State Champ Radio Pop
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When rumors of a lingering rift between two of KATSEYE’s six members reached the girl group this summer, they quickly turned the chatter into a viral moment. “We’re literally fine lol,” read the caption on a photo of Lara and Manon holding hands and posing on a backdrop of dolphins and rainbows, playing into a […]
When rumors of a lingering rift between two of KATSEYE’s six members reached the girl group this summer, they quickly turned the chatter into a viral moment. “We’re literally fine lol,” read the caption on a photo of Lara and Manon holding hands and posing on a backdrop of dolphins and rainbows, playing into a then-current TikTok trend around Clean Bandit and Zara Larsson’s “Symphony.”
“One thing I love about this group is how Gen Z we are,” says Manon. “We saw all of that and were like, ‘Okay, funny. Let’s do this TikTok and put an end to this.’” The 11-second post has since compiled more than 5.4 million views.
The savvy social media approach is just one of the effective strategies that the rising group and their team at HxG (HYBE x Geffen Records, which represents a joint venture between the Korean-entertainment conglomerate and Universal Music Group) employ to hook new fans. Another, naturally, has been with the music: KATSEYE’s latest single, “Touch,” packs crisp drum-and-bass production, twinkling electro-pop flourishes and a swirl of pop-R&B harmonies into two minutes and ten seconds. Co-produced by Cashmere Cat (Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Charli XCX), the hit has latched onto U.S. radio and helped to build the group’s following stateside.
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Sophia
Austin Hargrave
Megan
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KATSEYE was formed from HYBE and Geffen Records’ ambitious Dream Academy competition in 2023. The YouTube series sought to create a genuinely “global” girl group, and of a reported 120,000 applicants from around the world, 20 were selected to head to Los Angeles and prepare in the style of the infamously rigorous K-pop training methods before competing for a spot in the group. The multiweek contest concluded that November, with the six final members representing a culturally diverse lineup: Manon, 22 (from L.A.); Lara, 19 (Zurich); Daniela, 20 (Atlanta); Megan, 18 (Honolulu); Sophia, 21 (Manila, Philippines); and Yoonchae, 16 (Seoul, South Korea).
A subsequent Netflix series, Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE, documented the behind-the-scenes journey of whittling down the 20-person training camp into its final form — including all of its biggest trials and tribulations — and creating a natural curiosity for viewers to check out the group’s music. Wisely, in the days leading to the eight-episode competition series’ premiere on the streaming service in August, KATSEYE released its debut EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong). The five-track project has writing contributions from HYBE chairman Bang Si-Hyuk, Ryan Tedder and Justin Tranter (with the former two earning production credits as well), debuted at No. 6 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, and appeared on the Billboard 200.
The group’s aptly titled first single “Debut” arrived in late June to kick-start the project’s rollout, but even then, the members were even more excited for their next release, the alt-pop smash “Touch.” “It was all of our favorite when we first heard it,” says Daniela. “We just had that gut feeling.” Adds Manon: “Our creative director Humberto [Leon] kept telling me, ‘‘Touch’ is the one, just wait and see.’”
From left: Sophia, Daniela, Manon, Megan, Lara and Yoonchae of KATSEYE photographed October 29, 2024 in Los Angeles.
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Manon
Austin Hargrave
The group made a strong push on social media for the song when it arrived on streaming services on July 26. In hopes of creating a viral dance trend, KATSEYE executive creator Son Sungdeuk crafted choreography designed to be both simple and memorable. Small, TikTok-friendly moves — like the chorus’ pinky-to-thumb touching gestures — were intentional hooks meant to attract fan engagement. “I feel like it’s not so hard for people to learn,” says Daniela, adding that the “little booty pop” — which Sophia interjects is “my favorite!” — was another move to draw in listeners. “I was like, ‘People are going to gag.’ It’s so cute.”
KATSEYE’s multi-pronged digital focus for the song included partnering with fan bases in the K-pop world, such as a TikTok post of Manon and Yoonchae dancing to “Touch” with Heeseung and Ni-ki of ENHYPEN (a boy band under HYBE sublabel Belift Lab). The video has 27 million views to date, while three other clips showcasing “Touch” on the group’s account have more than 15 million. Importantly, such success helped prove that KATSEYE was ready to thrive in more traditional stateside promotions.
