It was a night of high-octane entertainment on the big screen, as Brad Pitt and his fellow crew or cast-mates made a pitstop in NYC to celebrate the world premiere of their film, ‘F1 The Movie.’
Another hot day in the desert kicked off Coachella 2025 Weekend Two. However, the festival that is known for attics jaw-dropping surprises, super viral moments, and memories to last a lifetime, seemed to have a certain feminine mystique on Friday. Maybe it was the queen, Lady Gaga, headlining that night, or the legendary rock girl group, The Go-Go’s, taking this stage, or the icon, Missy Elliott, but there was certainly a feminine feel in the air on Friday at Coachella.
K-pop’s TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s BEOMGYU, stepped forward as a solo artist. With the encouragement of his bandmates, BEOMGYU has released his first solo mixtape, “Panic.” The solo mixtape dropped March 27, 2025, to the delight of TXT’s superfans, “MOA.”
“This year is going to be a very important year for me. I am working on a variety of projects that I’m very excited to share,” j-hope announced on Weverse. With these words, j-hope of 21st century K-pop supergroup, BTS, hinted at his first solo world tour, ‘HOPE ON THE STAGE.’ The first stop on the North American leg of the tour kicked off at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on March 13th, 2025, with a second show on the 14th due to popular demand.
Now this is not the first time that j-hope has held down a stage on his own. He delivered a groundbreaking performance as a solo artist in 2022 headlining the main stage at Chicago’s Lollapalooza. However, it has been 12 years since j-hope debuted with BTS and it’s clear that ‘HOPE ON THE STAGE’ aims to capture, not only j-hope’s talent and expertise as BTS’s main dancer, but his journey as a performer. It is evident that j-hope had a creative vision for this tour. With colorful backgrounds that exude hope, to a live band that rocks out, and to an elevated stage that allows dancers to take front and center, clearly j-hope planned every stage to reflect his personal essence and touch. Nevertheless, ‘HOPE ON THE STAGE’ is not merely about j-hope, but what he hopes for all of us. The show seeks to embody hope as well as dreams and wishes taking shape on a stage. The show is broken into five sections: ‘Ambition,’ ‘Dream,’ ‘Expectation,’ ‘Fantasy,’ and ‘Wish’.
As a member of BTS, it would be fitting that j-hope would kick off the North American leg of his tour in Brooklyn, or at least New York City. It is the city that has given BTS so many first and set them apart for most K-pop acts. It is the city that saw BTS become the first Korean act to headline a stadium concert at Citi Field in New York with ‘LOVE YOURSELF’ world tour in 2018. New York was also the city that saw BTS address the UN general assembly as well as welcomed BTS onto iconic shows like Good Morning America, the Today Show and Saturday Night Live. New York was the city that even lit up its Empire State building in the iconic BTS purple.
With all that history, j-hope took to the Barclays stage. After a short video intro, the stage was bathed in red as j-hope emerged to perform his song, “What if…,” which was off his first solo album Jack In The Box . The whole set of songs, dubbed ‘Ambition,’ features tracks from his first solo album, Jack In The Box, which was released in 2022. This set of songs was grouped together to highlight j-hope’s passion to discover his unique identity by breaking boundaries and striving for growth as a solo artist. Clad in all red, j-hope rocked a leather jacket with a fluffy trim, a simple T-shirt with a belt, jean pants along with gloves and shades. Greeting his fans, j-hope stood upon a layer of boxes covered in fabric with a simple mic stand. For his next song, as the live band rocked on, the fabric was pulled back, and the boxes disappeared into the floor only to reappear as an elevated stage, which showed a spotlight on j-hope before flames erupted out of the floor and he delivered heart wrenching vocals for “Pandora’s Box.” For his title song, “Arson,” which saw those in attendance sing- along to the bad ass lyrics, j-hope rocked the crowd. Before taking a break to speak with the fans, j-hope preformed “Stop,” which saw him move around the edge of the stage to connect with fans. Then he took time to connect with ARMY. Hearing their cheers, he egged them on to cheer even more and then he acknowledged the crazy moment. He said, “I love this,” before calling out all the floors to hear them each cheer. #Adorable. Then he teased the audience with asking do you want to see “More?” As he jumped right into the song, “More.” As checkers covered the back of the stage, j-hope performed on an elevated box with his dancers marching around him as their boxes became elevated as well. The moment was truly transcendent.
