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Chappell Roan is riding a wave of success powered by her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, her first top 10 on the U.S.-based Billboard 200, and standalone single “Good Luck Babe!,” her first top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Willard, Mo. native is receiving 32 times as many weekly U.S. official on-demand streams as she was at the start of the year – jumping from 2.5 million (in the week ending Jan. 4) to 80.3 million (July 11), according to Luminate.
Now, international audiences are catching up.

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Five weeks after debuting on the Hot 100, and three frames after starting on the Billboard Global 200, Chappell Roan’s “Hot To Go!” enters the July 20-dated Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart at No. 200, marking the first entry on the chart from the LP. In the week ending July 11, the song’s non-U.S. streams climbed by 3% to 8.4 million, another in a string of more than 20 consecutive weeks of increases.

The song’s bow builds upon the singer-songwriter’s domestic surge with multiple tracks. Here, “Good Luck, Babe!” has risen to No. 10 on the Hot 100, making cross-metric inroads on streaming, radio and sales. Album cuts “Hot To Go!,” “Red Wine Supernova,” and “Pink Pony Club” have followed on the Hot 100, and due to the U.S.’s dominant impact on the world music economy, on the Global 200.

On Global Excl. U.S., which removes domestic consumption from its methodology (the Global 200 reflects data in more than 200 territories, including the U.S.), “Good Luck, Babe!” has grown its share of non-U.S. global streams from 31% to 57% in the current tracking week. (The week’s average among all songs that are on both the Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. is 75% outside the U.S., reflecting a mix of big U.S. hits and those that have not made notable impacts on U.S. shores).

Over the course of the last seven weeks, “Hot To Go!” has expanded its international reach from 35% of its overall streams, to 44%. Roan’s 10 most-streamed songs average 41%, up from 35% just three weeks ago.

While these figures show that international audiences are helping spark Chappell Roan’s rising profile, her non-U.S. percentages are more in line with country and hip-hop artists than pop singer-songwriters. At 56%, “Hot To Go!” has the second-highest U.S. share among all songs on both of this week’s global charts. It’s sandwiched between two country tracks – Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen, and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – at 59% and 56%, respectively. Next is Future, Metro Boomin, and Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That” (56%) and Lamar’s “Not Like Us” (50%). Then, it’s tracks by R&B/Hip-Hop focused acts Megan Thee Stallion, Tommy Richman and The Kid LAROI.

“Hot To Go!” continues its ascent in the U.S., having entered the Hot 100’s top 40 two weeks earlier despite not being promoted as a proper radio single, as “Good Luck, Babe!” is. And as introductions to international markets, these hits could be setting Chappell Roan up for a more balanced global spread on future releases. Fellow pop breakthrough Sabrina Carpenter (also on Island Records) made similarly steady showings with 2021’s “Skin,” 2022’s “Nonsense” and 2023’s “Feather,” each peaking much higher on the Global 200 than Global Excl. U.S. Then, this year’s “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” matched No. 1 peaks on both charts, with the former continuing its seven-week-and-counting reign on Global Excl. U.S.

Chappell Roan’s international crossover is becoming clearer each week, as “Good Luck, Babe!” additionally continues to impact Billboard’s Hits of the World charts. It debuted on the May 11-dated Ireland Songs survey, followed by chart arrivals in the U.K. two weeks later and New Zealand, Australia and Singapore in consecutive weeks in June. It has now reached the top five in three of those territories.

This week, “Good Luck, Babe!” starts on Portugal Songs, marking its first international chart appearance measuring a territory without English as an official language. Further, “Hot To Go!” made its Hits of the World debut this week, at No. 25 on U.K. Songs.

On Feb. 13, 2024, BMSG, Inc. made waves in the Japanese music industry with their statement, “BMSG’s Recommendations for Pulling the Music Industry Back from the Brink of Unsustainability.” The announcement discussed the problems of Japan‘s music industry, which still heavily relies on CD sales. One of the issues discussed was how this reliance on physical media has led to people purchasing multiple copies of the same CD, contributing to the generation of excessive waste. BMSG declared its commitment to taking action to change the music industry’s structure and minimize CD waste.

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The announcement highlighted that the bulk-purchasing of CDs has been a longstanding issue, sparking debate for over a decade. The fact that this announcement came from BMSG, a record label and management agency home to dance and vocal groups with passionate fandoms, created a huge stir, both inside and outside the industry.

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In a revealing interview in The Quiet Revolution of Billboard Japan, published on Feb. 20, SKY-HI, CEO of BMSG, Inc., elaborated on the issues highlighted in the company’s recent announcement. Seiji Isozaki, the book’s author and chart director for Billboard Japan, shared his insights from the conversation.

“It was my first time meeting SKY-HI in person, but I’d heard a lot about what he’d said and done before. Some of his activities involved the hit charts, and I found them really thought-provoking. They motivated me in creating the Japanese charts. I thought that discussing the charts with him would offer insights into the artists’ perspectives on chart changes and allow for a multifaceted exploration of issues surrounding hit charts.”

