XG’s “Something Ain’t Right” tops this week’s new music poll.
Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (July 26) on Billboard, choosing the Japanese girl group’s catchy dance track as their favorite new music release of the past week.
“Something ain’t right” in the relationship that has XG ranting in their new single, but fans stepped up to make sure everything’s going right for the septet, at least on this week’s new music release poll.
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XG’s fresh track brought in more than 60% of the vote. Voters this week chose “Something Ain’t Right” over new music releases from Fuerza Regida, MGK with Jelly Roll, Halsey, Post Malone with Luke Combs, Ice Spice and more.
“You’ve been acting funny lately/ You ain’t gotta lie/ Got me out here looking crazy/ What you tryna hide?/ Baby, I can’t take it, you can’t fake it/ Something ain’t right/ I know something ain’t right,” XG’s Chisa and Hanata sing on the first verse of the group’s latest, a dance-ready number with a ’90s flavor.
The song is a taste of XG’s forthcoming second mini-album, which is due out Nov. 8; a pre-order is expected to start in early August.
A vibrant music video was unveiled with the track that has Chisa, Cocona, Harvey, Hinata, Juria, Jurin and Maya flawlessly showing off sleek choreography and cool, confident style.
Among the new music trailing behind “Something Ain’t Right” on this week’s poll is Fuerza Regida’s new album Pero No Te Enamores, with 14% of the vote, and MGK and Jelly Roll’s collab “Lonely Road,” with 10% of the vote.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-07-29 03:08:432024-07-29 03:08:43Fans Choose XG’s ‘Something Ain’t Right’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music
Lady Gaga called Michael Polansky her fiancé, seemingly revealing the couple is engaged, while introducing him to French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
“My fiancé, Michael,” Gaga is heard casually saying in a clip the prime minister posted on TikTok Sunday night (July 28). The short video shows Attal briefly hugging the singer and shaking hands with Polansky, Lady Gaga’s partner of more than four years, at an Olympic event.
Billboard reached out to a representative for Lady Gaga for comment.
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Gaga and Polansky have been publicly dating since early 2020; she made their relationship Instagram official with a post that February. In an interview a couple months later, she referred to Polansky as “the love of my life.”
Prime Minister Attal didn’t mention the pair’s apparent engagement on TikTok, instead focusing on the pop star’s show-stopping Friday night performance in Paris: “Thank you Lady Gaga for your stunning performance at the opening ceremony,” he wrote in a caption. “It was breathtaking.”
The multi-talented superstar — who will take over the big screen as Harley Quinn in Joker: Folieà Deux alongside Joaquin Phoenix when the movie hits theaters Oct. 4 — was the first artist to take the stage during the opening ceremony of the Olympics, providing her version of Parisian cabaret-style entertainment ahead of this summer’s games. Lady Gaga performed the French-language “Mon Truc en Plume” (“My Thing With Feathers”) in a highly choreographed, but playful, routine that led her from a long staircase to a piano.
While in France, Lady Gaga surprised Parisian fans on Sunday with the smallest teaser of music from her forthcoming, much-anticipated seventh studio album.
A thumping, dance-ready snippet off of LG7, and another teaser leaning more rock — both heard in the clip below — was played on the street from a vehicle’s rooftop while Gaga pumped her fist and spectators screamed. She also popped out from the car at one point to join a crowd sing-along of her A Star Is Born track “Always Remember Us This Way.”
“I’m so deeply touched by my French fans this week outside the hotel,” she wrote in an Instagram Story just before coming outside to play the song. “I’m gonna come out and say goodbye tonight with a few seconds of #LG7.”
The as-yet-untitled LG7 will be the follow-up to 2020’s Billboard 200 chart-topping album Chromatica, which was Gaga’s sixth set to debut at No. 1.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-07-29 03:08:422024-07-29 03:08:42Lady Gaga Appears to Be Engaged to Michael Polansky, Calling Him ‘My Fiancé’ at 2024 Olympics in Paris
As Stray Kids’ new album ATEopens at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart (dated Aug. 3), they become the first group ever to debut at No. 1 with their first five charting albums.
Stray Kids previously debuted atop the chart with ODDINARY, MAXIDENT (both in 2022), ROCK-STAR and 5-STAR (both in 2023).
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The only other act to debut at No. 1 with its first five chart entries was rapper DMX in 1998-2003 with It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998), Flesh of My Flesh Blood of My Blood (1999), …And Then There Was X (2000), The Great Depression (2001) and Grand Champ (2003).
