Touring
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Multiplatinum-selling and three-time Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Olivia Rodrigo will appear at this year’s Billboard Live Music Summit and Awards, in partnership with AEG Presents and Live Nation, for a Superstar Q&A and to receive Billboard’s Touring Artist of the Year award on Thursday, Nov. 14, in Los Angeles. In a keynote interview, Rodrigo will speak about […]
John Legend is bringing his acclaimed 2018 A Legendary Christmas album back on the road this year, with the 45-year-old EGOT winner unveiling a string of 11 festive U.S. shows slated for this holiday season.
As announced exclusively with People, the run will kick off Dec. 2 with a performance in Highland, Calif., followed by more dates in California, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Oklahoma, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. “My hope for these shows is that they feel like a gathering of friends by the fireside — where the music brings warmth, joy, and a sense of togetherness,” he told the publication.
“Over the years, I’ve experienced the holidays in so many ways, and each version of me — from my childhood to now as a father — has shaped the way I approach this season,” the “All of Me” vocalist continued. “I want to share that journey with the audience, through songs and stories that celebrate both the festive spirit and the moments that bring us closer. I hope people leave feeling like they’ve been part of something warm, familiar, and special.”
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In addition to moments of storytelling about Legend’s career and life with his wife, model Chrissy Teigen, and their four children, the trek will see the musician joined by a four-piece band performing tracks — many of which are covers of holiday classics, such as “Silver Bells” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” — from A Legendary Christmas. Produced by Stevie Wonder and Raphael Saadiq, the LP peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard 200 in 2020.
Fans can secure tickets when a presale kicks off at 10 a.m. local time Monday (Oct. 7) on Legend’s website. A general public on sale will follow at 10 a.m. local time Wednesday (Oct. 9).
Legend previously toured in support of A Legendary Christmas in 2018, unveiling a 25-date trek in October of that year at the same time he announced the album. The Voice coach most recently dropped an album of children’s songs and lullabies titled My Favorite Dream, featuring cameos from Teigen, 8-year-old daughter Luna and 6-year-old son Miles.
“I’m right in the thick of fatherhood,” he wrote in a statement ahead of My Favorite Dream‘s release in August. “My parents loved to sing around the house, making up bedtime songs for us and songs to motivate and inspire us. And Chrissy and I also love singing to our kids. We make up little jingles and ditties for them all the time. In our home, music is very important to the way we interact and communicate with them.”
See Legend’s A Legendary Christmas Tour dates below.
Chhappell Roan recently canceled two shows just one day before they were due to take place, saying that she felt overwhelmed and needed to take a break. She’s not alone — over the past few years, artists including Adele, Rihanna and The Rolling Stones have all done something similar, and likely at an eye-watering cost for all involved.
People will always get sick, but the kind of health issues artists state are often more complex. While it seems that labels and management companies have put an increasing amount of investment into mental health programs over the last few years, is there anything more that could help cancellations like these to be prevented?
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One area of the business slow to change is allowing adequate recovery time on tour for emerging artists. Costs are high and labels want to get the maximum amount of exposure for new artists, but scheduling proper breaks is so important when it comes to preventing illness, overwhelm and vocal issues. A quick glance at Chappell Roan’s tour dates shows her playing in three different cities on three consecutive nights. Combine this approach with a meteoric rise in profile and you’ll have an exhausted, overwhelmed artist in no time.
It is in this state that pre-existing health issues can raise their head. Exhaustion and stress will do that to any of us. No amount of mental health support can compensate for an over-tired artist who can’t cope. But also, for artists, exhaustion and stress impact their live performance in ways that executives often forget. An artist experiencing visceral symptoms of overwhelm, as Chappell stated, will find it incredibly hard to perform. She even said: “I want to be present when I perform and give the best shows possible,” suggesting that her current state is preventing her from doing that.
For singers, their body is their instrument, and signs of tiredness, illness or stress will show in their voice. Tension in the body can result in feelings of tightness, vocal fatigue and an inability to reach high notes. Sharing their music onstage with fans is incredibly meaningful to artists, so they want to be fit and strong enough to do the material justice. The world of social media is brutal — any significant vocal issues or performance mistakes will likely end up being shared online, inviting a wealth of stress-inducing (and often unfair) criticism. No artist wants to go onstage worrying that their voice might give out at any point, so they need to be properly supported to prevent this from happening. Additionally, increased stress can raise performance anxiety levels to unmanageable states, even for those who haven’t suffered from it before.
How can things change? Firstly, executives need to work with artists to find out what a reasonable tour workload is for them, remembering that everyone is different. Be mindful that promo is tiring for the voice, and the body doesn’t process a TV or radio appearance as a “day off” from performance, no matter how tempting it is to squeeze an opportunity into a scheduling gap. Travel days are also exhausting.
