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tomorrowxtogether · 2 years ago

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TOMORROW X TOGETHER Reflect on the ‘Sense of Pride’ Collaborating With Jonas Brothers for ‘Do It Like That’

The fast-rising pop collab connected two superstar boy bands, as well as OneRepublic hitmaker Ryan Tedder, in ways that go beyond music.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER‘s highly anticipated entrance into the music industry in 2019 generated immense interest as the latest addition to the esteemed roster of Big Hit Entertainment (now BIGHIT MUSIC), whose strong music history was laid by chart-toppers BTS and innovative singer-songwriter Lee Hyun.

Meanwhile, a cornerstone of TXT’s musical story has been the array of worldwide collaborators including global hip-hop stars (Coi Leray, iann dior, pH-1, Woodie Gochild), rising singer-songwriters (Salem Ilese, Seori, Lilas Ikuta), punk-rock icons (ModSun), EDM heavy-hitters (Alan Walker) and more. With TXT’s prime-for-pop-crossover smash “Do It Like That” alongside the Jonas Brothers, fans saw how the process goes beyond music.

Ahead of the July 7 release of “Do It Like That,” the K-pop stars shared a series of teaser videos to piece together their biggest Top 40 moment yet. Amid the U.S. leg of TXT’s Act: Sweet Mirage world tour, the quintet jetted off to meet OneRepublicfrontman Ryan Tedder in the studio. While the super-producer behind multiple Hot 100No. 1s already pumped some mainstream magic into the track, adding TXT’s Republic Records label mates in the JoBros expanded the song’s appeal to a broader generation of boy-band fans for maximum pop appeal.

With nearly 20 million views on YouTube since its release, the song is beginning to connect worldwide in its quest to become—as TXT’s eldest member Yeonjundescribes it—”the perfect summer track” for 2023.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and HueningKai‘s took a moment to delve into the collaboration with Billboard to share behind-the-scenes anecdotes, aspirations for the song, who would make the best TXT/JoBros sub-unit and the latest message to their fans, affectionately known as MOAs.

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Billboard: Tell us more about how TOMORROW X TOGETHER and the Jonas Brothers came together for “Do It Like That.” Have you ever previously connected with Jonas Brothers, or was anyone a longtime fan?

YEONJUN: It was our first time meeting Jonas Brothers for this collaboration and I had personally been a fan of their music growing up and even practiced with their music as a trainee, so it felt surreal to be working with them. “Do It Like That” seemed like the perfect summer track and when Jonas Brothers also expressed their interest in the single, we met up in the States during the U.S. leg of our world tour in May to make this collaboration happen.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER has collaborated with several artists, but we got to see you meet, interact and record fun content before the song release. What was the vibe like? Any fun stories from the day?

TAEHYUN: From recording the track to shooting content, this collaboration was such a fun project. Jonas Brothers were even cooler in person and their friendliness helped us work together in a chill environment.

BEOMGYU: Jonas Brothers were incredibly welcoming from the moment we met. They were just as enthusiastic as we were about shooting content, which we really appreciated.

YEONJUN: We gifted Jonas Brothers our most recent album The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION! We shot a lot of content together, and I remember being pleasantly surprised by how good they were at filming TikTok videos.

Do you want fans to look out for anything specific in the music video?

HUENINGKAI: Viewers will be able to see how much fun we had on the set if they pay attention to TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Jonas Brothers’ facial expressions and gestures within the music video!

Fans loved Jonas Brothers’ sharing “concept photos” in the style of TOMORROW X TOGETHER on social media. Did you enjoy?

HUENINGKAI: We thought their concept photos turned out really well and felt a sense of pride seeing the positive reactions from fans.

In what ways do TXT and Jonas Brothers have similarities, and in what ways are they different?

TAEHYUN: I’d say TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Jonas Brothers are both artists who have a jam-packed discography with quality music. We, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, are not related by blood like Jonas Brothers, but the five of us are a band of brothers too and a family nonetheless.

What are your personal and professional goals with this single?

SOOBIN: It would be amazing to achieve good results on the Billboard charts with “Do It Like That,” but more importantly we hope that this single acts as a window for more people to discover TOMORROW X TOGETHER and get to know us.

Sometimes K-pop groups split into “sub-units” for certain performances or albums. What would be the best combination if one member of TXT and Jonas Brothers formed a duo?

BEOMGYU: I think HUENINGKAI and Nick Jonas would make the perfect duo because their vocals complement each other very well.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER has a lot of big things coming up: Headlining Lollapalooza 2023, a Disney+ documentary, of course this new single. What’s your message to fans as you roll it all out?

SOOBIN: We can’t spoil too much, but including our new single, we have a lot of exciting plans coming up for the rest of the year beyond what you mentioned. It’s a busy time for us, but we’re thankful and working hard to put our best foot forward for the many opportunities to meet our MOA. As always, we would appreciate our MOAs’ excitement and support every step of the way!

#tomorrow x together #txt #230712 #article #billboard #soobin #yeonjun #beomgyu #taehyun #hueningkai #do it like that #jonas brothers #Youtube

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hopeonmyphone · 24 days ago

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BTS’ J-Hope Announces First Solo Tour ‘Hope On The Stage’: Details [Forbes]

After much speculation, J-Hope of BTS officially announced his first-ever solo tour.

Set to begin at the end of February, the 30-date Hope on the Stage trek spans major cities in Asia and North America, making live history as the BTS rapper-dancer-producer steps into the solo spotlight.

The tour kicks off with a three-night stay at Seoul’s massive KSPO Dome from February 28 to March 2, marking J-Hope’s first standalone concerts in his home country. From there, Hobi heads stateside, performing multiple nights at iconic venues such as New York’s Barclays Center and Chicago’s Allstate Arena. Notably, in April, J-Hope becomes the first BTS member to headline a stadium show solo when he plays Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium and also the first Korean soloist to book the LA stadium, solidifying his status as a pioneering force in his group and K-pop at large.

Out of respect for the large-scale wildfires in California, BTS’ official accounts shared that more details for the tour’s North American leg will come later.

Although Hope on the Stage marks the star’s solo touring debut, J-Hope is no stranger to commanding massive audiences. In 2022, he became the first-ever South Korean artist to headline a major U.S. music festival at Lollapalooza. His solo material also offers a wealth of options for his setlist, ranging from his acclaimed 2022 solo album Jack in the Box (which peaked at Number 6 on the Billboard 200), to fan favorites collaborations like “On the Street” with J. Cole and “Chicken Noodle Soup” featuring Becky G (the latter of which saw him become the first member of BTS to send a single the Billboard Hot 100 chart), as well as material from his 2018 Hope World mixtape (which still charted in the Top 40 on the Billboard 200 despite being released for free and only in digital formats).

More recently, J-Hope dropped the Hope on the Street Vol. 1 EP and an accompanying six-part docu-series last March that explored the roots of his inspiration and passion for street dance.

J-Hope’s tour comes shortly after completing his 18-month mandatory military service. Upon his discharge in October 2024, J-Hope has kept a lower profile by attending just a few fan events and other engagements. However, this tour signals the start of an exciting new chapter for the performer and his return to the global stage.

Though there has been no official announcement, fans speculate that new music may accompany the tour. If past releases like “Chicken Noodle Soup,” “On the Street,” or his “Rush Hour” collaboration with Crush are any indication, J-Hope will likely keep blending global sounds and styles that resonate with an international audience.

While ARMY fans eagerly anticipate BTS’ group comeback, long rumored for late 2025, J-Hope’s solo tour is a testament to the continuing creativity and ambition fueling the members during their hiatus. Following Suga’s Agust D World Tour in 2023, J-Hope’s tour adds another layer to BTS’s evolving legacy to further establish them as superstars, whether in a group or working solo.

J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour 2025 Dates

February 28 - Seoul, South Korea @ KSPO Dome

March 1 - Seoul, South Korea @ KSPO Dome

March 2 - Seoul, South Korea @ KSPO Dome

March 13 - New York, NY @ Barclays Center

March 14 - New York, NY @ Barclays Center

March 17 - Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena

March 18 - Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena

March 22 - Mexico City, Mexico @ Palacio de los Deportes

March 23 - Mexico City, Mexico @ Palacio de los Deportes

March 26 - San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center

March 27 - San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center

March 31 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena

April 1 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena

April 4 - Los Angeles, CA @ BMO Stadium

April 6 - Los Angeles, CA @ BMO Stadium

April 12 - Manila, The Philippines @ SM Mall of Asia Arena

April 13 - Manila, The Philippines @ SM Mall of Asia Arena

April 19 - Saitama, Japan @ Saitama Super Arena

April 20 - Saitama, Japan @ Saitama Super Arena

April 26 - Singapore @ Singapore Indoor Stadium

April 27 - Singapore @ Singapore Indoor Stadium

May 3 - Jakarta, Indonesia @ Indonesia Arena, GBK

May 4 - Jakarta, Indonesia @ Indonesia Arena, GBK

May 10 - Bangkok, Thailand @ Impact Arena

May 11 - Bangkok, Thailand @ Impact Arena

May 17 - Macau @ Galaxy Arena

May 18 - Macau @ Galaxy Arena

May 24 - Taipei, Taiwan @ NTSU Arena (Linkou Arena)

May 25 - Taipei, Taiwan @ NTSU Arena (Linkou Arena)

May 31 - Osaka, Japan @ Kyocera Dome Osaka

June 1 - Osaka, Japan @ Kyocera Dome Osaka

As ARMY counts down the days to reunite with J-Hope in person on the Hope on the Stage world tour, one thing is clear: Hobi’s star continues to shine brightly on a journey to even greater heights as a solo superstar.

Source: Forbes

#jung hoseok #hoseok #jhope #bts #정호석 #호석 #제이홉 #방탄소년단 #jhope news

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granvarones · 1 year ago

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the 1980s marked a pivotal era in the rise of latino english-speaking recording pop artists who achieved mainstream success. this period witnessed the emergence of gloria estefan, menudo, and lisa lisa & the cult jam broke down barriers by blending dance-pop, soul, and electro music with latin rhythms. this captivating fusion created a path for a generation of young latino artists, including a teenage brenda k. starr to leave an indelible mark in the tapestry of pop music.

born brenda joy kaplan in new york city, a chance meeting with singer, actor, and activist harry belafonte on the set of the 1984 hip-hop movie “beat street,” landed a teenage brenda a role in the movie. the cameo garnered the attention of producer arthur baker who helped starr secure a record deal with mirage records.

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brenda’s debut single, the pulsating “picking up the pieces,” was released in the summer of 1985 as the latin freestyle music genre was still taking shape. the song reached #10 billboard’s dance chart and #83 on the r&b chart. the success of the single made brenda one of the first latino breakout stars of the still-emerging freestyle genre.

by 1987, brenda signed with MCA records and released her eponymous sophomore effort. the album generated three charting singles, “breakfast in bed” (#6 latin, #18 dance), “what you see is what you get” (#6 dance, #24 pop), and the quiet storm classic “i still believe.” released in february 1988, the single ignited radio and propelled into the top 20 on billboard’s hot 100 and adult contemporary charts.

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before i began to buy music with the money i earned from babysitting, i’d record my favorite songs from off the radio. whew, if that isn’t a generation x testimony, i don’t know what is. but i digress.

one of the songs i remember recording was puerto rican pop singer brenda k. starr’s 1988 hit “i still believe.” i was living with my late aunt blanca in the spring of 1988, and we listened to power 99 fm’s quiet storm every night to record songs. one night, when “i still believe” began to play, blanca screamed, “record it!”

as the 90s dawned, brenda would experience personal and professional setbacks. the commercial viability of latin freestyle began to dissipate. many latino pop/dance artists found themselves banished from top 40 radio, and despite brenda’s multi-genre success, she had become primarily known as just the “friend who helped mariah carey secure a record contract.”

in the mid-90s, former latin freestyle artists india and marc anthony had successfully pivoted into salsa music as younger audiences re-discovered the genre. this opened a lane for brenda’s re-emergence as a salsa music sensation. her 1997 cover of myriam hernandez’s “herida” topped billboard’s tropical chart in the spring of 1997.

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almost a decade after that summer with my aunt blanca, brenda’s music would have another family member screaming at me. in early 1997, my cousin evy called me at work to ask me if i remembered brenda k. starr. and of course, i did. she then said, “she is doing salsa now” and began to play “herida” over the phone. up until that point, salsa music was heard at family parties. but it took only one listen to brenda’s version of “herida” for me to run out and purchase her “te sigo esperando” album.

brenda’s album resonated with a new generation of fans and further showcased her ability to transcend and excel in multiple genres. in the years that followed, brenda continued to release and chart singles on the latin charts, including a 1999 salsa version of “i still believe.”

brenda k. starr’s musical odyssey continues. her journey from latin freestyle to her reinvention as salsa songstress has remained an enduring presence in her musical prowess. in just the past year, she has released two slammin’ freestyle tracks, “the only one i love” and “always remember,” and a pair of soaring salsa tracks, “quedate” and “soy otra mujer.”

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a couple of months ago, i texted a friend a link to brenda’s latest freestyle single “always remember.” it is only now, as i write this, that i recognize how music brenda’s music has been something i shared with family and friends – for 35 years! whew, my gawd.

brenda k. starr is a luminary preserving the sounds of both latin freestyle and salsa music, genres with strong roots in puerto rican communities. her musical journey is a testament that great artists are not confined to boundaries. instead, they adapt, evolve, and continue contributing to the ever-evolving sound symphony. this is why i still believe in brenda k. starr.