“Meeting him in person, what I felt was his flexible stance on living in the present. At Billboard Japan, we’ve also continued to think about the limits and possibilities of the current music industry through our efforts with the hit charts. Although our positions are different, I strongly felt that he had also been grappling with the same issues, and it was a very encouraging dialogue.”

At the April BMSG convention, members of the entertainment industry watched SKY-HI’s presentation, where he reinforced the company’s commitment to these sustainability recommendations. Through the presentation, which was later streamed on YouTube, SKI-HI spoke directly about the recommendations, sharing them with the rest of the world.

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BE:FIRST’s concept single, “Masterplan,” released on April 24, was the first project to embody BMSG’s sustainability proposal. The single comes in a paper sleeve to reduce the amount of plastic generated by CD production. BMSG also eliminated retailer-specific add-ons — collectibles that come with CDs sold by specific music retailers that are randomly packaged with CDs, both of which drive bulk CD purchasing. Due to these decisions, the number of CDs shipped during the period from April 24 to May 22 fell by roughly 70,000, but total sales of singles and single-related merchandise, including merchandise featuring the single’s art, roughly doubled. Using paper sleeves cut plastic usage during the CD production phase by 10 tons and reduced the amount of associated CO2 emissions by 59 tons.

The title track, “Masterplan,” made a splash by debuting at the top of Billboard Japan’s Hot 100 song chart. The album’s solid chart results demonstrated that it’s possible to take the number one position without relying on the bulk purchasing of CDs by fans or retailer-specific add-ons.

“When we think about what makes a hit,” said Isozaki, “it’s important to look at how the hit charts are structured and how valid those charts are—whether those charts resonate with people. Getting to know the evolving Billboard charts in the US and the individuals shaping their evolution, I’ve come to deeply appreciate the significant responsibility we bear.”

“In the U.S., in the early ’90s, Nielsen Music (now Luminate) succeeded in collecting point-of-sale data from record stores across the country. Until then, data had been generated based on the results of fax and telephone surveys. The shift to this new, objective data collection method revolutionized the Billboard Hot 100 lineup overnight. The changes came as quite a shock, both inside the industry and out, and profoundly transformed what it means to be a hit. One thing we find very impressive is how Billboard’s charts have been able to keep resonating with people in the same way by constantly making adjustments, adding new data such as downloads and streaming plays.”

“In the early 2010s, Japan saw a surge in fan-driven bulk purchases due to customer participation activities. The phenomenon brought renewed attention to the practices of the music charts. This raised a dilemma. On the one hand, we needed to recognize the support that fans provided artists by bulk-buying their music. On the other hand, we also needed to ensure that our charts resonated with the broader audience so as to accurately represent which songs were true hits. And, no matter what, our charts should never incentivize unsustainable fan behavior that leads to burnout. So, since the mid-2010s, we’ve been meticulously adjusting the charts weekly to strike just the right balance. These adjustments have gradually reshaped Japan’s definition of a hit song.”

“Today, purchasing multiple copies of the same track has minimal impact on the hit charts. Fans desire longevity in their favorite artists’ careers. SKY-HI’s proposal invites us all to consider how fan activities in Japan can sustainably support artists.”

BMSG says that BE:FIRST’s initiatives are just the beginning of an ongoing effort to improve the sustainability of Japan’s music industry. On July 1, the South Korean boy band ATEEZ and BE:FIRST released their collaborative single, “Hush-Hush.” As BMSG sets its sights on the international arena, it is extending its reach beyond Japan’s borders. The full impact of these moves on the music industries of Japan and the wider world remains to be seen, yet it is evident that BMSG is steadfast in meeting these challenges. 

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This article by Seiji Isozaki and Maiko Murata first appeared on Billboard Japan.

Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” hits the top spot on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, moving 4-1 on the chart dated July 17 after spending 14 weeks on the tally.
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The opener for the anime series Oblivion Battery was released back in April and debuted at No. 11 on the Japan Hot 100, then climbed to the top 5 where it coasted along powered by streams. The last episode of the anime aired on July 3, and the track saw an increase in all metrics this week with downloads at 106%, streaming at 107%, radio airplay at 194%, video views at 123%, and karaoke at 120% week-over-week.

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Debuting at No. 2 is SixTONES’s “GONG,” the lead track off the boy band’s 13th single “GONG/Koko ni kaettekite.” The CD launched with 438,438 copies to hit No. 1 for sales, while the song also comes at No. 35 for radio and No. 33 for video.

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Creepy Nuts’ long-running hit “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” holds at No. 3, followed by BOYNEXTDOOR’s “One and Only” at No. 4. “One and Only” is the lead track from BOYNEXTDOOR’s first single called “And,” which sold 238,859 copies in its first week to come in at No. 2 for sales.