Another video gave j-hope a chance to catch his breath and to change his outfit before he was back out on stage for his hit song, “On the Street.” Even though he was minus J. Cole j-hope rocked this set, which was dedicated to the concept of “dreams.” This set of songs also focused on his special album, HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1. It highlighted the theme of street dance, his musical roots and desire to send out the message of continuing to move forward together with his fans. J-hope returned to the stage with shimmering lights and the stage moving up and down to reveal him walking on an elevated virtual sidewalk with the Brooklyn Bridge projected behind him. He dawned a bucket hat with a Louis Vuitton oversize striped shirt with baggy jeans. He broke into his trademark street dance moves as the crowd shouted j-hope before this song signature whistle kicked in. The whole song seemed like a love letter to New York the city that gave BTS so much and was the birthplace for a lot of first for BTS. The 3-D effect was certainly amazing. After the song things got downright funky as dancers joined j-hope as purple filled the arena on stage for an all-out dance jam or dance battle with j-hope even cheering on the dancers. It was clearly a fun and funky time. For the next song, j-hope busted out a suitcase which turned out to be a boombox, which had a secret inside. As the audience delighted in the reveal, j-hope danced alongside a fellow dancer while performing his song, “lock / unlock.” The duo danced with a giant boombox projected behind them as j-hope delivered stellar live vocals without missing a beat or step. Next j-hope moved over to the corner of the stage, where there was a mic stand to perform his next song, “i don’t know.” As he performed, a female dancer, joined him on stage as beams of blue lasers, set the mood and tone for the stage. Then the two danced in unison as well showing off their fun funky moves. In between songs, j-hope asked, “are you ready for this?” Then he jumped right into his song, “i wonder…” The stage moved around effortlessly to morph into a series of steps which j-hope took a seat on to have an intimate moment with those in attendance as dancers moved around him. The arena was filled with purple and gold. The vibe of the song slowed everything down as if to “say hello old friend.” When it seemed like the song was over, j-hope stopped to get the crowd to sing along with him. The arena sang the lyrics, “This love, right now, (It’s) all we got, all we need, we’re happy right now, (So) why don’t we ride this feelin’? Just dance right now, (But) don’t you stop lookin’ forward? Just enjoy it, this love, (We) can keep forever fallin.” After finishing the song together, it was clear everyone was touched. The moment was truly one shared with all who were there. J- Hope followed it up by telling everyone that he had worked really hard on the song before going into the military and that he “was so happy that he got to perform this song live” for us guys. Keeping the energy going, he broke into his hit song, “Just Dance.” He kicked off the performance saying, “you know what I mean ‘Just Dance’” and just like that the arena was flooded with purple and blue lasers, and the stage began to elevate itself magically into these beautiful elevated purple boxes. During the performance, he busted out his signature dance break for the song before being joined on stage by his fellow dancers. Towards the end of the song, the crowd screamed his name, which clearly got him hyped. A cool 3-D tracing effect captured him on the big screen, giving the performance a transcendent feel before confetti and fireworks filled the arena.
After just dance, j-hope took a quick break from the stage as a video played before returning for his third set of songs dedicated to the theme of ‘Expectation.’ These set of songs represented his anticipation and excitement for the future as they kicked off with him singing his brand-new single with Miguel, “Sweet Dreams.” As Miguel’s vocals filled the arena, j-hope emerged from the blue smoke surrounded by elevated boxes that created a set of stairs. He donned a gray hoodie with a simple gray sleeveless shirt underneath and with sparkly gray pants and chains around his neck. Keeping it casual, j-hope perform the song sitting down on the elevated stairs before being joined with his dancers. After the heartfelt moment, j-hope turned it up as he got right into the big surprise of the night. He performed his new unrelease song, “Mona Lisa.” The love song, clearly expanded his musical spectrum as it seamlessly blended a groovy rhythm with a funky chord progression, creating an irresistibly refreshing sound in this hip-hop/R&B track. The track exudes a smooth, laid-back charm as it pays tribute to celebrating one’s unique beauty and one-of-a-kind charm, just like Leonardo da Vinci captured ‘Mona Lisa’ and her inner essence in oil. One of the cool parts of the performance was when the camera found a few audience members and turned them into real life oil paintings instantaneously.
UPDATE: The new track “MONA LISA” was released on March 21, 2025. The track seamlessly fuses both hip-hop and R&B elements. It also hooks listeners in with a catchy, but danceable groove and easy-listening melodies, which create a sound that feels timeless as well as fresh. The song explores an infatuation towards a person whose beauty is one of a kind. To hear it for yourself check out the music video below:
After a sip of water and giving Miguel a shout out, he took time to chat with the crowd. With a giggle, he shared how special it was to perform Mona Lisa in front of them. He explained it was him expressing his love for the fans. He even said, “you are my masterpiece,” pointing at the audience. He joked with them since you’ve heard my new song let’s take it back as he jumped right into “HANGSANG” (Base Line) from his first solo mixtape “Hope World.” Kicking off the performance, he jumped off stage and went straight into the crowd to mix with fans. For those lucky enough to be in the front row, it was truly a memorable moment. Then things got airborne. J- hope sang elevated high on a box to perform his next two songs, which were all about soaring high. He first preformed “Airplane” off of “Hope World.” For diehard Hobi fans the stage was so memorable, invoking feelings of nostalgia right down to the sunrise behind him straight out of the music video. The moment was special as his fans sang along with him as if they were one unified voice, sending positivity out into the world. Changing things up, j-hope got funky with BTS’s hit song, Airplane pt.2” from BTS’ Third Studio Album LOVE YOURSELF 轉 ‘Tear’. The crowd truly erupted with joy when he broke into the iconic dance moves for this song, as if to say, “don’t worry, babe I got you,” with a Hobi smile.