Many major artists further along in their careers now demand recovery to be built into their tour schedules, but it’s harder for younger acts to feel they can ask for this. It can also be tough for teams to facilitate — it’s well-documented how long it takes for touring to become profitable, especially when taking into account the rising costs faced by the industry post-pandemic. However, it’s worth taking a long-term view. As we mentioned earlier, cancellations are also expensive and risk harming the important dynamic of trust between artist and fan.
Secondly, invest in some proper performance psychology training for artists. Classical musicians know the importance of this — all major conservatories around the world now educate their students on how to perform under pressure, using virtual reality and mental skills training techniques, among others, to help musicians cope with the challenges of a high-level performance career.
Researchers have suggested that performing live can be compared biologically to sky-diving, in terms of the levels of stress in the body. Without proper management, recovery and support, cortisol levels can stay heightened, contributing to health issues in the long term. This is why management of performance anxiety is vital. All artists need a pre- and post-performance routine to help the body, mind and voice prepare for, and recover from, performance. You’ve probably heard of them from the world of sport, where they’re commonplace for athletes. Classical musicians use them too, but pop is slow to catch on — and to its detriment.
Finally, a routine performance health check-in with artists should be mandatory. These look at vocal health, performance psychology, hearing health, musculoskeletal issues and general mental health. Research suggests that musicians are slow to seek help for health issues, leaving problems until they become chronic, at which point many are harder to deal with and can even be career-ending. These early, cheap interventions can prevent problems from escalating. A standardized offer across the industry for all artists to access support would make a huge difference in reducing performance health-related cancellations long-term.
We cover all of this and more in the upcoming international edition of our health-focused career guide for artists (and those who work with them), Sound Advice, which aims to help prevent health and performance issues before they escalate, through a combination of research, interviews, professional advice and resources.
There’s been so much discussion and headway made on the health issues faced by artists in recent years. However, as Chappell Roan’s example and many others show, there are big gaps in care and provision that need to be addressed if the industry wants to prevent last-minute cancellations and move towards a more sustainable (not to mention ethical) future.
Rhian Jones is a respected freelance journalist who specializes in the business of music. She writes for The Guardian, Music Business Worldwide and Hits, amongst others.
Lucy Heyman runs a performance health and psychology consultancy, Elevate, where she works with industry organizations, advising artists and those that work with them on how to optimize performance. She has an MSc in Performance Science from the Royal College of Music and has published original research on the health and well-being experiences of artists in popular music.
In recent weeks, Sugarland‘s Kristian Bush went on a nostalgia trip, attending concerts that featured U2, The Dead, The English Beat and Adam Ant.
But that run of shows was more than just a personal stroll down memory lane. Bush engaged in some professional research, too, anticipating Sugarland’s 18-date concert run on Little Big Town‘sTake Me Home Tour, beginning Oct. 24 in Greenville, S.C.
“I’m trying to educate myself in nostalgia and what it makes me feel like as a fan,” Bush says. “I’m starting to get my feet in the actual mud and dirt of what it’s like as the artist.”
Transitioning from hit-maker to nostalgia act is likely the hardest segue most artists make during their careers. It’s a difficult rite of passage akin to losing a parent — few want to experience it, but almost every performer does.
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Complicating the process, the beginning of that change in career path isn’t clear at the outset. Terri Clark remembers a five-year period when she struggled to understand what was happening, unintentionally quoting from her own “Poor Poor Pitiful Me.”
“There’s a lot of ‘woe is me,’ I think, for a while,” she says. “You feel like you’re getting forgotten, like what you did didn’t matter.”
Of course, it did matter. But once the transition to legacy act starts, the way in which it matters shifts. Instead of having current songs played in hot rotations, the artist’s new material sags in consumption while the old music remains as gold material or in nostalgic playlists. Fans still come to the concerts, but they’re there primarily to hear what Garth Brooks calls “the old stuff.” The new stuff tends to generate the weakest response.
“People want old clothes from a new shop,” Bush suggests metaphorically. “They don’t want new music from their old band, but they want a new show from them.”
Navigating that shift challenges an artist’s self-confidence and sense of purpose. The longer they were on top and the more successful they were during that window, the harder it’s likely to be for them to make the transition. Some eventually learn to appreciate the time they spent in the top 10 as an uncommon privilege and see their past hits as an asset they can use going forward. Others never fully accept the change in stature.
“I remember working shows with [Merle] Haggard and Waylon [Jennings], and those guys,” Tracy Lawrence says. “They were pissed at us, you know. They blamed us because they had been dominant on the radio for years. And then all of a sudden, this young country wave comes along and they’re not getting airplay anymore. They were not happy about it, and they kind of blamed us a little bit for it. The only one that I remember not doing that was [George] Jones. You know, George embraced it. He did ‘[I Don’t Need Your] Rockin’ Chair’ and had all of us go out and tour with him and all these things. It was just a completely different experience. And that really stuck with me because I realized that we’re all going to go through this cycle.”
