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SM Entertainment, the K-pop titan that’s home to NCT 127, Red Velvet, aespa and others, is throwing its clout behind a new TV format, a collaborative venture that unlocks the Korean company’s passage into the European market.
Unveiled this week, SM Entertainment partners with the team at the newly-launched Moon&Back Media, for a “unique” talent show, for which its producers will find the next superstar boyband, and present it to TV audiences around the globe.
Filming over six months, the cameras will follow the journey of an emerging band as they depart London in early 2024 “on the adventure of a lifetime,” with the story unfolding in the U.K. and South Korea.
According to a statement, pre-production for the series has kicked off, and discussions are ongoing with major broadcasters, record labels and music publishers.
Both parties characterize the collaboration as a “first-of-its-kind” alliance between Korea and the U.K.
“This collaboration signifies our first footprint in Europe,” comments Joseph Chang, CEO of SM & Kakao Entertainment America, in a statement. “Our expansion blueprint will continue to span across North and South America, Europe, and other pivotal markets, leveraging SM Entertainment’s vast artist roster and extensive networks for unprecedented synergies ahead.”
Chang adds, ”we are thrilled to partner with power players who were critical in the creation and success of One Direction, and together we are aiming to find that next global sensation.”
Moon&Back was founded by multi-BAFTA-winning producer Nigel Hall (Britain’s Got Talent, The X Factor, One Direction), broadcast leader Dawn Airey (C4, C5, ITV, Sky, Getty Images), and talent manager Russ Lindsay (Ant & Dec, Simon Cowell). Asylum Group invested in Moon&Back earlier in 2023.
“This is a global first,” notes Airey, “creating a British boy band and exposing them to the wonders and rigours of the premier K-pop process with SM Entertainment. This alchemy will create compelling television and a boy band that will entertain the world.”
SM Entertainment, which also guides the careers of SuperM and RIIZE, has ramped up activities in America with several major plays. In March, SM announced that it wanted to acquire a U.S.-based company to expand into hip-hop or R&B, and in August, a so-called “local integrated corporation” in North America formed by the amalgamation of Kakao Entertainment America and SM Entertainment USA, which would be “completed quickly within this year.”
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Laura Pausini assures that she will never forget the night she lived in Seville on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, when she became the first artist born outside of Latin America or Spain to be honored as the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, and only the third woman to receive the recognition (after Gloria Estefan and Shakira.)
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The Italian superstar, who over three decades has made sure to release each of her albums simultaneously in Spanish, conquered the Spanish-speaking world early on with anthems like “La Soledad,” “Se Fue,” “Inolvidable” and “Amores Extraños,” creating an unbreakable bond not only with her fans, but with her colleagues in the Latin industry — many of whom consider her a close friend today.
On Wednesday, on the eve of the Latin Grammy Awards, about 30 of them took the stage to celebrate her by performing songs from her well-known repertoire: From Alejandro Sanz, India Martínez and Ana Mena, who opened the evening with a medley of “Nadie Ha Dicho” and “Volveré Junto A Ti,” to Beret, Danny Ocean and Ovy on the Drums (playing keyboard,) who closed the show with “Se Fue” before handing over the mic to Pausini herself.
Accompanied by an orchestra, stars such as Andrea Bocelli, Luis Fonsi, David Bisbal, Carlos Vives, Anitta and many more surprised the honoree at the traditional annual dinner and concert, considered one of the most important events of Latin Grammy Week. Words like “reference”, “pride” and “modesty” resonated among the participants, who highlighted Pausini not only as an exceptional singer, but as a generous, warm and simple human being.
“Our person of the year is a genuine, authentic artist with a deep sensitivity, who has turned her lyrics into songs of all time,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of the Latin Recording Academy, during the gala. “Winner of a Grammy and four Latin Grammys, Laura has always remained faithful to her romantic style and to a tireless search for musical excellence. And what you won’t find in any biography, but we all know, is that she is a great girl.”
