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As the world and the Korean entertainment industry react to the crowd-crush tragedy in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood in South Korea, AleXa took a moment of her tour to remember those lost.
At her concert Sunday at Los Angeles’ Avalon Hollywood, the final date in AleXa’s First Meet & Live Tour in U.S. tour, the star asked for a minute of silence to pay respect to the victims.
“I’m saddened and quite devastated to hear what happened in Itaewon recently in Korea,” the 25-year-old told the audience. “Many bright, young stars, many young lives were lost in this tragedy that will forever go down in history as one of the worst things to happen in modern times in Korea. It’s forever going to change the lives of people they knew, friends, family, and loved ones. I kindly ask that we altogether observe a minute of silence here together out of respect for all the victims and all the lives lost in the tragedy.”
The stage then went dark, minus a video screen with the phrase “Pray for Itaewon” glowing throughout the moment.
AleXa’s Korean record label ZB Label also announced on Sunday that they would temporarily postpone the planned promotional schedule for the singer’s forthcoming Girls Gone Vogue EP. Earlier this month, Billboard revealed that the new EP, along with the new single “Back in Vogue,” would be released on Nov. 10 as the first new music since the Oklahoma-raised star won the inaugural season of NBC’s American Song Contest. There’s no clear indication if the release date will change at press time, but ZB Label shared that “detailed schedule changes will be announced through a separate notice.” The company added, “our deepest condolences to the victims, bereaved families, and those affected by the heartbreaking tragedy.”
AleXa joins the likes of PSY, ENHYPEN, Jessi and more K-pop stars who have shared their condolences with victims of the tragedy that’s left more than 150 dead and led to a weeklong national mourning period in South Korea. AleXa and ZB Label are also joining the dozens of artists and labels opting to hold or cancel promotional plans and new music in light of the tragedy.
221030 ITAEWONAt ALEXA First Live in US, Alexa asked us to give a moment of silence for the tragedy that occured in Itaewon.The video is to show L.A. AI Troopers are with the victims and families of Itaewon and are with our hearts and never alone. #PRAYFORITAEWON pic.twitter.com/QGOSyDqUpm— K☆FAM Media (@KFAMMedia) October 31, 2022
It may be the apex of spooky szn, but at the same time, it’s the start of another work week. Looking for some motivation to help power you through it? We feel you, and with some stellar new pop tunes, we’ve got you covered.
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See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
These 10 tracks from artists including Mariah the Scientist, Chappell Roan, Gus Dapperton, Lauren Jauregui, Mae Muller and more will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems into your personal playlists — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist of all 10.
Sherwyn feat. PawPaw Rod, “The Season”
Mac Miller and Duckwrth producer Sherwyn glides easily into the spotlight on seven-song project Maker’s Design, which boasts kaleidoscopic indie rock (“Fake Frenz”), off-kilter soul (“Goddess Reign” feat. Amber Mark) and playful, nonchalant funk on tracks like “The Season” featuring fellow genre-flaunting talent PawPaw Rod. – Joe Lynch
Mariah the Scientist, “Bout Mine”
Given that the art for Mariah the Scientist’s latest single shows the words “Bout Mine” written in blood, you might expect some seasonally appropriate Halloween fare here (Mariah the MAD Scientist, perhaps?). But the bleeding in “Bout Mine” is a slow drip, as Mariah’s yearning vocals pine to “make this right” and get “you back” over languid, lonely synths. – J. Lynch
Lauren Jauregui, “Always Love”
As she continues to locate her solo niche, Lauren Jauregui has found success in material that showcases her powerful yet nuanced voice and fiercely compassionate lyricism. “Always Love,” a post-breakup ballad, exists in that sweet spot — simple yet heartfelt, encouraging both free-flowing tears and cathartic sing-alongs. – Jason Lipshutz
Rachel Chinouriri, “I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Trying)”