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Aug. 3, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard’s website on July 30. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
ATE arrives with 232,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending July 25, according to Luminate. That’s the largest week of 2024 for any K-pop album, and the sixth-biggest debut for any album this year.
The Billboard 200 began publishing on a regular, weekly basis in March of 1956. For context, today it’s common for albums to debut at No. 1. However, before 1991, when the Billboard 200 began utilizing Luminate’s electronically monitored tracking information, only six albums debuted at No. 1.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-07-29 03:08:412024-07-29 03:08:41Stray Kids Become First Group to Debut at No. 1 on Billboard 200 With First Five Chart Entries
Taylor Swift‘s live version of “…Ready for It?” from The Eras Tour is the soundtrack to a new NBC commercial promoting the network’s coverage of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Swift shared the ad Saturday night (July 27) on Instagram, following her concert at Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany, where she’s performing twice this weekend.
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“So ready to scream at my tv cheering for these athletes,” she wrote in an Instagram Story, adding a gold medal emoji to her comment while sharing a reel of the “…Ready for It?” promo.
“Baby Let The Games Begin. #WeAreReadyForIt, @taylorswift. Primetime in Paris: 8/7c on NBC and Peacock #ParisOlympics,” the official NBC Olympics account wrote about the ad themed to Swift’s bold Reputation album opener.
The spot features U.S. Olympic stars including Noah Lyles, LeBron James, Carissa Moore, Jagger Eaton and more, with Simone Biles appearing at the end of the ad for the 2024 Olympics on NBC.
“Are you guys ready for it?” the famed gymnast asks with a big grin.
“We’ve got superstars and we’ve got legends. We’ve got big dreamers who fought their whole lives to get here. Who gave up everything for one shot, and made it. That pride and that joy? That’s what gets me about this team. And that’s what makes me believe in this team,” Beyonce, in a red, white and blue leotard, announced in the clip, which featured a patriotic rendition of Cowboy Carter track “YA YA.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-07-28 03:03:002024-07-28 03:03:00Taylor Swift Reacts to ‘…Ready for It?’ Olympics Ad on NBC: ‘Ready to Scream at My TV Cheering for These Athletes’
Nick Jonas remembers the “Disney Games” in a very specific way: “like Love Island on crack.”
Jonas, who tells Jimmy Fallon he skipped the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony to visit The Tonight Show, appeared on NBC’s late-night show Friday, July 26. (The singer mentioned plans to head to Paris for the games later on, with friend/designer Ralph Lauren, who dressed him for his wedding with Priyanka Chopra in 2018.)
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“You never competed in the Olympics,” Fallon pointed out. “You did, however, compete in the Disney Games.”
“What do you remember about this time of your life?” the host asked the Jonas Brother.
“So much hair,” joked Jonas, looking at a photo circa his youthful Disney star days.
“For those that don’t know,” Jonas explained, “the Disney Channel Games were basically the Olympics, but they would bring in 100ish Disney Channel stars from all over the world and make us compete in silly games.”
Then he revealed where the real fun came in: “What it really was, was like Love Island on crack. They would put a bunch of teenagers in the Disney park after hours and just say, ‘Let’s see what happens.’”
Friday’s episode of The Tonight Show, with musical guest Ice Spice performing “Did It First/Think U The Shit (Fart),” also had a bonus: a pre-taped segment starring Will Ferrell, Nick Jonas and Jimmy Fallon performing a song about jorts, a sweet summer staple for the trio.
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In the musical sketch about jorts, Fallon and Ferrell bring the basics — “I’m in my jorts/ I’m in my jort shorts/ I’m in in my jorts/ Jean shorts/ That means jorts” — and Jonas jumps in to jazz things up.
“I wear my jorts every day of the week/ They start at my hips and they end at my knees/ And if you see me you’ll know that I’m in ‘em/ They’re jorts and they’re short and they’re totally denim,” he sings on the spot, vying to join the jorts troupe.
