What to know about BTS as the K-pop group returns from military service
Rapper Suga will be the last of the bandmates to be released on Saturday, after fulfilling his duty as a social service agent , an alternative to serving in the military that he reportedly chose due to a shoulder injury.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Daichi Miura Talks ‘Miraculous' Effort of ‘Death Stranding 2' Tracks, Perspective as a Longtime Video Game Aficionado: Interview
Daichi Miura dropped a double A-sided single called 'Horizon Dreamer / Polytope' on June 25. Produced by Nao'ymt, who has collaborated with the J-pop singer and dancer on a number of his previous works, both 'Horizon Dreamer' and 'Polytope' are featured in DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH, the latest video game by world-renowned game creator Hideo Kojima. The 37-year-old pop star spoke to Billboard Japan about the creative process of both tracks and shared his enthusiasm for and longtime love of gaming in this latest interview. 'Horizon Dreamer' and 'Polytope' were written for the video game DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH for PlayStation®︎5. The former is a track featuring a very primitive rhythm and melody. More from Billboard Debbie Harry on Image Expectations in Music: 'I Wanted to Work' Wallows Recall Morrissey Walking Out of Their Show: 'That's the Perfect Morrissey Story' Bob Vylan Axed From Radar, Kave Fest After Glastonbury Backlash Daichi Miura: The song has a very grounded feel to it, with a sound that evokes a scene of people walking through the wilderness step by step to reach a new land. It has a touch of bluegrass, with banjos and such, and the music has an indigenous, very physical feel to it. 'Horizon Dreamer' was written with images of the game in mind, of course, but since I exist as Daichi Miura in the world of DS 2, Kojima-san said to me, 'Don't make it a song that expresses the world of the game too much. I'd like it to be one that stands on its own as a new single by Daichi Miura and also have proper strength as a pop song.' So Nao'ymt (pronounced 'Nao why em tee') wrote it as a new song for me, incorporating the essence and progress of my music up to now. I see. Nao'ymt wrote and produced both songs. Could you share what you discussed with him in the beginning of the production process? I've always loved playing video games, and had an opportunity to connect with Kojima-san through an interview during the production of (the first) DEATH STRANDING. As a fan of both Kojima-san and Nao-san, I'd been thinking that it was pretty clear the two of them should collaborate to create something together. Things began to take shape in a miraculous way for this project and we agreed to work together as a triangle. So it was an eagerly anticipated triangle for you. Right. I knew there were things that would definitely resonate between them, so I thought it'd be great if they'd connect. Oh, and there was this miracle that happened regarding 'Horizon Dreamer.' Tell us about it. Kojima-san had told me he was working on DS 2, and shared that 'this time there will be a ship that didn't appear last time, and you'll be traveling on it.' Around the same time, I received a demo from Nao-san, who said, 'I had this image of a man who is floating in the sea, and then a ship comes and he gets on it and heads to a new land.' I thought it was miraculous and felt like I was witnessing an amazing moment. So I personally think that the two were meant to meet at some point, and it was through a combination of such miracles that 'Horizon Dreamer' and 'Polytope' were born. You even host a TV show on video games, so your love for them is pretty well known. What do you think makes Kojima-san's games so compelling? What I've been thinking about regarding Kojima-san's works recently is that he's someone who's relentless in his craftsmanship. When you're making something, there will be moments when you go, 'This might not work.' And you probably come up with various ideas and overcome those moments. The thing about Kojima-san is that there's no compromise in the way he does that. The message that he wants to convey, the things he wants to create, the passion with which he wants to create things with certain people, the camera angles, the way he depicts things… it's like that gene is in everything. I think he's a really relentless person. Going back to your music, how do you feel about the epic sound of 'Horizon Dreamer'? It was so incredibly cool from the demo stage. I just focused on how I should express the music. The two songs are completely different in tone, but they're like a set with connected parts. As I mentioned earlier, 'Horizon Dreamer' has an indigenous or primitive feel to it, but the way Nao-san breezily transformed that into a Daichi Miura pop song is really amazing. How about 'Polytope'? I think Nao-san trusts me with what he really wants to do, and it's one of those songs where he's like, 'Daichi will be able to handle this' and just goes full out with it. In that sense, 'Polytope' couldn't have been created without this triangle of the DS 2 project and Kojima-san's presence, and from the moment I heard both songs, I was excited about how I'd go about expressing them. You've already released 'Horizon Dreamer' digitally, and performed 'Polytope' live (ahead of the single's release). How do you feel about the response? I premiered the music and performance at my concert, but to be honest, I don't remember much about 'Polytope.' I was so focused on expressing it that there was no room for thought… like I was in harmony with the music. I only vaguely remember what I was thinking and how I expressed it. But I do remember that the atmosphere in the venue after the performance was pretty incredible and that the audience was buzzing with excitement. Apparently everyone felt like they'd seen something they'd never seen before, and that makes me happy. 'Horizon Dreamer' is a song that invites everyone to sing and dance together, so there might have been some confusion about the tone and performance of 'Polytope.' Do you see those two songs as two sides of the same coin in terms of expression? 