“Fatal” by GEMN, the duo consisting of Kento Nakajima and Tatsuya Kitani, rises 21-8 to break into the top 10. “Fatal” is being featured as the opener for the anime series Oshi no Ko Season 2, which began airing July 3. The track jumps 42-11 for streaming, 20-4 for video, and bows at No. 65 for radio. 

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Other notable chart moves this week include ONE OK ROCK’s “Delusion:All,” the theme song for the movie Kingdom 4, debuting at No. 21, and Ado’s “RuLe,” the theme song for the drama series Billion x School, bowing at No. 40.

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 July 8 to 14, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account. 

On Dec. 23, 2023, fans were fortunate to see “Thanks,” a final, additional performance by GARNiDELiA at Tokyo’s EX THEATER ROPPONGI as part of their GARNiDELiA stellacage 2023 -stella ship- Re:CoNNeCT world tour. Six months later, on June 30, 2024, GARNiDELiA premier stellacage ‘TOKYO’ World Tour 2024 -TEN- [MAKUAKE] was held. This was the opening show of their world tour and their first time performing in Tokyo’s Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall. The mood of the show was dramatically different from the previous show, and you could immediately see and feel the support GARNiDELiA enjoyed from its passionate Chinese fanbase. The first thing one saw upon stepping into the outdoor theater was the huge number of Chinese-speaking fans.

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The popularity of GARNiDELiA’s songs exploded throughout China with member MARiA’s performance of “Gokuraku Jodo” on the Chinese audition show Cheng Feng 2023, launching the band into stardom. MARiA now enjoys overwhelming popularity in China, even serving as the advertising face of various brands.

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Unfortunately, it was rainy on the day of the outdoor show. In the midst of the drizzle, sound effects with a distinctly Asian feel began playing and toku and the band’s supporting members took to the stage. Then MARiA appeared, wearing a dress evocative of the Middle East and a long veil covering her face. The show began with “-TEN-,” a song from their latest album, TEN, which represents GARNiDELiA’s resolve to reach the pinnacle of all they survey. The sound production featured deep bass, the product of the band’s experience in China. This combined with MARiA’s singing voice, whose emotional strength had reached new heights, to produce a chemical reaction that resulted in a simply overwhelming performance. During the band’s performance of “Diamond,” she removed her veil and was joined by a team of dancers. For the rest of the show, they put on intricate dances as MARiA commanded the stage. The crowd shouted along and banged their heads to “COLOR,” bringing the audience even closer together, and then the band launched into “True High.”

After toku and MARiA’s self-introductions, MARiA loosened up the audience with her cheery personality, saying “What a wonderful, sunny day, huh! (laughs) We’re really fortunate to have such great weather! Okay, everybody, I want you just as soaked as me by the time you leave today!” She mentioned that they had added music with a “sky” theme to the set list because of the Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall location.

Her soft voice as she sang the line “a blue sky, free of clouds” in their performance of “ONE,” accompanied by the gorgeous, melodious synth line played by toku, was so powerful it felt like it could even part the rainclouds. MARiA’s piercing eyes glittered, showing the sincerity and honesty she always brings to her songs, as she performed “Soten.” This was followed by “Akatsuki Zakura” and “Oka Ramman,” whose Japanese tones took the splendor of the music to a new level.

MARiA, wearing a cat’s ear headband, and toku, donning a cat’s ear cap, then performed “CAT PLANET” (with a quick detour to perform a cover of Anri’s “CAT’S EYE”). The choreography, featuring cat paw gestures, was a stand-out, and the audience sang along to the “nya nya nya” (“meow meow meow”) part. Still wearing their cat’s ears, GARNiDELiA then played “PiNK CAT,” “Gen Ai Yugi,” and “QUEEN(S) GAME,” all accompanied by their dancers. The active back-and-forth with the audience is one of the hallmarks of the band’s live performances, marked by its global sensibilities.

The rain, however, showed no signs of stopping, instead growing fiercer and fiercer. MARiA, having changed into a black costume with gold decorations, sang a lush rendition of “Fiction,” a song of heartbreak with a piano refrain that lingers even after the song ends. Then the band performed “Hoshi No Uta” and “Suzuran.” The ‘80s flavor created a soundscape that felt both nostalgic and new, drawing out both the wistfulness and beauty of MARiA’s voice. The rain, now pouring down, was perfectly matched to MARiA’s emotional performance. The struggles and hard work beneath her artistry were highlighted even more sharply than in the band’s usual concerts, creating an overwhelming sense of authenticity.

