{"id":97293,"date":"2024-08-22T12:06:54","date_gmt":"2024-08-22T16:06:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/2024\/08\/22\/inside-umpgs-unlikely-k-pop-hit-factory-2\/"},"modified":"2024-08-22T12:06:54","modified_gmt":"2024-08-22T16:06:54","slug":"inside-umpgs-unlikely-k-pop-hit-factory-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/2024\/08\/22\/inside-umpgs-unlikely-k-pop-hit-factory-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside UMPG\u2019s Unlikely K-Pop Hit\u00a0Factory"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\tI\u2019m not getting too stressed<\/strong> about bridge lyrics,\u201d says Benjmn, 29. \u201cBecause there\u2019s like a 100% chance it\u2019s going to get translated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Los Angeles-based topliner is closing in on his ninth straight hour of songwriting today. And like the 10 other lyricists and producers Universal Music Publishing Group has assembled at Arcade Studios in New York, he won\u2019t stop until he\u2019s achieved perfection. Benjmn, who has written for acts like ENHYPEN and Le\u00a0Sserafim before, and his cohorts here are all proven K-pop hit-\u00admakers, so they\u2019re well aware that much of today\u2019s work will be rewritten in Korean. Still, he and his collaborators on this particular track \u2014 31-year-old SAAY from South Korea and 34-year-old Sandra Wikstrom from Sweden \u2014 will continue fine-tuning their already pristine bridge for at least 15 more minutes before moving on. Are there enough syllables? Is it dragging? Can the melody be more expansive?<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tRelated\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\"BLACKPINK\"<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tHow Big of a K-Pop Fan Are You? Take Billboard\u2019s Survey\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\tThey know that the punchier the lyrics, the likelier it is that major K-pop labels like HYBE, JYP Entertainment and SM Entertainment will pick up their demos for artists to record. Their current target is a boy band on the rise that UMPG knows is looking for its next hit, although the track \u2014 a swaggering dance tune tentatively titled \u201cGLUE\u201d \u2014 may very well go to another of the ever-\u00adproliferating K-pop groups. (Because of the unpredictable nature of where songs end up and the prejudices a label may have if it sees a song title publicly attached to other acts, UMPG declines to comment on the precise artists for whom the musicians have gathered.)<\/p>\n

\n\tThe three rainy days these writers and producers will spend here mark just the second-ever international K-pop camp UMPG has held in the United States as it pushes to capitalize on the opportunities the genre offers its roster of talent, rounding up its most experienced creatives from all over the world and charging them with completing three songs a day in small groups. After the camp concludes, UMPG Korea senior creative A&R executive Yena Kim will pitch the nine finished tracks to the big three labels, which constantly send her hyperspecific briefs outlining what they\u2019re looking for and for whom; for now, she walks from room to room ensuring everyone understands their assignments.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cUltimately, we want releases,\u201d explains UMPG\u2019s head of its global creative group, David Gray. \u201cWe can sign K-pop writers and say, \u2018Go get us K-pop cuts.\u2019 But we can also be proactive and creative. Let\u2019s put our best K-pop writers together, bring them briefs from Korea and keep it small, focused and strategic so we have the best chance of getting results.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"UMPG
Benjmn (left) records vocals for an R&B-inspired demo produced by Sam Klempner. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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\"UMPG
Jeppe London (left) and Lauritz Emil work on a song with guitars.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tOn day one of camp, delirium is already setting in. \u201cWe should do a song called \u2018Jet Lag,\u2019\u00a0\u201d Benjmn jokes before he, SAAY and Wikstrom start spitting out catchy rap bars seemingly effortlessly, despite their lack of sleep. \u201cJet lag, jet lag, gotta go get bags\/All around the world, I\u2019m getting whiplash,\u201d they sing, taking turns adding lines.<\/p>\n