The phenomenon was lampooned in John Anderson‘s 1982 single “Would You Catch a Falling Star,” in which an artist’s crowds and transportation have all been downsized. “Nobody loves you when you’re down,” the Bobby Braddock-penned classic suggests as the legacy-act character struggles to revive a moment that’s no longer accessible. The audience in that song has determined the performer’s peak commercial period has passed, even if the artist hasn’t yet recognized it.
“At what point do you decide you’re nostalgia and what point did the outside world decide you’re nostalgia?” Bush asks. “There’s an internal meter and there’s an external meter, and pain [is] involved in the distance between when the two hit.”
The system sets artists up for that kind of downfall. The music industry succeeds by making stars, and it pampers and appeases them while they’re hot. It’s good for the executives’ short-term access to power, but it’s bad for the artists’ long-term mental health. In the most glaring example, Elvis Presley was famously buffered from the public by management and by his entourage, known as the Memphis Mafia, but was ultimately destroyed by his own success.
“When you’re in the middle of it, the ego gets in the way, and there’s all these people around you that are in that inner circle that protect you from the world and let you get away with stuff that normal people don’t get away with,” Lawrence says. “It’s really hard to have a good, honest perspective when you get wrapped up in it because you just get kind of carried away with yourself. Coming out on the other side, everybody doesn’t make it back out.”
Lawrence, Clark and Bush have all turned the corner. If they were uncomfortable being classified as legacy acts, they would not have consented to interviews on the subject.
Bush has made a point of asking nostalgia acts he knows in pop and rock about their experiences with the change. One of them told him that after accepting the transition, his professional life was awesome: He has a loyal core audience, knows what his fans will accept and regularly sees happy faces in the crowd. The legacy acts who deny their position, he added, are simply miserable.
Lawrence and Clark, after adjusting to the shift in their careers, were able to parlay their expertise into hosting roles with network gold shows. Both are currently nominated in the Country Music Association’s Broadcast Awards for weekly national personality of the year, for Silverfish Media’s Honky Tonkin’ With Tracy Lawrence and Westwood One’s Country Gold With Terri Clark. She ended her tenure with the show in early September; Lawrence told Billboard exclusively that he intends to wrap his Honky Tonkin’ affiliation in the next year.
Lawrence and Clark both addressed the transition musically. He tackled it in “Price of Fame,” a 2020 collaboration with Eddie Montgomery that Lawrence wrote with 3 Doors Down lead vocalist Brad Arnold. Clark embraced it through this year’s Take Two, a project that reframes her past hits as duets with the likes of Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson and Ashley McBryde, whose appreciation for Clark underscored the significance of becoming a legacy act. Trisha Yearwood had told Clark that when artists realize it’s time to stop competing with younger acts and begin to serve as mentors, life becomes easier. McBryde, in the early stages of her national career, was possibly the first artist to tell Clark that her music had been an influence. Take Two strengthened that message.
“Not only do you embrace where you’re at, you get all that affirmation and form new friendships with some of the younger artists that you influenced when they were growing up,” Clark says. “That, to me, is a full-circle recognition of it’s about a body of work, and your lifetime of your work is not just about five or 10 years. It’s about the whole journey.”
As it turns out, the journey can actually be more satisfying after the hits stop coming.
“I’m much calmer than I used to be,” Lawrence says. “I don’t need as much validation as I used to.”
As a legacy act, the former stress of trying to find and continuously market new hits gives way to feeding the existing fan base, which can become more of a community. Whether those fans are coming to relive past glories or to simply revel in music they appreciate, they’re typically a supportive audience. Entertaining them becomes a different experience once the artist accepts that their legacy is enough.
“They relate to certain events and milestones in their own life with one of your songs, and you really have to stay in that place with it and not make it about you,” Clark says. “Make it about them. That’s when it’s not hard for me to sing these songs, when I see how excited people get.”
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Six months after announcing her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran North American Tour, Shakira has now unveiled dates for Latin America. The global superstar will take her Live Nation-produced trek to Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Peru and her native Colombia next year. Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour is in support of her […]
Oasis are heading back to the U.S., Canada and Mexico next year as part of their Live ‘25 reunion tour, their first run of shows since 2009. The Monday (Sept. 30) announcement of a string of stadium dates in Toronto, Chicago, New Jersey, Los Angeles and Mexico City came with a direct warning shot to some fans: “America. You have one last chance to prove that you loved us all along.”
