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Billboard Women in Music arrives in Europe for the first time with an edition that celebrates the talent of Italian artists. Billboard Italia Women in Music will be held on Sept. 16 at Milan’s Teatro Manzoni, one of the most prestigious theaters in the city. Both the date and the venue are meant to highlight […]
07/29/2024
The group’s latest Billboard 200 chart-topper shows SKZ’s determination towards experimentation while remaining true to their core messages.
07/29/2024
While the past weekend’s KCON festival offered K-pop fans the rare opportunity to see their favorite artists in person through three days of convention and concerts, ZEROBASEONE took full advantage of the Los Angeles audience by surprise announcing a new album on the fest’s final day on Sunday (July 28).
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After the nine-member boy band performed the singles “Feel the POP” and “In Bloom” at the Crypto.com Arena, a mysterious video appeared across the KCON marquee with the phrases “Cinema Paradise” and “August 2024” below it. The guys quickly confirmed that the tease was a “comeback spoiler” to the audience.
Cinema Paradise will be ZB1’s fourth K-pop release since debuting just over a year ago on July 10, 2023, with their Youth in the Shade EP. See the comeback spoiler “film” below:
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ZEROBASEONE wasn’t the only artist to utilize KCON LA to tease new music.
Not long after ZB1 made the surprise album announcement, next KCON performer Jeon Somi revealed at the end of her set that she would be returning to the K-pop scene with “a “fun summer song.” The soloist shared the melody and lyrics from the upcoming track, telling the audience to sing along with the call-and-response lines: “Come and get your ice cream… / Too cold!”
Somi’s agency, THEBLACKLABEL, quickly confirmed that the singer’s new single “Ice Cream” would drop on Aug. 2 and shared the following photos.
Elsewhere during KCON, Billboard 200–charting boy band P1Harmony hyped up fans when leader Keeho shared the group’s “comeback is coming faster than you think” during the “red carpet” ceremony on Saturday, July 27.
Plus, the Japanese girl group ME:I (created on Produce 101 Japan The Girls, a local version of a K-pop singing competition developed by KCON organizer CJ E&M) shared a live performance of their new single “Hi-Five” ahead of its official release on Aug. 28. Previously, the 11-member outfit peaked at No. 2 on the Japan Hot 100 so far with their debut single “Click” in April.
The music video to “Hi-Five” dropped a few hours after making its live debut to KCON-ers in attendance.
KCON reports that a combined 5.9 million fans showed up in person and online from more than 170 countries across the three days of this year’s festivities, which is in line with the 5.9 million viewers from 176 regions from last year’s fest. With the bonus of surprise announcements and new song reveals this year, the upcoming KCON Germany 2024 in September should also boast millions of fans tuning in.
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Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has published a report on its music industry. The report is part of the Japanese government’s “Grand Design and Action Plan for a New Form of Capitalism 2024.” In this plan, several strategies for revitalizing the industry are listed, including “strengthening command structures within content creation industries,” […]
If you’ve ever attended a K-pop concert, holding an artist’s official “light stick” is a crucial aspect of the viewing experience. At the Paris 2024 Olympics Games, Team Korea will embrace this special aspect of K-pop super fandom with its own light sticks, an official cheer song, and more in partnership with industry leader HYBE.
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Usually a handheld device with a plastic tubing and a glowing top, light sticks aren’t one-time-use glowsticks but are personalized for each act with specific colors, markers, and designs that become a way for fans and artists to enjoy the live experience together. BTS has an “ARMY BOMB” light stick with a black stand and clear globe atop that can represent said “bomb” and glow a spectrum of colors in rhythm to the group’s music thanks to Bluetooth technology. An artist revealing an official light stick is considered an important career step and signals upcoming concerts.
