K-Pop
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KPOP only just held its opening night on Broadway earlier this week, but the brand-new musical is ready to unveil the exciting details of its official cast recording.
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Next year, listeners worldwide will be able to bring the musical into their daily lives with the release of the KPOP – Original Broadway Cast Recording album via Sony Masterworks Broadway. After being in development since premiering Off-Broadway in 2017, KPOP finally made its Broadway debut this month at the Circle in the Square Theatre shining the spotlight on Korean culture and Korean, Korean-American, and overall AAPI representation on and off the stage.
The KPOP show also features K-pop stars including Luna (of girl group f(x) in the lead role as singer MwE), Kevin Woo (from U-KISS playing the leader of KPOP boy band F8), Min (from miss A who plays Riya in girl group RTMIS) and BoHyung (a member of SPICA and the vocal duo KEEMBO who plays Tiny D in RTMIS).
While the show features music, lyrics, production and arrangements by Helen Park, as well as music and lyrics by Max Vernon, the cast recording album will feature production by Harvey Mason Jr.
On his own and as one-half of the production duo The Underdogs, Harvey Mason Jr. has been close to the K-pop scene for years. The current CEO of the Recording Academy has produced hit K-pop singles like Girls’ Generation‘s “Mr.Mr.,” EXO‘s “Overdose,” BoA‘s “CAMO” and NCT 127‘s “Limitless.”
“I am such a fan of this music and this musical,” Mason Jr. says in a press release statement. “Having worked in the K-pop music space for over a decade, finally experiencing the music live on a Broadway stage has been so exciting. With the popularity and impact of this music, it’s the perfect time for the KPOP show and the cast album.”
With the mix of celebs living the real K-pop experience alongside seasoned and fresh Broadway talent, KPOP has stood out for its genuine attempt to approach the pressure, sacrifices and joy within the industry putting South Korea on the global-music map. Directed by Teddy Bergman, KPOP also features a book written by Jason Kim (who’s written on Girls), choreographer Jennifer Weber (The Hip Hop Nutcracker and & Juliet) and associate choreographer MJ Choi (founder and director of I Love Dance studio).
The KPOP – Original Broadway Cast Recording will drop on Feb. 24, 2023, via Sony Masterworks Broadway and is available for pre-order now.
KPOP‘s full cast recently performed the number “This Is My Korea” live on Good Morning America and released the song digitally ahead of KPOP’s official opening:
After NCT DREAM stole the show during their first U.S. performance at KCON 2022 in Los Angeles earlier this year, the K-pop boy band is connecting with international fans once again with the release of their In a Dream movie. The full-length film will go into Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung’s world both on and off stage as the group prepares and performs their largest concert to date in South Korea’s massive Olympic Stadium.
Throughout the two-hour feature, fans will get live performances, rehearsal footage and intimate interviews in which the seven members discuss one another and also see themselves on screen as they read and watch messages from their NCTzen fans filmed on site. Beyond that, viewers can take in In a Dream via special ScreenX, 4DX, and 4DXScreen experiences, which offer multisensory effects for viewers.
“We are thrilled to release NCT DREAM’s first movie all around the world,” Jongryul Kim, CEO at CJ 4DPLEX, said in a statement. “Also, we are pleased to continue our relationship with Trafalgar Releasing and to partner for the first time with SM Entertainment to bring NCT DREAM’s movie to cinemas worldwide. NCTzens all around the globe now can enjoy the concert performances and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage on the big screen, especially in our special formats — ScreenX, 4DX, and 4DXScreen.”
Ahead of In a Dream‘s release, Billboard got some exclusive reflections from NCT DREAM about the moments from the film they loved and want NCTzens to look out for the most. From the must-see arrangements to sound and facial details, here’s a primer from the septet before you head to the theater for the November and December screenings.
ARMY, there’s just a few more days to go until RM’s debut solo album, Indigo, arrives. To further drum up anticipation for the LP, the BTS rapper dropped the official teaser for the album’s lead track, “Wild Flower,” on Wednesday (Nov. 30).
While the teaser gives little instrumentally, “Wild Flower” — which features South Korean rock singer youjeen — has atmospheric drum and synth beats. The video itself is based in nature, with the camera going through a serene field of wheat before panning to RM walking on a plain and admiring the sunrise. The scene then cuts to a perspective from above the clouds, which rumbles with pockets of lighting, then pivots back to a wide angle of RM atop a mountain with one tree.
The video concludes with the release date and time for “Wild Flower”: Dec. 2 at 12 a.m. ET and 2 p.m. KT. Indigo will also be released on Dec. 2.
As for the rest of the the album, RM teased its themes in a preview video shared on Nov. 22. “Record of RM: Indigo. From the colors of nature, human, etc. Documentation of my youth in the moment of independent phase. Sun-bleached record faded like old jeans. The last archive of my twenties,” the video read.
