Music

K-Pop Superfans Flock to Los Angeles for KCON LA 2023

Published

9 months ago

2023-08-23

K-Pop Superfans Flock to Los Angeles for KCON LA 2023

Thousands of K-Pop fans waited up in downtown Los Angeles hours before the doors opened, stretching for blocks in the hot sun for KCON LA 2023. K-Pop fans danced and traded homemade stickers, banners, bracelets, and photocards while wearing pleated skirts and platform shoes and carrying the transparent bags that have become stadium standards. Inside was their paradise: an IRL space where they could talk about their URL obsessions.

If anything, the 2023 LA KCON was a microcosm of K-pop’s overall impact on the music business.

From Friday to Sunday, an estimated 140,000 people from all over the world attended panels, premium meet-and-greets, interviews, dance breaks, concerts, and more at the Los Angeles Convention Centre and adjacent Crypto.com Arena.

Inside the convention centre, fans brandished light-sticks of their favourite groups, flaunted DIY shirts with simple, direct inscriptions like “I HEART MINGI,” gathered sticker books and K-beauty products and waited in line for tteokbokki.

According to Steve Chung, chief worldwide officer of organisers CJ ENM, KCON began 11 years ago in Irvine, California, gathering 10,000 people to its maiden celebration of Korean culture. It is now a global event taking place in several countries: KCON has already visited Thailand, Japan, and the United States in 2023.

“In those (11) years, we’ve welcomed something like half a million people from all over the world,” he explains.

Panels on K-pop songwriting and cup sleeve creations were held in Los Angeles (K-pop fan gatherings are hosted at cafes on an idol’s birthday, anniversary, or other important date). On one stage, up-and-coming groups such as NMIXX led dance courses, while another stage allowed rookie groups to introduce themselves to a larger audience.

The Associated Press met with a wide range of fans during the weekend, including some who drove 12 hours straight from Utah, flew in from the United Kingdom, and were of various ages, genders, colours, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

“The culture of inclusiveness is huge,” said Annya Holston, 40, of Florida, who discovered K-pop through her daughter. “Being here has allowed us to make so many new friends.”

Premium tickets were $500 per day and included access to a “Red Carpet” area where acts posed for photographs and answered two or three questions in a 30-minute window, as well as admission to the conference and concert. Fans may spend an extra $100 for “Hi-Touch” — a fast meet-and-greet in which fans and performers high-five — with one group of their choice. With fresh fears about the spread of COVID-19, “Hi-Touch” became “Hi-Wave” (exactly what it sounds like, much to the sorrow of a few fans wishing for that physical connection; others were content with the sheer proximity).

Those encounters provided as a nice reminder of a component of the music industry that K-pop understands incredibly well, and much better than most: fanbase is the most profitable and durable resource in this business.
On Friday, August 18, 2023, fans attend KCON at the Los Angeles Convention Centre. Chris Pizzello/AP Photo

Peyton Tran, a 17-year-old dancer from Los Angeles, told AP at KCON, “It’s just cool to see how much people can support these businesses out here.”

The music industry will encounter new issues in 2023, including what Mark Mulligan, a MIDiA Research music industry analyst, has dubbed the “fragmentation of fandom.”

New musicians face unprecedented competition as a result of algorithmic listening, which is a direct result of the streaming era.

Consider this: It is uncommon for a new act to ascend to the status of monolithic pop star — the ranks of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Harry Styles, all of whom began performing prior to streaming — because listenership is hyper-specific.

In K-pop, where companies are typically fully integrated institutions — a record label and a talent agency rolled into one — and hyper-consumption is encouraged, business focuses on cultivating a community of superfans and inspiring those devoted listeners to advocate for their favourite artists, fueling a sense of participation that extends beyond their purchasing power. It doesn’t hurt that K-pop fans have a tendency to coordinate worldwide fan movements on their own and construct rituals and events, communicating through specialised fandom sites such as WeVerse and Vlive.

Niche does not imply small; rather, it signifies specialised. KCON is proof of this.

Fans saw K-pop groups and soloists from all “generations” perform at the concerts, which were held all three nights for the first time: Taemin from the second-generation boy band SHINee, Rain — the first K-pop idol to go international, and now a manager himself — fourth-generation boy bands ATEEZ and Stray Kids, and rookie groups like XG and ZEROBASEONE.

XG performed songs like the Kesha-inspired “TGIF,” with production greatly influenced by the current liquid drum-and-bass/U.K. garage movement in global pop music, a welcomed retro-futuristic sound from a group and convention with their sights set on the future.

Notably, these concerts prioritised K-pop girl groups, reflecting a recent shift in listenership. Boy bands were supposed to be more profitable in the past, but girl groups like IVE, ITZY, NMIXX, Kep1er, (G)I-DLE, and EVERGLOW proved that was outdated thinking in their spectacular KCON sets.

The “Dream Stage,” where a few dozen fans who auditioned to perform a dance with a K-pop group earlier in the day were brought out to do just that, was a particularly unique and powerful moment throughout the event.