While London-based pop artist Rachel Chinouriri is responsible for one of the most delightful pop singles of 2022 in “All I Ever Asked,” new single “I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Trying)” demonstrates how much ground she can cover: driving and more dynamic compared to its lighter-than-air predecessor, the track seeks understanding in constant movement and strengthens the singer-songwriter’s catalog. – J. Lipshutz
Mae Muller, “I Just Came To Dance”
Is Mae Muller’s “I Just Came To Dance” the coolest music video ever set at a golf course? As the British pop star cuts it up in an august country club, the beat whips around and recalls some of the more swagger-filled bubblegum of the early 2000s. Muller, proving she can turn any setting into a party, wins another round. – J. Lipshutz
Isabel LaRosa, “I’m Yours”
On “I’m Yours,” Isabel LaRosa leans into the wooziness, allowing her vocals to sway back and forth between the more urgent verses and the surrendered vibe of the chorus. The result is moody yet beguiling, as the 18-year-old hoists up a sound that can be segmented into viral clips as well as sprawled out and repeated on a lonely drive. – J. Lipshutz
Chappell Roan, “Casual”
Yes, Chappell Roan’s new single “Casual” is produced by Dan Nigro, who helmed Olivia Rodrigo’s blockbuster debut LP Sour last year… but even if Nigro helps “Casual” find a slender indie-pop groove, the song is a stunner because of Roan, a Missouri native who imbues every line with the exhaustion of an unserious relationship. “Casual” sounds a lot like a singer-songwriter setting forth on a path to stardom. – J. Lipshutz
The Go! Team feat. The Star Feminine Band, “Look Away, Look Away”
A collaboration with Benin group The Star Feminine Band, “Look Away, Look Away” finds The Go! Team offering the type of all-smiles workout that made the collective a critical darling when Thunder, Lightning, Strike made noise in 2004. Feel your case of the Mondays melt away with every tambourine whack and joyful harmony here. – J. Lipshutz
Bob Vylan ft. Laurie Vincent, “The Delicate Nature”
With just six months since the release of their third studio album The Price of Life, U.K. grime punk duo Bob Vylan is back again with a vengeance. The pair — which consists of members Bobby and Bobbie Vylan — have returned with new track “The Delicate Nature” featuring Laurie Vincent of Slaves. The aggressive track features menacing guitar work and lyrics that find lead singer Bobby reflecting on how nebulous life is and the “idea of growing up and seeing the split decisions you’d make and how they could result in such life-changing results.” The track’s steady guitar riffs slow down to a misleading outro that gives listeners whiplash as it speeds up into mosh-ready madness. — Starr Bowenbank
Gus Dapperton, “Wet Cement”
Whereas previous single “Antifreeze” saw Gus Dapperton — with the assistance of U.K. band easylife — reflecting on the chilliness of an impending winter, Dapperton’s new solo track “Wet Cement” sees him going for something even colder. Dripping with a metaphor about the passage of time, the lyrics evoke the mood of days past (“No, I don’t talk nice, talk sweet/ I let my heart bleed/ Cold nights, cold feet”) that ultimately dried up into hardened concrete as his signature, passionate drawl conveys both sadness and acceptance. — S. Bowenbank
Still running up that hill! Nina Dobrev and Shaun White treated their fans to a spooky surprise by dressing up as Vecna and Max Mayfield of Stranger Things for Halloween.
“Happy halloween,” the Vampire Diaries actress captioned the video on Instagram, which depicted the lovebirds reenacting the now-famous scene set to Kate Bush‘s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” from season four of the Netflix sci-fi hit.
In the clip, the Olympic snowboarder steps into Sadie Sink’s character with help from a long red ponytail, ’80s-style windbreaker, Walkman and fake blood running from his eyes. Meanwhile, Dobrev goes all-out as Jamie Campbell Bower’s big bad from the Upside Down in a head-to-toe costume rendering her completely unrecognizable.
Thanks to its inclusion in Stranger Things, Bush’s defining single from 1985 earned a massive second life more than 35 years after its initial release, becoming one of the biggest radio hits of the summer and roaring all the way to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The new wave anthem also blew up into a 21st century hit all over the world, reigning atop the charts in Bush’s native U.K., Australia and beyond.
The resurrected success of the song even led to the famously reclusive Bush giving a rare interview to the BBC back in June, during which she said, “It’s so exciting. It’s quite shocking really, isn’t it? The whole world’s gone mad.”
