Latest news with #MandarinMusic
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blackpink Firm YG Entertainment's Mojo Kim Talks K-Pop's Global Strategy at Golden Melody Festival: ‘It's About Emotional Language'
The Golden Melody Festival's conference lineup in Taipei brought together a dynamic mix of industry leaders from across Asia and beyond. Designed to spotlight Mandarin-language music while fostering international collaboration, the three-day gathering featured showcases, matchmaking sessions, and a robust slate of forums, with one standout session diving deep into the evolving machinery behind K-pop's global success. On opening day, YG Entertainment producer Mojo (Seung Nam Kim) sat down with Ryan Farley, managing director of U.K.-based independent record label Cooking Vinyl, to unpack the complexities of transnational music production in a panel titled 'K-pop Music Production Strategies for the Global Market.' YG Entertainment is the firm behind K-pop sensation Blackpink. More from Variety Recording Academy President Panos A. Panay Talks Cross-Cultural Creativity at Taipei's Golden Melody Festival: 'Your Truth Is Your Superpower' Lisa Would Love to Collaborate With Labubu and Confirms Blackpink Is Releasing a New Album : 'It's Coming Soon, I Promise' Jennie Brings 'The Ruby Experience' to Los Angeles for a Sweet and Sultry Intro to Her Solo Era: Concert Review With credits tied to acts like Treasure, Lee Young-ji, and (G)I-DLE, Kim offered an insider's look at how the Korean music industry is reengineering its A&R approach to resonate with both domestic and international audiences. 'A&R matchmaking isn't just about style – it's about emotional language,' Kim told Variety. 'The first step is identifying what kind of sound the team needs right now. From there, we refine it through references and find the right creators, not necessarily just the biggest names, who can translate that emotion into sound.' Take global songwriting camps, for example: writers from different countries come together to craft demos, which are then handpicked by the A&R team to match an artist's identity, from language and melody to groove and tone. The final touches are shaped in close collaboration with Korean lyricists and producers. For Western markets, immediacy is key – catchy melodies, rhythmic clarity, and intuitive structure tend to resonate first. 'International listeners often connect with tone and groove before lyrics,' Kim explained. 'Whereas Korean audiences crave lyrical storytelling, emotional nuance, and even silence – those 'empty moments' that carry weight.' Regardless of region, a memorable melody remains the holy grail. Kim points to NewJeans and (G)I-DLE as prime examples of artists who've mastered this balance – fusing Korean detail with global collaboration is essential, and reflected in the numbers. In 2024, over 75% of K-pop tracks involved international creators. For Kim, the key to working with international talent lies in embracing – not fearing – difference.'Collaborating with global songwriters can sometimes involve language barriers, different workflows, and cultural misinterpretations, but it's precisely through these moments of friction that non-formulaic, genre-bending sounds are born,' he said. As K-pop production becomes increasingly borderless, Kim believes the genre's future lies in its ability to stay emotionally grounded while embracing a broader palette. 'Looking ahead, I believe K-pop will continue to evolve by incorporating more co-creators from diverse countries and cultures,' he said. 'Music's power to create emotional resonance and human connection across languages and backgrounds is what will keep K-pop relevant and thriving in the global mainstream.' Best of Variety Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
South China Morning Post
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
How Hong Kong singer-actress Karen Mok went from Stephen Chow's co-star to Mandopop queen
This is the 54th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Advertisement Karen Mok Man-wai is one of Hong Kong's more internationally acclaimed stars. However, it is in the nearby Mandarin-speaking places that she has enjoyed greater success. Despite growing up in a city where the majority speak Cantonese, she has released 13 Mandarin albums – the most of any woman singer who debuted in Hong Kong – and has spent the better part of the past decade touring in mainland China. Mok was born in Hong Kong as Karen Joy Morris. She is of Chinese, Welsh, German and Persian descent, and comes from an academic family. Mok at an interview with the Post in 1996. Photo: Jon Hargest Her grandfather was one of the first principals at the prestigious King's College school for boys in Sai Ying Pun. Mok herself studied at another distinguished establishment, the Diocesan Girls' School, where she was active in drama groups and school plays. Advertisement In the 1985/86 school year, at about age 16, Mok was one of 10 girls who won the first Hong Kong Outstanding Students Award, given to secondary school students across the city for academic, extracurricular and community-service achievements.
CNA
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Golden Melody Awards 2025: Trout Fresh, Waa Wei win Taiwan's top music awards
Taiwan's hip-hop singer Trout Fresh and songstress-DJ Waa Wei won top honours at the Golden Melody Awards for Mandarin chart music in Taipei on Saturday (Jun 28). "Mom, this is the closest I've ever been to Jay Chou," Trout Fresh told a cheering crowd in the Taipei Arena, referring to one of Taiwan's biggest pop stars. The singer, whose real name is Lu Shih-hsuan, beat better-known rivals including China's Li Ronghao and Hong Kong's Terence Lam to win best male singer. He also bagged the best Mandarin album award for the track Good Sound With Attitudes. Wei saw off Singapore's Tanya Chua and Malaysia's Penny Tai to be crowned best female singer for the second time. "I still want to give it a try and I still want to challenge myself... I think the hardest thing is not to give up," said Wei. "Thank you to the judges and thank you for this award. It lets me know that I can still do it. So when I sing, I really feel loved." Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong was awarded best composer for his track Twenty Three. Fong, who passed away in February, also received the jury award for another album The Dreamer. K-pop group Hyukoh teamed up with Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and took the best music video prize for the song Antenna, in their album AAA. Singers, songwriters and composers from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea competed in more than 20 categories at the 36th edition of the awards.