Though Indigo will be RM’s first full-length solo album, the rapper previously released two mixtapes. He was the first of the BTS members to share solo material, dropping his self-titled mixtape in 2015, which contained singles “Do You,” “Awakening” and “Joke.” RM then released a second mixtape in 2018 titled Mono. “Forever Rain” was released as the only single from the latter body of work; the set debuted at No. 26 on the Billboard 200.
Watch the teaser for “Wild Flower” in the video above.
It’s Hobi’s world, and we’re all just living in. BTS rapper J-Hope shined at the 2022 MAMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 30), first with a show-stopping walk on the red carpet, and later on stage with his performance of songs “MORE,” “Arson” and “Future” from his debut solo album Jack in the Box.
Before going on stage, J-Hope turned out an all-black look on the red carpet, looking sleek in a suit jacket with satin lapels, a casually unbuttoned black dress shirt, trousers and shoes. Though his look was more than enough to send ARMY into a panic, even the red-carpet commentators couldn’t contain themselves, saying “wow” several times before chatting with him.
For the rapper’s performance, he stuck with the Jack in the Box theme, first with several ornate boxes piled high on stage. J-Hope appeared atop of the towering display holding a box of his own, which the camera zoomed in to and then featured him — alongside a small army of backup of dancers — rapping “MORE” from the inside of a checkered box.
At the four-minute mark of his performance, Hope went solo, giving an enthusiastic delivery of “Arson” with fiery stage props and red screens to accompany him.
The rapper then stripped things back. The fiery stage was cooled off when his more peaceful performance of “Future” rolled around, which was preceded by screens that read “Music has the power to connect us. Music is what moves the soul, so let’s come together and step into the future.” Hope passionately delivered the song’s refrain — “Always, I need it too/ When I said I do/ Courage and faith/ Rhythm of positivity/ Always, I need it too” — to the audience, who swayed their light sticks in tune with the track.
After the rapper’s appearance at the MAMAs, the official BTS Twitter shared their congrats with the idol and thanked ARMY for making his appearance possible. “J-Hope who set 2022 MAMA AWARDS’ stage on fire! Including a valuable award that J-Hope and BTS received because of ARMY’s cheers/support! Thank you ARMY!” the account wrote.
J-Hope won the award for most popular male artist at the 2022 MAMAs. See the full list of winners here, and watch J-Hope’s performances and red carpet appearance below.
The new year will bring a bounty of BTS material for ARMY. In the midst of the group’s ongoing hiatus and flurry of solo activity, Disney+ has announced that it will air a documentary series about the K-pop icons in 2023 that promises to feature plenty of unseen footage from throughout their rise to global stardom.
BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star is described as a “music docu-series” focusing on the seven-member group that will stream exclusively on Disney+ that will “chart the incredible journey of 21st century pop icons BTS,” according to NME. Promising “unprecedented access,” the series will feature music and video footage shot over the band’s nine-year career, as well as a look at their daily lives and thoughts as they plan for their “second chapter.”
In a preview video unveiled on Wednesday (Nov. 30) on the Disney+ Singapore Twitter feed, the band promise that the series will feature the timeline of their growth and music from the beginning through today via “candid stories that have never been told.” Spokespeople for BTS and Disney+ could not be reached for comment at press time about the air date of the show in the United States.
Disney+ hasn’t yet announced when the shows will air in the U.S. “I hope you find new sides of us that are previously unseen,” Jungkook says at the end of the clip. BTS announced in July that they were going on hiatus, later promising to reunite at some point. In the meantime, they are all working on solo projects and the members are expected to begin signing up for their mandatory military service.
In the meantime, Jungkook recently performed at the opening ceremony for the World Cup in Qatar and RM is preparing the release of his debut solo album, Indigo, due out on Friday (Dec. 2).
Check out a preview of Beyond the Star below.
Chuu is no longer a member of the K-pop girl group LOONA, and the events surrounding the exit have raised eyebrows in Korea’s media and music industry.
BlockBerryCreative, the K-pop girl group’s label, announced through LOONA’s online “fan cafe” on Friday that Chuu had been expelled and withdrawn from the 12-member outfit. The fan cafe post is only available to subscribers of the Korean site, but local media widely shared the news and statement. In the report, the agency cited an investigation that found Chuu using “violent language” and “misuse of power toward staff” (as shared by translations from Soompi).
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BlockBerryCreative and Chuu’s relationship has been a source of concern among fans and prone to media speculation in the past year.
