for underwear label Bodyguard. Yoo Ah In, not in underwear, but looking dapper in Nylon Korea’s fourth anniversary issue.

whats hot in k-pop August 31 joo-sang-wook
whats hot in k-pop August 31 yoo-ah-in-nylon

 

GANGNAM STYLE IS ACTUALLY A SERIOUS POLITICAL STATEMENT?: Okay, okay we promise this is the last headline we’ll write about Gangnam Style (until that supposed collaboration with the Biebs comes through). If you think the song and music video was just for laughs, then read this article which says they’re actually a statement on wealth and society in South Korea. Or, it could really just be a fun song, according to The Korea Times. Oh and check out Pusheen the Cat’s version of the horse-riding dance. It beats all the versions we’ve seen so far.

 

FT ISLAND HAS TRIED ON WOMEN’S UNDERWEAR: Hongki, the newly-anointed host for Mnet’s M! Countdown, admitted on SBS’ Go Show that the band once received worn-before bras from female fans and tried them on for fun. Their conclusion: Bras are difficult to put on, and too tight. Dude, imagine having to wear one for most of the day and you can imagine a woman’s pain. Now how many of you are visualising him in the bra?

 

BAP’S NEW SINGLE CRASH: Although not so much a music video as a collection of footage from the group’s travel overseas, it shows off their cute side perfectly. BAP’s repackaged album of the same name is also available now.

WATCH THE BOYS FROM BAP:

 

T-ARA TO RELEASE NEW SINGLE, SEXY LOVE, ON SEPTEMBER 3: Despite the ongoing controversy, resulting in Eunjung being dropped from a drama series and TV show We Got Married, T-ara is still being pushed to promote their 7th mini-album Mirage. And fans aren’t buying the group’s handwritten apology or Hwayoung’s thoughtful tweets, which stated, among other things, “there were times when I was happy while we were all under one roof, so I want to forget about the past and want us to cheer each other on with smiles on our faces.” Here’s the teaser for the upcoming song music video, which to its credit, is pretty catchy.

whats hot in k-pop August 31 t-ara-sexy-love

WATCH THE NEW T-ARA SINGLE:

 

Sources: www.24-7kpop.com, www.allkpop.com, www.facebook.com, www.youtube.com/user/CCMglobal, www.youtube.com/user/TSENT2008, www.kpopstarz.com, www.facebook.com/CJEnMMovie, www.yg-life.com, www.hallyusg.net, x-clusive.sg, www.facebook.com/JJProjectOfficial