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The 2024 MAMA Awards have arrived!
Going into the three-day international K-pop awards ceremony taking place at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre (on Nov. 21) and the Kyoawea Dome in Osaka, Japan (Nov. 22-23), aespa is the leading nominee, racking up eight nods, including multiple recognitions in the night’s “Grand” awards like the Visa Artist of the Year, Visa Song of the Year, and Visa Album of the Year. Following the girl group is JENNIE with seven nominations, with the BLACKPINK star’s solo work earning her recognition in Grand award categories like Artist and Song of the Year.
Acts like Girls’ Generation’s TAEYEON, SEVENTEEN, (G)I-DLE, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, and RIIZE all scored multiple nods across the Grand awards as well.
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The MAMAs officially kicked off in Los Angeles on Thursday, Nov. 21, with a morning media press conference with US performers J.Y. Park and RIIZE previewing their performances. In sharing details about his Anderson .Paak collaborative performance night, Park teased a slightly impromptu performance with his “favorite drummer” where the two focused more on feeling out the performance in the moment. Meanwhile, RIIZE shared their stage invoked Michael Jackson with eldest member Shotaro teasing a dance section between himself and member Wonbin that drew inspiration from an “eclipse.”
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Who will emerge the big winners across three nights of awards, performances and more surprises? Follow along with Billboard throughout as we keep track of the winners, updating live.
Best New Male Artist82MAJORALL(H)OURSAMPERS&ONENCT WISHNOWADAYSTWS
Best New Female ArtistBABYMONSTERILLITMEOVVQWERUNISYOUNG POSSE
Best Male GroupENHYPENNCT DREAMSEVENTEENStray KidsTOMORROW X TOGETHERZEROBASEONE
Best Female Group(G)I-DLEaespaIVELE SSERAFIMNewJeansTWICE
Best Male ArtistBAEKHYUNJiminJung KookLim Young WoongTAEMIN
Best Female ArtistIUJENNIENAYEON (TWICE)TAEYEONYUQI ((G)I-DLE)
Best Dance Performance Male SoloJimin– WhoJung Kook – Standing Next to YouKEY – Pleasure ShopTAEMIN – GuiltyTAEYONG – TAP
Best Dance Performance Female SoloHWASA – NAJENNIE – You & MeNAYEON (TWICE) – ABCDSUNMI – Balloon in LoveYUQI ((G)I-DLE) – FREAK
Best Dance Performance Male GroupNCT 127 – Fact Check RIIZE – Love 119SEVENTEEN – God of MusicStray Kids – LALALALAENHYPEN – Sweet VenomTWS – plot twist
Best Dance Performance Female Group(G)I-DLE – Super Ladyaespa – SupernovaILLIT – MagneticIVE – BaddieLE SSERAFIM – EASYNewJeans – How Sweet
Best Vocal Performance SoloBIBI – Bam Yang GangIU – Love wins allLEE MU JIN – EpisodeLim Young Woong – WarmthTAEYEON – To. X
Best Vocal Performance Group(G)I-DLE – FateAKMU – HeroDAVICHI – A very personal storyPLAVE – WAY 4 LUVRed Velvet – Cosmic
Best Rap & Hip-Hop PerformanceDEAN – DIE 4 YOULee Young Ji – Small girl (Feat. D.O.)Leellamarz -Boys Like Girls (Feat. Gist, Jayci yucca)RM – LOST!ZICO – SPOT! (Feat. JENNIE)
Best Band PerformanceDAY6 – Welcome to the ShowHYUKOH, Sunset Rollercoaster – Young ManLUCY – The knight who can’t die and the silk cradleN.Flying – Into YouQWER – T.B.H
Best CollaborationGroovyRoom – Yes or No (Feat. HUH YUNJIN of LE SSERAFIM, Crush)Jay Park – Taxi Blurr (feat. NATTY of KISS OF LIFE)Lee Young Ji – Small girl (Feat. D.O.)Sung Si Kyung, Naul – Even for a momentZICO – SPOT! (Feat. JENNIE)
Best OSTCrush – Love You With All My Heart (Queen of Tears OST)ECLIPSE – Sudden Shower (Lovely Runner OST)LEE CHANGSUB – Heavenly fate (A Not So Fairy tale OST)Roy Kim – Whenever, Wherever (My Demon OST)TAEYEON – Dream (Welcome to Samdal-ri OST)
Best Music Videoaespa – ArmageddonIU – Love wins allIVE – HEYAK.Will – No Sad Song For My Broken Heart (Prod. Yoonsang)SEVENTEEN – MAESTRO
Best Choreographyaespa – SupernovaILLIT – MagneticLE SSERAFIM – CRAZYNewJeans – SupernaturalRIIZE – ImpossibleTAEMIN – Guilty
Visa ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Visa SONG OF THE YEAR
Visa ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Visa FANS’ CHOICE OF THE YEAR
FANS’ CHOICE MALE / FANS’ CHOICE FEMALE
In just two months, MEOVV has leaped onto the K-pop scene by showcasing a promising range and bold artistry set to claw out a legacy all their own.
The five-member girl group is the first-ever launched by THEBLACKLABEL, the agency founded by legendary producer Teddy with over 25 years in crafting K-pop classics by the likes of BIGBANG, 2NE1, PSY and BLACKPINK, that now houses top talent like Rosé, Taeyang, Jeon Somi and more. The excitement around MEOVV’s debut translated into a record deal with Columbia Records, millions of views on the group’s intriguing, fashion-forward teaser visuals, and bold debut single “MEOW” roaring onto Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart at No. 10 in September.
Despite the ultra-polished visuals and Teddy’s guiding hand, MEOVV balances raw confidence and relatability as seen in their two new singles: the energetic anthem “BODY” and emotionally charged “TOXIC.” The songs establish the five-piece’s immense range of potential, effortlessly transitioning from a fierce, pump-up track to a throbbing, electro-pop midtempo with universal emotional resonance.
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MEOVV members Sooin, Gawon, Anna, Narin and Ella’s impressive multilingual abilities — able to communicate in English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish — are matched by an undeniable warmth and relatability. Speaking with Billboard from Seoul during an evening Zoom call, the members spoke mostly in English but flowed seamlessly between languages, exuding a genuine camaraderie that belied their relatively short time as a group. Even with just months under their belts as a team, the group spoke about the pride they had in their music (especially as “TOXIC” was co-written by Gawon and Narin) and hoping to be a place of comfort for fans (emphasizing how they want to be relatable and authentic).