Watch Jimmy Fallon’s latest interview with Nick Jonas, plus their “Jorts” sketch with Will Ferrell, below.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-07-28 03:02:592024-07-28 03:02:59Nick Jonas Compares Disney Channel Games to ‘Love Island’ on Crack, Sings Ode to ‘Jorts’ With Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The moto-style jacket was designed for Team USA to wear during the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. It features the official logo patch of the U.S. Olympic Team and appliqués inspired by the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Beyonce Introduces Team USA in Epic Video During Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony: Watch
In addition to rocking Team USA gear, Beyoncé also starred in a Team USA commercial that premiered during the Open Ceremony on Friday. She reworked her Cowboy Carter track “Yaya” to introduce Team USA in a pre-recorded video. “We’ve got superstars and we’ve got legends,” she says in the video. “We’ve got big dreamers who fought their whole lives to get here. Who gave up everything for one shot and made it. That pride and that joy? That’s what gets me about this team. And that’s what makes me believe in this team.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-07-28 03:02:592024-07-28 03:02:59Beyoncé Sports Team USA Jacket on Instagram: Here’s Where You Can Buy It
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Let the games begin! The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics launched with an extravagant Opening Ceremony, featuring performances from Lady Gaga and Celine Dion and a cameo from Beyoncé.
The Olympic games officially start on Saturday (July 27) with rugby, women’s volleyball, men’s basketball, cycling, surfing and swimming among the roster. Coverage of the Summer Olympics will air live on NBC and stream on Peacock.
Below, find out ways to stream the Olympics online for free from anywhere around the globe.
Where to Watch the 2024 Summer Olympics
The Olympic games will broadcast live on NBC and stream on Peacock from July 26-Aug. 11. Olympics coverage will also air on USA Network — including men’s volleyball, water polo and fencing. Simulcast coverage will be available on E!, Telemundo, CNBC and Golf Channel.
NBC will air live coverage of the Olympics in the morning and afternoon. Primetime coverage starts at 8 p.m. If you need access to local channels like NBC or USA and other cable networks, you can stream them live with a free trial from DIRECTV, Hulu+ Live TV and Fubo.
Verizon Fios offers live TV and affordable internet plans, and ExpressVPN allows you stream internationally.
You can access these platforms from any compatible device — a TV, laptop, smart phone, etc.
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How to Watch the Olympics on Peacock
The 2024 Summer Olympic games will stream exclusively on Peacock.
Plans start at $7.99/month for Peacock Premium, the ad-supported package with access to the 2024 Olympics, and thousands of hours of other sports and entertainment.
Peacock Premium Plus is $13.99/month to stream without commercials and live access to NBC.
Want to watch the Olympics in Spanish? Peacock will livestream coverage from Telemundo and Universo in addition to offering 50 hours of replays and other content in Spanish.
How to Watch the Olympics on DIRECTV
In the internet age, streaming is the easiest way to watch the Summer Olympics online. Thankfully, there are a few ways to watch the games without spending extra money up front. For example, you can subscribe to DIRECTV Stream and score a free trial for the first five days, plus access to NBC and other local channels: USA, ESPN, Bravo, E!, TBS, TLC and much more.
DIRECTV Stream plans start at $79.99 a month, plus you get free Max, Paramount+ Showtime and STARZ for three months when you subscribe to the Choice or Ultimate plan. Peacock is also available at a discount for DIRECTV subscribers.
How to Watch the Olympics on Sling TV
Sling TV offers cable channels such as USA, ESPN, TLC, Disney Channel and FX in addition to local channels in certain regions.
Sling’s Orange streaming packages start at $40/month. Sling Orange offers 34 channels, and Sling Blue has 46 channels. Sling also offers a combination of both tiers for $60 a month.
All three Sling TV packages include DVR storage and streaming from multiple devices. You can subscribe to Sling for as low as $20 for the first month, or secure a discount by prepaying Sling Blue two months in advance.
How to Watch the Olympics on Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV is another affordable streaming platform that comes with a free trial, and access to NBC, USA and other channels. The membership includes Hulu’s streaming library, over 90+ live channels, plus Disney+ and ESPN+.
2024 Summer Olympics Schedule: Basketball, Gymnastics & More
The Olympic games will feature archery, artistic swimming, badminton, basketball, 3×3 basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, breakdancing, canoeing, cycling, diving, equestrian, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, handball, judo, modern pentathlon, rhythmic gymnastics, rowing, rugby, sailing, shooting, skateboarding, soccer, sport climbing, surfing, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, track and field, trampoline, triathlon, volleyball, water polo, weightlifting and wrestling.
Simone Biles, Shakari Richardson, Katie Ledecky, LeBron James, Steph Curry and other star athletes will be competing for Team USA this year. If you want to catch Team USA Gymnastics featuring Biles, Jade Cary, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee and Hezly Rivera, competitions start on Sunday, July 28.
The women’s gymnastics qualifications will be held from 3:30 a.m.-4:30 a.m ET on Sunday. The men’s gymnastics round was held on Saturday.
The men’s team final is scheduled for Monday, July 29, followed by the women’s final on Tuesday, July 30. The all-around finals for the men’s team will be on Wednesday, July 31, and women’s all-around finals will be on Thursday, Aug. 1.
Men’s basketball kicks off on Saturday with group stage matchups between Australia vs. Spain, France vs. Brazil, Greece vs. Canada and Germany vs. Japan.
On Sunday, Team USA will face off against Serbia in men’s basketball, while South Sudan will face Puerto Rico in the men’s group phase. Team USA men’s basketball returns to the court on July 31 against South Sudan.
Women’s basketball also starts on Sunday with Spain vs. China and Serbia vs. Puerto Rico. Team USA will play Japan on July 29 and Belgium on Aug. 1
Men’s and women’s first-round tennis matches will be held on Saturday and Sunday. The first, second and third round matches are scheduled for July 29-30. The men’s singles third round, women’s singles quarterfinals, men’s doubles semifinals, women’s doubles quarterfinals and mixed doubles quarterfinals are on July 31. The men’s singles quarterfinals, women’s singles semifinals, women’s doubles semifinals and mixed doubles semifinals are on Aug. 1.
Swimming starts Saturday and will be held each day through Aug. 4. The women’s 10K open water finals are slated for Aug. 8. The men’s 10K open water finals will be on Aug. 9.
Olympics track and field competitions will be held from Aug. 1-11.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-07-28 03:02:572024-07-28 03:02:57How to Watch the 2024 Summer Olympics: All the Ways to Stream the Games Online Free
A month after The Outsiders: A New Musical took home four Tony Awards, including best musical, the original Broadway cast recording of the show hits No. 1 on Billboard’s Cast Albums chart. The set re-enters the July 27-dated chart at No. 1, following the album’s CD release. The album had previously been available to purchase only as a digital download, initially peaking at No. 4 on the June 1 chart.
Billboard’s Cast Albums chart ranks the top-selling cast recordings of the week in the U.S., based on traditional album sales, according to data tracking firm Luminate.
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The album, released via Masterworks Broadway/Sony Masterworks, could see an additional sales boost in the coming weeks, as it is slated for release on vinyl on Aug. 9.
The Outsiders, with music and lyrics by Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, opened at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in New York on April 11 and has scheduled performances through January 2025. The show is based on the S.E. Hinton novel and the 1983 film of the same name.
At the June 16 Tony Awards, of its dozen nominations, The Outsiders brought home the awards for best musical, best direction of a musical (Danya Taymor), best lighting design of a musical (Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim) and best sound design of a musical (Cody Spencer). Among the show’s nominations were a trio of nods for actors Brody Grant (best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical), Joshua Boone and Sky Lakota-Lynch (best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical).
If you’ve ever attended a K-pop concert, holding an artist’s official “light stick” is a crucial aspect of the viewing experience. At the Paris 2024 Olympics Games, Team Korea will embrace this special aspect of K-pop super fandom with its own light sticks, an official cheer song, and more in partnership with industry leader HYBE.
Usually a handheld device with a plastic tubing and a glowing top, light sticks aren’t one-time-use glowsticks but are personalized for each act with specific colors, markers, and designs that become a way for fans and artists to enjoy the live experience together. BTS has an “ARMY BOMB” light stick with a black stand and clear globe atop that can represent said “bomb” and glow a spectrum of colors in rhythm to the group’s music thanks to Bluetooth technology. An artist revealing an official light stick is considered an important career step and signals upcoming concerts.
While HYBE just unveiled the light stick for one of its newest boy bands, BOYNEXTDOOR, less than six months ago, the company’s business unit, HYBE IPX, has been simultaneously in conversation with the Olympic Games to bring its technology to inspire similar fandom to Paris. The company will provide specially designed “Team Korea Light Sticks” to support South Korea’s national team competing in the games. Designed with inspiration from the Olympic torch and stadium, the light sticks utilize the same tech and expertise at HYBE artists’ concerts to change colors and glow in sync with chants.
“Centralized control is the most outstanding technology that differentiates us from others,” explains Seung Suk Rhee, President of HYBE IPX, in an exclusive interview with Billboard. “Simply put, we can easily control light sticks dispersed in a large space from a centralized console box. We can make variations according to the occasion, starting from K-pop concerts to theme park rides.”
The newly unveiled light stick for Team Korea coordinates with this year’s official cheer anthem, “Fighting,” by SEVENTEEN’s BSS and Lee Young-Ji, which comes with its own accompanying challenge.
“It’s going to be incredibly moving to see the large crowd coming together with one spirit, singing our song in unison to cheer for the athletes,” BSS tells Billboard in a statement. “We’re very proud and honored that ‘Fighting,” featuring Lee Young-Ji, could contribute to the excitement for Team Korea athletes at such a historic sports festival.This is all thanks to [our fans] CARATs, who have shown so much love for the song since last year, and we’re once again filled with gratitude for our fans. Through the song’s energetic beat and fun lyrics boosting the passion and enthusiasm for cheering, we hope to pass on BSS’ positivity and energy to Team Korea athletes. We’re rooting for them all the way to enjoy their moment and achieve their goals with all our hearts.”
Speaking more about how the K-pop light stick made its way to the Olympics and where it can go next, read on for more with HYBE IPX President Seung Suk Rhee.
When did the opportunity to create light sticks for Team Korea come about?
Starting early summer last year, with the Olympic Games Paris 2024 generating significant global momentum, we explored ways to integrate this event into HYBE. We decided that introducing light sticks would be ideal, as they represent the concept of “cheer” and “support” which is equally crucial for both music fans and sports enthusiasts. We approached the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee with this idea and found a mutual understanding to lead the cheering culture, setting sail on the light stick project.
The most crucial factor was the design. We couldn’t just create any light stick but had to come up with a design that symbolizes our country as the national flag, Taegeukgi, does. To maintain the unique shape of a light stick while making it instantly recognizable as a national flag, we incorporated motifs of a torch and a stadium into the final design.
The design is centered on a simple white aesthetic with a shape that echoes a torch or a flame. The light rays, which change colors or flash with each button press, are inspired by the Olympic symbols — including the five circles of blue, red, yellow, green, and black. Since black cannot be produced with light, we replaced it with white, the background color of the Olympic flag, and added a touch of gold, inspired by the logo of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Considering a design that reflects the identity of the Olympics, we also ensured that it blends in with Team Korea’s official uniforms.
What should fans and viewers look out for when the light sticks are televised Opening Ceremony?
Personally, what makes it even more exciting, is that it will be the first time that HYBE’s light stick will be showcased in front of a worldwide audience of each and every nationality. Since Team Korea athletes will make an entrance to the Opening Ceremony holding Team Korea Official Digital Flag, we hope to contribute to spreading out the Olympic spirit, even if it is in the slightest way possible.
The light stick carried by Team Korea athletes features the Korean flag attached to the Team Korea Official Light Stick, standard version provided to the Korean audience. Firstly, we wanted to strengthen the connection between the athletes and their fans. Secondly, we aimed for it to represent the Taegeukgi in a new form rather than just being a light stick. That’s why we also named it the Team Korea Official Digital Flag.
What was the most challenging part of creating this opportunity?
All members part of my team have been working on this project with great gravity. Of course we’ve experienced pressure coming from the magnitude of the event, even with concerts hosted by HYBE artists in arenas. However, this is the first time that we will be putting out our light sticks in front of the world to see. Even more so, this will be the first time that Team Korea athletes will be holding a light stick instead of an ordinary national flag at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games. We hope that our light sticks can contribute to igniting the Olympic spirit amongst Team Korea.
How did discussions to bring SEVENTEEN’s BSS and their song “Fighting” as the official cheer song for Team Korea come together?
BSS’ “Fighting,” featuring Lee Young-Ji, emits the most fitting message and the mood for a festive event, especially when the athletes need all the support that they can get. We wanted to keep the excitement going throughout the Olympic Games Paris 2024 for Team Korea, and make it a song that the fans will remember for years to come. We will be playing “Fighting” as one of the cheering anthems at Korea House in Paris, where the cheering event for Team Korea will take place.
What does an opportunity like this say about K-pop and K-pop fandom?
At HYBE, we don’t see K-pop fans and sports fans as different. We believe that fandoms, whether they’re for sports, games, movies, anime, or theme parks, share a common core “passion.” While they may look different on the outside, they are all driven by the same heartfelt desire to cheer for and support something or someone they love. Whether sports fans wear jerseys and chant slogans, or K-pop fans wave light sticks, they are sending the same message: “I support you.” From this perspective, we realized that we could create a new form of cheering culture by introducing HYBE’s light stick to the sports world. We believe that fans are constantly evolving by actively participating and sending their energy to artists and athletes in various ways.
HYBE IPX first extended this tech beyond music with the Korean esports team T1 for the League of Legends Champions tournament this summer. How did this idea come to be?
It’s been long since we have been preparing for an outbound project that could showcase our light stick technology to a wider audience, even beyond the music industry. With this in mind, we’ve been discussing new opportunities with partners in various fields. We’re currently discussing various collaborations for a long-term partnership, the first of which is the T1 OFFICIAL LIGHT BAND that was first showcased at T1’s “Home Ground” event in late June. HYBE’s production team helped direct the light bands throughout the event.
Can you share more about HYBE IPX and your role in the company?
HYBE IPX is a business unit that focuses on creating boundless opportunities based on artist IP and delivering fresh experiences to fans. We develop official merchandise for events like tours and birthdays, offer licensed products that bring artist characters and IP into everyday use, and host global pop-up stores that provide fans with unique and immersive experiences. HYBE’s light sticks, now expanding into sports and esports beyond music, are designed, produced, and supplied by HYBE IPX, the mastermind behind the light stick technology.
In addition, HYBE IPX spearheads the planning and execution of collaborative IP projects with multiple labels and other business units within HYBE, including BTS 10th Anniversary FESTA in 2023 and “THE CITY” projects…SEVENTEEN ‘FOLLOW’ THE CITY BANGKOK in 2023, with another exciting edition coming soon in August at ENHYPEN World Tour “FATE PLUS” THE CITY JAKARTA. Brand ambassadorships, commercials, and various partnerships involving HYBE artists are also part of our business.
As the leader of the organization responsible for these various initiatives and projects, I’m fully committed to ensuring that fans have an exceptional experience with the artists they love, as well as creating opportunities for them to connect and enjoy memorable experiences together.
HYBE said, “With this original light stick system, HYBE aims to extend the K-pop-originated innovations to festivals and arenas worldwide.” Can you explain this more?
I’m sure you’ve been to concerts hosted by K-pop artists or labels. The moment you step foot in the arena, you’ll see fans waving light sticks to support their favorite artists. It is a special culture and technology nurtured within the K-pop industry. “Superfans,” which may be the most trending keyword in the music industry these days, are not limited to the music industry, but they also exist in other industries such as sports, esports, and animation. We’ve witnessed K-pop fans crying, laughing, cheering in happiness [while] raising their light sticks up high. We wish to extend this stirring moment to worldwide fans, no matter who their favorites are.
From the executives interested in this technology to the fans who buy and use light sticks, what else do you want readers to know at this time?
At HYBE, we believe that light sticks are more than just a tool for cheering. It is a way that fans use to show their support for their favorite artists, and athletes, and a medium to create a sense of fellowship with other fans and a “fan culture” that has ripened over time. It’s also a way for fans to take part in stage performances or events and interact with other fans as well as the artists who are on stage. Cherishing the value, we will continue to make efforts to further expand the K-pop originated light stick culture to various areas.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-07-27 03:04:542024-07-27 03:04:54How HYBE’s IPX Business Unit Brought a Unique Aspect of K-Pop Fandom to the Paris 2024 Olympics Games
Investment giant Apollo Global Management is backing Sony Music Group to the tune of $700 million to help the company fund music acquisitions, it was announced Friday (July 26).
The deal could provide the financial assistance needed for Sony’s planned acquisition of Queen‘s recording and music publishing catalogs. Sources have told Billboard the band is seeking $1.2 billion for its catalogs and ancillary income streams, and Bloombergreported in May that Sony Music was working with another investor on the deal.
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“We are pleased to provide a bespoke capital solution to an affiliate of one of the world’s leading companies,” said Apollo partner Jamshid Ehsani in a statement. “This investment allows our clients to invest in high grade securities while helping Sony to execute its business plans.”
Apollo, which has $671 billion of assets under management, isn’t a newcomer to music intellectual property. The firm is the financial backer of HarborView Equity Partners, an investment firm launched in 2021 by Sherrese Clarke Soares, co-founder and former CEO of Tempo Music. In 2011, Apollo acquired CKx, Inc., the owner of American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance producer 19 Entertainment.
Music companies occasionally partner with financial companies to acquire catalogs. In fact, Sony has taken this route before: In 2021, the company joined with Eldridge to pay $500 million for Bruce Springsteen‘s recorded music and publishing catalogs. (Eldridge is an investor in Billboard‘s owner, Penske Media Corporation.) In 2023, Shamrock Holdings joined Universal Music Group’s $200 million acquisition of some income streams and music assets of hip-hop producer and artist Dr. Dre.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-07-27 03:04:532024-07-27 03:04:53Sony Music Receives $700M from Apollo Global for Music Investments