K-Pop
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RM is standing firm. During a Weverse live chat with ARMY on Wednesday (Aug. 30), the BTS rapper addressed criticism he recently faced after sharing Frank Ocean’s “Bad Religion” to his Instagram Stories.
“OK, guys. I know what you’re talking about. You just keep telling me that I insulted a religion. But I didn’t,” he insisted, exasperated, as he began to address the topic. “There was not any intention or purpose to insult a religion. I respect every beliefs and religions. That’s all I could say.”
“I know what’s going on on my Instagram. I can see. But I never … there was no such any purpose or like at least 1% of my heart to insult a religion, OK?” he continued, shaking his head in frustration. “Guys, it’s a song, OK? I’m not apologizing. I’m just saying. I have my own soul. I’m 30 years old. I can express my true thoughts. Please! The word is the word, it is what it is. Please believe my words from myself. Not just guessing, pretending and assuming, OK?”
The K-pop star went on to say that he knows that even in telling his truth, there will be some people who doubt him and believe he’s lying. “But I just can’t lie! I just can’t lie to you!” he pressed on. “I’m just being honest.”
RM added that he felt like he had to say something because otherwise, “people will just keep chatting me about that,” and he “just can’t stand it right now.”
“I just can’t bear it, I can’t deal with it. I just have to say it. If it’s me, just believe my own words,” he pleaded before changing the subject.
Ocean’s song, off his July 2012 album Channel Orange, about unrequited love kicks off with the artist singing about asking a taxi driver to lend him an ear as he pours his heart out. In the chorus, Ocean croons, “He said ‘Allahu akbar’/ I told him, ‘Don’t curse me.” “Allahu akbar” in Arabic means “God is the greatest,” with some listeners interpreting the response to be an insult.
After RM shared the song to his Instagram Stories earlier this month, some people on Twitter criticized him for sharing the tune, calling it an “Islamophobic song” and demanding that he apologize to Muslims.
Fans in the Weverse chat defended the BTS member’s choice to share the emotional song. “I’m Muslim myself … Don’t listen to what they say. Those who say these things are uncultured and superstitious,” commented one. Added another: “Totally blown out of proportion! No need to apologize. Press on!”
LEO’s star is on the rise. The K-pop idol made his first appearance at KCON LA earlier this month, and backstage, he caught up with Billboard News to share who some of his musical inspirations are, his reasons for getting into the K-pop genre and what’s on the horizon for his career. Explore Explore See […]
The collaboration between NewJeans and V continues, this time, with a cover of the BTS member’s recent single “Rainy Days.” On Wednesday (Aug. 30), the K-pop group uploaded a video of Danielle in the studio performing her rendition of the track and gave some insight as to how the cover came to be.
Danielle revealed how she and her fellow NewJeans members — Haerin, Hanni, Hyein and Minji — first heard the song, as well as other tracks from V’s upcoming debut solo album, Layover.
“All five of us were gathered together for a meeting with the CEO [Min Hee Jin]. We listened to every song from our albums, and then the CEO told us, ‘We’re currently preparing for V’s album. Do you want to listen to those songs too?’ So we eagerly said ‘Yes!’ and listened with lots of excitement,” the singer recalled. “After listening to ‘Rainy Days,’ the song resonated with me so much, so as soon as I heard it, it brought me back to a rainy day from my childhood where I would sit by the window and look outside.”
There is a possibility for additional covers of V’s songs from the girls in the future. Danielle added that she and the girls said, “‘All the tracks are so beautiful and covering them would be so fun,’ we said that, and the CEO told us, ‘Then let’s try it!’”
The K-pop star, wearing a cozy oversized cardigan, then launched into a peaceful rendition of the song. “Rainy days/ I’m thinkin’ ’bout you, what to say/ Wish I knew how to find the way/ Right back to you, on rainy days like/ Rainy days/ I’m thinkin’ ’bout you, what to say/ Wish I knew how to find the way/ Right back to you, on rainy days like,” she sang on the chorus.
V approved of the cover, taking to his Instagram Stories to share a link to the cover, and wrote that he was “touched by [her] message” of her cover, in addition to a happy, teary-eyed emoji.
Layover will arrive on Sept. 8. In addition to pre-release singles “Rainy Days” and “Love Me Again,” “Slow Dancing” — which also has a piano version — “Blue” and “For Us” will also appear on the set.
Watch Danielle’s cover of “Rainy Days” in the video above, and see V’s Instagram Stories below.
230830 @BTS_twt V’s Instagram StoriesStory 1 Translation:New Jeans.. Danielle🥺 Touched by your message Story 2 Translation:How did you like it? Please tell me more in detailsVideo Translation:Danielle: I can’t leave this out. I also heard the title track and it’s really… pic.twitter.com/CWGvfip4Mm— BTS Translations / Bangtansubs (@BTS_Trans) August 30, 2023
2023 has been a packed year for the boys of ATEEZ. The K-pop group — which consists of members Hong Joong, Seong Hwa, Yun Ho, Yeo Sang, San, Min Gi, Woo Young and Jong Ho — recently went No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Album Sales chart with its Outlaw EP, hit up this year’s KCON LA for a headlining performance and are about to embark on a series of tour dates in Latin America. In between the group’s stacked schedule, the K-pop stars stopped by Billboard News to discuss their latest career highlights.