While HYBE just unveiled the light stick for one of its newest boy bands, BOYNEXTDOOR, less than six months ago, the company’s business unit, HYBE IPX, has been simultaneously in conversation with the Olympic Games to bring its technology to inspire similar fandom to Paris. The company will provide specially designed “Team Korea Light Sticks” to support South Korea’s national team competing in the games. Designed with inspiration from the Olympic torch and stadium, the light sticks utilize the same tech and expertise at HYBE artists’ concerts to change colors and glow in sync with chants.
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“Centralized control is the most outstanding technology that differentiates us from others,” explains Seung Suk Rhee, President of HYBE IPX, in an exclusive interview with Billboard. “Simply put, we can easily control light sticks dispersed in a large space from a centralized console box. We can make variations according to the occasion, starting from K-pop concerts to theme park rides.”
The newly unveiled light stick for Team Korea coordinates with this year’s official cheer anthem, “Fighting,” by SEVENTEEN’s BSS and Lee Young-Ji, which comes with its own accompanying challenge.
“It’s going to be incredibly moving to see the large crowd coming together with one spirit, singing our song in unison to cheer for the athletes,” BSS tells Billboard in a statement. “We’re very proud and honored that ‘Fighting,” featuring Lee Young-Ji, could contribute to the excitement for Team Korea athletes at such a historic sports festival.This is all thanks to [our fans] CARATs, who have shown so much love for the song since last year, and we’re once again filled with gratitude for our fans. Through the song’s energetic beat and fun lyrics boosting the passion and enthusiasm for cheering, we hope to pass on BSS’ positivity and energy to Team Korea athletes. We’re rooting for them all the way to enjoy their moment and achieve their goals with all our hearts.”
Speaking more about how the K-pop light stick made its way to the Olympics and where it can go next, read on for more with HYBE IPX President Seung Suk Rhee.
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When did the opportunity to create light sticks for Team Korea come about?
Starting early summer last year, with the Olympic Games Paris 2024 generating significant global momentum, we explored ways to integrate this event into HYBE. We decided that introducing light sticks would be ideal, as they represent the concept of “cheer” and “support” which is equally crucial for both music fans and sports enthusiasts. We approached the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee with this idea and found a mutual understanding to lead the cheering culture, setting sail on the light stick project.
The most crucial factor was the design. We couldn’t just create any light stick but had to come up with a design that symbolizes our country as the national flag, Taegeukgi, does. To maintain the unique shape of a light stick while making it instantly recognizable as a national flag, we incorporated motifs of a torch and a stadium into the final design.
The design is centered on a simple white aesthetic with a shape that echoes a torch or a flame. The light rays, which change colors or flash with each button press, are inspired by the Olympic symbols — including the five circles of blue, red, yellow, green, and black. Since black cannot be produced with light, we replaced it with white, the background color of the Olympic flag, and added a touch of gold, inspired by the logo of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Considering a design that reflects the identity of the Olympics, we also ensured that it blends in with Team Korea’s official uniforms.
What should fans and viewers look out for when the light sticks are televised Opening Ceremony?
Personally, what makes it even more exciting, is that it will be the first time that HYBE’s light stick will be showcased in front of a worldwide audience of each and every nationality. Since Team Korea athletes will make an entrance to the Opening Ceremony holding Team Korea Official Digital Flag, we hope to contribute to spreading out the Olympic spirit, even if it is in the slightest way possible.
The light stick carried by Team Korea athletes features the Korean flag attached to the Team Korea Official Light Stick, standard version provided to the Korean audience. Firstly, we wanted to strengthen the connection between the athletes and their fans. Secondly, we aimed for it to represent the Taegeukgi in a new form rather than just being a light stick. That’s why we also named it the Team Korea Official Digital Flag.
What was the most challenging part of creating this opportunity?
All members part of my team have been working on this project with great gravity. Of course we’ve experienced pressure coming from the magnitude of the event, even with concerts hosted by HYBE artists in arenas. However, this is the first time that we will be putting out our light sticks in front of the world to see. Even more so, this will be the first time that Team Korea athletes will be holding a light stick instead of an ordinary national flag at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games. We hope that our light sticks can contribute to igniting the Olympic spirit amongst Team Korea.
