James Choi
James Choi reports on music and screen entertainment for Cineplay, contributing news, box office and photo features across the masthead. His coverage stands out for the way it links ticket performance, audience scale and release strategy with the creative and fan experience, whether in weekend box office roundups or music-led screenings inside cinemas. He follows the crossover between screen stories and music, from K-pop comebacks and concert films to albums and singers tied to series and variety projects.
[Box Office] weekend performance and ticket surges
Choi is a regular voice in Cineplay’s box office coverage, writing pieces that track how major releases perform over the weekend and how quickly they build momentum with audiences. In a headline under the recurring “[Box Office]” label, he reports on a live-action Moana opening at No. 1, pairing rankings with notes on ticket-booking surges for other titles such as Na Hong-jin’s Hope. He also covers re-releases, documenting how a film like Avengers: Endgame returns to theaters with 13.93 million viewers and what exclusive material will be unveiled on a specific date. This work is numerate and time-specific, foregrounding hard counts and timing rather than general impressions, and situating each film within the competitive landscape of a given weekend.
His box office writing extends to streaming originals with strong viewership stories, not just theatrical films. In coverage of Park Ji-hoon’s project on TVING, he reports on Legend of a Cook becoming a major hit, noting that original views have surged 170-fold. The detail on multipliers and view-count growth positions streaming titles alongside cinema releases in terms of performance, reinforcing a single frame where audience response, not format, is the central measure.
Across these pieces, Choi’s distinction lies in keeping the story anchored in concrete numbers and comparative movement, making performance the backbone of his reporting rather than a side note.
Music-led screenings and K-pop comebacks
Within that performance frame, Choi gives particular attention to music-driven projects, especially when they intersect with cinema and event-style exhibition.
In the article titled “The King of Pop Returns,” he covers sing-along and glow-stick screening events for the film Michael, describing how consecutive special screenings bring the thrill of a concert hall into the theater. The piece treats the film not only as a release but as a live music experience, emphasizing the atmosphere, formats and sequencing of events that turn a screening into a participatory show.
His music focus also includes K-pop group activity framed through comebacks and membership changes. A photo feature on AlphaDriveOne highlights their surprise seven-member comeback with the mini album UNBREAKABLE, noting the seven tracks aimed at a global stage and the fact that the group is returning after injuries and a member’s departure.
The coverage balances narrative details about the group’s trajectory with concrete release information, such as album structure and timing. Alongside this, Choi reports on Youthphere’s return after a year away with backing from actor Bae Hyunsung and the “Wicked Game” album, showing an interest in music projects tied to personalities and serialized concepts.
Across these stories, he treats music as both commercial release and fan-centered event, charting how new albums and concert-style screenings are staged for maximum impact.
Star and photo features across film and streaming
Choi’s bylines also appear in Cineplay’s star and photo sections, where he focuses on performers and visual storytelling around new projects. A feature on Lee Chang-dong’s three-decade career presents the director as a global master, suggesting Choi’s capability in long-form, career-spanning profiles that connect individual works to a wider body of art. In a photo piece about Koo Kyo-hwan, he presents the actor as an undead 31-year-old job seeker in Revival Man: The Red, foregrounding the character concept and visual tone for audiences exploring new genre titles.
These features rely on images and concise descriptions, but still situate stars within their latest roles and projects rather than isolated portraits.
He applies a similar approach when covering singers who join screen projects, such as reporting on Jeon Yu-jin joining a cast as a new member and expanding a show’s scale to its largest yet since a 2022 launch. The attention to how casting changes alter the size and direction of a program fits with his broader interest in audience scale and project growth.
Taken together, his star and photo work complements his box office and music pieces: instead of pure celebrity coverage, he consistently ties performers back to specific works, releases and audience outcomes.
Across Cineplay, James Choi’s reporting offers a clear through-line: he covers music and screen projects through the lens of performance, event design and audience response, whether the subject is a weekend box office race, a concert-style screening or a K-pop comeback. That combination of concrete numbers, release context and fan experience distinguishes his coverage from generic entertainment news that focuses only on announcements or plot summaries.
4 more music journalists.
Andrea Dresdale
Andrea Dresdale manages entertainment content at ABC Audio and covers music-driven pop culture for news and audio platforms. Her beat centers on chart-friendly pop, new releases, mainstream artists, awards, residencies and industry milestones. She also reports on legacy acts, anniversaries, nostalgia, remixes, live performances and music’s links to film, television, streaming and social media. Her notable coverage includes Taylor Swift, BTS, The Weeknd, Madonna, The Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Patty Smyth and Miley Cyrus. Her work has appeared through syndicated ABC Audio coverage on outlets such as WRMF, KS95 and Hot 96.7. Dresdale writes concise, timely pieces for radio audiences. She frames songs, tours, specials and career moments through cultural impact, fan appeal, commercial momentum and lasting relevance. Her stories connect current hits with music history and show how artists maintain attention through new releases, collaborations and reinterpretations.
Andrew Weber
Andrew Weber uses accountability reporting to examine who benefits from decisions shaping Austin’s music ecosystem. He reports for KUT as a government accountability reporter and works as a freelance reporter and associate editor for KUT News across the public radio network. His music coverage focuses on musicians’ pay at festivals, health care, mental health services, venue relief and working conditions. He treats SXSW as a workplace and economic system, reporting on low fees, sponsorships, boycotts and the political choices behind the festival. He also covers government and institutional issues, including KUT’s relationship with the University of Texas and the firing of general manager Debbie Hiott. His reporting ranges from nonprofit support systems to experimental sound art. He plays music on the side and brings digital storytelling experience, including an Edward R. Murrow award for social media work.
Andy Greene
Andy Greene is a senior writer at Rolling Stone who stands out for long-form interviews and narrative features that follow artists across entire careers. He focuses on music, especially classic rock performers, live shows, tours, and band dynamics. He runs the interview series Unknown Legends and King For a Day, which center on veteran musicians, sidemen, collaborators, and singers who replace legendary frontmen. He also writes cover stories and major features on high-profile figures, including Radiohead, Howard Stern, Bill Withers, Nathan Fielder, Steve Perry, Pete Townshend, and Stephen King. His reporting relies on access, detailed questioning, and a deep command of rock history. He also writes about film and television when they connect to music and culture.
Anna Grace Lee
Anna Grace Lee is a Vogue reporter who covers pop musicians and celebrities through fashion, weddings, and lifestyle culture, focusing on dresses, events, pets, and subcultures rather than industry news. She writes scene-driven features that place entertainers in vivid settings, from villas to underground food markets, and treats music-adjacent stories as fashion and craftsmanship narratives. Her Dua Lipa Sicily wedding coverage shows how she frames a wedding dress as a haute couture moment and a pop-cultural milestone, emphasizing design, making, and handwork. Her Millie Bobby Brown miniature poodle piece reflects a consistent interest in celebrity pets, fandom, and off-stage persona. She also reports lifestyle features like Brooklyn’s buzziest underground cheese sale, embedding in niche food scenes. At Vogue she contributes to weddings, celebrity, living, and Met Gala coverage, and maintains a portfolio of culture and lifestyle work built around entertainment-adjacent storytelling.