“Sometimes your voices and your love feel like my wings. When I’m with you, nothing can stop me,” said MARiA before diving into the song “Future Wing.” This was followed by the hard-edged rock songs “SPEED STAR,” “ambiguous,” and “BLAZING.” The show’s finale was a special version of “FRONTiER,” which also felt like a beginning. In the encore, which began with “Gokuraku Jodo,” MARiA talked to the Chinese-speaking fans, who cheered in response. It was a truly international moment. “I want my fans in Japan to feel the Chinese vibe,” said MARiA, and the band covered Ikimonogakari’s “Blue Bird,” a song that enjoys a lot of popularity overseas. Many of the Chinese-speaking fans sang along with the chorus in Japanese. Seeing the success GARNiDELiA is achieving around the world, such as the growing range of reactions from the audience, with my own eyes, I was sure that GARNiDELiA’s music was poised on the edge of a dramatic transformation.

“No matter how hard things were, no matter how I struggled, no matter how dark the future looked, I kept pushing forward. I kept fighting. I knew that if I kept doing that, a miracle would happen. Our life, and the love you have all given us, is a testament to that,” said MARiA.

The Hibiya show was the opening of a five-month tour starting in summer that would see GARNiDELiA playing roughly 50 shows, mostly in China and nearby areas. The duo shows true strength, taking change head-on, unflinchingly, in the midst of our rapidly changing environment. This strength was demonstrated again by their performance in the middle of a merciless rainstorm.

The show came to a close with toku, a keytar over his shoulder, leaping to the front of the stage to perform “G.R.N.D.” MARiA and toku’s paths crisscrossed as they listened to each other’s music. Enveloped in generous applause and cheering voices, the duo left the stage.

This article by Mio Komachi first appeared on Billboard Japan.

Billboard Korea’s CEO Yuna Kim spoke with Billboard Japan for its Women in Music interview series featuring trailblazing female players in the country’s music industry. Billboard Japan launched its WIM initiative in 2022 in the same spirit as the established example of Billboard’s event that began in 2007, honoring artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to the music industry and empowered women through their work, the highest accolade being Woman of the Year.

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Kim is the CEO of Billboard Korea, which joined Billboard’s international editions in June 2024. Reflecting on her career and the Global Women Leader Forum she launched in 2022 to empower Korean businesswomen, Kim spoke candidly about the challenges and issues surrounding female artists in Korea and the need for independent female leaders.

We’d love to hear about how you started your career and became the CEO of Billboard Korea.

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I started my own business in Shanghai 15 years ago. I had an entertainment company called GMI Entertainment and brought many K-pop stars, Korean actors, and celebrities to China to make TV programs, dramas and movies. I then moved to South Korea in 2016 and joined a big company Shinsegae Group, where I was head of global marketing. I then signed a licensing agreement with Penske Media Corporation, which owns WWD in the U.S., to launch WWD Korea in 2019 and then Billboard Korea this year.

Not only have you worked in the music industry, you have worked in different areas in the entertainment space.

Yes, exactly. In Shanghai, I had my TV program at Anhui TV, a major broadcasting company. I also launched my social media channels on Douyin, and Xiaohongshu, called Meet The Idol when I was there. So, I have a good understanding of the media and the entertainment business.

You are now the CEO of Billboard Korea. Do many women hold executive roles in Korea?

It is gradually increasing, but still low. In the Korean music industry, the proportion of female executives is only 6%. As you know, South Korea is a very conservative country.

Yes, Japan is the same way.

So, like women in Japan, it is tough to become an entrepreneur in South Korea. This is why in 2022, I invited global women leaders from the U.S. and organized the Global Women Leader Forum in South Korea. I wanted to teach the women leaders in Korea, about what it means to be a female leader. And to do this, we thought we needed to learn from other countries. We invited Maye Musk to speak at the forum because we wanted to focus more on independent women. She is well known as a single mother, having raised three children, including Elon Musk. She is very independent and has many beautiful stories to tell, and we hope to have a second forum by the spring of 2025.

Did you see any changes since holding the Global Women Leaders Forum?

Before organizing the forum, many of my friends told me, “Korea is a very conservative country, so many women leaders wouldn’t want to participate. So there is no point in doing it.” As you know, it’s a very sensitive topic. Many women in Korea feel they are not capable of holding executive positions, such as a CEO. They feel that they should give up because many women think they need to fight against men for these positions. But my view is different. Women have their unique strengths and personalities. Instead of fighting against men, they should be able to utilize their unique styles and strengths.

Approximately 300 women leaders attended the forum, which changed their thinking dramatically. Even older women leaders said that women leaders are necessary, not just for women, but for the company. Since then, other media outlets have started similar campaigns for female leadership. At Billboard Korea, we would also like to launch initiatives to empower female leaders and entrepreneurs in the music industry.

It’s a great initiative. Japan is gradually changing from an era in which women were expected to work in the same way as men, or even more than men, to an era in which men and women support each other both at work and at home. Since it takes time to change people’s values, it’s a gradual change, yet I believe entertainment can play a major role in this process.