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As MEOVV continue to prowl forward on their journey together, get to know the K-Pop Rookie of the Month for November 2024 as they share details about how they formed, advice from BLACKPINK, their inner cats and more.
MEOVV just debuted in September with two new singles in November. How have these past couple of weeks and months been for you?
GAWON: Wow. Super hectic, but very exciting.
ELLA: Where we came out with our debut only about a month ago, we got to see a lot about how we kind of are on stage in front of people so it was really a good learning period of time to see what we could do better, what we could maybe work on or keep doing. It was like a good time to learn and grow. And now we’re ready for our next release.
Can you tell us how MEOVV formed and what it was like when the five of you came together?
NARIN: We all come from different backgrounds and have lived very different lives. So when we first met at THEBLACKLABEL, we were like complete strangers. But I think we also had that strong connection to each other since we all love music — we have a strong, shared passion for music, shared vision, common interests and everything. I think it was very natural for us to connect to each other and really become a team.
GAWON: Yeah, I think that just brought us together. And then one day we just found ourselves recording “MEOW,” filming videos, preparing, and rehearsing. SOOIN unnie and I knew each other from a few years back and then we reunited at THEBLACKLABEL and it was like, “Oh my God, what the heck, you’re here!”
NARIN: And I think when we first started recording our first debut song, “MEOW,” we all have so different voices and it’s very unique, but when recording, it was all just like becoming one song.
GAWON: And I think we started to feel like, “Oh, this makes so much sense.” Like, when we were also in the studio, we just sonically made sense. At that time, we didn’t really like, know each other on a deeper, deeper level so I think through those kind of processes and preparing for our debut, we got to know each other and we bonded over that. I think it just felt right. Yeah, it felt right.
You are the first group from THEBLACKLABEL, millions of people have viewed just your trailer teasers, the “MEOW” music video earned over 30 million views. Did you feel pressure to live up to any expectations?
ELLA: I think there definitely was times of pressure, but I think it was mostly, like, excitement — we were excited to finally put out music now. But when there were moments of pressure, I think we channeled it well into working hard.
GAWON: Yeah and when there were moments of pressure, it was mostly just excitement. Like, “Yeah! We’re gonna debut! Yeah!” I think we were able to turn that into motivation and just fuel for the fire that we had while preparing to be out in the world.
MEOVV is the newest girl group produced by Teddy, a legendary producer. Were you Teddy fans or fans of any of the artists he worked with in the past?
SOOIN: We were all definitely fans.
GAWON: I came from the States, but I was still surrounded by his music growing up. It’s just everywhere.
NARIN: And his music is just so iconic.
GAWON: With the legacy that he created in music, we’re just so excited to be able to continue that as MEOVV. I love everyone and everyone he worked with — even 1TYM!
K-pop fans may have knew ELLA’s background and being close with the BLACKPINK members. How did you get to know them?
ELLA: It just came naturally because when I first came to THEBLACKLABEL, I met them when I was really young, just one time in the studio when they were working. Then while we were preparing for our debut, we got a lot of tips and advice from them so they’re really supportive. It’s kind of crazy thinking like, “Oh, I met them kind of doing what we’re doing now.”
GAWON: It really puts things into perspective. They’re so sweet and give such such great advice.
ELLA: They’ve been doing this for so long — it’s like, what better person to get advice from than them? They know it best.
In September, “MEOW” debuted at No. 10 on the World Digital Song Sales chart. Did you see the news?
NARIN: I definitely remember the moment when GAWON unnie found it out and then she told us — I think we were in the elevator, yeah —
GAWON: I was just scrolling and I was like, “Huh? What?”
ELLA: We didn’t believe her at first!
NARIN: We said, “What do you mean Billboard? What do you mean?” And then we all started cheering.
ALL: Yay, Billboard! [Cheering and laughing]
Let’s discuss the new singles “TOXIC” and “BODY.” What do these songs mean to MEOVV?
GAWON: Well these two new releases are very different from “MEOW.” The two songs are very contrasting to each other. But at the same time, they’re able to simultaneously compliment each other in a way where it just balances everything out.
NARIN: “TOXIC” is very emotional and very honest; it’s more vulnerable. We’re also more emotionally attached to this one because we wrote the lyrics. It’s been a minute since we wrote, but GAWON and I were in the studio and they just put on a random song, which was just the beat and maybe melodies for the chorus on “TOXIC.”
GAWON: Yeah, melodies for the chorus and a theme of “toxic.” This song is about being toxic and then, um, he [Teddy] left us in the studio. He was like, “Oh, I have to go do something. You guys do whatever you want with it. Have fun.” [Laughs]
NARIN: I love how the emotions that we had while writing lyrics are now for everyone to share with us.
GAWON: It shines in the music video too, it’s just a lot of shared emotions. It’s kind of like a full circle moment. We love “TOXIC.”
Would it be safe to say “TOXIC” is everyone’s favorite single over “BODY”?
NARIN: Oh, that’s very tricky because “BODY” feels like one of our members now — it’s like our friend. It’s always there in the practice room…
ELLA: It’s always there…
GAWON: …in the car. It’s this kind of energy that we just hold with us everywhere we go. Especially moments before stage, we’re like, “Let’s go, let’s go!”
How was shooting the music videos?
GAWON: Oh my god, it’s so special…both videos for each of the songs hold a very special place in our heart because It was very natural; it was very pure. Like us in our purest forms [for “TOXIC”].
ELLA: It wasn’t even like a music video shoot. It was just like, “Oh, it was like a hangout moment” and they were just capturing the moment. And then with “BODY” it’s just like, we just had so much fun; we just had so much fun having a party. We were bonding after that.
ANNA: There was a scene [in “TOXIC”] where we were just like running around the street, just playing like little girls, Everyone was watching us. Actually. It wasn’t like a set, It was just [outside] on the street and when the light green, It was like, “Let’s just go!” and then we started running, jumping, lying down. It was really nice.
ELLA: It wasn’t a [traditional music video] set, we were outside and when recording started, it was like, “Let’s just go!” and we started running, jumping, lying down.
What messages do you want to share with “TOXIC” and “BODY”?
NARIN: They’re both about our raw emotions and our authenticity.
GAWON: They’re very honest so I feel like people could look forward to that and we hope that a lot of people can resonate with both songs in these different aspects of being confident but also at the same time being able to be more vulnerable about your true emotions and your experiences.