\n\tDown the hall, 28-year-old BLVSH from Germany and London-based Josh McClelland, 27, are writing for the same boy band, penning a punk-rock heartbreak anthem called \u201cClose the Door.\u201d Producer duo Jeppe London, 28, and Lauritz Emil, 26, both from Denmark, speak in rapid-fire Danish while recording electric guitar passes to find a sweet spot between Demi Lovato and Linkin Park, both of whom label SM sent as references. The room\u2019s shared credits include tracks for BTS, ENHYPEN, NCT and TWICE, and an expertise in the subtleties of writing for K-pop artists shows.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cYou\u2019re looking for fun keywords instead of poetic structure,\u201d explains BLVSH, who earned a No.\u00a01 on the Billboard Hot\u00a0100<\/a> last year for her work on Jimin\u2019s \u201cLike Crazy.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s more [about] attention-grabbing visuals and hooky words.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThey also labor over how pleasing each syllable sounds, the cadence and differentiation of each line, whether the melodies will sit in the band members\u2019 varying vocal ranges and how easily choreographers will be able to pair the lyrics with snappy dance moves \u2014 all elements they say they don\u2019t necessarily think about when writing for other genres, as many of them started out writing outside K-pop. Phonetics are key, even if most lyrics do end up getting reworked by translators, who generally earn a 12.5% split in royalties when the song is finished; BLVSH and McClelland say Korean labels are more likely to bite when they can imagine from the get-go how a song will sound once translated, which is why the writers make sure to infuse their demos with sharp consonants to mimic the Korean language. (For example: Saying a love interest looks \u201cpicturesque\u201d grabs their ears far more than a simple \u201cpretty\u201d or \u201cgood.\u201d)<\/p>\n

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\"UMPG
SAAY (left) listens to a demo while BLVSH tinkers on piano.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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\"UMPG
Max Thulin produces a track in Logic Pro.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s also why the writers focus less on storytelling and more on a certain vibe or attitude in their songs, which they strive to convey even when recording their demos. By nature, many of them are far less extroverted than the acts they write for, so it\u2019s entertaining to watch Benjmn cringe as he listens to a take of himself singing with Justin Bieber-esque sultriness, or to see 31-year-old Feli Ferraro of Los Angeles intuitively flip her hair and pop her hips while recording sexy-confident raps for a song called \u201c8\u201d that\u2019ll be sent off to a brand-new girl group SM is developing (the campers know nothing of its top-secret lineup).<\/p>\n

\n\tThe songwriters aren\u2019t fazed when translators alter the meaning of their lyrics; they understand it\u2019s an often necessary part of ensuring they still rhyme and flow well in Korean. Still, it\u2019s always ideal artistically when their work stays as close to the original as possible \u2014 and there are ways of increasing the chances that it does: As McClelland puts it, \u201cLet\u2019s make sure this lyric is fire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tToward the end of the day, everyone takes a short break to mingle and eat dinner; last year, UMPG learned that the ever-diligent writers prefer bringing in meals to avoid taking time away from their songs, and tonight\u2019s comes from Joe\u2019s Home of Soup Dumplings. SAAY and Wikstrom excitedly make plans to visit the Times Square Disney store while they\u2019re in town. But there\u2019s minimal time for this kind of pleasant catchup. A mountain of empty plastic containers in their wake, everyone instinctively filters back into their respective rooms.<\/p>\n

\n\tMost end up staying until 10\u00a0p.m. There\u2019s more work to be done.<\/p>\n

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\n\tFrom a publisher\u2019s perspective,<\/strong> everything changed for global K-pop in 2020. That\u2019s when BTS earned its first Hot\u00a0100 No.\u00a01 with \u201cDynamite\u201d \u2014 and the genre \u201cexploded, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d quips Daniella Rasho, international A&R executive at UMPG U.S., who oversees the camp alongside Yena Kim.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cPeople have seen what BTS has done,\u201d she continues. \u201cNow every K-pop label is like, \u2018I\u2019m going to have the next BTS. I\u2019m going to have the next one that goes global or is on U.S. radio.\u2019\u00a0\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201c[Korean] labels are aiming for hits on the Billboard<\/em> charts,\u201d Kim adds. \u201cThe artists, most of them now all speak English, as well as local A&Rs. The whole thing is changing. It wasn\u2019t like this five to six years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAs K-pop\u2019s global reach has expanded, so too has foreign songwriters\u2019 interest in the genre, which rapidly transformed from one of the least popular international markets for songwriters to one of the most competitive. It\u2019s an appealing space: Western pop stars are often inclined to stick with the same close circle of collaborators, but K-pop labels are quite open to taking songs from outsiders. Thanks to K-pop fans\u2019 propensity for buying multiple physical variants of singles and albums, the royalty checks for songwriters and producers tend to be higher, too.<\/p>\n

