Last year, BTS became the first all-South Korean act to top the Billboard Hot 100 with the effervescent funk groove and beyond-contagious K-pop sensibilities of their first English-language single, "Dynamite."
On May 21, they're set to drop their second English-language single, "Butter," which should have no trouble making good on the momentum that's established BTS as major players in the K-pop revolution that's taken the world by storm in recent years.
It's easy to see and/or hear how it got to this. Few genres have fully embraced the euphoric potential of pop music with the unabashed dedication to delivering that sugar rush on which this type of music thrives as K-pop.
With BTS about to blow up even bigger, here's a look back at a handful of key moments on the road to K-pop being what a recent eight-part YouTube documentary series on the genre calls a $10 billion industry.
There's a long tradition of pop music in Korea, from Trot, a form of folk music whose name is derived from the English word foxtrot, to rock acts like the Key Boys, whose Yardbirds-style rockers played well to American GIs in the '60s.
But Seo Taiji and Boys are often credited with modernizing the contemporary music scene of South Korea with their breakthrough single "Nan Arayo (I Know)." Rapping and singing in Korean over new jack swing beats and turntable scratching in an energetic, choreographed video, they clearly paved the way for modern K-pop. Their success with teenagers inspired the Korean music industry to shift its focus to pop that would play well to that age group.
Formed in 1996, the boy band H.O.T. is credited with ushering in the age of modern K-pop idol culture, in which members of a pop group are assembled by a company, in this case SM Entertainment, and marketed to teenagers.
According to the book "K-Pop: Korea's Musical Explosion," SM Entertainment's Lee Soo-man polled high school students on what they wanted from a pop group. That information was then used to hand-select the members of the group, who then went through rigorous training to achieve their full potential as teen idols.
A year after the launch of SM Entertainment, H.O.T. became the hottest name in K-pop thanks to the contagious bubblegum appeal of 1996's hip-hop-flavored "Candy."
What the 'Soft Era' in pop music teaches us about happiness after despair - The DePaulia
On Billie Eilish’s upcoming sophomore album “Happier Than Ever,” the singer is adopting a more serene aesthetic.
On April 27, pop wunderkind Billie Eilish announced her much-anticipated second album, " Happier Than Ever .” The cover, also revealed, is a marked departure from that of her previous work — the color palette is a tonal blend of beige, cream and Eilish's newly blond hair, undeniably separating it from the high-contrast black and white of 2019's " WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? .”
She's all vocals and all lyrics, no affected production to twist or hide the rawness. She's all emotion. The softness of this era in her career is notable because of the way she willingly exposes her soft spot. Her happiness is fallible and this fact is plain. She understands how fleeting the moment of bliss she's in the midst of on " R.E.M ." is: "before you speak, don't move / 'cause I don't want to wake up.” These moments are the ones that make the album distinctive. The magic lies in the subdued vulnerability, stripping away many electronic flourishes and much one-liner lyricism. "Sweetener" focuses on Grande, directly emotional and softly vulnerable.
Grande and Eilish aren't the only pop artists to transition into this soft era of their careers after a dark personal period. Taylor Swift released " Lover " in 2019 ("all's well that ends well to end up with you") on the heels of widespread backlash against her in a conflict with Kanye West and her musical response, 2017's " reputation. ” Beyonce's " Lemonade " in 2016 chronicles her healing from Jay-Z's infidelity ("and true love never has to hide / I'll trade your broken wings for mine") through subdued hip-hop and blues-influenced instrumentals.
This phenomenon of happiness after adversity often involves smaller, softer moments of joy more than the euphoric highs that one might expect to balance a down time. However, after these deeply emotional, vulnerable times, again and again they embrace that soft spot and move forward with it, neither discarding nor obscuring it.
These vulnerabilities of the national and global reality can't be ignored now that they've been seen; many social media feeds have remained hubs of social awareness beyond the information about Covid-19 that they initially sought to spread . Though there may not be a shift in aesthetic or sound to point to as an indication of it, culturally, the new era is dawning with the shapes of these discrepancies still carved into it.