ELLA: I hope that when people watch the music video, they’re entertained by watching us and our sort of vulnerability and emotion, but they are also like they also can kind of find that with themselves.
GAWON: Yeah, I hope they see themselves in us.
As a fun question about your concept, I’d love to know what kind of cat your members identify with one another.
ELLA: Starting with GAWON unnie, she’s such a big cat — like a leopard.
SOOIN: Or a cheetah! She has long legs too, she’s big and tall.
ELLA: And she likes cheetah print so it’s your vibe.
NARIN: And Anna Jang?
ELLA: She’s like a kitten!
NARIN: You’re like a little, white English Shorthair; that’s what you are!
ELLA: But it has to be a baby,
SOOIN: A small, shy baby, kitten.
ANNA: I agree with that. [Laughs]
NARIN: I feel like SOOIN needs blue eyes, because she loves blue, she’s obsessed with blue…
SOOIN: I love blue. [Shows blue accessories, notebook and blue phone case]
ELLA: So, a Siamese cat with blue eyes.
SOOIN: I like it.
ELLA: And for NARIN, I think you’re not a regular cat but from The Aristocats animation, what’s the one with the pink bow’s name? Marie from The Aristocats, yeah.
GAWON: She is so Marie.
NARIN: Thanks, I like that.
GAWON: You know what you are, ELLA? You are Puss in Boots — like a tabby cat.
NARIN: With the smirk.
ELLA: Yeah, I like the orange ones — that’s my personality too. I like it.
Thank you for the very satisfying answers across the board. To wrap up, looking at MEOVV overall, what are your goals and dreams as a group?
ELLA: I just hope that people will get inspired listening to our music and maybe discover more about themselves and their emotions.
GAWON: Being able to connect with more people through our music, I just want people to feel something when they see us. Whatever emotion that may be, just to share experiences and feelings together. In terms of goals, I think we just want to establish MEOVV further and just create our identity and while also keeping our own individuality.
What else should we look forward to, or do you want to share with fans now?
SOOIN: We have so many songs that we’re working on and we picked the best out of the best for this release. So, it’s just only a bit of what they’re about to show to the world. We hope that people are looking forward to us in the future!
ANNA: This time, our songs are really good so I want to show a better performance while preparing for it. In the future, I hope I can show it to the fans around the world soon.
GAWON: One last thing I would like to say is that we’ll just thank you for your continued support — all the fans and everyone who is tuning into our music.
In just two months, MEOVV has leaped onto the K-pop scene by showcasing a promising range and bold artistry set to claw out a legacy all their own. The five-member girl group is the first-ever launched by THEBLACKLABEL, the agency founded by legendary producer Teddy with over 25 years in crafting K-pop classics by the […]
The winter edition of Belgian dance mega-festival Tomorrowland has announced a sprawling lineup for its event this March in the French Alps. The bill includes Tomorrowland regulars Afrojack, Amelie Lens, Steve Aoki, Axwell, Nervo, Armin van Buuren and Kolsch, along with a flurry of acts including Agents of Time, Joris Voorn, LP Giobbi, Hugel, Nina […]
The 2024 ARIA Awards lit up Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on Nov. 20, celebrating the best in Australian music— but it was Troye Sivan and Sydney duo Royel Otis who were the big winners of the evening.
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Fresh off his SWEAT tour with Charli XCX, Sivan dominated for the second consecutive year, taking home three major awards: Album of the Year and Best Pop Release for Something to Give Each Other and Best Solo Artist. It follows his impressive performance at the 2023 ARIAs, where he collected four trophies, including Song of the Year.
The pop powerhouse said when receiving the coveted Album of the Year award, “I literally don’t have anything to say. Genuinely, totally, totally speechless, thank you guys, so, so much,” before delving into the deeply personal inspiration behind his record.
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“This album has completely, completely changed my life. It was inspired by the moments between lockdowns in Melbourne. I was single, and really depressed and lonely, and then those little glimpses of hope in between. I just started to go out and hook up with random people,” Sivan said.
The crowd erupted in cheers, but the camera quickly panned to his mother, who was seen covering her ears in mock horror. Sivan laughed and apologized: “Oh, my mum, sorry mum! Guys, my mum has seen the craziest s— at my shows, this is like, nothing for her.”
He went on to share a specific encounter that shaped the album’s direction: “So, I was going through the break-up, really, really depressed, and I meet this one guy. I have this one-night stand with him, right? And we have this incredible, incredible connection. And I’m like, oh my God, I thought the connection could only look like one thing, you know? And then I started to realise just how many people there are in the world and how many incredible connections of all kinds can feel, and how it can present in all of these different ways.”
Sivan added that he wrote the album “about this random stranger that I never saw again.” However, he later ran into the same man at a wine bar in Melbourne after the album’s release.
“The album is out at this point and it’s going really well,” he said. “And then the crazy thing is, that I said to him – the album is out at this point and it’s going really well – and I said to him, just so you know, it’s sort of about you,” adding that the man told him the album had helped him through a breakup.
The singer ended with: “So, music is just really, really cool. So yeah, go have a one-night stand with someone—you never know what could happen!”
Sivan’s latest album has been hailed as a defining moment in the pop powerhouse’s career. The record debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, marking his first-ever chart-topping album in Australia. It has garnered nearly 250 million streams globally, earned two Grammy nominations, and was shortlisted for the prestigious Australian Music Prize.
“Rush” not only debuted at No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 — marking Sivan’s first solo appearance on this chart since 2018 — but it also topped the Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs and Dance/Electronic Song Sales charts, amassing over 23.4 million global streams to date.
As Sivan prepares for his Something to Give Each Other Tour, his momentum shows no signs of slowing. The tour, kicking off in late 2024, includes stops in Australia and New Zealand, with highlights like back-to-back performances at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt on Nov. 28 and 29, marking a homecoming for the artist.
Beyond Troye Sivan’s big night, the 2024 ARIA Awards delivered plenty of standout moments. Royel Otis, consisting of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic, pulled an impressive four-award haul, for Best Group presented by Stan, Best Rock Album, Engineer – Best Engineered Release (Chris Collins), and Producer – Best Produced Release (Chris Collins).
First Nations hip hop trio 3% — consisting of Nooky, Dallas Woods, and Angus Field — won Best Hip Hop/Rap Release for “KILL THE DEAD” and Best Cover Art (Daniel Boyd and Nomad Create).
Hardcore Sydney group SPEED, who are set to be part of the Coachella 2025 lineup, took out the gong for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album.