“We had our eye on radio but knew we needed key levers to feel confident it was the right time to go,” says Mitra Darab, president of HxG at HYBE America. “We would see significant growth weekly not only at DSPs [digital service providers], but in TikTok and Reels creates and their social growth. We also knew we needed a big cultural moment to bring awareness to the group, which we achieved with the Netflix documentary. Once that was released, all our goals started to fall into place.”
Daniela
Austin Hargrave
From left: Lara, Daniela, Megan, Manon, Yoonchae and Sophia of KATSEYE photographed October 29, 2024 in Los Angeles.
Austin Hargrave
To gauge their appeal in the U.S., KATSEYE held a meet-and-greet and performance at Minneapolis’ Mall of America in October to connect with the growing fandom, collectively known as EYEKONS. Thousands of fans showed up. “Mall of America proved to us that this isn’t just about ‘Touch,’” says Darab.
“I think we built a fanbase that is just like us,” Lara adds. “EYEKONS are so funny; they have the same humor as all of us. I feel like they are the types of people that we would be friends with in real life.”
By October, “Touch” had appeared on several of Billboard’s international charts, including in the Philippines, Canada, Taiwan and Malaysia and cracked the upper half of the Billboard Global 200. It also reaches a new No. 32 high on the U.S.-based Pop Airplay chart dated Nov. 16, and the song has 229.9 million official on-demand global streams through Nov. 7, according to Luminate. “We couldn’t help but put so much heart into it,” says Sophia. “We really could feel that this was going to bleed through to the fans.”
Yoonchae
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Lara
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While planning is already in full swing for 2025, KATSEYE is now preparing for a performance, which will feature the Los Angeles Rams cheerleaders, at the 2024 MAMA Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 21 — marking the first time the eminent K-pop awards show will take place in the U.S. — and slots on iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball tour (visiting Dallas and Boston in December). “We don’t want to move on from ‘Touch’ just yet, but we’re never not working,” Manon says, true to her word as they talk to Billboard over a Zoom video call from their L.A. rehearsal studio. “A black box with a white light where we spend most of our days,” they crack, all in dance gear.
For KATSEYE, that drive is for a greater good. The young women see KATSEYE’s multicultural makeup as a starting point to shake up the sound of pop worldwide. “It’d be so nice to incorporate that within our music so it’s something different than we’ve been hearing before,” says Megan. “It’s such a superpower that we all come from different parts of the world.”
A version of this story appears in the Nov. 16, 2024, issue of Billboard.
RAYE has announced her largest-ever concert at London’s All Points East Festival next summer. The genre-spanning musician will headline the 50,000-capacity Victoria Park on Aug. 23, 2025 and joins The Maccabees and Barry Can’t Swim as headliners for the annual music event. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and […]
Selena Gomez already knew she was dating one of the Sexiest Men Alive. But it definitely felt good that People magazine agreed. After boyfriend producer Benny Blanco appeared in a preview of this year’s issue — in which he sprawled seductively across a desk while showing off his signature champagne and homemade Mexican Pizza meal […]
Robbie Williams has announced a string of live 2025 dates throughout summer across the U.K., Ireland and mainland Europe.
The British pop icon will begin the tour in Edinburgh, Scotland on May 31 before visiting stadiums in London, Manchester and Bath. He’ll then head to the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Latvia and more before concluding the run in Helsinki, Finland on Sep. 20.
Support on the U.K. leg will come from Warrington rock band The Lottery Winners, while Rag ‘N’ Bone Man will do the honors on select dates in Edinburgh and London. See the full run of dates below.
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Tickets for the tour go on sale on Friday (Nov. 15) at 10 a.m. GMT. Fans can secure early access to tickets by pre-ordering the upcoming compilation soundtrack to biopic film Better Man, which will be released on Dec. 26, 2024 in the U.K. and Ireland, and on Jan. 17, 2025 in the U.S. and Canada.
