It happens to the best of us. You listen to a song that seems catchy and cluelessly start singing along. Then, many hours later, you realize that pesky song has set up camp in your brain and has no plans of leaving. That phenomenon is called an earworm, and scientists have actually investigated why it happens.
In 2016, scientists at the University of St Andrews developed a mathematical formula for explaining what makes an earworm. According to researcher Bede Williams, an earworm must possess five key elements: rhythmic repetition, predictability, surprise, melodic potency, and receptiveness (how the listener feels about the song).
The formula is expressed as receptiveness + (predictability-surprise) + (melodic potency) + (rhythmic repetition x1.5) = earworm.
Accordingly, the researchers identified the 20 most addictive earworm songs of all time based on this formula, and we’re sharing them with you here.e
Related: Celebrities you probably didn’t know are related
Carrying the true essence of the Pop music genre, the promising singer Becky Raisman has released a fresh EP. Entitled ‘Cruising’, the EP is now out on Spotify.
The performing genre of Pop music has given several artists fame and popularity in the music industry across the world. Even though the music genre is undoubtedly the most popular one, it is pretty hard to nail the music of the pop genre. However, the up-and-coming artist Becky Raisman is a fine example of a pop singer who can lift the energy of the entire room with her music. Her recent EP, ‘Cruising’ proves to be the exact same that fills up the room with vibrant energy. The artist has once again shown her worth and caliber as a singer by producing magnificent vocals that made the tracks even more addicting.
The EP contains a total of 4 tracks which are enough to prove the artist’s talent. With each release, the musician seems to be expanding her reach and making a mark on the music release. The release is standing proof by the artist that she is in the industry for the long run. Becky Raisman has delivered exceptional performances as not only a singer but also a writer, composer, and producer. This is why the artist is called a versatile musician who has solely managed to self-produce a track. ‘Cruising’ has four songs that are equally captivating for the listeners. The songs are, ‘I Can Be Your Crush‘, ‘Finally Begun;’, ‘Go Cruising‘, and ‘Let’s Not Over Complicate‘ which were recorded at Audio Wave Recording and Solar Sound Studios.
You can listen to the tracks and the EP on Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, Reverbnation, and YouTube. You can also gain insights by following her on Facebook and Twitter.
Almost the first thing Daniel Vangarde says when he walks into the Paris office of his record label is that he’s never done an interview in English before. Then again, he adds, he had never done an interview in his native French either until this morning. He never bothered talking to journalists at the height of his career, when he was a key figure in French pop: an artist, writer and producer behind an array of releases that range from the wildly obscure to the instantly familiar. And he certainly wasn’t expecting to start meeting the press aged 75: Vangarde had retired years ago, relocating to a remote fishing village in northern Brazil.
But then a record company unexpectedly approached him about a career-spanning compilation, named after Zagora, the label he founded in 1974, which piqued his interest. When they sent him the track listing, he told them that some of the songs on it weren’t his. They were – he’d just forgotten them entirely.
Vangarde in 1971. Photograph: Zagora Archive
At least part of the renewed interest in Vangarde’s career is down to the success of his son, Thomas Bangalter, until recently one half of Daft Punk. It’s ironic given that hearing Daft Punk was one of the reasons Vangarde gave up making music in the first place: “I thought, this is the new generation coming and it will be difficult to compete.”
But Vangarde’s career is fascinating in its own right. It began with a bullish teenage plan to break into the music industry by simply writing to the Beatles and suggesting they let him join – “I was sure I could bring something to them,” he chuckles – and ended in the early 90s with Vangarde retiring in disgust after a series of bitter arguments with the French music industry.
In between, he pursued a career which was nothing if not diverse. At one extreme, he wrote protest songs deemed so subversive they were banned: his eponymous 1975 solo album came to commercial grief as a result of its lead single, Un Bombardier Avec Ses Bombes, an attack on France’s role in the international arms trade. “The big honour I had was that I did one television appearance and then it was censored in France. Even today, you cannot talk about that subject.”