'Horizon Dreamer' ends with the lyrics, 'The sun's going down again today,' and 'Polytope' begins, 'The sun's setting,' so there's a connection here. The staging of the live performance of 'Polytope' also starts with a setting sun, so that's also perfectly linked. While the songs depict different worlds from a sonic standpoint, I feel that their roots are the same, so it's really like a gradation. I'd like people to listen to every part of the songs, especially 'Polytope,' and wonder, 'What's this world like?' and experience them together with the game. In your recent Instagram Live, you repeatedly said you wanted people to try playing DS 2. I have a feeling that for a lot of people who don't play video games, the rough idea of what they're like actually hasn't been updated for a long time. But they're pretty incredible nowadays. Video games are the only kind of entertainment where you can play it yourself and control the main character. They contain elements of music, stories and drama, cinematic aspects, and are truly a comprehensive art form in my view. As a gamer and game fan, I feel pretty disappointed that so many people aren't aware of this. I wish it would reach a wider audience somehow. So, if there are people out there who know about me, and they found out about DEATH STRANDING 2 through me, then I'd really like them to try it out once. I'm sure you'll be pretty amazed… I really encourage everyone to experience it. Japanese video games are highly acclaimed around the world. Do you also want to introduce your music to a global audience along with DS 2? I've never considered collaborating with a video game intending to reach a global audience through the game. I'm a fan of music, a fan of games, a fan of Kojima-san, and a fan of Nao-san, so it's like I'm immersed in the joy of being able to devote all my energy to the things I love and to create something with all my might here. But Kojima-san is someone who continues to create works that are loved by many players everywhere, so if people happen to find out about me through a game of his, of course I'd be very happy about it. —This interview by Takayuki Okamoto first appeared on Billboard Japan Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
BTS's Song Reaches A New All-Time High As The Band Reunites
BTS's 'Home' reenters the U.K. Singles Downloads and Sales charts, rising to new highs as fans ... More celebrate the group's return after the members' military service. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 03: BTS perform onstage during the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 03, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by) For years, BTS reigned as the biggest name in K-pop, and perhaps the most successful pop group on the planet. The South Korean troupe had to take a break as all seven of its members needed to fulfill mandatory military enlistment, and that hiatus lasted years. Recently, all of the singers in the band finished their tours of duty, and now the musicians that make up the Grammy-nominated act are free to pursue music once again. BTS recently announced that new music is set to drop in 2026 and that the group will tour once more. But fans aren't waiting to show their love to the septet. In the United Kingdom, ARMYs — the name BTS followers go by — have sent one track back to multiple charts, turning it into a bestseller years after its release. BTS Returns with 'Home' "Home" reappears on several U.K.-based rankings this week. The track, which was chosen by BTS fans en masse thanks largely to its name, reenters the Official Singles Downloads chart at No. 46 and the Official Singles Sales list at No. 49. 'Home' Appears for Only the Second Time "Home" has only appeared on both of these rankings twice, including this frame. As it returns, the cut reaches a new high point on both tallies. The tune debuted on the Official Singles Sales and Official Singles Downloads charts in April 2019 when it was brand new. At the time, it failed to reach the upper half of either ranking, and then quickly disappeared. Now, it approaches the top 40 and demonstrates that there's pent-up demand for BTS music, even if it's not new material. BTS's Return to Music Longtime supporters of BTS didn't flock to the group's biggest singles or highest-charting tracks to celebrate the return of the band, but rather focused their buying efforts, at least for the moment, on "Home," which was never selected as a single. The tune is featured on the group's EP Map of the Soul: Persona, which dropped in April 2019. By that point, the K-pop act was emerging as a true force on the charts outside of South Korea. That release went on to become the first BTS collection to hit No. 1 in the U.K., and as the EP reached the summit, the group became the first from South Korea to score a chart-topper in the country.
Forbes
3 hours ago
- Forbes
Netflix's ‘KPop Demon Hunters' Hits No. 1
Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack debuts at No. 1 on the Soundtracks chart and lands in the ... More top 10 on the Billboard 200, driven by streaming success. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 16: (L-R) Audrey Nuna, EJAE and Rei Ami attend the KPop Demon Hunters Special Screening at Netflix Tudum Theater on June 16, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor Netflix) Netflix has scored something of a surprise hit with its new movie KPop Demon Hunters. The animated film centers around fictional K-Pop groups that battle one another, not just on the charts, but in a showdown of good and evil. The worldwide favorite has been living inside the streamer's list of top 10 biggest films for days, and KPop Demon Hunters has also proved to be hugely popular thanks to the music produced for the film and the accompanying soundtrack. KPop Demon Hunters Debuts at No. 1 The project launches in impressively lofty positions on a number of rankings in the United States this week. The KPop Demon Hunters album opens highest on the Soundtracks chart, which makes sense, since that tally is dedicated solely to projects connected to film and TV, so competition isn't nearly as fierce as on more general lists. The project, which is credited simply as soundtrack — as many musicians and even made-up groups are credited on individual tunes — debuts at No. 1 this frame. It replaces Twisters: The Album, which has largely been ruling since it arrived almost a year ago. KPop Demon Hunters Opens Inside the Top 10 The same full-length lives inside the top 10 on two other rosters. KPop Demon Hunters opens at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, the all-encompassing ranking of the most consumed albums in the nation, and No. 10 on the Top Streaming Albums list. Luminate reports that the soundtrack arrives inside the loftiest tier on the Billboard 200 thanks to almost 31,500 equivalent units shifted. That sum is made up of both purchases and streaming activity, and plays on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and others accounted for a huge share, since the set also performs so well on the Top Streaming Albums ranking. A New 'K-Pop' Bestseller KPop Demon Hunters lands lower on the Top Album Sales chart, but even on that roster, it's a big win for Netflix. The project starts with 3,400 pure purchases. That's enough to help it launch at No. 18 on the ranking of the bestselling EPs and full-lengths in the country. KPop Demon Hunters Reaches the Hot 100 Seven tunes featured on the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack debut on the Billboard charts this week. Some live solely on worldwide rankings, others appear on genre-specific tallies largely focused on dance, while a handful manage to show up on the Hot 100.