The soundtrack, which will feature Williams’ greatest hits, will be released digitally on Dec. 27 with a physical release to follow. A tracklist is yet to be confirmed.
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Better Man will tell the story of Williams’ life through childhood and his fame with ‘90s boyband Take Thats, and follow his wildly successful solo career which includes 13 No.1s on the U.K. Albums Chart and 18 BRIT Awards. Williams will be played by a CGI monkey throughout the film directed by Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman).
In a press release, director Gracey expanded on the decision to not use a human actor in the otherwise live action film. “Robbie would say things like, ‘I’m up the back dancing like a monkey.’ After a while, I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing to represent Robbie as a monkey in the film?’ Because Robbie is telling this story – and that’s how he sees himself.” Watch the trailer for the film below.
Robbie Williams 2025 European Tour Dates
May 31 – Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, U.K.June 6 – Emirates Stadium, London, U.K.June 11 – Co-op Live, Manchester, U.K.June 13 – Royal Crescent, Bath, U.K.June 19 – Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, DenmarkJune 22 – Johan Cruyff ArenA, Amsterdam, NetherlandsJune 25 – VELTINS-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, GermanyJune 28 – Werchter TW Classic, Belgium June 30 – Heinz von Heiden Arena, Hanover, GermanyJuly 2 – La Défense Arena, Paris, FranceJuly 5 – RCDE Stadium, Barcelona, SpainJuly 9 – Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, GermanyJuly 12 – Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria July 17 – Stadio Nereo Rocco, Trieste, ItalyJuly 21 – Waldbühne, Berlin, GermanyJuly 22 – Waldbühne, Berlin, GermanyJuly 26 – Olympiastadion, Munich, GermanyAugust 1 – Darius and Girėnas Stadium, Kaunas, LithuaniaAugust 3 – Mežaparks, Riga, LatviaAugust 7 – Stockholm Stadion, Stockholm, SwedenAugust 10 – Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt, GermanyAugust 13 – Forus Travbane, Stavanger, NorwayAugust 16 – Granåsen, Trondheim, NorwayAugust 23 – Croke Park, Dublin, IrelandSeptember 7 – O2 Arena, Prague, Czech RepublicSeptember 9 – TAURON Arena, Kraków, PolandSeptember 12 – MVM Dome, Budapest, HungarySeptember 20 – Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
Earlier this year, NCT DREAM opened up to Billboard exclusively about how DREAM( )SCAPE — the group’s March EP that’s pronounced as “Dream Escape” — represented some of the darker, more mature topics the septet was eager to tackle in their music.
From pushing past anxiety, yearning for freedom, and turning hardship into encouragement, the EP included “the message that we’ve always wanted to deliver to our audiences,” leader Mark explained. Facing the dark side head-on ultimately paved the way for the just-released, euphoric full-length DREAMSCAPE.
NCT DREAM’s new LP invites listeners into an expansive soundscape that’s nostalgic, escapist, and emotionally charged. Taking the introspective narrative of DREAM( )SCAPE, these 11 songs embody a generally lighter, more peaceful musical world. Seamlessly melding pop, house music, hyper-pop, R&B, and throwback hip-hop, NCT DREAM uses DREAMSCAPE to explore themes of love, dreams and childlike wonder, giving fans fresh and familiar sounds that sound specifically catered to Mark, Jeno, Renjun, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle and Jisung.
Joining DREAM’s previously released English single “Rains in Heaven” from August and the pre-released buzz track “Flying Kiss,” the album centers around the uplifting, vintage synthesizer–driven single “When I’m With You.” NCT DREAM will likely bring the new singles to life during their upcoming performances on the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour in Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, and New York, alongside the likes of Katy Perry, Jason Derulo, Twenty-One Pilots, SZA, The Kid LAROI, Saweetie and more.
From the singles “Rains in Heaven,” “Flying Kiss,” and “When I’m With You” to the tracks written entirely by the members, as well as the soon-to-become-fan-favorite album cuts, here is our ranking of the 11 songs on NCT DREAM’s fourth full-length album, DREAMSCAPE.
“INTRO – DREAMSCAPE”
Ariana Grande really, really wanted to play Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked.