After Max escaped Vecna’s clutches, “Running Up That Hill” was also remixed for the trailer teasing the final episodes of season four in July.
See Dobrev and White’s take on Nancy and Vecna below.
Selena Gomez took to social media on Monday (Oct. 31) to encourage her followers to vote for Stacey Abrams in the race for Georgia governor.
“Hi, everyone in Georgia,” the singer says directly to the camera on her Instagram Story. “My friend Stacey Abrams is in an extremely close race to become governor. I’ve worked with Stacey personally, and her commitment to improving mental health access in Georgia is extremely important to me, as the state currently ranks 48th in the nation.”
“Please grab some friends and vote early,” she concluded in her message before directing fans to visit the Democratic candidate’s website and adding one final urge to “please vote!”
Abrams is running in the state’s gubernatorial race against Republican Brian Kemp. The two faced off in a heated final debate ahead of the Nov. 8 election on Sunday night (Oct. 30), covering everything from abortion access and crime to inflation and the economy.
Meanwhile, on a trip this weekend to New York City, Gomez made a pit stop to revisit her Wizards of Waverly Place roots after testing positive for COVID-19 and canceling her planned appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. (“A friendly reminder COVID is still out there. Get updated on your boosters,” she wrote on Instagram at the time.)
The superstar also dropped the trailer earlier this month for her upcoming mental health documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me, which will premiere Friday (Nov. 4) on Apple TV+.
Watch Gomez’s Story in support of Abrams before it disappears here.
Back before she was a world-renowned pop star, actress, mental health advocate and documentary-maker, Selena Gomez was teen witch Alex Russo, star of Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place. Ten years have passed since the show wrapped, but in a recent Instagram photo, she revealed that she went back to her roots by revisiting the real-life place where her former character used to live: Waverly Place in New York City.
Gomez revealed that she’d taken the sacred pilgrimage to the Greenwich Village street where Wizards took place in a nostalgic Saturday (Oct. 29) post. In her photo, she’s standing in front of Julius’ — a famed gay bar stationed at the corner of Waverly and 10th Street — gazing up at a tall street sign reading “WAVERLY PL.”
“Where it all began,” she captioned the post.
As expected, fans who grew up watching Wizards could barely handle all the feels attached to the “Lose You to Love Me” singer’s sentimental tribute. “DONT DO THIS TO ME,” commented one, while another wrote, “CRYING U CANT DO THIS.”
Gomez starred on the sitcom from 2007 to 2012, during which she and castmates David Henrie, Jake T. Austin, Jennifer Stone, Maria Canals-Barrera and David DeLuise filmed four seasons and a feature-length movie. In 2013, they reunited for a one-off TV special called The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex.
Since then, the Grammy nominee has starred in and produced a number of screen projects, including Only Murders in the Building — the second season of which debuted on Hulu in June. Gomez is now gearing up to release a documentary on her mental health struggles titled Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me on Apple TV + Nov. 4. She also recently announced that she’d be dropping a single of the same name one day prior to the film’s premiere.
See Selena Gomez pay tribute to Wizards of Waverly Place in her new Instagram post below:
Harry Styles wants YOU to vote! On Monday (Oct. 31), HeadCount reported that the pop star had helped register more than 54,000 new voters in its “Good to Vote” initiative ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
With that number, the “As It Was” crooner has been instrumental in breaking the record for HeadCount’s most successful campaign driven by a musical artist in the organization’s 18-year history. Thanks to Styles’ sweepstakes — which offered fans who registered to vote a chance to win travel and tickets to his annual “Harryween” show in L.A. on Halloween — HeadCount also experienced an all-time high in single day voter registration with 28,760 getting signed up to vote in the contest’s first 24 hours.
According to the nonprofit organization, Styles’ partnership ahead of the upcoming midterms now accounts for one third of the total number of the 190,000 voters they’ve registered throughout 2022. Per a release, HeadCount called the spike in voter registration an “unprecedented number for a midterm season.”
News of Harry’s record-breaking efforts to get out the vote comes just days after he dropped the appropriately fishy music video for his latest Harry’s House single, “Music For a Sushi Restaurant.” In the inventive clip, the British heartthrob plays a washed-up sea creature — complete with a bushy beard and a bottom half made of tentacles — who rockets to fame after transforming himself into a successful lounge singer.
