Tag: Sara Conway ’21
Tiffany Young Performs at Paradise Rock Club
by The Cowl Editor on November 21, 2019
Arts & Entertainment
Diva Brings K-pop Experience to Eager Boston Crowd
by: Sara Conway ’21 A&E Co-Editor
It was a night for the divas. The line to get into Boston’s Paradise Rock Club on Nov. 8 stretched down the block, around the corner, and down another block to see a diva emerging with full force onto the American music scene: Tiffany Young.
Although Tiffany Young has made a name for herself as a solo artist in recent years, she began her music career as a member of the girl group, Girls’ Generation (also known as SNSD), who dominated the K-pop scene following their debut under SM Entertainment in 2007. Young marked the start of her solo career in 2016 with the release of her first mini album, I Just Wanna Dance, which she released under the name TIFFANY through SM Entertainment. She officially left SM in October of 2017, but Young has confirmed that she is still a member of Girls’ Generation.
Young embarked on her solo career in the United States with the release of her single “Over My Skin” on June 28, 2018, this time under the name Tiffany Young. Since then, she has released seven singles and an EP titled Lips on Lips. In June, Young announced her first official North American tour, the Magnetic Moon tour, its title drawing from her song, “Magnetic Moon,” which was released in August.
When Young dropped the tour information on her Instagram, she wrote in her caption, “You have created such a positive and safe space online, I want to bring that love and energy to life in a tour.” Furthermore, Young’s Magnetic Moon tour was to “celebrate open hearts and open minds.” The tour officially kicked off with a show in San Francisco on Oct. 25, and it will come to a close on Nov. 21 in Los Angeles after making stops across the U.S. and Canada. When the tour came to Boston, the sign outside of the Paradise Rock Club boasted the words “sold out” following Tiffany Young’s name.
The setlist of the Magnetic Moon tour let the diva shine. Tiffany Young, with her striking onstage presence, showed that she and her music deserve to carry that title of “diva” as well. The Magnetic Moon tour showcased “big diva energy” with its mix of Young’s old and new music (the tour opened and closed with her latest single “Run For Your Life”) and covers of some noteworthy divas. Early in the set, Young performed a cover of Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball,” a song during the concert that had live instruments, and Destiny’s Child’s “Independent Woman.” Screams of excitement and recognition followed the opening notes of Young’s solo version of Girls’ Generation’s “Run Devil Run,” a song that was first sung nine years ago.
The love and support between Young and her fans was crystal clear at the Boston show of the Magnetic Moon tour—a tour that was “inspired by and for” her fans. It was during these moments of intimate connection that the emotions poured out from both the artist and her fans, a contrast to the powerful and confident music that dominated the majority of the setlist. Young, tearing up, revealed that she has been able to open up about things she never used to talk about. She stated, “Thank you for keeping the love alive, for being there regardless of whatever may happen, I promise you the same: you call my name, I’ll be there waiting.” Young then dedicated the next song “Runaway,” an emotional stripped-down song, to her fans there with her in Boston.
As she opened up about the pressure she faces, Young shared that she has recently discovered that she reacts sometimes by freezing instead of the usual “fight or flight” reaction. Young emphasized messages of love and compassion when she told her fans that the Magnetic Moon tour is about “bringing everyone together” and “embracing both light and dark.”
At the very end of the concert, Young performed a cover of “In My Blood” by Shawn Mendes that merged into her own song “Born Again,” a song that reveals her personal pain and struggles. While singing “Born Again,” Young let the audience into her vulnerable moments and emphasized the strength that can be discovered in that rawness. In these moments of emotion, Tiffany Young has shown that there is incredible power in vulnerability.
If the Magnetic Moon tour has proved anything, it has proved that Young’s name deserves to be on the list of iconic divas who are making their mark on the music industry and taking over the world.
So, you better run for your life because Tiffany Young is here.
Crashing Weddings and Making Memes
by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019
Arts & Entertainment
James Lee x Kevin Woo Release “Falling” Music Video
by: Sara Conway ’21 A&E Co-Editor
Some songs tell of great romances. Others pine for those loves that slipped through their fingers. James Lee and Kevin Woo’s recent collaboration, “Falling,” which was released digitally on Aug. 2, speaks of that lost love. However, the premiere of the music video on Oct. 26 does not solely dwell in the desperation and somber emotion of the lyrics; rather, “Falling” tells a story overflowing with dark humor.
Lee teams up with Woo, a member of the former K-pop group, U-Kiss, and is now pursuing a solo career, in “Falling.” However, the two have worked together prior to the release of the song and music video as Lee and Woo toured together with the rock band FYKE in August for shows in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Before launching his solo career, Lee was a member of bands that focused on a variety of genres including metal, indie rock, and K-pop which speaks to his versatility as an artist. Then on June 10, 2015, Lee was in an accident that caused him to lose his left hand, leaving him unable to play the bass which he had played for 13 years. Following his recovery from the accident, Lee played synth for his former band, Royal Pirates, for a short period until he left the band because of his worsening condition. Lee officially released music as a solo artist in 2018 and presented his first EP, The Light, in August of that year. Since then, Lee has released a number of singles, including “Falling,” his most recent project.
