music
Jay Park Accused of Cultural Appropriation for Video Remix of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘DNA’
People are accusing hip-hop artist Jay Park of cultural appropriation for his “Asian version” of Kendrick Lamar’s hit song “DNA.”
Problematic video: On Monday the Korean American rapper released a music video for the song — which has since been made private on YouTube — that tackles his pride for his Korean culture and Asian heritage while prominently featuring visuals from Black culture.
BTS’ 2nd English Language Song ‘Butter’ is Demolishing Multiple Records at Different Billboard Charts
BTS’s historic latest single, “Butter,” broke multiple records last week when it debuted at the top spot on Billboard Global 200 chart and the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.
Breakaway winner: With 11 total tracks on the “Global 200” ranking, BTS has broken its previous tie with BLACKPINK, and is now the South Korean musical act with the most placements on the weekly list.
‘Those Are My Homies’: Gwen Stefani Shuts Appropriation Claims Over ‘Harajuku Girls’ Era
Gwen Stefani has responded to long-standing accusations of cultural appropriation over her “Harajuku Girls” era, making a point that such “rules” are only “dividing us more and more.”
The claims: Since the former “No Doubt” frontwoman released “Harajuku Girls” as part of her debut solo album in 2004, critics have accused her of appropriating Japanese culture.
Meet Patricia Chin, the Jamaican Woman Who Escaped Political Violence and Helped Bring Reggae to the World
Patricia Chin, also known as Miss Pat, is an influential figure in the reggae community and the woman who helped popularize the genre in the United States and around the world.
How it all started: Miss Pat’s journey to reggae began when she and her late husband Vincent “Randy” Chin opened their music store called Randy’s Records in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1958, where they sold jukebox records, according to Rootfire.
Bruno Mars Becomes First Artist With Diamond Certification for 5 Singles
Grammy award-winning star Bruno Mars has become the first artist to have five singles granted diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA).
Extraordinary feat: The RIAA announced the achievement on Saturday via a press release and a tweet that congratulated the 35-year-old singer-songwriter.
BTS Breaks Their Own Record for Biggest YouTube Music Video Premiere With ‘Butter’
South Korean supergroup BTS has broken its previous record for the biggest YouTube music video Premiere after the release of “Butter.”
New song: On Friday, the music video of BTS’ newest English-language single received over 108.2 million views in 24 hours, beating the group’s first English-language single “Dynamite,” according to YouTube.
Saweetie Says Education is Important to ‘Unlearn Hate’ Against Asian Americans
Saweetie, an American rapper of Chinese, Filipino and Black descent, has recently spoken out about the rising hate crimes against Asian Americans across the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Using your platform: In an interview with TMZ Live on Monday for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Saweetie talked about the role of social media in bringing awareness to anti-Asian violence.
TikTok’s Bella Poarch Debuts Pop Career With Hit Song ‘Build a B*tch’
TikTok’s third most-followed person Bella Poarch recently released a music video for her debut single titled “Build a B*tch” featuring a number of other internet stars.
The hit release: As of this writing, the Filipino American star’s video has racked up more than 47 million views on YouTube since its premiere on Friday.
BTS Becomes First All-Asian Group on Rolling Stone With ‘Future of Music’ Issue
South Korean supergroup BTS just became the first all-Asian act to appear on the front cover of pop culture magazine Rolling Stone.
.@BTS_twt appears on our June cover.
Simu Liu, Lisa Ling and More Featured in #StopAAPIHate Music Video
The Hotel Lobby’s Johnny Lee has released a music video featuring prominent AAPI celebrities in response to the Atlanta shootings and rising cases of anti-Asian violence.
About the video: The music video for “Tonight” contains footage from Stop AAPI Hate rallies as well as Black Lives Matter protests.
H.E.R. Wins Best Original Song for ‘Fight for You’ at the Oscars
After winning two Grammys in March, H.E.R. took home an Oscar for best original song at the 93rd Academy Awards on Sunday.
The singer/songwriter won the award for “Fight for You,” a track for the film “Judas and the Black Messiah” that she wrote in collaboration with Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas.
Yo-Yo Ma Gives Impromptu Concert After Getting Second Vaccine Dose in Massachusetts
World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma gave a surprise concert at the Berkshire Community College during an observation period after receiving his second dose of COVID-19 vaccine over the weekend.
The 65-year-old musician was waiting at the vaccination site for his 15-minute observation period on Saturday when he decided to “give something back,” Richard Hall of the Berkshire COVID-19 Vaccine Collaborative told The Berkshire Eagle.