At the other, he was the mastermind behind the Bouzouki Disco Band, whose oeuvre was noticeably lacking in attacks on the military-industrial complex: as their name suggests, they dealt exclusively in Hellenic-themed disco tracks with names like Ouzo et Retsina and Greek Girls. His CV also takes in huge international pop successes – Vangarde and his long-term collaborator Jean Kluger were behind late-70s hitmakers the Gibson Brothers and Ottawan, of D.I.S.C.O. and Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart) infamy – as well as fantastic cosmic disco released under the names Starbow and Who’s Who, and obscure Japanese-themed funk rock concept albums beloved of today’s crate-diggers.
The contents of 1971’s Le Monde Fabuleux des Yamasuki, have, as Vangarde puts it, “become a little bit fashionable” in recent years: the album has been sampled by Erykah Badu, included on an Arctic Monkeys-curated mix album and featured on the soundtrack of the TV series Fargo. It was remarkably ahead of its time: a mad, cartoonish blend of different musical cultures that also attempted to provoke what would now be called a “dance challenge” (the album’s cover comes complete with instructions on how to do the steps).
Vangarde was always interested in music outside the standard western pop canon. “I like to travel, I like exotic instruments, I listen a little to the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder, but most of the music I love is African music, Arabic music, reggae,” he says. But Le Monde Fabuleux des Yamasuki’s inspiration didn’t involve much exotic travel. “You know the TV series Kung Fu, with David Carradine? That was the thing at the time. We thought we should do an album about kung fu, and that became a Japanese thing.”
He worked across a variety of genres – he reworked a track from the Yamasuki album in Swahili as Aie A Mwana, subsequently covered by, of all people, Bananarama – but it was disco that really turned his head, his mind blown after hearing Chic’s Le Freak in a Parisian club. Moreover, it was a genre that didn’t share the era’s traditionally dismissive Anglo-American attitude to French pop. Vangarde thrived, as did his countrymen Space and Voyage. “There were no prejudices in disco, I think because its audience had experienced prejudice – it was Black, it was gay. They were not in the position of being snobs.”
In fact, he loved disco so much that when the backlash happened, he felt impelled to act in the genre’s defence: to hear him tell it, Ottawan’s deathless wedding party anthem D.I.S.C.O. is effectively a protest song. “It was the time when they were burning the disco records in the US, and I felt crazy that people said this will stop: it’s a rhythm, you can’t stop people dancing to a rhythm. So I said we’ll do a song about disco to show that’s not over. And the rhythm didn’t stop,” he adds, triumphantly. “Because what is techno? A continuation of disco.”
Vangarde (far left) with La Compagnie Créole, a band from French Guiana and the French West Indies. His collaborator Jean Kluger is on the right. Photograph: Zagora Archive
For all his pop success and tolerance for a cheesy novelty song, Vangarde was always a curiously unbiddable figure, wont to turn down high-profile production jobs if he liked the artist too much, as in the case of reggae stars Third World or salsa supergroup the Fania All-Stars. “I didn’t want to be involved. I just wanted to be a listener – I didn’t want to lose that magic.”
Just how unbiddable became apparent in the late 80s, when he got embroiled in a battle with the French music industry, initially about royalties. Researching the subject led him to take up the cause of Jewish composers who had had their intellectual property rights – and the accompanying earnings – stripped from them during the Nazi occupation of France. This became a controversy that eventually involved then-president Jacques Chirac, but Vangarde says a subsequent official report into the matter was “all lies – a massive cover-up”: no money or rights were returned. It was another factor in his decision to retire. “I had a big fight with Sacem, the authors’ rights company. To write a song and give it to this company – why would I do this?” He shrugs. “I don’t do that any more.”
‘What they imagined went to the ear of the people with no interference’ … Daft Punk. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian
It’s fairly easy to see where Daft Punk might have got their famously uncompromising attitude towards the music industry. When their career began to take off, it was Vangarde who suggested they make a list of everything that they didn’t want to do and present it to any labels looking to sign them, which is how he ended up with a credit “for his precious advice” on their debut album, Homework.
“They did not want the label to be involved with the vision of the music, or the videos, or their image. This is one of the keys of their success, because when you go in the system, it has to please the A&R [people], it has to please the radio, and the music changes. Daft Punk were original, they had talent, and what they imagined went to the ear of the people with no interference.”