Host Tetris Kelly kicked off the interview congratulating the group for the Outlaw EP’s success (the set also peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200), and asked the members their thoughts on why it had such positive reception.
“I think this era is a whole different ATEEZ, so that why many ATINY [the group’s fan name] and many audience wanna get some new piece of our album,” Hong Joon mused. “After we got a high number on the chart, we had pressure also, but we try to enjoy these days. We try to have a good mindset to make new songs. After debut, we try to put something deeper into it, like a new genre of music.”
K-pop has become one of the most popular genres of music in the last few years, and as a result, ATEEZ’s rise comes at the right time. Min Gi reflected on this shift and noted “there’s a growing change as K-pop is becoming more widely accepted by the general public despite the language differences.”
The shift has also led to the expansion of ATINY. The group recently mobilized across the world to perform flash mobs of the group’s single “Bouncy” in public spaces, with many of the videos going viral across social media.
“I think the only people that can really capture the ATEEZ energy are our ATINY, so seeing them follow along with our dance was really fascinating,” Yun Ho said of the dance videos. “It made me want to set more cool choreographies that we can do together in the future.”
Up next for the group is the continuation of its The Fellowship: Break The Wall tour. The trek continues on Aug. 30 with a stop in Santiago, Chile, and will visit Bogota, Singapore and Manila next month.
Watch ATEEZ’s Billboard News interview above.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER is already ready for a new chapter. On Tuesday (Aug. 29), the five-piece boyband announced that its next album, The Name Chapter: FREEFALL is set to arrive this fall — just three months after the K-pop sensations dropped their last album, Sweet.
The news comes via social media posts on both the band and BigHit Music’s accounts, simply sharing the upcoming album’s title and a mysterious video teaser. In the 24-second clip, TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s signature “X” symbol fittingly freefalls through an abyss of animated streaks of color, ending with a sprinkling of eery piano notes.
According to a Weverse statement from BigHit, the record will drop Oct. 13. Pre-orders will be available starting Wednesday (Aug. 30), with more details about the album still to come in a separate notice on TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Weverse.
The Name Chapter: FREEFALL will mark Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and HueningKai’s fifth studio album, following 2019’s The Dream Chapter: Magic, 2021’s Still Dreaming and The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE and this year’s Sweet, their most recent full-length project. Both Still Dreaming and Sweet are Japanese-language albums, with the latter debuting at No. 3 on the World Albums chart earlier this summer.
The guys of TXT are also fresh off their headlining performance at this year’s Lollapalooza, as well as the release of their joint single with the Jonas Brothers, “Do It Like That,” which dropped July 7 and charted for one week on the Billboard Global 200. The South Korean stars opened up about the collaboration in an interview with Billboard last month, during which Taehyun noted that the JoBros “were even cooler in person.”
“Their friendliness helped us work together in a chill environment,” he continued, with Beomgyu adding, “Jonas Brothers were incredibly welcoming from the moment we met. They were just as enthusiastic as we were about shooting content, which we really appreciated.”
See the announcement for The Name Chapter: Freefall below:
NMIXX traveled stateside once more to perform at this year’s KCON LA, which took place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Aug. 18-20. Backstage at the festivities, the girl group — which consists of members Lily, Haewon, Sullyoon, Bae, Jiwoo and Kyujin — caught up with Billboard News to talk about the event, as well […]
Class is finally in session for The Debut: Dream Academy.
HYBE and Geffen Records revealed Monday evening (Aug. 28) the 20 talented contestants from around the world who will be competing for a spot in the first-ever HYBE x Geffen Records global girl group.
The diverse group of young women were selected from more than 120,000 submissions after HYBE and Geffen announced the joint venture — HYBE x Geffen Global Girl Group Audition — in November 2021. The lengthy process of creating the group will be documented in an upcoming Nadia Hallgren-directed Netflix series, which will delve into the journey to global stardom while including insight into the extensive training and development program from HYBE and Geffen Records. The currently untitled series is set to premiere in 2024.
In the meantime, the 20 contestants will participate in The Debut: Dream Academy audition program, which fans can follow along with on YouTube and Japan’s ABEMA beginning Sept. 1 at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT. After 12 weeks, the final members of the group will be selected and the name of the group will be revealed at the live finale on Nov. 17. Fans will play a crucial role throughout the entire competition via fan voting on Weverse and TikTok.
“I have wanted to form an international group based on K-pop methodology for a while,” HYBE Chairman Bang Si-Hyuk shared at a press event in Los Angeles on Monday night. “To do this, I believed we needed a capable partner. When I met [Interscope Geffen A&M Records CEO] John [Janick], from the first moment, we both felt instantly that we had a connection, musically and creatively. I am very proud of the rich history we have made and the tremendous talent we have found. I am proud of the opportunities we have created within the K-pop universe.”