#granvarones #latino heritage month #hispanic heritage month #brenda k. starr #storytelling #queer #gay #afrolatinx #1990s #Youtube

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deadcactuswalking · 2 years ago

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 05/08/2023 (Travis Scott's 'UTOPIA', Calvin Harris/Sam Smith, Central Cee/Drake)

Content warning: More Drake than usual

For a ninth consecutive week, we have Dave and Cench at the top of the charts with “Sprinter” - welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

This sure was a week. A pretty busy one at that, one that’ll be a pain to write about, so in all honesty, my main goal is to keep this pretty brief… not that it’s all that easy when there are 12 new songs and a ton of what we always start with - the notable dropouts, which are songs exiting from the UK Top 75 after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, we say farewell to last week’s debut, “K-POP” by Travis Scott featuring Bad Bunny and The Weeknd, for obvious reasons we’ll discuss later, but also songs that actually stayed around for at least one week longer, like “Militerian” by J Hus featuring Naira Marley, “Makeba” by Jain, “Toxic Trait” by Stormzy and Fredo, “Don’t Say Love” by Leigh-Anne, “Tattoo” by Loreen, “Cupid” by FIFTY FIFTY, “Until I Found You” by Stephen Sanchez, “Boy’s a liar” by PinkPantheress, “I’m Good (Blue)” by David Guetta and Bebe Rexha, “I Ain’t Worried” by OneRepublic and “Riptide” by Vance Joy - why was that still here anyway?

We then see returns for Post Malone as his #3 album AUSTIN makes its impact. We have a debut later on, but “Mourning” and “Chemical” re-enter to take up his other two spots on the chart at #56 and #24 respectively. As for our gains, which are usually infinitely more interesting, we see boosts for “Highs & Lows” by Prinz featuring Gabriela Bee at #60, “Asking” by Sonny Fodera and MK featuring Clementine Douglas at #51, “Nothing Compares 2 U” by the late Sinéad O’Connor at #30 since the impact of her death straddled between two weeks and then gains for the Barbie phenomenon: “Pink” by Lizzo is at #27, “I’m Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling is at #14 and Charli XCX gets her sixth top 10 with “Speed Drive” at #9.

This week’s top five on the UK Singles Chart has most of the surrounding madness kind of absent, as it’s pretty standard - it consists of “vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo at #5, “Barbie World” by Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Aqua at #4, “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa at #3, “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish at #2 and of course, “Sprinter” at the very top. Now for the mess below.

NEW ARRIVALS

#72 - “Deli” - Ice Spice

Produced by RIOTUSA

Okay so not only is this a busy week, it’s also not a great one. A lot of these new arrivals I am not near to being a fan of - apologies to break the illusion that I write these in order - and sadly, this deluxe track from Ice Spice is no different. Sure, the Jersey club beat is propulsing and overwhelming with its slightly fuzzier but still dominant bass and the pretty cool syncopation with the large, distorted claps and the 808 - it sounds cool, bordering on intricate beatwork and unplanned synthesis. Miss Poopie here, however, tries to convince us she’s not a “regular artist” by raising her voice for once and providing incredibly basic bars in that still limited flow. Personality doesn’t really make up for everything, and given the lack of groove or really all that many dynamics in the very short time this song has to even do anything, I think I’m starting to already be kind of over the slight novelty of Ice Spice. It’d be great if someone like Lay Bankz was here to do the beat some justice.

#68 - “Rave Out” - Turno, Skepsis and Charlotte Plank

Produced by Skepsis and Turno

Who, who and who here are UK drum and bass DJs Turno and Skepsis, and singer Charlotte Plank, who’s still charting with “Dancing is Healing” as of this week. The song is… fantastic. Genuinely, this is incredible. We have three drum and bass songs to cover here, they’re all kind of the saving grace of this week, but this one is by far the best. I don’t know if this is a sample - I couldn’t find one in my research - but the hypnotic reggae beat that starts the song is really unexpected and incredibly smooth, with the apathetic blast of horns and organic bass perfectly fitting the content about the comedown from a “rave”, which I think means a lot more than a party here. The way everything from this reggae instrumental just melts down into a liquid drum and bass groove, as Plank repeats the same paranoid questions asking where the person is going to go “when the rave’s out”, is really striking, especially with the start-stop tendencies of the chorus and the splatter of spikier bass tones warping in and out in the post-chorus. The horns come back with rising synths, but none of it is worth all that much when it gets compressed into this mindless, carefree break. If I had to nit-pick, Plank isn’t exactly as enveloping as she could be to make this tone really work, but considering the song is actually relevant to men’s mental health, with the echoed reminders from Plank serving not as a complete control over the guy’s mind but rather just a sinking feeling regarding how men don’t feel like they have much of a space to actually confide in people or relax their brains due to constantly feeling like they have to be in control or stoic. It’s a touching message and a mesmerising banger of a song to tell it in, so good work - hope to hear more of it on the charts. Oh, wait, I will…

#65 - “Bittersweet Goodbye” - Issey Cross

Produced by Luude

Alright, Luude, this may be getting kind of silly now. “Bitter Sweet Symphony”? Really? When I first heard of this, I wasn’t necessarily shocked of the sample flip but it was amusing and when I first listened to the song, I nearly did a spit-take. To do my due diligence as the chart person, I should mention that the original song by The Verve hit #2 in 1997, being blocked by Puff Daddy’s version of “I’ll be Missing You”… both songs actually sample classic rock bands, funnily enough, though The Verve do it in a much more subtle way, even if the strings from the Andrew Oldham Orchestra’s version of The Rolling Stones’ 1965 #1 hit “The Last Time”. That’s right - this is sample-ception already before Luude even touched it. For the record, I’m not much of a fan of the song, but the orchestral lead - that I personally think gets very tiring over six minutes - is pretty iconic nowadays. It’s also a bit risky to sample, given the song is infamously the host of a slimy songwriting dispute, but Richard Ashcroft is now the sole writer credited on the track as of 2019 so most of the Issey Cross royalties I have to imagine are also going to him, which should help on some of the lost residuals. There is actually very little to say about the new song itself, funnily enough, as whilst Luude may be making his money doing silly drum and bass flips of classic songs, the returns aren’t always fantastic. I still laugh every time Ms. Cross harmonises with the string melody in the pre-chorus, and the drop has fairly enough push to it to work without being fully comical. I’m not big on the song overall, but it is a fairly standard flip of a very difficult-to-deny loop, with an okay vocal performance so it just by a pinch becomes serviceable, mostly on novelty factor.

#58 - “One Direction” - ArrDee and Bugzy Malone

Produced by LiTek and WhYJay

This new collaboration from ArrDee and Bugzy Malone isn’t exactly the best song ever, but what makes it beautiful is that - okay, I’ll stop, mostly because I can’t say this is beautiful. The horn line is just staccato and obnoxious, as even if it provides some needed bombast to drill that ArrDee can absolutely replicate, it does blow the song up to grander proportions that it cannot fully reach, mostly because the refrain is… awkward, as they vaguely trade bars, and the verses range from ArrDee ironically saying that comedians should steer clear of him - in a really lazy Eddie Murphy reference that doesn’t actually make any sense - whilst delivering what is basically a comedy-rap verse. Bugzy sounds more awake than usual, sure, but mostly because he’s surrounded by annoying sound effects so it’s like he has to work for the attention of the mix, which to be fair, is pretty well done considering how much it has to deal with that is just straight-up annoying. I really want to like this given the energy, but I can’t endorse something as obnoxious as this unless it embraces the silliness of itself more so than just a couple pop culture references.

#52 - “Enough is Enough” - Post Malone

Produced by Post Malone, Louis Bell, Rami and Max Martin

Dropping on the same day as UTOPIA seems like a mistake in the short-term but honestly, I somewhat doubt the audiences overlap that much anymore, especially considering that I’m convinced now that this synth-infused depresso pop-rock is the kind of music Post actually wants to make. This didn’t stop the Official Charts Company from accidentally missing the song out when they first posted the chart, so maybe they agree that enough truly is enough? Well, I don’t see how you could be convinced either positively or negatively by this track in particular. It’s 12 tracks into the album, without a video, so this really must be the fan favourite… and it’s okay. It’s got a typical acoustic frolick and Post’s signature warble, sometimes reaching into really rough falsetto, but any potential it could have had is quashed immediately by those terribly-mixed synthpop drums crashing down into the song and rendering it worthy of car adverts, with no update to the lyrical content to warrant a more serious sound, and no real bridge to be found… so this is practically just a regurgitation of a pop formula that vaguely works. I wish Post the best, but this is dull and doesn’t really make me want to check out any more of that album.

#53 - “Big 7” - Burna Boy

Produced by Danitello, MD$, Mike Wavvs, Otis and Super Miles

Burna Boy seems to be leading up to an album with these singles and honestly, overall, they seem pretty promising, ESPECIALLY this one. Sure, it’s another pop-R&B crossover, but the vintage-sounding keys function great off of the messy bounce, which may get in the way of Burna Boy’s flow initially, but he quickly grows into it and delivers one of his richer, more soulful performances, with a rasp on the chorus that sounds experienced and wiser as a result of the deaths in his life that he mentions in the verses, of Sidhu Moose Wala and Virgil Abloh, wherein he starts to come to grips with his now-international role as a self-proclaimed simultaneous “ghetto gospel preacher” and “two-times community service breacher”. It’s not exactly anything all too new or out there, but it’s an honest and catchy song about his experiences that deserves some spins.

#31 - “Baddadan” - Chase & Status and Bou featuring IRAH, Flowdan, Trigga and Takura

Produced by Chase & Status and Bou

Read the song’s credit and its production credits - you’ve just said the word “and” five times, and it would be generous to call whatever you constructed a sentence. If you’re thinking “Who the Hell are these people?”, I kind of am too, but apart from the drum and bass DJs at the helm that we know, as well as Flowdan from the Roll Deep grime collective who actually charted earlier this year with Skrillex on “Rumble”, we have IRAH, who seems to post at least one voice-over of Family Guy scenes on his Facebook page, Takura, who’s from Zimbabwe and has actually charted with Chase & Status before at #98 in 2011 on “Flashing Lights” and Trigga, who sure is Trigga, and has collaborated with Bou before. In fact, they all seem pretty accustomed to emceeing or at least guesting on drum and bass tracks, so what harm can be done by putting them all on a track together? The trio at the production helm have curated a pretty atmospheric and dark, menacing beat with a very 2014-feeling progression, especially with the wonky synth and reverb on Takura’s voice, and none of the emcees really impress or disappoint. IRAH’s introductory verse has the most menace, but Flowdan kind of runs away with the spotlight, mostly because his rhyme scheme is so percussive that it perfectly plays with the breaks. Most of the content are just threats, and I can’t say I’m over the Moon about the drop or Takura’s contributions in general, but the melodrama Chase & Status always bring is still there, and I could see it growing on me due to its sheer intensity soon enough.

#26 - “On the Radar Freestyle” - Drake and Central Cee

Produced by Harley Arsenault and Kid Masterpiece

“You know that’s how Jesus died, that’s how Julius Ceasar died - I bet they were decent guys, I swear they remind of me sometimes” already feels like a classic Drake bar. In fact, the song has a vintage aura surrounding it - mostly because this is the best verse Drake has delivered for about a decade, and the soul sample in the back, whilst bizarrely mixed like everything else in this “song”, adds a lot of sweetness to this otherwise hype-focused Jersey drill beat. Hell, for a YouTube freestyle video, this production is pretty unique, smattering the silky sample in a lot of filtering to the point of unrecognisability under an insanely hard and groovy drill pattern. I actually really like Drake here too - I’m not a hater, but I’ll sound like one later - as he actually delivers some pretty great lines regarding his status in Canada and he’s not going for menace or intensity here as much as he is just rampantly flexing, and it comes off pretty well, especially with that recurring “six” theme referring to where he grew up in Toronto, but being implemented really slickly - particularly in the opening line where he has to put emojis over three faces because the feds can’t see those (six) eyes. When Drake wants to, he can really deliver, and the awkward pauses after some of the weirder sex bars seem absolutely built for the reaction videos. Whilst Cench isn’t nearly as lyrical, stepping up to rap after old man Drake sits down, he sounds relentless in a lot of honestly pissy and vengeful-sounding bars, riding the beat excellently and intensely with lyrics a tad more compelling than I think is probably given credit, and his flow, whilst the same as Drake’s, sounds effortless and honestly kind of better coming from Central Cee. This may not really be a song, but it’s a damn impressive set of two verses that actually has some replay value for me so whilst I don’t think it’ll stick around at all, it was great whilst it was here.

#21 - “HYAENA” - Travis Scott

Produced by Travis Scott, MIKE DEAN, WondaGurl, Noah Goldstein and Jahaan Sweet

I didn’t like the substanceless void of vaguely-cool-sounding nothingness that was UTOPIA. At best, it was a set of guest collaborators putting in their best efforts only to be trampled on by the lack of ambition of its lead artist, and at worst, that lead artist’s ambition somehow gets way ahead of him and makes a formless mess that failed at any point to actually grip me into his world like he’d done before. We don’t exactly have the three best tracks from the album lined up here either, but at least we have one of them in the form of the opening track, “HYAENA”. It is on here that Travis sounds the most focused, and it is absolutely a convicting opener when you first press play on a Travis Scott album and are met with isolated progressive rock vocals carelessly slopping into a distorted jungle of groove. It probably has Travis’ only good verses on the entire album, delivered with energy and full of… well, nothing, but it’s at least delivered well, in place of a real hook, because it really doesn’t need one. Even when trying to deliver a crazy, industrial track, Travis ends up sounding the most human on this one, even if the content isn’t exactly thoughtful. Sadly, what I expect is for this one not to last and be replaced by a fan favourite like “I KNOW ?” next week, as can be the case when the three-song rule and big albums collide.