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers took home the Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist Award and Dom Dolla nabbed the win for Best Dance/Electronic Release for “Saving Up,” marking his third ARIA Award. Meanwhile, Angie McMahon proved her indie prowess, snagging Best Independent Release for Light, Dark, Light Again.
The night also saw Missy Higgins inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, a heartfelt moment celebrating her incredible legacy, topped off with her win for Best Australian Live Act Presented by Destination NSW. G Flip struck a chord with fans, clinching Song of the Year for “The Worst Person Alive”, while Taylor Swift’s global dominance continued as she was crowned Most Popular International Artist.
The 2024 ARIA Awards were packed with show-stopping performances, showcasing the incredible talent and diversity of Australian music. Troy Cassar-Daley brought the crowd to its feet with a heartfelt performance featuring U.S. country star Kane Brown and a surprise appearance by Kasey Chambers. Jessica Mauboy teamed up with hip-hop standouts 3% and Julian Hamilton of The Presets for a high-energy rendition of “Won’t Stop” and “Our People.”
The night wasn’t short on surprises either—CYRIL, Becca Hatch, and Budjerah created a soulful, genre-blending moment that spotlighted Australia’s rising stars, while The Kid LAROI brought the house down with his high-energy set. Ava Max lit up the stage with a medley of her hits, and The Pixies stunned with a surprise world-exclusive TV performance of “Where Is My Mind” in support of Ausmusic T-Shirt Day.
Wrapping it all up in style was a performance from Missy Higgins, alongside Amy Shark, Angie McMahon, Gretta Ray, and G Flip, who landed Song of the Year for “The Worst Person Alive.”
More winners on the night included Tkay Maidza for Best Soul/R&B release, Emily Wurramara for Best Adult Contemporary Album, Mia Dyson for Best Blues & Roots Album, Bluey for Best Children’s Album, Tones And I (Nick Kozakis and Sela Vai) for Best Video Presented by YouTube, Missy Higgins for Best Australian Live Act presented by Destination NSW, Taylor Swift for Most Popular International Artist, Midlife for Best Jazz Album and DOBBY for Best World Music Album.
ARIA CEO, Annabelle Herd, said of the evening: “All of us at ARIA are so proud of this genuinely global-facing industry that proved tonight exactly how much Australia has to be proud of when it comes to homegrown music. I’m beyond excited for the future of Australian music after seeing the incredible talent of the winners, performers, and nominees at this year’s Awards. Thank you to YouTube, DNSW, all of our partners, and the incredible ARIAs team, especially broadcast EP Craig Campbell and Event Producer Brendan Maher. Here’s to another incredible year of Ausmusic in 2025!”
Mel Silva, VP, Google Australia on behalf of YouTube added: “Year after year, the ARIA Awards prove to be an incredible celebration of Australian music. Huge congratulations to all of this year’s winners and nominees – you’re absolutely crushing it! YouTube is honored to continue our partnership with ARIA, and to help connect fans around the world with their favourite artists – from the Red Carpet mirror-selfies, to the incredible content created by artists, to showcasing unforgettable performances and amazing talent like Missy Higgins’ Hall of Fame induction. You can check it all out on YouTube.”
See all the 2024 ARIA Award winners here.
MIYAVI released his newest album, Found in Pain, on Oct. 23. This new album is a companion album to Lost in Love, which he released in April.
The theme running through these two albums is “Duality.” The albums mark the first time that MIYAVI has created a set of albums with a single united concept. They are also the first original album releases in three years for MIYAVI, who has been traveling around the world as a rock musician, actor, and humanitarian aid worker. With this pair of albums, MIYAVI has nimbly transcended his past public image, boldly exploring new territory. He has created an explosive and ambitious work that suddenly opens a new chapter in this artist’s life.
What led him to want to explore this theme? MIYAVI’s motivation lies in giving people courage, energy, and a zest for life, both through the music that he writes and plays and through his humanitarian aid efforts. His goal is to be someone whose path in life moves others to find their own strength to carry on. That’s why MIYAVI goes out on stage, a samurai guitarist, exuding the aura of a rock star. It’s why he makes such a striking impression as he plays his guitar, his powerful and energetic vocal delivery combining with his stage performance to excite the audience and elevate their spirits with his positivity. But while some people are receptive to that kind of straight-forward encouragement—to being told “you can do it”—there are also people who feel crushed by the reality around them. People who can’t put their chin up and push forward, even though they might want to. In his humanitarian aid work, there have been times where MIYAVI couldn’t simply tell someone “You can do it.” In these albums, he wanted to share the loneliness, pain, fear, and conflict he has faced as a rock star. He wanted to show people how he struggled with these issues and how he overcame them by grappling with his own weaknesses and overcoming them, discovering new sides of himself. By depicting this process, he wished to send out a message to those facing their own struggles. That is what led him to create these two albums.
One of the noteworthy things about the albums is that they use a lyrical approach that differs completely from past albums. What’s more, the music and sound of the songs, depicting subtle changes in states of mind, are unlike anything in his previous work. MIYAVI created the songs on the two albums by jamming with a prodigious number of collaborators, beat-makers, and producer. He has taken on the challenge of writing songs in previously unexplored veins. While Lost In Love has darker songs and opulent mid-tempo tunes, Found In Pain has everything from cheery dance numbers to full-fledge ballads. To convey subtle changes in states of mind using a storytelling approach, all of the lyrics on the songs on both albums are entirely in English. Another notable feature of the albums is that, along with these English lyrics, the music itself has a consistently Western groove, with no effort to include J-pop-like melodies.
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Even on first listen, the most striking aspects of the albums are MIYAVI’s vocals. Falsetto, multilayered harmonies, sultry vocals, whispered singing that is almost like speaking directly to the listener—MIYAVI’s talents as a front man are on clear display as he switches between diverse vocal styles not seen on previous albums, acting out the emotions depicted in the varied songs and lyrics. His talent can be stunning. The listener will find themselves thinking “Is this MIYAVI singing?” “I knew about the expressiveness of his guitar playing, but I had no idea that he had such emotional range in his singing, too.” MIYAVI has clearly awakened as a vocalist and singer on these two albums.
