K-pop stars BTS named IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year

LONDON – K-pop sensation BTS, whose catchy, upbeat songs have won legions of fans around the world, have scooped the 2020 Global Recording Artist of the Year Award from IFPI, the recorded music industry representative body said on Thursday.

The seven-member group had a hugely successful 2020, becoming the first Korean pop act to reach no.1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, with English-language single “Dynamite”, and securing its first major Grammy nomination.

The band, who debuted in 2013 and have fronted the K-Pop drive in the United States in recent years, were also named entertainer of the year by Time magazine.

“BTS are a global phenomenon. They have had another outstanding year, releasing three albums, and continually finding creative and engaging ways to share their story with the world,” IFPI Chief Executive Frances Moore said in a statement.

“They truly show the power that music has to bring joy and happiness to people the world over.”

IFPI said the award takes account of an act’s worldwide performance in digital and physical music formats during the year.

American songstress Taylor Swift came in second in the IFPI Global Artist Chart while Canadian rapper Drake was third.

-reuters

BTS’ upcoming online concert to feature up-to-date technologies

SEOUL — K-pop sensation BTS will catch the eyes of its long-waiting fans with fresh up-to-date viewing experiences at its upcoming live online concert next month, its management agency said Tuesday.

The online concert titled “BTS Map of the Soul ON:E” will be livestreamed at 7 p.m. on Oct. 10 and at 4 p.m. on Oct. 11, according to Big Hit Entertainment.

During the two-hour event, the septet will perform on a scale equivalent to an offline concert, featuring augmented reality and extended reality software technology with high-definition content.

A multi-view live streaming service will also help audiences select and enjoy various scenes taken from six different angles on a real-time basis.

“We are preparing an unprecedented stage and a variety of set lists for fans who are missing offline concerts that have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Big Hit said.

The Oct. 10-11 concerts were originally set to take place in-person in Seoul under government-led seat distancing guidelines, with a paid simultaneous streaming service.

But Big Hit canceled the in-person element last week due to nationwide tightened social distancing stemming from a recent spike in coronavirus cases across South Korea.

BTS’ previous paid online concert, “Bang Bang Con: The Live,” in June, set a new Guinness World record for “most viewers for a music concert livestream,” attracting 756,000 viewers in 107 countries and regions across the world. 

-Yonhap News Agency