Let’s talk about the challenges surrounding female artists. When you look at the year-end charts in the U.S. and Japan, men continue to outnumber women. When we spoke to Billboard‘s editorial director Hannah Karp for this interview series, she said there are still issues that need to be resolved, such as safety for women in recording studios and sexual harassment. What problems do you see in South Korea?

There is harassment in South Korea as well. Many men don’t want to get involved in such issues, so it doesn’t get covered in the news, especially in the older media. I feel it’s a major problem when voices of female artists and creators are not heard. There are also issues surrounding the way women look. We are all under huge pressure to be slim and pretty or expected to look like dolls, not human beings. So young K-pop celebrities invest heavily in their faces and bodies, trying to be younger and more beautiful. This is an issue in the Korean entertainment industry.

Everyone’s appearance changes as they grow older. Do K-pop fans continue to support their favorite artists as they age gracefully or do they move on and support younger artists?

I think it is 50-50 among K-pop fans. BTS fans continue to support them even after they have gone to military service, and they seem to enjoy the fact that they are growing with age. However, the same cannot be said for girl groups. I feel there is a lot more demand for female artists to be younger.

What can we do as a media outlet to support female artists and ensure that they can continue to perform and make music for a long time?

For this reason, I would like to focus more on independent women and female leaders. If we understand and empathize with our idols, not only with their appearance but also with their thoughts and philosophy, we will want to continue supporting them no matter how old they are. As a media outlet, we can listen to the voices of the fans and the artists, right? By helping artists and fans to build a relationship, artists can continue to grow.

The most popular Korean acts in Japan are male and female groups. Are there any female solo artists outside of the mainstream who have enjoyed long careers in Korea?

That is a good question. As you say, there are artists from various genres in South Korea, but only girl and boy groups have had global hits. The reason being, it is more difficult for solo artists to gain a dedicated fandom compared to groups. Therefore, many agencies produce groups. There are many talented female solo artists in Korea, and Billboard Korea wants to introduce all genres to the world, such as K-R&B, jazz, classical, hip-hop and trot.

We also want to introduce artists of different genders and genres to the world. I believe this can change the world view of the Japanese and Korean music scene.

Billboard is launching its media all around the world. We have different cultures and ways of thinking, but women should be independent in every country. We want to think about what needs to be done in each country to support women and implement it.

This interview by Naoko Takashima first appeared on Billboard Japan.

Fans around the world will be able to livestream this year’s Fuji Rock Festival free of charge on Prime Video and the three official Amazon Music channels on Twitch.

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One of Japan’s pioneering music festivals, Fuji Rock ’24 is slated to hit Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture from July 26-28. The livestream will feature performances and interview footage of the acts billed on this year’s lineup set to appear on the Green, White, Red Marquee and Field of Heaven stages.

The Killers, Kraftwerk and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will headline this year’s Fuji Rock, while acts including Awich, Beth Gibbons, girl in red, Hiromi’s Sonicwonder, Kenya Grace, Kim Gordon, Tatsuya Kitani, MAN WITH A MISSION, Omar Apollo, Taeko Onuki, Noname, Peggy Gou, RAYE, Remi Wolf, Rufus Wainwright, Sampha, Teddy Swims, 10-FEET, The Allman Betts Band, The Last Dinner Party, TOKYO SKA PARADISE ORCHESTRA, Turnstile and more have been announced to perform. The schedule and lineup for the online livestream will be announced later.

Prime Video, which is free for those with an Amazon Prime account, can be streamed on the website and on a variety of compatible devices by using the Prime Video app including smartphones, tablets, cable TV devices, gaming devices, smart TVs, Fire TV, Fire TV stick and Fire tablets. The livestream will also be available for free on the three official Amazon Music channels on Twitch.

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To commemorate this exclusive live broadcast, five official Amazon limited color T-shirts are now available on Amazon Merch on Demand.

07/16/2024

The K-pop crusaders latest full-length includes contributions from “Hitman” Bang Si-Hyuk, Cirkut, Slow Rabbit, JVKE, Mike Daley and more.

07/16/2024

Less than nine months after Nikki Semin Han organized what the former SM Entertainment CEO called “the Avengers of the K-pop community joining forces to redefine the industry” in TITAN CONTENT, the newly-launched venture is officially beginning to roll out its first-ever artist.

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Billboard can exclusively reveal the first details on TITAN CONTENT’s forthcoming girl group AtHeart, which is set to officially debut in the first half of 2025.

Beginning with the reveal of AtHeart’s first two members Sorin and Michi, the upcoming act will share all its members in the coming months as the future stars develop individual online presences and connect with fans while preparing for their K-pop debut via individual Instagram and TikTok accounts. TITAN CEO Katie Kang says, “The members will be sharing their daily lives and unique personalities through their social accounts, showcasing their journey to becoming AtHeart together. TITAN will reveal all members of AtHeart sequentially with special content this year.”

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Both 17 years old, Sorin and Michi hail from South Korea and Hawaii, respectively, and begin the structure of what TITAN describes as a girl group that “will appeal to audiences around the world.”