In the opening scene of “Falling,” Lee’s character tries to make a speech at the wedding reception of the person for whom he has fallen. He finally gives up hiding his feelings and, with the help of Woo’s character, crashes the wedding. The two cause chaos in their tuxedos, throwing and kicking the gifts, tearing down the “Mr. and Mrs.” balloons, wreaking havoc with a flamethrower, and destroying the wedding cake. Woo even enters a scene with a chainsaw to divide up the bride and groom cut out.
As chaos reigns, the bride and groom look on in horror, and the other guests helplessly watch the planned festivities come crashing down with confusion and surprise clear in their expressions. Among those guests are some familiar faces: YouTubers Mike Bow and Linda Dong, known for their channels, MikeBowShow and LeendaDProductions, respectively; the drummer of the American heavy metal band, Lamb of God, Art Cruz (Lee used to be in a metal band with Cruz called Azusa); and even Lee’s parents make an appearance in the “Falling” music video.
The comedic narrative and the wide range of emotion expressed in “Falling” is realized through the direction of Brad Wong in his “kinetic, nostalgic and darkly romantic” style, as described on his director’s website. The “rich palettes, deep shadows and an aggressive yet vulnerable air” distinct to Wong’s style also finds its way into “Falling” through the balance of the emotion-driven lyrics and the wedding crashing that Lee and Woo’s characters do.
While the “Falling” music video is humorous in its own right, the artists let their fans join in the fun by inviting them to create memes from selected clips, whose file names include “flamehrower_clean,” “kevsuperextrajacketthrow,” and “MomDadIwanttobeanArtist.” The “Falling” clips can be found through a Dropbox link in the caption of the music video on Lee’s YouTube channel. The artists shared their favorites across their social media platforms in which the winners received new “Falling” merchandise.
Through the release of the music video of their recent collaboration, Lee and Woo’s “Falling” is a testament to the dynamism and versatility of the two artists as dark humor is woven with a song that speaks of pain.
Introducing the ‘Avengers of K-pop’
by The Cowl Editor on October 10, 2019
Arts & Entertainment
SuperM Debuts After SM & Capitol Music Group Collaboration
by Sara Conway ’21 A&E Co-Editor
A Big Three entertainment company of South Korea, SM Entertainment constantly strives to globalize K-pop and to be one step ahead of the rest, as it has done since its creation in 1995. Chris Lee, a member of SM’s Board of Directors and head of Artist & Repertoire (A&R), delivered an inside look at the company’s business model in his TED talk-style lecture, “The True Value of K-Pop.” Held at Lincoln Center in New York City on June 19, Lee’s lecture was followed by a Q&A session moderated by the Asia Society’s Executive Vice President Tom Nagorski.
“The True Value of K-Pop” preceded K-Factor: An Orchestral Exploration of K-Pop, a 50-piece orchestral performance of songs notable to K-pop history featuring music by BTS, EXO, BLACKPINK, and Red Velvet hosted by Lincoln Center.
As Lee stressed in his talk, SM innovates through the “culture first, economy next” model: the founder of SM, Soo-Man Lee, realized the marketability of the Korean culture when he saw the Korean flag on a H.O.T. fan’s bag for the group’s Beijing concert in 2000. The fandom symbol of SM’s first K-pop idol group, created in 1996, had become the Korean flag.
Since then, the true value of K-pop for SM is “Culture Technology.” Created in the late ‘90s by Soo-Man Lee, the phrase gives value to K-pop in the eyes of the company—they create value through culture. In order to do so, SM follows three stages: creation, expansion, and exportation of culture.
SM’s latest project, the new group SuperM, pushes exportation of culture to the next level. On Aug. 7 during the 2019 Capitol Congress Event, SM and Capitol Music Group announced their partnership for SuperM, which has been branded as the “Avengers of K-pop,” according to Forbes. In their continuous drive to innovate and redefine K-pop, SM narrowed in on the American market with the creation of SuperM and their partnership with Capitol Records. With the slogan of “We Are The Future,” SuperM and its concept sums up SM’s central idea of “Culture Technology.”
The members of SuperM are not comprised of rookies taken from SM trainees, but rather idols who had already debuted in other SM boy groups. The seven of SuperM, however, remain members in their old groups and also preserve the schedules related to their solo careers, if they have one.