After a quick sip of water, he shouted out ARMY and BTS before diving into BTS’s history making song, “MIC DROP” from their fifth EP LOVE YOURSELF 承 ‘Her.’ The whole arena was shooketh when j-hope busted into his iconic, legendary dance moves at the top of the song. ARMY couldn’t help but do their part by contributing with the fan chant. As flames filled the stage and the fan chant was in full effect, j-hope dropped the Iconic bars. The moment was truly one to be reckoned with. It was like ARMY showed up for their sunbeam and he delivered. Then things when nuclear when the first beats of BTS’s “Silver Spoon” off their fourth EP ‘The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2,’ filled the arena. It was a true gift to ARMY as BTS rarely performs that song stateside. Still bust’n those moves, j-hope made the moment his own with his dancers and a full drop split that would’ve even made James Brown proud. Next, things got colorful as TVs with color bar test patterns filled the stage’s large screens, for BTS’s “Dis-Ease” from BTS’ Special Album ‘BE.’ Standing on stage, suddenly j-hope was elevated standing on an enlarged TV. It was truly a cool effect. At the end of this song, he had a cute moment where he taught the audience some Korean. Even joking now, you speak Korean. Then he jumped right into the joyful can’t listen to without smiling solo song, “Outro: Ego” off BTS’s fourth studio album ‘MAP OF THE SOUL : 7.’ The stage was totally joyful seeing floating fish with confetti projected behind him on the big screen. It completely invoked moments and memories of BTS’s goofy and silly side. With the silly aqua vibes, fans delighted in chanting the song’s lyrics. The moment was truly unreal. With confetti flying, j-hope ran around the stage, which started to move up and down on its own. It really seemed like everyone was having such a good time especially the dancers on stage as firework shot off at the end of the song. Seizing the moment, Hobi encouraged those in attendance to give him a clap. As the purple bombs filled everywhere, people cheered him off the stage to give him a well-deserved moment to catch his breath.
For the next set of songs, j-hope would focus on the concept of ‘Fantasy,’ as it reflects the world j-hope envisions. When j-hope reemerged on stage, it was like he had woken up from a dream or should we say woken up in the bed from his song “Daydream,” which was the lead song of his first solo mixtape “Hope world.” The stage was like a daydream, capturing the memorable desert from the “Daydream” music video. The stage even captured the multiple silhouette versions of j-hope just like that in the music video before he finished the performance by hopping back in bed. He reemerged to the opening beats of “Chicken Noodle Soup,” which delighted those in the audience. The song was a big moment in j-hope’s discography as it was j-hope’s first solo Billboard Hot 100 entry. Back on stage, colorful cars lit up behind the dancers as the stage began to elevate. The arena was so alive that j-hope did not even have to sing this song if he didn’t want to as those in attendance were chanting it, but he still delivered a good time enlisted their help in singing Becky G’s part in the song and killing the viral dance moves as flame shot out from the stage. Red filled the stage, as j-hope took a second for a sip of water and chatted with fans. “Seriously, ARMY is the best” he professed. Then he asked, “can I speak Korean?” To which then he spoke from the heart, “This is my first city on my American tour. I never imagined having a solo tour, but I am now here doing it. Honestly, this is the beginning, and I have so much to show you. You are here on this meaningful day, and you are the center of attention. Honestly, I was very nervous today because there is a new song first of all, I prepared it for a long time, and it is the first time showing it to all of you with the performance. This is the first time since “Chicken Noodle Soup.” I hope you guys love “Mona Lisa” [and] of course, “Sweet Dreams” also. I’m really touched by you all and I really think the energy I have received from you means that I can start this tour…Brooklyn you are the best! Thank you for everything!” j-hope confessed as the crowd cheered. He wrapped up the moment by tapping into his iconic saying, “I’m your hope! You’re my hope! Guys you ready? I’m J—– “Hope!” Thank you, Brooklyn!”
With a roaring guitar and fireworks, j-hope yelled, “Welcome to my Hope World!” and got right into “Hope World” from his first solo mixtape ‘Hope World.’ With confetti flying the party mode was in full effect, right down to the group clap. Then he took time to share the moment by introducing the band. As fireworks erupted and with a big wave, j-hope said, “I’m your hope” as the stage engulfed him and the arena went dark. But instead of the show being over, fans got a moment to shine. Sifting through the audience, the camera would find those who had unwavering support and love for j-hope and would highlight them on the stage’s big screens. Fans who were dressed up as j-hope or wanted to give him shout outs, or just had interesting posters, found themselves on the digital stage. Some of the fun signs said, “Dudes for Hobi,” “Thirsty for Hobi water,” “Canada loves j-hope,” “hot girls skip classes to go to a j-hope concert,” and “best birthday gift ever!”
For the encore stage, j-hope highlighted the concept of ‘Wish.’ The encore set embodied his hope for a brighter, uplifting future for everyone as it hoped to inspire and create hope in our reality. Taking the stage again for the final turn, j-hope reemerged holding a tiny red lighted box wearing the Brooklyn 25 Hope tour shirt, with a flannel shirt, baggy jeans, and sneakers. Once on stage he teased, saying, “surprise it’s j-hope.” Then he showed the audience what the box was and explained “it was very precious… but said there’s something we have to do first,” climbing down into the audience before just jumping right into this song, “= (equal sign).” For the song, he was joined on stage by his dancers. It was like j-hope was sending all the love he could out to ARMY with his heart touching vocals. Wishing everyone the brightest future of all, he sang, “Future.” Moving around the stage, it was like he was trying to serenade each ARMY individually before finishing this song on an elevated box inviting the audience to join him in a wave. At the end the box fell into the floor as he waved goodbye, only to reemerge, saying “Surprise!” For the grand finale, j-hope sang, “NEURON (with Gaeko, yoonmirae),” which saw him shout out his dancers before saying thank you and good night. He finished the song, by encouraging those in the audience to sing with him the last few lyrics of the song as they were projected on stage. J-hope sang with ARMY, “I’ll tell you again. We’ll never ever give up, forever. I’ll say it again. We’ll always be alive to move us,” before taking a final bow and saying, “thank you.”
