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Quavo is hitting the big screen! The Migos rapper will star in an upcoming action thriller film called Takeover alongside Titanic actor Billy Zane.
The rapper will star as Guy Miller, a former criminal in Atlanta, Georgia, who’s in the process of trying to get his life back on track. However, his redemption story becomes derailed when illicit opportunities drag him back into the street racing scene. Zane, meanwhile, will Gamal Akopyan, the leader of an international heist ring, according to Variety.
The action-packed film will be set in Atlanta and will be handled by Trioscope and Quality Films, the film division of Quality Control. Takeover is written by Jeb Stuart. It is directed by Trioscope chief creative officer Greg Jonkajtys. “I’m really excited for this opportunity, especially shooting in my hometown of Atlanta,” Quavo previously said of the role to Complex in a statement. “This film is an ideal opportunity to further delve into my craft, and I can’t wait to see how the action plays out in this animated environment.”
As a member of Migos, Quavo released solo studio albums that peaked in the top 5 of the Billboard 200. As a trio, Migos has earned a pair of No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, and four top 10 hits on the Hot 100 including the Lil Uzi Vert-assisted No. 1 single “Bad and Boujee.”
Ahead of the release of his “Hold Me Closer” duet with Britney Spears, Elton John did an interview with The Guardian about how the team-up came together and why it’s important to him to support Spears after she broke free of her conservatorship.
First off, John revealed that it was his husband, David Furnish, who had the initial idea to collaborate with Spears. The pair had been talking about the idea of making another patchwork song in the vein of his top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Cold Heart” with Dua Lipa, which includes lyrics from four his classic songs stitched together. Furnish said “it would be wonderful for Britney Spears to do it,” John recalls to The Guardian. “I said, ‘That’s a pretty amazing idea.’ She hadn’t done anything for so long. I’d been following what’s been happening to her for a long time.”
Spears stepped away from music and performing back in 2019, which prompted her concerned supporters to start the #FreeBritney movement, demanding that the conservatorship that had controlled her personal and professional lives for a decade-plus be ended.
“You forget she was the biggest star in the whole world at that time,” John says. “And to see what happened to her makes me so angry. What happened to her shouldn’t have happened to anybody.”
Spears hit the studio with Grammy-winning producer Watt to record new vocals for the duet, which includes lyrics from John’s “Tiny Dancer” and “The One.” John tells The Guardian that his team got Spears’ stamp of approval on the final product. “She’s been away so long – there’s a lot of fear there because she’s been betrayed so many times and she hasn’t really been in the public eye officially for so long,” he says. “We’ve been holding her hand through the whole process, reassuring her that everything’s gonna be all right.” For his part, Watt says of Spears, “She really pushed herself, vocally. Sometimes when you produce, the greatest thing in the world you can do is say nothing, so I just let her do her thing. She’s so good at knowing when she got the right take. She took complete control.”
John hopes “Hold Me Closer” is another chart success story, just like “Cold Heart” before it, so Spears can feel the love from pop fans. “I’m so excited to be able to do it with her because if it is a big hit, and I think it may be, it will give her so much more confidence than she’s got already and she will realize that people actually love her and care for her and want her to be happy,” John says. “That’s all anybody in their right mind would want after she went through such a traumatic time.”
Read the full interview with John — in which he also says, “Britney was broken. I was broken when I got sober. I was in a terrible place. I’ve been through that broken feeling and it’s horrible” — on The Guardian now. “Hold Me Closer” is out at midnight ET.
APOKI, the virtual K-pop artist from South Korea, recently released her new single, “West Swing,” featuring E-40. Her fourth single, this marks her first song that’s entirely in English. It’s a song aimed squarely at the global music scene, with the feel of new jack swing, the genre that was so popular in the late ’80s and early ’90s. It also features legendary rapper E-40, who has been active in the scene since the 1990s.
