iKON Draw Excitment With Reveal Of Tracks For Debut Half-Album

The anticipation continues to build as iKON, YG Entertainment's promising new boy band, entices fans with teasers for their debut half-album, "Welcome Back." Over the course of a couple days, the group released a full track listing for their first album as a charismatic seven-member group. It is the first official album project from the winners of last year's survival show "Mix & Match."

The track listing highlights two title tracks, "Rhythm TA" and "Airplane," so the chances of receiving two more music videos from the group are high! Both iKON's most well-known members, B.I and Bobby, were involved in developing the lyrics for each of the six tracks on the debut project. The members continue to stake their claim as solid writers within YG Family, as they received notoriety after working on labelmates WINNER's debut single "Empty."

Producer favorites Choice37 and Kush grace the rookies with tracks, and B.I adds his name to the list as a composer for his group's debut as well. Also, Atlanta-based multi-platinum singer/songwriter duo The Jackie Boyz help close out the half-album with "M.U.P."

The half-album's release online is scheduled for October 1 with physical albums available October 5. With band members heavily involved and various producers and writers in the mix, iKON's debut half-album sounds like it will be an overall smash!

The group's first full album, with all 12 tracks, is scheduled to drop November 2.

Seventeen Return With 'Mansae' 4 Months After Debut

Pledis Entertainment's rookie boy group SEVENTEEN have made their explosive first comeback!

(Photo : YouTube)

On September 9, SEVENTEEN released their latest comeback track "Mansae" on their official YouTube channel.

Unlike debut track "Adore U," their comeback music video showcases the members' acting abilities as they each try to earn the affections of a girl. The video includes scenes in all sorts of school settings including classrooms, a gymnasium, a basketball court, the rooftop, and locker filled hallways. In each various scene the members of SEVENTEEN try to win their girl over with their playful and adorable antics.

The song continues with the underlying athletic theme of the music video by incorporating different whistle and blow horn sounds into the instrumental. Meanwhile, SEVENTEEN continues to prove their powerful vocal abilities with equally strong singing and rapping parts. While "Adore U" showcased the group in a more uniform pop sound, "Mansae" allows the individual members to shine during each verse while coming together seamlessly for the addictive chorus.

SEVENTEEN debuted in May 2015 with "Adore U" after four years of preparation. After two weeks the rookie group earned 1 million views on their debut music video and have been gaining in popularity ever since.

They are most known for their title as "self-producing idols" as the members play an active role in the production of their songs and the choreographing of their dances.

With an addictive beat, adorable video, and powerful dance, "Mansae" is a track not to miss.

US music industry executives despise rap and love Taylor Swift, reports surve

Taylor Swift … it’s official: everyone loves her. Official. Photograph: Frazer Harrison

US music industry executives despise rap and adore Taylor Swift, if a new survey by the trade magazine Billboard is to be believed. More than 50 “top executives” completed an anonymous survey for the magazine, and the initial results – while possibly unrepresentative – are startling.

Swift was named as the artist they would most like to sign if they were starting a label, with – surprisingly, perhaps – Lady Gaga in second and Adele in third, and 70% said yes when asked: “Do you root for Taylor Swift?”

More than half – 58% – said the industry is not fair to artists, and Lady Gaga was named as the person who should be running a record company but isn’t. Three questions looked at the digital world: 62% claimed they knew more about technology than the average 14 year old; 54% said they would work at Apple or Spotify if it offered the same money; and 71% said Jay Z’s streaming service, Tidal, would survive less than a year.

The oddest result, however – and one that suggests the sample of executives was skewed towards one demographic – came when people were asked which type of music they despised the most. Rap came top, with EDM in second and pop third.

Billboard’s survey – whose full results are due in September – has been the subject of enormous controversy over some of its questions, notable one that asked: “Who do you believe: (i) Kesha [or] (ii) Dr Luke.” Kesha is taking legal action against producer and songwriter Dr Luke, accusing him of rape. He has issued a countersuit claiming she is using extortion to try to break a contract.

Music manager Irving Azoff – who topped Billboard’s music power list in 2012 – condemned the publication. “If Billboard wants to survey the music industry, they should ask people in the biz what they think about their publication,” he told the New York Post. “Maybe then they’d understand how fully they’ve turned a formerly respected brand into an irrelevant joke.”

Billboard did not respond to the requests for comment on the survey made by several publications. It did, however, find time to issue a statement about Azoff: “We are aware of the personal grousings of Irving Azoff about Billboard and are sorry he won’t be filling out the survey.”

A Pink Jump Past 1 Million Views For Latest Music Video 'Remember'

(Photo : Facebook)

On Wednesday, July 15, A Pink's latest music video Remember was uploaded on their official YouTube channel, and within 5 days, it has surpassed 1 million views.

The music video captures the essence of summer with the members having fun at the beach, in green flowery fields, and on a yacht.

"Fanchant please! LOL! Can't wait for their stage performances! I will REMEMBER this song well!" wrote YouTube viewer Yoel Timothy_98 in the comments section of the video.

"Remember" is the title track for A Pink's second full-length album Pink Memory. The song is composed by Shinsadong Tiger and Beom & Nang.

A Pink made their stage comeback for "Remember" on the July 17 episode for KBS Music Bank.

Beyoncé-inspired skyscraper to be built in Melbourne

Beyoncé … Now able to add “skyscraper inspiration” to her CV. Photograph: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

Fans of both gentrification and Beyoncé’s last album may have just found their architectural sweet spot. A 78-storey skyscraper inspired by the pop star is due to be built near Melbourne’s Southern Cross railway station, offering up apartments, retail space and hotel rooms.

The Premier Tower’s undulating curves were inspired by one of the 17 music videos Beyoncé released as part of her eponymous visual album in December 2013. “For those more on the art than science side,” reads architecture firm Elenberg Fraser’s press release about the building, “we will reveal that the form does pay homage to something more aesthetic – we’re going to trust you’ve seen the music video for Beyoncé’s Ghost.”

Well, if you haven’t, the video mostly features Beyoncé flapping a swathe of billowing black fabric in front of a wind machine, and women who look as though they’re struggling to wriggle their way out of skintight sheaths. The building’s resultant “twists and turns” have been rendered life-like in a visualisation made by company Pointilism.

The project has been financed by the Fragrance Group, a real estate company owned by Singaporean billionaire Koh Wee Meng. 1970s-era pub the Savoy Tavern is due to be demolished to make way for the tower, just months after it reopened in 2014 following a 20-year closure.

There are no confirmed reports to suggest that Beyoncé will visit or ever perform at the skyscraper, but that all could change in time.