#18 - “Desire” - Calvin Harris and Sam Smith

Produced by Calvin Harris and BURNS

Hmm… this sounds familiar. Anyway, ahem… You know, even with a weak chart, I did not expect the hype for a new Calvin Harris track to be this [DECENTLY] high. After all, his disco efforts were met with underwhelming results, and… [SAM SMITH] hasn’t had a [SOLO] hit of [THEIR] own in years, so this collaboration being as immediate of a smash as it was kind of took me aback. I do like that Harris can experiment now and step his foot into different passions for both singles and albums markets, even if the British public clearly prefers one over the other, and with BURNS on co-production (yes, seriously, that hasn’t changed either), I think I’m predisposed to as well. [SAM SMITH] sings about a relationship that gives [THEM] a heavenly euphoria and begs [THEIR] partner to take the chance to go further, and I could not think of a better instrumental for that young-love energy, as spiralling keys and synths surround [THEIR] cooing. Once [THEY GET] into [THEIR] falsetto, the plummeting hardcore bass arrives and picks up the pace, allowing for the rickety drums to clash through. Instead of a drop after that, though, we get an – admittedly cheap but charmingly so – piano breakdown that then builds itself up through a simple emotional force. It’s a basic piano melody that then hides itself back under the catchy hardcore beat for another verse, until [THEIR] falsetto once again rubs itself against a deeper bass fuzz, except this time the escalation is immediate and grandiose, with fluttering percussion reflecting their accelerating heartbeats. It never fully locks into a groove either, because their love going further, whilst possible, is still a “[DESIRE]” – only starting to feel real. My only real complaint is that it fades out for radio purposes, when I want to hear this go further and further because it deserves an even higher level of detail, I want to hear this narrative pushed through, I want to hear what happens next, and that’s the most frustrating thing. Maybe a remix will give me more closure, but an extended edit would be great, or even just hearing how this is used in a DJ mix. The fact that Calvin Harris and BURNS have me gripped into the sonic theming of this track should be telling of how well they’ve constructed it though, and if Harris is going to briefly dip back into EDM tunes, I absolutely want to hear more where this came from - and God, if that’s what I said all those months ago when I first reviewed “Miracle”, maybe the blame is on me, but this is alarmingly similar down to even the lead vocal melodies, the song’s limited vocabulary and I have the exact same qualms, given it’s also way too short… but I’m not as interested in the Sam Smith narrative than I am Ellie Goulding’s, and it does come off as a cheap recreation. Just like this review.

#13 - “FE!N” - Travis Scott featuring Playboi Carti

Produced by Travis Scott and Jahaan Sweet

This is depressingly bad. We start with cheap rage synths that don’t carry any of the filtered weight as many of the beats Carti ends up on, so it just flairs through the instrumental as Travis murmurs an intro before the beat shuts down said synth into a clogged-down bassy trap number, as it remains for the rest of its runtime. In Travis’ verse, you can hear these little MIKE DEAN-esque synth inflections that are sprinkled on top in a desperate attempt to make anything about this actually interesting, especially Travis is full of nothing as always, and Carti’s hook is mind-numbing. His verse… can you call it that? Does that fit the legal definition of a verse? His second one does, and I at least appreciate his attempt at going for a deeper voice and inflection - it’s more experimentation than Travis is doing on this. With that said, the song ends abruptly with no catharsis for any of the previous three minutes, before Sheck Wes, who’s on ad-libs, can even get a word in edgewise, which is a shame since he’s the most interesting vocal presence here. Maybe with a more lyrical rapper on one of Travis’ more mindless cuts, there can be at least something of intrigue, so we’ll see with…

#10 - “MELTDOWN” - Travis Scott featuring Drake

Produced by Coleman, BNYX, Boi-1da, Vinylz, Tay Keith, Skeleton Cartier and Travis Scott

I get so easily tired of “menacing” Drake. It never sounds authentic, and is more often just an excuse for him to say absolutely embarrassing bars and still come off as “cool” - as he does in this, or deplete himself of any required energy, as he tries not to do here but considering all three of these beats - it’s like the BTEC “SICKO MODE” - refuse to wake up. We have a rote Memphis-influenced beat with strings, followed by a beat that acts like fanfare - or at least it would if we didn’t have sound effects and Travis’ backing vocals drowning out any impact the bass could have had. I do kind of like the way that certain parts of the beats maintain their presence, even if the transitions are not as exciting or innovative as “SICKO MODE”, which it is clearly trying to emulate, especially given the last beat is a Tay Keith clunker wherein Travis kind of sounds like he’s alive… vaguely. Apparently, Drake sends shots as Pharrell and Pusha on this one, but to be honest, if I were them, I wouldn’t see much point responding as the man burns bridges for headlines that he doesn’t need. Once again, I am asking for you to retire.

Conclusion

Once again, that sure was a week. Best of the Week goes to Turno, Skepsis and Charlotte Plank with “Rave Out” though the “On the Radar Freestyle” by Central Cee and Drake was way closer than I’d usually admit, as it grabs the Honourable Mention straight from poor Burna Boy this week. As for the worst, it really is a plentiful set to choose from, but I’ll go with “FE!N” by Travis Scott featuring Playboi Carti as the Worst of the Week with a Dishonourable Mention to… hey, look, it’s Travis Scott again with “MELTDOWN” featuring Drake. Hopefully a lot of this will clear out soon enough but for now, thank you for reading and I’ll see you next week!

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inkaliuchiswetrust · 2 years ago

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BTS and the Power of Music: Breaking Barriers and Spreading Love

BTS, also known as Bangatan Sonyeodan is the biggest boyband in the world (according to the economist.com) and debuted under the HYBE LABELS. They started from humble beginnings. They once begged people to go to their concerts and lived in a small dorm which did not fit all of them. But now all their concert tickets just get sold out at a blink of an eye. And their fans have been mentioning them paving the way of their life and the K-pop industry when it was at its worst. Their 40 million fans loved them because of their music which gives them inspiration, motivation and loving themselves is a must in the fandom. In Fact, they have released an album dedicated to loving yourself (Love Yourself: Answer) on the 24th of August, 2018.

BTS released their first Korean and Japanese-language studio albums, Dark & Wild and Wake Up respectively, in 2014. The group's second Korean studio album, Wings (2016), was their first to sell one million copies in South Korea.

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ACHIEVEMENTS:

MAMA Award for Best Male Group

2022, 2021, 2020, ...

Teen Choice Award for Choice Collaboration

2019 · Boy With Luv

MAMA Award for Album of the Year

2022, 2021, 2020, ... · Proof, BE, Map of the Soul: 7, ...

Billboard Music Award for Top Duo/Group

2022, 2021, 2019

MAMA Award for Worldwide Icon of the Year

2022, 2021, 2020, ...

People's Choice Award for Favorite Group

2022, 2021, 2020, ...

American Music Award for Favorite K-pop Artist

2022

MTV Europe Music Award for Best Pop

2021

People's Choice Award for Favorite Song

2021, 2020, 2018 · Butter, Dynamite, IDOL

MAMA Award for Best Dance Performance - Male Group

2021, 2020, 2019, ... · Butter, Dynamite, Boy With Luv, ...

MAMA Award for MAMA Platinum

2022

People's Choice Awards for Favorite Social Media Celebrity

2018

iHeartRadio Music Award for Best Music Video

2023, 2022, 2021, ... · Yet To Come, Butter, Dynamite, ...

MAMA Award for Best Music Video

2021, 2020, 2019, ... · Butter, Dynamite, Boy With Luv, ...

People's Choice Award for Favorite Concert Tour

2022 · Permission to Dance on Stage

Golden Disk Award Most Popular Artist Award

2023, 2022, 2021, ...

Golden Disc Award Album of the Year

2023, 2022, 2021, ... · Proof, BE, Map of the Soul: 7, ...

Billboard Music Award for Top Social Artist

2021, 2020, 2019, ...

Radio Disney Music Award for Best Song that Makes You Smile

2018 · DNA

American Music Award for Favorite Pop Song

2021 · Butter

NME Award for Greatest Music Moment of the Year

2020 · BTS at Wembley Stadium

Nickelodeon Brazil Kids' Choice Award for Favorite International Hit

2021, 2019 · Butter, Boy With Luv

Nickelodeon Brazil Kids' Choice Award for Challenge Hits of the Year

2021 · Permission to Dance

Golden Disc Award Song of the Year

2020 · Boy With Luv

MTV Europe Music Award for Best K-Pop

2021

Seoul Music Awards Record of the Year in Digital Release

2021

Teen Choice Award for Choice Summer Tour

2019 · BTS World Tour Love Yourself: Speak Your

They have also been invited to the United Nations as their ambassador and the White House by president Joe Biden.

MEMBERS:

Kim Seok Jin (Jin)

Jin is the hyung of BTS (the oldest). Meaning he has to take care of his younger members since they’re very far away from their family due to their training. His younger members were raised by him for more than a decade! And I do think that they were raised right by their Jin hyung with all their awards and recognitions they still have been very humble about it.

He is a songwriter and the vocalist of the group. Jin has co-written and released three solo tracks with BTS: "Awake" in 2016, "Epiphany" in 2018, and "Moon" in 2020, all of which have charted on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart

For now, Jin is serving his country as a military personnel with Hoseok.

Min Yoongi (Suga)

The lead rapper of the group came from a financially unstable family in Daegu. But due to his hard work he is now part of the Biggest Boy Band in The World and the global ambassador for Valentino. He used to work as a delivery boy in his teenage years. While working as a delivery boy he had a major injury which caused him to have surgery. He's been battling with mental illness for the past years. His fans and group members were a big help to him to overcome it.

Suga has also collabed with big time singers, like PSY, IU, Halsey and many more.

Jung Hoseok (J-hope)

The third hyung in the group. He is the ambassador of Louis Vuitton all because of his great fashion sense. Before debuting with BTS, J-Hope was part of an underground dance team called Neuron, and took dance classes at Gwangju Music Academy for six years, from fourth grade to his first year in high school when he signed with Big Hit Entertainment.[He was relatively well known for his dance skills, and won various local prizes, including first place in a national dance competition in 2008.

In 2019, J-Hope released a free collaboration single, "Chicken Noodle Soup", featuring American singer Becky G, on September 27.The track debuted at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100, making J-Hope the first member of BTS to chart on the Hot 100 as a solo artist, the third Korean solo artist to rank on the chart , and the sixth Korean artist overall to do so. "Chicken Noodle Soup" also became J-Hope's second song to debut at number one on the World Digital Song Sales chart. And now, he is currently serving Korea as a soldier.

Kim Namjoon (RM)

RM, is the leader and the main rapper of the group. He is called the Backbone of K-pop, since he was the main reason why it was popular and why the group BTS exists which contributed a lot to the Korean economy. Namjoon, is the only BTS member to be fluent in english which is a big help to them when they go to foreign countries. As a child, RM largely learned English by watching the American sitcom Friends with his mother. As a student, he actively wrote poetry and often received awards for his writing. He posted his work to an online poetry website for roughly one year, where he received moderate attention. He also has an iq of 148.

RM is the youngest and second most-credited songwriter in the association's history. With 213 songs attributed to his name as a songwriter and composer by the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA), as of April 2023.

Park Jimin (Jimin)

Jimin’s passion for dancing started at an early age. When he was in high school he learned contemporary dancing as a top student from Busan High School of Arts. Seeing his talent, one of his teachers suggested that he should audition for an entertainment company. With his talent, he successfully made it to Bighit. And now he has a networth of $8 million plus his collaboration with Dior which is $17 million. And a little fun fact is that Jimin is always teased by his younger member Jungkook because of his height. (174 cm)

Jimin's vocals have been described as delicate and sweet. He is regarded as an exceptional dancer among the members of BTS and in K-pop in general, often praised for his "smooth and elegant movements" and charm on stage. In the documentary Burn the Stage, Jimin addressed his perfectionism, stating that even the smallest mistakes on stage make him feel guilty and stressed.

Kim Taehyung (V)

V, also known as Taehyung, first aspired to be a professional singer in elementary school. With his father's support, he began taking saxophone lessons in early middle school as a means of pursuing a musical career. V eventually became a trainee for Big Hit Entertainment after passing an audition in Daegu. He never actually intended to audition, he was just there to support his friend but I guess he was too good.

Jeon Jungkook (JK)

The moment Jungkook saw Namjoon’s audition video for Bighit he knew he had to join. Jungkook is said to be Namjoon’s #1 Fan and joined the auditions because of him. Jungkook is the maknae of the group meaning he is the youngest and left his home for his dreams to become a superstar. And with that he now has an astonishing net worth of 20 million US dollars and is the ambassador of Calvin Klein.

The group's success can be attributed to their unique sound, relatable lyrics, and dedicated fanbase known as ARMY (Adorable Representative MC for Youth). BTS fans have played a significant role in the group's success, and here are a few ways in which they have helped BTS:

Social Media Presence: BTS fans are known for their active presence on social media. They use platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to share content related to BTS, such as music videos, pictures, and news. This helps to create buzz around the group and attract new fans.

Streaming: BTS fans actively stream the group's music on various platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. This not only helps to increase the group's streaming numbers but also helps to boost their rankings on music charts.

Voting: BTS fans participate in various online voting events to help the group win awards and recognition. They use their social media accounts to encourage other fans to vote, and this helps BTS to win awards and gain more exposure.

Fan Projects: ARMYs often organize fan projects to show their support for BTS. These projects include things like billboards, mass streaming parties, and charity donations. These efforts help to spread awareness about BTS and show the group how much their fans appreciate them.

Merchandise Sales: BTS fans are also known for their dedication to buying BTS merchandise. This helps to generate revenue for the group and shows record labels and other industry professionals that there is a demand for BTS-related products.

And here are some of my song recommendations for you to enjoy. <3

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Next Blog that will be posted when I want to ❤❤❤❤❤❤👁👄👁

HOW FOREST WHEELER TOOK OVER MY HEART

#bangtan sonyeondan #run bts #bangtan #Youtube

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officevalle · 2 months ago

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How Music Icons and Trends are Reshaping Global Culture

The music industry is more vibrant and influential than ever before. As artists push creative boundaries and fans rally behind their idols, music becomes a force that shapes not just culture but society as a whole. Icons like Rihanna and Taylor Swift have become symbols of innovation and empowerment, while viral sensations and influential fandoms connect people across borders.

This article highlights key themes in the modern music scene, from the enduring influence of the UK Top 40 to the unmatched power of fandoms and the legacy of viral hits like "Gangnam Style."