The Manchester band’s turbulent history and mixed response in the U.S. clearly still sticks in the Gallagher brothers’ craws. At their peak, Oasis conquered the U.K., mainland Europe and developed dedicated fan bases in Latin American and Asian markets. In their 28.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify, their fans’ top locations include Jakarta (Indonesia), São Paulo (Brazil) and Santiago (Chile) alongside London and Manchester. So why did they never truly crack the States?
Next summer’s reunion tour is as big as Noel and Liam’s egos. Nineteen stadium shows in the U.K. and Ireland sold out within hours during a protracted and controversial ticket sale process that attracted 10 million hopeful buyers. There was no questioning if those shows would sell; the demand indicated that they could have comfortably sold those shows several times over.
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But there will be eyes on this Friday’s (Oct. 4) North American ticket sale. The venues are ambitious: the MetLife Stadium across the Hudson River from New York City can host 82,000 people; the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on the opposite coast can seat nearly 90,000 (though depending on staging for concerts, those capacities can be lower). Rumors had another date pencilled in for the Boston area’s Gillette Stadium, though this was absent from Monday’s announcement. Perhaps they want to see how it goes. Dynamic pricing will also not be used in the ticket sale process, presumably to boost the volume of sales rather than the value of each ticket.
Jitters behind the scenes would be understandable. The band’s final tour in North America, supporting their 2008 album Dig Out Your Soul, visited venues half the size of these prospective dates. They performed at New York’s 20,000-capacity Madison Square Gardens, but also at Broomfield, Colorado’s relatively modest 6,500-capacity 1stBank Center.
At the height of their fame during 1996, the band was playing to 125,000 people a night at England’s Knebworth House; in the U.S. however, Oasis’ biggest crowds would peak with support slots on U2’s mammoth PopMart tour in 1997. The group’s word-of-mouth appeal rarely translated to sustained and consistent ticket sales.
Oasis have had limited luck on the Billboard charts. None of their eight studio albums ever topped the Billboard 200, their highest entry being 1997’s Be Here Now, which clocked in at No. 2. 1995’s (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?, however, has gone 4 x Platinum according to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). As for singles, “Wonderwall” peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, but the rest never had a sniff beyond “Don’t Look Back In Anger” at No. 55.
Things didn’t get off to a good start. On their debut run of dates in the U.S., the band played an infamous, substance-fueled gig at L.A.’s Whisky A Go Go in 1994. As later recounted in 2016’s documentary Supersonic, the band mistakenly scored crystal meth instead of cocaine which Liam said “just kept us up for f–king days” and resulted in a lackluster performance. The brothers fought on stage – Liam clattered Noel with a tambourine – and following the show Noel temporarily quit the band, disappeared from the touring group and cancelled a handful of shows.
It never really got better. In 1996, Liam failed to show up to a string of dates in the U.S., with Noel claiming that his younger brother instead was house-hunting back in London with then-girlfriend Patsy Kensit. Six years later in 2002, Liam walked off stage during a gig in Florida after losing his voice. The band headlined Coachella that year, but two decades later Liam dubbed that festival “pathetic.”
Noel has put the rocky relationship down to a mutual disconnect. “They couldn’t handle the fact that we didn’t give a f–k about anything,” he said in 2023 of the American market. “That’s the reason we’ve never really had a number one album in America – they wouldn’t go the extra mile for us because we wouldn’t go the extra mile for them.” Competing with the grunge titans of the era – Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and more – proved an uphill battle according to Liam: “They get a bright bunch like us, with deodorant on, they don’t get it.”
But things could be about to change. The reunion tour is already proving to have a cross-generational appeal for Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z alike; for the lattermost, it’ll be the first (and potentially only) time to see the band live. Oasis, for their part, have already struck deals with brands like Levi’s, Urban Outfitters and Amazon in hopes of pushing their name into new spaces. Streams for Oasis material took a healthy bump after the announcement they’d be returning.
The gauntlet has been thrown down; will the U.S. fanbase show up and show out for the much-hyped reunion? When tickets go on sale later this week, we’ll find out.
Rascal Flatts are hitting the road in 2025, five years after announcing, and then cancelling, their final tour due to the pandemic.
The multi-platinum country trio’s 21-date Life is a Highway tour kicks off Feb. 13 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. Lauren Alaina and Chris Lane are the opening acts.
“In 2020, we announced the farewell tour after being on the road extensively for 20 years,” the band said in a statement. “To put it simply, we needed a break. Then COVID hit and our plans came to a screeching halt, like the rest of the world. Since then, we’ve been able to revisit our unique and special experience as a band and we’re ready to get out on the road again. It’s hard to believe that next year will be the 25th anniversary of Rascal Flatts, and that felt like the perfect time to get back in front of the fans who have given us so much.”
