ORIENTAL WHIRL: Nine dolls

By A-Wei | nstent@nstp.com.my

K-POP girl group Nine Muses, which has gone through numerous line-up changes since its debut in 2010, is back with nine members and a new single, Dolls, after a 10-month hiatus, reports soompi.com.

Nicknamed “model idols” due to their modelling background, the nonet, with an average height of 170cm, once again worked with producer Sweetune for this latest effort.

This would be the fourth collaboration after Figaro (August 2011), News (January 2012) and Ticket (March 2012, from the mini album Sweet Rendezvous).

Check out its MV at www.youtube.com/user/NineMusesCh.

Galileo sequel
J-ACTRESS Yuriko Yoshitaka has joined the cast of the yet-to-be titled sequel to the hit Galileo franchise, reports tokyohive.com.

Based on mystery writer Keigo Higashino’s Galileo series, this franchise has so far spawned a drama series, a telemovie and two movies.

It revolves around Manabu Yukawa, nicknamed Galileo (with Masaharu Fukuyama reprising his role), an eccentric yet brilliant scientist who teams up with a female rookie detective to solve complicated police cases.

Yoshitaka will play rookie detective Misa Kishitani, a character that’s specially created for this drama sequel that’s based on four of Higashino’s novels that were released from 2008 to 2012.

Yoshitaka said: “Galileo is loved by many people. It is such an honour, but also a burden, but I will try my best.”

IU’s the best
K-SINGER/ACTRESS Lee Ji-eun, better known by her stage name IU, will be playing her first lead role in the new KBS weekend drama series You’re The Best Lee Soon Shin, reports soompi.com.

She will be playing the titular character Lee Soon Shin, the youngest of three daughters. Her character is described as a plain-looking born loser who manages to overcome all challenges with her positive attitude.

Following her father’s death, the village girl decides to move to Seoul to pursue her dreams of becoming a singer. Helping her to achieve her dream is Shin Jun Ho (played by Jo Jung Suk), a ruthless and haughty businessman who turns into a better person after falling for her.

Queen BoA
KWON Bo-a, better known by her stage name BoA, has never held a solo concert in South Korea despite debuting at 13 in 2000, with the 12-track studio album ID; Peace B, reports allkpop.com.

So, in conjunction with her recent debut solo concert, BoA Special Live 2013 — Here I Am on Jan 26 and 27, the Queen of K-pop gifted fans with her self-written and composed single Disturbance.

The MV for this single is directed by her brother Kwon Soon Wook, who was also responsible for the MV for Only One, the title track of BoA’s seventh studio album of the same name that was released in 2012.

Check out its MV, which features Taemin of boy band SHINee as her boyfriend, at www.youtube.com/user/BoAsmtown.

What’s unique with this MV is its interactive feature where you get to choose the ending by clicking on either “Go back to the past” or “Let time go by”.

Hello, it’s 4Men
THREE-MEMBER K-R&B vocal group 4Men recently made its Korean showbiz comeback with the mini album The 5th Album (Vol.1) — The True Story, 19 months after its last studio album The Artist, reports dkpopnews.net.com.

It is said that the songs in this six-track album are based on the members’ past experiences. Check out the MV for the title track Hello, It’s Me, at www.youtube.com/user/happyfaceent.

Chart-topper
POPULAR K-hip hop duo Leessang’s latest single, Double Sidekick Project Vol. 2 (Tears), topped all real-time music charts shortly after its release recently, reports koreaboo.com.

The duo, comprising Kang Hee-gun (better known as Gary) and Gil Seong-joon, collaborated with hit producers Duble Sidekick (Park Janggeun and One Way’s Chance) for this single, which is part of the latter’s Double Sidekick Project.

The red-hot producers, who recently won the 2012 MelOn Music Awards’ Songwriter Award, kickstarted this project with Kim Tae-woo in October last year with the single Double Sidekick Project Vol 1 (When I Look At Myself).

Meanwhile, Gary turned lyricist for this ballad, which also features singer-songwriter Yoongun on the piano and vocals by Eugene a.k.a. Yoojin of rookie girl group The Seeya.

Check out the MV for Tears which features NS Yoon-G and Daniel from boy band DMTN at www.youtube.com/user/LOENENT, (Just type in Leessang, Tears in the search panel).

The monster
K-ACTOR Joo Sang-wook together with the rest of the cast of the hit cable channel OCN’s Special Affairs Team TEN will reprise their roles in the sequel of this gritty police crime drama, reports dramabeans.com.

Yeo Ji-hoon (Joo), nicknamed the “monster who catches monsters” is a tough detective who has a tendency to immerse himself in the investigation of a case.

He heads Special Affairs Team TEN, a unit that investigates violent crimes. It is said that TEN denotes the fact that the success rate of solving these cases are less than 10 per cent.

Also back at the helm of Special Affairs Team TEN Season 2 is the production team comprising director Lee Seung-young and writer Nam Sang-wook.