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BTS

BTS

Photo: Raymond Hall/GC Images/Getty Images

News
BTS Makes Statement Supporting Black Lives Matter bts-makes-statement-support-black-lives-matter

BTS Makes Statement In Support Of Black Lives Matter

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The K-pop stars took to their official Twitter to call out racism and violence in a powerful, rare political statement
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 4, 2020 - 5:39 pm

Today, June 4, K-pop superstars BTS shared a statement of solidarity with the Black community. In a tweet shared with their 26.2 million followers, written in both Korean and English, they said, "We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together. #BlackLivesMatter."

https://twitter.com/BTS_twt/status/1268422690336935943

우리는 인종차별에 반대합니다.
우리는 폭력에 반대합니다.
나, 당신, 우리 모두는 존중받을 권리가 있습니다. 함께 하겠습니다.

We stand against racial discrimination.
We condemn violence.
You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.#BlackLivesMatter

— 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) June 4, 2020

The positive message made news as it is a rare political statement from the group. While BTS has broken many records, trends and barriers, they generally adhere to a clean-cut, non-controversial image (as is typical for many in their genre). For the band to take a stand on such an important human rights issue is significant and will certainly be heard loud and clear by their huge fanbase and fellow K-pop artists.

Read: BTS Talk New Album 'Map Of The Soul: 7': "The Genre Is BTS"

The group's tweet follows many loyal fans of BTS, BLACKPINK and other major K-pop acts taking anti-racist action online, most recently, to flood toxic hashtags with memes and other content to drown out hateful messages. The collective fan armies organized online to take over the hashtags associated with racist responses to #BlackLivesMatter—including #WhiteLivesMatter, #BlueLivesMatter and #MAGA—on Twitter yesterday, June 3.

Related: K-Pop Fans Unite On Twitter To Take Over #WhiteLivesMatter Hashtag With Messages Of Anti-Racism

In other BTS news, Jungkook surprise released his debut solo song today as JK, a smooth jam called "Still With You." The group had previously teased the release as part of their Festa 2020 online fan celebration, but without specifying any details. Suga also recently dropped solo music; his second mixtape under his Agust D alias came out on May 22.

Kelis Challenges Labels & Streaming Platforms To Pay Black Artists What They Are Owed

GRAMMYs

BTS at 2019 GRAMMYs

Photo: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

News
BTS Donates $1 Million To Crew Nation bts-donates-1-million-crew-nation-support-out-work-concert-crews

BTS Donates $1 Million To Crew Nation To Support Out Of Work Concert Crews

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The generous contribution comes from the K-pop supergroup and their management company, Big Hit Entertainment, and follows a $1 million donation to Black Lives Matter earlier this month
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 23, 2020 - 1:04 pm

BTS and their management company, Big Hit Entertainment, have donated $1 million to Crew Nation, Live Nation's COVID-19 relief fund for out of work live entertainment staff. The K-pop superstars would've been on tour for the majority of the year, before coronavirus turned live music and the rest of the world upside down earlier this year.

https://twitter.com/Michael_Rapino/status/1275158879978962944

Huge thanks to @BTS_twt and @BigHitEnt for their generous $1 million donation to #CrewNation https://t.co/N7GTOYHtFG

— Michael Rapino (@Michael_Rapino) June 22, 2020

Read: BTS Talk New Album 'Map Of The Soul: 7': "The Genre Is BTS"

"This is one of the largest artist donations that has been raised for the Crew Nation fund since its conception," a statement, shared by Variety on June 22, noted.

The event behemoth launched the fund in March with an initial $5 million, pledging to match another $5 million of donations from employees, artists and fans, according to Variety. Event crew personnel who typically make at least half of their income from live events can apply for one-time grants of $1000 via Crew Nation. Individuals living and working in any city/country can apply.

Related: Metallica Launch Month Of Giving, Asking Fans To Support COVID-19 Relief Efforts Together

Over 70 live concert crew members who were originally scheduled to work at BTS’ concerts before the postponement (or cancellation) due to COVID-19 have received funding so far, 20% of whom are veteran crews who have worked in live performance industry for over 16 years. This contribution will help aid 1,000 live concert crews to receive relief, according to the announcement.

"It is very unfortunate that the music industry has to go through such difficult time at the moment," Big Hit's Global CEO Lenzo Yoon wrote in the statement. "We hope our contribution to Crew Nation could help support many live concert crews around the world."

