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Maria T.  With an ever so expanding Korean hip-hop and R&B scene, soloists Woolenciah, Oddjun and Willa are just beginning to make their mark and their presence known. Fully self composed, written, and produced their authenticity and strive shines through as they break through globally as artists and performers. Bringing you three totally different vibes for you to enjoy individually, as well as making tracks together there is much to look forward to. The B.E.L.U Lineup had the opportunity to chat with all three artists to discuss their music style and what they aspire to do in the future. Responses have been revised for clarity.  - How would you describe your musical style, and what sets it apart from other artists in the Korean rap genre? Woolenciah: I definitely focus a lot on the lyrics, and where the lyrics come from. The way I take experiences and make it into music is what puts me into a different part of the spectrum. - How would you define your vocal style? Oddjun: Love. A lovely voice through love. I learn a lot through my experience with love so I want to describe my vocal style as love. - As a rapper, how would you describe your music style? Willa: My music style is fully in practice, and just fun. - As a contestant on Season 11 of “Show Me The Money”, how did that experience contribute to your growth as an artist? Woolenciah: To be able to appear on “Show Me The Money” is definitely a big deal to Koreans and Korean artists. Through several rounds I was able to go through, I felt some confidence grow in me and believed I can do this too, I can make it somewhere too. - You often cover songs by artists like Keshi, Daniel Caesar, and The Weekend. Do you find inspiration from these singers? Oddjun: All three artists are pretty famous, their style and vocals is what I really learn from . I’ve been able to successfully cover these artists so I definitely learn from their style of music and their lyrics. - What themes would you say you mainly focus on when writing your lyrics? Willa: It’s not really a theme, but I always live in the moment. So I use those moments to make my lyrics and go with what I am feeling in that moment. - In your mini vlog from Asia Times Square in Texas, you emphasized connecting with the audience. Do you have a favorite memory from your recent visit to the U.S.? Woolenciah: My favorite memory especially in that moment is the reaction that the audience gave me. Being a very brand new artist and performing for the first time in the U.S. for a crowd like that, the reactions, the fans gave me something that I will never forget. - After your recent performances in the U.S., what was your experience like being on stage? Oddjun: I came very far from Korea to be able to perform and receive such energy from the audience. I was very thankful for that and I was able to experience another kind of love from the audience. - What has been the biggest change in your musical journey, from when you first started until now? Willa: The biggest change for me is just how much I’ve improved and how my mindset has improved from when I first started. The confidence I have is building and it will only go up from here. - Your music videos, especially for “Ethics” feature you walking on a treadmill in various locations. When conceptualizing a music video, what specific ideas do you focus on during the creative process? Woolenciah: So rather than focusing on the way he looked in the music video I wanted to show people that I was running towards a certain vision. The song is called Ethics so I wanted to show through my work ethic, music ethic, and me as a person running towards a certain dream, goal, and vision. - Many of your songs have an emotional depth paired with strong beats and vocals. Do you naturally gravitate towards these themes in your music? Oddjun: I’m originally a very emotional person, so I use my emotions a lot to make my music. - How does your creative process differ when writing a song alone compared to collaborating with another artist? Woolenciah: When I do music alone it's definitely a more deeper thought process to create lyrics and match the beat and vibe of the song. Compared to when I am with my friends there’s a much lighter feeling, it’s not so heavy on the mind, I can have fun with it and get inspiration from my friends as well. - You take a more hands-on approach to your work, from composing to writing lyrics. Why is it important for you to be involved in every aspect of your music? Oddjun: I think it’s really important to use emotions that I experience to make my music. From start to finish it’s a very deep thinking process. As an emotional person, to convey my emotions through my music and how I expect it to come out and to be conveyed is important. - What are your thoughts on the Korean hip-hop genre? Since it is ever so changing, how do you think it will evolve? Willa: It’s doing good. There’s so many collaborations now between Korean rappers and Western artists. It’s going to get bigger and flourish. - Are there any artists who inspire you? Woolenciah: Kanye West and Drake. Willa: Travis Scott and Ohno. - What goals do you want to achieve as an artist/in your music career? Woolenciah: I want to go to Billboard. Oddjun: With me being Korean, in Korea I would love to become a known singer for my kind of music. Experiencing American and being in America I would love to become a well known singer here as well. - What can fans expect and look forward to from your upcoming sound moving forward? Woolenciah: R&B, I am a rapper but I want to show more of a softer vibe, and my new album drops December 4th. Oddjun: I’m releasing my new song on December 14th.