Vangarde says he has no desire to go back “in the system” himself. He says he never listens to the music he made in the 70s and 80s – “I wrote 350 songs, and I couldn’t sing you one of them” – and looks aghast at the suggestion that this new retrospective compilation might entice him back into the studio. “No, I’m very happy now. They wanted to release an album, I decided to do interviews for the first time in my life. And now,” he smiles, drawing our conversation to a close, “I will quit again.”
Filipino pop group SB19, which debuted in 2018, brings their WYAT (Where You At) tour to The Coliseum in Resorts World Sentosa on Sunday.
The five-member group – made up of Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken and Justin – are known for songs such as Go Up and Alab (Burning). They staged a sold-out concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines in September, and also performed in the United Arab Emirates and United States.
In a statement, Ken said the group have had vocal lessons and dance training with professional coaches. “It is going to be quite challenging performing under the heat, but we are excited to bring our A-game and entertain our fans all over the world.”
The Coliseum is an open-air venue.
Pablo added: “Whenever we perform on stage, the feeling is different. The people are different. I guess it is more of the feeling rather than what we are going to do.”
Sunday’s show will also feature guest performances by Filipino girl group Kaia, which recently made a splash with the release of their Y2K-inspired single Dalawa.
Where: The Coliseum, Hard Rock Hotel, Resorts World Sentosa, 8 Sentosa Gateway MRT: HarbourFront When: Sunday, 5pm Admission: $78 to $158 from Sistic (go to sistic.com.sg or call 6348-5555)
Before becoming idols, there are many idols who are K-Pop fans themselves, and that’s how most of them sparked their dream of becoming idols. They dream of being like the people they look up to, and it’s the cutest thing to see how similar they are to us as fans, when they get all excited about their favorite idols! Here are some idols that are K-Pop fans themselves.
SHINee Fans
SEVENTEEN Hoshi
Hoshi has never been shy about admitting that he’s a huge fan of SHINee, and everyone knows it. Fans would buy him a SHINee lightstick and give it to him as a gift at SEVENTEEN fan sign events. Hoshi’s been a fan from a young age and specified that he is Key’s fan in particular. Hoshi revealed in a fan cafe post that it was the SHINee‘s SHINee World and the repackaged AMIGO albums that sparked his dream of becoming an idol.
TXT Taehyun
Despite being only six years old when SHINee’s song “Replay” was released, Taehyun said that he was inspired to become an idol after watching the music video of the hit song. Taehyun also became a successful fanboy after receiving an invitation from Taemin to eat out together. The invitation would have to wait a little longer until Taemin is discharged from his mandatory military service.
Enhypen Ni-Ki
If only we all could be as lucky as Ni-Ki, who is such a big fan of SHINee from a young age. He even had the chance to perform on stage with SHINee at the Tokyo Dome. After performing, Ni-Ki became so overwhelmed with emotion that he began crying, but sweetheart Key gave him a reassuring hug.
Monsta X Fans
WEi Yongha
Yongha, who introduced himself as a “Monsta X” fan as one of his charming points, is also nicknamed “Yongbebe.” To show his love for the group, he even suggested that his group perform “Love Killa” for the Weekly Playlist” segment during their appearance on Weekly Idol.
Jongho is also another proud Monbebe, and a successful one too! He received an autographed “Shoot Out” album, and his members said that he has been a fan long before that and was excited to have received the gift.
BTS Fans
IZ*ONE & IVE Yujin
Here’s a life glow-up story. Before attending the Melon Music Awards as an IZ*ONE member, she attended the award show as an ARMY back in 2016. She was seen in the audience with a BTS lightstick as she screamed with joy when the boy group won the Daesang for that year. For those who may be skeptical if that is truly Yujin, she has personally addressed it herself.
ATEEZ Wooyoung
If fans have to take a shot every time Wooyoung fanboyed over BTS, we’d all be so drunk. There are so many moments where Wooyoung proves that he is the biggest ARMY yet. From only remembering Jimin’s birthday, and not his fellow members, to getting excited seeing a Jungkook poster hanging in a fan’s room during a video call fan meet, he is relatable when he turns into an absolute fanboy for BTS!