More: BTS, Big Hit Entertainment And The BTS Army Donate Over $2 Million To Black Lives Matter

"If it weren't for COVID-19, we would have been happily touring across the world with many of our live concert crews by now," BTS added. "We are aware that a lot of communities need help due to COVID-19, and we wanted to support the music industry crews by making a donation. We hope to meet again on stage very soon."

The generous contribution comes just several weeks after BTS and Big Hit donated $1 million to the Black Lives Matter Foundation, as well as publicly announcing their allyship with the Black community.  

https://twitter.com/bts_bighit/status/1274265838053285890

#BTS #방탄소년단 BANG BANG CON The Live Photo Sketch @ (https://t.co/U9u9KG8dQt)#방방콘더라이브🔎 #BANGBANGCON_TheLive💜 pic.twitter.com/rWFxE9NHZk

— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) June 20, 2020

Earlier this month, on June 14, the talented septet shared a live pay-to-watch virtual concert, BANG BANG CON, with their massive BTS ARMY. They also recently released a new single, "Stay Gold," on June 19.

The MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund is also supporting out-of-work crew and all other music industry folks who have been financially affected by the coronavirus crisis.

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Beyoncé Celebrates Juneteenth With "BLACK PARADE" & Epic Black-Owned Businesses Directory

Brianna Agyemang & Jamila Thomas

Brianna Agyemang & Jamila Thomas

Photo: Flo Ngala/Billboard

News
#TheShowMustBePaused Creators Talk Next Steps theshowmustbepaused-creators-brianna-agyemang-jamila-thomas-talk-vision-next-steps

#TheShowMustBePaused Creators Brianna Agyemang & Jamila Thomas Talk Vision, Next Steps

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The two young music executives behind the movement that became "Blackout Tuesday," discuss their vision for a more just music industry in a recent interview
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 11, 2020 - 2:43 pm

Last Tuesday, June 2, the music industry came to a sudden stop for #TheShowMustBePaused movement envisioned by Brianna Agyemang and Jamila Thomas. While the message may have been muddied by brands and others posting black boxes, the mission was effective—major labels and music orgs closed shop for the day and joined conversations on making real change.

Today, in an in-depth interview with Billboard, the two New York music executives share their vision for moving the industry forward and the important purpose behind the pause.

Want To Support Protesters And Black Lives Matter Groups? Here's How

"We're taking it one day at a time. No one thought [we] could black out the industry, but they couldn't keep Brianna and me from trying," Thomas, who's the senior director of marketing at Atlantic Records, said.

"We're the least expected, but we're here for a reason—and we're not going away," Agyemang added; she's the senior artist campaign manager at Platoon, Apple's artist-services division.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBTVgbPn2zs

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A post shared by @theshowmustbepaused

"We had found out about George Floyd's killing, after those of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, at the hands of police. It was just a really heavy week for the Black community. And people still had to work. It didn't seem like anyone had a chance to really take in what was happening in the middle of the coronavirus, which was also attacking the Black community disproportionately. It was just a lot while trying to keep the show moving. So I called Jamila that Friday [May 29] and said we should take the day off, that it's not business as usual. Then we came up with the tagline #TheShowMustBePaused and some graphics," Agyemang explained, sharing the emotional week that pushed them to action.

"As our friends began posting, it spread like wildfire. Then people started reaching out, asking, 'OK, where and when do we want to pause?' It just kind of centered ourselves as a community. We wanted to make sure that if people were willing to take that pause along with us that we—if they were asking what they could do on Tuesday—would help provide them with things to do. So we went into planning mode."

Alicia Keys, Shaggy, Brandi Carlile & More: Advocates Support #BlackOutTuesday

For their "day off," two women hosted a digital summit that brought together music professionals of all stripes to talk change, with almost 1,500 joining the productive conversations.

"We held three different discussions during that one day. We reached out to people directly, sending them invitations to join us for a community conversation. The turnout was overwhelming, with nearly 1,500 people joining overall, from top-level executives, artists and lawyers to interns. The idea was to talk to everyone about developing a realistic plan for moving forward," Thomas told Billboard.

"Urban artists occupy most of the music charts, and we celebrate the genres [R&B/hip-hop] at industry events and the GRAMMYs. But when that community takes a hit, it seems like it's every man for himself. You can post something if you want. Or you can donate. But there's never a united front. Progress is needed in the work space, and progress is needed in the streets.