How did discussions to bring SEVENTEEN’s BSS and their song “Fighting” as the official cheer song for Team Korea come together?
BSS’ “Fighting,” featuring Lee Young-Ji, emits the most fitting message and the mood for a festive event, especially when the athletes need all the support that they can get. We wanted to keep the excitement going throughout the Olympic Games Paris 2024 for Team Korea, and make it a song that the fans will remember for years to come. We will be playing “Fighting” as one of the cheering anthems at Korea House in Paris, where the cheering event for Team Korea will take place.
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What does an opportunity like this say about K-pop and K-pop fandom?
At HYBE, we don’t see K-pop fans and sports fans as different. We believe that fandoms, whether they’re for sports, games, movies, anime, or theme parks, share a common core “passion.” While they may look different on the outside, they are all driven by the same heartfelt desire to cheer for and support something or someone they love. Whether sports fans wear jerseys and chant slogans, or K-pop fans wave light sticks, they are sending the same message: “I support you.” From this perspective, we realized that we could create a new form of cheering culture by introducing HYBE’s light stick to the sports world. We believe that fans are constantly evolving by actively participating and sending their energy to artists and athletes in various ways.
HYBE IPX first extended this tech beyond music with the Korean esports team T1 for the League of Legends Champions tournament this summer. How did this idea come to be?
It’s been long since we have been preparing for an outbound project that could showcase our light stick technology to a wider audience, even beyond the music industry. With this in mind, we’ve been discussing new opportunities with partners in various fields. We’re currently discussing various collaborations for a long-term partnership, the first of which is the T1 OFFICIAL LIGHT BAND that was first showcased at T1’s “Home Ground” event in late June. HYBE’s production team helped direct the light bands throughout the event.
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Can you share more about HYBE IPX and your role in the company?
HYBE IPX is a business unit that focuses on creating boundless opportunities based on artist IP and delivering fresh experiences to fans. We develop official merchandise for events like tours and birthdays, offer licensed products that bring artist characters and IP into everyday use, and host global pop-up stores that provide fans with unique and immersive experiences. HYBE’s light sticks, now expanding into sports and esports beyond music, are designed, produced, and supplied by HYBE IPX, the mastermind behind the light stick technology.
In addition, HYBE IPX spearheads the planning and execution of collaborative IP projects with multiple labels and other business units within HYBE, including BTS 10th Anniversary FESTA in 2023 and “THE CITY” projects…SEVENTEEN ‘FOLLOW’ THE CITY BANGKOK in 2023, with another exciting edition coming soon in August at ENHYPEN World Tour “FATE PLUS” THE CITY JAKARTA. Brand ambassadorships, commercials, and various partnerships involving HYBE artists are also part of our business.
As the leader of the organization responsible for these various initiatives and projects, I’m fully committed to ensuring that fans have an exceptional experience with the artists they love, as well as creating opportunities for them to connect and enjoy memorable experiences together.
HYBE said, “With this original light stick system, HYBE aims to extend the K-pop-originated innovations to festivals and arenas worldwide.” Can you explain this more?
I’m sure you’ve been to concerts hosted by K-pop artists or labels. The moment you step foot in the arena, you’ll see fans waving light sticks to support their favorite artists. It is a special culture and technology nurtured within the K-pop industry. “Superfans,” which may be the most trending keyword in the music industry these days, are not limited to the music industry, but they also exist in other industries such as sports, esports, and animation. We’ve witnessed K-pop fans crying, laughing, cheering in happiness [while] raising their light sticks up high. We wish to extend this stirring moment to worldwide fans, no matter who their favorites are.
From the executives interested in this technology to the fans who buy and use light sticks, what else do you want readers to know at this time?