Clearly, this first night of ‘HOPE ON THE STAGE’ showcased j-hope’s growth as an artist and as a performer. The show delivered a visually and sonically immersive experience with its spectacular production that saw the stage move effortlessly around the performers as if they were one. The accompanying live band also gave the performance an authenticity and richness. Furthermore, the show flowed so much that there was no opportunity, no downtime, to even go to the bathroom. From start to finish the show was a wonderful music ride, taking us through j-hope’s world, and growth as a true artist.
The K-pop sensation, ITZY, returned to the tri-state area on June 23rd, 2024, for their “Born to Be World Tour.” This tour marks the second worldwide tour for the South Korean girl group. It spans Asia, Oceania, the Americas and Europe. The tour is to promote the group’s second album “Born to Be.” Sadly, the tour will take place when the member Lia is on hiatus, but good news, Yeji, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna will still preform.
The show kicked off with the girls taking the stage clad in red and black outfits for their song, “Born To be.” With an extended intro, the girls busted into their moves before venturing into their song, “Racer.” After the girls preformed “Kidding Me,” they took the time to chat with their fans MIDZY. Chaeryeong was the first to speak and she remarked how happy she was to make memories with their fans again. Yuno then highlighted the band that was performing with the girls. She expressed that the performances that night would have a richer sound since they were accompanied by a live band and then she took time to introduce each member of the band allowing the audience to give them their flowers. Then the girls performed “Mr. Vampire” before heading into “Swipe,” which utilized interactive graphics in which the girls swipe their hands across their faces. To those in attendance it certainly was a very cool effect it played right into the music. The girls finished out the act with their hit song “Wannabe,” to the delight of their fans. At the beginning of the song, the dancers stayed on stage for an extended dance break.
After a short video, which encompassed city escapes with the girls, pondering their existence, a spotlight fell on the stage. In the center was Chaeryeong to perform her solo song “Mine.” Decked out in an all-white outfit, her performance was not only sweet, but seductive and encompassed a cool mirror effect along with a dancer who doubled as her. Up next was Ryujin who performed her solo song, “Run Away.” She started the song sitting down holding a microphone with no stand. The stage was filled with colors of red and gold as she rocked out next to a table with a teddy bear sitting next to her, before descending the elevated stage. She was wearing thigh-high boots and a bodysuit with a sparkling rock’n jacket. Then the mood all changed to absolute out of this world sweetness courtesy of Yuno. As she performed her song, “Yet, but,” a large 3-D spaceship straight from her music video was projected behind her as she danced in a diamond cut out couch. She rocked a sparkling outfit with a collar and high boots just as if she was ready to blast off into space with fluffy cute graphics were also projected behind her, at one point, she even jumped into a shopping cart and was pushed around the stage as she performed. Her stage was truly out of this world with its cute 80’s computer graphics. Then the mood shifted again with Yeji’s solo stage which had an extended outro. She performed her song, “Crown On My Head.” She was wearing a red and black outfit and rocked out with cool edgy crown graphics projected behind her with matching choreography. She stunned the crowd with her stage presence, and wow them with her vocals, belting out numerous times amazing notes.
After the girls solo stages, the concert embarked on to act three, which began with a video that was out of this world. It had Armageddon undertones with the girls looking up to the sky and pondering their existence as if they were having an internal crisis.
Then came an intro in which the girls descended from a staircase to perform their hit song, “Untouchable.” The girls were in crop tops with sequins details and denim jeans. Their dancers were all in white. Then ITZY performed their hit “Gas Me Up,” which saw the arena drenched in red and black, before cascading into a beautiful waterfall of colors for their stage for “Dynamite.” Then the girls took a break to talk and connect with fans again. The girls mention that this concert was the only time that they had performed solo stages. One mention she had a blast singing and performing her song that she wrote herself. Yeji remarked that she was happy to share the energy to which a fan yelled out. “I love you” and she jokingly replied, “I love you too!” Then the audience was in an uproar of sharing love for the group to which then Yeji had to joke, “OK I’m talking,” as she flirted with the audience. She also mentioned that she loved performing her song in the solo stage because it was such a happy song with bright positive energy. It was clear that the audience was touched by her corky sentimental sensibility. Then Ryujin joked with the audience, explaining that she couldn’t hear the audience and encouraged NYC to “make some noise,” before the girls got into their song “Psychic Lover.” For this song, this stage was immersed in beautiful colors. Projected behind the girls were squares. Each girl was jumping around, giving as much energy as the audience gave to them. The girls then went on to perform their song, “Don’t Give a What,” Which saw a 3-D monogram projected behind them with their names as they rocked out before breaking into their monster hit “LOCO.” The act concluded with the girls doing a rock version of “LOCO,” with an extended outro that continued to play long after they had quickly dived behind the stage for an outfit change and to get ready for the next act.
For the next act, the band continue to rockout as the girls were working behind the stage to get ready. They started the song, “Not Shy,” with a long intro before the girls return to the stage decked out in white and black western themed outfits, which paid homage to the music video for the song. The girls then broke out their signature moves for their hit songs “Cake” and “Sneakers,” to the audience’s delight. For “Sneakers,” the girls were super cute and playful as colors surrounded the stage. They even did cartwheels to celebrate the joy. The girls then took a beat to chat with their fans again before getting to their song, “Kill Shot,” which was accompanied by extremely cool 3D graphics. ITZY then closed out their set with “Escalator,” which had an extended outro and saw the girls walking off as to say that was it!