There's no better time to do it than now, because the country is literally in a moment of transition. And music has to be at the forefront of that because of its influence. It starts with us working together. All those partners coming together on that call and blacking out on Tuesday was the first time that has ever happened. If we can just keep that same spirit going, then change will come," she added, explaining the topics they delved into during the summit.

"After the summit, there were so many announcements from labels and other companies. I felt inspired from this."

"The conversations were done in a safe space because we wanted to make sure people felt comfortable talking, being vulnerable and sharing their feelings or providing solutions and ideas," Agyemang said. "I wished we had had more time to talk that day. What I loved most is that it felt very positive. While we do have things that need to change, it didn’t feel like it was impossible based on those conversations. It definitely feels more like a whole music community now than I will say it felt in the past."

Meet Ericka Coulter, The Inspirational Music Exec Amplifying Rising Talent With TheBasement

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA4S2c3nPRE

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @theshowmustbepaused

And those boxes? It was never part of the plan. There was nothing they could do to stop people from posting them, so they focused on making sure the resources to take action were clear and accessible.

"Our graphic copy explained the reason for the music business blackout. And at the bottom was the hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused. That was always our hashtag. But it was like the game of telephone: Things get muddled in the communication," Agyemang explained. "The goal was not to mute ourselves. The goal was to take a break from your daily nine-to-five duties to refocus and recenter. And that meant that you could take a pause and just breathe. Or take a moment to think or use that time to focus on what you could do within your community to make a change and help make progress as well."

"People move so fast online. So we quickly took action to tell people about things they could do on Tuesday to help. We had to double down and tell our friends that we wanted them to communicate where people could donate, where they could march, pray or speak to a therapist. We had put together information for the summit we were holding that day. We wanted to let people know that now that we have you here, we want to talk to you all. That this wasn't a date to be silent," Thomas added.

This is just the beginning for the powerhouse pair and the collation of changemakers they've already formed—they are actively planning the second phase of action for #TheShowMustBePaused.

"We didn't put our names on the original graphic because it's not about us. It's about a movement for all of us. We're humbled by all the support but we're also not afraid. We're assuming this leadership role, honored that people trust us to lead them to the next steps, working together as a community," Thomas stated.

"We literally stopped major companies for a day to come up with plans on how to help the black community and move forward. It has been a success thus far, and it has only been a week. We're just going to continue to move in a positive direction," Agyemang noted. "When George Floyd died, it was like, 'Here's another thing after Ahmaud Arbery, after Breonna Taylor, after COVID-19.' [Tuesday] was a way for people to release and pause, because in the end we have to fix it and we have to heal as a society. And we can do this by changing the future."

Read the full interview here, and visit theshowmustbepaused.com for more info on the initiative and how you can take action.

'Black Gold' At 50: How Nina Simone Refracted The Black Experience Through Reinterpreted Songs

BTS at the 2020 GRAMMYs

BTS at the 2020 GRAMMYs

Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

News
BTS Cancel 2020 World Tour Due To COVID-19 bts-cancel-2020-map-soul-world-tour-dates-due-covid-19-restrictions

BTS Cancel 2020 Map Of The Soul World Tour Dates Due To COVID-19 Restrictions

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The North American leg of the K-pop superstars' 2020 tour, originally slated to begin in April, was already postponed last month—now all upcoming dates have been put on hold due to the coronavirus crisis
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Apr 28, 2020 - 1:54 pm

All shows for BTS' Map of the Soul 2020 World Tour have been put on hold due to coronavirus concerns. New dates will be announced at a later time, for whenever it is safe to gather huge crowds again. While no one can currently predict exactly when that date will be, the BTS Army received some good news today, in the form of a trailer and release date for the group's new docuseries, "Break The Silence."

"The decision has been made to completely reschedule the 'Map of the Soul' tour, originally scheduled to begin in April 2020," Big Hit Entertainment, the South Korean label who manages the K-pop powerhouse act said today, April 28, via a statement translated by K-pop news outlet Soompi.

Read: BTS Talk New Album 'Map Of The Soul: 7': "The Genre Is BTS"

The tour was originally slated to begin in their home country in April with four nights in Seoul. Per Soompi, these dates were canceled back in February due to the emerging danger of coronavirus. The North American leg of the tour was set to begin in late April, but those dates were put on hold in late March, to be "rescheduled at a later date." The summer dates across Europe and Japan, previously set to wrap up in September, were still on the books until today. 