1. The UK Top 40: A Mirror of Modern Tastes

For decades, the UK Top 40 has been a staple of the music world. It serves as a snapshot of current trends, showcasing the songs that captivate listeners week after week. From indie hits to chart-topping pop, the UK Top 40 is a testament to the diversity and creativity of today’s artists.

Streaming platforms and social media have revolutionized the way music reaches audiences, influencing what makes it onto the chart. A track’s success is no longer dictated solely by radio play—it’s about how deeply it resonates with listeners across various platforms.

2. Rihanna: The Quintessential Music Icon

Few artists have had the cultural and musical impact of Popstar Rihanna. With her bold approach to music and style, Rihanna has carved out a unique space in the industry. Each of her albums reflects a willingness to experiment, from the dancehall-inspired "Rude Boy" to the deeply introspective "Love on the Brain."

Rihanna’s influence extends beyond music. Through her Fenty brands, she has revolutionized fashion and beauty, setting new standards for inclusivity and creativity. Whether she’s performing on stage or leading a business venture, Rihanna exemplifies what it means to be a multifaceted artist in the modern age.

3. Taylor Swift: A Voice for a Generation

Taylor Swift’s ability to connect with her audience is unmatched. Her Taylor Swift style is not just about music—it’s about storytelling that captures the essence of human emotions. From her early country ballads to her more experimental indie projects, Taylor has remained a master at blending vulnerability with artistry.

Her ability to constantly reinvent herself keeps her music fresh and relevant. Beyond her artistic contributions, Taylor Swift’s advocacy for artists’ rights and social justice issues has made her a powerful voice in today’s cultural landscape.

4. The Power of Fandoms in the Music Industry

The world’s most powerful fandom is more than just a group of dedicated fans—it’s a phenomenon. In the age of social media, fandoms have transformed the way artists interact with their audiences, creating a two-way relationship that fosters loyalty and engagement.

Whether it’s BTS’s ARMY mobilizing for charity or Swifties rallying around a new release, fandoms play a crucial role in driving an artist’s success. They organize streaming parties, trend hashtags, and amplify artists’ messages, proving that their influence goes far beyond music.

5. "Gangnam Style": A Viral Milestone

The Open Gangnam Star Song marked a turning point in how music is consumed and shared globally. Psy’s quirky hit broke barriers, introducing K-pop to mainstream audiences worldwide. Its humorous lyrics, vibrant visuals, and iconic dance moves made it an instant sensation.

"Gangnam Style" was a cultural moment that demonstrated the power of the internet in shaping music trends. It not only set the stage for other international artists but also showed that music could bring people together in unexpected ways.

Conclusion

Music’s ability to evolve and connect people is what makes it such a powerful force. Icons like Rihanna and Taylor Swift continue to shape the industry, while platforms like the UK Top 40 highlight the diversity of today’s sounds. Viral hits and passionate fandoms remind us of the collective joy music brings to our lives.

What are your favorite musical trends or artists? Join the conversation in the comments below!

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musicvalla · 2 months ago

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The Symbiotic Relationship Between Music and Fashion

Music and fashion are two powerful cultural forces that often intersect to create iconic moments. From the bold outfits of rock stars to the elegant looks of pop icons, musicians have shaped global fashion trends for decades. Similarly, fashion amplifies the storytelling in music, adding visual flair to the sonic experience. This article explores how artists influence fashion and how music plays a role in shaping personal and collective style.

Musicians as Trendsetters

Musicians have long been at the forefront of fashion innovation, setting trends that transcend their music. A quintessential example is Taylor Swift Style, which combines timeless elegance with playful modernity. Swift’s wardrobe choices often reflect the themes of her albums, creating a cohesive narrative that resonates with her fans.

Her era-themed outfits—from the whimsical dresses of her "Speak Now" days to the sharp, edgy looks of "Reputation"—have not only influenced her audience but also inspired designers worldwide. Fans mimic these styles, turning personal admiration into global trends, and transforming fashion into a medium for musical storytelling.

Music Charts as Catalysts for Style

The popularity of music charts like the UK Top 40 directly correlates with fashion trends. Chart-topping artists often become cultural icons whose fashion choices are as influential as their music. When an artist dominates the charts, their style becomes a point of discussion, shaping what people wear and how they express themselves.

For instance, the rise of hip-hop in the 1990s brought baggy jeans, snapbacks, and oversized jackets into mainstream fashion. Similarly, the K-pop wave has introduced bold, avant-garde styles to global audiences, blurring the lines between music and haute couture. These trends demonstrate how music charts act as barometers for broader cultural shifts, including in fashion.

Rihanna: A Music and Fashion Mogul

No discussion of music and fashion would be complete without mentioning Popstar Rihanna. With her boundary-pushing style and entrepreneurial ventures, Rihanna has solidified her place as both a music icon and a fashion mogul. Her Fenty brand revolutionized the beauty and fashion industries, championing inclusivity and diversity.

Onstage and off, Rihanna’s fashion choices are bold, experimental, and unapologetically authentic. Her ability to seamlessly transition between high fashion and streetwear inspires fans and designers alike, proving that music and fashion are intertwined expressions of individuality.

Fashion as a Reflection of Nostalgia

Fashion often serves as a nostalgic reminder of specific eras in music. Outfits tied to particular genres or decades evoke memories and emotions, creating a visual connection to the sounds of the time. This relationship is explored in I Remember Everything, which highlights how music triggers vivid memories.

For example, the resurgence of 80s-inspired fashion—think neon colors, oversized blazers, and bold patterns—coincides with the revival of synth-pop and retro music trends. Similarly, the grunge aesthetic of the 90s continues to thrive, reflecting the enduring influence of artists like Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

Fandoms and Style Movements

Fandoms play a significant role in amplifying the relationship between music and fashion. The World’s Most Powerful Fandom often takes cues from their favorite artists, adopting styles that reflect the spirit of the music they love. Concerts become showcases of creativity, where fans dress in themed outfits inspired by album covers, music videos, or specific lyrics.

This communal embrace of fashion fosters a sense of belonging, turning individual expressions into collective movements. It’s a testament to how music and fashion can unite people, transforming fans into a living embodiment of their favorite songs.

Conclusion

Music and fashion share a symbiotic relationship that enriches both industries. While musicians inspire global style trends, fashion enhances the storytelling in music, creating a multi-sensory experience for audiences. From Rihanna’s groundbreaking impact to Taylor Swift’s era-defining looks, artists continue to shape the way we dress and express ourselves.

As fans, we don’t just listen to music—we wear it, live it, and share it. This fusion of sound and style reminds us that music is not just something we hear; it’s something we feel and express in every aspect of our lives.

What’s your favorite example of music influencing fashion? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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virginiaprelawland · 2 years ago

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The Popularity, Controversies, And Defamation In The K-pop Industry

By Elizabeth Wolnik, George Mason University Class of 2024

March 24, 2023

Korean pop music, or K-pop, has quickly risen to popularity all over the world and it is currently South Korea’s biggest exports, bringing in $4.7 billion in 2016. K-pop is known for its massive budgets for music videos, creative outfits, and impressive dance moves and vocals [6]. The term “Hallyu”, or “The Korean Wave”, is the idea that South Korean pop culture has grown in immense prominence to become a force in global culture [10]. This is seen not just in K-pop, but with Korean food, beauty trends, and TV shows. With millions of K-pop fans worldwide, it is surprising that K-pop has only become popular in the past five to ten years, despite its beginnings in the early nineties. Seo Taiji and the Boys are known as the first ever K-pop group and they debuted in April of 1992 with their song “I Know”. This song topped South Korea’s singles charts for 17 weeks and held the longest number one streak in the country’s history. “I Know” represented the first time American-style pop music fused with South Korean culture. Between 1995 and 1998, three of the most well-known music studios appeared on the scene. SM, JYP, and YG would become famous for cultivating idol groups. SM founder Lee Soo-man created the first idol group H.O.T. in 1996 by assembling five singers and dancers who represented what he thought teenagers wanted to see in a modern pop group. Another SM idol group Girls Generation released their hit “Gee” in 2009 which came at the most opportune time when K-pop was beginning to turn heads internationally. Arguably, the most well-known K-pop group BTS had two songs hit the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Due to their popularity, BTS was many people’s first taste of K-pop and Korean culture, “and their fun singable melodies made it clear that the South Korean music industry had perfected the pop production machine into an effervescent assembly line of ridiculously catchy tunes sung by ridiculously talented people in ridiculously splashy videos” [10].

HYBE is another popular music company in South Korea that controls around 52% of the K-pop market [2]. They represent groups such as BTS, Tomorrow X Together, and Seventeen. In 2021, the company that used to be known as Big Hit Entertainment rebranded as HYBE and sought the partnership with American music manager Scooter Braun, who sold his Ithaca Holdings company to HYBE for $1.05 billion. At this point, Braun was now HYBE’s U.S. chief executive. HYBE has acquired other South Korean entertainment companies as well as the American music company Quality Control. As mentioned previously, SM was one of the first well-known Korean music production companies. They rose to prominence with groups like SHINee, EXO, Girls Generation, Red Velvet, and NCT and the company is valued at around $4 billion [2].

As of recently, a feud between HYBE and SM has ignited. This began when HYBE bought a 14.8% share in SM and became its largest shareholder. HYBE was planning to buy up to 40% of SM, which costs one trillion won or $900 million. This is a problem because if HYBE had full control of SM, they would own two-thirds of the K-pop market [2]. SM released a video on their YouTube channel with Chief Financial Officer Jang Cheol-hyuk explaining why the company is opposed to HYBE’s acquisition of a controlling stake in their company [1]. In the video, Jang outlined consequences of a potential merger between the two companies. Jang stated that HYBE did not request due diligence material from SM during the merger and acquisition process despite the fact that the deal was worth so much money. Due to the amount of money HYBE would have to spend to acquire SM, they would have to take out a loan in order to finance it. Jang said in the video that this was an indication of HYBE’s corporate governance and that it is “far from sound or rational”. Jang also mentioned that SM artists would be likely to be de-prioritized compared to other HYBE artists since HYBE’s roster of artists is already saturated. Jang stated that HYBE’s takeover would undermine fair competition and would create a monopoly that would ultimately be detrimental to the K-pop industry as a whole [1].

SM’s founder Lee Soo-man left the company in October 2022 and HYBE bought all of his shares of SM from him [2]. During his time at SM, Lee had been accused of financial misconduct and maneuvering his personal business interests into a Hong Kong based company that would allow him to avoid paying South Korean taxes. SM’s new CEO, who is Lee’s nephew stated that he believed his uncle allowed SM to sign consulting deals, where SM artists would sign overseas deals with Lee’s own firm and that Lee would take a 6% cut of SM album sales for 70 years and 3% of management fees until 2026. In HYBE’s initial response to the video released by SM, they said that they would focus on improving SM’s corporate governance to revise their internal management structure as well as continue to maximize shareholder value [1] and that SM created all their problems themselves and that HYBE was coming in to solve them [2]. The Korean government is also looking into this merger and acquisition between the companies since it has been such a large-scale mess. Im Kyeong-hwan of the Korea Fair Trade Commission said, “When a merger and acquisition takes place, we look at management, record sales, streaming, tours, and merchandise. We look at whether they could gain market dominance to make sweeping changes in the prices and quality of their services in the market.” [2].

Only a few weeks after HYBE announced their intention to take over SM, they called off their takeover bid [3]. They said they made their decision “after observing that the market has been showing signs of overheating due to competition with both Kakao and Kakao Entertainment.” A week before HYBE’s decision was made, tech giant Kakao and its entertainment unit had doubled down on their pursuit to take control of SM. They sought to buy up to 35% of the company, just a few days after a previous share sale agreement between the two companies was blocked by a South Korean court. Kakao offered SM shareholders 150,000 won, or $115 per share which was much more than HYBE’s previous offer of 120,000 won, or $92 per share. HYBE also said that the price of acquiring SM had “exceeded the fair acquisition price range as the competition with both Kakao and Kakao Entertainment intensified”. HYBE and SM both issued statements that they would continue to work and cooperate in the future. Kakao and its entertainment unit stated that they will continue with their existing offer to SM shareholders which is set to end on March 26 [3].

Despite the colorful façade of the K-pop industry, there is a seedy underbelly lurking. Common problems in K-pop include mistreatment, suicide, grueling training schedules, strict contracts, and sexual abuse [4]. The abuse in K-pop starts as soon as a young artist is scouted by a company and are enrolled in a training program where they learn how to sing, dance, and act, sometimes as young as 12 years old [6]. The company will enter the trainee into a legal contract which have been categorized by some as “slave contracts” which have exploitative and inhumane clauses in them, and the contract can last anywhere between seven to thirteen years. However, some see these clauses as “normal” like not allowing artists to date, not letting them see their family for long periods of time and forcing the artists on extreme diets and sometimes forcing them to get plastic surgery. When an idol group is promoting a new song or album, they are expected to give three to seven performances a day, with barely any rest in between. When they aren’t performing the artists are also expected to interact with fans constantly on social media. As for their pay, once the company’s fees are deducted from the group’s earnings and the pay is divided among the members, some groups make less than minimum wage for their hard work. The individuals who join a company are often too young to understand the legal and ethical implications of what they are getting into when they sign a contract to become an idol. Due to their encouragement to always present a perfect image to their fans, it is common for K-pop artists develop severe mental and physical health problems. However, in South Korea it is considered a sign of strong work ethic and is met with praise if someone works despite being sick or exhausted [6].

The most recent controversy that has appeared in the K-pop industry has been the revealed mistreatment of idol group Omega X. The members announced during a press conference in November 2022 that they were terminating their contracts with their company, Spire Entertainment [5]. In the press conference, the group exposed their company’s CEO, known as Kang, for her abusive behavior against the members. In October 2022, a video circulated on social media showing the CEO abusing the members during their United States tour. The video clip went viral and follow-up reports by the media showed that the members were also stopped from returning home after the video was leaked. Some of the members were forced to pay for their plane tickets out of pocket while suffering abuse from the CEO until they boarded the flight. Also in the press conference, all eleven members of the group disclosed the detail of the former CEO’s abuse, which included frequent sexual abuse, which had gone on since the group’s debut in June 2021 [5].