Simultaneously revealing a new K-pop group’s members and launching their individual social media accounts is unconventional in the Korean-entertainment industry. Most new-artist startups are kept secret — even if pre-debut social media accounts are launched for a group, individual member accounts tend to launch years after establishing themselves on the scene. (For example, BLACKPINK’s four members launched their individual accounts less than two years after debuting, but it took more than eight years for the BTS guys.)

However, as CEO Kang adds, the strategy is a part of the group’s overall vision toward more connected K-pop idols.

“The name ‘AtHeart’ speaks to this group’s genuine nature and the connection and love they will build with their fans by empowering them to be their authentic selves,” Kang tells Billboard. “TITAN has been scouting and holding global auditions since the beginning of 2024 and we were captivated by the incredible talent we discovered. These members are so uniquely charming and they embody the next generation of K-pop. I know fans around the world will resonate with their genuine personalities and I am so excited for all the global fans to listen to their songs and watch their performance.”

“As the first K-pop company established in the U.S., TITAN will take an innovative and disruptive approach to creating, marketing, and promoting the content and artists we produce,” adds Han, Chairman at TITAN. “Working with powerhouse executives, creators, and producers from both East and West, we will break the mold by targeting global markets simultaneously from the start.”

Chief Business Officer Dom Rodriguez describes the Los Angeles–based company as “an artist-first and fan-first company,” touting its prodigious goals can be met with TITAN’s deeper involvement in the musical and personal processes of developing K-pop stars.

“We are relentless in our pursuit of innovation and creativity,” the CBO adds. “We prioritize the needs of our artists, the exceptional songwriters and producers who are integral to our success, and the dedicated fans who drive the K-pop phenomenon. Our hands-on A&R process is meticulously designed to elevate the next generation of K-pop artists, maintaining the highest standards of musical greatness. Collaborating with accomplished writers and top music producers worldwide, we’re committed to upholding excellence and shaping the future of music.”

“AtHeart marks the beginning of an exciting journey built upon the connection between K-pop idols, their dedicated fans, and music, with a commitment to upholding everything that makes K-pop unique and special,” says TITAN Chief Visual Officer Guiom Lee. “Backed by a team of industry experts who share a profound love and understanding of the genre, we will display innovation across all facets of AtHeart, pushing the limits in today’s ever-changing digital landscape. From top-tier visuals and fashion to captivating musical performances, we are excited to unveil AtHeart to a global audience.”

As previously reported, the team making up TITAN has experiences with K-pop artists across generations, including chart-topping names like BoA, Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, EXO, TWICE, Monsta X, ITZY, The Boyz, and more. Beyond artist development and management, TITAN plans to produce music festivals and revealed plans to combine “traditional K-pop training and artist development with Web3 and metaverse innovation.” The company also announced today that it will soon open an upcoming platform where “AtHeart will communicate with global fans with new and diverse content through a K-pop fandom platform that combines various innovative technologies such as Web3 and AI.”

Get to know Sorin and Michi in these first-look images below and by following the future AtHeart members on social media. Look out for more from the group via its official website

Sorin

Courtesy of Titan Content

Michi

Courtesy of Titan Content

A few nights ago, while I was driving home, the shuffle chose “BBE” by Anna and Lazza. The chorus is one of those that immediately get stuck in your mind, the lyrics are a statement of empowerment, a sort of manifesto of a strong and determined girl who never has to ask.

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In the time I spend with her for the interview I discover two things in particular. The first is that behind that tough image there is a very sweet girl in her early twenties who, overwhelmed by a success that has taken away a piece of her adolescence, sometimes dreams of exchanging her famous life for a normal one for one day, like any of her peers. The second is that also “real bad bitches cry,” as she raps in “Una Tipa Come Me,” undoubtedly the best of the 18 tracks on Vera Baddie, her debut album, released on June 28.

It’s strange to think that it is only her first album, given that from 2020 to today – between singles with tens of millions of streams and collaborations with the heavyweights of the Italian rap scene – the rapper has constantly dominated the Italian charts and in 2023 was the most listened to female artist in Italy. But she wanted to do things well and in her own way, taking the time necessary to mature and make a project that wasn’t something ephemeral but that will make her proud when she listens to it again in ten years.

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After having met the “Real Baddie,” in this interview we discover the real Anna: from the fragility of her twenties to the desire for sincere human relationships, from the most important goal she has achieved to music as therapy to exorcise anxiety, from the little girl she was to the woman she is now.

Anyone who listens to this album will be amazed at how you opened up about your fragilities, something you hadn’t done yet.

I think so, too. I hadn’t dug into myself yet. It took me time to do it. For me it’s much easier to make a song to entertain and have fun rather than delve into the things that hurt me, into my relationships with people. This album unlocked me from this point of view.

Was there something that made you realize that you were ready to show a different side of yourself?