Styles is currently in the middle of his 15-show run at L.A.’s Kia Forum, and also racked up six nominations last week for the upcoming 2022 People’s Choice Awards, which was just one behind Big Bunny’s pack-leading seven nods.
Learn more about Styles’ voter registration campaign with HeadCount on the organization’s website.
It’s early, but Frankie Jonas is definitely in the running for funniest, most self-referential Halloween costume. The youngest Jonas brother, 22, for sure won the weekend by cooking up a perfect sibling troll when he and girlfriend Anna Olson dressed up as elder brother Joe Jonas and his ex, Taylor Swift.
One picture was worth a million laughs over the weekend when Frankie posted a pic of the pair recreating a scene from the former couple performing the Swift song “Should Have Said No” from the 2008 concert movie Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience.
In the first frame Frankie, wearing black pants and a black t-shirt and clutching a microphone, faced off against Anna/Taylor, rocking one of Swift’s signature shimmery stage dresses. The second frame came from the Concert Experience movie, proving how dead-on Frankie and Anna’s looks were. The trolling dug even deeper as you clicked through, with the third slide taking a swipe at the infamous JoBros “purity rings” with a pair of hands with intricate bling and the message, “Matching Purity rings XOXO.”
In the final bit, Frankie did is best Joe impression, showing off some mic technique as Anna gushed off camera, “Joe , Joe Jonas is that you, is that you? Joe, oh my God! Joe Jonas!” Swift and Joe Jonas briefly dated from summer to fall 2008 before breaking up in what Taylor described as a 27-second phone call.
Frankie and Anna continued the fun on TikTok, where they posted another video spiked with video game battle noises and the message, “Fighting off the horny celibate teens as joe and taylor from the 3d movie.”
Check out the Jonas-as-Jonas action below.
Multiple K-pop-related events and new music releases have been canceled or postponed following a national tragedy in South Korea where more than 150 people, so far, have lost their lives in a crowd crush at Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood during Halloween weekend.
The New York Times reports that officials do not know what caused the disaster that’s left dozens killed and injured. South Korean president Yoon Sukyeol declared a period of national mourning following the incident through Saturday, Nov. 5.
Since the tragedy, the Korean-pop industry has announced several cancelations of scheduled events and postponements of upcoming music releases.
Artists including BTS, Roy Kim, fromis_9, Oh My Girl, Tomorrow X Together, Stray Kids, Park Jihoon, The Boyz, Yuju, DKZ, Wonho, ENHYPEN, StayC, aespa, P1Harmony, CRAVITY, EPEX, Kwon Eunbi, Kep1er and more have announced postponements or cancelations of planned content like TV appearances, fan events, live streams, video premieres, streaming parties, photo reveals and more. Many of it was related to Halloween.
The 2022 Busan One Asia Festival concert set for Oct. 30 and scheduled to include artists like Brave Girls, Golden Child, MAMAMOO, Pentagon, (G)I-DLE, AB6IX, WEi and LE SSERAFIM has been canceled.
SM Entertainment — the K-pop label and management home to artists like Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, Red Velvet, NCT and aespa — deleted all announcements regarding its “SMTOWN WONDERLAND 2022” Halloween party that was planned for Oct. 30 and would have featured a live stream and red carpet event to feature its artists in costume.
New music releases by K-pop stars have been postponed including: the new EP Loner by Yong Junhyung (originally set for a 6 p.m. local time release in Korea on Oct. 30); a new single “Stay With Me” by girl group IRRIS and new music from girl group CRAXY (both originally set for a 12 a.m. local time release in Korea on Oct. 31); the new EP titled Last Scene by Chen of boy band EXO (originally set for a 6 p.m. release in Korea on Oct. 31); the full-length album Villain : The End from boy band DRIPPIN (set for a 6 p.m. release in Korea on Nov. 1); the new cover EP by Jeong Eunji of girl group Apink (set for a 6 p.m. release in Korea on Nov. 2); the new EP titled Overload by K-pop-rock band Xdinary Heroes (set for a 6 p.m. release in Korea on Nov. 4).