SuperM is truly a supergroup: SM knew exactly what they were doing when they chose the seven members. Although he mainly focused on his solo career before SuperM, Taemin debuted as a member of SHINee in 2008. Baekhyun, the eldest and chosen leader of SuperM, and Kai are members of one of SM’s highest profile groups, EXO, since the group’s debut in 2012. The younger members were taken from NCT—Taeyong, the leader of the 21-member group, and Mark came from NCT 127, and Ten and Lucas were recruited from WayV, the subunit of NCT that focuses on their audience in China.
This mix of idols were bound to turn heads, particularly those who are fans of all the groups the members are also a part of. SM knew their target market when they combined some of the most popular members of their most successful groups. As Taemin mentioned in a Billboard interview, SuperM is comprised of the “aces of aces.”
Although their first mini album, SuperM, was officially released on Oct. 4, the seven-member group appeared on Billboard’s Social 50 at No. 2, the Artist 100 at No. 93, and as No. 6 on the Emerging Artist chart before any music had dropped.
With a creation of a group like SuperM, SM pulled out all the stops. Again, ahead of the album release, SM announced SuperM’s first arena tour in the United States. A 10-date tour, the first concert will occur two months after the group’s debut, and they will perform in venues like New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
Consciously aiming for an untraditional route, SuperM kicked off their promotions for their new album not in Korea, which is the norm for K-pop debuts and comebacks, but in the U.S., more specifically Los Angeles, where Capitol Records’ headquarters is located. Although a press conference was also held in South Korea, the members of SuperM held their official premiere event conference in L.A. with their American audience before the global release of SuperM and their title song, “Jopping.”
The label “Avengers of K-pop” comes through immediately in the “Jopping” music video, which also demonstrates the extensive budget SM possesses to create the short film. SM leans into the futuristic aspect of the group and the intense anticipation surrounding SuperM through an opening of dramatic trumpets and a technologically reconstructed Colosseum in the middle of a desert scene.
SM—and the K-pop world—has mounted pressure on the newly formed SuperM. As shown in the “Jopping” music video, SM hopes their supergroup will fill stadiums and become a global phenomenon. The company, with their partnership with Capitol Records, increased their presence in the U.S. through the various press events and promotional activities. For SM and SuperM, the main focus of “exportation” in their business model is the U.S. market with the larger goal of dominating the global market.
Having the “Time of Our Life”
by The Cowl Editor on September 26, 2019
Arts & Entertainment
DAY6 Celebrates on Their ‘GRAVITY’ World Tour in Boston
by Sara Conway ’21 A&E Co-Editor
“Tonight, Boston is a page in our lives, and you guys are all on that page.”
These were the words of Sungjin, the leader of the Korean pop-rock band DAY6, at the Boston show of their ‘GRAVITY’ world tour on Sept. 15 at the Orpheum Theatre. Their Boston performance landed on a special date as the 15th also marked the oldest member Jae’s birthday.
The five-member Korean pop-rock group DAY6 is comprised of leader, rhythm guitarist, and vocalist Sungjin; guitarist and vocalist Jae; bassist, rapper, and vocalist Young K; keyboardist and vocalist, Wonpil; and drummer and youngest, Dowoon. DAY6 debuted under JYP Entertainment on September 7, 2015 with the mini album The Day. The band launched their Every DAY6 project in early 2017 when they released a song or two every month for about a year from January to November. As DAY6 gained more attention on the international music scene, they had their first fanmeet tour, DAY6 Live & Meet in North America in 2017 as well as the group’s first world tour titled DAY6 1st World Tour ‘Youth’ in 2018.
DAY6 recently released their fifth mini album called The Book of Us: Gravity on July 15, featuring six new songs including the title song, “Time of Our Life.” A few months after the release, the band embarked on the United States leg of their second world tour, ‘GRAVITY,’ stopping first in New York City before traveling to Boston. The massive tour will take DAY6 across the United States, to Australia and parts of Asia in November, as well as to cities in Europe in the new year with a show in Madrid this January.
When asked about the inspiration behind the lyrics of The Book of Us: Gravity in an interview with Billboard, Young K, the primary lyricist of the group, weighed in saying that they wanted to “focus more on human relationships” in their new album. Inspiration for the music in The Book of Us, therefore, came from things like “everyday conversations, how people live, how they talk, [and] the expressions they have on their faces.”
Young K also revealed the reason behind the name of the album in the Billboard interview. The “book” is a metaphor for a life, and, as Young K mentioned, The Book of Us: Gravity is a “story we write down as we live.” The title song of the album connects to the theme of the book of a life as well. While the English title is “Time of Our Life,” the Korean name translates to “So That It Becomes One of the Pages.” Young K expressed that he hopes that this song “can become one of your pages, a moment in your life, your book.”
DAY6 began writing a new chapter of their musical journey with the release of their new album, which indicated a new era for the band. Their last two albums of 2018 made up the “Youth” era. The Book of Us: Gravity places an emphasis on beginnings, demonstrated through DAY6’s brighter sound and their focus on everyday emotions in their lyrics. The slightly different sound of the album was prompted by DAY6’s desire to have “more concert music,” according to Jae in an MTV News interview. For this new feel, he refers particularly to “Best Part” and “Time of Our Life,” songs that contributed to sustaining the high-energy concert in Boston.
