State Champ Radio Pop
Page: 679
Dedicated ARMY veterans will likely be dissecting the set of RM’s NPR Tiny Desk concert for the rest of the month. To celebrate the release of his solo album, Indigo, the BTS rapper born Kim Nam-joon recreated an amazingly detailed replica of the Washington, D.C.-based Tiny Desk office set in South Korea, complete with shelves packed with tasty Easter eggs.
But the focus, of course, was on the vocals, which the 29-year-old star delivered on with ease, beginning with the jazzy opening track of his three-song set, “seoul.” The chilled-out bilingual song from RM’s 2018 mono mixtape set a mellow mood for the 18-minute mini-show, complete with warm keyboards and restrained beats from drummer JK Kim.
After the opening track, RM said it was about his second home town in South Korea, before introducing his band and noting that the album version of the opening track from Indigo, “Yun,” features R&B legend Erykah Badu, who, unfortunately, could not make it to Seoul for the session. RM also explained that it was inspired by Korean painter Yun Hyong-keun, who, “was always saying that you should firstly be a human before you do some art or do something, so this song is inspired by his lifelong message,” he said, adding that one of the artist’s images is on the Indigo cover.
While the band played the slow-rolling soul rap tune, Badu’s recorded vocals floated above the chorus as RM dropped his mashed-up English/Korean bars over the loungey arrangement. “F–k the trendsetter/ I’mma turn back the time/ Back the time, far to when I was nine,” he rapped before seamlessly slipping into Korean for the rest of the first verse.
RM said that though he’s been doing music for 15 years — 10 of them with BTS — Indigo is his first official full-length solo album. “I went all the way just to release these 10 tracks and 10 colors out of my soul and out of my ego,” he said of the album that dropped on Friday (Dec. 2) in the midst of BTS’ open-ended group hiatus.
“This time I finally could show the world what’s really inside me and what I wanted to do,” he added of the collection he’s been working on since 2019 with the band, which also featured Jaeshin Park on bass and DOCSKIM on keyboards.
For the final track, RM slid into Indigo‘s funky second track, “Still Life,” which he said was inspired by a visit to a “random” museum where he saw lots of paintings from the 19th century with that title, giving him the idea to write a song about his life being like a canvas on which he exhibits himself to the whole world. The soul clap tune was the perfect excuse to bust out some of BTS’ signature coordinated dance moves, but given the setting, RM had to make do with dropping his emphatic verses from an office chair as the band swirled up some sinuous grooves behind him.
Watch RM’s Tiny Desk concert below.
RM finally unveiled his long-awaited debut solo album Indigo on Friday (Dec. 2) via Big Hit Music.
For his first full-length effort sans his BTS bandmates, the rapper enlisted a diverse slate of guests assists from the likes of Erykah Badu (opener “Yun”), Anderson .Paak (“Still Life”), Epik High leader Tablo (“All Day”), Paul Blanco and Mahalia (the Honne-produced “Closer”) and more.
“Indigo recounts the stories and experiences RM has gone through, like a diary,” a press release revealed ahead of the album, promising to “present a different charm” to the South Korean rapper.
With the release of Indigo, RM becomes the latest member of the best-selling K-pop boy band to deliver a solo LP, just months after J-Hope dropped the 10-track Jack in the Box. He previously released his self-titled EP in 2015 and follow-up Mono in 2018.
He’ll support the new album with an NPR Tiny Desk concert, dropping at 5am Friday (Dec. 2), and the release of an official music video for Indigo’s lead single “Wild Flower” — which features South Korean rock singer youjeen.
In other BTS-related news, Jin is set to be the first Bangtan Boy to begin his mandated service in the South Korean military this month in the wake of his new solo single “The Astronaut.”
Stream Indigo below.
One of K-pop’s most famous love stories ended after HyunA and Dawn shared that they had broken up after six years of dating but remain friendly.
On Nov. 30, HyunA shared a post on Instagram announcing the breakup. The starlet shared that the couple broke up but decided to remain good friends and colleagues moving forward. HyunA thanked fans for their support.