Defamation is also a huge deal in the K-pop industry. Before its rebranding as HYBE, Big Hit Entertainment stated that they intended to go after “malicious postings” related to BTS and was looking for fans to help supply them with information [11]. The company released a statement on social media site Weverse warning that the company had recently filed “criminal complaints against postings with personal attacks and defamation” against the idol group. BTS’ fans, known as ARMY, are well-known for criticizing people online for saying anything bad about the K-pop group. Big Hit said they had found one out of many defamatory social media user uploaded posts containing “insults against BTS using dozens of different IP addresses on DC Inside, a South Korean internet forum”. Big Hit is also known for their policy that refuses to settle cases and refuses to initiate leniency towards the individuals that they are pursuing legal action with [11].

This is considered a big deal in Korea since they prosecute defamation criminally, instead of civilly as the United States does. Defamation is a statement that injures a person’s reputation, and can either be written, known as libel, or spoken, known as slander [9]. Article 307 of South Korea’s Criminal Act states that a person who publicly reveals facts that are damaging to another person is subject to punishment, even if the statement is true [8]. A person in South Korea can face up to seven years of imprisonment and a fine if they are found guilty of defamation. The truth is also not a valid defense here if the court finds that what was said or written was not in the public’s interest [7]. In the United States and Canada, the truth alone is accepted as a complete defense in a defamation case. In the United States, there must be clear evidence of malicious intent for the defamation claim to stand in court, but this is not the case in Korea [8]. As a result of this, Korea’s defamation law remains open to abuse by people in positions of power. Organizations like the Human Rights Watch and the United Nations have expressed concern that the Korean government uses criminal defamation laws to prosecute critics of them. The #MeToo movement in Korea further revealed that their current defamation law prevented victims of sexual violence from speaking out for fear of being sent to jail. Some people believe that changing the defamation law would violate Article 17 of the Korean Constitution which protects the right to privacy [8].

South Korea’s strict defamation law creates an atmosphere of constrained expression, and “does not adequately distinguish between truth and falsehood and can act as a powerful tool of repression” [11]. Especially in the entertainment world, the threat of defamation has led South Korean media outlets to self-censor. Despite the strict defamatory laws, South Korea has been under high pressure to crack down on cyberbullying after a series of celebrity suicides. In 2019, actress and singer Sulli from the girl idol group f(x) was found dead after receiving online abuse for years. She became known for speaking out with her struggles with mental health and the cyberbullying she received. Sulli’s death prompted several Korean celebrities to call for better support for those in the turbulent K-pop industry [11].

______________________________________________________________

[1] https://www.nme.com/news/music/sm-entertainment-video-hybe-hostile-takeover-cfo-jang-cheol-hyuk-3401324

[2] https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-02-22/k-pop-bts-hybe-sm-entertainment-scooter-braun

[3] https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/11/media/hybe-bts-kakao-sm-takeover-hnk-intl/index.html

[4] https://thediplomat.com/2022/12/the-dark-side-of-k-pop/

[5] https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20221220000785

[6] https://medium.com/@hvaddadi7/ethics-in-the-korean-entertainment-industry-the-dark-underbelly-of-k-pop-469b7bcd91b3

[7] https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/south-korea#:~:text=Criminal%20defamation%20laws%20already%20have,not%20in%20the%20public%20interest.

[8] https://keia.org/the-peninsula/problems-with-koreas-defamation-law/

[9] https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/defamation#:~:text=To%20prove%20prima%20facie%20defamation,entity%20who%20is%20the%20subject

[10] https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/2/16/16915672/what-is-kpop-history-explained

[11] https://www.billboard.com/pro/bts-bighit-recruits-army-personal-attacks-defamation/

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0613magazine · 2 years ago

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201220 TIME

ENTERTAINER of the year - BTS

It’s late October, and SUGA is sitting on a couch strumming a guitar. His feet are bare, his long hair falling over his eyes. He noodles around, testing out chords and muttering softly to himself, silver hoop earrings glinting in the light. “I just started learning a few months ago,” he says. It’s an intimate moment, the kind you’d spend with a new crush in a college dorm room while they confess rock-star ambitions. But SUGA is one-seventh of the Korean pop band BTS, which means I’m just one of millions of fans watching, savoring the moment.

BTS isn’t just the biggest K-pop act on the charts. They’ve become the biggest band in the world—full stop. Between releasing multiple albums, breaking every type of record and appearing in these extemporaneous livestreams in 2020, BTS ascended to the zenith of pop stardom. And they did it in a year defined by setbacks, one in which the world hit pause and everyone struggled to maintain their connections. Other celebrities tried to leverage this year’s challenges; most failed. (Remember that star-studded “Imagine” video?) But BTS’s bonds to their international fan base, called ARMY, deepened amid the pandemic, a global racial reckoning and worldwide shutdowns. “There are times when I’m still taken aback by all the unimaginable things that are happening,” SUGA tells TIME later. “But I ask myself, Who’s going to do this, if not us?”

Today, K-pop is a multibillion-dollar business, but for decades the gatekeepers of the music world—the Western radio moguls, media outlets and number-crunchers—treated it as a novelty. BTS hits the expected high notes of traditional K-pop: sharp outfits, crisp choreography and dazzling videos. But they’ve matched that superstar shine with a surprising level of honesty about the hard work that goes into it. BTS meets the demands of Top 40’s authenticity era without sacrificing any of the gloss that’s made K-pop a cultural force. It doesn’t hurt that their songs are irresistible: polished confections that are dense with hooks and sit comfortably on any mainstream playlist.

BTS is not the first Korean act to establish a secure foothold in the West, yet their outsize success today is indicative of a sea change in the inner workings of fandom and how music is consumed. From propelling their label to a $7.5 billion IPO valuation to inspiring fans to match their $1 million donation to Black Lives Matter, BTS is a case study in music-industry dominance through human connection. Once SUGA masters the guitar, there won’t be much left for them to conquer.

In an alternate universe where COVID-19 didn’t exist, BTS’s 2020 would likely have looked much like the years that came before. The group got its start in 2010, after K-pop mastermind and Big Hit Entertainment founder Bang Si-hyuk recruited RM, 26, from Seoul’s underground rap scene. He was soon joined by Jin, 28; SUGA, 27; j-hope, 26; Jimin, 25; V, 24; and Jung Kook, 23, selected for their dancing, rapping and singing talents.

But unlike their peers, BTS had an antiestablishment streak, both in their activism and in the way they contributed to their songwriting and production—which was then rare in K-pop, although that’s started to change. In BTS’s debut 2013 single, “No More Dream,” they critiqued Korean social pressures, like the high expectations placed on schoolkids. They have been open about their own challenges with mental health and spoken publicly about their support for LGBTQ+ rights. (Same-sex marriage is still not legally recognized in South Korea.) And they’ve modeled a form of gentler, more neutral masculinity, whether dyeing their hair pastel shades or draping their arms lovingly over one another. All this has made them unique not just in K-pop but also in the global pop marketplace.

In March, BTS was prepping for a global tour. Instead, they stayed in Seoul to wait out the pandemic. For the group, life didn’t feel too different: “We always spend 30 days a month together, 10 hours a day,” Jin says. But with their plans upended, they had to pivot. In August, BTS dropped an English-language single, “Dynamite,” that topped the charts in the U.S.—a first for an all-Korean act. With their latest album this year, Be, they’ve become the first band in history to debut a song and album at No. 1 on Billboard’s charts in the same week. “We never expected that we would release another album,” says RM. “Life is a trade-off.”

Their triumphs this year weren’t just about the music. In October, they put on perhaps the biggest virtual ticketed show of all time, selling nearly a million tickets to the two-night event. Their management company went public in Korea, turning Bang into a billionaire and each of the members into millionaires, a rarity in an industry where the spoils often go to the distributors, not the creators. And they were finally rewarded with a Grammy nomination. On YouTube, where their Big Hit Labels is one of the top 10 most subscribed music accounts (with over 13 billion views by this year), their only real competition is themselves, says YouTube’s music-trends manager Kevin Meenan. The “Dynamite” video racked up 101 million views in under 24 hours, a first for the platform. “They’ve beaten all their own records,” he says.

Not that the glory comes without drawbacks: namely, lack of free time. It’s nearing midnight in Seoul in late November, and BTS, sans SUGA, who’s recovering from shoulder surgery, are fitting in another interview—this time, just with me. V, Jimin and j-hope spontaneously burst into song as they discuss Jin’s upcoming birthday. “Love, love, love,” they harmonize, making good use of the Beatles’ chorus, turning to their bandmate and crossing their fingers in the Korean version of the heart symbol.

Comparisons to that epoch-defining group are inevitable. “What’s different is that we’re seven, and we also dance,” says V. “It’s kind of like a cliché when big boy bands are coming up: ‘Oh, there’s another Beatles!’” says RM. I’ve interviewed BTS five times, and in every interaction, they are polite to a fault. But by now they must be weary of revisiting these comparisons, just as they must be tired of explaining their success. RM says it’s a mix of luck, timing and mood. “I’m not 100% sure,” he says.

They’ve matured into smart celebrities: focused and cautious, they’re both more ready for the questions and more hesitant to make big statements. When you ask BTS about their landmark year, for once they’re not exactly chipper; j-hope wryly calls it a “roller coaster.” “Sh-t happens,” says RM. “It was a year that we struggled a lot,” says Jimin. Usually a showman, on this point he seems more introspective than usual. “We might look like we’re doing well on the outside with the numbers, but we do go through a hard time ourselves,” he says. For a group whose purpose is truly defined by their fans, the lack of human interaction has been stifling. Still, they’ve made it a point to represent optimism. “I always wanted to become an artist that can provide comfort, relief and positive energy to people,” says j-hope. “That intent harmonized with the sincerity of our group and led us to who we are today.”

In an era marked by so much anguish and cynicism, BTS has stayed true to their message of kindness, connection and self-acceptance. That’s the foundation of their relationship with their fans. South Korean philosopher and author Dr. Jiyoung Lee describes the passion of BTS’s fandom as a phenomenon called “horizontality,” a mutual exchange between artists and their fans. As opposed to top-down instruction from an icon to their followers, BTS has built a true community. “Us and our fans are a great influence on each other,” says j-hope. “We learn through the process of making music and receiving feedback.” The BTS fandom isn’t just about ensuring the band’s primacy—it’s also about extending the band’s message of positivity into the world. “BTS and ARMY are a symbol of change in zeitgeist, not just of generational change,” says Lee.

And in June, BTS became a symbol of youth activism worldwide after they donated $1 million to the Black Lives Matter movement amid major protests in the U.S. (They have a long track record of supporting initiatives like UNICEF and school programs.) BTS says now it was simply in support of human rights. “That was not politics. It was related to racism,” Jin says. “We believe everyone deserves to be respected. That’s why we made that decision.”

That proved meaningful for fans like Yassin Adam, 20, an ARMY from Georgia who runs popular BTS social media accounts sharing news and updates, and who is Black. “It will bring more awareness to this issue people like me face in this country,” he says. “I see myself in them, or at least a version of myself.” In May and June, a broad coalition of K-pop fans made headlines for interfering with a police app and buying out tickets for a Trump campaign rally, depleting the in-person attendance. Later that summer, ARMY’s grassroots fundraising effort matched BTS’s $1 million donation to Black Lives Matter within 24 hours.

For 28-year-old Nicole Santero, who is Asian American, their success in the U.S. is also a triumph of representation: “I never really saw people like myself on such a mainstream stage,” Santero says. She’s writing her doctoral dissertation on the culture of BTS fandom, and she runs a popular Twitter account that analyzes and shares BTS data. “Anytime I’m awake, I’m doing something related to BTS,” she says. “This is a deeper kind of love.”

Devotion like that is a point of pride for BTS, particularly in a year when so much has felt uncertain. “We’re not sure if we’ve actually earned respect,” RM says. “But one thing for sure is that [people] feel like, O.K., this is not just some kind of a syndrome, a phenomenon.” He searches for the right words. “These little boys from Korea are doing this.”

Source: TIME

#2020 #bts #time

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djdigitalhi · 8 years ago

Video

youtube

Your votes decided the songs on this #Kpop Chart for May 2017 Week 3! This week has new entries from #TWICE, #VIXX and more. Where did your favorites end up?

Want to have a say where songs should be on this chart or don't agree with the outcome? Well you have the power to change it!

Tell me what your Kpop favorites are by doing one or all of the following: * List your ranked list of favorites in the comments of the YouTube videos/audio * List your ranked list of favorites on my website at http://www.djdigital.info/vote_kpop * Email your ranked list to [email protected]

Remember you can vote once a day using the methods above that way you don't have to change your prior submissions if something new comes out and totally wrecks your bias list.

Thanks for watching and for your continued support! If you like these, please be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel!

#kpop #k-pop #kpop chart #k-pop chart #k-pop fan chart #kpop fan chart #Top 40 kpop chart #Top 40 K-Pop Chart #Top 40 K-Pop Fan Chart #Top 40 Kpop Fan Chart #DJDKPOP #May 2017 Week 3

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dailykoreanpop · 2 years ago

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How hello82 Brought K-Pop Fan E-Commerce to the Top of the Charts & On Tour With ATEEZ

The California media company stood out with amusing, moving, multilingual K-pop content, and expanded into retail by working alongside and shining the spotlight on fans.

To millions of K-pop fans, hello82 has been a destination to watch their favorite idols take on viral challenges, play celebrity babysitter to kids, attempt karaoke in foreign languages and star in other ready-to-share videos. But in the past year, the company behind the multi-language YouTube channels has expanded its e-commerce offerings to better meet its’ viewers’ wants. The results have led to success for the four-year-old company on the Billboard charts and, as of last week, completing their first “tour.”