Certainly the fact that many girls told me that they see themselves in me made me feel the need to explore other sides of being a girl today. I wanted to address more facets of this thing, even the negative ones. I’m proud to have brought out another part of me and I’ve matured a lot as a person to be able to do this, to unite my feelings with music.

The album arrives four years after your first singles. In an interview you said that you didn’t want to become famous as it happened but to work your way up. Did taking time also help you sort out what was happening in your life?

Yes, it took me a few years to stabilize my life, also because success came when I was still very young, in a particular moment like quarantine. These four years also helped me grow as an artist. I feel like I’ve really raised the bar in my songs. I want my name to have a certain value and depth, and that it be understood that I take music seriously, because it is what I live for.

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Can we say that this has nothing to do with being a woman in a male-dominated world?

Absolutely yes! I’m here because I’ve never felt a difference between me and my male colleagues. The more this is emphasized, the more girls feel discouraged from being rappers. When they say that I’m the best in Italy I would respond: “I’m not the best, I’m simply the only one who let herself go and who never gave a damn about being a woman among only men. Even at the cost of receiving insults.” I didn’t bring “female rap,” I brought my music, period.

If female rap existed, male rap should also exist…

Right! Do you know how many times I get told that I am proof that women can rap too? Rap is rap, period. There is no gender, the important thing is to do it well. Many times, girls feel disadvantaged because they don’t feel supported, but when I started, who supported me? Nobody. It was me, alone. Little by little I built my own path and asserted myself.

Anna for Billboard Italia

Andrea Ariano

The concept of “baddie” means more than it seems, right?

Being a baddie doesn’t just mean being a girl who has fun: the baddie is the one who transmits determination to other girls, who helps them in times of need. Girls understood this, and that’s enough for me.

You said you suffered a lot from criticism in the past. Now that you’ve grown up, how do you deal with this?

I have a lot less hating than before because people have gotten to know me. They see me in concert and appreciate the person I am. Over time I learned not to care. Bad things no longer affect me as they used to because I take them as something negative towards those who say them, not towards me who receive them.

You also said that the criticism had tripled the moment you exploded, so much so that the internet had given an image of you that didn’t correspond to the real one. Were you ever afraid that after your debut single “Bando” everything could end?

More than anything, people put the fear in me. I knew very well what I wanted to do in life, but many people can’t wait to destroy you. I remember when they told me: “In a month she will already be gone.” But damn it, I’m still here, and I’m here because I have a lot to give, because I’ve always been convinced about this, because I felt that this was my path.

I often see videos of you with your fans and you still seem like a very humble girl.

I think this has a lot to do with the fact that I haven’t enjoyed a normal life. From the age of 16 onwards, all the things I did were inherent to my job. So outside of that I want to be as normal as possible and enjoy life. My simplicity is not to do others a favor or to make me say, “Oh, look how humble Anna is.” I love being like this, I love having a normal chat with someone, why should I be a snob?

Is the fact of including so many references to your adolescence in the album also a way to recover a moment of your life that you didn’t experience as you wanted?

Maybe. Often at night I dream of my old school, my old classmates, the environment I frequented before. I miss those things because I haven’t enjoyed them at all. I’m not even someone who has made many friends in an organic way in life because I haven’t had the time or the way to do it. I suffered a lot for this. Young girls often tell me that they envy my life, but I envy theirs and they don’t even imagine it.

For this album you also worked in the U.S. and one could tell it. It’s a very international sound.

Yes, for example I wrote “Una Tipa Come Me” there, but most of the songs were born in my bedroom at home. In my head there is no such thing as having someone write something to me. If I make songs, it is to say something, and that must come from me. I could never get other people to put their words in my mouth. Music for me is such an intimate and personal thing that I couldn’t let someone change it. It bothers me when they say: “Oh, Anna has improved, I wonder who writes her lyrics.” Well, nobody!

In your producers, however, you have complete trust.

Absolutely. They are fundamental, without them this album wouldn’t be what it is. I do my thing, I write the lyrics, but if there isn’t a good backing track none of this is possible. I’m happy that such fresh and cool young people are finally making their way in Italy.

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Earlier you mentioned “Una Tipa Come Me,” which for me is one of the songs that will most surprise those who listen to the album.

Yes, it’s definitely the most introspective song on the entire album. I had started working on it in the studio with an American producer while I was in the USA, but I was too tense and couldn’t finish it, so I picked it up again while I was alone in my room. Last summer was a bit of a tough time for me. I lost a lot of kilos due to stress. I had a very fluctuating mood and therefore I needed to throw these feelings out and talk even more about myself, about my character. It freed me a lot.

In the intro you say: “Doing this stuff helps more than a psychologist.”

For me music has always been a cure. I suffer a lot from anxiety which also manifests itself in a psychosomatic way, and when I feel like I’m starting to feel bad I put on my headphones, listen to music and I swear I feel better. It’s really my therapy, my life revolves around music.