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Rascal Flatts—vocalist Gary LeVox, multi-instrumentalist Jay DeMarcus and guitarist Joe Don Rooney—got fans buzzing Monday (Sept. 30) when they posted a video to their Instagram account featuring the three individually walking through stage doors as if headed to rehearsal with the message, “Life’s a road that you travel on.”
The group originally announced the Rascal Flatts Farewell: Life Is a Highway Tour during an appearance in January 2020 on CBS This Morning, saying it was the perfect way to celebrate their then 20th anniversary.
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“We make music and that’s what we do,” Jay DeMarcus told CBS This Morning in 2020. “We may do it again someday collectively. We’re not going to sign some pact that says we’re never going to tour again … we all still do love each other, but we do make music, and we will probably make some music individually, collectively.”
Founded in 2000, the band scored such hits as “Prayin’ for Daylight,” “Bless the Broken Road” and “What Hurts the Most,” landing 14 No. 1s on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. They won the CMA Awards’ vocal group of the year award six years in a row from 2003 to 2008.
No word on if the band plans to record new music or extend the tour beyond the initial 21 dates.
Tickets go on sale Friday (Oct. 4) at 10 AM local time.
LIFE IS A HIGHWAY TOUR Official Dates:
Feb. 13 Evansville, IN- Ford Center
Feb. 14 Charleston, WV- Charleston Coliseum
Feb. 15 Grand Rapids, MI- Van Andel Arena
Feb. 22 Durant, OK- Choctaw Grand Theater
Feb. 27 Sioux Falls, SD- Denny Sanford Premier Center
Feb. 28 Green Bay, WI- Resch Center
March 1 Moline, IL- Vibrant Arena
March 6 Columbus, OH- Nationwide Arena
March 7 Toledo, OH- Huntington Center
March 8 Youngstown, OH- Covelli Centre
March 13 Manchester, NH- SNHU Arena
March 14 Uncasville, CT- Mohegan Sun Arena
March 15 Allentown, PA- PPL Center
March 20 Huntsville, AL- Von Braun Center Propst Arena*
March 22 Savannah, GA- Enmarket Arena
March 27 Ft. Worth, TX- Dickies Arena
March 28 Lafayette, LA- CAJUNDOME
March 29 Little Rock, AR- Simmons Bank Arena
April 3 Estero, FL- Hertz Arena
April 4 Orlando, FL- Kia Center
April 5 Jacksonville, FL- Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena
In one of the many unprecedented turn of events in K-pop this decade, the beloved girl group LOONA experienced an emotional split after terminating contracts with their label before each of the 12 members landed safely to pursue new K-pop paths. Alongside Chuu and Yves‘ new starts as soloists, to five members reconfiguring as Loossemble, the final step of these re-debuts came in ARTMS, consisting of LOONA stars HaSeul, HeeJin, Kim Lip, Choerry, and JinSoul coming together to rebrand themselves, reimagine their artistry and remember their roots as a new quintet.
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After releasing a series of solo and unit singles, the group launched their debut full-length album, DALL, to return the girls to the Billboard charts (main single “Virtual Angel” cracked the Top 10 on the World Digital Song Sales chart, while DALL itself landed in the Top 10 of World Albums), and to the delight of fans and critics alike (even earning a spot on Billboard critics’ Best K-Pop Albums of 2024 So Far list).
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Riding the exciting comeback success, the group is embarking on their ARTMS World Tour ‘Moonshot,’ which has already wrapped its North and South American legs. As they prepare to conquer Europe, Australia, and Asia this fall and winter, ARTMS is eager to reflect on their journey from LOONA to their current iteration.
Sitting down with Billboard at the New York office of The Orchard, ARTMS shine with a sense of unity, growth, and playfulness. HaSeul, more confident than ever in English, jokes about accidentally spoiling upcoming tour surprises, while HeeJin candidly confesses her hair is mostly extensions, JinSoul speaks about immersing herself into the A&R process, Choerry balances the group’s past with an exciting future, as Kim Lip looks ahead to what’s next for the group’s personal and professional lives.
Despite the challenges faced, ARTMS beam with a sense of pride over their collective growth and how they’ve taken control of their music and artistic direction. Here, the five idols discuss their creative evolution, navigating the K-pop industry post-LOONA, and their deep connection to the fans who have supported them every step of the way. Read on for more below alongside exclusive photos provided for Billboard.
I’m so proud to see ARTMS here in New York. Kim Lip, JinSoul, and Choerry toured as ODD EYE CIRCLE, but all five of you are here now. How do you feel about ARMTS’ first shows outside Asia?
HaSeul: I’m so excited and a little nervous too because it’s ARTMS’ first concert and tour.
HeeJin: Of course it feels great, and we have lots of thoughts on starting off strong as New York, a big city, is our first stop for this tour.