How much? “If it hadn’t happened, I might have ended up in an insane asylum,” she joked during a panel Sunday (Nov. 10) in Hollywood following a screening of the film, which opens in theaters Nov. 22. Grande, who is credited as Ariana Grande-Butera in the film, prepared for months for her audition.
“Vocally, it’s very different for me than what I usually sing, so I started training every single day with my vocal coach for two-and-a-half, three months before my first audition, and my acting coach. I just wanted to be prepared to use any tool needed whatever was asked, I wanted to be able to drop in and do it and really become her,” Grande said. “I gave my everything to it and paused everything else.”
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If she had not gotten the role, Grande noted she knew that, because of director Jon M. Chu and producer Marc Platt, the part “was in the most loving hands, so I just kind of worked as hard as I could and let the rest fall into place. I do think, though, if it hadn’t happened, I might have ended up in an insane asylum, so there’s that.”
Chu admitted that Grande had “a giant wall to climb over” simply because of her fame as “Ariana Grande.” He also questioned, “Does she really know what it takes to carry a movie? Does she know what it takes to be inside a character? And she came in, and I couldn’t believe what I was watching. I was like, ‘She’s not talking like Ariana Grande. She’s not singing like Ariana Grande.’ By the way, I was outside in the parking lot, and she drove past like 14 times in 20 minutes.”
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“I didn’t know you had seen me or heard me,” Grande broke in. “You were like, ‘Who’s blasting [Wicked song] “One Short Day?”’”
Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who stars as the Wicked Witch Elphaba, first met at Erivo’s house and shared snacks, including berries. “We just giggled and I felt an immediate safety,” Grande says. “And then we kind of made a pact to really take care of each other.”
“To be really honest with each other,” Erivo continued. “To make space for each other.”
Grande says she was extremely nervous. “I almost sh-t in my pants. But she’s just the warmest human being. We were just so open immediately with each other. I think that that promise that we made to each other and how we kept it and how it strengthened along the way is one of the things that we’re proudest of.”
11/11/2024
The K-pop group proves why they’ve graduated to stadiums on the RIGHT HERE U.S. tour.
11/11/2024
Three weeks after Liam Payne‘s shocking death, the Jonas Brothers appeared to pay tribute by performing One Direction’s “Night Changes” at the siblings’ concert in Highland, Calif., on Sunday night (Nov. 11).
Standing in a line onstage at Yaamava’ Theater, Nick, Joe and Kevin gave the song a delicate touch — the “Jealous” singer sharing lead vocals with the DNCE frontman while strumming dual electric guitars with the eldest Jonas brother. “We’re only gettin’ older, baby/ And I’ve been thinkin’ about it lately/ Does it ever drive you crazy/ Just how fast the night changes?” the trio sing as the crowd joined in.
At the end of the tune, Nick sang part of the last line — “It’ll never change….” — before pointing to the audience to finish it for him. “… for me and you,” fans delivered before applauding.
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The moment was inevitably full of unspoken emotions, as it comes as many in the music world — and certainly those who were close to Payne — continue to process the loss of the “Strip That Down” musician. On Oct. 16, the ex-boy band star fell to his death from the third-story balcony of his hotel in Buenos Aires, with toxicology reports later determining that he had “alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants” in his system when he died.
Police are still investigating the events that transpired leading up to the fall and detained three people in connection to the case this month. They were charged with abandonment of a person followed by death and the supply and facilitation of narcotics, according to the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor, but one of them — 24-year-old waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz, who claims to have partied with the star the night of his death — recently publicly denied that he’d given Payne drugs.
Payne is survived by a son, Bear, whom he shares with ex Cheryl Cole. Many of the X Factor alum’s friends and family posted messages of grief in the days following his death, including all four of his former One Direction bandmates: Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson. In a separate full-band statement, the foursome wrote, “We are completely devastated … We will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.”
Watch the Jonas Brothers cover “Night Changes” below.
Lance Bass is one of the many boyband members and associates featured in the upcoming Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands documentary, which dives deep into the genre’s history and influence. In a new clip shared exclusively with Billboard on Monday (Nov. 11), the *NSYNC star shares a glimpse of how often a young […]