In the spring, rumors surfaced that Chuu took legal action in 2021 to cut parts of her exclusive contract with BlockBerryCreative. By summertime, the stories evolved to Chuu joining a new management label and setting up her own agency. BlockBerryCreative denied any management changes. Still, the 23-year-old did not participate in LOONA’s world tour that visited North America, Europe and Asia from August to October this year or their recent Japanese single “Luminous.” Chuu has stayed busy, with many television appearances, growing a YouTube channel, and releasing solo singles as LOONA’s most visible member.
In the spring, Chuu was rumored to have taken legal action in 2021 to cut parts of her exclusive contract with BlockBerryCreative. By summertime, the stories ranged from Chuu joining a new management label to setting up an agency all on her own. BlockBerryCreative denied that she was transferring management. Still, the 23-year-old did not take part in LOONA’s world tour that visited North America, Europe and Asia from August to October of this year, or their recent Japanese single “Luminous.” Chuu has stayed busy, with many television appearances, growing a YouTube channel and releasing solo singles as LOONA’s most visible member.
On Nov. 28, BlockBerryCreative followed up with another statement saying that the expulsion was not in retaliation. The label said it’s up to the parties involved to share specific evidence. It asked the media to refrain from speculative reporting, after noting articles that doubted BlockBerryCreative’s claims and intentions.
Billboard repeatedly reached out to a BlockBerryCreative representative for comment as the stories unfolded. The rep confirmed Chuu’s removal from LOONA and pointed to previously shared statements.
Several K-pop stars and industry professionals have shown public support for Chuu. Singer Sunmi posted a selfie of her with Chuu after the expulsion news dropped, while Korean music journalist Joy Park shared her memories of Chuu and a signed LOONA album on her Twitter account. Kim Do Heon, another Korean music critic, criticized BlockBerryCreative’s statement through a Twitter post.
For her part, Chuu shared a short statement through an Instagram Story post. On Monday, the star wrote that she was not contacted about nor does she know anything about the recent events. She shared that she would release another statement soon but told fans she hadn’t done anything they would disapprove of.
Another report surfaced on Monday saying that nine of the remaining 11 LOONA members (Heejin, Haseul, Yeojin, Kim Lip, Jinsoul, Choerry, Yves, Go Won and Olivia Hye) were taking legal action to break their contracts with BlockBerryCreative. The agency dismissed the rumor. A BlockBerryCreative representative told Billboard that the report is “groundless.”
LOONA (whose Korean name translates to “Girl of the Month”) began their journey in 2016 with the ambitious plan of introducing each member with her own solo music and splinter units between the members before all 12 members finally came together in August 2018 for the [+ +] EP. LOONA has since earned multiple entries on World Albums and even sent their [12:00] album to the Billboard 200. The group hit No. 1 on World Digital Song Sales with their songs “365” and “Shake It” and also became one of the few K-pop acts to enter the Pop Airplay chart with an English single, “Star.”
BTS dropped a special episode of their variety web series Run BTS on Tuesday (Nov. 29).
In the nearly 40-minute episode, the K-pop idols take turns hosting their own variety segments while their bandmates chime in with commentary via a shared chatroom.
J-Hope kicked off the proceedings with a silly and absurd round of reviewing toys, starting with — ahem — a pooping pink flamingo. (Don’t worry, “If you are eating right now, please stop right now!!!” flashed onscreen as a hilarious warning before the bird did its business on the accompanying toy toilet.)
“I pooped, I pooped,” the flamingo chirped in its animatronic voice as the boy band members cheered on its, uh, success. Thankfully J-Hope eventually moved on to play with a miniature hair salon, a magic vase that grows a flower when you add water and a child’s play washing machine — though the flamingo stuck around as Hobi’s mascot for the remainder of his segment.
After watching V nearly hit a 300-meter drive in a game of virtual golf, RM took over to host a rapid-fire game of “Ideal Type World Cup,” in which he chose between random, useless superpowers with help from his fellow Bangtan Boys.
Some of the options included becoming the cutest person in the room in any gathering (“It’s like that even now? That’s not a superpower,” Suga argued hilariously), being invisible for five minutes but people can still see your clothes, and constantly flying seven centimeters above the ground. However, the superpower that eventually won the group’s consensus was the ability to rewind time by seven seconds.
While RM will be unveiling his debut album Indigo on Friday (Dec. 2), Jin is reportedly set to become the first member of BTS to begin his mandatory military service in South Korea next month.
Watch the latest episode of Run BTS below.
The 2022 MAMA Awards — which takes place over two consecutive days — officially kicked off on Tuesday (Nov. 29) from Japan’s at the Kyocera Dome Osaka, and features some of the biggest and brightest stars in K-pop.
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Jeon Somi, singer and former member of I.O.I, is hosting this year’s ceremony, and presented the first set of MAMA Awards, including the coveted Yogibo worldwide icon of the year award, and the fan-voted worldwide fans’ choice top 10 award.