Among the most notable performances of the night, Fonsi and David Bisbal sang “Inolvidable” with a vocal feat that earned them a standing ovation at the FIBES Seville Conference and Exhibition Centre. Mon Laferte and Christian Nodal offered a beautiful cover of “Como Si No Nos Hubiésemos Amado;” Andrea Bocelli sang an Italian version of Charles Aznavour’s “She”, “Uguale a Lei;” and Anitta and Tiago Iorc, along with trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, surprised everyone with a cover of the romantic ballad “En La Ausencia De Ti” in Portuguese.
Fonseca, Silvestre Dangond and Carlos Vives created one of the funniest moments with their version of “Quiero Decirte Que Te Amo” that started as a violins-led ballad and soon transformed into a vallenato, before culminating in a kind of fight between the three of them for the honoree’s love.
Pausini reacted to all this with laughter and tears, making hearts with her hands and even standing up to hug the singers on the edge of the stage. Evidently moved, she was accompanied by her parents, her sister, her husband Paolo Carta and her daughter Paola.
Also singing were Malú and Niña Pastori (“La Soledad”), Carin León and Vanesa Martín (“Amores Extraños”), Pablo López and Antonio Orozco (“Verdades A Medias”), Pablo Alborán and Elena Rose (“Yo Sí (Io sì )”), Reik and Bebe (“Entre Tú Y Mil Mares”), and Ángela Aguilar and Pepe Aguilar (“El Valor De Seguir Adelante”).
Fonsi, who called Pausini a “sister” and highlighted her spontaneity and great sense of humor, was the one to present her as the 2023 Person of the Year.
“Your passion, your ethics, your daily effort, your respect for the audience, for your colleagues, your respect for the stage, and your level of perfectionism — mi gente, when I say level of perfectionism it is a freaky, freaky, freaky level,” the Puerto Rican star said. “But that’s why you are what you are, that’s why you’re so great and you’ve come so far.”
Pausini, appealing to the sense of humor that her friend had just highlighted, sang “And I… I am the Person of the Year” to the melody of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” making everyone laugh.
“I will never forget this in my life. I will never live a night like this again,” she said upon receiving her trophy, thanking everyone involved in her career and in her life for accompanying through it all. She noted that, during the last 30 years, she has had a privileged life not only because she has “the great pleasure of being able to sing in Spanish,” but because from very early on she felt “adopted” by the Latin industry and community, “like a daughter, like a sister, like family.”
“You’ve raised me from a teenager until today, giving me the possibility of being the most Latin Italian in the world!” she exclaimed to cheers. “It seems to me that today is the day in which we confirm to the entire world that our adoption is legal, that our hands will not let go, and above all that our hearts will remain together. I promise this.”
With her husband and musical director on guitar, Pausini closed her big night on stage with a medley of “Durar”, “La Soledad”, “Víveme,” “En Cambio No”, and a cappella renditions of “Amores Extraños” and “Entre Tú Y Mil Mares.
The Masked Singer was balling on Wednesday night (Nov. 15), when one of the NBA’s most recognizable athleted of the 2000s was unmasked.
The celebrities got their helmets and sang their heart for Trolls night, a pop night. Cuddle Monster performed “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” by New Kids on the Block, Anteater hit “I Want It That Way” by Backstreet Boys and Donut sang “I Do (Cherish You) by 98 Degrees.
Donut had it licked as Cuddle Monster and Anteater accumulated the least number of votes, and entered the smackdown with a performance of Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling.”
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For Cuddle Monster, an early retirement.
Under the fluffy mask was Metta World Peace, the controversial former NBA star who is remembered as much for his role in the infamous “Malice at the Palace” brawl in 2004 (when he was known by his birthname, Ron Artest), as he is for a superb pro career, during which he won an NBA championship with the Los Angles Lakers (in 2010), and earned a string of league honors, including All-NBA, All Star and defensive player of the year.
“It was an amazing experience,” he told host Nick Cannon. “I love the character and the chakra, I was asking to make I more zenful. We’re from the hood. But you know, we like a zen too.”
Under the costume, “I was trying to make it fun,” he added. “I can’t wait for my grandbaby to see this.”