Dawn followed up with his own statement on Instagram to denounce a comment meant to look like it was written by the singer-rapper and former boy band member insinuating his ex was meeting other men and hiding other secrets about her past. The 28-year-old shared that he would be taking legal action against the original person who spread the rumor and those sharing the information. Dawn also doubled down on his affection for HyunA, saying she remains precious to him and an artist he loves despite the breakup.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
After beginning to secretly date when HyunA and Dawn were first recording as part of the K-pop trio Triple H (alongside Dawn’s former bandmate Hui) in 2016, the couple’s rumored relationship broke through local Korean media in August 2018. Both artists’ label management at the time, Cube Entertainment, denied the news. Still, HyunA and Dawn met with the Korean news agency Yonhap, without their label’s consent, to confirm their relationship of more than two years. In response, Cube canceled the surrounding promotion around a new Triple H album and terminated the artists’ contracts by September. The string of events garnered international news coverage, with many fans divided about the artists’ and label’s decisions in handling the news, alongside a sea of social-media support behind the K-pop stars standing up for their relationship.
By 2019, HyunA and Dawn both signed as new artists to PSY‘s recently launched P NATION label. PSY told Billboard that year how HyunA was vital in getting Dawn a deal with the label. The “Gangnam Style” singer also laughed when describing the “strange” couple, sharing how “they dance together, they write songs together, and they compete with each other… it’s very creative.”
Under P NATION, HyunA returned to the top of the charts with multiple EPs, along with the hit single “I’m Not Cool,” while Dawn released his first solo songs including “Money” and “Dawndididawn.” Under their new label, the two broke new ground in the K-pop industry in 2021 by releasing a joint EP under the name “HyunA&Dawn” with the single “Ping Pong”; its music video boasts more than 110 million views to date. The couple was said to be engaged when they showed off matching rings on an Instagram post in February this year, where Dawn commented, “MARRY ME.” HyunA wrote, “Of course, it’s a yes,” in a post now deleted from her account.
Dating is typically considered taboo in the K-pop industry, with some artists contractually required to refrain from dating. While relationships going public have rocked some K-pop careers, the attitude around these couples appears to be slowly changing from the fan, artist and management level. Industry leaders like HYBE and YG Entertainment have recently refused to comment on relationship rumors between their artists, citing the singer’s private lives. At the same time, HyunA and Dawn booked magazine covers and photo shoots together being openly affectionate with one another. Not to mention, the millions of social-media followers supporting the many updates and photos of HyunA and Dawn — including thousands of comments sending their good wishes on the couple’s breakup posts — point to a future where dating may not be so off-limits or controversial in K-pop.
One of the biggest girl groups in K-pop history has returned to celebrate their milestone 15th anniversary while also including a touching tribute to their late member.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
KARA made their comeback with a new, four-song EP titled Move Again with members Gyuri, Seungyeon, Nicole, Jiyoung and Youngji taking part. The release is centered on the new single “When I Move,” which sees the girl group step right back into their signature mix of modern and vintage dance sounds heard in some of their biggest singles like “Honey,” “Step” and “Pandora.”
While KARA went through some lineup changes during their time, the outfit’s return to music after seven-a-half-years marks the first release where newest member Youngji (who joined the group in 2014) is performing alongside Nicole and Jiyoung (who both exited the group that same year). Notably, it is also the first KARA release not to include Goo Hara, who was found dead in her Seoul home in 2019 at age 28.
But the memory of Hara lives on in KARA with the accompanying music video for “When I Move.” Tributes to the late singer appear throughout the visual, like the sixth table setting during a scene where the members celebrate the 15th anniversary with cake and champagne. At the end of the video credits, six microphone stands are shown onstage, symbolizing Hara as an eternal group member.
KARA returned to the stage this week at the 2022 MAMA Awards held in Japan, a suitable place for their comeback performance as the group was a pioneer in helping K-pop cross over into the lucrative Japanese market during the ’10s.
Gyuri, Seungyeon, Nicole, Jiyoung and Youngji performed a medley of classic KARA hits including “Lupin,” “Step” and “Mister” (that had K-pop stars in attendance like TREASURE, Kep1er and NMIXX singing and dancing along) before giving the live debut of “When I Move.” Montage videos detailing the group’s history from debut to today with personal photos, classic TV clips, and reflections from the group on their worries and excitement about returning to the stage introduced both performances.
While next week will determine where KARA return on the Billboard charts, the group’s chart legacy includes three hits on World Digital Song Sales (peaking with 2015’s “Cupid” that reached No. 12) and multiple entries on the K-Pop Hot 100 and Japan Hot 100 (including two No. 1s on the latter with 2012’s “Electric Boy” and 2013’s “Thank You Summer Love”).
Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary on Thursday (Dec. 1) by sentimental on social media and posting sweet tributes to one another.
“And just like that it’s been 4 years…happy anniversary my love. @priyankachopra,” the Jonas Brothers singer wrote alongside two photos from the couple’s 2018 nuptials in Jodphur, India — one from the Christian ceremony with Chopra in her custom Ralph Lauren wedding gown and 75-foot train and the other from their traditional Hindu ceremony.
For her part, the actress echoed the happy sentiments while choosing to focus on her pop star hubby. “Find yourself a guy that reminds you everyday that you’re loved. Happy anniversary babe,” she captioned a photo of the lovebirds dancing.
In the four years since their wedding, Jonas and Chopra welcomed their first child, a daughter named Malti Marie, via surrogate last January. The baby initially spent more than a hundred days in the newborn intensive care unit before coming home due to a premature delivery. In October, the first-time parents marked Malti’s first Diwali with messages of “joy and light” to their fans.
Jonas, alongside his brothers Joe and Kevin, most recently performed the halftime show for the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving face-off against the New York Giants to celebrate the (belated) 25th anniversary of the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign.
The JoBros are next slated to hit the stage for a free show during the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! concert series surrounding the 2023 college football national championship this coming January.
Check out Jonas and Chopra’s sweet anniversary tributes here and here.
Harry Styles has a new award to add to his collection of Grammy, VMA, AMA and Billboard Music trophies. On Thursday (Dec. 1), PETA announced that the 28-year-old pop star is one of this year’s winners of the animal rights organization’s Libby Awards after he was captured on video declining a fan’s offering of chicken nuggets.
According to a release, the Libby Awards — a play on the word “liberation” — are given out by PETA’s youth division, and recognize individuals, brands and products that “go above and beyond for animals.” Styles was specifically honored with the Best Viral Moment for Animals award, beating out other nominees Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian, Bella Hadid and Jimmy Fallon.
The now award-winning moment in question went down back in August, when Styles was pelted with chicken nuggets while performing a concert at Madison Square Garden. When fans started chanting “Eat it! Eat it!” Styles told his audience: “I don’t eat chicken. Sorry. I don’t eat meat.”
“First of all, this is cold,” he continued in the moment, at a loss for words. “Would you like it back? Don’t eat it!”
According to PETA, anyone who follows Styles’ lead in going for a meat-free diet will “save the lives of nearly 200 animals per year.”
Other Libby winners this year include Daisy Ridley, who sent a letter to the University of Massachusetts–Amherst calling for an end to experiments conducted on marmosets named after Star Wars characters, and Nicola Peltz Beckham, who advocated for animal adoption on Instagram.
“These compassionate celebrities prove that helping animals can be as simple as leaving chickens off their plates, speaking out against cruel experimentation, or adopting from shelters,” said PETA senior vice president Lisa Lange in a statement. “It’s a ‘Sign of the Times’ that these entertainers and influencers are advocating for animals, and PETA is honoring Harry, Daisy, and Nicola for leading by example.”
See Harry Styles’ PETA award-winning chicken nugget moment below:
Billie Eilish opens up about her love life, kind of, in a new cover story interview with High Snobiety. The typically private singer recently confirmed in a Vanity Fair interview that she is dating The Neighbourhood singer Jesse Rutherford and that she’s “really excited… really happy about it,” noting that she is now snuggling up with a man she considers the “hottest f—ing f—er alive.”
Speaking to Snobiety, Eilish, 20, was a bit more circumspect about her love life, avoiding mentioning her 31-year-old partner while speaking in more general terms about the head-spinning concept of amour. “Falling in love is hard for me,” she said. “It’s a spooky ting, love. It’s really spooky.”
For the most part, the piece focuses on Eilish’s fashion evolution over her past 7 years in the public eye, with the singer best known for her baggy, unisex look noting that “when I meet people who don’t care about clothing — what they wear and how they wear it — it boggles my mind.” Over the past few years, Oscar winner Eilish has begun to dip her toe into higher fashion — turning heads at the 2022 Met Gala this year with her upcycled Gucci gown — even though she definitely has conflicted feelings about the importance some in the industry put on outer appearance.