BTS took home the icon of the year award, one of the show’s biggest honors, continuing their winning streak. The group has taken home the award each year since the category’s inception in 2018. In addition to the icon award, the septet also took home the worldwide fans’ choice top 10 award, a category rounded out by nine other artists, including BLACKPINK — the only female group who won in the category — TOMORROW X TOGETHER, SEVENTEEN, ENHYPEN, Stray Kids and more.
The winners of the other categories — including song of the year, artist of the year and best male and female group — will be announced on day two of the MAMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 30). See the full list of winners, which will continue to be updated, below.
Yogibo Worldwide Icon of the Year: BTS
Worldwide fans’ choice top 10:
Stray Kids
SEVENTEEN
TREASURE
TOMORROW X TOGETHER
GOT7
PSY
NCT DREAM
ENHYPEN
BTS
BLACKPINK
Favorite New Artists:
IVE
LE SSERAFIM
NMIXX
Kep1er
Yogibo Chill Artist: Stray Kids
Favorite Asian Artist: JO1
Jung Kook’s “Dreamers” snags the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart, powered by Twitter and sponsored by Xfinity Mobile, dated Dec. 3, following its release amid the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
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Billboard’s Hot Trending charts, powered by Twitter and sponsored by Xfinity Mobile, track global music-related trends and conversations in real-time across Twitter, viewable over either the last 24 hours or past seven days. A weekly, 20-position version of the chart, covering activity from Friday through Thursday of each week, posts alongside Billboard’s other weekly charts on Billboard.com each Tuesday.
“Dreamers,” recorded for the international soccer tournament held this year in Qatar, premiered Nov. 20, the day of the World Cup’s kickoff. The BTS member performed the tune during the opening ceremonies that day.
It’s Jung Kook’s first solo No. 1 on the weekly Hot Trending Songs chart; he previously rose as high as No. 2 with “Stay Alive” in February.
“Dreamers” concurrently starts at Nos. 4 and 9 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. and Billboard Global 200 charts, respectively, and also crowns the U.S.-based Digital Song Sales list.
Jung Kook is followed on Hot Trending Songs by Red Velvet, whose “Birthday” bows at No. 2. The song debuts thanks to activity prior to its release (the group’s EP The ReVe Festival 2022 – Birthday arrived Nov. 28, while the latest chart covers data from Nov. 18-24), as fans discussed the song and the EP’s promotional materials.
Two tracks from BIBI, “BIBI Vengeance” and “JOTTO,” rank at Nos. 3 and 5, respectively, on Hot Trending Songs following the Nov. 18 release of her album Lowlife Princess: Noir. The songs sandwich Rammstein’s “Adieu,” which appears at No. 4. The veteran rockers premiered a video Nov. 24 for the song from the group’s album Zeit, released in April.
Keep visiting Billboard.com for the constantly evolving Hot Trending Songs rankings, and check in each Tuesday for the latest weekly chart.
BTS‘ Love Myself campaign is officially five years old. Launched in 2017 and in partnership with UNICEF, the campaign — named after the group’s Love Yourself album trilogy — was designed to extend a helping hand to children and teens who have experienced violence, and give them the tools to uplift themselves as well as others. On Tuesday (Nov. 29), the septet reiterated their campaign’s message in a video that features all seven BTS members.
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“The Love Myself campaign that BTS, BigHit Music and UNICEF initiated together in 2017 marked its fifth anniversary,” RM said as he kicked off the heartfelt message. “Over the past five years, the Love Myself campaign’s message has permeated our lives like background music. When I look into the daily lives shared by ARMY, the massage of Love Myself seems to take big parts of their emotions.”
Jin added, “Love Myself campaign is like background music hits home. As we live our lives to the fullest each day, we might not notice its presence. When we’re troubled or stumbling, however, Love Myself shows up in the right place and gives us the courage to overcome.”
“I’m delighted and proud that our Love myself message comes to many people’s minds in their daily lives. But, at the same time, I’m afraid there might be people who still don’t know how to love themselves,” Suga said
To that, J-Hope added, “If you find anyone who needs the strength to love themselves, please reach out first. Please teach them how to love themselves, and give them the energy of hope.”
To honor the campaign’s fifth anniversary, Jimin said that he wants fans to try and love themselves. V stated that he believes loving oneself is the beginning of true love, while Jung Kook encouraged fans watching the message to take a look back at the emotional progress they have made over the year.
Concluding the message, RM told fans, “We believe that you will continue to support the Love Myself campaign to create greater positive energy in people’s lives.”
According to the campaign’s website, as of August 2021, BTS’ Love Myself partnership with UNICEF has raised over $3.4 million, while #BTSLoveMyself hashtag has been used more than 15 million times across social media.
Watch BTS’ message regarding the fifth anniversary of the Love Myself campaign in the video above.