The former NBA star isn’t afraid of holding a mic. He’s released a string of hip-hop records, both as Metta World Peace and Ron Artest.
Metta World Peace departs the 10th season of Fox’s wacky singing competition, joining the likes of Luann De Lesseps as Hibiscus departs the competition, joining the likes of Posey as Hawk, Billie Jean King as Royal Hen, Michael Rapaport as Pickle, Tom Sandoval as Diver, Anthony Anderson as Rubber Ducky and Demi Lovato as Anonymouse as this season’s unmasked celebrities.
Robin Thicke, Nicole Scherzinger, Ken Jeong and Jenny McCarthy return as judges for the latest season, which airs Wednesdays on Fox at 8 p.m.
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With four trophies, including song of the year and best solo artist, Troye Sivan was the big winner at the 2023 ARIA Awards, held Wednesday, Nov. 15 in Sydney.
The Aussie pop star was on hand to collect each of those pointy trophies, the victory spoils from Something to Give Each Other, his third studio album which debuted at No. 1 last month on the ARIA Chart.
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While collecting song of the year, for “Rush,” Sivan remarked on the “unbelievable” songwriting talent bubbling away in Australia. “I’m so proud to be Australian, I’m so excited for the future of Australian music. I’m swear I’m not bragging,” he continued, “but Kylie and I are nominated in the same category in the Grammys. It makes me so so so proud.” No one would blame Sivan for a touch of bragging on this night.
The pop idol made a fifth trip to the podium, when he presented the award for best video won by G Flip’s “Good Enough,” directed by Kyle Caulfield.
Genesis Owusu has a habit of dominating at Australia’s major awards ceremonies, and he kept that reputation intact at the 2023 ARIAs, held for the second consecutive year at the iconic Hordern Pavillion on Gadigal land.
The Canberra-raised, Ghana-born funkster collected a hattrick of ARIAs, for album of the year, best hip-hop/rap release, and best independent release, all for his sophomore album Struggler, which peaked at No. 4 on the national chart in August of this year.
“This is an album I made about a roach,” Owusu said after winning album of the year, the night’s top award. “It’s very weird, it’s very strange. It’s about roaches and existentialism, a bunch of weird s—.” Struggler is a meditation on humanity “and our stubborn perseverance to wake up every day and make it through an oppressive existence.”
Speaking by live video link from the U.K., where he’s currently on tour, Owusu used the platform of his acceptance speech to call for a ceasefire in Gaza conflict. It wasn’t the only politically-charged message of the night. ”
G-Flip broke through for the best video honor, their first ARIA, then doubled up with a win for best Australian live act. The multi-talented indie rocker showcased their performance chops with a blistering performance of “Good Enough,” and “The Worst Person Alive,” switching from the drum kit, to the mic, and the electric guitar.
Singer and songwriter Forest Claudette also collected their first ARIAs, winning for best soul/R&B release (Mess Around) and best cover art (Everything Was Green — Jeremy Koren (Grey Ghost) and Michelle Grace Hunder).
Australia’s princess of pop Kylie Minogue broke a decades-long drought when she snared best pop release (for “Padam Padam”). “This is just unbelievable and I am super super happy,” she said in a pre-taped message, filmed in Las Vegas where’s working her way through a residency.
When Taylor Swift swings into Australia in February 2024 for seven stadium shows on her The Eras Tour, produced by Frontier Touring, she’ll do so as the reigning ARIA winner for most popular international artist, one of the five fan-voted categories unveiled on Wednesday evening.
In a pre-recorded bit, the pop superstar gave a shout out to her legion of Swifties. “Thank-you to the ARIAs for celebrating the relationship between the artists and the fans,” she added.
Other winners include DMA’S (best group), King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (best rock album), MK & Dom Dolla (best dance/electronic release), Teenage Dads (Michael Gudinski breakthrough artist), The Teskey Brothers (best blues & roots album) and Fanny Lumsden, who had a dream-come-true moment when she collected best country album, presented by Dolly Parton by way of video-link.
As previously reported, rockers Jet were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, doing so with a medley of their standout rock numbers from the 2000s, including the smash “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”.