When ATEEZ‘s first U.S. shows since 2019 kicked off in January for The Fellowship: Beginning of the End tour, the band was selling out arenas but had yet to break into the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 like many of their K-pop peers. While a relationship with Korean management label KQ Entertainment led to the channel’s top-watched video (an 11-minute prank of ATEEZ member San disguised as a break-dancing senior has over 32 million views), hello82 saw an opportunity to better connect to the band’s ATINY fans directly in the States.

youtube

With offices in Los Angeles, hello82 spent 2021 becoming a trusted hub for international K-pop fans to shop for physical album imports, merch, and virtual experiences like live events and artist-fan calls during the pandemic after COVID-19 concerns forced the company to expand into different offerings. Physical-album distribution in the U.S. has helped Korean artists soar high on the Billboard albums chart (largely thanks to being issued in collectible deluxe packages, each with a standard set of items and randomized elements). hello82 saw how expanding their e-commerce channels could create a new business opportunity and simultaneously deliver the same communitive aspect they looked to develop with their video content.

“We just wanted to go meet where the demand was with the supply,” says Sang H. Cho, co-founder of hello82’s parent company KAI Media and its current COO, from his Beverly Hills office. “We just felt like few K-pop groups are well represented and were getting the sort of recognition or credit they deserve when it comes to things like charts. Obviously, we’re a business that wants to make money, but we also understand the fans, their psychology, and their needs too. Having them getting involved and getting them to feel the sense of accomplishment and community. And we obviously knew the opportunity was there for all of us to achieve that together.”

What began in 2021 as distributing two ATEEZ albums from a virtual storefront—September’s Zero: Fever Part.3, which peaked at No. 42 on the Billboard 200, followed by December’s Zero: Fever Epilogue at No. 72—turned into larger ambitions for ATEEZ’s The World EP.1: Movement album released this past July. Not only was this ATEEZ’s first release after reuniting with their ATINY fans during their early 2022 tour, but also ignited a new musical era for the group.

“We saw the potential to make it much, much bigger,” Cho says with his team looking to both traditional, big-box retailers alongside local, fan-driven pop-up stores to activate beyond the virtual.

Chain department stores have been increasingly carrying more K-pop content, but almost exclusively by those with label deals or representation in the U.S. While RCA Records under Sony Music signed ATEEZ in 2019, the group had yet to have its music available in retail stores stateside. (RCA declined to comment by time of publication on its relationship with ATEEZ) With Cho’s background in retail finance, plus other internal relationships, hello82 quickly made inroads.

“There are a couple of retailers that understand and know the K-pop market pretty well: Target is one, Barnes & Nobles is another, and we’ve worked with those two pretty extensively,” Cho says. “Those guys don’t necessarily buy from new suppliers very easily—especially when it comes to physical media, but we were lucky enough to know some people that could get us in front of these buyers fairly quickly in an official manner and make sure we check all the boxes to make sure we’re qualified for them.”

The move instantly connected hello82 and, finally, an ATEEZ album into some of the world’s biggest retail giants. The World EP.1: Movement was available online and in Barnes & Noble stores, plus in online stores for Target, Walmart and FYE. “The margins are thin at these big-box retailers,” Cho says. “But they also give you a lot of coverage and you get a lot more fans who aren’t close to places like big cities so we’re happy about that.” There are hopes for upcoming ATEEZ projects to be in actual Target stores.

Yet perhaps the most meaningful part of their chart goals was creating more than a dozen pop-up stores across the country directly alongside fans. With a hello82 rep at each store, local ATINY volunteered (some reaching out on social media before the company could even make the call for help) after being vetted by the team to help work at their local locations that were decorated with photo walls, giveaways and customized merch.

“We knew that we could probably do a few pop-up stores on our own, but we really wanted to activate the fans and make them one of the stakeholders in the entire campaign,” Cho says of the 19 pop-up stores they held in hotspots like Chicago and Atlanta, but also in smaller cities like Yuma, Ariz. and Southfield, Mich. Utilizing cafes and existing stores (some very familiar to K-pop fans like NYC and LA’s LINE Friends stores that sell BTS‘ BT21 and TREASURE‘s TRUZ products), fans could pick up their copy of The World EP.1, an exclusive box version prepared by hello82, and connect with other ATINY in person.

“Doing pop-ups has its own merits; it can be flexible in terms of locations, timing and all of that,” Cho reflects. “I just feel like K-pop fans in certain areas now deserve a place that they can go to to hang out, not just access to all the products and albums. These fans like to just get together. And it’s not just K-pop fandom, I feel like it’s all most fandoms: I’m a big Philadelphia Eagles football fan and I would go to a sports bar just to hang out with other goofy MFers from Philly.”

The strategy broke ATEEZ through with The World EP.1: Movement opening at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 (behind Beyoncé and Bad Bunny) with 50,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Aug. 4, with album sales comprising 47,000 of that total, according to Luminate. The set has earned 86,000 U.S. equivalent album units through Dec. 1.

The first week marked a massive jump from the opening sales of Fever Epilogue (which earned 16,000 units in the first week) and Fever Part.3 (13,000). Along with KAI Media co-founder and current CEO Jae Yoon Choi, Cho emphasizes ongoing dialogue with Billboard and Luminate to ensure “we’re doing everything by the book.”

“It’s the first time for us doing it this scale so obviously there were some hiccups but release week was actually pretty calm,” he recalls. “We kind of knew where we were gonna go, but you never know…when we were at the top of the charts, I mean, we were obviously ecstatic. Not just us, but with the fans that we got a lot of ‘thank-yous’ and ‘great jobs.’ Our community manager who talks to a lot of those guys directly also shared an almost tears-of-joy moment on release day, and then, ultimately, when the charts officially came out. So, it was exciting.”

The company kept that energy alive with pop-up stores throughout the 11 dates in the North American leg of ATEEZ’s The Fellowship: Break the Wall tour, the group’s second tour in 2022 and most expansive run yet. Each of seven cities on the trek, along with two that weren’t on the tour route, set up shop for at least two days each as the official pop-up for tour merchandise.

“After the successful album distribution, we are now distributing merch in association with their upcoming North American tour,” Cho explains. “We have always looked at ourselves as a bridge for management companies between South Korea and the U.S. market, where we can help them connect directly with their fans here and create a lasting fandom.”

Stores in LA and Oakland opened ahead of ATEEZ’s Nov. 7 and 8 shows at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Fans could grab new items like jackets and T-shirts while participating in activities like writing sticky note messages for ATEEZ.

By the tour’s final stop in Toronto on Dec. 2, hello82 showcased what may be their most visible project yet when they played their “Project Star 117 – From ATINY to ATEEZ” video played during the show with on-camera messages from fans and the sticky notes written by pop-up attendees. The band themselves watched with a heartfelt gaze and led to leader Hongjoong crouching down in tears. The official upload video has more than 50,000 views in under five days.

youtube

hello82 isn’t a dedicated music-service company, but they watch industry trends and consumer behaviors to consider new business.

“The music industry is now sort of maturing into this real combination of on-demand, ubiquitous consumption of music, but also this very active and passionate sorts of fandom activities as well that drives a lot of commerce,” he adds. “I think all of these things have always been part of music business, but it’s coming back with the vengeance now and we’d like to partake in all of that. The K-pop audience, K-pop fans, they’re sort of at the forefront of all of these activities so, we see a bright financial future and our investors do as well.”

Cho notes that the ATEEZ strategies have caught the interest of other artists and labels looking to impact America. However, the company is interested in partners who will engage heavily with fans and “be a little bit experimental.” There are also hopes for the company to take the business beyond North America and “hopefully, eventually expand out to other underserved markets around the world.”

While Cho and colleagues are directly discussing high-level plans with Team ATEEZ (“Credit goes to KQ for having the foresight and ATEEZ for being a great band—they were kind enough to give us the opportunity, and they were willing to risk a lot”), they are also putting in work at hello82’s retail stores themselves.

“We make sure that everybody does a rotation,” Cho says. “The look and joy you see on fans’ faces—especially when you’re pulling the right photo card for them—that’s what makes our day.”

Credit: billboard

#ateez #kq entertainment #billboard #hello82

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blackpinkofficial · 5 years ago

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Forbes: Lady Gaga Could Help Blackpink Score Their Biggest Hot 100 Hit To Date With ‘Sour Candy’

In a little over a week, Lady Gaga’s hotly anticipated new album, Chromatica, will be upon us. The pop star’s sixth studio album (and first since 2016’s Joanne) has already generated a lot of hype, preceded by the Top 5 single “Stupid Love” and boasting collaborations with Ariana Grande, Elton John and Blackpink. While all three partnerships should be mutually beneficial, Gaga’s Blackpink collaboration, “Sour Candy,” could have the added distinction of earning the Korean pop quartet its biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100 to date.

Blackpink has been steadily increasing its stateside footprint over the last three years. The girl group earned its first Top 40 entry on the Billboard 200 in 2018 with the Square Up EP, which peaked at No. 40. The Square Up lead single, “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du,” also became Blackpink’s first Hot 100 entry, peaking at No. 55 and eventually surpassing 1 billion music video views. Last year, Blackpink made even greater headway on the Billboard charts, reaching No. 24 on the Billboard 200 with their Kill this Love EP and No. 41 on the Hot 100 with the title track. One week after the release of Kill this Love, Blackpink made their U.S. live debut with a rapturously received Coachella set, solidifying their status as global superstars.

The time was ripe for a full-length Blackpink album, their final step toward U.S.

domination. One year later, though, and fans have barely heard a peep from the group—and they made their displeasure known last December with a multi-pronged campaign demanding better promotion from the group’s management company, YG Entertainment GDEN. Those fans finally received some good news this week, when YG Entertainment announced Blackpink would release their debut full-length in September. The 10-song album will be preceded by two singles this summer, while “Sour Candy” will come out next Friday.

Blackpink’s yearlong musical drought is exceptionally long by K-pop standards, and fans are champing at the bit for new tunes. Already, Gaga and Blackpink fans are mobilizing to give “Sour Candy” a strong debut, sharing hashtags for the release and encouraging listeners to stream and buy the song on multiple platforms. Considering Blackpink earned 1.1 billion Spotify streams in 2019—a 168% increase over 2018—there will be a lot of fans checking out “Sour Candy” in its first week.

Given Gaga’s recent track record with singles, “Sour Candy” seems poised to give Blackpink their best Hot 100 placement yet. Joanne’s lead single “Perfect Illusion” debuted and peaked at No. 15, while follow-up single “Million Reasons” eventually ascended to No. 4 following Gaga’s 2017 Super Bowl halftime show performance. “Shallow,” her Bradley Cooper duet from A Star Is Born, debuted at No. 28 and later topped the Hot 100. And, again, “Stupid Love” peaked at No. 5 just three months ago.

Even if “Sour Candy” underperforms by Gaga’s standards, it has a shot at cracking the Top 40. (Her 2017 one-off single “The Cure” debuted at No. 39 without any promotion.) In the streaming age, it’s common for multiple songs off the same album to debut high on the Hot 100 simultaneously. And with Blackpink fans throwing their weight behind the track, “Sour Candy” will likely have a disproportionately high number of downloads among Chromatica songs.

How high “Sour Candy” can climb on the Hot 100 is anyone’s guess, but a Top 20 debut doesn’t seem out of the question. There is precedent for collaborations between K-pop artists and Western pop stars charting extraordinarily well: BTS reached No. 8 on the Hot 100 with the Halsey-assisted “Boy with Luv,” while their Map of the Soul: 7 lead single peaked at No. 4, benefiting from a remix with Sia. It’s not a perfect analog for “Sour Candy,” since Gaga is the lead artist here, but it speaks to the commercial potential of similar collaborations. Between Gaga and Blackpink’s massive fan bases and the sky-high anticipation for new Blackpink material, you’ve got the ingredients for a big Hot 100 debut, and “Sour Candy” could set the stage for a massive comeback when Blackpink releases its full-length album in September.

200521 Forbes

#ot4 #blackpink #article #200522

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bangwoolofbangtan · 4 years ago

Text

TIME

ENTERTAINER of the year

BTS

[Time magazine BTS interview ]

It’s late October, and Suga is sitting on a couch strumming a guitar. His feet are bare, his long hair falling over his eyes. He noodles around, testing out chords and muttering softly to himself, silver hoop earrings glinting in the light. “I just started learning a few months ago,” he says. It’s an intimate moment, the kind you’d spend with a new crush in a college dorm room while they confess rock-star ambitions. But Suga is one-seventh of the Korean pop band BTS, which means I’m just one of millions of fans watching, savoring the moment.

BTS isn’t just the biggest K-pop act on the charts. They’ve become the biggest band in the world—full stop. Between releasing multiple albums, breaking every type of record and appearing in these extemporaneous livestreams in 2020, BTS ascended to the zenith of pop stardom. And they did it in a year defined by setbacks, one in which the world hit pause and everyone struggled to maintain their connections. Other celebrities tried to leverage this year’s challenges; most failed. (Remember that star-studded “Imagine” video?) But BTS’s bonds to their international fan base, called ARMY, deepened amid the pandemic, a global racial reckoning and worldwide shutdowns. “There are times when I’m still taken aback by all the unimaginable things that are happening,” Suga tells TIME later. “But I ask myself, Who’s going to do this, if not us?”

BTS is not the first Korean act to establish a secure foothold in the West, yet their outsize success today is indicative of a sea change in the inner workings of fandom and how music is consumed. From propelling their label to a $7.5 billion IPO valuation to inspiring fans to match their $1 million donation to Black Lives Matter, BTS is a case study in music-industry dominance through human connection. Once Suga masters the guitar, there won’t be much left for them to conquer.

In an alternate universe where COVID-19 didn’t exist, BTS’s 2020 would likely have looked much like the years that came before. The group got its start in 2010, after K-pop mastermind and Big Hit Entertainment founder Bang Si-hyuk recruited RM, 26, from Seoul’s underground rap scene. He was soon joined by Jin, 28; Suga, 27; J-Hope, 26; Jimin, 25; V, 24; and Jung Kook, 23, selected for their dancing, rapping and singing talents.