MIYAVI has been able to showcase his abilities as a vocalist, sharing his message through his melodious singing, precisely because he has so thoroughly established his identity as a musician through his main instrument of choice, the guitar. As if to demonstrate this, on these two albums, one seldom hears his past approach of singing through his guitar, or focusing on the kinds of phrases that would best highlight his guitar-playing. On these two albums, the highest priority is arranging the songs to best showcase the essence and flavor of their melodies. While on previous albums, keyboard parts or guitar parts by other musicians would be replaced by MIYAVI’s own guitar playing on the final song, on these albums, he kept these parts as-is when they worked well. It’s one of the things to listen for on the albums. The delicate phrasing and tone of MIYAVI’s guitar parts, and each of his performances, stands out with an even greater sense of presence, arranged with pinpoint accuracy.
The best way to listen to MIYAVI’s two latest albums is back-to-back.
The first album, Lost In Love, starts with “Intro,” which opens the gates to the darkness within ones heart. This is followed by “Broken Fantasy,” with its memorable head-shaking choreography. The hip-hop-styled “Real Monster” starts out with falsetto vocals before launching into rap. Then there is “Tragedy Of Us,” a song with a dark, heart-wrenching melody, followed by “Last Breath,” which, through its piano and whispered vocals, punctuated by MIYAVI’s lightning-like guitars, bids a farewell to pain, smothering love, and the darkness within. Heading into the second album, Found In Pain, the first track is the eponymous “Found In Pain,” which starts with a gospel-like chorus and evolves into a dance beat, like a phoenix being reborn and taking flight. On “You Already Know,” MIYAVI, Fender in hand, tells the true story of his own life, starting with his struggles as a teen. “I’m So Amazing” is a collaboration with one of the legends of funk, George Clinton. Later comes “Put Your Hands On Me,” a ballad with sensual lyrics and vocals. The album comes to an end with “One More Time” and “Sanctuary,” through which MIYAVI shares that no matter how his dreams might be dashed and his hope might be lost, his guitar gives him wings to fly, and every time he sings he soars up into the air. For him, music is a holy place. It is a place where he can rediscover his dreams and his will to live, bringing him face to face with himself and allowing him to discover new sides of himself.
One can only hope that this masterwork, in which MIYAVI constantly explores new territory, reaches the people who truly need to hear it, so that MIYAVI’s music can help give them hope and a renewed will to live.
—This article by Sachie Tokito first appeared on Billboard Japan
Rosé and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, becoming the first song by a Western act to rule the Japan song chart in 11 and a half years.
“APT.” debuted at No. 96 on the chart released Oct. 23 after dropping digitally on Oct. 18 and has continued to perform increasingly well, especially in streaming. Streams for the track have earned a 107% increase this week compared to the week before, while downloads gained 113%, radio 102%, and video 110%. The pop-punk duet rises a notch to No. 1 on the Japan Hot 100 dated Nov. 20, becoming only the fifth song by Western artists to top this chart.
The previous song by a Western act that hit No. 1 on the Japan Hot 100 was The Wanted’s “Glad You Came,” more than a decade ago. Here’s a list of the Western numbers that have topped the tally so far:
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Artist/Title/Chart Release DateLeona Lewis, “Bleeding Love” (April 30, 2008)MIKA, “Blame It on the Girls” (Sept. 23, 2009)Lady Gaga, “Born This Way” (April 6, 2011)The Wanted, “Glad You Came” (May 15, 2013)Rosé & Bruno Mars, “APT.” (Nov. 20, 2024)
CUTIE STREET’s “Kawaii dakeja damedesuka?” rises 19-2. The debut single by the ASOBISYSTEM girl group dropped digitally on Sept. 8 and bowed at No. 84 on the chart dated Oct. 16. The track gained popularity in video and streaming, topping the TikTok Weekly Top 20 chart for five consecutive weeks. The CD version arrived Nov. 13 and launched with 61,384 copies. The track comes in at No. 5 for physical sales, No. 38 for downloads, No. 13 for streaming, and No. 9 for video views this week.
Creepy Nuts’ “Otonoke” is at No. 3. While the track holds its position from last week, points have increased: streaming has gained 105%, downloads 102%, radio airplay 159%, karaoke 104%, and video has also increased slightly as well. The “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” hip-hop duo consisting of R-shitei and DJ Matsunaga is set to perform at the prestigious year-end live music program, NHK’s 75th Kohaku Uta Gassen.
NEWS’s “Acchi muite hoi” debuts at No. 4. The title track of their 31st single is being featured as the theme song for the drama Takasugi-san-chi no Obento, starring member Keiichiro Koyama. Looking at the metrics of the chart’s measurement, the track rules sales with 137,887 first-week copies, which is more than the group’s previous single, and comes in at No. 71 for downloads and No. 12 for radio.
Elsewhere on the Japan Hot 100, Chanmina’s “FOREVER” debuts at No. 33 after hitting No. 1 for radio. The theme song for the drama Monster was produced by South Korean rapper/music producer GRAY, who also worked with the trilingual rapper on her fourth album Naked.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Nov. 11 to 17, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
As Billboard speaks to British dance duo Maribou State, who are readying to release their third album Hallucinating Love, an epiphany strikes the pair. Liam Ivory reminds his longtime friend and bandmate Chris Davids, that we’re speaking on the year anniversary of the day that Davids had life-changing brain surgery.
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In late 2021, Davids began suffering from debilitating headaches and was often struck down with crippling pain. He was eventually diagnosed with a chiari malformation which, he explains, is when the lower part of the brain herniates into the spinal canal putting pressure on the brainstem and spinal fluid. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons estimate it impacts less than 1 in 1000 people. It is an injury that is perhaps not well suited for someone who needs to be locked to the intricacy of music production, or peering into a laptop screen trying to piece the whole song together.
“It had a profound effect on the music,” Davids tells Billboard of the LP, which was written and recorded as they worked their way through multiple challenges on the personal front. “A lot of the music was shaped around the theme of struggle, and creating to remove yourself from a difficult period and projecting into something that’s brighter and more hopeful.”
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Hallucinating Love arrives after a particularly torrid period since their last LP, 2018’s Kingdoms in Colour. That record, which included a collaboration with Khruangbin, landed at No.25 on the U.K. Official Albums Charts and its songs collectively boast over 271 million streams on Spotify. The tour ended with a sold-out show at London’s O2 Academy Brixton (5,000 capacity) and saw growing headline gigs in North America and mainland Europe.