“There are some truly tragic and atrocious things that are taking place around the world,” frontman Nic Cester commented from the podium. “It’s impossible to see the news at the moment and not be confronted by the destruction being committed through war, racism and politics. A lot of people are being divided. It’s often in moments like this I’m reminded of the importance of art and music. Music has always been an antidote in our lives during troubled moments, a place for refuge”
Other performers on the night included Budjerah, Brad Cox, Fanny Lumsden, Jessica Mauboy, Meg Mac, Peach PRC, and a segment celebrating 50 years of hip-hop, with a medley performance featuring Bliss n Eso, BARKAA, 1200 Techniques, DJ Krissy, and Sound Unlimited Posse with KYE.
The 2023 ARIA Awards aired live across digital station Stan, followed by a special presentation on Channel 9 from 7.30pm, with performances and moments streaming on the ARIA.official YouTube channel.
The event is a partnership with YouTube, and supported by the New South Wales government through Destination NSW, the lead government agency for the NSW tourism and major events sector.
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Cardi B, Offset, Lance Bass and ENHYPEN are all tagging along for Baby Shark major movie debut. The three stars and K-pop boy band, plus Cardi and Offset’s kids Kulture and Wave, will all play their aquatic alter-egos in the animated children’s film, arriving Dec. 8 on Nickelodeon and Paramount+. The top 10 contestants from […]
Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts, encompassing numerous genres and formats.
While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.
Here’s a look at 10 artists who appear on surveys for the first time on the Nov. 18-dated charts:
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Matt Rogers
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The comedian, actor and podcaster is officially a Billboard-charting artist for the first time, thanks to the new companion album to his holiday comedy special Have You Heard of Christmas? While the special was released Dec. 2, 2022, on Showtime, the set debuts at No. 5 on Comedy Albums following its release on vinyl and for download on Nov. 3. It earned 1,000 equivalent album units in the Nov. 3-9 tracking week, according to Luminate.
Have You Heard of Christmas? is a TV special containing original songs, stand-up and comedy sketches, along with guest stars Bowen Yang, Jo Firestone, Henry Koperski and more. The album features nine original holiday-themed tracks.
Rogers is the co-host of the pop culture podcast Las Culturistas with Yang. He has also starred in the film Fire Island and the TV series Gayme Show, Q-Force and more.
Mark Mothersbaugh
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The legendary singer, songwriter, composer and producer is already a household name thanks to his work as the lead vocalist for Devo, but he landed his first solo appearance on a Billboard chart via his “Halloweentown Theme,” from the 1998 Disney Channel original movie, Halloweentown. The song debuted at No. 24 on the Nov. 11-dated TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart, thanks to activity on the platform surrounding the holiday.
Devo, which Mothersbaugh formed in 1973 in Akron, Ohio, with his brother Bob, brothers Bob and Gerald Casale, and Alan Myers, charted three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 in the 1980s: “Whip It” (No. 14 peak in 1980), “Working in the Coal Mine” (No. 43, 1981) and “Theme From Doctor Detroit” (No. 59, 1983). The group has also logged nine albums on the Billboard 200, in 1978-2010.
Outside of Devo, Mothersbaugh has forged a career as a composer for hundreds of film, TV, commercial and video game projects through his company, Mutato Muzika. His 2023 projects alone include the films Cocaine Bear and The Magicians Elephant and the series Disenchantment, Hello Tomorrow!, Our Flag Means Death, Summer Camp Island and What We Do in the Shadows.
Kelsey Hart
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The singer-songwriter, from Central City, Ky., scores his first Billboard chart entry, thanks to his breakout song “Life With You.” The track, released Nov. 3 on Curb Records, debuts at No. 9 on Country Digital Song Sales with 2,000 downloads sold in its first week. He also debuts at No. 41 on the Emerging Artists chart.
TikTok has been a factor in the song’s growing profile. Hart teased various snippets of the song for weeks leading up to its official release, while a portion of the song has soundtracked over 11,000 clips on the platform to date. He released his first project, the five-track EP Give You Mine, in February 2022. Since then, he has released seven other songs on streaming platforms, including “Life With You.”