We talked about criticism. Can you tell me what is the nicest thing a fan has said to you?

It makes me proud that many girls tell me that I give them the determination to face everyday life and the dark times. Once a girl wrote to me that her dad had had a heart attack, and listening to my music relieved her. For me it was a wonderful thing to know that I was making life a little less burdensome for a person who was going through a difficult time.

What is the most important milestone you have achieved so far?

From a personal point of view, it would be being able to help my mother have financial stability. I have always seen her work hard, so allowing her to no longer work and giving her a serenity that she never had is the greatest joy. For me, the relationship with my parents is everything: when they are well and have no worries, life changes you completely. In terms of career, however, I would say working with Sfera Ebbasta. When I was a young girl it would have seemed impossible, but in a few days I will be singing at the San Siro stadium in Milan with him. If I had told this to my past self, she would probably never have believed it!

And what would younger Anna say to Anna today?

She would say that she’s proud of who she has become because that is exactly who she always wanted to be. If Anna as a child could travel in time and see me now, she would get excited, she would say that I’m really cool, that she got to where she is on her own and because she believed in it so much. Well, perhaps the greatest achievement is simply being me.

LISA debuts at No. 1 on the July 13-dated Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart with “Rockstar,” notably making BLACKPINK the first group with three members that have led the list as soloists.

The song’s flashy debut also breaks a long streak of geographical monotony on the international ranking.

The Global Excl. U.S. chart ranks the 200 biggest songs of each week, based on streaming and data from more than 200 international territories, with U.S. consumption removed, as compiled by data tracker Luminate. So, even more than the Billboard Global 200, and in further contrast to the U.S.-based Billboard Hot 100, the Global Excl. U.S. chart has spotlighted artists from Africa, Asia, South America and elsewhere in its upper reaches since its 2020 launch.

But while 2024 has minted new smash hits and ascendant stars, those breakthroughs have generally been by American acts, and performed entirely in English. LISA stands out not only as the first Thai artist to top the list in 2024, but also as the first artist not from primarily English-speaking countries the U.S., Canada, or the U.K. to reach the summit all year. (“Still, “Rockstar” is sung almost entirely in English, with one line in Japanese repeated.)

At 2024’s midyear point (reflecting charts dated Jan. 6-June 29), 47 songs reached the top 10 of Global Excl. U.S., up noticeably from 26 during the same period of 2023. But just 40% of 2024’s top 10s in that span were by artists from outside the mainland U.S., compared to 92% last year and 85% the year before. In terms of language, 34% of this year’s top 10s included non-English-language lyrics, down from 58% in 2023 and 64% in 2022.

Each of the last two years had major narratives, particularly in Latin music, driving representation in their first six months. In 2022, Bad Bunny released his culture-dominating album Un Verano Sin Ti, which spawned seven top 10s on Global Excl. U.S. Last year, Peso Pluma led a streaming explosion of regional Mexican music, expanding the pan-Latin footprint on the global stage. Plus, a growing wave of Nigerian artists including CKay, Rema and Tems have diversified the top of the chart.

More than that, those years featured Global Excl. U.S. top 10s from Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Sweden and beyond. Many of those territories have cracked the top 10 this year as well, but less frequently, and amid a much larger pool of hits.

Declining international representation on Global Excl. U.S. still stands in stark contrast to the Hot 100, where all 45 top 10s in the first half of 2024 are sung or rapped entirely in English, and all but five are by American acts. The handful of non-U.S. artists include enormous superstars such as Canadians Drake and The Weeknd, and western European acts including Hozier and, via a feature on Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, Florence + The Machine.

Two of those acts – Hozier and The Weeknd – also hit the top 10 of Global Excl. U.S., along with British divas Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Dua Lipa. Otherwise, a bevy of pan-Latin and Asian crossover acts – Creepy Nuts (Japan), Feid (Colombia), Zeynep Bastik (Turkey) and more – have mixed among chart-toppers by Americans Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande and Swift.

It’s encouraging that there has been so much turnover near the top of the Global Excl. U.S. chart in 2024, and that the hits have surged in streaming – by the end of June, 18 songs logged 50 million non-U.S. weekly streams, up from 14 to the same point in 2023 and 10 in 2022. But non-U.S. artists make up just 28% of that pie, down from 85% from just one year ago.

It’s good timing then, for LISA’s No. 1 debut this week. With 94.2 million non-U.S. streams in its first week, “Rockstar” boasts the most weekly streams for a Global Excl. U.S. hit this year by a non-American artist. Plus, Jimin and Loco (both from South Korea) debut at No. 7 with “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” and Karol G (Colombia) rises to the top 10, at No. 8, with “Si Antes Te Huibera Conocido.” Meanwhile, FloyyMenor and Cris Mj (Chile) spend their 15th consecutive week in the top 10 with “Gata Only.”