At HYBE, we believe that light sticks are more than just a tool for cheering. It is a way that fans use to show their support for their favorite artists, and athletes, and a medium to create a sense of fellowship with other fans and a “fan culture” that has ripened over time. It’s also a way for fans to take part in stage performances or events and interact with other fans as well as the artists who are on stage. Cherishing the value, we will continue to make efforts to further expand the K-pop originated light stick culture to various areas.
INI will return to California later this week to hit the stage at KCON LA 2024, the third time the group has participated in this event since their first appearance in 2022. This year’s KCON takes place Friday (July 26) to Sunday at Crypto.com Arena, L.A. Convention Center and Gilbert Lindsay Plaza in Los Angeles.
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INI — pronounced “eye-en-eye” — is an 11-member global boy band born from the survival audition program Produce 101 Japan Season 2 (GYAO!/TBS), broadcast in 2021. The group has been popular from the start — a special program with a title that roughly translates to Nice to meet you! We are INI! (GYAO!) aired in Japan before the band’s debut, and the members were featured on a segment on the TV show Yoru no Brunch (TBS) from the day they debuted. The group’s fandom has grown steadily since then, and while its continued popularity can mainly be attributed to the appeal of each member, another major reason behind the group’s breakthrough is that in the early days of the group’s formation, it took measures that had rarely been implemented in Japan before.
For example, prior to the release of their debut single “A,” INI released teasers of two songs, “Rocketeer” and “Brighter,” and invited fans to vote for their favorite. As a result, the powerful dance number “Rocketeer” came out on top, which helped set the image of INI being a group skilled in hip-hop-tinged dance tracks. When launching this voting system, INI announced on its official website: “We adopted a new system where fan votes determine the group’s music, since INI is a group chosen by popular vote.” This message suggests that the band wanted to welcome its fandom — collectively called MINI — that had been watching over them since the audition as part of its team. In fact, the hashtag “#TeamINIandMINI” has recently been created on social media.
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All of INI’s singles released since have reached No. 1 on Billboard Japan’s weekly Top Singles Sales chart. Also, the group’s sixth single “THE FRAME,” which dropped June 26, launched with 812,184 copies in its first week and became its best-selling single to date, far exceeding “I,” the second single that had been the group’s previous best-seller at 742,208 first-week copies. “THE FRAME” went on to hit No. 1 on the Japan Hot 100, the comprehensive song chart that includes six metrics in its methodology including downloads, streaming, radio airplay and more. The music video for “LOUD,” the lead track off “THE FRAME,” has been viewed over 11.8 million times as of July 24 after being released June 17 on the group’s official YouTube channel.
The members are gradually becoming more and more involved in the production, beginning to present their individualities. Hiroto Nishi took part in writing the lyrics for “SPECTRA,” “DROP,” and “LEGIT,” and the songwriting for “Walkie Talkie.” Xu Fengfan was involved in the lyrics for “I’m a Dreamer,” Hiromu Takatsuka for “My Story,” Shogo Tajima for “Runaway,” “TAG,” and with Takatsuka for “Dirty Shoes Swag,” Kyosuke Fujimaki for “YOU IN,” Rihito Ikezaki for “10 THINGS” with Tajima and “Ferris Wheel” with Fujimaki. Furthermore, Masaya Kimura choreographed “Moment,” “YOU IN,” and “KILLING PART” (with Nishi).
The group’s popularity lies not only in each member’s creative abilities, but also in their performance skills — when all eleven members perform together, the result is powerful and bold. The word “flamboyant” is probably the most apt description, and their gripping performance has the strength to captivate a wide audience. The members come from different backgrounds — some are good at dancing, others at singing. In particular, Ikezaki and Yudai Sano participated in the audition with no prior experience in singing or dancing, but have both now reached the level of uploading their own dance videos on TikTok, and now all eleven members make their presence felt in their stage performances. That the traces of each member’s hard work can be seen adds to the appeal of their performances.