Stray Kids Seungmin – DAY6
It’s no secret that Stray Kids member Seungmin is the biggest DAY6 fan. To show his love for his sunbaenims, he has uploaded many covers of their songs and cutely fanboy about the group in different interviews and VLIVEs. It must also make him feel over the moon that fans often say that he looks like Wonpil from DAY 6.
Both Juyeon and Eric are known to be huge EXO fans, and they proved it when they did a VLIVE of just them dancing to several EXO songs. What was more surprising was that Eric danced to “They Never Know,” an underrated gem unknown to non-EXO-Ls or even some new fans. Eric even performed Sehun’s solo dance to the song, which only true fans can remember.
Mirae Junhyuk – ATEEZ
Junhyuk has been very vocal about Yunho being his role model. He even wrote him a sweet letter after learning that his favorite group would be on a radio show the following week that his group was on. A year after, Junhyuk’s dreams as a fan came true when he got to meet and talk to Yunho in person on Idol Radio 3! He was so overwhelmed he could not hold back his tears.
The Boyz, Kevin & Jacob – Sam Kim
How would you react when you’re casually working, and the very person you look up to as an artist just walks in? That is exactly how Kevin and Jacob were when they saw Sam Kim walking into their snack shop. These two Canadians are such huge fans of the very talented singer, and they even got the opportunity to perform for him.
Momoland Jane – INFINITE
When you go from taking photos of your favorite idols and rooting them on to standing next to them for a music show, you’d be as nervous as Jane too. Prior to debuting with Momoland, Jane used to be a fansite master for the group INFINITE. She used to run the account ‘Baby’s Breath’ for INFINITE members L and Sunggyu under the nickname ‘Pudding.’
SHINee Key – BoA
Just because Key is looked up to by many does not mean he does not have his own idol that he looks up to. Key is a huge fan of the undisputed queen of K-Pop, BoA. Being in the same label has given the opportunity two of them to grow closer than ever. Key is living all of our dreams to be best friends with his idol.
The global Korean wave is creating ripples in the entertainment world lately. And, undoubtedly 2022 appears as a year belonging to K-pop. Be it BTS showering us with solo projects before their military enlistment, PSY making a comeback after five years, TWICE becoming the first K-pop girl group to play at a US stadium, or BLACKPINK beginning their Born Pink world tour — this year has given us some of the best K-pop moments, and honestly, iconic ones.
While the memories of the best K-pop moments in 2022 might get blurred, there are some that deserve all our attention. And, even though everyone’s best K-pop moments of this year may vary depending on what they like or follow, we have created an unbiased list.
Here are some of the best K-pop moments of 2022 you should know about
BTS: Concerts, fests and a new album
Image: Courtesy bts_bighit/Twitter
One of the biggest bands in the world, BTS has always soared high in the cultural accelerator and this year is no different. In 2022, BTS gave the world some of the best K-pop moments. Coming back with their new album Proof, the fulfilling ‘Permission to Dance on Stage’ Seoul concert, Festa, and the very recent Busan concert, BTS made 2022 extremely memorable, especially for ARMY.
BTS’ military enlistment
Image credit: bts_bighit/Twitter
One of the most significant and shocking K-pop moments is BTS’ military enlistment news, without a doubt. There were speculations about the same for years, but the K-pop group’s agency Big Hit Music announced on 17 October that all members of the group will serve in the military.
In an official statement, Big Hit Music said that “after the phenomenal concert to support Busan’s bid for the World Expo 2030, and as each individual embarks on solo endeavours, it’s a perfect time and the members of BTS are honoured to serve.”
BTS member Jin is the first one to initiate the enlistment process. Big Hit Music also announced that BTS will reconvene as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment.
Grammys and solo works
Image credit: bts_bighit/Twitter
Although BTS didn’t take home a golden gramophone at the 2022 Grammys, they surely made an impact worldwide with their iconic “Butter” performance live. So much so that they got a standing ovation from the audience.
On 15 November, Recording Academy also released the nominee list for the 2023 Grammys and it’s a moment of pride for K-pop fans and Korea as BTS is nominated in three important categories — Best Duo/Group Performance with “My Universe”, Album of the Year as featured artists on Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres, and Best Music Video with “Yet To Come.”