"This tour involves the participation of staff and crew from around the world as well as global logistics systems. While there are certain countries, regions, and cities where conditions have improved, including Korea, it is difficult to make the decision to begin the tour based on these recent developments. Due to the nature of BTS concerts involving travel by thousands of international fans no matter where the performances are held, it is also difficult to resume the tour with the current strict restrictions on cross-border movement still in place. Moreover, it is impossible at this time to predict when the first performance marking the start of the tour will be able to begin," the statement continued.

"Therefore, we have made the difficult decision to suspend the previously-announced tour schedule and develop a new schedule. Big Hit Entertainment will completely reschedule the tour and provide a new tour schedule to our fans as soon as it becomes clear when the tour can begin. This may require considerable time as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve. However, we will work to ensure that BTS and their fans will be able to meet each other as soon as they can. We will also create new ways for our artists to engage with their fans and respond to the 'New normal' while we wait to resume activities halted by COVID-19."

Related: BTS Announce At-Home Concert Streaming Series, "BANG BANG CON"

Earlier this month, the band brought their energy and music (virtually) to fans homes with their streaming home concert series, "BANG BANG CON," where they aired past concerts as far back at 2014. Today, they revealed more exclusive concert footage and behind-the-scenes content is on the way in the form of their new docuseries, set to air on Korean app WeVerse on May 12. You can see all seven smiling faces in the trailer below—where you also get a taste of how massive the crowds they draw really are.

BTS' latest album is Map Of The Soul: 7, released on Feb. 21, the project the tour is in support of. Less than a month before that highly anticiapted fourth studio album dropped, the lovable septet brought "Seoul Town Road" to the 2020 GRAMMYs stage with their fiery performance during Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" spectacular—rewatch it below.

No Radio, No Problem: How BTS Scored A No. 1 Hit Without Radio's Help

Alicia Keys' 'ALICIA'

Alicia Keys

Photo: courtesy of artist

News
Alicia Keys' New Album 'ALICIA' Is Here alicia-keys-new-album-alicia-here-inspire-support-jill-scott-miguel-diamond-platnumz

Alicia Keys' New Album 'ALICIA' Is Here To Inspire, With Support From Jill Scott, Miguel, Diamond Platnumz & More

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The 15-track LP, released today, Sept. 18, also features Tierra Whack, Sampha, Snoh Aalegra & Khalid
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 18, 2020 - 12:05 pm

Today, Sep. 18, 15-time GRAMMY winner and two-time GRAMMYs host Alicia Keys released her highly anticipated seventh studio album, ALICIA. It comes four years since her last, Here, and 19 years since her now-classic debut, Songs in A Minor.

The powerful 15-track LP shows her many artistic sides and includes powerhouse features from GRAMMY winners Jill Scott and Miguel, GRAMMY nominees Tierra Whack and Khalid, as well as Tanzanian artist Diamond Platnumz, British singer/pianist Sampha, and Iranian-Swedish singer Snoh Aalegra.

Keys will be celebrating the release of ALICIA with a special livestream performance today, Sept. 18, at 3:00 p.m. PT / 6:00 ET—RSVP here. Not long after, at 6:00 p.m. PT / 9:00 p.m. ET, she'll serve up more musical gifts through the internet, as she kicks off the iHeart Music Festival.

Read: Alicia Keys Pens Touching Poem To Her Son

Next week, she will keep the celebration going with a week-long residency on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," along with some very special guests, from Sept. 21-24.

"This album has such a special energy! It embodies everything I love about music and art at this time in my life," Keys said in a press release. "I'm so excited to connect with people from all over the world with these sounds, lyrics and melodies. I called this album ALICIA because it's the most me I've ever felt while in the studio. I got comfortable with all my different sides while creating it. I hope everyone who listens can vibe along as the truest version of themselves."

The album features previously released singles "Show Me Love" featuring Miguel, "Underdog," "Time Machine," "Good Job" (dedicated to frontline and essential workers), "Perfect Way To Die" (a heartbreaking tribute to Black lives ended by police violence) and "So Done" featuring Khalid.

ALICIA is a "counterpart piece" to her New York Times Best-selling book, More Myself: A Journey, released this March as the debut title on Orpah Winfrey's new Flatiron Books. The "Empire State of Mind" singer is set to tour the album around the world next summer—visit her website for the latest dates.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFSQg2BAHI3

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A post shared by Alicia Keys (@aliciakeys)

#SayHerName: Alicia Keys, Lizzo, Janet Jackson, Janelle Monáe And More Honor Breonna Taylor On Her Birthday, Demand Justice

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.