Latest news with #Lovable
The Star
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
K-Pop and breakdance power South Korean high-stakes presidential race
Dancers perform ahead of Lee Jae-myung's campaign event in Incheon on May 21. - Bloomberg SEOUL: In South Korea's high-stakes presidential campaign, K-pop isn't just a cultural backdrop - it's a political strategy. Both major parties are leaning on Korean pop hits to energise voters, blending choreography and catchy lyrics with political messaging. Among the favourites at campaign rallies: Kim Jong-kook's Lovable and Young Tak's Next Door Oppa, are now fixtures in events across the country. But unlike the last US presidential election, where Kamala Harris secured endorsements from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, South Korean artists have shied away from direct campaigning, which risks alienating fans. The opposition Democratic Party has deployed a 48-member "Shouting Korea' team, which travels nationwide in mobile units designed to create festive, street-level rallies. Their goal is to produce crowd-friendly events using choreography and classic Korean pop songs before and after the party nominee Lee Jae-myung takes the stage. The conservative People Power Party has taken a similar approach, with candidate Kim Moon-soo's campaign team choosing retro hits like Lovable, over songs by current idols. "Kim's frequent use of heart gestures inspired us to highlight a 'lovable' image, playing on the song's message to enhance his public appeal,' Kim Dong-hwan, a PPP campaign official, said. South Koreans head to the polls Tuesday (June 10) after six months of political turmoil, hoping a new leader can begin to heal a fractured nation. The snap vote comes after impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed by the Constitutional Court in April for his abrupt decision to declare martial law. The state of the economy and fighting US President Donald Trump's tariffs are among the hot topics for voters, according to recent opinion surveys. Lee had 49 per cent support while Kim trailed with 36 per cent in a survey of 1,005 people commissioned by local media News 1 and released this week. "This election follows a period of martial law and impeachment,' said Kim Dae-young, a Democratic Party official. "There were debates about including strong political messages, but we decided instead to build a space where people could gather naturally - through music, dance, and video.' The campaign's setlist draws heavily on late-1990s and early-2000s pop acts chosen for their energy and broad appeal. They include Koyote's Pure Love, from 1999, diva Uhm Jung-hwa's Festival from the same year. Professional dancer Yim Young-hwan, who was hired by the liberal party to join the campaign, has choreographed several of the performances. The dance routines are deliberately simple, with occasional flourishes to grab attention, and to make it easy for people to follow. "We wanted people to say, 'Wow,' when they saw us,' Yim said. Lyrics are often adapted to highlight the candidate's character or policy goals. And choosing older tracks instead of licensing new idol music from the big K-pop companies such as SM Entertainment Inc. and Hybe Co. reduces costs, according to Kim, the PPP campaign official. Licensing fees per song could reach around three million won (US$2,170) to tens of million won, depending on its popularity. While TV and radio still play a role, Kim noted that digital content now dominates political engagement. Candidate Kim has appeared on major YouTube shows and launched a dedicated channel featuring a 13-song playlist to court online audiences. Yet despite the digital pivot, the energy of in-person street performances still resonates with many voters. "When young people perform like this, it lifts the older generation's spirits,' said Lee Soo-young, a Seoul resident, who joined Lee's campaign. - Bloomberg
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
K-pop and breakdance power South Korea's high-stakes presidential race