“There’s a performative nature to fashion week that really pisses me off, because I’m like, ‘Please pay attention to the clothes,’” she said, noting that fashion is a “driving force” for her, as well as a way to connect with people. “People saw me as this 15-year-old, a kid, who wore this kind of stuff, looked this kind of way, acted this kind of way, said this kind of way. I felt like I couldn’t change. That’s why I went so far to the other side,” she said of her early look. “I was trying to prove, ‘Hey, f–k you guys, I can do whatever I want.’ Now I can look really masculine if I want, and really feminine if I want, and it’s not gonna be a f—ing headline.”
All that trying on different sartorial attitudes was a fun game, but that’s all it was to Eilish, duh. “It’s not that you wear one thing, and that’s your new style — you f—ing keep wearing a bunch of s–t,” she said. For the record, the currently raven-haired Eilish said she feels sexier when she dresses masculine, though her side ramble into being a blonde last year did not turn out how she’d expected.
“When I was blonde, people treated me differently. People completely changed their demeanor [around me],” she said. With a new fragrance, Eilish No. 2, the singer said she feels like she’s earned the public’s trust and can expand her empire to include more non-musical ventures. “I think that people have taken me more seriously because I’ve had this more masculine [way of dressing] throughout my career,” she said. “If I had been more feminine and girly, people would’ve been a lot less respectful of me.”
Among the luminaries paying tribute to late Fleetwood Mac singer and lyricist Christine McVie on Wednesday (Nov. 3) was former President Bill Clinton. The two-term democrat and philanthropist mourned the passing of the 79-year-old rock icon, whose family said she died at a hospital at 79 after a “short illness.”
“I’m saddened by the passing of Christine McVie,” Clinton tweeted. “‘Don’t Stop’ was my ’92 campaign theme song – it perfectly captured the mood of a nation eager for better days.” Clinton included a short video with his message, in which the one of Mac’s most beloved singles — co-written by McVie, who also sang it alongside guitarist Lindsey Buckingham — unspools amid footage of the Clinton family on the campaign trail. The video notes that the tradition of presidential campaign songs dates back to 1800, when John Adams supporters sang “Liberty and Adams.”
Clinton, then the fresh face of a new generation of democrat leaders, was one of the first major party presidential Boomer candidates to embrace the rock era, making the Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 hit from Rumours the anthem of his White House bid. “I’m grateful to Christine & Fleetwood Mac for entrusting us with such a meaningful song. I will miss her,” Clinton wrote.
The accompanying video also noted that after splitting in 1987, the famously quarrelsome quintet reunited for one night to perform “Don’t Stop” at Clinton’s 1993 inaugural gala.
According to the singer’s family, she died “peacefully” at a hospital on Wednesday following a “short illness.” In a statement, the band said, “There are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine McVie. She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her.”
Check out Clinton’s post below.
I’m saddened by the passing of Christine McVie. “Don’t Stop” was my ’92 campaign theme song – it perfectly captured the mood of a nation eager for better days. I’m grateful to Christine & Fleetwood Mac for entrusting us with such a meaningful song. I will miss her. pic.twitter.com/UPUvpDWRZB— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) December 1, 2022
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.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
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:
It was a wild ride on season 8 of The Masked Singer, which once again served up its patented mix of non-singing celebs (William Shatner, Jeff Dunham, Mario Cantone, Daymond John, Jerry Springer, Le’Veon Bell, George Foreman, Chris Jericho, Adam Carolla, Linda Blair, Nikki Glaser), veteran pop and R&B singers (Chris Kirkpatrick, Montell Jordan, Gloria Gaynor, Kat Graham, George Clinton and Ray Parker Jr.), as well as some actors who’ve been known to carry a tune (Eric Idle, Brady Bunch trio Christopher Knight, Barry Williams and Mike Lookinland and Joey Lawrence).
But in the end, when all the masks came off, it was seasonlong front-runner Harp who plucked her way to the winner’s circle with a commanding run that began on this season’s first episode when she turned P!nk’s “Perfect” into a soaring R&B ballad that blew the judges away. On episode 2, she soared with Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing,” then cruised through the Golden Girls theme song “Thank You for Being a Friend” and easily bounced along to Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” last week.
She showed her versatility by going toe-to-toe with Panther in a battle over Steppenwolf’s road dog classic “Born to be Wild,” easily bested Fortune Teller in the “Everywhere You Look” battle, and absolutely shut it down on finale night with Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory” and a moving version of John Mayer’s “Gravity.”