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Maria T. The holiday festivities have come to the United States early with the announcement of the 2024 Jingle Ball tour. This festive event makes stops in Texas, California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Georgia, and Florida. Jingle Ball, originally beginning in New York City, has now expanded across the United States, lasting from December 3rd to December 21st for a full month of holiday cheer. Fans of any genre of music will be delighted to attend one of the Jingle Ball stops with stars like Katy Perry, Twenty One Pilots, SZA and Meghan Trainor in attendance. There is also an array of K-pop acts included in various stops of this holiday tour! KATSEYE Global girl group KATSEYE, fresh off their debut with South Korean multinational entertainment corporation HYBE, will kick off their first appearance at Jingle Ball in Fort Worth, Texas on December 3rd. Starting their journey on survival show Dream Academy, members Sophia, Manon, Daniela, Lara, Megan and Yoonchae made their dreams a reality, creating summer viral hits Touch and Debut.  Credit: katseyeworld P1Harmony Before embarking on their Europe leg of their “UTOP1A” tour, P1Harmony members Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul and Jongseob, will attend Jingle Ball for their second time in Washington, D.C. With the release of their 7th mini album “SAD SONG”, the 6 member boy-group will head to the nations capital after selling out The Anthem just last May.  Credit: p1h_official NCT DREAM Making their second Jingle Ball appearance NCT DREAM is set to perform at 4 tour dates in Inglewood, Rosemont, Detroit and New York. With their recent comeback with album “Dreamscape”, the group has topped their first week streams for a song on Spotify with title track “When I’m With You”. Also having finished their world tour “THE DREAM SHOW 3: DREAM( )SCAPE” this November, fans hope to see them again through this Jingle Ball tour.  Credit: nct_dream WONHO WONHO, a soloist formerly apart of the now 6-member boy group MONSTA X, will be attending Jingle Ball dates in Texas, Illinois, Michigan and Florida, while also performing for fans across the US during his first fan meeting tour in the same month. WONHO is also set to release his English single “What Would You Do” on November 22nd.  Credit: iwonhoyou Below are the dates and availability of the Jingle Ball Tour. All tickets can be bought on Ticketmaster.
December 3 Fort Worth, TX - Dickies Arena December 6 Inglewood, CA - Intuit Dome December 09 Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena December 10 Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena December 13 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden (SOLD OUT) December 15 Boston, MA - TD Garden December 16 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center December 17 Washington, DC - Capital One Arena (SOLD OUT) December 19 Atlanta, GA - State Farm Arena (SOLD OUT) December 21 Miami, FL - Kaseya Center (SOLD OUT) E. Diana  Credit: Leo S. A line snaked around the entrance to the Avant Gardner’s Great Hall on the evening of November 6th. Fans of the k-indie singer Woosung, best known as the main vocalist for the band The Rose, were looking forward to the performance after what was arguably a very stressful night for most people in his target audience. It had been two years since Woosung toured solo, and his return was heavily anticipated amongst his fanbase. Fans with VIP tickets were treated to an intimate Q&A session with the singer, who appeared onstage in good spirits to answer as many questions that were allowed. Several highlight answers included singing happy birthday to a fan’s relative for her Sweet 16, explaining his collaboration with Suga of BTS, and describing his album for deaf fans; “It’s… like floating in the sky… you’re up in the sky, but it is a little scary when you look down. But you’re just trusting that you’re not gonna fall, type of vibe.” There were two openers following the Q&A: South Korean producer and DJ IÖN, and Woosung’s fellow The Rose bandmate Park Dojoon, under his DJ moniker Parclassic. IÖN got the crowd pumped up with a medley of EDM sounds and songs, awash under strobe lights and blue lighting, while Parclassic hyped up the audience with mixes of popular EDM songs. Fans waved their The Rose lightsticks, while others wore glow stick freebies around their wrists, creating a colorful aurora across the standing room. Parclassic seamlessly transitioned into Woosung's arrival. The singer opened with "Paper Cuts", a song off of his new album 4444. The vibes changed as the singer’s soulful, heart-wrenching vocals filled the room, sonically transporting the audience to the skies. Despite the album only having been out for a little over a month, the fans sang along word for word as Woosung moved across the stage. While performing frontman with The Rose, Woosung maintained a very sturdy, captivating image that cemented his place as a rockstar. On his own, he gave off the essence of a friend you hadn’t seen in some type; a familiarity that was most comforting and carried through the night.  