Not that the glory comes without drawbacks: namely, lack of free time. It’s nearing midnight in Seoul in late November, and BTS, sans Suga, who’s recovering from shoulder surgery, are fitting in another interview—this time, just with me. V, Jimin and J-Hope spontaneously burst into song as they discuss Jin’s upcoming birthday. “Love, love, love,” they harmonize, making good use of the Beatles’ chorus, turning to their bandmate and crossing their fingers in the Korean version of the heart symbol.

They’ve matured into smart celebrities: focused and cautious, they’re both more ready for the questions and more hesitant to make big statements. When you ask BTS about their landmark year, for once they’re not exactly chipper; J-Hope wryly calls it a “roller coaster.” “Sh-t happens,” says RM. “It was a year that we struggled a lot,” says Jimin. Usually a showman, on this point he seems more introspective than usual. “We might look like we’re doing well on the outside with the numbers, but we do go through a hard time ourselves,” he says. For a group whose purpose is truly defined by their fans, the lack of human interaction has been stifling. Still, they’ve made it a point to represent optimism. “I always wanted to become an artist that can provide comfort, relief and positive energy to people,” says J-Hope. “That intent harmonized with the sincerity of our group and led us to who we are today.”

In an era marked by so much anguish and cynicism, BTS has stayed true to their message of kindness, connection and self-acceptance. That’s the foundation of their relationship with their fans. South Korean philosopher and author Dr. Jiyoung Lee describes the passion of BTS’s fandom as a phenomenon called “horizontality,” a mutual exchange between artists and their fans. As opposed to top-down instruction from an icon to their followers, BTS has built a true community. “Us and our fans are a great influence on each other,” says J-Hope. “We learn through the process of making music and receiving feedback.” The BTS fandom isn’t just about ensuring the band’s primacy—it’s also about extending the band’s message of positivity into the world. “BTS and ARMY are a symbol of change in zeitgeist, not just of generational change,” says Lee.

FASHION CREDITS

RM: Jacket, shirt, pants and shoes HERMES; SUGA: Jacket, shirt and necklace CELINE. Pants GIVENCHY. Shoes LOUIS VUITTON; Jung Kook: Jacket, shirt, pants and shoes FENDI; J-Hope: Jacket, shirt, pants and shoes LOUIS VUITTON. Necklace HERMES; Jin: Suit, knit top and shoes BALENCIAGA; Jimin: Jacket, silk shirt, pants and shoes CELINE; V: Suit, shirt and shoes ALEXANDER McQUEEN. Tie THOM BROWNE.

#bts #kim taehyung #bts update #kim namjoon #park jimin #kim seokjin #jeon jungkook #jung hoseok #min yoongi #bts time magazine #bts time 2020 #bts time #bts entertainer of the year #bts interview #bts time photoshoot #bts photoshoot #bts group photo #bts achievements #bts article

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winebleeds · 4 years ago

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by popular request here’s a look at the spencers’ celebrity verses.

FIRST OFF. certain plots may change the dynamic of the spencers or if the spencers knew your muse(s) as children. aka, if robert ... yeah robert, threw all four kids into stardom without them ever really having a say in it, where maybe he became semi popular at some point before ellesmere gobbled him back up. in this case, the spencers would be use to the spotlight since children & could even be kid stars (like being on d*sney) before molding into the celebrity selves mentioned below. otherwise, everything follows the main timeline, except one (or two, with liz & maddie) of the spencers decide to incorporate themselves in hollywood. here, only the one spencer is well known as the other live normal lives. if we do go with the ‘all spencers were celebs’ verse, then the way that happens can be privately discussed. otherwise, the following are based on the other siblings having normal lives. heck, maddie’s main verse is her trying to go into the music industry, so she main can easily meet other celebs. NOW, onto the individual verses.

ELIZABETH AND MADDIE

but pineapple didn’t you say indi- yes, but these two are integral for their verses. even if the focus for this verse is liz being more popular than maddie, they both influence each other AND are involved in their separate careers, that you cannot separate them in terms of explaining this verse, aka if liz decide to sing songs for a living.

here, instead of asking about how things are fixed, a young liz finds herself interested about how people make music. it’s still building upon broken or new parts, creating songs out of them or learning instruments instead of wrenches. robert, always wanting a high status, sees his young daughter’s interest & upcoming talent as a potential way to climb that social ladder; he may not get her into politics, but she was going to be a star.

so her free time surrounded in the studios and music lessons instead of horses & books. some of her mix tapes went to producers, robert bought an apartment in nashville for longer stays. around this time, maddie is born, but liz is too busy caught in the whirlwind of the life robert is now forcing onto her, & the pending divorce between her parents. this confusion brought years of writing material down the road. the heartbreak & separation in her personal songs isn’t about lovers people love to interpret. no, it was a broken family that led to the broken persona.

by the time maddie can truly remember, elizabeth had begun a true music career. her first album came out with somewhat success; better than mediocre but nothing too mainstream yet. but the country scene is talking about the teenager becoming a future staple with more practice. so a major producer took liz in as a protégé. her first tour was her being an opening for the z*c br*wn band alongside her first album. (later down the road, a popular video of hers on youtube is a live footage of her covering ‘highway 20 ride’ with them)

& all a young maddie can do is look at awe. she doesn’t really see too much of her older sister, but that older sister showed maddie how to play guitar, how words connect into musical poetry, telling her who was who. even as maddie grew to not like the country genre that elizabeth is heading towards, maddie’s love for music only enhance, deciding to live with robert & elizabeth in when the courts ask maddie where she wants to go.

but when maddie is of age to tell the courts she wants to live with robert, nowin la, elizabeth had three albums, the second a surprising platinum & on country charts. the closest of high school for her was music videos with the school setting. she captures the teenage spirit while holding herself with a posture of maturity. and that maturity grows with her college third album, departing from country into the top 40 pop. the start of her 20s brought her to la & stardom... but, oh, does she hate it. even more as her father savors in it.

one of her biggest scandals (besides being known as a heartbreaker) comes from a panic attack in front of the paparazzi's around the time of her third album, when her claustrophobia took over. and her claustrophobia still hasn’t gone away; people that used to work for elizabeth know of her tears in bathroom until she was able to recoup. she’s able to hide this better now that she’s six albums & 5 tours in as of 2021. these later album mix her pop & country genres, integrating into folk & the alternative of her actual preference. some of her signatures have been not changing pronouns of covers or singing songs with she/her, alluding to her bisexuality. but people go in depth in interpreting songs they know of her own, with her and another spencer on credit...

because many songs under elizabeth are a joint effort with her sister, the better songwriter but less famous. it has brought jealousy with maddie, knowing the pop status made elizabeth a household name. but maddie is a bassist/songwriter in a band in a niche alternative rock group, & she adores those fans... and maddie sometimes feel lucky, sometimes, knowing the paparazzi are less involved than the panic they bring to elizabeth. and, even though they have enough money to live on their own in the hollywood hills, they live in the same mansion together. even at the surface shows separate lives, they both need each other, wanting to make up lost time of lost childhoods through this common interest of songs. and, seeing how music makes maddie smile, elizabeth may consider her current life is worth it... for her sunshine...

JAMIE

sadly, i won’t go into the details i did for maddie & liz. but, jamie as four scenarios. first, is the generic actor au where he often plays jocks in earlier shows & more comedic roles (like being frequent on snl) though he wants to break from that pretty boy status with his newfound sobriety. this may play more into the all spencers found stardom.

the next two can fit into the main timeline. instead of getting too injured to play football, jamie does end up in the nfl, where he can mingle with the popular crowds. then, there’s the sports announcer au. instead of fitness training after his downfall, he decides to go into a possible career of announcing the sport he once played or other sports. while not entirely popular here and just gaining a face, he’s a pretty face. might even take a small tv role.

finally, and perhaps the most sought after, is his dancer au. here, dancing replaces football (perhaps br*tney sp*ars had a bigger influence on him), especially if he meets irene earlier and follows her around. this could be him becoming a dancer in a company (aka ballet) or he’s a known background dancer for music videos. so he doesn’t have mainstream status, but known in the industry. most likely to be set up to date someone either in popularity or look slightly more relatable.

RALEIGH

he’s a director / producer / writer, so he stays behind the scenes. but he does have a grammy under his belt. and while he’s been told he has movie star looks, he doesn’t like being on the camera, just behind it. even for the verses where he was once a child actor. maybe he even started writing / working with medical shows before dramatic movies & even a documentary.

#long post for ts /#cleary y'all can see which one i thought more about #( e. famous )#( m. famous )#( j. famous )#( r. famous )#for more generic hc's that may rise in this.#ask to tag

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deadcactuswalking · 2 years ago

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 01/04/2023 (Ed Sheeran, Jimin, Paris Paloma)

Welp, you knew it was coming. Or, really, he was coming. Ed Sheeran takes the #1 from Miley Cyrus with his new single debuting at the top, “Eyes Closed”. More on that later but for now, welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

As always, even on this busy week, we start with our notable dropouts – songs that are exiting the UK Top 75 (which is what I cover) after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week includes many of the debuts from last week, which is no surprise, including “Set Me Free Pt.2” by Jimin, but we’ll get back to him. Otherwise, we say farewell to “I Wrote a Song” by Mae Muller (it’ll be back in May), “PAINTING PICTURES” by Superstar Pride, “Weekends” by Freya Riding, “In Ha Mood” by Ice Spice, “Martin’s Sofa” by Headie One, “Pointless” by Lewis Capaldi, “Lavender Haze” by Taylor Swift, “Hide & Seek” by Stormzy and “Save Your Tears” by The Weeknd (again). There’s always one week per season or so where you can tell the hit parade is having a drastic change over the seasons, and this may be that week where we see that spring turnover – finally.

As for what’s filling in the blanks, well, “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi and “Afraid to Feel” by LF SYSTEM are back seemingly at random at #65 and #72 but we also have two artists with albums impacting the chart in our returning entries, both of which we’ll talk about in detail with our batch of new songs. Firstly, “The Kind of Love We Make” by Luke Combs is back at #75, and secondly, Lana Del Rey takes “A&W” back up to #45 – neither reach new peaks, and it really would have been great to see “A&W” in the top 40, but both are great songs and I’m glad they’re back, though again, like much of this week, I’ll say more on them later. As for our notable gains, we see “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen at #66 (I imagine a lot of people will be bothered that this is a thing – not me), “Shivers” by Ed Sheeran getting residual hype at #55, “Oh Baby” by Nathan Dawe and Bru-C featuring Issey Cross and bshp at #41, “Hell n Back” by Bakar at #35 off of the debut, “Pretty Boys” by Caity Baser at #30 and finally, “REACT” by Switch Disco featuring Ella Henderson and the late Robert Miles at #26. I’m not exactly pleased about all of this, but what can you do?

Now before we get into our new entries, we can cover the top five, where we see “Die for You” by The Weeknd at #5, “People” by Libianca at #4 and “Miracle” by Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding at #3. “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus has been pushed down to #2 by our ginger prophet’s debut, which we’ll cover at the end, but we’ve got a country song, a posthumous single, a K-pop track and Lana Del Rey album cuts to talk about so... joy. Let’s just get into them.

NEW ARRIVALS

#73 – “The Light” – Juice WRLD

Produced by Gezin, Hurtboy AG, ManOhManFoster and Max Lord

Even more posthumous singles from Juice feels like overkill at this point. I know the man recorded thousands of unreleased tracks but the way that the label and management feels the need to create genuine single and album rollouts has gone way beyond “feeding the fans�� and into just pure exploitation territory, which is kind of sad because well, a lot of these songs aren’t even bad. This one... absolutely is, and honestly makes me mad. Juice’s vocals are drenched in reverb and echo that distance it even further from this obnoxiously programmed attempt at emo-pop, with drum mixing that sounds genuinely horrible, louder than any kind of melody that the song finds, but with too many cooks producing the track and Juice’s vocals still clearly an unfinished demo where we hear punch-ins just so he can try and find the beat, there’s not much melody to offer either. At some point they give up and put a trite trap beat under the whole song like some kind of amateur YouTube remix. I didn’t even notice initially but the more I researched, I found out that this was actually censored. I thought why of course, since none of the others had been censored, and honestly, I can’t seem to find much of a reason: they even uncensored one line about hoes being pretentious because fans complained. They reworked and censored a dead man’s art for what I can only assume are financial reasons in order to make it more accessible and radio-friendly, only for his fans – who otherwise eat up all of the posthumous garbage the label gives them (which is the label’s fault, not theirs) – to actually push back against it and force them into changing that one line and none of the others. This is an embarrassing and pathetic attempt, and the fact that it debuted so low may prove that people are sick of this grave-robbing schtick, and God, I hope so. The fact that this was originally intended to be a love song makes the label scum involved in revamping it seem even less sympathetic: I probably wouldn’t have liked the song if he was alive and fully involved in its production, but at least then it’d be a genuine track, released by someone who can consent to its release and adjust it to get to his artistic vision. Over three years after Juice’s death, that prospect is clearly no longer possible, and the flagrantly cash-grabbing label snabs to replicate the success and resonance he had with his audience is utter disrespect. The less Juice WRLD I cover from now on in this series, the better, because every time I do, it’s just a truly sad experience.