The setlist of the ‘GRAVITY’ tour weaved together DAY6’s new music and songs from their previous eras. The band opened with “Best Part” from The Book of Us: Gravity, the song that concludes their latest mini album. Music from their first EP made frequent appearances such as their songs “Colors,” “Freely,” which closed the dynamic show, and “Congratulations,” DAY6’s debut song. The ‘GRAVITY’ tour proved to be a celebration of DAY6, a way to pay tribute to the books of their lives and the evolution of the band, as they had recently marked their fourth anniversary as a group earlier in September.
As Sept. 15 was also Jae’s 27th birthday, the rest of the members of DAY6 and the fans—called My Day—made the show particularly memorable by singing “Happy Birthday” to him. Although special attention was placed on Jae as the birthday boy, the others of the band got the opportunity to perform solos for My Day and spotlight their instrumental skills throughout the two-and-a-half hour set. Eyes were then placed on the fans when Wonpil asked everyone to sing “Time of Our Life” as the members played the instrumentals, watching in awe as the theater was filled with My Day singing their Korean lyrics.
The environment of pure energy that DAY6 created at their Boston concert allowed fans—and the members themselves—to let go of any of the stress, anxiety, or worries they had carried into the Orpheum Theatre before the show. As Wonpil said in his ending statement, “I feel like that there are hardships in life and without those hardships there [wouldn’t] be happy moments, but I hope that we can make music that will give you the strength to push through and overcome those hardships.” Emotional burdens were released through the high-energy performances that did not wane in the slightest—although DAY6 played 16 songs almost nonstop in two hours—and fans did not cease to sing along or cheer. DAY6 and My Day, in fact, responded to each other’s excitement with increasing energy as the night went on.
DAY6’s ‘GRAVITY’ concert celebrated something else besides a birthday and the existence of the group. The members of the band and the fans who came out to see them play were there for a connected reason: music. In Jae’s ending statement he contemplated the power of music saying, “I think that’s a beautiful thing; music is a beautiful thing.”
And the My Day of Boston there in the Orpheum Theatre that night wholeheartedly agreed.
Music for the ‘Generation Why’
by The Cowl Editor on September 19, 2019
Music
Conan Gray Plays a Private Show at NYC Hotel
by Sara Conway ’21 A&E Co-Editor
As New Yorkers walked past the Public Hotel on Chrystie Street in Nolita, they were greeted by a line that stretched down the block. Those especially curious paused to ask someone in line, “What is this for?”
Those who stopped learned that indie-pop musician Conan Gray was playing a private show at the hotel.
In order to see the performance, names were randomly drawn in a lottery system. Fans had the opportunity to enter for a spot out of 200 for the Los Angeles show or out of 100 for the New York City show.
The lucky winners of the New York show experienced the best of Conan Gray; the artist performed his entire discography, from “Idle Town”—the song that gained Gray international attention—to “Comfort Crowd,” his most recent release. Gray admitted that this performance marked only his second time playing his newest single since its release on Sept. 5. He introduced “Comfort Crowd” by saying that he wrote it this past summer when he was lonely and missing his best friend.
The rest of the concert included Gray’s first official single, “Generation Why” and the popular song “Crush Culture” from his first EP, Sunset Season, released under Republic Records. Gray played his two other singles from 2019, “The King” and “Checkmate” as well.
From the moment Gray stepped on stage, his energy filled the performance space, which was packed with fans singing along to every word. The close relationship between artist and fans was seen when Gray read a note from a fan out loud that said, “You are our ‘Comfort Crowd,’” and gave that person a hug, causing a series of awws to erupt from the rest of the audience.
Gray achieved YouTube stardom with his song “Idle Town.” Created on GarageBand, the song was inspired by Georgetown, the quiet town in Texas Gray grew up in. However, he had been posting on his YouTube since he was very young because he was a “nostalgic kid” who was always filming, according to a Billboard interview. Gray started writing songs when he was 12 years old.
When asked about his songwriting by the Recording Academy, Gray thoughtfully noted that for him, “the best way to be good at songwriting is to just tell the truth.” He later added that his “goal always is just to be as honest as [he] possibly can.” His honesty and relatability prevail in his music, as Gray writes of loneliness in “Comfort Crowd,” being single while constantly surrounded by the pressure to be in a relationship in “Crush Culture,” and the generation who feels the heaviness of living in “Generation Why.”
Gray’s private concerts are to be followed by his Comfort Crowd Tour around the United States, launching on Oct. 29 in St. Louis, Missouri. His tour will continue up until the new year, ending on Dec. 12 in Los Angeles, California.