For his part, Janick added: “Since we began our partnership two years ago, Bang and I have often spoken about our shared beliefs in artist development, music and creativity. To develop a global group with Bang, with the best of K-pop methodology, and our Geffen team, is truly special and will bring to life a first-of-its kind experience in music. Each candidate is incredibly talented, dedicated, and driven, making this an exciting moment for music fans around the world.”
Geffen President Tom March added: “Watching these incredible candidates work so hard to fulfill their potential creatively has been hugely inspiring to me and everyone at Geffen. People are going to be blown away when they see what each of these candidates has been able to achieve so far.”
Below, in alphabetical order, find the names, ages and home countries of the 20 gifted contestants competing to be in the international girl group.
Adela
Image Credit: Courtesy of HYBE x Geffen Records
NCT’s new album is a family affair. On Monday (Aug. 28), the K-pop group — which consists of subdivisions NCT 127, NCT DREAM, NCT U, NCT DoJaeJung and WayV — released its fourth studio album, Golden Age, on streaming services.
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The album contains 10 tracks, all of which feature different combinations of the members across group subunits. For “Baggy Jeans,” members Taeyong, Ten, Doyoung, Jaehyun and Mark step up to the plate for a high-energy hip-hop song that sees each of them flexing their unique flow, and of course, their stylish clothing. (A music video for the track also arrived with the album’s release on Monday.)
The other songs on the album are “PADO” (Johnny, Taeyong, Jaehyun, Mark, Xiaojun, Hendery and Haechan), “Interlude: Oasis” (Yuta, Jaehyun, Winwin, Jaemin and Chenle), “The BAT” (Taeil, Johnny, Yuta, Jungwoo, Hendery, Jeno and Jisung), “Alley Oop” (Yuta, Winwin, Jaemin, Jeno, Hendery, Yangyang and Jisung), “That’s Not Fair” (Johnny, Taeyong, Ten, Mark, Jeno and Yangyang), “Kangaroo (Taeil, Kun, Renjun, Yangyang, Chenle and Jisung), “Not Your Fault” (Taeil, Kun, Doyoung, Ten, Jungwoo, Xiaojun, Renjun), “Call D” (Ten and Taeyong) and the title track, which includes all 20 members.
Golden Age marks the first album NCT has released since 2021’s Universe – The 3rd Album. That set crowned Billboard‘s World Albums chart, and peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard 200.
Stream Golden Age below, and watch the visual for “Baggy Jeans” in the video above.
V‘s solo album, Layover, is almost here! And to celebrate, three of the BTS member’s previous tracks — “Scenery,” “Winter Bear” and “Snow Flower” — were released to streaming on Monday (Aug. 28). BTS’ management company, Big Hit Music, tweeted the announcement along with links to YouTube. “Taehyung’s comfort songs finally on Spotify,” one fan […]
After Troye Sivan declared that he was feeling the “Rush,” it looks like PinkPantheress might just be feeling it as well.
In a series of TikToks posted on Sunday (Aug. 27), Sivan and PinkPantheress teased a new remix of the Australian pop star’s single “Rush,” which appears to feature a verse from the viral singer-songwriter. It started with a clip posted on Sivan’s TikTok, in which he dances to a recent song snippet PinkPantheress shared on her socials, writing, “Wow love this lady’s voice. Would love to sing w her one day.”
Shortly after Sivan posted his hint, PinkPantheress took it a step further in her own TikTok clip. Sharing a screengrab of a July 14 tweet in which she said that Sivan’s “Rush” was “toooooo tooooo good,” the singer-songwriter shared a snippet of what sounded like her own verse on a remixed version of the track. “Another successful manifestation,” she wrote under the original tweet, while her caption seemed to officially confirm the news: “So excited for you guys to hear the rush remix.”
Some eagle-eyed fans on the app immediately linked another potential artist to the upcoming remix — Hyunjin of Stray Kids. Shortly after sharing his teaser with PinkPantheress, Sivan shared a nearly identical clip featuring the K-pop star, including a message that was strikingly similar. “Wow love this guy’s voice,” he wrote. “Would love to sing w him one day.” Meanwhile, over on PinkPantheress’ teaser, fans claimed that they could hear Hyunjin’s voice in the background just before the clip ended. Hyunjin has not teased any participation in the project on his social media.
It wouldn’t be the first time Sivan expressed his love for Hyunjin on the app. In the lead-up to the release of “Rush,” Sivan posted a TikTok asking how to get in touch with the K-pop star next to a thirst trap edit of the Stray Kids singer. But in a later interview, Sivan said that he was “pulling the brakes” on trying to get in touch with Hyunjin after receiving a few scary responses to his lighthearted plea.
Speaking about “Rush” shortly after its release, Sivan told Billboard that the song felt like a first step forward in a very new chapter of his career. “I think I’m just used to putting stuff out to my very safe, immediate audience that I know have my back because they’ve been there for so long and everything,” he said. “This time feels very different for some reason.”
Billboard has reached out to reps for Sivan, PinkPantheress and Stray Kids.
Check out Sivan and PinkPantheress’ TikTok teasers below: