Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, Africa’s premier diva Angélique Kidjo and one of the world’s most performed classical composers, Arvo Pärt, were honored as Laureates at the royal Polar Music Prize ceremony and banquet in Stockholm tonight. Blackwell, Kidjo and Pärt’s son Michael accepted their prestigious awards from the hands of King Carl XVI Gustaf at the Scandinavian city’s Grand Hotel.
The Polar Music Prize was first presented to Paul McCartney and the Baltic States in 1992 after it was founded and funded by Stig “Stikkan” Anderson, manager of ABBA and a songwriter in his own right, as well as a music publisher and label owner.
At the early evening royal ceremony, Blackwell, Kidjo and Arvo Pärt’s son Michael all gave heartfelt acceptance speeches. Blackwell told the audience of over 300 people, “There is nothing easy about the act of creating music…There is only one question – what is more important? To be heard or to hear? When you listen to others, you find the space to understand their many possibilities. It allows you to bring forth what is already there….My hope is that we all continue to make music, to use music as a shared human endeavor that evokes joy and delight and connects communities and generations together in a language of harmony. That I hope, is my legacy. With all those I have worked with, over the last 50 years.”
After Kidjo received her prize, she said, “I started my career at the age of six when my dear mother shoved me on stage in front of a live audience. I was so scared that I could feel my whole skeleton shaking. But the audience started to laugh and clap. It made me feel good, it made me feel at home. Since that day I haven’t left the stage!” Kidjo then credited fellow Laureate Blackwell for changing her life when he signed her to Island Records in the 1980s. “I had sent my music to every record company in Paris. No one was interested, no one cared.”
Then the African activist Mamadou Konté sent it to “someone in Jamaica who showed true passion for my work, signed me right away and started me down the path to success. This person was Chris Blackwell. He has allowed me to build these bridges between all the beautiful music and peoples of the world, so that we can celebrate our common humanity.”
Speaking on behalf of his father, who sent a video statement from his home in Estonia, Michael Pärt said, “My father would like to express his heartfelt gratitude to the Polar Music Prize committee, as well as to all the musicians and listeners who have supported his music throughout the years. Arvo sends his love to all of you here tonight. My father’s music is a reminder of…the things that unite us rather than divide us. It is a call to love, to empathy, and to understanding.”
The ceremony and the royal banquet that followed was filled with performances from artists celebrating the Laureates. Swedish singer/songwriter Lisa Ekdahl and Lebanese trumpet player Ibrahim Maalouf performed Kidjo’s “Choose Love” from her 2021 album Mother Nature while Kidjo sang along and got up to dance from her seat in the front rows. Later, Kidjo spontaneously jumped up on stage to dance along to the Marseille-born Beninese singer Ysee’s performance of Kidjo’s composition “Agolo.”
One of Sweden’s most popular male singers, Benjamin Ingrosso, impressed the audience with his powerful rendition of “Wild World,” from the songbook of one of Blackwell’s most successful signings, Cat Stevens. As he sang the last notes, Yusuf/Cat Stevens rose up from the audience and embraced Ingrosso on stage.
Swedish singer/songwriter Anna Ternheim, performed “Love Is The Drug” by another of Blackwell’s most celebrated signings, Roxy Music. The band’s guitarist, Phil Manzanera, applauded her performance from his vantage point in the company of the royal family.
Near the end of the hours-long affair, Polar Music Prize managing director Marie Ledin, the daughter of Stig Anderson, paid tribute to her visionary father for creating the prize, as well as her late mother, Gudrun. She also thanked Kidjo for providing the recipe for the incredibly delicious dark chocolate cake with whipped Tonka ganache, blackened apricots and fresh raspberries that was served for dessert. Ledin also thanked the royal family for their decades-long support of the Prize, as well as her brothers Lasse and Anders for their continuing work with the Prize.
Blackwell, Kidjo and Pärt join a long list of Laureates who have been awarded the Prize over the last 31 years, including Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris, B. B. King, Ennio Morricone, Sting, Renée Fleming, Elton John, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, Quincy Jones, Joni Mitchell, Yo-Yo Ma, Max Martin, Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Patti Smith, Wayne Shorter, Björk, Metallica, Diane Warren, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Ray Charles, Grandmaster Flash and Isaac Stern.
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Graduation season has arrived! The last few years have been challenging for all students, so it makes sense that the class of 2023 has so much to celebrate. When it comes to gift options, you can’t really go wrong with gift cards or a maybe a streaming subscription, but if you’ve been searching for a wider variety of thoughtful, affordable or splurge-worthy gifts, we’ve put together a list of over a two dozen of the best gifts for high school, college grads and more.
From meaningful keepsakes to must-have gadgets, see our roundup of great gift ideas below.
Amazon
2023 New Graduation Gift Money Holder, DIY Double-Layer Cash Holders with 25 Holes
Joycuff has snagged over 26,000 positive customer reviews at Amazon, and this personalized cuff is among the fan favorites! The budget-friendly, grad bracelet features an uplifting message and it arrives in a cute little gift box.
“Life is what happens when you’re making plans,” but it doesn’t hurt to write your goals down anyway. This unique card deck inspires graduates (and anyone, really) to formulate a life plan for the next decade. The deck includes a guidebook, 30 prompts and a journal to track you progress.
Beats Studio Buds are now available in a transparent design, in addition to ebony black/gold and ivory. The popular earbuds deliver immersive sound for listening to music but also taking calls and more. The battery lasts for up to 36 hours (27 hours in the case and nine hours outside of the case).
Amazon
Apple iPad (9th Generation): with A13 Bionic chip, 10.2-inch Retina Display, 64GB, Wi-Fi, 12MP front/8MP Back Camera, Touch ID, All-Day Battery Life – Silver
For the new grad who could use a tablet or notebook. This ninth generation iPad is on sale for less than $300. The device is equipped with a 10.2-inch retina display with an ultra-wide front camera, A13 Bionic chip and a battery that lasts all day for reading, browsing the web, watching videos, streaming music and more.
Personalization Mall
This personalized frame is perfect for commemorating academic achievements. The glass frame features reverse-laser engraving; it measures 8 x 11 inches document and a 4-inch x 6-inch photo — and it’s on sale for $23. Find more frames here.
For the grad who could use a professional camera, Sony’s ZV-1 20.1 megapixel digital camera is perfect for dedicated vloggers and novices. The 4K digital camera captures video and photo, fast-action optical speed and 44x digital zoom. The camera has high-speed, continuous shooting capabilities with 20.1 MP sensor and up to 24 fps of continuous shooting and a three-inch LDC screen.
You can’t go wrong with a sturdy weekend bag. Designed to keep you organized for short and longer trips, this Coach duffle bag features a removable shoulder strap with ample space inside and a convenient side pocket. Click here for a selection of affordable duffle bags.
Looking for an affordable cologne? Maison Margiela’s Replica is a unisex fragrance with a large fan following. The “By the Fire” scent features spicy and woody notes of clove oil, chestnut, pink pepper, orange flower and vanilla layered above a woody base.
Have more room in the fragrance budget? Versace’s Bright Crystal Perfume has earned hundreds of positive customer reviews for its fresh and floral scent. Bright Crystal perfume serves up a lovely fruity and floral fragrance featuring pomegranate, lotus flower, peony, vegetal amber, acajou and musk.
A new adventure begins! Gift a graduate with a motivational bracelet that comes with an inspirational card to help motivate them through this new chapter.
Looking for a more expensive piece of jewelry? Try a personalized necklace like the one featured above LeahJessica Jewelry. The Southern California-based jewelry brand carries necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets and other pieces that are perfect for gifting, no matter the occasion. The LJ Hand Cut Name Necklace can be made in rose gold, sterling silver, 14k yellow, white or rose gold and measures approximately 7mm.
Life is all about capturing memories, and who doesn’t love a picture-perfect selfie? The pint-sized Polaroid Go instant camera measures 5.9-inches tall and 3.33-inches wide, making it small enough to slip right into a pocket or bag. This pocket-sized camera is available in white, black or red.
It’s never too soon to start checking off that bucket list! This gift-worthy keepsake allows you to keep your adventures in one place. The Bucket List Journal has enough space to document 20 bucket list experiences and it comes packaged in a mini keepsake bag with a foil-printed mini pencil.
Regardless of whether you’re graduating, retiring or just getting started, finding joy is a key component to happiness. Gift a lucky grad with a wellness journal covered in “happy stripes.”
For long commutes, studying, working or gaming, headphones make a great gift, and you can usually find a decent pair on sale like these Marshall Major IV Bluetooth headphones, or Beats Solo 3 Wireless Headphones ($129). Both are designed to immerse listeners in rich sound, plus they’re durable and foldable and provide up to 80 hours of battery life.
Vinyl records are still a popular form of music media, so if you know a grad who could use a record player, this vintage-style Crosley Bluetooth turntable is a thoughtful gift item that can be treasured for years to come. It’s also available in a bunch of different colors. See more record players and turntables here.
Another nod to the grad who’s going places! Calpak’s Luka Laptop Bag is equipped with padded shoulder straps, multiple compartments, heavy-duty zippers and a luggage sleeve. The bag is available in over a dozen colors including watermelon, khaki, green apple, celery, winter sky, dijon, matte black, chocolate, rose quartz and oatmeal.
Know anyone who needs a nice luggage set? This vintage, personalized suitcase from Etsy includes a matching hat box. The set is available in a handful of colors including pink, blue, green, plaid and floral.
Smart watches are great, but there’s nothing like a classic timepiece. Nixon’s Sentry Chrono watch features a 45mm dial, stainless steel case and double-lock clasp. The watch is available in gunmetal, matte black/gold, gold/blue-sunray, all gold, and all gold/black.
Gift a grad with rich, immersive sound in the form of a 9.85 pound speaker. Sonos Era 300 offers up wall-to-wall sound without taking up too much space. Available in black or white, Era 300 can power through all of your favorite playlists with ease. It’s equipped with dual woofers, four tweeters and compatible with Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and Amazon Music. If you’re shopping for a handheld, portable bluetooth speaker, try the Marshall Emberton.
The nice thing about this graduation board is that it works as a party favor, a personalized grad gift or a fun alternative to the typical graduation book. The board measures 11 inches x 17 inches and at less than $15, you’ll have room in the budget for a second gift.
It’s not easy crossing the finish line. Gift your grad with a funny T-shirt that expresses just how it feels to pass all of your classes and walk the graduation stage. This cotton tee is available in 10 different colors and in sizes ranging from S-3X Large.
A fresh pair of kicks for the graduate! New Balance‘s Unisex 580’s features an OG design with a modern upgrade. The retro-style shoe is available in blue and black.
The Tote Bag by Marc Jacobs has an adjustable strap providing convenient carrying capabilities for the roomy canvas tote that folds flat for easy storage or travel. This tote is available at MarcJacobs.com, Nordstrom, Amazon and other retailers.
Yes, it might seem odd to gift classes to a new graduate, but this isn’t your average course! Choose from over 150 classes in categories that include music, wellness, sports & gaming, writing, science & tech, business, arts and entertainment. Mariah Carey, John Legend, Questlove, Christina Aguilera, Gordon Ramsay, Gloria Steinem, Hillary Clinton, Bill Nye, and Lewis Hamilton are some of the popular Masterclass courses available.
For the post-grad in need of a new computer, MacBooks are among the best. This 2023 model is equipped with a 14.2-inch display screen and the Apple-designed M2 Pro chip offering a faster and more improved CPU, GPU and machine learning performance.
Having the right equipment can vastly improve your game. This gaming chair makes a nice graduation gift for gamers and it’s one of the more affordable, and highly-rated options that you’ll find at Amazon. It features an ergonomic design with an adjustable, swivel seat and a weight capacity of 350 pounds. Find more gaming gift ideas and deal at Amazon’s Gaming Week hub.
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Sony Music Group chairman Rob Stringer said on Tuesday (May 23) that the company is focused on the fight against low-quality content — which he called ”the lowest common denominator” — flooding top streaming platforms.
“We have to look after the premium quality artists at the top of our business,” Stringer said during a company-wide presentation to investors. “We think that’s what draws people to [digital service providers].”
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The Music Business Is Finally Starting to Pay Attention to Streaming Fraud
It’s top Sony artists like Harry Styles, Beyonce, SZA and Miley Cyrus who draw subscribers to the streaming platforms, Stringer said, before calling on those platforms to regulate “poor quality content” and streaming fraud and/or move to new payment models that disincentivize that content.
Stringer was also peppered with questions about artificial intelligence and the impact it may have on Sony, for better or worse. Striking an overall positive tone, Stringer said he’s optimistic about the ways in which AI can be used to police the unauthorized use of Sony’s copyrighted material and to enhance musicians’ artistry.
“We’re in the early stages of AI in terms of how it can be developed for the music business,” Stringer said. “We are particularly interested in the tech that can protect our content so that when musical content goes through the generative AI process we basically know if it’s our content or not. We are particularly interested in how we tag our content” for this reason.
In prepared remarks during the presentation, Stringer also said AI will help uncover greater levels of insight and potentially new licensing channels and “avenues for commercial exploitation.”
“There is a lot of opportunity in this area to be excited about throughout our company,” he said. “We are greatly aware of the challenges ahead too. We will protect our creators on every level possible whether it be creative, financial or legal in basis. Infringement and unauthorized usage of their rights should be the basis for a unique new set of artist and songwriter protections industry-wide. Tech does not simply overrule art.”
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Jonas Brothers notch their fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated May 27) as The Album enters atop the list with 35,500 copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending May 18, according to Luminate. The trio previously led the list with Happiness Begins (2019), Lines, Vines and Trying Times (2009) and A Little Bit Longer (2008).
Also in the top 10 of the new Top Album Sales chart, Daft Punk’s former No. 1 Random Access Memories re-enters at No. 2 following its 10th anniversary deluxe reissue, Lauren Daigle’s self-titled album arrives at No. 3 and Joji’s Smithereens re-enters at No. 7 after its vinyl release.
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. The new May 27, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on May 23. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Of The Album’s 35,500 sold, physical sales comprise 29,000 (20,000 on CD, 9,000 on vinyl) and digital download sales comprise 6,500.
Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories charges back onto the list, as the former No. 1 re-enters at No. 2 after its 10th anniversary deluxe reissue on May 12. The set returns with a little over 32,000 copies sold (up 4,452%) after the album was reissued as a digital download, CD and vinyl LP with additional tracks.
Lauren Daigle’s new self-titled studio album bows at No. 3 on Top Album Sales, selling 20,000 copies in its first week. It’s her second top 10-charting effort, following her last release, 2018’s No. 2-peaking Look Up Child.
Ed Sheeran’s – (Subtract) falls 1-4 in its second week on the list, selling 20,000 copies (down 76%), the Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3: Awesome Mix Vol. 3 soundtrack falls 3-5 in its second frame (19,000; down 33%) and SEVENTEEN’s SEVENTEEN 10th Mini Album: FML dips 4-6 (16,000; down 41%).
Joji’s Smithereens surges back onto the chart at No. 7 with 13,000 copies sold (up 5,272%) after it was released on vinyl. The set debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Nov. 19, 2022-dated list.
Taylor Swift’s former leader Midnights falls 6-8 (13,000; up 9%), Agust D’s chart-topping D-Day descends 5-9 (12,000; down 10%) and LE SSERAFIM’s Unforgiven drops 2-10 in its second week (nearly 12,000; down 69%).
In the week ending May 18, there were 1.778 million albums sold in the U.S. (down 12% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 1.448 million (down 12.8%) and digital albums comprised 331,000 (down 8.1%).
There were 620,000 CD albums sold in the week ending May 18 (down 15.9% week-over-week) and 817,000 vinyl albums sold (down 10.6%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 13.293 million (up 5.2% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 18.789 million (up 27.4%).
Overall year-to-date album sales total 39.333 million (up 10.3% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 32.289 million (up 17.1%) and digital album sales total 7.043 million (down 13.1%).
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Lewis Capaldi can almost taste victory in the U.K. chart race.
The Scottish singer and songwriter will be hard to beat, as Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent (EMI) notches 68,000 chart sales by the midweek point, the Official Charts Company reports, and is currently outselling the rests of the top 20 combined.
It’s on track to overtake Ed Sheeran’s Subtract (Asylum) as the year’s fastest-selling LP, and push Sheeran’s album from the summit after a two-week stay (Subtract opened with 76,000 chart sales).
Assuming Capaldi reigns supreme when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday, May 26, it’ll give the Scot his second leader after his 2019 debut Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent, which has passed one million U.K. combined sales and features the global hit “Someone You Loved,” which is recognized by the OCC as the most-streamed song in the U.K.
Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent is already a hit machine. Three songs from it, “Forget Me,” “Pointless,” and “Wish You The Best,” have led the Official U.K. Singles Chart.
Capaldi leads an all-new top four on the Official Chart Update. Based on midweek sales and streaming data, ‘80s rockers Def Leppard could debut at No. 2 with Drastic Symphonies (Mercury), a collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, while fellow British rock band Sleep Token could complete the podium with Take Me Back To Eden (Spinefarm), set to arrive at No. 3.
Close behind is Swedish rock act Ghost with their covers EP Phantomime (Loma Vista), set to start at No. 4, while Sheeran’s Subtract is poised to drop 1-5.
Also eyeing top 10 berths are veteran prog-rock group Yes with Mirror To The Sky (Century Media), at No. 6 on the chart update, and iconic U.S. singer and songwriter Paul Simon with Seven Psalms (Sony Music CG), set to bow at No. 9.
Finally, as fans mourn the death of the Smiths’ bass player Andy Rourke, the indie legends’ music is providing some comfort. The Smiths’ hits compilation The Sound of The Smiths (Rhino) could return to top 40, at No. 30.
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Thanks to the rigorous and multilayered training needed to debut, K-pop artists can embrace a kaleidoscope of concepts, sounds, genres and styles that can change with every album. As much as groups can creatively explore, the K-pop idols themselves tend to stay in specific, assigned roles: the rapper, powerhouse belter, the cute one, the mysterious one, the intense dancer, the center. While important in establishing a group dynamic, Monsta X‘s Joohoney looked to free himself from any previous expectations on his first full-fledged solo effort—and hopes other K-pop stars realize they can do the same.
Introduced to the world as Lee Jooheon in 2014 before gaining significant interest while competing for a spot in the boy band reality competition No.Mercy, Joohoney stood out for his well-rounded abilities and earnestness in group dynamics. Eventually earning a place as one of seven in Monsta X, Joohoney served as a main rapper for the group but became increasingly involved in shaping their sound and direction.
Not only was he a credited lyricist since MX’s first EP in 2015, Joohoney eventually wrote, produced and arranged breakthrough singles for the group like “Gambler,”“Rush Hour” and “Love.” Joohoney was also the first member of his group to drop a whole, multitrack mixtape project where he took on a majority of the writing and producing. As Monsta X’s global ambitions grew with different U.S. labels and more Top 40 pop material, Joohoney adapted by taking more lead vocals on the band’s two Billboard 200 English albums, All About Luv and The Dreaming, with his admiration of Michael Jackson coming through in his ad-libs on Pop Airplay chart hit “Who Do U Love?”
For his first solo record to get a proper physical release and promotional push, Joohoney looked to pack all the different musical elements that inspire him into the concise, six-track EP titled Lights. But beyond bringing everything from his singing and rapping abilities to his appreciation for hip-hop, rock, jazz and Korean music into one project, Joohoney wanted to deliver a personal message to his fellow artists.
Speaking to Billboard ahead of the release of Lights from a video call in Seoul, Joohoney sees his eight years in the industry as groundwork to make a better support system for K-pop idols today. Joohoney says his early career’s unhealthy and intense hustle give him a new, more generous perspective for himself and his fellow artists.
Today, he isn’t afraid to question industry standards and wants to encourage K-pop stars to be more open and express themselves. That journey begins with Lights, his new single “Freedom,” and the new mindset and role he’s embracing in the industry moving forward.
Read on for more Joohoney on the makings of his first mini album and what comes next.
Congratulations on the release of Lights. You have credits as a songwriter, arranger and composer on every song, which is really impressive. What is your process like to handle all those roles?
Joohoney: First of all, I get inspiration for just the music itself. Whether I’m shooting a video or out on my day’s schedule, I’m always thinking, “How will Monbebes receive this music or this genre whenever my solo album does come out?” I type out lyrics on my phone and I sing into my phone to make my demos. When I finally get into the studio, I have my team—the production team who help make the lyrics and melodies—where we’re thinking about how to put together our stories.
The first thing that struck me was how many different genres and sounds there are on Lights. On one hand, K-pop is known for mixing genres but this felt more ambitious. How do you blend all of these influences?
To be honest, I don’t know how to blend the different genres—it’s about just being free, right? No matter what it is, sometimes it’s like, “I want to turn the drums up” or “I want to put drill there;” it’s free to me. I don’t want to ever have a fixed direction, I was open to every direction with the songs. I want to make a different way within the K-pop scene and the music genre itself.
Is that how you listen to music? Are your playlists all kinds of music genres and styles?
I enjoy listening to a whole mix of genres and imagining mashing them up. So, for example, I will listen to songs by Michael Jackson, and then I’ll start listening to Monsta X songs and he kind of imagining, like, the mashup of these [artists].
I think any of Lights‘ songs could have been the title track single, but you chose “Freedom.” Why?
I chose “Freedom” as the title track [single] song because the album title is Lights and I wanted to express that for anyone who wants freedom and to give a positive message out to the world. Out of all the songs, I thought “Freedom” was the one that expresses this meaning the best.
But I also hope that this song will kind of be a source of inspiration for other K-pop artists because it’s different from other typical songs. A lot of K-pop artists create songs based around their performances and they’re kind of made beforehand. But in my music, I want to especially express that I’ve been very raw and honest. And I want other idols to be comfortable with sharing about their hard times and able to express themselves confidently through their music in the future. The music and lyrics can really be a mix of arts.
No matter what the genre, a lot of artists sing about ideas around freedom and wanting to feel liberated. Why is it so important to speak about that?
As some examples, BTS‘ Jimin recently released “Set Me Free Pt.2” and TWICE came out with a song called “Set Me Free,” so I have been noticing that other artists have been expressing the different ways they crave freedom. I think that Korean artists and trainees can sometimes feel a bit restricted due to their companies and the different rules that they might have to follow. So, now, after I’ve grown and matured, I’ve been able to find myself and can express myself more freely now. There is an interesting difference between Western pop and the K-pop world right now. Many Korean artists have been writing about how they crave freedom but they’re also trying to spread positivity through their music—that’s been interesting lately.
Speaking of not being restricted, “Freedom” lets you show your singing and rapping. What’s your background in singing?
I actually started singing at church when I was younger. When I became a trainee, I was more interested in rap so I started going in that direction, but I would still practice singing by myself. Of course, I had vocal lessons then and learned about singing techniques, but I mostly just practiced on my own. I’ve always wanted to do both and show that a rapper can sing, and now I can.
“Hype Energy” opens Lights with traditional Korean singing and instruments before the hip-hop beat takes over. It’s very cool. Why start the album this way?
I first think about what kind of elements I want to incorporate and discuss that with my producing team before we make it come into reality. The reason why I incorporated more Korean and K-pop elements in the beginning is because I am a K-pop artist, so, I want to show my original image that I’ve had before the song kind of transitions into more hip-hop elements. And it goes there because I’m the most confident in the hip-hop genre, and I wanted to show what I do best as the introduction to the album.
“Monologue” with GSoul discusses your uncertainty before debuting as an artist. Was there a reason you chose a jazz style to tell this story?
Jazz was most fitting for a song telling the story of my pre-debut days because when I was younger, I did grow up hearing a lot of jazz around me. And I would actually find playlists and listen to all kinds of jazz, like Chet Baker. And when I struggled or had a hard time, I listened to jazz. So, when I was thinking about and remembering the past while writing the song, the memory came with the jazz sounds; it has a combined meaning.
I read that “Evolution” is you wanting to share how “reflecting on yourself is how true ‘evolution’ happens.” When you reflect on yourself and your career, what do you think about?
I think of how I was so busy; how I was running tirelessly and not able to take care of myself because the group was so busy with their different schedules. I want to emphasize that we weren’t even able to rest for like three days because our schedules were just completely packed with different things. For many artists, as soon as they debut, they have to tirelessly [work] and keep themselves busy with various promotions and schedules. So, I’m at a point where I’m now questioning, “Why do they have to be so busy?” I’ve noticed that being so busy affects the artists mentally. Now that I’m an older artist, I want to be able to kind of change or kind of improve the situation. Thinking about these things has made me “evolve” and change into the artist I am.
That answer makes me think about hiatuses you’ve taken for your mental health, which was a brave thing to share. When you say you want to change the situation, is it so other artistsdon’t have the same experiences?
I want to be a part of improving the situation that artists like myself struggle with and I hope they will be comfortable coming to me. The message in this album is also a message to those artists who are struggling as well. That’s why the album’s name is Lights.
You want to be the light.
That’s right.
Have any younger artists come to you for help or guidance? Maybe your label mates CRAVITY, who you’ve also produced music for?
I can’t reveal who specifically came to me for help and guidance, but I can say that they are younger artists who are currently working very hard. CRAVITY has also come to me for advice before, and I am always willing to help them if they need anything in the future. I just want to tell and advise younger artists that whatever they do is the right answer in the end, and that they should share a message from their heart in their music.
Releasing your first solo mini album sounds like it will be a busy time with very hard work. How do you find balance? Do you have more say over your schedule?
I have more control over some things now, but I work hard to do more and show more of myself for Monbebe. Listening to good music in the car helps me find balance and helps me maintain my rush of adrenaline too.
You became an MC for the K-pop show M Countdown this year. Why did you want to take on this role now in your career, and what has it taught you?
Taking on the role of an MC is honestly not easy because, as an MC, I always want to be a source of positive energy for the other artists. Something I learned with this role is that there are a lot of really great artists in Korea.
In what ways do you still want to evolve or improve yourself?
Now that I’ve found myself and who I am, I don’t want to keep running after a specific goal. I think that life is like a road where you can’t see ahead of you. I think you have to just keep moving forward, even if you can’t see what’s ahead. If you keep moving with the goal of moving up, you can always end up falling down. But if you just keep straight ahead like a road, you can keep moving forward and you won’t have to be afraid of falling down anywhere. I want to keep going forward over that road ahead of me and be a bright light.
What’s next for you and Monsta X in 2023? We saw you at We Bridge Festival, but will you be returning to the States soon?Anything else you want to share right now?
My plans are to just go with the flow now, but I know I will always be working on music for the rest of my life. As for Monsta X, the other members are also working on their albums so I hope you’ll look forward to their releases as well. If anything comes up for me in the States soon, I will definitely go! I have done interviews with Billboard many times before, but I am always very grateful for each opportunity to discuss my music with Billboard. I also want to share that I have bold aspirations of wanting to show who the artist Joohoney is at the Billboard Music Awards one day!
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.pngYveto2023-05-23 03:15:122023-05-23 03:15:12Monsta X’s Joohoney Talks ‘Freely’ Expressing Himself and Improving the K-Pop Industry With Solo LP ‘Lights’