Strong as the temptation may be to run headlong into an anthemic return to the old way of doing things, the pattern within pop music has revealed that the truest recovery has to move forward with, not around, weakness and hardship. In order to really heal, that softness has to have space and be engaged with head-on. Time and time again, the soft era has provided an important cue to follow: the only way out is through.
REVIEW: ‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’ sticks to the status quo in season 2 premiere
Natalie Madigan Talks Mental Health, Making Pop Music In Nashville [Interview] - MusicRow.com
The singer-songwriter grew up near Nashville enthralled by music. In the first grade her parents enrolled in piano lessons, which she would continue for the next 12 years. She eventually also ventured into musical theater, voice lessons and choir. She starting writing songs in early middle school and started recording her own demos on GarageBand in high school.
When it came time for college, Madigan decided to study audio production at Middle Tennessee State University. While in college she refined her songwriting, singing, and production skills, and went on to write and record an entire album which was released in January of 2020. She has since had her songs featured in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The Young and The Restless , and more.
Madigan is the only female non-country songwriter signed to Nashville’s Endurance Music Group (Jimmie Allen, Matt Stell), and she just aligned with ASCAP.
“I love being the only pop act at Endurance,” Madigan says. “I feel like a big fish in a small pond. We get to have more brainstorming sessions, and everybody is just utilizing their own connections and figuring out a different way to approach things as a pop artist in Nashville.”
Her recently released EP Put the Light Back finds her communicating about love, heartbreak and personal growth with glittery pop production that has both modern and retro elements.
The title track to the EP is an ethereal track about picking yourself up after being knocked down, or, as Madigan says it, putting the light back in your eyes.
“This was the first song I wrote in quarantine and I actually feel like I was doing the best mentally that I had been in a long time. All the pressure had disappeared because we were all in this same space, so I wasn’t feeling the constant pressure of ‘I have to be productive, I have to create.’ I was going outside, taking so many walks, and just being with myself.
Madigan is playing Pilgrimage Festival in September, her first major festival performance. She will share the stage with Maren Morris, Cage The Elephant, Dave Matthews Band, The Black Keys, and more.
“I am so excited,” Madigan says. “Very ready, especially coming out of this past year.”
Darius Rucker Talks Transition to Country Music | PEOPLE.com
Darius Rucker appears on the first episode of Clint Black's new series Talking in Circles , which premieres on Circle Network on May 22
In PEOPLE's exclusive clip from the May 22 premiere episode of Clint Black 's upcoming series, Talking in Circles , Rucker sits down with the fellow country star to discuss how he transitioned to country music when he signed to Capitol Records Nashville in 2008.
"We were in a meeting, the very first meeting about the record when i was finishing it up. I said to him, 'What do you do if you're the low guy? What do you do if you're the new guy?' Rucker, 55, recalls to Black, 59. "And they were like, 'Well you do a radio tour. But we didn't think you would do that.' And I said, 'Light it up.' We went to almost every radio station in the country."
"For me it was, if we're gonna do it on this level, I was going to give it all I had," says Rucker. "I knew the best way I could do that was to let everybody that were the people playing the songs to know that I know I'm not anything in this genre. I'm just trying to get on the radio like everybody else. If you play my song, great. If not, hey man we had a beer, it was cool."
"We went around with that attitude, and people liked the song," Rucker recalls of his country single "Don't Think I Don't Think About It," which catapulted the star to becoming the first Black black artist to chart a No. 1 country hit since Charley Pride in 1983.
RELATED: Darius Rucker Was Once Told That People Wouldn't 'Accept a Black Country Singer' By Radio Station
Talking in Circles with Clint Black , which will air on the Circle Network , will feature Black sitting down with a variety of musicians, songwriters and artists. Confirmed guests include Rucker, Brad Paisley , Vince Gill , Amy Grant, Rodney Crowell, Keb' Mo, John Rich, Sara Evans, Travis Tritt, Steve Wariner and Trace Adkins.
" Talking in Circles will be a candid artist-to-artist conversation with some of the top entertainers in the business about songwriting, recording, and performing on the road," Black said in a statement. "I'm excited to let people 'overhear' some of the things we artists have to say when we talk shop."