South Koreans head to the polls on June 3 after six months of political turmoil. PHOTO: AFP SEOUL – In South Korea's high-stakes presidential campaign, K-pop isn't just a cultural backdrop – it's a political strategy. Both major parties are leaning on Korean pop hits to energise voters, blending choreography and catchy lyrics with political messaging. Among the favorites at campaign rallies: Kim Jong-kook's Lovable and Young Tak's Next Door Oppa, are now fixtures in events across the country. But unlike the last US presidential election, where former vice-president Kamala Harris secured endorsements from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, South Korean artists have shied away from direct campaigning, which risks alienating fans. The opposition Democratic Party has deployed a 48-member 'Shouting Korea' team, which travels nationwide in mobile units designed to create festive, street-level rallies. Their goal is to produce crowd-friendly events using choreography and classic Korean pop songs before and after the party nominee Lee Jae-myung takes the stage. The conservative People Power Party has taken a similar approach, with candidate Kim Moon-soo's campaign team choosing retro hits like Lovable, over songs by current idols. 'Kim's frequent use of heart gestures inspired us to highlight a 'lovable' image, playing on the song's message to enhance his public appeal,' Mr Kim Dong-hwan, a PPP campaign official, said. South Koreans head to the polls on June 3 after six months of political turmoil, hoping a new leader can begin to heal a fractured nation. The snap vote comes after impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed by the Constitutional Court in April for his abrupt decision to declare martial law. The state of the economy and fighting US President Donald Trump's tariffs are among the hot topics for voters, according to recent opinion surveys. Mr Lee had 49 per cent support while Mr Kim trailed with 36 per cent in a survey of 1,005 people commissioned by local media News 1 and released this week. 'This election follows a period of martial law and impeachment,' said Mr Kim Dae-young, a Democratic Party official. 'There were debates about including strong political messages, but we decided instead to build a space where people could gather naturally – through music, dance, and video.' The campaign's setlist draws heavily on late-1990s and early-2000s pop acts chosen for their energy and broad appeal. They include Koyote's Pure Love, from 1999, diva Uhm Jung-hwa's Festival from the same year. Professional dancer Yim Young-hwan, who was hired by the liberal party to join the campaign, has choreographed several of the performances. The dance routines are deliberately simple, with occasional flourishes to grab attention, and to make it easy for people to follow. 'We wanted people to say, 'Wow,' when they saw us,' Mr Yim said. Lyrics are often adapted to highlight the candidate's character or policy goals. And choosing older tracks instead of licensing new idol music from the big K-pop companies such as SM Entertainment and Hybe reduces costs, according to Mr Kim, the PPP campaign official. Licensing fees per song could reach around 3 million won (S$2,810) to tens of million won, depending on its popularity. While TV and radio still play a role, Mr Kim noted that digital content now dominates political engagement. Candidate Kim has appeared on major YouTube shows and launched a dedicated channel featuring a 13-song playlist to court online audiences. Yet despite the digital pivot, the energy of in-person street performances still resonates with many voters. 'When young people perform like this, it lifts the older generation's spirits,' said Seoul resident Lee Soo-young, who joined Mr Lee's campaign. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
K-Pop and Breakdance Power South Korea's High-Stakes Presidential Race
In South Korea's high-stakes presidential campaign, K-pop isn't just a cultural backdrop — it's a political strategy. Both major parties are leaning on Korean pop hits to energize voters, blending choreography and catchy lyrics with political messaging. Among the favorites at campaign rallies: Kim Jong-kook's Lovable and Young Tak's Next Door Oppa, are now fixtures in events across the country.