As is always the case, judge Ken Jeong was wrong all along, absolutely confident that the woman under the golden dome was Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, giving off super-confident vibes while describing all the reasons he definitely nailed it this time. Fellow judge Robin Thicke was certain it was another triple threat, Jeong’s former Community castmate Yvette Nicole Brown, while Nicole Scherzinger was the one who knew what was up.
Wednesday night’s epic two-hour finale found judge’s favorite Harp facing off against three-headed threat The Lambs, who were in perfect harmony on Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman.” But in the end, the three doe-eyed ladies (Wilson Phillips) were not woman enough to beat former Glee star and Broadway veteran Amber Riley.
Billboard caught up with Riley before the final reveal and spoke to her about how it felt to cruise to victory, what it was like to constantly lie to everyone she loves for months, and when we can expect new music from her.
You came out strong with your P!nk cover, and it felt like you were the front-runner all season. Did you feel pretty good about your chances after that first performance?
I felt great about my performance because it was a song that I really love and I decided every time I go out I was going to leave it all on the floor. I honestly didn’t hear anyone else singing so I didn’t know where I stood. I was just as surprised as anyone when I made it through every round.
Who figured out it was you right away?
Oh my gosh, I’ve been lying my face off for the past couple of weeks. My family has been listening to me sing since I was two-years-old and my sister is calling me like, “I know it’s you little girl!” And I was like, “Huh? I have no idea what you’re talking about!” I had to lie to everyone’s face and it’s been torture.
How did it feel to be crowned first Masked Singer queen?
It felt fitting because I am a queen anyway! [Laughs] Just kidding! It felt great because it was so cool. We’re Americans, so we don’t have kings and queens. If you want to give me a crown, I’ll take it!
I’ve seen a lot of complex costumes on the show, but that giant instrument on your back seemed pretty physically limiting. You said there was no chance you could shake your booty so the vocals had to be super on-point.
[Laughs] Honestly, the costume department is incredible. They are imagineers. It wasn’t as difficult as it looked because they put it on wheels. With every step I took they asked me if it felt comfortable. Even for the moment when I had to get out [of the costume] they imagined a way for me to easily be removed from it… it wasn’t as bad as it looked.
You mentioned that there’s something freeing about being masked as well as feeling like you were not always appreciated by the industry. What were you able to do in disguise that you can’t as Amber?
I think I’m always myself, but it was a way for people to just listen to my voice and have no preconceived notions of who I am or my gifts. That was cool to me. I’ve been in the industry for a pretty long time and I’m sure people think they know who I am, but knowing that they got to hear me with new ears and see me with new eyes when I was revealed was exciting.
You’ve been on a hit show [Glee], won an Olivier for playing Effie in Dreamgirls on the West End, and you won Dancing With the Stars back in 2013, but watching you cry through your mask really made it seem like this was a big, cathartic moment for you.
I’ve been in this industry a really long time and just like anyone else I’ve dealt with rejection and second-guessed my gifts. I’ve gone through it when it’s 90% rejection and 10% go for it. Being able to hear my peers and people I admire, especially Nicole [Scherzinger], encourage me and [praise] my gifts brought me to tears. As we try to pretend we are an island, we do need to hear people encourage us. I needed that and it was inspiring to me.
Was it inspiring enough to work on the follow-up to your 2020 Riley album?
Yes! I’ve been working on it the whole year. I went into the studio with an ignited fire and the music coming out of it and the confidence I have now has been absolutely incredible. I didn’t know that was going to happen doing this show.
How did it feel when Jenny [McCarthy-Wahlberg] said your Gaga was the best performance ever on the show?
I couldn’t even believe that. I watched LeAnn Rimes’ season, and she floored me every single week, so hearing that was big.
What’s coming up for you next? It sounds like you’ll be on our screens a lot over the next few months.
I’ve got the Black Beauty Effect [available now on the Black Experience on Xfinity channel], which is an amazing docuseries I got to be part of that is talking about black women in the beauty industry and how we disrupted the status quo. It’s about finding ourselves and making a mark in beauty, makeup and hair in Hollywood. It’s a story of triumph and it’s very inspiring to hear from women behind the scenes. I’m also going to be on Celebrity Name That Tune [premiering Jan. 11 on Fox], which I got to do with my little brother [fellow Glee alum] Chris Colfer. Me and Chris are super competitive, so it was really fun to do that with him.