K-pop Band Performs a Historical Show in New York
by The Cowl Editor on September 12, 2019
Music
by Sara Conway ’21 A&E Co-Editor
Fans at Town Hall in New York City on Sept. 1 during the Korean pop-rock band, The Rose’s, concert experienced a series of unfortunate events. Main vocalist, Woosung, realized his microphone had not been turned on amid the opening chords of the first song of the show, and the band also noticed that the keyboard of other member, Dojoon, had never been turned on.
However, the members rose above these unplanned challenges, taking the opportunity to greet and laugh with their fans. Black Roses, the name of the fans of The Rose, lucked out being at a venue that does not have a bad seat in the house as they unexpectedly witnessed the band doing soundcheck due to the aforementioned complications.
Town Hall declares themselves to be “at the crossroads of culture and history,” yet again proving to be an appropriate venue to host The Rose. The band sets themselves apart from the mainstream K-pop formula of groups who are dominated by complex choreography and upbeat pop music, something that people are drawn towards as seen in the unwavering energy the night of Sept. 1 and the band’s previous world tours.
The Rose is breaking further into the music scene after turning heads with their debut single, “Sorry,” their identity as instrumentalists and self-composers—lending inspiration from British pop—as well as the distinct tones of all of the members’ voices.
The Korean pop-rock band is comprised of four members: leader, main vocalist, and electric guitarist, Woosung; vocalist, keyboardist, and acoustic guitarist, Dojoon; drummer and sub-vocalist, Hajoon; and bassist and sub-vocalist Jaehyeong. Three out of the four current members (Dojoon, Hajoon, and Jaehyeong) had previously been in a band together called Windfall. Once Woosung joined the other three members, the group changed their name to The Rose and debuted on August 3, 2017 under J&Star Company with their single, “Sorry.”
Although The Rose only has a discography of 12 songs, their music has made enough waves for them to embark on two world tours. The Paint it Rose Tour in 2018 traveled to locations in Europe, the United States, Mexico, and South America, and a second round of touring, rebranded as Paint It Rose 2018 In Europe: 2nd Coloring, occurred in Europe again and in Australia. Prior to the kick-off of the first leg of the Paint It Rose Tour, The Rose released their first mini-album titled Void on April 16, 2018. Before the band’s second round of touring, they released their second mini album, Dawn, on Oct. 4, 2018.
The Rose’s current tour, We Rose You Live, started in Seoul on Aug. 17 in the wake of the band releasing the songs “RED” and “California” a few days before. The We Rose You Live world tour has taken the group to the East Coast, Midwest, and, soon, to the West Coast with their shows in Seattle and Los Angeles happening mid-September.
The venue on Sept. 1 was full of energetic singing and screams, steady vocals, and the powerful playing of instruments. Through their live performances, The Rose has showcased their strengths as singers, musicians, and entertainers through their versatility and individuality as a band.
The Rose’s connection with their fans creates a unique bond between themselves and the people who support them the most. The title of The Rose’s ongoing tour is a testament to this connection—”we rose you” in place of “we love you.” As an appropriate nod to the tour name, the band began their show with their song, “I.L.Y.,” although it was rearranged to be better suited to kick-off the two-hour show. Amid the encore songs, the members of The Rose and the Black Roses also started shouting “we love you” at each other, neither wanting to stop first.
Although the concert started out less smoothly than anticipated, the energy of the members and Black Roses and their love for one another stayed strong throughout the rough patches. The Rose performed fan favorites such as “Candy (so good),” “California,” and “She’s in the Rain” as well as unreleased songs including “OMG,” “Photographer,” and “Beautiful Girl,” which had only been released on Woosung’s YouTube and Soundcloud.
Instead of playing all of their limited songs in the first half of the show, The Rose performed covers to break up their songs such as “Breakeven” (The Script), “Sign of the Times” (Harry Styles), and “ILYSB” (LANY). Each member also showcased their vocals and strong stage presence through their solo songs: Dojoon sang “Hold Back The River” by James Bay, while drummer Hajoon and bassist Jaehyeong collaborated on a duet of “Soldier” by Before You Exit. Woosung closed the cover section of the show by performing songs from his new mini-album, Wolf. Woosung’s first solo song, “lonely,” stunned fans and sparked cheers as he sang part of it acapella before launching into singing the entire song. The title song of Wolf, “Face,” was accented with Woosung working the stage with an American flag, given to him by a fan, fluttering behind him.
The songs of the encore of We Rose You Live—which indicated the winding down of the concert, though not in the sense of the energy of the venue and the band—included The Rose’s debut song, “Sorry,” the frenzied and exciting “BABY,” and “Take Me Down” from the group’s second mini-album, Dawn. The night ended with the band’s newest single, “RED,” its feel-good and bright vibe carrying on the energy that existed in Town Hall from the moment The Rose stepped onto the stage.
