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From the Desert to Mawazine — A Reflection on ATEEZ's Six-Year Rise
Headlining an international festival with 2.5 million viewers after starting out at a company that had only 20 employees sounds like a heartwarming movie plot — but for ATEEZ, an eight-member group from KQ Entertainment, it’s reality.
While the group has amassed many accolades and praise in the recent past, they started out not knowing if they were even going to make it to releasing their second album. In 2017, the K-Pop scene was starting to gain immense traction in the West due to its online presence, and groups from small companies were just on the cusp of being able to create a footing for themselves. ATEEZ was one of the groups vying for a chance to show their talents to a global audience.
ZION Ascends to “World Class Rock Band” Status, Powered by the Gifts of Mother Nature
In 2020, the rock band ZION was formed in Tokyo, Japan. The group is composed of Tatsuya Mitsumura (vocal, guitar), Keisuke Kushino (guitar), Sachio Yoshizawa (guitar), Taichi Naruhashi (drums), and Shinnosuke Sato (bass). The band takes its name from Zion National Park in the U.S. Drawing from the Hebrew word for "sanctuary," the park's beauty became a muse for the group. The members were inspired by the scenery, smell, and aura that the rocky mountains bring about.
Celebrating PRIDE Through Mellifluous Music: A Look at Indian Queer Musicians
Music has long served as a powerful platform for amplifying the voices of minorities and marginalized communities. Take hip-hop, for example. The genre originated in the Bronx as an attempt to give an outlet to convey the struggles of the African-American people. Similarly, the queer community has been using the art of music to express itself and gain acceptance in society. In India, the united voice of the queer community resonates across the landscape, transcending linguistic differences. As such, music has evolved beyond mere notes and words, becoming an essential part of the queer community's identity in India, helping them be heard one mellifluous tone at a time. As Pride Month concludes, we celebrate some of the queer artists from India who have made waves with their musical brilliance.
HY Celebrates 25 Years of Musical Magic
Japanese rock band HY was formed in their hometown of Higashi-Yakena, Okinawa, in 2000, when they were high school students. All of them are from Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The band is currently composed of HIDEYUKI SHINZATO (Vocal & Guitar), SHUN NAKA (Drums), SHINSUKE KYODA (Bass), and IZUMI NAKASONE (Keyboard & Vocal). Their distinctive features include vocals performed by male and female members, a rarity in Japanese bands, and the composition based on their regional culture.
![[Alexandros] Gears Up for a Spectacular 15th Anniversary Celebration](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62724add27ccc61bca95c92c/1717276197562-5611HITDHBE06G7GO700/23.12_A_Photo.jpg)
[Alexandros] Gears Up for a Spectacular 15th Anniversary Celebration
Japanese rock band [Alexandros] was formed in 2001. After they graduated from school, the members started working but continued to play in bands. To develop their music career further, they began living together. Building their career by performing in various live houses and busking on the streets, [Alexandros] eventually debuted in 2010 with “city” under RX-RECORDS, a Japanese indie label established by UK.PROJECT. Though their journey was lengthy, it strengthened their unity and solidified their identity as a band.
Watch Out For These Five Up-And-Coming Musical Talents We Saw at SXSW
Every year in Austin, TX the SXSW music festival serves as a mosaic of diverse emerging talent from around the world. Amongst the multitude and abundance of acts gracing its stages, five artists especially stood out as rising talents, sure to create a strong impression in the music scene. From infectious melodies to reflective and insightful lyrics, these artists mesmerized their audiences with individually unique sounds and evident talent. We're excited to share our top picks for artists you should keep an eye on this year.
Women in Music: Exploring India's Indie Music Scene
The indie music circuit in India is quite up-and-coming these days. Artists are finding new fanbases and strengthening their roots within the music community. With a raw, honest, and sometimes even multilingual approach to the songs, the indie musicians have carved a niche for themselves. When one speaks of indie, most genres that come to mind are ballad, R&B, jazz, and maybe a hint of retro, but that is changing now. The artists are not shy about going beyond the genres and experimenting with their music and artistry.
Jai B.: From Los Angeles to K-Pop Stardom With "Never Let You Go"
Looking for a place on the top charts and his style, with his debut single "Never Let You Go." Jai B. emerges as a promising talent in the vibrant K-Pop industry. This cozy pop ballad, released on December 26, 2023, not only showcases his musical prowess but also reflects his journey from Los Angeles to the heart of Korean pop culture.
CHANMINA Announces Her First Overseas Concert Tour
CHANMINA, a trilingual rapper fluent in Japanese, Korean, and English, is the daughter of a Japanese father and a Korean mother. She writes lyrics, composes music, and produces herself as well. In 2016, she participated in a rap contest for high school students and soon after, she began releasing tracks as an independent artist. Quickly gaining attention, she made a major debut at just eighteen years old.