Congratulations on your first album, DALL, which got such great reactions. Was it a relief to get such a positive response?
Kim Lip: Since we’re releasing an album as ARTMS instead of LOONA, I was worried yet excited about how the public would react to our music. But we’re getting on the charts and receiving lots of attention, so we felt at ease, and I’m so happy to go on tour and meet with our fans.
HaSeul
Lauren Nakao Winn
How did you five come together and decide to move forward as ARTMS?
HaSeul: I was the last member to join ARTMS, but all five of us are very passionate about music. I think the members who came together and gathered [here] had the biggest will to bring ARTMS to life. When producing this album, I felt how sincere we all were about music…we had many solo and unit albums when we were promoting as LOONA, and you can see it as us continuing that identity. In a way, [ARTMS] can be seen as us taking back our identity. And since our skills are outstanding, we released solo, unit, and group albums.
It seems like you have more ownership and responsibility this time. There must have been pressure, but did it feel like you could share something more personal under ARTMS?
HeeJin: Usually, the company tells us what to do, but now, since we’re active players and debuting again, we wanted to work on the identity of ARTMS. We gave a lot of input in the songs and concepts. Our company took them positively and reflected them in our work, so I’d say it’s an album we produced all together.
I imagine reuniting with LOONA’s original producer, Jaden Jeong, must have been special. Was it fun to return to this production style?
JinSoul: We have had a storyline in our group [LOONA] and the fans like this aspect. We further developed the storyline by working again with Jaden Jeong, who [first] created this storyline — and it’s great to add ARTMS to it as well. While adding ARTMS’ colors, everything became more diverse. We maintained a bit of tradition for the fans, and it’s great to show more sides of us and go deeper.
HeeJin: I think fans love it the most that we’re going with the storylines and expanding onto it.
JinSoul
Lauren Nakao Winn
While we know about LOONA’s contract story, I’m more interested in how all 12 of you found strength and came out of it together?
JinSoul: The members share lots of conversations together. But during that time, we looked into what we could do and thought of methods to use to go through with it.
Kim Lip: The members cooperate well together, so we tend to respect each other’s opinions since we’re like a family. I think that’s how we came to a conclusion.
HeeJin: It’s also meaningless if we don’t do it together. So, we did it all together.
HaSeul: We are a family.
Putting the past to rest, if there are fans — whether they’re Orbits or OURII — who are still worried about you or want to check in, what words would you share with them?
HeeJin: We’re always simultaneously thankful and sorry to the fans. It took a lot of time for ARTMS to debut. Despite that, I’d like to thank the fans for waiting for us. There are also fans who became our fans as ARTMS debuted. We’ll promote more from now on, so please be at ease and keep an eye on us. Don’t worry…
Looking ahead, what are some of the special aspects of the Moonshot tour?
HaSeul: During our concerts in South Korea and Japan, we performed TWS’ “Plot Twist.” But for the USA, we prepared a different song to perform — “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift. I look forward to performing that song the most.
JinSoul: When we performed in Korea and Japan, we changed the choreography of “Sparkle” and “Flower Rhythm” for the concert version. Many fans looked forward to it after seeing the choreography video. We also do different ad-libs at different times, so I’m always looking forward to the various ad-libs we’ll do.
HeeJin: The setlists will be similar, but there are always impromptu changes during our concerts, so the fans can really look forward to it. In Japan, there was a moment we performed the same song twice and a time we’d suddenly go off-stage. I look forward to those kinds of impromptu moments. And, of course, I brought my guitar.
Kim Lip
Lauren Nakao Winn
How has it been reuniting with fans in the States?
Kim Lip: We just had a fansigning today. It was fascinating to hold new events like this fansign during this tour. There was one moment that I remember when one fan started to sing in front of us — the fans are very, how do I say this, open when it comes to expressing their feelings. They’re different from the fans in Korea. I really felt the way they so enthusiastically express their feelings this morning, and it makes me really look forward to our concerts.
HeeJin: That’s why I love it. Even if the fans in Korea really want to express themselves, they are very reserved. But on the other hand, fans in the U.S. openly show their support, so it excites us and gives us lots of strength.
Whether it’s your concerts or album production, what is ARTMS’ creative process nowadays?
HeeJin: We’ve been deeply participating in the process, but shall we start off with an answer from the main A&R member?
JinSoul: Jaden Jeong usually brings forward a lot of the music, but we look into the smallest details of the production. For example, we direct the vocals for each other or select the photos to be included in the album. We also selected the album cover design, hair colors, and styling. We participated in lyric writing this time, too. The company works on big tasks and we give our detailed inputs to showcase the best of us.
HeeJin
Lauren Nakao Winn
What are you really proud of to say you’ve worked on?