However, for MIDZY sake the girls were only teasing. As they prepared for their encore stage a video played. The video encouraged MIDZY to get into the moment with games and challenges that included cheering, singing and even dancing. Then the girls returned to that stage to perform “LOVE is” wearing shorts or skirts with their concert tees cut in individual cute ways. They sat down to performed their touching song “Be in Love.” As the girl sat on the stage it was a very intimate moment as if it was a farewell love letter to fans to say we have to leave, but we will be back. Then the girls actually said their goodbye to MIDZY, but just as the girls were about to speak a video came on that teased each one of them. They watched as they joked with each other. Then Ryujin remarked that New York’s Time Square now feels like home to her now since they had been bless to come to New York so many times. Chaeryeong spoke in English to the audience and she promised that Lia would return soon. Before jumping into their two final songs the girls sat down on stage to take a photo with their fans. They smiled as the lights on the audience were raised. After the heartfelt moment, the girl sjumped right into their song “Boys Like You,” which saw them running around the stage in a playful manor. They jumped around as the lyrics of the song were projected behind them. Then they finished out the show with their hit song, “DALLA DALLA” which had an extended outro. As confetti was flying the girls waved goodbye to their fans and it was obvious how much they had grown as artists from their sweet humble stage in Brooklyn at the Kings Theater to now taking the worlds stage at Madison Square Garden. The moment seemed to capture their gratitude to their fans for making it possible as well as reflected how much they have grown as artists.
K-pop icons, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, or TXT, know how to keep their promises to their super fans, MOA. As promised, the boys returned to the tri-state area, but this time they graced the legendary stage that is Madison Square Garden for a two-night stop on their WORLD TOUR <ACT: PROMISE.
B.I is no stranger to releasing new music, but he returns on November 9th with his latest offering to fans. In this release, he gives fans a glimpse into heartbreak with his album, “Love or Loved Pt 2.” The album includes five tracks that take on the pain of a love in trouble or lost. The album begins with the title track, “Loved,” before venturing into “4 Letters” which features, Filipino-Australian singer and songwriter, James Reid. Then the album journeys into the track, “Alone” which also features singer, TYTAN. Rounding out the album are the last two songs, “S.O.S” and “All shook up” which features Indonesian singer and songwriter, Agnez Mo.
We had the wonderful opportunity of chatting with B.I ahead of this release. During our chat we discussed everything from inspirations to collaborations. He also shared his favorite track off the new album.
Question: What was the genesis or the inspiration for the new album?
B.I: While I’ve consistently delved deeply into the concept of love, this time, I wanted to venture into new genres and experiment with different lyrical tones. Love is an emotion that feels incredibly familiar to all of us, yet I aimed to convey these stories with fresh and unique music and storytelling.
It is my sincere hope that listeners can deeply connect with this portrayal of heartbreak. And by that, I don’t only mean that they relate to the lyrics, but also that they find solace in the melodies.
Question: How would you say this album helped you evolve as an artist? as a music producer? as a musician and creator?
B.I: I can sense personal growth with every studio or single album I produce. So far, I believe my exploration of various musical genres and diverse instrumental arrangements has enriched my work, and I’m very satisfied with the results.
Question: Can you break down each track on the album? Can you explain to me what its vibe is or what people should expect?
B.I: [Loved] has an alluring combination of bass and drum sounds, and its overall mood is cold. The mellow and calm vocals also add to its charm. [4 Letters], on the other hand, resembles an uplifting and bright movie soundtrack, but its lyrics in contrast, evokes a sense of nostalgia. I think that would transport the listeners into a state of reminiscence about a past love. On top of that, having James as a featured artist on the track further heightens great anticipation, I’m sure. [Alone] is a laid-back track with a peaceful rhythm, while it bursts with energy in the rap section. Titan, who featured in the song, delivered the tone I had envisioned. With [S.O.S], I spent a significant amount of time on creating the lyrics. If you pay attention to it, it could really get you thinking deep. [All shook up] is an unfamiliar genre not only for me, but also for listeners in Korea. I’m pleased with my collaboration with Agnez Mo; it’s a fresh combination that elevates the level of completion. The melody is very beautiful, so I wish the listeners a relaxing and easy listening experience.
With the entire album, I put in the effort to explore something new and uncharted. Moreover, I wanted to highlight the charming and surprising collaborations with artists in Asia. The results aligned perfectly with my vision, so I’m eagerly looking forward to sharing them with our fans.
Question: Is there a song off the new album that you feel closest to or love the most?
B.I: I adore each and every song, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the title track [Loved]. It has a wonderfully dreamy and sentimental quality. It’s the kind of mood I’ve always wanted to explore, and I’m particularly pleased with how well it came together… It beautifully showcases the essence of the album, I have a deep affection for it, and knowing that it was co-created in collaboration with such an exceptional team of songwriters, makes it even more precious to me.
“Love or Loved Pt 2” is out now and can be found on all streaming platforms.
She’s a Barbie girl in the Barbie World. Life in plastic—its fantastic. Yes, Barbie on the big screen is finally here! Considered one of the most anticipated films of 2023, Margot Robbie steps into the iconic heels of “typical” Barbie for this one-of-a-kind film about Mattel’s legendary toy doll.