INI has also gained experience by performing on numerous stages. The INI 1ST FAN MEETING took place right after their debut, and showcase events have accompanied every CD release. The band successfully completed a hall tour in 2022, an arena tour in 2023, and on February 24 and 25, 2024, they performed at Kyocera Dome in Osaka for the INI 2ND ARENA LIVE TOUR [READY TO POP!] IN KYOCERA DOME OSAKA concerts. The [READY TO POP!] arena and dome tour drew a total of 200,000 fans.
The group has also performed in many outdoor rock festivals including the 1CHANCE FESTIVAL 2022 presented by power trio WANIMA and JAPAN JAM 2024, steadily gaining fans by showcasing its unique appeal in situations where not all the people in the audience are familiar with the group. This summer, INI will take the stage in some of Japan’s premier music festivals such as ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2024 and SUMMER SONIC 2024, and will likely expand its fandom through its overwhelming performances.
INI has also become a fixture at KCON, not only at the L.A. event — again, their third consecutive year to perform — but also at KCON 2023 THAILAND, KCON in South Korea, and the music program M COUNTDOWN, gradually gaining experience performing outside of Japan. After almost three years since the group’s debut, INI is on its way to winning the hearts of new MINIs around the world.
KCON LA, including INI’s performance, will be broadcast on The CW.
—This article by Azusa Takahashi first appeared on Billboard Japan
Empire of the Sun are back. The visionary duo from Down Under, consisting of Emperor Steele (Luke Steele) and Lord Littlemore (Nick Littlemore), have ended their eight-year hiatus with the release of their highly-anticipated fourth studio album, Ask That God.
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“This body of work represents the greatest shift in consciousness our world has ever seen and that’s reflected in the music,” says Littlemore. Ask That God takes listeners on a holistic musical adventure where imagination and reality blur and the surreal reigns supreme.
“We are nothing more than conduits, gathering experience and finding what is meant for the Empire to find,” explains Emperor Steele. “We know these songs have wings, and once they are released, they will fly and find a home with all kinds of souls all over the planet.”
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The album, which follows on from 2016’s Two Vines, includes the recently released singles “Cherry Blossom,” “Changes,” “Music On The Radio,” and their latest single, “The Feeling You Get.”
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“Sometimes you don’t know what it is, you don’t know what you do or why you do it….it’s just the feeling you get,” says Steele of the new track. “It’s like a nostalgic ’80s British pop anthem that gets under your skin.”
Littlemore adds, “Songs can speak for words we can’t find. This song speaks to the listener, to remind them it’s never too late to get out there and really have some experiences and make some memories.”
The single is accompanied by a visually stunning music video directed by Michael Maxxis, who collaborated with award-winning new media artist AUJIK. Filmed in the stunning landscapes of Thailand, the video takes viewers on an immersive journey into surreal realms.
Empire of the Sun have enjoyed significant success on Billboard’s charts over their career.
Their breakthrough single “Walking on a Dream” peaked at No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 (powered eight years after its release by a sync to a Honda Civic campaign); topped the Dance Club Songs chart; reached No. 3 on the Alternative Songs chart; and peaked at No. 40 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart.
Their single, “Alive,” achieved No. 1 on the Dance Club Songs chart, peaked at No. 13 on the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, and reached No. 26 on the Hot Rock Songs chart.
Stream Empire of The Sun’s latest album Ask That God below.
Dua Lipa dropped a remix of her single “Illusion” featuring Creepy Nuts, Japan’s breakout hip-hop duo that made waves with its viral hit ”Bling-Bang-Bang-Born,” the No. 1 song on Billboard Japan’s mid-year tally for 2024.
“Illusion (Creepy Nuts Remix)” is the latest remix of the track off the “Houdini” artist’s latest album Radical Optimism, released in May. The original, a song about a character that breaks away from her formerly weak self and is now assertive when faced with another potentially toxic relationship, reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and also reached the top 10 of the U.K. Official Singles Chart. The song has been streamed more than 250 million times worldwide, and the music video viewed more than 35 million times.