Now that the world awaits to bid goodbye to each BTS member until 2025, the group, which is now focusing on solo projects, is making sure they leave behind enough content for ARMY. And, their individual activities undoubtedly make for some of the best K-pop moments in 2022.
A few standouts include JHope’s debut studio album Jack In The Box and his Lollapalooza concert, Jungkook’s “Dreamers” — the official soundtrack for the FIFA World Cup 2022 and his performance in Qatar for the same, Kim Taehyung aka V’s presence at Hedi Slimane’s closing Celine show in Paris Fashion Week, Jin’s debut solo single “The Astronaut” and RM’s upcoming debut studio album INDIGO.
Legendary K-pop star PSY’s comeback after five years
Image credit: PSY/Twitter
Who doesn’t remember the viral “Gangnam Style”? Everyone, right? Well, the K-pop star PSY who gifted the world with the iconic track, made a comeback in 2022 after a five-year hiatus. The announcement of the artist’s ninth full-length album was one of the most significant moments in K-pop this year and immediately created a buzz on social media and elsewhere.
Besides being one of the best K-pop moments, PSY’s comeback also served as a pleasant surprise for the BTS ARMY. The album, titled Psy 9th, with a total of 12 tracks, was led by “That That”, which was co-produced by BTS’ Suga. The South Korean rapper also features in the music video of “That That” and even participated in composing, arranging and writing the lyrics for the song. The music video has over 360 million views on YouTube.
TXT’s first concert, AMA debut and more
Image credit: AMAs/Twitter
Formed by Big Hit Music, popular South Korean boyband TXT made their debut on 4 March 2019 and has never looked back since then. Also known as Tomorrow X Together, the group’s first concert tour, Act:Lovesick, for their second full album The Chaos Chapter: Freeze, and fourth extended play (EP) Minisode 2: Thursday’s Child, served as one of the best K-pop moments of 2022.
Apart from their tour that began on 2 July in Seoul, South Korea, TXT also had the 2022 Weverse Con [New Era] and an incredible show later at Lollapalooza 2022.
However, TXT doesn’t seem to be over with giving us the best moments from K-pop yet. The group made their first appearance at the annual American Music Awards (AMAs) 2022 that took place on 20 November in Los Angeles.
Group members Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Huening Kai also competed in the Best K-Pop Artist category alongside BTS, BLACKPINK and others. They also teased their fans, the MOAs, with the probability of a new album in 2023.
(G)I-DLE adds charm to 2022 with Tomboy
Image credit: G_I_DLE/Twitter
(G)I-DLE has turned out as one of the most successful fourth-generation K-pop girl groups this year. Their 2022 release, Tomboy has become one of the biggest hits in South Korea, so much so that (G)I-DLE is owning the music charts and breaking records repeatedly. The group also earned their first real time All-Kill with the song.
And now with the release of their recent song, “Nxde”, and their first world tour ‘Just Me ( )I-dle’, (G)I-DLE truly gave us some of the best K-pop moments in 2022.
When BLACKPINK gave us Born Pink
Image credit: BLACKPINK/Twitter
The best K-pop moments of 2022 is incomplete without mentioning BLACKPINK. The South Korean girl group is currently one of the biggest in the world and their 2022 activities speak of the same.
BLACKPINK marked six years of togetherness this year and what better gift for Blinks than a comeback and a world tour, right? The group dropped their hit single “Pink Venom” at midnight on 19 August and this was followed by the release of their comeback album Born Pink on 16 September.
BLACKPINK is currently having the time of their lives touring 16 cities globally. The Born Pink world tour began in October 2022 and will continue till June 2023.
With such significant feats, BLACKPINK is finally back in your area and how.
TWICE shines with Twice 4th World Tour III, comeback and Nayeon’s solo debut
Image credit: JYPETWICE/Twitter
2022 made TWICE shine brighter than ever. The K-pop girl group concluded their Twice 4th World Tour III on 15 May 2022, at the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. The tour comprising 14 shows created quite the noise globally, making for one of the best K-pop moments in 2022.
On 26 August, the K-pop superstars surprised fans with their comeback. The 11th mini-album Between 1&2 became the first K-Pop girl group album of 2022 to chart for seven weeks on Billboard 200.