Now, bringing Barbie to the big screen has not been easy. The film has had multiple writers and directors and even at one point had Amy Schumer playing Barbie, but all of that changed when Margot Robbie was cast in the lead role in 2019. The momentum kept growing when it was announced that Oscar darling and “Ladybird” director Greta Gerwig would take on the daunting task of bringing Barbie to life with the help from her longtime partner, Noah Baumbach, co-screenwriting with her. Subsequently, the excitement for the film spiked again when Ryan Gosling signed onto the film in 2022 to play Ken. The film is also produced by British film producer David Jonathan Heyman, who brought the Harry Potter film series to life. Margot Robbie is also listed as a producer as well.
The film tells the story of “typical” Barbie, played by Robbie, who sets out on a quest for the real world after experiencing “being less than perfect” in perfect Barbie Land. Accompanying her on this journey of self-discovery is her longtime boyfriend Ken, played by Gosling. The film also stars America Ferrera as a Mattel employee who helps Barbie in the real world and Will Ferrell as the over-the-top Mattel’s CEO. Likewise, Kate McKinnon plays Weird Barbie, while Issa Rae plays President Barbie and Simu Liu as another Ken. Rounding out the cast Rhea Perlman plays Ruth Handler, the creator of the Barbie doll.
The film is slightly in the vein of campy like other toy movies, in which an iconic toy brands breaching the big screen, such as Transformers and the Lego movies. However, this film, with Gerwig at the helm, comes out swinging right from the beginning being extremely feminist centric, but in a tongue and cheek way giving Barbie the credit for solving feminism and females’ issues in society. #JustJoking #JustNotInTheRealWorld While in Barbie Land, like Beyoncé sings, “Who runs the world? Girls!,” the real world hasn’t really embraced all that girls can be like it is in Barbie Land.
In Barbie Land we find a Barbie president, Barbie doctors, Barbie astronauts, Barbie reporters, and all the Barbie’s own their own dream homes, while Kens seem to be OK on the beach, not surfing, not as lifeguards, but just hanging out on the beach. Every day seems great until typical Barbie has an existential crisis and realizes she’s not perfect. Her shower is cold, she has bad breath, her milk is expired, and her toast is burnt, but worst of all her feet are flat and she discovers she has cellulite after falling off her roof all while obsessing over death. It’s at this time that she enlists the help from Weird Barbie, who guides her to the real world. In the real world she realizes that all the dreams that little girls had and who they wanted to be were very far from the truth. Donning her iconic rollerblades with canon toe she happens upon a construction site expecting to find hard-core female construction workers only to be mocked and cat called. She is shocked that the real world is a lot less female friendly than Barbie Land.
Upon her arrival into the real world, Mattel is alerted to the situation and acts quickly given what happened to Skipper several years prior in the Florida Keys. Mattel quickly tries to get Barbie back into the box but being a quick one she escapes into the care of a Mattel employee, who played with her as a child. With Barbie on the run, the Mattel employee and her daughter join Barbie in return to Barbie Land only to realize that Ken had returned before them and brought back a concept called patriarchy, which saw all the Barbies give up their power in order to appease their oppressors a.k.a. the Ken dolls. Barbies dream House is turned into mojo dojo casa house and is full of horses and beer drinking boys. It is at this time that Barbie hatches a plan to release her fellow dolls from their brainwashing and to take back Barbie Land. Not long after their plan is hatched, Mattel employees venture into Barbie land as well. The Barbies work together to free Barbie land from patriarchy and to return it to its previous prosperity. Upon successfully doing so Barbie is revisited by Ruth the creator of the Barbie doll. After speaking with Ruth, Barbie realizes that she wants more from this life then Barbie Land can offer and she sets out to find it.
The strength of the film comes from its clever messaging. Its tongue and cheek depiction of what we would like reality to be a.k.a. Barbie Land and what it really is– the real world, insightfully comments on humans’ innate ability to better themselves. The film is cleverly written for an open-minded audience seeking more than mere mindless entertainment but the movie is packaged in a way that is just the opposite i.e., a pure spectacle of cheerful escapism. For example, while moviegoers may be frustrated at the depiction of Ken as an over the top clingy, whiny, complaining character, who lacks depth, it is obvious when you take a step back that his character is an homage to that one-dimensional female character, seen so often in film, who lacks depth that would resemble a real human being. The cleverness of the film continues and its campy exploration of bringing fun whimsical Barbie notions into the real world, such as joking about how Mattel is led only by men even though it is a brand that is female centric. It just goes to show you how Mattel is not only willing to poke fun at itself but to be the butt of jokes. The movie also tackles troubling issues like how Barbie is designed in an unrealistic way with the perfect proportions that no woman can actually obtain. There also is a joke mid film delivered by the narrator played by the one and only Helen Mirren that jokes about Margot Robbie’s casting that is sure to get an audience to laugh. There are also other heartwarming moments like America Ferrera’s speech to the Barbies, in which she highlights the struggles of women and their inability to accept themselves in their quest for acceptance. There’re so many poignant moments in this film however it does seem that there is a bit too many messages leaving the film slightly convoluted at times. That being said the film is visually a feast for the eyes and certainly entertaining when it comes to comedy. It does what a movie should do; it entertains and inspires and that is why it’s so amazing to see Barbie on the big screen in this way.
Barbie hit theaters on July 21st, 2023 in US theaters.
Courtesy of Instagram
Fresh off their performance in front of the nation on NBC’s The Today Show, K-pop mega girl group, Twice, took their charms to MetLife Stadium for a very special concert. Making history, the girls were the first K-pop female group to hold a concert at the legendary MetLife Stadium. Twice wowed their super fans, ONCE, with their New York Metro area stop on their 5th world tour ‘Ready To Be” on July 6th, 2023.