DIR EN GREY’s 25th Debut Anniversary Year Has Come
One of the most popular visual-kei rock bands, DIR EN GREY, was made in Osaka, Japan, back in 1997 and composed of Kyo (Voice), Kaoru (Guitar), Dai (Guitar), Toshiya (Bass), and Shinya (Drums). In the following year, they debuted as an indie band, but their presence was rising in a flash. They became the first indie band to perform in one of the most historical concert halls, NIPPON BUDOKAN. Since then, the door to a major debut had opened.
Nao Yoshioka Crowdfunds For Her New Album and Upcoming World Tour
Nao Yoshioka is a Japanese female soul singer from Osaka, Japan. After she dropped out of high school, she moved to New York to seek a life as a singer in 2010. It was a big decision for a teenager to make a breakthrough in her life.
Sakurako Ohara Celebrates Her 10th Anniversary
In 2013, Sakurako Ohara debuted as an actress in the movie Kanojo wa Uso wo Aishisugiteru, where a high school student who aspired to be an actress achieved an audition to choose the heroine of a movie whose role is a vocalist. The Japanese film is famous in South Korea as well because it was remade into a TV drama series where the same role was performed by Red Velvet’s Joy.
Denise Julia Drops Hot New Single "B.A.D." Featuring P-Lo
October 27 marks Filipina R&B singer-songwriter Denise Julia’s newest single release, “B.A.D.,” featuring Filipino-American rapper P-Lo. This song serves as the lead single in her upcoming debut album. It’s been more than a month since her latest release, and this time, the song doubles as an introduction of a glimpse of what her younger self aspired to become as a music artist and embracing herself as a person.
XG: The New Revolution of Empowerment and Self-Confidence
Xtraordinary Girls, most commonly known as XG, are a 7-member Japanese girl group formed by a subsidiary of Avex, XGALX. Consisting of members; Jurin, Chisa, Hinata, Juria, Cocona, Maya, and Harvey, the group debuted in March of 2022 with their first English single titled “Tippy Toes.” XG’s debut brought something new to the industry as a Japanese girl group singing in English, who chose to do their music promotions within the competitive market of South Korea. While this brought the group a lot of attention, it has ultimately been the group's message of self-appreciation and female empowerment that has made them a group to beat.
The ‘RIIZE’ of a New Boy Group
On July 30, SM Entertainment announced and opened the official Instagram account for their new seven-member boy group, RIIZE. The members consist of Shortaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Seunghan, Sohee and Anton. Shotaro and Sungchan were former members of NCT, while Eunseok and Seunghan were a part of SMR22B.
Tomorrow X Together Unveils 3rd Album ‘The Name Chapter: FREEFALL’ Tracklist & Preview
Tomorrow X Together (TXT) is ready and gearing up for their upcoming third full-length album, The Name Chapter: FREEFALL, which is set to release on October 13. The album comes just three short months after their Japanese album release Sweet, and nine months since their fifth EP release, The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION. The group has started to release concept pictures of the three versions of their upcoming album, REALITY, MELANCHOLY, and CLARITY.
SCANDAL Earned the Title “Longest Running Female Rock Band”
After 17 years, J-Rock Band SCANDAL earns a Guinness World Record as “the longest-running female rock band.”
On The Rise: 10 Artists We Are Featuring for September 2023
It’s a new month, which means it’s time to introduce you to new music from across the world, names you may or may not recognize, igniting exciting musical discoveries for you and your playlists. Join us on this ride as we present to you ten artists from across the globe who are making their mark within the music industry: Zior Park, Peach Tree Rascals, LEEBADA, HeyMen, Marz23, 16, Ava Maybee, Sumsher, Celia, and Ida Just.
On The Rise: 10 Artists We Are Featuring For August 2023
As we step into the vibrant month of August 2023, it's time to embark on another musical journey and explore the captivating talents of rising artists. Join us as we introduce 10 artists who are making waves in the music scene: LØREN, Hannah Bahng, Suyo, Thinlamphone Mahavong, The Sound, King Kofi, Tejas, YOUHA, Blinky Bill, and โต๋ Saksit Vejsupaporn (TOR).
Five Underrated Songs From The Rose To Add To Your Playlist
Korean indie-rock band, The Rose is no stranger to the international music scene. As we dawn closer and closer to The Rose's upcoming album DUAL and their DAWN TO DUSK World Tour, we thought we would recount five of their most underrated singles and B-sides that best encapsulate the band's musical prowess and growth over the past six years.