Why was Creepy Nuts tapped to collaborate with Lipa, a Grammy-winning star who recently headlined this year’s Glastonbury? It all started when Creepy Nuts’ “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” reached the top 10 on the Billboard Global 200 chart in March. The catchy hip-hop banger peaked at No. 8 and became the fourth song by a Japanese artist/act to break into the top 10 on this tally. The other three are “Glimpses of Us” by Japanese-Australian artist Joji (No. 2 in 2022), “Homura” by LiSA (No. 8 in 2020), and “Idol” by YOASOBI (No. 7 in 2023). “BBBB” also hit No. 3 on the Global 200 Excl. US chart that focuses on all territories outside the United States, and the track’s global breakthrough caught Dua’s attention.
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Lipa asked Creepy Nuts to do the remix via her team in Japan and the duo consisting of rapper R-shitei (“R-rated”) and DJ Matsunaga readily agreed to the offer, resulting in the exciting collaboration between two chart-topping global acts. The remix — surprisingly, it was the “Nidone” pair’s first collaboration with an artist from outside their home country — combines Matsunaga’s catchy track with R’s signature rapid-fire bars and lyrics paying homage to the “Levitating” singer’s past works by including their titles.
“The track turned out well, and it was a fresh challenge that brought out a new side of us as well,” says Matsunaga, while R notes, “I looked to the original lyrics of Dua Lipa’s ‘Illusion’ and participated in the world it depicted, letting the illusionist in me appear in the lyrics that I wrote.”
Dua Lipa is set to return to Japan for the first time in six years this November for two arena shows, which sold out on the day tickets went on sale. The “Dance the Night” songstress has been recognized by Spotify as “the first artist in history to hold five songs with over 2 billion streams” and “the 25th most listened-to artist of all time.” Her album “Radical Optimism” has been streamed over 2 billion times worldwide and topped the Official UK Albums chart, making her one of the world’s top artists in both name and reality.
Creepy Nuts’ “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” recently dominated Billboard Japan’s mid-year Japan Songs chart — a tally that tracks songs from Japan being listened to in countries around the world — by topping the lists for six countries. On July 20, the “Nobishiro” duo performed at the AFEELA Pregame Performance at Dodger Stadium Center Field in Los Angeles, performing live for the first time in the U.S. Creepy Nuts will hit the stage in Tokyo Dome for the first time for their LIVE at TOKYO DOME concert on Feb. 11, 2025.
“[The remix] is precisely us, and it’s also a new side of us that was brought out because the song was Dua Lipa’s ‘Illusion,’” say the duo. “It’s in both English and Japanese but turned out smooth; we hope you enjoy it.”
Dua adds: “Be sure to listen to the remix by these two amazing talents.”
Stream “Illusion (Creepy Nuts Remix)” here: http://dualipa.lnk.to/illusioncreepynuts
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back number’s “to new lovers” (Japanese title: “Atarashii Koibitotachi ni”) debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated July 24, giving the veteran three-man band its fifth No. 1 on the tally and the first in almost five years and eight months.
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The “Suiheisen” (meaning “horizon”) trio’s latest hit is being featured as the theme song of the ongoing drama series called Umi no Hajimari (“beginning of the sea”) being aired on Fuji TV’s popular Monday nights at 9 p.m. time slot. The track tops downloads (24,432 units) and radio airplay, while coming in at No. 4 for streaming (7,532,578 weekly streams) and No. 32 for video views. The song collected 1.9 times more first-week downloads and 1.7 times more streams compared to the previous single by the J-pop band, “Fuyu to Haru” (“winter and spring”), released in January.
This is the fifth time back number has topped the Japan Hot 100, having previously scored No. 1s with “Omoidasenakunaru sonohimade” (“until the day I can’t remember”) in 2011, the band’s seasonal staple “Christmas Song” in 2015, “Boku no Namaeo” (“(you called) my name”) in 2016, and “Old Fashion” in 2018. Other songs in the band’s catalog are also on the rise, with “Suiheisen” rising a notch to No. 38, “Takaneno Hanakosan” moving 42-39, and “Hanataba” (“bouquet”) 84-82.