Maribou State
Rory Dewar
The pair got their start in 2011 releasing their Habitat EP on Fat Cat Records, and would later release singles and EPs on Fatboy Slim’s Southern Fried label. They later signed to beloved London-based dance label Ninja Tune, home to releases by Bonobo, Barry Can’t Swim and Peggy Gou, and released their debut album Portraits in 2015, which stars “Midas,” a single was certified Silver by the BPI and sits at 152 million streams on Spotify. Elsewhere they’ve remixed records by Lana Del Rey and Radiohead during their decade-long career.
When Maribou State’s last tour concluded in late 2019 and the world went into lockdown soon after, the problems began. The pair had lived a high-octane life on the road, hopping from city to city, partying, neglecting themselves but putting on bigger and better shows. The confines of being at home impacted their wellbeing and pulled into focus mental health challenges that had been pushed to one side. Davids was battling insomnia and was coming to terms with an ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder), while Ivory was living with increased anxiety.
Even so, their star grew on social media and streaming despite a period of inactivity; next year, they’ll headline three shows at London’s 10,000-capacity Alexandra Palace, and take in prestigious North American venues including New York City’s Terminal 5 and Toronto’s History.
Hallucinating Love (released Jan. 31, 2025) has emerged as their most thematic and sonically cohesive record to date. Their sound, which fuses psych-rock, funk, retro-soul and banging beats, is warmer, looser and more attention-grabbing than anything before. “Other Side” with key collaborator Walker is as direct a pop moment they’ve ever had, while “Peace Talk” has the feel of an undiscovered cult classic, such is the majesty of the swelling string refrain.
As they release their new single “Dance On The World,” the pair tell us about their difficult period, the pressure of being on the road and staying loyal to their collaborators.
It’s been a six-year gap between the release of your last two studio albums. When you finished touring Kingdoms In Colour, were you anticipating a break like this?
Liam: It took us by surprise. Historically we have taken quite a while to write albums compared to other artists, but through a number of things happening in the world and in our lives personally it just took a hell of a lot longer than we anticipated. There were times where it felt like it was never going to happen.
A lot has happened between lockdown, medical issues and focusing on your mental health. How do you look back on the experience in totality?
Chris: With mixed feelings to be honest. It was a really important process for us to go through, personally and creatively. We learned a lot about ourselves in that time. We’re grateful that we were in a position where we were able to press pause for a minute during the writing process, and to look after ourselves and not just push through and break ourselves when doing it.
Liam: We’re also lucky to be able to say that things are in a good place for us now. It’s easier to look back with rose-tinted glasses on as we managed to find a way through that period which we might not be able to do if we were still struggling. It’s nice to be able to box that off.
The adjustment from being on the road to being back home was clearly difficult…
Liam: When we were touring we weren’t looking after ourselves very well and we were partying quite a lot. So transitioning back to normal life either way would have been difficult, but we landed right at the start of the pandemic. We went from touring on a super high-octane lifestyle to being shut at home.
We were quite separate at that point, too. I’d just moved in with my partner and friend; Chris was back home with his family. We came back together when things eased up and started working together and then it became a very supporting relationship.
Chris, can you share more details on what you’ve had to go through?
Chris: In 2021, I started getting these chronic debilitating headaches. We were staying over at the studio one time, and I remember I woke up one morning and when I stood up I was bent over in pain. I got an MRI scan and a few months later I got diagnosed with a chiari malformation.
That was a shock. We’d been going really hard to make this record but we were both not really in the right place to be doing that. We weren’t feeling super creative and we were doing it for the sake of doing it rather than because we wanted to. Getting that diagnosis gave me a reason to take a break, so we both had a good few months out at that point.
I was trying to plough through and I’m someone who doesn’t like to admit defeat. In reality, it’s something I should have just got sorted and then came back. But it’s hard to push aside something that you love doing.
Liam, It must have been hard to see your friend go through that?
Liam: Yeah, the thing with Chris is that he’s so bloody stoic so he would just push on. We’d be in sessions and then he’d keel over in pain and just say ‘give me a minute’ and then shrug it off. I didn’t know what to do as it didn’t feel like we should be carrying on… but he was up for it and there was a deadline looming. Some additional insight into how little Chris will admit defeat: when he was in hospital, he was commenting on the artwork, replying to emails like a week or two after surgery. Just crazy.
How did this period inform the music you ended up writing for Hallucinating Love?
Liam: When we write we usually hire an Air BnB, take our studio and some collaborators and hash it out until we have the ideas. Those trips are peppered throughout the period that we recorded the album in. Looking back, one or two of those trips were really difficult; none of us were in a good headspace at all, really low mental health, really struggling. Ironically the songs that came from those sessions are some of the most hopeful and uplifting, but they’re really specific to a moment and you can put yourself back into that time.
You’ve mentioned that “Blackoak” is a bit of a love letter to the British dance scene. How did that manifest itself?
Chris: Over the years mine and Liam’s tastes have been very broad. We were into lots of different things and Liam was into loads of hardcore, metal and punk, but the one thing we always aligned on was dance music and artists like Prodigy, Aphex Twin and some British scenes like happy hardcore. We went to [Warwickshire dance festival] Global Gathering, to [London club] Fabric and then also saw Daft Punk live together. Over the years we’ve made club-influenced music but influenced by more contemporary stuff like future garage, but “Blackoak” felt like more of a homage to what we listened to growing up.”
There’s also familiar collaborators like Holly Walker, but new names too with Andreya Triana. It must be nice to have developed a consistent community around yourself?
Liam: We’re not ones for setting up random sessions with people and seeing how it goes. We need to have a relationship with them first. The way we write music is quite a long arduous process for us, and you need to be around people you really connect with.
Chris: The whole connection thing is so important. Because we’ve tried lots of sessions with other vocalists and nine times out of 10, it doesn’t work. We had a collaboration with Khruangbin on the last album and I’m so glad we got it to work in the end, but it was lots of sessions we had to do over a long period of time. Like Liam said, there’s something to feeling comfortable and once we’ve established a friendship, things can be so much more fluid.
Holly takes the lead on a number of tracks, and you’ve worked together on several songs now. What is that bond like?
Chris: We just clicked with Holly. She’s incredibly funny, really intelligent and an amazing lyricist. We wrote a couple of songs that got put on the first record, and we struck up a good writing relationship from there. And it’s definitely not been a totally easy relationship over the years, there’s been a lot of push and pull and quite strong creative forces on both sides, but I think that’s what has created such great music between us.
You mentioned touring taking its toll last time. How are you feeling about getting back out on the road?