The APOKI project is backed by a collaboration between AFUN INTERACTIVE, a Korean tech venture company, and Sony Music Solutions. CEO DK Kwon of AFUN INTERACTIVE, which has won countless awards for its cutting edge technologies, expressed his hopes for the collaboration, saying, “The Sony Group isn’t just a manufacturer of state-of-the-art, reliable electronics products, but also a Group with immense strengths around the globe in every area of content, such as music, games, and pictures.” He went on, “At AFUN INTERACTIVE, we’re pioneering the new genre of virtual entertainment, so we look forward to seeing the various kinds of synergy we will produce with Sony. We’re grateful to Sony for its dependability and the hard work it’s contributing to the creation of this new market, and we’re doing our part by providing high quality content and new technologies.” You can catch glimpses of homages to Sony in the recently released music video for “West Swing feat. E-40”.
APOKI debuted in February 2021 with “GET IT OUT.” She rapidly raised her profile in South Korea, Japan and around the world. Billboard Japan talked to her about “West Swing feat. E-40,” the virtual artist concept, and her vision for the future.
For any readers that don’t know, APOKI, you’re a rabbit that lives somewhere in space, and you debuted as a virtual artist in 2019. How has this time as a virtual artist been for you?
It’s been an absolute blast getting so many comments from my many fans around the world and having so many people watch my streaming shows. That said, my debut has been called “the birth of an intergalactic star,” so I want to make even more of a splash (laughs) and I plan to release even more songs.
One of the things that makes you so appealing is the diversity of your musical sensibilities, which feature elements of trap and electro.
We decide on a concept for each song and then build up the details from there. I also actively offer up ideas. In addition to input about the music itself, I also make suggestions about, for example, my hair style, clothes, and music videos. Not all of my ideas are used, but on the other hand it’s not like my team forces me to do everything their way, either. We’re professionals, so we bounce ideas off each other through the creation process.
What are your own musical roots?
What got me into making music was K-POP, but then I started listening to a lot of different music and learning about different artists. I’m really into Doja Cat and would love to do a song together with her. She releases all kinds of music. I used to upload videos of covers to YouTube, and when I covered her “Say So,” I tried really hard to recreate the cute atmosphere of the original. Doja’s vocal expressions and emotional shifts influenced my own song, “Coming Back.” I also love the collaboration between Doja and Naomi Watanabe, “Kiss Me More feat. Naomi Watanabe.” I listen to a lot of new music and keep a close eye on trends, but I’m not aiming to be a trend setter with my own music. It’s a lot more fun to make music doing what I’m good at, working with the genres I like, and creating what I feel like creating at the time.
What do you think about communicating with fans?
When I communicate with fans, I make an effort to let them know that I’m real. In my Instagram and TikTok live streams, I read a lot of the comments that are submitted in real time and give shout outs to my fans. That’s why I wanted to do today’s interview by ZOOM, not email.
What do you see as the good points of being a virtual artist?
Well, first off, I can do anything we dream up. It’s a shame that I can’t put on a show in real life, but there’s a lot of things that I’m able to do as a virtual artist that make up for that and more. I don’t have to worry about maintaining my figure, either, so I can eat as much as I want (laughs). Japanese virtual artists are so cute — the way they look, their attitudes, the way they talk, everything. I look cute too (laughs), but I don’t think my attitude is all that cute.
Being part of the entertainment industry can be really emotionally draining. What do you do to keep in a healthy headspace?
I play games. When I really get into a game, I forget about my worries, or I feel like I can take them on or they’re not such a big deal after all. Recently I’ve been playing Odin Sphere!
Let’s talk a little about your new single, “West Swing feat. E-40.” This song has a bit of a new jack swing feel, doesn’t it?
That’s right. When the whole crew was talking, the idea came up to make a new jack swing song. We’d never done a song like that before, so I thought it was a great idea. I didn’t know all that much about new jack swing before, but I listened to a lot of new jack swing when we were working on the song, and I have to say it’s great. We didn’t want to simply copy that feel, but instead we tried to give it a stylish finish. What we came up with was a really powerful track, and we wanted to have a unique rapper who had been active during the new jack swing days, so we got in touch with E-40. He listened to the track and got right back to us, saying he wanted to be a part of it. “He laid down some amazing bars. The song was mixed by Dave Way and mastered by Randy Merrill. Both are some of the most talented professionals in the world, and they created a really wonderful sound that has further driven the evolution of the APOKI sound.