The concert kicked off with a short video of the girls. Then in front of a packed stadium, Twice set it off with their song, “Set me Free.” The girls pounced on the stage and grabbed everyone’s attention as they were clad in black and white outfits with sparkly silvery details. The outfits the members wore all were shorts with the exception of our Miss Independent Renaissance Woman herself, Chaeyoung, who opted for pants. They followed the song up with their mega dance hit, “I Can’t Stop Me,” that threw their fans into a frenzy. For their third song, Twice went hard for their song, “Go Hard.” With yellow, orange and red backdrops the girls had black silhouettes driving the song into a hard-hitting dimension. It was clear that the leader of the group, Jihyo, was feeling the song. Not only were her vocals on point but her moves transcended her physical body. With a smile exuding from her it was clear that she was sharing her soul and energy with the audience. Not to be outdone, Nayeon, the groups eldest member, flexed her vocal prowess hitting and holding high notes for this powerful rendition of “Go Hard.”
Just when it seemed like, Twice was hitting a crescendo the girls through the concert in the opposite direction slowing things down and sharing a chillaxed vibe for their cool song, “More & More.” For this song, the girls climbed onto ladders that made triangles, which could be rolled around the stage. With colorful lights projected around them and onto the white ladders it was like Twice was riding a rainbow. The main dancer of the group, Momo, delighted fans with an iconic dance break before the girls headed down stage to perform their title track, “Moonlight Sunrise,” a song which was inspired by fans. As the girls got closer to their fans moving down stage the aesthetics of twice is light sticks changing color became almost like sparkling diamonds against the setting sun. The girls stayed near their fans downstage as they powered through another epic performance, which had fans screaming and singing along with the girls. Without taking a break the girls dove directly into their song, “Brave.” Again, Jihyo kept killing it when it came to the performance. During her solo she hit the high notes and held them. Then the girls took a well-deserved water break to chat with fans. During the fan chat they asked what was your favorite song of the previous songs that they just saying. They tried to quiz the audience and decipher from the audience response what song they like the best. During this time, Chaeyoung admitted that this was one of the first times they perform their song “Brave” during the daylight outside. She joked that she missed performing it in the dark because it was edgier and cooler that way. It was also during this time that Nayeon teased the audience and wanted them to show how much they love Twice by singing along with the girls in a call and response manner to the song “Moonlight Sunrise.” Jihyo followed that up by asking the audience to do a ginormous wave that took over the whole entire stadium. The girls expressed how hot it was, but how happy they were to see their fans in the daylight. It was at this moment that Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Jihyo and Chaeyoung stayed on the stage while the other Twice members gently disappeared. Right before going off stage. Jihyo joked that there was something special coming but the audience might have already guessed what it was or could’ve looked it up online.
As the foursome walked off stage, the stage became dark. When light reappeared, the group’s lead rapper, Dahyun, appeared sitting at a piano dressed in a flowing gorgeous white with blue accent dress. She looks like a beautiful aqua Angel as she played the piano and sang, Colbie Caillat’s “Try.” Continuing on and the girl’s individual solo songs for this site was the Maknae of the group, Tzuyu. Performing mid stage in a gorgeous jumpsuit she busted out moves and even bent down on one knee for her rendition of Charlie Puth’s “Done for Me.” Up Next was the gorgeous visual of Twice, Sana. Wearing a red collared long sleeve shirt/tunic with black tights and a bodysuit she charmed the audience with her verison of Dua Lipa’s “New Rules.” Dancing her way into the fans’ hearts main dancer of the group, Momo, busted out on stage wearing a sparkling jersey top and shorts for her rendition of Beyoncé’s “Move.” During mid song she changed everything up, shedding her jersey revealing her crop top and shorts she took to a pole. High above the audience she swirled around the pole as if she was channeling her inner J Lo circa her Super Bowl performance. Closing out these solo stages in this set was Mina covering Ariana Grande’s “7 rings.” She strutted and showed off her dance moves in a white cropped sparkly top with denim shorts and high thigh bright pink boots. As she danced around her dancers shot fake dollar bills into the sky. At the end of this solo set a video appeared on the screen of the girls singing a minimalistic version of their big hit, “Feel Special.”
After the video, Live musicians in the band appeared on stage and began to play this song, “Feel Special.” Twice then reappeared on stage rocking new outfits and belting out the song. At the conclusion of this song, the girls jumped right into their song, “Cry for Me,” before delivering a rock rendition of their big hit, “FANCY.” For “FANCY,” the stage was bathed in pink with fiery unapologetic hyper feminine energy. To close out the set before the break, the girls delivered a colorful beautiful almost prismic stage for their song, “The Feels.” During the song images of the girls singing live captivated the audience with gorgeous colorful images. At the conclusion of the song, lead rapper, Dahyun joked with the audience. She teased saying could you say that we’ve done something new for this concert? She confessed is the first time that twice has ever used a live band. She shared in her excitement with how Twice has evolved as artists, now incorporating live instrumentals. The girls quickly exited the stage as it became dark again.