Liam: One thing we navigate is being several years older and being in very different places in our lives and trying to protect a quality of life. Although we’ve not been out touring yet, there’s a lot of conversations about what it’s going to be like and how we’re going to get through it. It’s going to be a very different affair to when we were out last time in 2019.
And you want to create as great a show as you can, right?
Chris: There’s such high expectations of what a show should look like in terms of production and everything that’s put on both on stage and behind the scenes. Not just musically. It’s also more of a challenge to create content because labels want so much more from the gigs, so there is that pressure that touring costs a lot more but also you need to spend a lot more to meet the standard. You can’t just do an Oasis and go out and stare at your shoes and a couple of lights in the background.
Liam: We’re also so fortunate that the fanbase feels more tangible than it ever has. We’ve been lucky that over the years, even when we’ve taken a break, it’s just grown and gone from strength to strength in parallel while we were struggling personally. It’s made us even more committed.
When Lola Young is on stage, all eyes in the room drift toward her like iron filings to a magnet. Look closely at online footage from the south Londoner’s recent North American tour, and you’ll notice hundreds of people crying, headbanging, screaming – enjoying moments of release, letting go of inhibitions with abandon. Young matches their energy, growling and belting her lyrics as though she’s feeling the pain of her songs for the very first time.
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Each time the 23-year-old performs live – she’s completed two stateside treks this year, and has dates in the U.K., Europe and Australia booked through early 2025 – she shares an emotional exchange with the crowd. After coming off the road last month, having played dozens of headline shows plus festivals such as Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza Chicago, the first thing Young did was “cry a lot,” as she told her 620,000 TikTok followers in a recent post.
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“I know you’re not my therapist,” she jokes to Billboard over a video call, “but it’s important to be honest and say that I’ve felt quite low. Leaving tour is like a big comedown. After being so active by performing my heart out every night and receiving so much love, it’s quite hard to adjust to reality again. It’s been difficult, but I am getting there – I’m on my way up.”
Young’s smoky voice and catalog of witty, elastic pop songs speak to something deep within her fanbase. There are the devotees who mimic her blush-heavy makeup, as well as the more casual listeners who have created so many clips featuring the glorious single “Messy” that her Spotify streams have increased tenfold in recent weeks, which, at the time of writing, currently stands at 12.7 million monthly listeners. Her debut LP This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway, released in June via Island Records, was characterized by its brutal honesty: “I can dance in the mirror and feel seen without being watched by someone / Especially not no ugly man, or woman,” so goes its spoken-word outro.
Even with her camera off, Young stays true to form throughout our conversation. She laughs a lot. She swears a lot. She says “f–k” in nearly every sentence, eager to emphasize that she’s still coming to terms with how dizzying the past few months have been. Having chased her dreams since she started writing songs at 11, she’s now moved beyond ravenous early career ambition and is eyeing a new level of global superstardom.
“What I’m realizing about myself as an artist is that I’m not about the glitz and the glam — I don’t scream ‘Hollywood’,” she says. “For a long time, I wanted to represent this ideal of Westernized beauty – but then I realized I’m not that. I now choose to give realness and truth. I’ve got a bit of a belly out, I f–cking swear a bunch and I have fun. And that’s what people are resonating with.”
Young is dialing in from Paris, where she is in the studio already working on her next project. She has leveraged a tireless, laser-focused work ethic into an ascendant career: Beginning with 2023’s My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves project, in the past 18 months she has drip-fed a slew of extended releases and one-off singles (from “Flicker of Light” to recent Lil Yachty team-up “Charlie”). This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway comprised entirely new material, while her unique, wildly popular live performance clips have introduced her to a global audience via social media. With a vintage mic to hand, she has done everything from getting kicked out of a London Underground station to dancing gleefully in front of the Golden Gate bridge.
It’s this industrious spirit that has caught the attention of some of contemporary music’s most revered names. In the summer, Young briefly hit the studio and shared egg rolls with SZA, who regularly leaves flame emojis on her Instagram posts. “This is insane and I live for it,” commented the “Kill Bill” singer when Young shared the news of “Like Him,” her stunning feature on Tyler, the Creator’s recent Billboard 200-topping LP Chromakopia.
The rapper had previously praised Young via DM, and when he messaged asking if she would contribute vocals to his song, her response was an immediate, resounding yes. “When I first heard [Tyler’s] ‘Yonkers’, it totally changed the way I viewed music,” she adds.
Young’s gorgeously subtle, stirring delivery during the chorus heightens the song’s poignant mood, a meditation on complex familial bonds. “Like Him” peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard 100, further cementing Young’s fast-growing stature in the U.S: in October, she performed at L.A.’s 1,600-capacity Bellwether concert hall, twice the size of her April gig at the city’s Echoplex venue.
Young’s journey is a lesson in how, for newer artists, being given the space and time to find their footing can result in truly fresh, singular music. Yet her transatlantic success hasn’t come without its qualms. To an extent, she remains unfairly associated in some listeners’ minds with the commercial balladry of her early days, as well as the cover of Philip Oakley and Giorgio Moroder’s “Together in Electric Dreams” she recorded for the British retailer John Lewis’ 2021 Christmas advert. At age 16, she was a shy but ambitious finalist on the now-defunct reality television competition Got What It Takes.
“A lot of strings were being pulled when I was starting out. It all felt fake. It felt forced,” she says. Notably, in her live sets, she doesn’t perform any material from her 2019 EP Intro or its follow-up, Renaissance. “This isn’t about blaming anybody, but nothing was really clicking at the time. Now, I have creative control alongside an understanding of who I am and where I want to go.”
Young has survived her own trials in selfhood. Her anxieties, frustrations and pride now fuel her music. She says the light-bulb moment arrived when she started rocking a mullet two years ago, a look that has boosted her confidence “massively”. She has since explored themes of identity and self-destruction in her work, recovered from an operation on her vocal cords and spoken about her schizoaffective disorder diagnosis on Instagram.
When she talks about these experiences, Young affirms that she abides by the old adage that small actions can lead to big changes in one’s life. “I kept holding faith in the fact that if I cut my hair, the music would follow” she says, evidently thrilled that her own prophecy came true.
As K-pop continues its meteoric rise on the global stage, the industry’s biggest award show sets a new milestone with its first-ever U.S. date for its 25th anniversary.