To celebrate the show's launch, the Circle Network will host an exclusive giveaway with various prizes including a complimentary two-night stay in a one-bedroom suite at Nashville's Hutton Hotel plus a pair of show tickets with a $50 food and beverage credit for Analog at Hutton Hotel, the music venue where the series was filmed. There will also be a chance to win items such as Black's famous Cowboy Coffee, two Clint Black Cowboy Coffee mugs and a brand-new guitar signed by Black. Entry into the giveaway is made by texting "CLINT BLACK" to 1-615-395-6903 beginning June 1 through June 30.
Asian and Pacific Islander Influence in the U.S.
Paul Weller chasing sixth Number 1 album with 'Fat Pop' - Music News | Music-News.com
2021 Billboard Music Awards: Taylor Swift, BTS front-runners to win? - GoldDerby
After a big year for pop music, with massive hits like “Blinding Lights” and “Rockstar,” not to mention big album eras from the likes of Pop Smoke , Taylor Swift , and Lil Baby , who’s likely to take home trophies at the Billboard Music Awards on May 23? Let’s take a look at some of the top categories, which are decided by measuring commercial performance on the Billboard charts.
This is probably the easiest category of the night. The Weeknd ’s “Blinding Lights” is obviously the biggest song nominated: it was number-one on the year-end Hot 100 chart , and since then it has made history as the only song ever to spend a full year in the top 10. So The Weeknd has this category pretty much on lock. “Blinding Lights” could likely pick up another award for Top Radio Song, as well as Top R&B Song.
The runner-up here would probably be Maroon 5 . That group scored one of their biggest hits last year with “Memories” and have also had two more charting singles, “Nobody’s Love” and “Beautiful Mistakes” featuring Megan Thee Stallion . Those songs might not be enough to edge BTS out on this one, but we’ll see.
This category is one of the hardest to figure out. Lil Baby is obviously out since he didn’t get a Top Artist nom, unlike the other four nominees. The strength of “Blinding Lights” could carry The Weeknd to a win here, in addition to his hit album “After Hours” and his budding hit “Save Your Tears,” which both spent multiple weeks in the top 10. “Save Your Tears” eventually reached number-one thanks to a remix with Ariana Grande , but not until after the BBMAs eligibility period ended on April 3.
That said, Pop Smoke ’s album “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon” has surpassed “After Hours” in overall units, and he has also had hits even after Billboard’s year-end list’s cutoff in late November, so could he upset here? Meanwhile, Juice WRLD and Drake are such close contenders with their own massive chart hits that they could surprise too. But for the moment I might lean towards The Weeknd, with Pop Smoke right behind.
This is another category that could go to the late Pop Smoke. “Shoot for the Stars” has had a consistently strong chart run and the most album units out of the nominees. It’s also helped by a couple of its rivals — namely “ After Hours ” and “ Folklore ” — losing steam in the last few months of eligibility. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised to see “Folklore” edge Pop out for a win given its huge sales.
10 Of The Most Iconic Pop Music Videos From The '90s | TheThings
The 1990s was such an iconic decade. Not only did we see the rise of the boy band and girl band era with NSYNC and Backstreet Boys , but we also witnessed some of the greatest pop stars emerging from this decade. Britney Spears , Christina Aguilera, and Jennifer Lopez are only to name a few.
That said, there's no better thing to do to relieve this golden era than reminiscing some of the most iconic pop music videos of the 1990s. From Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" to Spice Girls' "Wannabe," let the countdown begin!
There are many reasons why Ricky Martin's "Livin la Vida Loca" is an iconic piece of art. One of them is how it helped Spanish-speaking musicians at that time (Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, Marc Anthony, etc) to reach the English-speaking market. The song is a wild invitation to the dance floor every time it comes on, and thanks to that, it propelled the singer's career to a whole new height.
After a series of controversies, Michael Jackson announced his comeback with his ninth studio album, HIStory: Past, Present, and Future, Book I . One of its singles is "You Are Not Alone," a 5 minute and 45 seconds pure R&B ballad. Written by R. Kelly, the music video features the King of Pop and his then-wife Lisa Presley in a semi-nude setting. He also embraced his new after-surgery look.
No one could ever forget Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You." It's been a Christmas anthem almost every single year since its release. It's so iconic that it has a total of three versions of the music video: one is Carey's home footage during the holiday season, the second is a black-and-white tribute to the Ronettes girl group, and the third is Joseph Kahn's execution to celebrate the song's 25th anniversary in 2019.