2022 also had TWICE member Nayeon making a powerful solo debut with the release of her mini album IM NAYEON. Its title track “POP” surpassed 100 million YouTube views and garnered multiple music show wins.
K-pop sensation Girls’ Generation’s comeback after five years
Image credit: GirlsGeneration/Twitter
The return of the legendary Girls’ Generation has to be one of the best K-pop moments of 2022. After the five-year hiatus, the girl group made a full-group comeback on their 15th anniversary. Their 7th album FOREVER 1 topped the streaming charts in Korea, Japan and China, and iTunes charts in 31 countries. Fans around the world were hit by nostalgia after their much-awaited comeback.
(Main and Featured Image: Courtesy bts_bighit/Twitter)
According to Big Hit Music, BTS’s music video for their smash hit “Dynamite” surpassed 1.6 billion views on November 22 at approximately 4:26 a.m. KST—making it their second music video to do so after “Boy With Luv,” which reached the milestone earlier this month.
BTS originally released “Dynamite” on August 21, 2020 at 1 p.m. KST, meaning that it took just over 2 years, 3 months, and 15 hours to hit the 1.6 billion mark.
“Dynamite” has now become the fastest K-pop group music video ever to reach 1.6 billion views, breaking the previous record of 2 years, 11 months, 19 days, and 13 hours set by BLACKPINK‘s “DDU-DU DDU-DU.”
Congratulations to BTS on their historic achievement!
Watch the record-breaking music video for “Dynamite” again below:
SEOUL – The 2022 Qatar World Cup kicked off on Sunday with K-pop sensation BTS’ Jungkook unveiling a tournament song, Dreamers, during the opening ceremony.
He is the first South Korean singer to release a World Cup song, which he performed with Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi during the opening ceremony at Al-Bayt Stadium.
The seven-act ceremony lasted about 30 minutes, paying tribute to the 32 participating nations, previous World Cup hosts and volunteers.
Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman and Qatari social media star Ghanim Al-Muftah started the ball rolling with their appearances.
A team of dancers performed the traditional Ardah (sword dance), followed by a parade of the 32 national football teams displaying their flags and mascots.
Appearing below the Qatar World Cup’s mascot La’eeb was Jungkook, dressed in black from head to toe. The 25-year-old singer jumped around the stage with dozens of dancers, singing Dreamers. Fahad, 41, joined midway through the performance.
Dreamers is produced by Grammy-winning Moroccan producer RedOne and the lyrics celebrate “those who boldly follow their goals and dare to dream”, according to Fifa (Federation Internationale de Football Association).
Dreamers was officially released a few hours before the ceremony, and it conquered the iTunes Top Song chart in 100 countries in 12 hours.
From Bad Bunny to BTS, we’re in a golden era of global sounds dominating American culture. There’s never been a more diverse moment in pop music, but it is always important to remember that the artists involved in this movement are not a monolith. They all represent their own paths, their own narratives, and their own ambitions. Even in the K-pop world, the swoony funk-pop of recent BTS hits has a very different appeal than the more cutesy bubblegum of Twice, who in turn stand apart from the fierce confidence of Blackpink. It’s easy for casual music listeners to lump them all together, but on Saturday night at Los Angeles’ Banc Of California Stadium, Blackpink demonstrated themselves to be a singular talent that can’t easily be boxed in.
For one, Blackpink’s music and aesthetic is less defined by K-pop as many of their peers. While their affiliation with YG Entertainment as well as their formation and years of training follow the same path as many of their K-pop counterparts, at this point, their interests seem to be more about putting their own spin on an American representation of pop, rather than the other way around. This puts the four women — Lisa, Jennie, Rosé, and Jisoo — in a unique position, where they can push boundaries and forge their own path in both their music and the way that music is portrayed. On Saturday night, that included everything from all four artists having a twerking competition to Lisa showing off her pole dancing skills. It was hardly R-rated, but definitely stood in contrast to their more all-ages-appropriate contemporaries.