When the lights came up on stage, Chaeyoung was sitting alone on a wooden barstool with guitar in hand. She looked like a little red riding hood and a beautiful simple dress with red details. Her sweetness exuded while she sang, “My Guitar.” Up next, Jihyo took to the stage for her solo performance of nightmare with haunting rock vocals and dressed all in black she exuded emotion. Delivering a 180, Jeongyeon changed up the vibe completely in a bright green jumpsuit. She brought down the house with fun vibes and positive energy as she covered Lizzo’s “Juice.” In a iconic certainly memorable moment she even attempted to play a recorder channeling Lizzo’s flute playing prowess. Certainly was a hilarious and fun uplifting moment that made the audience giggle with glee. Rounding out this solo stage set was the one the only Nayeon. With deliciously decadent filled to the top with confectionery pop, she belted out her hit song “Pop.” Was clear that the audience was feeling her vibe and returning her fun energy with confetti flying everywhere. Another video Break gave the girls a chance to change things up. When they returned the stage they performed, “Who Am I?” and “Queen of Hearts,” before heading into a medley of their biggest hits.
Clad in denim outfits the girls kicked off their iconic hits medley said with their monster hit, “Yes and Yes.” They followed it up with, “What is Love,” and “Cheer Up.” When it was time to sing, “Likey” the group started the song from Dahyun and Chaeyoung rap section before letting Mina belts out her solo bridge and Momo did her iconic dance break for the song. The girls went on to perform their songs” Knock Knock,” “Scientist” and “Heart Shaker,” which concluded with the girls jumping up and down with glee just as they did in the music video for the song.
Courtesy of Instagram
After the medley the girls took a moment to acknowledge the history that was being made at the concert. They admitted it was a little over a year ago that they re-signed with their label JYP and now they are playing at one of the biggest stadiums in North America. They thanked the fans for such a historic moment and beautiful memory. As the sun had finally set twice kick things into high gear for their last couple of songs.
As the show drew to a close, they treated the audience to “Alcohol-Free” and“Dance the Night Away.” For these two songs, the girls really amped up the energy as if to say we know we’re coming down the homestretch and so we’re just gonna take it home for the win. The concert hit a crescendo when twice performed their megahit from last summer, “Talk That Talk.” Wearing cream outfits lights around with the girls that reflected with rainbows on giant screens. The stage ended with fireworks being shot off right behind the girls before they disappeared backstage.
As the girls were transitioning into a new set the fans had a chance to interact with one another. Projected on big screens a dance battle was set. The audience was challenged to show off their best iconic Twice dance moves. Whether it was fans competing with themselves or fans competing with other fans, it was clear that everyone was winners as the audience became so hyped cheering everyone on. Obviously, there were some fans who clearly knew all the Twice moves to the point that you could swear they were JYP trainees. Then the girls reappeared on stage. Twice were decked out in Twice T-shirts with childhood photos of them laid out in a newspaper format projected behind them as they performed their song, “When We Were Kids.” The sweet sentiments continued as the girls finished the show with the song, “CRAZY STUPID LOVE.” They said goodbye to fans each girl took a moment to acknowledge how much they loved the fandom. Again, they acknowledged it was one year ago that they signed the contract and then they found themselves performing at MetLife Stadium. Sana noted how amazing it was to see their fans in the daylight and in the Moonlight as the concert spend several hours while the sun set in the New York sky. It was this moment in which Momo took the time to tease the fans about Twice is subunit made up of Sana, Mina, and Momo. Now the subunit did not sing any of their new music which will be released later this summer, but they did give a sneak peek to a dance move that will accompany their new song. Jihyo Remarque just how proud she was of this new subunit. The girls then took a moment to do a K-pop classic concert staple, take a picture with their fans. They grab the camera and hand the girls huddled together with all their fans in attendance behind them to snap several photos and savor this historic moment.
Though the concert was unofficially over, Twice was not ready to leave their fans empty-handed. Pulling out a giant wheel, they left their encore performance in the hands of fate. The wheel displayed some of Twice his classic songs that the girls hadn’t had a moment to perform yet. Getting into the vibe Jeongyeon couldn’t help but spin the wheel in between taking photos with her camera. The first song the giant wheel landed on was “Scandal” followed up by twice is iconic song “Like OOH-AHH.” It was during these two songs that the girls ran around waving at fans trying to savor every moment and draw them closer. After both songs, Chaeyoung couldn’t help but spin the wheel for the final time. She acknowledged she wanted to land on the song, “Firework,” but kept landing on songs that twice had just performed. But the third time was the charm, and she got her wish. Twice finished out the show by performing their song “Firework.”
The girls took a few moments before heading off stage to savor the moment for one last chance with their fans. The last to leave the stage looked like it would be Jeongyeon until she ran into Dahyun, who pushed her back on stage. The two laughed and giggled and proceeded to head off stage for the final time before Dahyun turned around and promised that Twice would be back to New York and motioned as if to ask for the fans to wait for their return.
Twice made up of the nine members of now take a quick break. They will return to the stage in September in London to kick off their international European leg of their tour. That performance will take place on September 7 at London’s iconic O2 Arena.
88rising’s first-ever Head in the Clouds New York festival kicked off this past weekend and the music and the merch weren’t the only things that were super-hot. If you were fortunate enough to grab a ticket to the festival, you probably noticed a very, very, long line behind the stadium near Xing Fu Tang’s pop-up Boba cafe. Now, it’s not easy to draw a crowd especially if you’re far from the front row, but that didn’t seem to hinder those who sought out high-quality artisan Boba. Xing Fu Tang USA CEO, Andrew Chuang, couldn’t deny the desire of the crowd, acknowledging, “It’s a little bit out of the way from the main entrance, but we’re still getting a ton of traffic over here. It’s great!”
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