Kim Lip: We can proudly say that we wrote the lyrics for “Sparkle.” And the light stick!
HeeJin: We got ideas for the light stick and sent over drafts. The final design was our idea. And personally, during the “Virtual Angel” promotions, I wanted to dye my hair white because I thought an angel had a very white, bright image. So, even though I had to sacrifice my hair, I wanted to do it. I discussed it with my company and went on with it.
You’ve never been blonde; your hair looks great!
HeeJin: This is not my hair. [All Laugh] It’s extensions, my hair looks bad.
I’m sure your hair looks great. But from watching K-pop, it feels like the fans can give artists new chances today. Do you think the industry has changed from when you debuted to today?
Choerry: I definitely wouldn’t have expected this back then. We were very young. The situation the 12 of us went through was saddening, but I’m very satisfied with ARTMS right now. I’m happy to have released great songs with the members, my sisters. I also believe we have lots of time to spend with fans, so I hope we can have fun and come to them with better sides.
HaSeul: I’d say we were able to stand on stage again 100% because the fans were waiting for us. And it was made possible because we have fans. The reason why we look forward to the concerts on tour as the time went by is because we want to show a great performance to the fans who’ve been waiting for two years. We’re really looking forward to this tour.
Choerry
Lauren Nakao Winn
I loved HeeJin’s interview with InternetsNathan when she ranked every LOONA song. To give everyone the opportunity, I’d love for you to choose your “favOriTe” song released from LOONA solo days to ARTMS today.
HaSeul: I think “Virtual Angel.” Since the title song [single] is the song you listen to the most due to promotions, there are times you can get sick of it, but I like the song so much that I can listen to it in the car every day.
Kim Lip: “Hi High”? We had lots of solo and unit songs, but we went a long way to release the “Hi High” album. I think it was a relieving album for the members, staff, and fans who were waiting for a long time. I think it’s the most meaningful album; fans still love this song. I can call this my favorite.
HeeJin: I’m going to choose “Butterfly Effect” because ARTMS is starting anew with Jaden Jeong and he told us the story behind this song. It was one of the songs he wanted to release when we were LOONA. He held onto this song for six years and finally got it on the tracklist for DALL. The song feels like a continuation of LOONA to ARTMS. Some lyrics make you think of the past, so it became a song I love.
Choerry: I choose “Singing in the Rain.“ It’s my favorite song because, during concerts, it has a bursting beat and the sound is full and harmonious. And JinSoul’s vocals suit the song so it’s a song that I always wanted. It’s so good that I want to do a collab stage.
HeeJin: I want to do a collab stage for it too!
JinSoul: I choose “Butterfly.” I think this song really shows LOONA’s identity. When I look at past performances, there were times I looked shy, but I think this song was one I was most proud of. The choreography was amazing. It’ll be difficult for me to perform it again, but I think it was a synergy only we could show during that time.
Others: We can do it again! We can do it!
What can we look forward to from ARTMS from here, the tour, what’s next?
Kim Lip: ARTMS is…
All: Vacation! After tour…
Kim Lip: This is a secret, but I think we’ll prepare for the next ARTMS album after the tour. We don’t know the details, but I think it’ll be an album to really look forward to. But it’s not confirmed…
Both of those are important! Any last messages to fans if they couldn’t see you on tour this time?
HeeJin: Thank you so so much for waiting for us. Fans who attended our concerts will know, but even though we’re fewer members as ARTMS, you’ll be able to see perfect performances. We’ve become very experienced performers. Thank you so much for loving us and coming to see us. I hope the members stay healthy throughout the tour because we wish to promote the group to many people.
HeeJin, Kim Lip, HaSeul, JinSoul and Choerry of ARTMS
Lauren Nakao Winn
Day After Day Productions and Emancipated Icon Entertainment Group have announced the joint signing of Lil’ Kim and Teddy Riley for worldwide touring engagements. The partnership marks a significant milestone for both artists’ bookings globally as they embark on new chapters in their careers.
Emancipated Icon, recently formed by Emancipated Talent’s CEO Rich Murphy and Icon Entertainment CEO Greg Walker, has established a strategic partnership with Day After Day, founded and led by veteran agent Seth Shomes. Together they will represent Lil’ Kim, a legendary figure in the hip-hop world who has captivated audiences with her unique style and iconic hits including “Not Tonight (Remix),” “Crush on You,” “Lady Marmalade,” “Magic Stick,” “The Jump Off” and “Lighters Up.”
Riley, a renowned producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, has played a pivotal role in shaping the sound of R&B and hip-hop. His iconic productions include hits like “Remember The Time” by Michael Jackson, “My Prerogative” by Bobby Brown, “Baby Come Back” by The Temptations, “No Diggity” by Blackstreet and “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake. His collaboration with Lil’ Kim on the iconic track “Not Tonight (Remix)” featured Missy Elliott, Da Brat, Eve and Mary J. Blige and further solidified his status as a music industry powerhouse.