The Rose stands out in the K-pop scene with their pop-rock sound—a sound that is rarely explored through the top-charting K-pop groups—unique vocals, and self-composed songs confirming the band’s ability to carve out a successful space for themselves in a saturated industry.
From ‘Boys In Luv’ to ‘Boys With Luv’
by The Cowl Editor on August 29, 2019
Arts & Entertainment
BTS Looks to the Past and the Future For Their World Tour
by Sara Conway ’21 A&E Co-Editor
Among the bright stage lights, the confetti drifting throughout the venue, and the gradient of pink and purple lights, fans at Metlife Stadium on Saturday, May 18 heard various members of BTS repeating, “I love you guys!” and “We love you!” These were BTS’ final farewells to ARMY as they slowly made their way back to the main stage following the last song of the two-hour concert.
For those unfamiliar, BTS officially debuted on June 13, 2013 under the South Korean company Big Hit Entertainment, with the lead single, “No More Dream,” from their first album, 2 Cool 4 Skool. Since then, the seven-member boy band has released music marking four unique eras in their journey as artists, as well as three Japanese albums.
The School Trilogy lasted from BTS’ debut to 2014; the Youth Trilogy spanned from 2015 to 2016; the Wings era, which consisted of a full-length album and a repackage featuring three new songs, went from 2015 to 2016. The following year consisted of the Love Yourself series, which began with the mini album, Love Yourself: Her, released in September of 2017. The era recently concluded with the compilation album, Love Yourself: Answer, which was released less than a year ago.
Their most recent comeback—and the start of a new era occurred on April 12 with the mini album, Map of the Soul: Persona, and these songs were integrated into their extended Love Yourself World Tour, rebranded as Love Yourself: Speak Yourself. Besides the different setlist, the Love Yourself: Speak Yourself World Tour boasts venues including the Rose Bowl Stadium, Soldier Field, and Metlife Stadium in the United States as well as Wembley Stadium, which holds a capacity of 90,000 people, and Stade de France in Europe. BTS’ extensive tour continued with dates in Japan in July. After the group takes a brief hiatus—their first since their debut—BTS will conclude the Love Yourself: Speak Yourself World Tour with a concert at the King Fahid International Stadium in Saudi Arabia as well as three more dates in Seoul in October.
With the lead single, “Boy With Luv,” Map of the Soul: Persona is “just about us” as BTS leader RM said in an interview with Time; the band is telling the world who they are in this new era. Their latest album presents a narrower focus in contrast with the big statement they emphasized in their Love Yourself series.
It is no secret that “Boy With Luv” plays off of one of BTS’ earliest songs, “Boy In Luv,” from 2014. “Boy In Luv” is about seven young boys who are in love with a girl at school. They debate about how to approach her in lyrics such as the opening one: “I want to be your love.”
“Boy With Luv” reflects the members’ shift in mindset and the new emphasis of their music. The song gives BTS an outlet to get to know and understand their fans on a more intimate and emotional level. The members are not in love with ARMY because of their looks alone, which was a main focus of “Boy In Luv.” BTS speaks about their relationship with ARMY through the brighter and more upbeat “Boy With Luv” as indicated through the opening lines of the song in which the lyrics are written, “I’m curious about everything, how’s your day?”
BTS, almost six years later, no longer writes about wanting love but rather about a genuine relationship and the different kind of love that they have with ARMY. It is a comfortable and familiar love that comes from both sides. The song concludes with the members singing, “I want something stronger than a moment, than a moment, love. Love is nothing stronger than a boy with luv.” The members realize that they have a love that is truer in “Boy With Luv” than the love they wanted in “Boy In Luv.”
This journey of BTS’ and their growth as artists is then reflected in their Love Yourself: Speak Yourself Tour. Through the new setlist, which is different from the original Love Yourself World Tour, the band looks back on their past, celebrates the present, and considers the possibilities of the future.
For the six years that BTS has been together, their music consistently “embodies change and fuels change,” as Zach Sang of the Zach Sang Show said in his interview with BTS backstage at the AMAs in 2017. The band’s music has always been inspired by their own lives, which, in turn, often aids in raising conversations that are difficult to start, like the stigma surrounding mental health. Suga, one of the producers and main rappers of BTS, stated during the Zach Sang Show interview, “there are some stories that only [BTS] can tell.”
These stories come together one more time in the recent stadium tour of BTS. Since it is an extension of the Love Yourself World Tour, a majority of the setlist is made up of the music from the Love Yourself series. However, songs from the new album and throwbacks to past eras make an appearance. During the concert at Metlife Stadium on May 18, BTS performed “Not Today” and “Outro: Wings” from their Wings era as well as “Burning Up (Fire),” “Baepsae” (also known as “Silver Spoon”), and “Dope” from their Youth series.