Fast Company
3 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
The best leaders hire people who are smarter than they are
Early in my career, I was a loan underwriter at a bank. I was responsible for training a new employee, one with very little banking experience. During the training, she caught something I had missed and asked about it. I was shocked because I considered myself a diligent underwriter. But I quickly realized something: She was better than I was. She had a knack for noticing little abnormalities and was confident enough to point them out. For a moment, I was nervous. We worked at a small bank, and I felt threatened by her skill. But I quickly realized that she was an asset. She could work on the detail-driven parts of underwriting, which freed me up for other work. So I encouraged her to keep learning. Great leaders don't compete with their teams. Instead, they build teams that complement them and recognize that the entire team is stronger with high-performing people. 'No room for ego' A good manager shouldn't be the smartest person in the room. Strong teams are never built on ego, and when you hire smart people, you get a more innovative team and better outcomes. Keep in mind that 'smarter' can mean different things—technical skills, creativity, or subject matter expertise. More than likely, you'll hire someone who may be 'smarter' in one area, which will allow you to shine with different skills. That was my experience with the new loan underwriter; I moved on to compliance work, which required some critical thinking skills I had. AI app-building startup Lovable is known for hiring top-tier talent. The company puts its principles right on its careers page, stating that there is 'no room for ego' and that employees 'amplify each other.' As one of the fastest-growing startups in Europe, Lovable has now reached $17 million in annual recurring revenue—due in part, no doubt, to hiring the best and its approach to teamwork. Ideally, you uncover someone's potential during the hiring process. Ask questions that might help you determine that someone has the skills you don't have, or might be smarter than you in certain aspects of the job. Look for exceptional problem-solving skills or boundless curiosity—signs that a person can take a project and run with it. Let others shine Once you hire them, you have to give your new employees room to do their best work and grow. You should set goals and offer resources, but not micromanage. It will be an ongoing process of giving the employees more responsibility to see how they handle the work. Smart employees will be up to the challenge, and you'll gradually transition your own role to other work. Make sure your talented employees feel appreciated. Give them credit publicly and advocate for their growth. They should know that you know how smart and capable they are. You might fear that if you nurture a smart employee, they might eventually outgrow the role. Maybe they'll move to another team or leave the company altogether. That's a legitimate concern and bound to happen at some point. But you can't hold people back. If employees reach a ceiling within your team, they should move on. Think of yourself as a talent developer, capable of finding and nurturing people in their careers. That's a skill by itself. And when someone moves on, it creates opportunities for others to rise.
Forbes
16-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
AI's Pace Of Change: Six Indicators You Are Too Slow
AI startups are setting a faster pace of change than ever before. You know you are in trouble, said the legendary CEO Jack Welch, when the pace of change outside the company is faster than that inside. If that's true, then the rate of growth of AI startups should be striking terror into corporate board rooms around the world. I have been skeptical of the pace at which AI will convert its potential into an economic revolution. However, I do not think that is a reason for complacency. Now is the time to ask if we are moving fast enough to ride the wave when it comes or if we will be washed aside. AI startups are converting ideas into revenue at 10X the speed of previous generations with a fraction of the cost and far smaller teams. The old logic was that it takes a software startup anything from 3 to 5 years to get to $50M of revenue and another 5 to 7, to go to $1B. The AI generation is making this look sluggish. Self-coding AI Lovable has posted $40M of annual recurring revenue in 5 months of trading on the back of just $7.5M of venture funding. Bolt's numbers are roughly the same, $30M in 4 months, with just $7.9M. Both of which look like slackers compared with image generation company Midjourney, which scaled to $200M ARR without any funding and an initial team of less than 10. [MK1] Given the billions of dollars corporations spend to keep up in the AI race, one would think they are keeping up. However, all the evidence is that most are struggling to convert playing with AI into tangible outcomes. Managers get ahead in large corporations by projecting confidence and certainty. You reassure the board and senior managers by demonstrating you have a plan, that there is 'alignment' between stakeholders, and that you will deliver 'unique' advantages. The problem with this traditional approach is that nobody is certain how AI will play out. Corporations have struggled to find solid use cases to convert the hype into revenue. Consumers have started to roll their eyes at promises of embedded AI in everything from mobile phones to personal computers. It is time to admit we don't know. We need to make a virtue of living with the uncertainty. That means lots of disciplined, small-scale efforts to learn what works, before converting it into the next big thing. Guessing how AI will deliver benefit and spending big on a master plan is a dangerous game. My colleague Michael Kaplun has been working on this problem. How do we know we are going fast enough? I converted his more thoughtful work into six ugly errors that we see companies committing. If any of these apply, it's time to get the skates on and figure out how to get to the head of the puck. This is just six big issues we are seeing out there as companies wrestle to turn AI's potential into commercial reality. Hype cycles have a predictable path, and we are headed for the moment at which we all draw breath, realizing that the change isn't as fundamental as we thought. Or at least we were before we saw what Lovable has achieved. The message is clear. We need to move faster.