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Lil’ Kim said, “I am thrilled to be represented by Richard Murphy and Greg Walker of Emancipated Icon Entertainment Group, alongside Seth Shomes of Day After Day Productions. With their expertise and dedication, I am excited to take my touring shows around the world, ensuring that my artistry resonates in every corner of the globe. Together, we are committed to creating unforgettable experiences for my fans and pushing the boundaries of entertainment.”
Riley stated, “I am excited to have Richard Murphy and Greg Walker of Emancipated Icon Entertainment Group, along with Seth Shomes of Day After Day Productions, representing me in all areas of entertainment. Their passion and commitment to excellence will elevate my touring experiences around the world. Together, we aim to create remarkable moments for my fans and continue to shape the future of music. The journey ahead is filled with endless possibilities!”
Shomes said, “I have known Greg (Walker) and Rich for many years and have deep respect for all they have achieved in the industry. I couldn’t be happier to strategically align with them on icons such as Lil’ Kim and Teddy Riley and I can’t wait to collaborate on behalf of these legendary artists.”
“I have had the privilege of collaborating with Seth Shomes and Richard Murphy for over a decade in the entertainment industry,” Walker added. “Their creativity and vision are truly remarkable, and I couldn’t be more excited about the innovative projects we have lined up together. It’s a thrilling journey to bring our shared ideas to life with two of the most talented individuals in the business.”
“Greg and Seth have consistently demonstrated their dedication to excellence and innovation in our past projects together,” said Murphy. “Their commitment to pushing boundaries and thinking outside the box mirrors my own approach to creativity and professionalism. I have full confidence in our ability to achieve great things together and believe that our partnership will lead to even greater success and growth for all of us.”
Gabriel Pellicer describes the Sing Out Loud Live Festival’s Wildly Showcase in downtown St. Augustine, Fla., as a convergence of history, passion and purpose.
“It’s a festival with a message,” explains Pellicer, who works as the CEO of SJC Portfolio Events, which manages Florida’s St. Augustine Amphitheater and Ponte Vedra Concert Hall and hosts a number of festivals in what historians say is the oldest city in the U.S., which is located about 40 miles southeast of Jacksonville and 70 miles east of Gainesville.
Over the weekend of Sept. 21 and 22, 27,000 music fans attended the annual showcase, which was headlined this year by Eric Church and Noah Kahan with appearances by marquee acts including Molly Tuttle and Norah Jones, Ryan Bingham with the Texas Gentlemen, JJ Grey & Mofro, Ole 60, The Breeders, Marcus King, Sierra Ferrell, Kevin Morby, and Nat & Alex Wolff. The showcase generated more than $160,000 from ticket sales in support of land conservation in St. Johns County and efforts to build a wildlife corridor between South and North Florida.
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“The primary intention is to try to keep as much wild Florida wild as possible,” Pellicer said.
“The idea for the [Sing Out Loud] Festival began in 2013 when Mumford & Sons brought their Gentlemen of the Road to St. Augustine,” Pellicer recalls. “It was a September event. Because we’re a historic town in Florida, the number one economy is tourism. And we have these peaks and these valleys. August and September usually tapers off, especially after Labor Day. School gets back in session, and it just slows down. And we saw that as an opportunity.”
Beyond the performances, this year’s Sing Out Loud Festival offered immersive experiences allowing fans to walk through a recreated wildlife corridor, navigate local state parks via interactive maps and interact with giant inflatable representations of Florida’s iconic panthers, manatees and alligators.
“It has been such an honor partnering with the festival and having such a big audience to be able to sing the praises of how cool wild Florida is,” says Sara Sheehy, director of storytelling and the lead adventurist for Live Wildly. “One of the things that I am super passionate about is getting people out to experience the real wild Florida and so when any of the bands here at Sing Loud express interest, I’m like, “Where do you wanna go? I’ll take you anywhere in wild Florida that you want to experience.”
That includes taking several artists to a Guano Reserve along an untouched stretch of coastline just north of St. Augustine.
“It has these pristine dunes we explored, then [we] jumped in the water and spent some time looking for shark’s teeth on the beach,” says Sheehy. “Any chance that I have to get artists or anybody, literally anybody, into the wild, that is the end goal for me. Getting them to experience the wildness and the beauty of this place. It is beautiful here.”
As the festival continues to grow, its commitment to pairing live music with meaningful community initiatives remains at the forefront. Sing Out Loud Festival organizers plan to build on their momentum in the years to come, expanding their live music footprint while building upon their conservation efforts in the Southeast of the state.