Weekly live K-pop music program Inkigayo, which airs on South Korea’s public SBS channel, announced it has canceled its Oct. 30 broadcast. The Show, which airs on cable channel SBS M, also announced it has canceled its upcoming Nov. 1 broadcast.
YG Entertainment — the K-pop label and management home to artists like BIGBANG, WINNER, AKMU, BLACKPINK and TREASURE — shared that they have decided to temporarily postpone the promotion schedule and content release dates for their artists.
HYBE — the label and management home to artists like BTS, Tomorrow X Together, SEVENTEEN, Zico, and NewJeans — postponed its 2022 “HYBE BRIEFING WITH THE COMMUNITY” scheduled for 10 a.m. local time in Korea on Nov. 4.
Will Taylor Swift and Bono collaborate on a song someday?
Graham Norton brought up the idea of the stars working together when they both appeared on the same episode of The Graham Norton Show in the U.K. on Friday (Oct. 28). Bono was promoting his new book, Surrender, while Swift was invited to the show to speak about her new album, Midnights.
“Have you worked together?” Norton asked the pair.
“Not yet,” Swift replied, but added: “We’re gonna talk about it later.”
Swift might have been teasing the audience — but based on the U2 frontman’s enthusiasm for her work, the potential idea might not be completely out of the question.
“I’m a Swiftie,” Bono announced. Touched by that statement, Swift put her hand to her heart.
“He’s so nice he sent me roses when I played in Dublin,” Swift said. “He doesn’t want to take credit … He’s a truly great person. He’s just that great and thoughtful, just the best there is.”
“I better have a drink,” a bashful Bono said.
Before launching into conversation about their respective new projects — as well as those of fellow guests actor Eddie Redmayne and athlete Alex Scott — Norton also broke the ice by sharing photos of some from their earliest live performances, including Swift playing for a very niche Nashville crowd when she was 14.
“This was a big deal for me,” the “Anti-Hero” singer said, looking at the snapshot. “I was 14 and it was an event called the Nashville Rubber Duck Race, and it is exactly how it sounds. They would put rubber ducks in the river and see who won, and I was the official entertainment.”
“That was the whole crowd,” she said of the three people in the picture.
Swift also spoke about the concept behind Midights, re-recording her earlier albums, making a short film based on “All Too Well” and a miserable audition/screen test she once had with Redmayne. And although she revealed absolutely nothing about her next tour, she did say one would happen “soon-ish.”
See the moment Bono shared his Swiftie status — and Swift’s reaction — in a fan-shared clip of the show below.
BTS‘ Jin delivered the debut live performance of his new solo single “The Astronaut” alongside Coldplay at the band’s concert in Argentina on Friday (Oct. 28).
Big Hit Music recently confirmed on BTS’ Weverse page that the K-pop star would appear during Chris Martin and Co.’s Music of the Spheres tour stop at Buenos Aires’ River Plate stadium. Friday’s sold-out show, which arrived just hours after “The Astronaut” dropped on streaming services, was broadcast live across 3,5000 movie theaters in more than 80 countries.
Co-written by Jin and Coldplay, “The Astronaut” reveals the stadium-sized rock sound that the British band is known for as a perfect bed for Jin’s steady, soothing vocals. Prior to the single’s live debut, Coldplay’s Martin shared the story of the track’s origins with the roaring South American crowd.
“About six months ago, one of [BTS’] members called me up and he said, ‘I have to leave the band in December for two years to join the army in Korea, because that’s the rules there,” Martin said from behind his piano. “And he said, ‘I need a song that says goodbye to everybody for a little while, and tells them that I love them. …So I said, ‘Okay, we’ll do a song together.’ Instead of being worried about it, I feel so excited about it, so grateful for this relationship that we have with BTS. Then this song arrived and I was said, ‘This is one of our best songs — let’s give it to this gentleman.’”
BTS previously collaborated with Coldplay on the single “My Universe” for the latter’s 2021 album, Music of the Spheres. The track debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first Hot 100 No. 1 by two groups each sporting lead billing on a song.
Watch Jin’s performance of “The Astronaut” with Coldplay below.