There’s also a lot of buzz about this being your first song sung entirely in English.
The lyrics to my songs, starting with my debut single, “GET IT OUT,” have mostly been Korean. I also released Japanese versions of “Coming Back” and “Shut Up Kiss Me (feat. Lil Cherry).” They were a lot of fun to make, but this time we wanted to share this wonderful song with the whole world, so we went with English lyrics. I’m actually not all that good at English, but I’m good being able to repeat things I hear and pronouncing them well, and I love to do it.
The music video, with its space setting, is also wonderful.
The theme of the video is “beyond the bounds of space and time.” In the last scene, the visuals are linked to the lyrics, so make sure to check that out! The dance scenes are also a stand out. Like my previous music videos, the choreography was provided by my friends Ova and Dozu, and we worked on it together, exchanging ideas.
What’s your vision for the future?
I want to do a live show! I want to sing in front of my fans, and I also want to bring together people around the world in the metaverse and put on a show. I want to try fun, interesting things that bring people joy. Also, I want to become an artist that will keep performing for years to come. That’s why I think it’s important to release a wide range of music. I feel like it might be hard to build long-term fans if I’m always doing the same thing. I want to try my hand at all kinds of different genres and show off my cute side, my powerful side, my serious side — all kinds of different aspects of myself. I’m going to keep creating music in all kinds of new styles.
It seems like the horizons of your expressive capabilities are going to keep on expanding.
I hope so. When I’m working in new genres, there are times when I discover new and surprising aspects of my own personality. I’m discovering new things about myself. I’m positive that there’s new, untapped talent inside me that I have yet to find.
I look forward to seeing what you do next! Do you have any last words for your fans?
I read all of your messages and comments, and they really energize and support me. I’m going to keep on doing my best, and I hope I can continue to enjoy your support!
–This interview by Tomoyuki Mori first appeared on Billboard Japan
For all the stunning visuals and technically perfect performances that the K-pop scene is known for, Jaehyun had good reason to simplify things for his first solo single.
The singer-actor is one of the most well-known members of NCT — the 23-member boy band that’s scored multiple Billboard 200 entries as part of its ambitious and experimental music and concept with an unlimited number of singers and splinter groups. Earlier this year, a new project called “NCT Lab” launched to spotlight individuals from the superband and their talents in songwriting, composing, dance and beyond. For Jaehyun, it was his chance to build a bridge for fans to see the person off the stage better.
“Forever Only” is the snappy, acoustic-leaning R&B-pop track that puts the 25-year-old’s silvery tenor at the forefront. The single comes with a grainy, gray photo of Jaehyun and a no-nonsense, sans-serif text for the single title — a far cry from his album covers with NCT 127, where he glows in neon green or sports flashy streetwear. Even speaking over an afternoon Zoom call, Jaehyun looks cozy in his beige collared shirt that pops nearly enough from the all-white office walls from where he’s speaking.
In addition to the lyrics, Jaehyun took an active role in the styling and visuals for “Forever Only” where the star displays his fondness for simplicity across multiple creative avenues. But Jaehyun doesn’t keep things simple from lack of experience: instead, the singer takes an active interest in learning the process behind any areas he’s involved in — music, acting, fashion, hosting, production — and presents his learnings in the clearest of terms.
Jaehyun sees “Forever Only” as the first step in sharing more of himself as a human, but the work in his career has all been crucial in helping him get to this point of self-expression. Read on to get to know the NCT star better.
Billboard: Congratulations on the new song with NCT Lab. How does the project work and how did this song come about?