Credit: Leo S. Woosung went through a solid weaving of his solo music, going back as far to perform “Face” from his solo debut Wolf. The audience remained captivated and singing along in unison. Near the end of the setlist, he performed three remixes of The Rose songs. He kept true to the EDM genre he had dabbled in with his current release, and had the remixes in light of a club scene. During the middle of the set, he went on to explain the title of his album; how despite 4 being known as a number of death in Asian culture, he had always felt a calling to the number and would see it everywhere. Woosung also explained how he doesn’t fear death, but rather sees it as a new beginning and next step in the cycle of life. Immediately after that insight, he performed the ballad “The Day I Died”, a true tearjerker that set the tone of the message he set to convey. Perhaps it was the overhanging somber mood that everyone was feeling, but there was a unity of catharsis when it came time to scream “F*ck this modern life!” during “Modern Life.” Woosung seemed to pick up on this, and while not explicitly addressing the elephant in the room, he went on to say “Let there be light on all the innocent lives that need it the most right now” before singing “Let There Be Light.” The audience cheered, knowing what he meant and appreciating it. Woosung led the audience through a journey of life. There was dancing, there was crying, there was reminiscing on loss and love, and there was yearning and sadness. Whether he was freestyling his own choreography, donning a guitar, or joining forces with Parclassic to DJ for the crowd, his energy kept everyone enjoying the moment. Such is what art is all about; giving audiences a time to be in tune with their emotions when they need it most. Lexy E.  Credit: Lexy E. Everglow, a six member girl group under Yue Hua Entertainment return to the United States for their second tour titled “PULSE & HEART”. Everglow finally makes their way south to the great state of Texas. You could tell that this show was highly anticipated by ‘Forever’ ( Everglow’s fandom name) as social media exploded when the tour dropped. The excitement was palpable when arriving at the venue. Everyone was chatting, exchanging freebies and discussing who biases who and betting on if their biases would change after the concert. Everglow started off the concert with their top hits such as “DUN DUN”, “LA DI DA”, and “Pirate”. Selecting these iconic songs to start off the concert truly set an energetic tone for their show. Everyone was absolutely locked in from the moment the girls stepped out onto the stage. All the light sticks lit up as fans could be seen bobbing them up and down in tandem with the music. The energy from the crowd was electric, giving the girls what they needed after going through slight difficulties during the beginning of the tour. It was easy to see how excited the girls were, being able to see and interact with their fans as much as possible, throwing finger hearts out into the crowd and smiling when fans got extra excited when one of the girls would come over to their side.  Not only did Everglow light up the stage with their top hits they kept the fun going with solo performances from each of the members. Each of the solos/unit stages allowed the members to shine in their own ways. Some chose to show off their dancing skills with ‘Nasty’ while others chose to show off their finely honed vocal skills with songs like ‘Stronger’. This gave fans an opportunity to see new sides of the members. Overall Everglow “PULSE & HEART” was a much needed girl group tour for the Kpop community. Fans who weren’t able to travel last year to see them were able to snag a chance this year. Anyone who walked into the concert as a casual listener were easily converted over to a full fledged fan of the group after the concert ended. |