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Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” slips a notch to No. 2 after reaching No. 1 last week, but streams for the track are down only by about 5% from the previous week (No. 1 for the fifth week in a row for the metric), and the single is at No. 7 for downloads, No. 3 for video, and No. 12 for karaoke.
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AKB48’s “Koi Tsunjatta” bows at No. 3. The J-pop girl group’s 64th single, released four months after the previous single “Karakon Wink,” launched with 411,100 CDs in its first week, about 50,000 fewer than the predecessor’s 463,564 first-week copies.
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ONE OK ROCK’s “Delusion:All” jumps 21-7, breaking into the top 10. Streams for the Kingdom: Return of the Great General theme song are up by about 1.9 times the week before, radio up 7 times, and video up 1.5 times. Kocchinokento’s “Hai Yorokonde” also enters the top 10 for the first time, topping the video metric. Streams are up by about 1.2 times the week before (No. 16), while downloads and karaoke for the track also increased, with the former coming in at No. 12.
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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 15 to 21, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
Milan, Design Week 2024, a big party in a wonderful location with Meduza’s Mattia Vitale at the DJ booth. Waves of people reach the dance floor: first a group of Dutch designers in their 40s dancing with cocktails in hand, then a wave of 20-year-olds raising their hands in the air when they hear the hooks of “Piece of Your Heart” and “Lose Control.” At the end, everyone passionately sings Daft Punk’s “One More Time,” while Mattia has fun playing with the effects. Meduza are capable of making themselves loved by a transversal audience.
If artists like Daft Punk have exported the “French touch” to the rest of the world, then Meduza could be considered flag bearers of the “Italian touch,” the tradition of Italian DJs and producers who have transmitted a certain style in dance music, from Giorgio Moroder to Tale of Us.
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Before the interview, they have some fun commenting on a handful of 12-inch vinyl singles contained in a DJ bag. The eyes of Mattia Vitale, Luca De Gregorio and Simone Giani lit up when looking at the covers of tracks that made the history of dance music. “Groovejet” by Spiller, “Needin’ U” by David Morales, “Music Sounds Better With You” by Stardust, just to mention a few.
Now it’s their turn to speak, in the aftermath of their new single “Fire,” the official anthem of the European football championship.
You have a lot of gigs this summer — more than 40 in three months.
Mattia Vitale: Plus some pre-shows at Cafè Mambo in Ibiza!
Luca De Gregorio: Those are cool. We mix for an hour, sometimes back-to-back with some guests, while the sun sets. In Ibiza we also play at “Our House” parties at Hï.
You are now regulars in Ibiza. Has your audience changed in recent years?
Vitale: In my opinion there is a completely different generation than before, and the average age has dropped a lot.
Simone Giani: The type of music offered is also changing. I could say that it is much more linked to international successes than in the past, when DJs tried to maintain that certain Ibizan identity in the sounds.
Vitale: Obviously in July and August the island becomes much more musically commercial, due to the type of tourists who arrive. But compared to the past, Ibiza has become more open to the demands of what the audience wants. In September, you will also find industry insiders in the clubs and that segment of pure clubbers, true enthusiasts and many Americans. At that time of the season, you can really have fun and feel more free as a DJ.
You are experts at DJing in every situation. What does it mean for you as a DJ to be on the decks at Tomorrowland and then move on to the decks at Lollapalooza, to give two examples?
Vitale: This is all very interesting. I grew up as a resident DJ, so always used to changing the set depending on the audience or the type of evening. For me, the fact that I play in different situations every week also helps myself to be able to work on the tracks, on the edits, and to completely change my perspective. Of course, when you go to play a festival you have to play your own music. We present ourselves as Meduza: we are there because the public expects our performance, with our productions.