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This week, on Nov. 21, 2024, the MAMA Awards will be held at Hollywood’s iconic Dolby Theater, marking the first time the event has crossed over to the States since its introduction in 1999. Widely regarded as one of the premiere K-pop events of the year, the MAMAs have spent the last 25 years growing from a music video awards ceremony in a Seoul theater to a multi-day, international affair across Asia. This year, the 2024 MAMA Awards will kick off with one night in Los Angeles before jumping to two days at the massive Kyocera Dome stadium in Osaka, Japan.
“Taking a first step is challenging, but at the same time, it’s meaningful,” MAMA’s chief producer Yoon Shin Hye shares with Billboard. “We strive to present various stages with an unmatched scale and provide unique experiences to global fans.”
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This year’s theme, “Big Blur: What is Real?,” encapsulates MAMA’s commitment to pushing boundaries and exploring ways to reshape and rethink the music industry. Meanwhile, legendary K-pop producer and music executive J.Y. Park will link with Anderson. Paak for a meeting of the musical minds, as HYBE and Universal Music’s LA-based girl group KATSEYE will team up with another local troupe in the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders.
In this exclusive preview of this year’s show MAMA’s chief producer Yoon Shin Hye, delves into the vision and execution behind this year’s event. From overcoming the logistical challenges of hosting in two countries to crafting unique collabs that embody the MAMA spirit, the CJ ENM executive offers an inside look at the dedication and innovation driving the award show to evolve at its 25th anniversary.
Congratulations on what’s sure to be the biggest MAMA Awards. While I know having a ceremony in the U.S. was spoken about in the past, what happened to make it officially occur this year?
Yoon Shin Hye: Looking back on our 25-year MAMA heritage, MAMA has been held across Asia including Macao, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Japan and evolved to become the world’s No. 1 K-Pop awards, which started as the “Mnet Asian Music Awards.” Over the course of our 25-year journey, MAMA Awards has realized the value of “MUSIC MAKES ONE” with the growth of K-pop, and has established our own unmatched system and know-hows through facing and overcoming countless challenges. This has paved the way to host MAMA Awards in the U.S.
How long did it take to confirm MAMA in LA?
Every year as we hold KCON LA, I could feel the strong passion of fans in the U.S. and thought 2024 would be the right time to take a first step in the U.S. with the growth of K-pop. In the planning phase, we came up with the concept of “BIG BLUR,” as it’s about blurred boundaries between time and space, online and offline, imaginary and reality, language and culture, I thought it would be fun to run the MAMA Awards in relays from U.S. to Japan, and this perfectly fits to this year’s story.
How did the Los Angeles lineup come together?
As MAMA Awards is taking a significant first step in the U.S., we thought it would be meaningful to have rookies. So, we made a lineup for the first MAMA Awards in the U.S. with rookie artists. Plus, we have J.Y. Park, who marks the 30th anniversary of his debut, and RIIZE, who have special memories in the U.S. The group debuted in LA, and this year marks the first year of their debut and they are set to show something about their debut stories at MAMA Awards.
What went into the collaborations between J.Y. Park and Anderson .Paak, and KATSEYES with the LA Rams Cheerleaders? Take us through the process.
We wanted to show and present collaborations that have never been seen anywhere else only at MAMA Awards, and what only MAMA can make it happen. This year marks the 30th anniversary of J.Y. Park’s debut — he’s a renowned K-pop producer and K-pop artist — and Anderson .Paak is a Grammy Award winner. Anderson .Paak also has a strong interest in K-pop and recently directed a film about K-pop titled K-Pops! and, as it happens, the two artists are of the same Miryang Park clan [a Korean clan originating from the southeastern city of Miryang in South Korea].
On top of that, we have another special collaboration between the global girl group KATSEYE and the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders. We brought ideas about what we can only do in LA, what can be seen only at MAMA and to present performances with a diverse group of artists and become one through music at MAMA.
Actor Park Bo Gum will be the host for the U.S. date. How are you and he preparing?
Park Bo Gum has been with MAMA as a host since 2017 and he hosts the show with sincerity and delivers what MAMA wants to tell about its value and story. We’re confident that we can deliver our message and story well with our host, Park Bo Gum, at the MAMA Awards US. Park is also looking forward to hosting.
What challenges have you faced or do you anticipate facing to successfully hold the MAMA Awards in LA for the first time?
MAMA tries a new thing every year. We strive to present various stages with an unmatched scale and provide unique experiences to global fans. This year, the MAMA Awards will take place in the U.S. and Japan in relays and be broadcast live around the world. This reflects our commitment to bringing people together around the world. This year’s concept especially means opening and creating a new world of MAMA that transcends dimensions of time and space. We decided to host MAMA Awards in two different regions, starting in LA on the 21st and then moving over to Osaka for two days. Taking a first step is challenging, but at the same time, it’s meaningful. Given the time difference and distance, it wasn’t easy to arrange a meeting to prepare and discuss, but the whole process was meaningful and fun to work toward the same goal with artists and staff to create a great show.
The Dolby Theater in Hollywood is a very different venue than the Kyocera Dome. How do you create a seamless experience between a theater and a stadium?
LA Dolby Theatre is a symbolic place to many and home of the Oscars, where the Academy Awards is held every year; it’s like the heart of Hollywood. For the past few years, MAMA Awards has been held at a dome-style venue, and Dolby Theatre has its own mood as a venue and different characteristics. We are going to show something different from our previous MAMA stages and artists will take the stage in a different way at the distinctive venue.
With Los Angeles opening the MAMA Awards this year, can you share the ways you’ll establish the “Big Blur: What is Real?” theme? It’s very interesting but somewhat abstract.
MAMA has always wondered what kind of a new thing will be created when new technology meets art, and has visualized and created stages with that idea. MAMA’s concepts have been comprehensive ones, reflecting trends and environmental changes like the world shifting from analog to digital age, and globally being connected online in this digital era. At this year’s MAMA, we wanted to talk about chaos caused by rapid technological change in our time, which is happening faster than ever and how technological advancement and convergence across industries are affecting the music industry. We also reflected our willingness to create MAMA’s own “NEW THING” that crosses boundaries between imaginary and reality, time and space and online and offline. And we wanted to ask a question of “What is Real?” and make people think about what kind of music they really like.
Historically, MAMA has been a place for new TV projects or teasers to be announced, like Produce 48 or Boys Planet. Are there any surprises for audiences this time?
As we have been taking an uncharted path, MAMA will be full of ever-evolving performances. We are working hard to meet high expectations. MAMA is one “big live show,” and will have many surprising moments. Although watching performances in clips is becoming more common these days, I’m sure it will be much more fun to watch it live.