YG Entertainment
Their push for Western appeal has been a smashing success. After being the first female K-pop group to perform at Coachella in 2019, they’ve found themselves playing at this year’s VMAs, covering Rolling Stone, and with their recently released Born Pink, topping the Billboard 200 chart. Saturday night was another milestone that the women noted: their first US stadium gig. The quartet was emotional throughout the set when they’d reflect on their journey, so much so that Jisoo had to turn to her native Korean to properly express herself. But with the expert choreography, pyrotechnics, and a guest appearance from Camila Cabello (performing her own “Liar” with Jisoo), Blackpink proved more than up for the task.
Whereas many K-pop groups feature more members than you can count on one hand, the focused nature of Blackpink (much like one of their inspirations 2NE1) allows for each of the women to hold their own in the spotlight and stand apart. Jennie has been maybe the most visible presence in American culture so far, something that will only increase when she appears with The Weeknd in HBO’s The Idol, where Jisoo holds the distinction of being the member who has yet to release a solo single yet — and feels most rooted in Korean heritage. But live, it is Lisa and Rosé who are the biggest standouts. Lisa’s dancing skills impress in their ease, with the Thai singer/rapper able to hold her beaming smile while making the moves look effortless. Rosé, on the other hand, was clearly the strongest vocalist of the bunch, oftentimes handling the reaching pre-choruses before the entire group would join in for a refrain. While no one wants to think about an eventual breakup, there is already movement from most to have their own solo careers, and all seem to have their own unique formula that could find standalone success.
YG Entertainment
But the best moments of the performance were when their camaraderie showed. During a between-song banter session, the four women strolled from one side of their stadium-spanning stage to the other, seemingly offering an off-the-cuff acapella version of the just performed “Typa Girl.” It was playful and kind of snowballed on itself, with Blackpink laughing through it and eventually noting “I just love that song.” And in the encore, the carefully scripted performance became loose, with the stars galloping around the stage with cameras following them, playing both to the audience in front of them and those watching on the massive screen. The strongest songs, including “How You Like That,” “Heartbreak Girls,” and “As If It’s Your Last” all went over perfectly, but it was often these moments between the songs and outside the choreographed perfection that best brought their fans into their world.
With these being the final dates of a relatively brief American tour, Blackpink could still find more peaks to hit in their continued quest for world domination. They still haven’t landed that ubiquitous smash hit in America or Grammys success or many of the other benchmarks that come with the level they are operating on. The ingredients are there, though. It all feels inevitable.
K-pop band BTS made history at the American Music Awards (AMAs) 2022. The Korean boy band was announced as the winner in not one but two categories.
The K-pop band won the award for ‘Favourite K-pop artist’. The other artists nominated in the category were Blackpink, Seventeen, Tomorrow x Together, and Twice. BTS also won the award for the ‘Favorite Pop Duo or Group’ for the fourth time in a row. It is the first time in AMAs history that an artist has won the award on four occasions.
Interestingly, on previous occasions, the record for most ‘Favorite Pop Duo or Group’ was a tie between five bands, all of whom had won the award nearly three times each. BTS was running the race along with Aerosmith, The Black-Eyed Peas, Hall & Oates, and One Direction previously.
BTS continues to make noise with every single outing. They have also been nominated for the 2023 Grammy Awards. On the flip side, the K-pop band announced its hiatus a while back as they prepare to serve their compulsory military service starting this year. The boy band had also announced a break earlier this year so that they are able to pursue their solo endeavours.
Hosted by Wayne Brady, the American Music Awards 2022 was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on November 19. The AMAs happen to be one of the most-coveted awards and grabbing accolades at the awards show is an honour. Here is the list of winners in key categories.
Winners at the AMAs 2022 in key categories:
Artist of the Year Taylor Swift
New Artist of the Year Dove Cameron
Collaboration of the Year Elton John & Dua Lipa — Cold Heart
Favourite Touring Artist Coldplay
Favourite Music Video Taylor Swift — All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)
![[Weekly Playlist] 성공한 용베베가 준비해온 완벽한 WEi의 플레이리스트! 몬스타엑스 ＜Love Killa＞ ♬ l EP.585](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/N0kfW_pIC6k/hqdefault.jpg)
![Seungmin "예뻤어" Cover (원곡 : DAY6) | [Stray Kids : SKZ-RECORD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9ZXTuvbX8DM/hqdefault.jpg)