On the second day of the convention, iHeartRadio’s KIIS-FM established a new, open-to-the-public “K-pop Village,” where K-pop fans could enjoy free performances by newer talents, such as LEO, who made his U.S. debut on the outdoor stage.

“2023 is similar to a crossover event.” “The last ten years have been about serving an endemic fanbase of people who already know and love K-pop,” Chung explains. “As evidenced by the iHeartMedia partnership, it’s really like a crossover moment where K-pop goes mainstream.”

Even Tropical Storm Hilary couldn’t keep the most ardent fans from queuing in the rain to watch their favourite performances on the convention’s last day. On the train the night before, the AP asked a K-pop fan from Massachusetts, known on YouTube as Toadcola, if he was worried about the weather. Not at all.

But if the weather cancelled his trip home, he reasoned that it wouldn’t be so bad because the idols might be stuck at the airport with him.

Computer

Jason Aldean Will Honor Toby Keith With A Performance At The 2024 ACM Awards

Published

3 days ago

2024-05-14

Kiara Grace

AP News - VOR News Image

The time has arrived to lift the red Solo cup. Jason Aldean will honor the late Toby Keith at the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards.

The 59th ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will be held Thursday at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, just north of Dallas.

Keith has won 14 ACM Awards in his career, including the title of Entertainer of the Year twice. He died in February at the age of 62 after being diagnosed with stomach cancer.

Country – VOR News Image

Jason Aldean Will Honor Toby Keith With A Performance At The 2024 ACM Awards

“I’ve been a fan of his since the beginning, and his songs are some of the first songs I played back in clubs early in my career, including the one I’ll be performing on the show,” Aldean stated. “I was fortunate to share the stage with Toby in Oklahoma last year, and it means a lot to commemorate him and properly appreciate his great career and legacy. He was one of a kind.

ACM CEO Damon Whiteside said it made sense for Aldean, the most recent artist of the decade, to honor Keith.

“The popularity, influence, and love for Toby Keith has been infinite since his passing earlier this year,” Whiteside said, adding that the academy was looking forward to meeting Keith’s family.Luke Combs leads the 2024 nominees with eight nods. For the fifth year in a row, he is nominated for both Male Artist and Entertainer of the Year.

PixaBay – VOR News Image

Jason Aldean Will Honor Toby Keith With A Performance At The 2024 ACM Awards

Megan Moroney and Morgan Wallen are next with six each, followed by Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton, and Lainey Wilson, who all have five.

Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, Post Malone, Parker McCollum, McEntire, Wilson, and Stapleton will all perform during the telecast. Fans can also expect unusual collaborations, such as Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, and Nate Smith and Avril Lavigne.

PixaBay – VOR News Image

Jason Aldean Will Honor Toby Keith With A Performance At The 2024 ACM Awards

Among the presenters are Alabama, BRELAND, Carin León, Little Big Town, and Randy Travis.

At 8 p.m. Eastern, the awards will be broadcast on Twitch Live via Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel. The red carpet feed starts at 7 p.m.

SOURCE – (AP)

Music

Switzerland’s Nemo Wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest After Event Roiled By Protests Over War In Gaza

Published

5 days ago

2024-05-12

Kiara Grace

AP News - VOR News Image

Malmö, Sweden – Nemo, a Swiss singer, won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest early Sunday with “The Code,” an operatic pop-rap hymn to her quest to embrace a nongender identity.

Switzerland’s contender defeated Croatian musician Baby Lasagna for the title by receiving the most points from national juries and fans worldwide. Nemo, 24, is the first nonbinary winner of the tournament, which has long been regarded as a safe haven for the LGBT community. Nemo is also the first Swiss winner since Celine Dion, a Canadian singer who competed under the Swiss flag in 1988.

“Thank you so much,” Nemo remarked shortly after midnight when the results of Saturday’s final were announced. I hope this contest can live up to its promise and continue to stand for peace and dignity for every person.”

AP – VOR News Image

Switzerland’s Nemo Wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest After Event Roiled By Protests Over War In Gaza

At a post-victory press conference, Nemo stated his satisfaction in accepting the medal for “people who are daring to be themselves and people who need to be heard and understood.” “We need more compassion and empathy.”

Nemo’s victory in the Swedish city of Malmo came after a traumatic year for the pan-continental pop contest, which witnessed significant street protests against Israel’s participation, turning the feelgood musical festival into a chaotic pressure cooker overshadowed by the conflict in Gaza.

Hours before the final, Dutch contestant Joost Klein was kicked out of the competition after a backstage brawl that authorities were investigating.

Nemo — full name Nemo Mettler — defeated finalists from 24 other countries, all performing in front of thousands of live audience members and an estimated 180 million viewers worldwide. Each contestant had three minutes to combine popular tunes and eye-popping splendor into performances that would win the hearts of spectators. Musical styles included rock, disco, techno, rap, and mashups of other genres.

Eden Golan, an Israeli singer who spent Eurovision week in Malmo under strict security, ascended the stage to a wall of sound – boos and applause — to perform the power ballad “Hurricane.” Despite the protests, Golan climbed the odds table throughout the week and finished fifth, trailing only Nemo, Baby Lasagna, Ukrainian combo alyona alyona & Jerry Heil, and French artist Slimane.

