RELIVE IT: allkpop interviews SNSD at SMTOWN Live NYC!

With the SM Entertainment family taking over Madison Square Garden for SMTOWN Live NYC last night, SNSD / Girls’ Generation was looking sharper than ever for four hours of performance! Before the show kicked off, we at allkpop had the honor of sitting down with the nine ladies for an exclusive interview regarding their recent activities.
With the recent worldwide release of “The Boys” and full promotions underway, SNSD had lots to share with allkpop readers. In a mixture of English and Korean, the ladies discussed their surprise concept for “The Boys”, the maturation they’ve undergone since their debut, dreaming big for their entrance into the world market and more.
Without further ado, enjoy allkpop’s exclusive interview with SNSD below!

CNBLUE ranks 4th on Oricon weekly chart with 70,000 units sold

CNBLUE‘s debut Japanese single, “In My Head“, is off to a great start in its first week, as it recorded over 70,000 units sold!
The album has ranked 4th on the Oricon weekly chart, selling a total of 71,200 units, as revealed by FNC Music. The album previously ranked in at third on the Oricon daily chart with 34,280 units, contending against the likes NMB48, Bump of Chicken, and even KARA.
They’ve been making big achievements left and right, having previously gathered 14,000 fans at their album release event and even halting their guerrilla concert for safety reasons when an unexpected 7,000 gathered in Shinjuku on October 19th.
To continue the momentum, CNBLUE will be focusing on their Japanese and Asian tour promotions for the time being.

Boyfriend feels they’ve become more masculine with their comeback

They debuted only a few months ago in April, but Boyfriend is already showing signs of maturity with their recent “Don’t Touch My Girl” comeback.
Siting down for an interview with Star News, leader Donghyun stated, “Our debut stage was nerve-wracking, but I think we feel a lot more at ease now. We’ve been hearing that we’ve gotten a lot more masculine and tough. Do you think this is enough to be a dependable boyfriend?”
The members have undergone a huge image change. Instead of flashing his signature smile, Kwangmin now opts to speak with his strong gaze instead. “I’ve cut my hair shorter and practiced making masculine facial expressions every day,” he revealed.
Donghyun added, “We even bulked up for the album. I think our fans will be quite surprised to hear that we have muscles now.”
Recently, they’ve been earning attention from fans overseas. Japanese fans flew in to support the boys’ comeback stage, and more and more fans are beginning to visit them at their rehearsal studio. Considering how they haven’t promoted overseas yet, the attention is still foreign to them.
The group revealed, “We were really surprised to see fans from Japan, China, and Thailand at our fan signing. Online, we noticed a lot of fans from South America and the Middle East as well. Just the mere thought of becoming Hallyu stars excite us.”

T-ara releases Japanese MV for “Yayaya”

Last year, T-ara had everyone in Korea snapping their fingers to their ultra-catchy song, “Yayaya“, and this year, they plan to have Japan do the same.
The PV for “Yayaya” was revealed online today, and the girls have high hopes for their 2nd Japanese single. They brought back the Native American theme in their costumes and dance, and as a nod to their “Bo Peep Bo Peep” popularity, T-ara also posed with some kittens.
Check out their PV below!

SNSD’s Taeyeon and Sunny pose like twins for ‘Singles’

SNSD‘s Taeyeon and Sunny wowed fans with their latest pictorial in Singles magazine.
The girls were tasked to express the concept, ‘Like twins’, and so they delivered identical expressions while wearing similar clothes. Fans were torn between calling them twins or very pretty dolls, as their milky skin and delicate posing made them seem like perfect porcelain dolls.
In their accompanying interview, Taeyeon and Sunny revealed their candid thoughts on their friendship.

2AM’s Seulong will not be acting in upcoming drama, ‘Korean Peninsula’

Earlier this week, it was rumored that 2AM‘s Seulong had received a casting offer for TV Chosun‘s upcoming drama, ‘Korean Peninsula‘. Unfortunately, representatives of both the drama and JYP Entertainment have revealed that Seulong was unable to accept the offer due to his busy schedule.
On October 26th, representatives stated, “Im Seulong had tried to balance his schedule to work with the drama, but ultimately couldn’t find a way to fit it in. He will not be joining the drama.”
Seulong was supposed to take on the role of a bodyguard for actor Hwang Jung Min, who will act as the president. He had participated in a recent script reading, which added weight to his casting rumors. Unfortunately, his schedule made it difficult to finalize.
Other idols are being considered for the role, as it is a highly important one in the plot. Producers stated, “At this point, we’re considering casting rookie actors.”

Lee Young Ae makes a seductive transformation for her CF with ‘Olleh’

After making waves with her smash hit series ‘Dae Jang Geum‘ in 2003, actress Lee Young Ae withdrew from the small screen for a few years to focus on her private life. Now she’ll be making her TV comeback through a series of commercials for communications brand, Olleh.
This is her first TV appearance since she got married in 2009 and gave birth to twins eight months ago. To reflect these changes in her life, Lee Young Ae stepped away from her youthful, innocent image from ‘Dae Jang Geum’ and became a femme fatale who seems to thrive off adventure. The effect is dazzling, as the actress looks both sleek and mature.
“Lee Young Ae entranced audiences 10 years ago with her pure and innocent femininity,” said Olleh’s advertising manager. “This time, viewers can look forward to a smart and sexy woman who’s matured over the past ten years.”