JAEHYUN: I’ve been working on music for quite a long time and I always wanted to share a song with my fans that was filled with my voice and emotions. NCT Lab is a great opportunity to share my own emotions and songs, so I was really thankful to have that. I thought “Forever Only” was the right track to start off my career for solo music [because] it was an R&B track — I had lots of songs that I wanted to share but I wanted the first song to be more catchy, very simple and filled with my true personal tastes and styles.
Are those the music and moods you’re drawn to these days?
Definitely, music-wise and style-wise. I also participated on the music video concept and styling for this song. So, I really wanted to show my true side of myself and my taste. The fashion that I wear is definitely the style that I usually wear casually — and it’s fashion that I like too. While writing the lyrics, I talked about the image of lights and the sea and that also comes out in the music video. I really like how we filmed it. I really tried to be as simple as I can and deliver the emotion.
Some might say that’s surprising, especially in a group like NCT that is so ambitious in its concepts and sounds. Are we seeing more of the real Jaehyun?
Well, I also enjoy trying more like challenging lots of concepts, but I always wanted to share the other side of being an artist. I always wanted to share my side as a human being with other people. I think it’s really great to start with this song.
How long had you been working on “Forever Only”?
I’ve always wanted to share the music I’m working on, but I didn’t have the right timing. But I thought now was the right time to start so I shared with the team around me that I wanted to release the song right now. “Forever Only” is really recent. When I first heard it, it took about one or two months to prepare for this one.
How do you usually work when it comes to making music? What’s your process like?
Personally, I think nighttime’s better to work because I like the mood when everything’s really calm and quiet. Usually, I think of the theme first and then do the melody. Or sometimes, I work on a track — like with producers or pianists — but for “Forever Only,” I only participated in lyrics. The first time I heard “Forever Only,” the sound and the melodies were really positive, kind of bright and energetic, but I had the feeling of being a bit lonely. I felt lonely inside of that kind of mood so I wanted to make the lyrics lonely yet charming.
I really used to focus on my vocals first, and then, while making music, I kind of found my own style. But I think while doing toplining or while doing melodies or lyrics, I get to know what I really like, what person I am, or what kind of emotions I have. I think that also helps while singing, so I kind of focused and narrowed in on my style through making music.
Was there anything you learned about yourself while making “Forever Only”?
Well, I recorded and made the music like I always do, but I got to know more about the real process of releasing a single album or song. Because this time, I met the music video director way before filming it, I got to put in more opinions of what I really wanted to show and share. So, I got to know the process more particularly how it works. There’s so many people that help and work hard to make one song come out.
It sounds like you’re learning about yourself in the process. I know you have a background in piano. Do you remember when you first realized you could write songs or compose?
Well, I was a child who liked to sing in school festivals and on stage, but I never thought of being a singer like my job. I had a friend of mine that plays guitar and I used to play a bit of piano so we always jam and just cover songs or sometimes just play with instruments. And I think that was the first time that I realized that I really like music. But professionally, starting to make the music was maybe two years after my debut working with producers.
Is this the first kind of test into the waters of maybe a full solo project one day?
Of course. One day. I’ll be really working on what I’m doing and I really want to share a full album one day to our fans.
Beyond music, you’ve been so busy balancing so much in acting, fashion and hosting. How do you find balance?
I feel that singing, acting, and fashion are all related. For instance, when I do sing, I really think about the fact that fashion and acting are really important parts of the music. On the other hand, when I work hard on acting, then I can see another part and learn other parts of singing and fashion. So, I think it’s really important to do my best whatever I’m doing because it’s all related.
How was your experience with the drama? I know it got delayed, but fans finally saw it this year.
It did, it did come out. [Laughs] I think my people around me liked it more than I did because they had lots of comments. I was really thankful because I was always curious about how filming works — like how like dramas or movies work so it was really nice to be in part of it. It was quite challenging for me because it was my first time, but I really wanted to concentrate on how it all worked and on the character work. It was quite challenging but really meaningful for me. And it was fun because it was a story about college friends. I actually haven’t been to a real college because I debuted [in music], so it was an experience of being in college for me to think back on.
