stayc main image

The Road to Success: What qualities can we learn from Kpop Idols?

January 28, 2023

What does it take to be a professional singer in South Korea? On stage, these Kpop idols capture our attention with catchy songs and amazing choreographies, but what about off-stage? Behind the ...

Read more
stayc main image

Songwriter's Block: Inspiration Tuning in From Around the World

January 26, 2023

Writer’s block is real, and it’s not just authors, but also songwriters and composers. Thinking of top hit songs can be difficult, so how do the pros do it? Where do they get their inspiration from?

Read more
stayc main image

Arcane: How A Video Game Adaptation Ended Up With A Banger Soundtrack

January 26, 2023

What does a TV show based on a video game and the music industry have in common? Near the end of 2021, Arcane took the world by storm after debuting on Netflix. Not only did it dazzle us with its...

Read more
stayc main image

How Black Pink Should Negotiate Their New Contract with YG Entertainment

January 23, 2023

As the contract between Blackpink and YG Entertainment nears its end, fans of the popular South Korean girl group are wondering if the group will renew their contract with the agency...

Read more
stayc main image

Writer's Block is Real, Even for J.Cole: Here are 8 Tips to Overcome

January 19, 2023

Rapper J. Cole has recently announced that he had been struggling with writer's block, but found a way to break free from it by using a type beat from Youtube music producer BVTMAN's YouTube...

Read more
stayc main image

Hania Rani: A Virtuoso in the World of Classical and Electronic Music

January 19, 2023

Hania Rani is a Polish pianist and composer whose music has been described as "hauntingly beautiful" and "evocative." She is known for her unique blend of classical and electronic music, which she...

Read more
stayc main image

Ryan Tedder’s Studio Review: Writing Three Songs From Scratch

January 16, 2023

Ryan Tedder is a highly accomplished and sought-after music producer and songwriter. He is known for his work with a wide range of artists including: Adele, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and OneRepublic...

Read more
stayc main image

Quentin Miller only got paid $30,000 for writing 6 Drake songs.

January 6, 2022

Drake's ghostwriter controversy has been a topic of conversation since the rapper's feud with Meek Mill in 2015. Quentin Miller, a lesser-known rapper from Atlanta, was named as the ghostwriter....

Read more
stayc main image

Timbaland’s Beatmaking Masterclass Review: A Class on Feeling the Flow

December 28, 2022

Many artists are using their personal brand and influence to educate artists, from beginners to fellow professionals. Timbaland has partnered with Masterclass to teach musicians how to make unique...

Read more
stayc main image

Rina Sawyama -- The Voice of a Genre-Spanning Pop Star

December 7, 2022

Rina Sawayama has burst into the consciousness of queer music listeners in recent years. My first time listening to her work was Cherry, a track that is bubbly ...

Read more
stayc main image

YouTube Announces New “Creator Music” Platform

October 4, 2022

In the wake of Tiktok’s rapid expansion and growing dominance in the short-form video market, YouTube has felt the pressure to adapt to keep up with the shifting demands of its audience...

Read more
stayc main image

Deep Dive: How Conan Gray Writes His Songs

October 5, 2022

Conan Gray is an American YouTuber turned singer-songwriter, most well-known for his songs about heartbreak and unrequited love. Throughout his career, Conan has written songs like “Crush Culture”...

Read more

5 Upcoming K-Pop Debuts To Watch For 2022

stayc main image

Photo: @m25_classy on Instagram

Debut: April 2022

After having competed on the reality survival show, “My Teenage Girl”, the seven-member group CLASS:y was formed, signing a seven-year contract with label, M25. The group was selected out of 83 contestants over the course of about three months judged solely on the talents and skills of the contestants. The label and show have been the subjects of controversy lately due to the age gaps between the contestants ranging from 13 to 23, and the subsequent groups’ age difference ranging from 14 to 20 years old. Nonetheless, we’re excited to see what the group has been working on since the show, and how they compare to some of the top girl groups in the industry.

YOUNITE

Photo: YOUNITE 'EVERYBODY (Feat. DJ Juice)' Music Video

Debut: April 20, 2022

Debuting under the label, Brand New Music, YOUNITE is a nine-member boy group, featuring a few familiar faces – former X1 member Eunsang, and “LOUD” contestant, Kyungmun. Despite their official debut being scheduled for April 20 with the release of their first album, the group pre-released their first single and music video, “EVERYBODY” which features DJ Juice. The song is full of funk with influences from 80s hip-hop, while the video is just as funky, with their smooth dance moves and playful personalities. This group is definitely one to watch this year!

MAVE

Photo: Metaverse Entertainment

Debut: Unknown

There’s been some talk around the K-Pop world, that a new virtual girl group will be debuting under the label, Metaverse Entertainment, which is a partnership between Kakao Entertainmnet  (owner of Korean streaming service, Melon) and game developers Netmarble. The group will consist of four fully virtual AI (artificial intelligence) members or meta-idols, conducting fan experiences through the a major metaverse channel. Though the project is still in development, we have no doubts that this group will amaze the world with such a unique concept.

TNX

Photo: @TNX_Official on Twitter

Photo: @TNX_Official on Twitter

Debut: Unknown

Highly decorated creative exec, Jadeon Jeong (known for creative directing EXO, NCT, LOONA), has created his own start-up company, MODHAUS, an upcoming agency set to debut a few of their own groups this year. A new girl group consisting of fan-participants has been in talks for a while, but it is unclear whether girl group is tripleS. Their trailer gives futuristic-dystopian vibes along with the unique synthy-808 background music and we’re totally onboard with the entire concept. Other than this trailer, there is little information to be found about the group members and their debut, but we’re definitely going to be keeping up with whatever they have in store.

Debut: May 17

Formed on the audition show, “LOUD” created in collaboration with J.Y. Park and PSY, TNX has been posting vlogs and behind-the-scenes videos on their YouTube channel ahead of their debut for the past few months. Previously a seven-member group, their label announced it would be moving forward with six members under the name TNX which stands for “The New Six”. They just introduced their members over on their YouTube channel along with a teaser trailer that gives us a little insight as to how hard they’ve been working these past few months leading to their upcoming debut.

tripleS

Photo: @triplescosmos on Twitter