Released in 1999, "Baby One More Time" catapulted young Britney Spears to the teenage sensation position. It's one of the most important landscapes of the 1990s pop culture. Since MTV premiered the video in November 1998, there was nothing you could do to escape this catchy video for months to come. Up to this writing, it's the singer's most recognizable signature song.
Another teen pop star of the 1990s, Christina Aguilera shot to stardom in 1999 with "Genie In a Bottle" from her self-titled debut album. The song has a special place in the pop culture to the point where it's been sampled many times, including on Camila Cabello's "Crying In The Club" and Jason Derulo's "Talk with Your Body."
Amidst the swarming "invasion" of teenage sensations, Cher cemented her name position as a pop culture icon with "Believe" from her 22nd studio album. It's an invitation to dance and placed the singer in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest female musician to top the Hot 100 chart. Up to this writing, the Grammy-nominated track remains the singer's most important song.
Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" was a monster hit. The power ballad has a long impact and uniqueness among the fans. Everything about the video screams what the 1990s pop landscape looked like. The boy band has never been quite able to top the song's legacy. Speaking of accolades, "I Want It That Way" earned three Grammy Awards nominations, including the prestigious Song and Record of the Year trophies.
aespa Release Their New Single 'Next Level' and Tease a Future Album
The name aespa comes from combining “ae” (Avatar and Experience) with aspect (two sides). Each member of aespa has a virtual avatar counterpart, and the K-pop group’s concept features a “real world” and a “virtual world.”
On Nov. 17, 2020, the band released the single “Black Mamba” and a music video for the song. Within 24 hours, the “Black Mamba” music video surpassed 21 million views. With this record, it became the most-viewed debut K-pop music video within the first 24 hours.
According to a press release, the “Black Mamba” music video surpassed 100 million views in 51 days and 12 hours. This set another record and the “Black Mamba” music video became the fastest debut K-pop music video to surpass 100 million views.
Following their debut, aespa won Rookie of the Year at the Seoul Music Awards, New Artist of the Year – Digital at the Gaon Chart Music Awards, and Best New Artist (Overseas) at the Asian Pop Music Awards.
On Feb. 5, KARINA, WINTER, GISELLE, and NINGNING released a single called “Forever,” a remake of a song by SM Entertainment artist Yoo Young-jin.
Leeteuk of SM Entertainment group Super Junior hosted aespa’s press conference for “Next Level.” The K-pop group’s newest single is a remake of a song by the same name from the soundtrack of the movie Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw .
“‘Next Level’ is groovy and energetic with a dynamic musical arrangement. We tried to bring out more power through our voices. Our powerful vocals combined with the point choreography we showed you a little earlier, you can look forward to an even stronger performance,” KARINA shared at the press conference.
At aespa’s press conference for “Next Level,” the group previewed the song’s music video and a performance video that shows the song’s choreography. Even though aespa’s new single is a remake, the lyrics and music video connect back to their debut single, “Black Mamba.”
“Yes, ‘Next Level’ is about going on an adventure to ‘KWANGYA’ to fix the problem caused by ‘Black Mamba,’ who disturbed the SYNK between us and ‘ae.’ We wanted to continue the story from our debut single, ‘Black Mamba,'” NINGNING said.
ITZY's "In The Morning" Rises To No. 1; Soompi's K-Pop Music Chart 2021, May Week 3 | Soompi
There is only one new song in the top 10 this week. Debuting at No. 4 is Highlight's "NOT THE END," the title track from Highlight's third mini album "The Blowing." "NOT THE END" is a medium tempo dance song with warm vocals, and the hopeful lyrics express that it is not the end but a new beginning.
Soompi Music Chart takes into account rankings by various major music charts in Korea as well as the hottest trending artists on Soompi, making it a unique chart that reflects what's going on in K-pop not only in Korea but around the world. Our chart is composed of the following sources:
Gaon Singles + Albums – 30%
Hanteo Singles + Albums – 20%
Billboard Korea – 20%
Soompi Airplay – 15%
YouTube K-pop Songs + Music Videos – 15%
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