With the delay of Dear.M and another drama being canceled, how do you overcome these bad-luck setbacks to keep pushing forward and stay positive?
There are definitely some hard times, but I try to concentrate on what I can do at this moment — that’s what I try to always focus on.
That’s the right attitude because we’ve seen you expand in what you do with fashion. You’re an ambassador to Prada and attended its menswear show at Milan Fashion Week. I’m curious about your interest in this world.
Well, first of all, it was really nice to be a part of that because I really got lots of inspiration through my experience and I really learned a lot. It was my first time attending a show, but the energetic vibes in the place, the strong music and the energy of the models, everything going on was really energetic and exciting. That really inspired me a lot while watching Prada’s show.
What’s your connection with Prada? Is it a brand you’ve liked or feels it represents your style as well?
What I always liked about Prada was that it’s really classic but unique. It’s not a commonplace brand that you might think of in particular. And that’s what I think of myself because I always like things to be simple but not common. And I kind of enjoyed doing stuff that’s challenging or not common. But I think that it’s what part is also me — the style of Prada.
Is there anything teasers you can share about the upcoming NCT 127 album 2 Baddies or the shows that are coming after your single?
As NCT 127, we’re almost on the last part of the comeback preparing stuff. And also after that, we’re planning to go on a tour so, hopefully, we’ll have a chance to meet our fans all around the world. And after that, I want to share more of my sides and colors through music. So, I hope you all stay tuned. I’m always so thankful to have lots of opportunities thanks to my supportive fans.
Did you do any writing or produce on the upcoming album?
Not music-wise, but the style of choreography this time is kind of free; where you can express more of your own dancing style and stuff. So, I concentrated on those free parts where I can express myself through dancing. It was really fun to do the choreography this time.
Are there any other personal goals or plans of creative itches that you have?
I always like to learn stuff, but I want to share more of my personal feelings or emotions in a lot of ways, but especially in music. As a human being, to make all the people know that we feel the same way and we think similarly — I have ups and downs, I want to share more of those kinds of parts of me to my fans.
If “Forever Only” is the first step in that goal, what will you say to people who might be surprised you’re showing this side of yourself?
It’s definitely the first step and I think I’d enjoy it if people are surprised or if people are talking about that. It’s interesting and always fun. I really wanted to share more about the music through interviews so thank you for having me.
If Karol G’s bright red hair is any indication, she’s ready for a new chapter, and it all started Thursday (Aug. 25) with the new single “Gatúbela (Catwoman),” in collaboration with one of Latin urban’s pioneers, Maldy.
Produced by DJ MAFF, the song is an infectious old-school reggaeton laced with intense perreo beats. In the lyrics, Karol G is fiery and unapologetic, chanting: “I’m not with anyone but I’m hooked/ I’m elevated, I feel like a Catwoman/ It feels good when he moves my panty to the side/ It feels good when you kiss me down there.”
The music video, directed by Pedro Artola in Barcelona, Spain, is inspired by vintage horror movies, showing the Colombian artist — who makes her red-hair debut in a video — drenched in blood as she runs away from the moon. But before she’s caught in action running away in the dark, she’s feeling ultra sensual in a locker room full of equally sweaty people that she gets cheeky with.
“Gatúbela” comes four months after Karol G released her first single of the year, “Provenza,” and became the first woman to replace herself at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart (dated May 14).
Up next, the artist is set to kick off her $trip Love Tour, produced by AEG Presents, on Sept. 6 at the Allstate Arena in Chicago. She’ll make pit stops in New York, Toronto, Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, Las Vegas and more before wrapping Oct. 29 at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena.
“There has never been a tour where they sing to love so nasty,” the singer previously expressed on Instagram, alongside a nearly one-minute video showing footage of her in a bed and scenes of professional pole dancers. Tickets are available via KarolGMusic.com.
$trip Love tour follows Karol’s 2021 Bichota tour, which grossed $10.9 million and sold 128,000 tickets across 24 shows according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.
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