Hotline TNT
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The Brooklyn-based indie rock/shoegaze group hits Billboard’s charts for the first time thanks to its sophomore LP, Cartwheel. The set, released Nov. 3 on Third Man Records, debuts at No. 11 on Tastemakers Albums. The group also arrives at No. 38 on Emerging Artists.
Hotline TNT is led by Will Anderson, who’s also the sole permanent member of the group—he’s joined by a rotating backing band. Before Cartwheel, the band dropped its debut full-length LP Nineteen in Love in 2021.
Turbo
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The Atlanta producer (real name: Chandler Great) has already built a successful career on Billboard’s charts as a producer, but he claims his first entry under an artist billing thanks to his new collaboration with Gunna, “Bachelor.” The song, released Nov. 3 via Young Stoner Life/300 Entertainment, debuts at No. 40 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with 3.6 million official U.S. streams earned in its first week.
Turbo has produced 24 total Hot 100-charting songs in his career, including one top 10: Lil Baby and Gunna’s No. 4-peaking “Drip Too Hard” in 2018. On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, he is credited as a producer on 28 hits. His production work may be recognizable by the phrase “run that back Turbo” at the onset of many songs by Gunna and Lil Baby. He has also worked with Lil Yachty, Moneybagg Yo, Travis Scott and Young Thug, among others.
In 2019, Turbo signed a worldwide co-publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. “Turbo is one of the most prominent hip-hop producers to break over the last year,” Warner Chappell Music president, North America, Ryan Press said at the time. “His signature sound is a game changer, attracting trailblazing artists and influential fans alike to his music.”
Andrew Cottee
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The composer, arranger and conductor achieves his first Billboard chart hit, thanks to his work on Seth McFarlane and Liz Gillies’ album We Wish You the Merriest. The holiday set, released Nov. 3 via Fuzzy Door/Verve/Republic/VLG, debuts at No. 20 on Jazz Albums and No. 46 on the Top Holiday Albums chart with 1,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week.
The album, billed as Seth MacFarlane & Liz Gillies Arranged and Conducted by Andrew Cottee, was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London and contains 13 holiday standards, from “The Christmas Song” to “Frosty the Snowman,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and more. MacFarlane and Gillies previously teamed on the EP Songs From Home in 2021, but this project marks their first full-length collaboration.
Cottee has many film, TV and theater credits to his name, including the score for MacFarlane’s series The Orville, plus the 2016 film Sing, and the Bobby Darin biopic Beyond the Sea. He was also the orchestrator for Paul McCartney’s ballet Ocean’s Kingdom.
Shy Taupe
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The Japanese pop-rock group, from Osaka, earns its first chart entry, thanks to “Rendez-Vous.” Released in April on shytaupe Records, the song debuts at No. 197 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart with 7.6 million official streams outside the U.S. The band has released 12 songs on streaming services, dating to “Margarine” and “Room” in June 2022. The band comprises Sasaki Sou (vocals/guitar), Fukunaga Masaki (bass) and Takato Man (drums).
Lucy Grau
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The Miami-based singer lands on Billboard’s charts for the first time with her breakthrough single “Qué Será de Ti.” The song, released Sept. 15 on Betania Music Group/ONErpm, debuts at No. 20 on Tropical Airplay (up 101% in airplay audience in the Nov. 3-9 tracking week). Grau has released three solo albums: Alocada in 2013, Lucy Grau in 2015 and A Peticion… in 2018.
JZyNO & Lasmid
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Both artists debut on Billboard’s rankings thanks to their collaboration, “Butta My Bread.” Released in April, the song debuts at No. 50 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.
JZyNO (real name: Jonathan Lee Pratt), from Liberia, has been releasing music since 2019. He dropped his debut EP, the six-track Brown Sugar, in 2021. Lasmid (real name: Nathaniel Ladsmid Owusu), from Ghana, is also a chart newcomer. He has released nine solo tracks, all since 2020, and has collaborated with acts including Amerado, Fazil and Kixx Alphah.
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