The songs performed from the Love Yourself albums included “Idol,” “Fake Love,” and each of the members’ solo songs. In addition, Love Yourself: Speak Yourself kept fan-favorites “So What” and “Anpanman,” where BTS tends to interact with their ARMY and show more of their youthful personalities without the complex choreography that is usually paired with many of their songs.
The music from Map of the Soul: Persona makes itself known from the get-go as the band opens their stadium tour with fire and the thumping beat of “Dionysus,” the song that actually closes the mini album. Near the halfway point of the concert, once the sun has set, BTS performs “Boy With Luv.” As a replacement of “Answer: Love Myself,” “Mikrokosmos” takes over as the last song following the members’ touching ending statements. Through “Mikrokosmos,” BTS ends their concert on a note of celebration and thankfulness for their unique relationship with their fans. BTS has always emphasized ARMY, those who have stayed by their side since the band’s debut. Their Love Yourself: Speak Yourself tour and their newest album, Map of the Soul: Persona, honors this deeper relationship that exists between BTS and ARMY. V, a vocalist of BTS, stated during their appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that BTS’ “fans are the best. They are our motivation.” It is because of ARMY that all that BTS has achieved over the years was possible; ARMY is one who stayed with them through the ups-and-downs. Regardless of where BTS thinks they will be in two, five, or 10 years, the seven members know that ARMY will be right there with them.
As the chorus of “Mikrokosmos” goes: “You got me / I look at you and dream.”
Together Against Islamophobia
by The Cowl Editor on April 4, 2019
Literature
Kidlit Community Raises Money for Christchurch
by Sara Conway ’21 A&E Co-Editor
On Friday, March 15, news outlets and social media platforms were consumed with reports that a gunman had opened fire in two Christchurch, New Zealand mosques. As a result, 50 people died, and another 48 were injured.
When faced with tragedy, once again, the children’s literary community stepped up and used their voices to console, to speak up, and to act. The extraordinary power of the community was demonstrated in the creation of Kidlit for Christchurch.
The Kidlit for Christchurch platform describes their mission as such: “As members of the Kidlit community, we want to make a stand against hatred and Islamophobia, and show our solidarity with the victims and affected Muslim communities.” The page hosted an auction and raffles, which occurred March 24 to March 27, with prizes donated from people across the Kidlit community, ranging from authors and artists to literary agents and editors.
The 286 auction items included critiques by well-known authors, such as S.A. Chakraborty who wrote The City of Brass, and literary agents, like Eric Smith from P.S. Literary Agency. Authors also donated signed books with other options to bid for an #ownvoices book by a Muslim author of the winner’s choice. Phone calls and Skype opportunities with authors, editors, and literary agents were offered, as well as items from artists in the community including art prints, graphic commissions, and character illustrations.
S.K. Ali, the author of Saints and Misfits as well as the upcoming novel Love from A to Z offered the highest bidder the chance to name a character in her next book, while the co-founders of the Marginsbox book box, which features “Black, Indigenous, and person of color (BIPOC) young adult authors,” donated subscriptions in the “Other Cool Stuff” section of the auction.
The winners of the auction have the choice to either donate to the At Taqwa Trust of the New Zealand Islamic Information Center or support the LaunchGood fundraiser, “United for Christchurch Mosque Shootings,” which officially closed on March 31. As of March 29, about $1.8 million USD has been raised through the LaunchGood fundraiser. The proceeds go directly to the families affected by the terrorist attack through the New Zealand Islamic Information Centre (NZIIC).
K-pop Ventures into the American Music Scene
by The Cowl Editor on March 21, 2019
Music
K-pop Bands Announce Stops in North America for Their World Tours
by Sara Conway ’21 A&E Co-Editor
It is hard not to hear about BTS, the Korean boy band taking over the world. The seven-member band has remained on Billboard’s Top 100 Artists Chart for 126 weeks, peaking at the #1 spot.
All of the stops for BTS’ world tour, Love Yourself, which began last August, have sold out. The band performed at notable venues in the U.S., such as the Staples Center in California, the Prudential Center in New Jersey, and the historical Citi Field in New York, which marked the first stadium concert by any K-pop group. The tour ends in early April with a performance in Bangkok, Thailand.
However, it was recently announced that a rebranded version of the Love Yourself world tour, Love Yourself: Speak Yourself, will commence on May 5, following BTS’ comeback with the album, The Map of the Soul: Persona, on April 12. While Citi Field was the only stadium on the former part of the world tour, BTS will be performing exclusively at stadiums for Love Yourself: Speak Yourself. The new locations include the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. From there, BTS travels to London’s Wembley Stadium and then the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France.
All of these venues will host BTS for two dates. Originally, Love Yourself: Speak Yourself featured one concert at each city, but once the first date sold out in hours—the 90,000 seat capacity of Wembley Stadium sold out in 90 minutes—Big Hit Entertainment, the company BTS was formed under, announced a second day.