Giani: At Tomorrowland, we feel like we are in our natural habitat, within the company of other DJs and producers, while at Lollapalooza we are among bands and artists who do something completely different. It is precisely at that moment that we often feel even more gratified, because our singles played on the radio or streamed online bring together a diverse audience that you often find at festivals, such as Lollapalooza.
The acceptance of dance music at festivals began between 1997 and 1998 with Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk, remember? People who danced to rock began to respect clubbers and mix with them.
De Gregorio: In the last 15 years, electronic music has really exploded as a presence at festivals, as well as having created a circuit of festivals where the genre is dominant. Today, electronic music has the same value as genres such as rock, pop, hip-hop.
Giani: You mentioned the Chemical Brothers. What comes to mind is not only their courage to play at festivals where rock was the main genre, but also the fact that they managed to make a difference! This reminds me of my time at the conservatory: I too did my act of courage by demonstrating my interest and passion for dance music. I remember finding myself mocked most of the time!
Italy has always exported great dance music. Your tracks have a sense for melody that is also the result of this long tradition.
Vitale: Sure. We grew up with Italian pop music from an early age. We feel that legacy emerge when we get into the studio, where we always make a mix of all the experiences we have in our heads. Those melodies become present again.
Giani: I grew up with the songs of Lucio Battisti and Lucio Dalla, for example. From the 17th century onwards, we Italians have been masters of melody.
Vitale: In the ranking of the most listened to Italian authors in the world, there is Vivaldi! Luckily, I’d say.
Giani: I don’t really like very rhythmic DJ sets without melody. I respect “purist” techno DJs, but for me it’s an approach that becomes monotonous after a while. I need breaks, singing and melodies that take you on a journey. That’s what we do in our DJ sets.
Your case is special. Thanks to your hit songs, even the most traditional media play your music, but today many good Italian artists of the electronic scene are not broadcast on radio or TV.
De Gregorio: I can’t explain it. It’s strange, because in Italy in the ’90s, dance music reigned everywhere, becoming a global phenomenon. Then evidently our dance music lost appeal on TV and radio.
Giani: Since then, dance music has often been considered a second-class production.
Yet today many hip-hop, trap and even pop artists flirt a lot with contemporary dance.
Vitale: The thing that really saddens me is that there are artists who gather large audiences with their shows and don’t have visibility elsewhere. Benny Benassi and Tale of Us have a media impact, yet the reaction of the mainstream media is close to zero. There is also a certain lack of respect, if we consider that we are all “children” of Giorgio Moroder, who exported that Italian touch we are talking about to the world. It’s sad to achieve success first abroad and then in Italy. When we enter some recording studios abroad, we see that there are a lot of Italians working there who had to go there to demonstrate their skills. In our country, they didn’t give them a chance.
With your latest single, “Fire,” you worked on commission for the first time.
De Gregorio: You don’t know how many versions we have made. … We have more than a thousand files in one folder! For that track we worked with a great professional, Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic.
The thing that strikes me about your productions is that in seven years, you have produced seven hit songs. On one hand, you are not very prolific, you don’t release a lot of new music. But on the other hand, it is not easy to churn out a sure hit every year.
Vitale: We prefer quality over quantity. Everything that comes out of the studio must be approved and precise. Before starting the interview, we were talking about the vinyl of David Morales’, “Needin’ U”: Before releasing it, he tested it in DJ sets, and only after seeing the public’s reaction did he decide to release it as a single. It is now one of the classics of house music.
De Gregorio: The opposite happened to us. For the third single, after “Lose Control,” we were sure we wanted to release a certain song. It was conceived during the pandemic, so it hadn’t had the opportunity to get played in clubs. After the lockdown, we tested it live. We looked at each other and immediately changed direction. Then we worked on “Paradise.” Testing a track “on field” has always helped us; it’s an advantage of dance music that other genres don’t have.
Meduza
Cosimo Buccolieri/Billboard Italy
–This article originally appeared in Billboard Italy