#71 – “Flip a Switch.” – RAYE

Produced by Di Genius, RAYE and Mike Sabath

I was a tad underwhelmed with My 21st Century Blues as a whole because it has most of the expected debut effort scruffiness and confusion in what it actually wishes to convey. With that said, it’s an honest album – one that kicks itself in the foot in order to be so – and has some beautiful songs... “Flip a Switch.” is not one of them. Sure, I like the harmonies in the intro, but otherwise I find it an oddly dull kiss-off about a guy who clearly didn’t want RAYE for love and just for sex, so it leads her to a similarly vengeful and careless mindset. It’s a cool enough sentiment and definitely one RAYE can deliver with both power and nuance – Hell, she did just that in “Escapism.” – but against this hybrid, mono-genre beat, anything she sings is going to sound disappointing, especially when her hypnotic harmonies are lost behind a deadpan performance from RAYE that kind of just sucks, I’m sorry. The writing’s okay, but the flailing acoustic guitars and sterile drums are not, and her lack of casuality in any of her rap flows becomes increasingly obvious with this one wherein she’s forced to rap for the whole song and she basically just loses any of her power on the mic. It just ends up sounding actually dead, which may have been the point, but without a bridge that actually, you know, sounds like a bridge, or any kind of further narrative, there’s not much of promise to be found on this mediocre production and one of RAYE’s worst performances, outside of those backing harmonies which again are great. It’s just a shame that the rest of the song really isn’t.

#70 – “Fast Car” – Luke Combs

Produced by Chip Matthews and Jonathan Singleton

Ohio singer Tracy Chapman first released “Fast Car” in 1988, and it became a top five single here in the UK, peaking at #5 in its original run and since kind of becoming a beloved classic. It reached a new peak of #4 in 2011 and for some reason became victim of several terrible tropical house remixes, with Jonas Blue’s version featuring Dakota out-peaking the original at #2. Now my favourite rendition of “Fast Car” will always be how it was sampled in the rap classic “Sometimes I Rhyme Slow” by Nice & Smooth, but the original is a pretty undisputed song so I was interested to hear how the UK’s favourite country star (not exactly the highest bar) would tackle it. As is, Chapman’s “Fast Car” is a beautiful folk-pop track about the cycle of life, starting with escapism: chasing their dreams with their partner and just driving away is a necessity with the tragic background, yet that backstory ends up informing how her partner ends up acting, just like her father, and Chapman takes a stand against it using the exact same motto they used to get together in the first place: “leave tonight, or live and die this way”. It turns out that it isn’t what it seems, and it’s a bittersweet song, sure, but there’s satisfaction in how much confidence Chapman has gained since, and still finds a lot of time to reminisce on the earlier escapism of that relationship. Does Luke Combs do it justice? Well, it’s hard to say for me; he does do it more justice than Jonas Blue but that’s a given. I do love his delivery as always, as he just has a BIG voice, giving more power – alongside the more conventional, streamlined country production – to the narrative and really amplifying the drama. He doesn’t change the narrative much either, even still calling himself a “checkout girl” in the verse, which I think is a great choice. It feels more like he’s elevating another voice than really lifting his own... which honestly works in this context. The album’s called Gettin’ Old – part of that is understanding other peoples’ stories and integrating what you learn from them into how you live your own life. If “Fast Car” is your choice to cover in order to express that, I’d say they’re some pretty damn good lessons to learn. It’s a great song, really difficult to mess up especially in this acoustic sound.

#68 – “Candy Necklace” – Lana Del Rey featuring Jon Batiste

Produced by Zach Dawes, Lana Del Rey, Nick Waterhouse and Ian Doerr

No, I didn’t listen to that new Lana Del Rey album. Who do you think I am, someone who listens to Lana Del Rey albums? I barely have the time to read her album and song titles in full. I’m also not largely a fan of Lana, so having two tracks to cover here is not exactly exciting, but they do both have features so maybe it won’t be too bad – and hey, I loved “A&W”, so this could be good? I’d introduce Jon Batiste but I mean, he won Album of the Year in 2022 without anyone knowing who the Hell he is, so I think he’ll be fine. This is a song about young love, about Lana’s brain shutting off when she’s with this restless guy and all his innocent little candy necklaces, though you wouldn’t know it based off of the whispery vocals and intense pianos that eventually have credence given to them by the second verse, where for whatever reason, this relationship is bringing her down... with a pretty cheesy implementation of an A Tribe Called Quest reference before the chorus continues basically as if that verse didn’t happen. Now Lana is an albums artist; I fully expect that context is required and provided by the album, and this fits into a larger narrative, but considering how minimal the song is outside of the manic piano solo, I don’t get a lot from this song as it stands on its own, especially since Batiste could really have played off Lana for the whole song to give more detail and only ever shows up at the end for a final mantra. It just ends up kind of disappointing by the end, which is a shame because there’s something more to tassle with here.

#48 – “Paris, Texas” – Lana Del Rey featuring SYML

Produced by Jack Antonoff and Lana Del Rey

Okay, well, I will introduce SYML, since I had to look up who this was myself, and it’s the stage name for Seattle musician Brian Fennell, who does not provide vocals and is rather just sampled for the instrumental, though it fits very well into the sprinkling piano sound of the other Lana album cut we covered. I like how she specifies she is going to Americanised, diluted versions of these important European cities, it adds some cohesiveness and depth to the meandering track that absolutely makes use of that meander: it’s about moving on, even if it’s not onto anything all that new or special. If you’re no longer enveloped in that scenery, maybe it’s just time to go, and with her frail falsetto floating over acoustic guitars, it’s a pretty breezy track that exemplifies that feeling of not really being “home” in one place but still having the constant mindset of having to move around and venture into new place, only for the outro to kind of confirm the fears of this moving around all being a tad pointless. Surely, when you know you’re right at home, you will be, right? The framing can definitely be interpreted as about a relationship (or more than one), but I prefer the idea of it just being about uncertainty and not knowing where you can actually feel safe. It’s something that resonates with me particularly, not because I moved around a lot but because there’s no place that actually feels like home for me... except music. Okay, let’s not get too sappy on this, we’re only at #48 and I already put way too much emotional depth into two other new entries so far. It’s an excellent song, and I’ll leave it at that. The original SYML instrumental isn’t half bad either, but the Lana version adds a lot more depth.

#38 – “Fly Girl” – FLO featuring Missy Elliott

Produced by MNEK, LiTek and WhYJay

I really wanted to like this. The original “Work It” is undeniable and a song that hit #6 here in the UK in 2002, though I’m surprised it never reached any higher. This new song with promising girl group FLO is heavily based on that 2000s banger and... it’s just a mess. The first verse mentions a checklist and that’s absolutely what it is: does it have a slick R&B acoustic guitar line? Yes. Does it have an overpowering hip hop rhythm section with hard bass? Yes. Does it have good enough harmonies with lyrics about being fly, sexy and independent? Yes. Does it interest me? Well, kind of, but not for the right reasons – it seems like it’s checking all of the boxes, but the guitars sound like MIDIs, the “Work It” sample takes the reversed section and makes it sound oddly eerie, and Missy’s ad-libs throughout have way more energy than FLO do. I can’t really tell the difference between the girls yet – it took me a couple years for Little Mix even – and they do sound good together but the strings and bass just kind of protrude in a way that has less groove or nuance and instead just sounds kind of funny. That’s before we get to the trap breakdown which gives up on itself as soon as it kicks in, and the same goes in general for the warped bass in that second verse, or the build-up in the pre-chorus that anticlimactically stops bothering for the chorus. There is an uncharacteristically gritty beat switch that completely messes the song’s momentum in order for a mediocre Missy Elliott verse, even if she has some great lines and still as much effortless swag as she ever had. The problem is that she doesn’t have much room, with very little time and a lot of interruptions from FLO. The final chorus is genuinely so overwhelming I have nothing to say about it, and alongside the chorus with the staccato, Auto-Tuned riffing, random spoken word is that same interjected “Work It” sample which just comes in with no sense of sequencing. It’s bizarre, and only kind of in a fun way. Honestly, I’m just kind of glad there is a song this obviously messy and grandiose, hyper-focused on being as all over the place as possible, in the top 40 because if there’s anything about the 2000s I miss, it’s the guilty pleasure.

#29 – “labour” – Paris Paloma

Produced by Justin Glasco

Okay, I’ll bite: who the Hell is Paris Paloma? Well, they are a folksy pop singer with this being their breakout hit, and through some clunky, kind of old-fashioned writing, in not a dissimilar way to Hozier last week, condemns the patriarchy and misogyny, although Paloma is much more personal, focusing on a betrayal in what could be seen as a relationship but also the wider world that promises opportunity but really makes you work for it, with the elite playing God around you. It’s a good lyrical and thematic concept, but I don’t really like the song: Paloma is not an interesting or unique voice in the indie pop scene, and whilst there is some grit to the darker folk touches here that feel almost gothic, honestly, the chorus is pretty underwhelming. With some more electric guitar and less focus on the muddy, mono-genre-sounding bass and stomp-rock drums, I think I’d like this quite a bit, and be more able to get past the clunky lyrics that I think at least prove a point. In fact, the semi-sincere apologies and scathing attacks on this guy alongside a pretty smoky instrumental makes her sound kind of badass... but not enough, especially not if Justin Glasco’s going to make her sing over 2012-era Imagine Dragons. This is a good song just waiting to come out and prove itself, but the production holds it back – regardless, I’m actually interested to hear more from Paris Paloma if this brand of Tumblr folk pop is going to make a resurgence, just out of curiosity if anything.

#8 – “Like Crazy” – Jimin

Produced by Pdogg and GHSTLOOP

I knew there was hype behind Jimin and his solo debut, FACE, but I was surprised that this album-release single is out-peaking the debut... until I realised how many God damn versions he released. Whilst I try and appreciate all of the K-pop I hear, and often end up disappointed, I’m not afraid to say that this is just bad. It’s not as comical as “Set Me Free Pt.2”, sure, but the original Korean standard version – which I’m listening to as I write this – has these cheap acoustic guitars drowned in a lot of reverb and muddy bass alongside the vocal samples. I figured it’d be an alternative R&B track, especially considering the tacky sample of a 2011 romcom starring Jennifer Lawrence (really, guys?), but it turns into a boring 80s synthpop pastiche in no time, because why be interesting when you can be anything else but? The synths are either flailing or piercing, never floating or really finding any solid footing in the mix, especially once the cheap buzzing comes in post-chorus, only to completely render itself irrelevant soon afterwards. Jimin’s voice continues to sour on me with his nasal nothingness crooning over an already boring track. It’s honestly sad that this is the route Jimin’s going to get a hit; I know sales got it this far but the existence of an English version (though some of the original is also English) and several dance remixes makes this a clear push to the international market in just the laziest way possible. The English translation proves the lyrics as awkwardly generic, and then we have the remixes that feel like the cheapest, most surface-level renditions of the respective genres of deep house and UK garage possible. The deep house remix has these annoying and unfitting festival claps, and ends up becoming your typical house-pop nonsense. The UK garage remix starts with a freaking trap beat, so I didn’t bother listening to it in full – yes, it does eventually become UK garage, but I guess he just had to knock on another genre in there. I honestly can’t tell that the fact Jimin and co wrote a song that works perfectly fine in all of these genres but is never actually good in any of them is impressive or just proof that the cynical pop establishment is studying the vaccine that prevents its pop singers from ever being contaminated with any unique personality or defining sound. This is garbage, I’m sorry, BTS fans, but this is not how I, if I were a fan, would want my favourite boys to move past the group and their regional fanbase, because this is a gaping void of a pop song.

#1 – “Eyes Closed” – Ed Sheeran

Produced by Aaron Dessner, Fred again.., Max Martin and Shellback

So, Ed’s back, and thanks to great sales, he of course hits the top. It’s his 14th time here, how could you be surprised at this point? This is the lead from his upcoming album, - (Subtract), which promises a more personal and alternative style, probably courtesy of production from The National member Aaron Dessner, though it’s interesting to see Max Martin still here alongside Ed’s flagship co-producer Fred, who appears once again, as his name prophesied. Recently, I’ve been on kind of an Ed Sheeran defence streak, or at least for the past album cycle or so... so I ended up kind of excited for this, and were my hopes reached or hell, even surpassed? Well, you can tell it’s a mixture of Dessner’s folk rock and the streamlined pop of Max Martin considering how the acoustic pluck sticks out like a sore thumb amongst a sterile kick drum in that first chambering chorus. Ed sounds frail when dedicating each song and dance to the loved ones he lost, and for a song with a chorus about dancing with his eyes closed, it’s really not danceable. It’s a rhythm more appropriate for the third line in the chorus, “time is moving so slow”, and once the minimalism succumbs to a vaguely danceable rhythm with the tropical guitars back in the mix for the post-chorus, it becomes increasingly obvious how the emptiness is absolutely the point. That second verse about his delusion just wanting him to believe his room isn’t empty hits really hard, and I get this vision of Ed alone in a bar just kind of moving along – not dancing, just nodding his head and taking another drink. I’d like a bit more lyrical detail maybe, and whilst the production fits, it’s not exactly always to my taste, but as a concept, especially lyrically and thematically, it’s really well executed. The mixing does do it some justice too with how much echo there is and I can’t really fault a song with the perfectly melodramatic pop song line, “I guess I could just pretend the colours are more than blue”. It’s also decidedly not lead single material so if that’s all he has for radio, I’m excited to hear what Ed was cooking up with Dessner for the album cuts. For now, this is pretty solid, but I’m aching to hear where this is going.

Conclusion

I think it’s pretty obvious that whoever the Hell is managing Juice WRLD’s back catalogue gets Worst of the Week for “The Light”, and I can’t blame him for any of it. Please, let the guy rest. The Dishonourable Mention goes to “Like Crazy” by Jimin, though again, most of the blame for that doesn’t catch Jimin himself, not because he’s dead because I damn sure hope he’s not but because he’s one cog in a pretty hopeless machine, and it’s definitely not unique to K-pop. It just turns out that we didn’t get much of that this week, though you definitely could read “Eyes Closed” that way, even if I can’t because of how the lyrics resonate with me. As for the best, it’s honestly pretty easy: Best of the Week goes to “Paris, Texas” by Lana Del Rey featuring SMYL for, you know, making me cry, but Luke Combs easily snags the Honourable Mention for his cover of “Fast Car” and would on a good day maybe end up further than Lana though those two songs are just phenomenal. Maybe we’ll get a bit of a slow down next week, but who knows with these charts? Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you then for whatever’s on the horizon! Right now, though... God, I have a headache from listening to five versions of that bloody Jimin song.

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