Eurovision officials forced a change to the song’s original title, “October Rain” – an apparent reference to the Oct. 7 Hamas strike that killed over 1,200 people in Israel and sparked the Gaza conflict.

The show was typical Eurovision fare, with Estonia’s 5Miinust x Puuluup performing a pop-zombie folk hybrid, Greece’s Marina Satti and Armenia’s Ladaniva performing folk-inflected power pop, and Finland’s Windows95man performing goofy 1990s nostalgia, emerging from a giant onstage egg wearing very little clothing.

AP – VOR News Image

Switzerland’s Nemo Wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest After Event Roiled By Protests Over War In Gaza

Britain’s Olly Alexander performed the peppy dance single “Dizzy,” Ireland’s gothic Bambie Thug summoned a demon onstage and brought a screaming coach to Malmo, and Spain’s Nebulossa bravely reclaimed a term used as a slur on women in “Zorra.”

On Saturday, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through Sweden’s third-largest city, which has a large Muslim population, demanding a boycott of Israel and a cease-fire in the seven-month Gaza war, which has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

Several hundred people gathered outside the Malmo Arena before the final, some shouting “shame” at arriving music fans and clashing with police who were obstructing their path. Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg was one among those led away by police.

Klein, the Dutch artist, was removed from the competition after a female production crew member filed a complaint, according to the European Broadcasting Union, the competition’s organizer. The 26-year-old Dutch musician and rapper’s song “Europapa” has been a hit with bookmakers and fans.

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, one of dozens of public broadcasters that collectively sponsor and broadcast the tournament, said Klein was filmed without authorization as he exited the stage following Thursday’s semifinal and made a “threatening movement” toward the camera.

AP – VOR News Image

Switzerland’s Nemo Wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest After Event Roiled By Protests Over War In Gaza

The broadcaster stated that Klein did not touch the camera or the camera operator, and that his dismissal was “disproportionate.”

Tensions were obvious in the hours preceding the final. At the start of the final dress rehearsal, several artists were missing from the Olympic-style artists’ entry; however, they all appeared in the final.

Several competitors mentioned peace or love at the end of their performances, including France’s Slimane, who stated: “United by music for love and peace.”

Nemo described the Eurovision experience as “really intense and not just pleasant all the way.”

SOURCE – (AP)

Music

Beach Boys Founder Brian Wilson Placed Under Conservatorship

Published

5 days ago

2024-05-11

Geoff Thomas

The Beach Boys during their 2012 reunion: Photo Wikipedia

A judge in California has determined that Brian Wilson, the 81-year-old primary musical visionary of the Beach Boys, will be placed under conservatorship following the death of his wife, who had cared for him while he battled a neurocognitive illness.

On Thursday, Judge Gus May of the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, authorized a petition submitted in February by lawyers representing potential conservators following the death of Wilson’s wife of 28 years, Melinda Wilson, on January 30.

According to the appeal, Brian Wilson‘s neurocognitive impairment has rendered him “unable to properly provide for his own personal needs for physical health”.

The judge stated in the filing that there was “clear and convincing evidence” that the conservatorship was required and suitable since Wilson was “unable to care for” himself and lacked the capacity to make decisions regarding his own health and medications.

He also claimed that evidence revealed Wilson had agreed to the plan.

Brian under home care

In a February statement, Wilson’s family confirmed that LeeAnn Hard, his business manager, and Jean Sievers, his publicist and manager, would serve as co-conservators, in accordance with “family processes” established by Wilson and his wife, who died at their Beverly Hills home.

“This decision was made to ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household, and Brian and the children living at home will be taken care of and remain in the home where they are cared for,” according to the family statement.

“Brian will be able to enjoy all of his family and friends and continue to work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses,” added the statement.

In addition to appointing the conservators, the judge granted a request by two of Wilson’s seven children, Carnie Wilson and Wendy Wilson of the pop group Wilson Phillips, for all of the children to be consulted on healthcare decisions and, if they so desired, to be added to group texts on nurse updates.

In a February email to The New York Times, Sievers stated that Brian Wilson had dementia and that as a co-conservator, she would “ensure that all of Brian’s daily living needs are satisfied and he continues to lead an active life.” She stated on Friday that she had no more comments.

Beach Boys Transformed Pop Music

Wilson has fought with mental health issues for years, including depression and a schizoaffective disorder diagnosis, which manifested as auditory hallucinations both on tour and in the studio as the Beach Boys‘ creative force.

The Beach Boys transformed pop music in the 1960s with a trademark sound that combined lush harmonies, creative instrumentation, and emotive lyrics. With classics like Good Vibrations and God Only Knows, they were one of the most influential bands of their day, alongside the Beatles.

Brian Wilson’s wife, whom he met in 1986, acted as his healthcare agent near the end of her life, according to court documents. They married in 1995 and have five children. Wilson credits her with stabilising his life and career.

“Melinda was more than my wife,” Wilson said on Instagram in January, confirming her death. “She was my saviour.” She provided the emotional assurance I needed to pursue a profession. She urged me to create music that was near to my heart. “She was my anchor.”

Source: The New York Times