BTS is not the only K-pop band stopping in North America for their tours. Neo Culture Technology 127 will tour the continent for the first time this coming April. A subunit of NCT, the group formed by SM Entertainment in 2016, NCT 127 consists of 10 members, although only nine are currently touring, as member WinWin is promoting with the newly created unit, WayV, which focuses on NCT’s audience in China. NCT prides itself on the concept of limitless members; as of early 2019, the group has 21 members ranging from the ages of 17 to 25 years.
The North American leg of Neo City—The Origin, NCT 127’s tour, kicks off on April 24 with the unit performing at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. The other stops include venues at Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Phoenix, Houston, Chicago, San Jose, and Los Angeles. NCT 127 will also be performing in member Mark Lee’s home country of Canada at venues in Toronto and Vancouver.
According to Billboard, NCT 127 marks a first for the K-pop industry by traveling to 11 cities in North America—the “most-ever on a single tour by a K-pop boy band.” The group also recently collaborated with Jason Derulo and Lay of EXO with the single and its subsequent music video, “Let’s Shut Up and Dance” which dropped on Feb. 22. In addition, NCT 127’s latest album, Regular-Irregular, made it onto the Billboard 200 at No. 86.
A new group emerging on the scene is Stray Kids, who debuted about a year ago under JYP Entertainment. The nine-member band announced their UNVEIL Tour: ‘I am…’ in USA which commences on May 15. While the UNVEIL Tour is the group’s first solo tour in the U.S., it is not Stray Kids’ first time performing in the country, as they appeared at KCON in New York last year.
Stray Kids is set to have a concert at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, then in Los Angeles, closing the three-city tour in Houston. Their world tour follows the completion of their album trilogy, I am, in 2018. The series consisted of three mini albums titled I am NOT, I am WHO, and I am YOU.
It is not only the K-pop boy bands making an impact. Girl groups like Blackpink are emerging in the North American scene, too. Comprised of four members, Blackpink was formed by YG Entertainment in 2016. The group announced the North American stops in their BLACKPINK In Your Area world tour which starts in LA, travels to Chicago, Hamilton (Ontario), Newark, and Atlanta, and ends at Fort Worth. Blackpink will also be appearing at Coachella in April, marking the first time a K-pop girl group will perform at Coachella.
Blackpink’s 2018 EP, Squared Up, landed the group on the Billboard 200 chart at the #40 spot. The four members also recently collaborated with Dua Lipa on the single, “Kiss and Make Up,” which peaked at #93 on the Billboard 200. In addition, Blackpink and YG Entertainment released the news of their partnership with the U.S. label, Interscope Records. The girl group will be represented by Interscope and Universal Music Group (UMG) for matters outside of Asia.
Three months into 2019, and the year has already seen K-pop music push past the borders of South Korea and the continent of Asia as well as the language barrier through the announcements of these bands’ world tours featuring cities in North America.
Read All About It!
by The Cowl Editor on March 7, 2019
On-Campus
Phillips Memorial Library Adds a Bestsellers Collection to Their Shelves
by Sara Conway ’21 A&E Co-Editor
Known for its vast resources for researching and its lack of space during finals, Phillips Memorial Library has added something new to its shelves. Providence College students can now borrow books for pleasure-reading from Phillips Memorial Library’s Bestsellers Collection.
The Bestsellers Collection includes award-winning and popular titles such as Becoming by Michelle Obama, The Outsider by the king of horror, Stephen King, and Fire & Blood: 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones, which details the history of the Targaryens of George R.R. Martin’s world of Westeros.
For those who want a lighter read, have no fear. The library owns books like Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the musical phenomenon, Hamilton. Gmorning, Gnight! is based on Miranda’s morning and evening inspirational tweets, which often begin with “Gmorning” or “Gnight.” The list of 124 books extends to feature adult fiction, memoirs, self-help books, sports autobiographies, translated works, and more.
If the variety of the selection is not enough, many of the books in the collection are on bestsellers lists. Once The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn was published, the novel instantly hit the number one spot as a New York Times bestseller. Fellow bestselling author, King, called Finn’s debut work “unputdownable.”
Madeline Miller’s second novel, Circe, crafts a quiet narrative around the often-forgotten Titan and the daughter of Helios, god of the sun. A #1 New York Times bestseller and named one of the best books of the year by Time, the Washington Post, and Publishers Weekly, Circe makes a lasting impression on readers.
The wildly popular memoir, Educated by Tara Westover, makes known the particular strength of narrative accounts. Educated reached #1 on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Boston Globe. Westover also won the Audience Award for Autobiography/Memoir and was nominated for the Pen/Jean Stein Book Award for her powerful memoir on leaving her survivalist family and obtaining her PhD from Cambridge. Every kind of reader can find something that appeals to their personal tastes within the new collection.
So take a break from Development of Western Civilization reading or studying and pick up a book from the Bestsellers Collection to take a break from reality for a little while.