\n\tWestern stars like Taylor Swift have also prioritized writing their own music, while K-pop fans value the glossy, high-production performances their idols have spent years training to execute more than the names on a song\u2019s billing, allowing more space for career songwriters to notch credits. Rasho has a theory as to why: \u201cAmerican audiences want to relate to pop stars. For K-pop, people want to be<\/em> them.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"UMPG
Front row, from left: Jeppe London, Celine Svanback, Feli Ferraro, Benjmn and Max Thulin. Middle row, from left: Sandra Wikstrom, SAAY, Sam Klempner and BLVSH. Back row: Josh McClelland (left) and Lauritz Emil.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\"UMPG
SAAY (left) with Sandra Wikstrom who reads lyrics off her phone.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n\tPlus, the campers say that K-pop labels are in some ways more forgiving than their Western counterparts. They\u2019re used to receiving detailed feedback on their demos and getting ample opportunity to rewrite or add parts to a song, and Ferraro explains that some will \u201cFrankenstein\u201d pieces of different submissions together to achieve the desired result. \u201cThey\u2019ll find a home for it,\u201d says the Connecticut native, who co-wrote \u201cRun BTS\u201d and Le\u00a0Sserafim\u2019s \u201cUnforgiven.\u201d \u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel like you\u2019re wasting your time at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSeeing the many opportunities K-pop presents for its roster, UMPG has sprung into action over the past few years organizing writing sessions all over the world. Kim handpicked each creative at this year\u2019s camp based not just on skill, but also on who would be most suited to the song briefs at hand \u2014 \u201cSpecific labels like some writing styles more than others,\u201d Rasho explains \u2014 and who would get along best as collaborators.<\/p>\n

\n\tFiguring out the latter is an art in itself. At last year\u2019s camp, Gray recalls that \u201cthere were tears\u201d during a creative dispute over a song that would turn out to be TWICE soloist NAYEON\u2019s \u201cSomething.\u201d It ended up being one of the most high-profile releases the inaugural camp created, with the EP it was on, NA<\/em>, reaching No.\u00a01 on Billboard<\/em>\u2019s Top Album Sales<\/a> chart in June.<\/p>\n

\n\tNext, Kim tailored small groups around who could best match the demands of the individual briefs, which reflect just how tuned in to global trends K-pop labels are. JYP requested a solo song akin to Tate McRae\u2019s \u201cGreedy\u201d for a member of one of its girl groups, while others cited Sabrina Carpenter\u2019s \u201cEspresso,\u201d Chappell Roan, Caroline Polachek and Charli\u00a0xcx\u2019s brat<\/em> as references.<\/p>\n

\n\tK-pop\u2019s sonic evolution is a big reason why UMPG\u2019s approach, gathering writers from all over the world, works so well. Swedish and British producers like Max Thulin, 30, and Sam Klempner, respectively, \u201cbring their experimental, cool sounds,\u201d while Germans are masters of \u201cfun, electronic pop,\u201d Rasho says.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe U.S. writers come and do their rap thing \u2014 they have that swagger,\u201d she continues. \u201cThey bring out something new and different in each other. They bring the best of their territories, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"UMPG
Celine Svanback records vocals for a girl-group demo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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\"UMPG
Celine Svanback and Josh McClelland records vocals.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tOnly at the end of camp, when all of their songs are finished, do the writers let UMPG treat them to dinner offsite \u2014 Cecconi\u2019s on Broadway. Over drinks, McClelland jokes that Universal saved money on hotels by having two couples present. Benjmn and Ferraro are married, and Emil is engaged to fellow Dane Celine Svanback, 28; both couples met in past writing sessions. But aside from a few others from the same close-knit territories who\u2019ve worked together before, like McClelland and Klempner, it\u2019s the first time many of the campers have met \u2014 although, in the course of conversation, Benjmn and Thulin realize they share credits on a previous song created remotely, Le\u00a0Sserafim\u2019s \u201cEve, Psyche\u00a0& the Bluebeard\u2019s Wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMost of them, it seems, fell into the K-pop world unintentionally, whether they were headhunted by labels or indoctrinated at the nudging of UMPG. It wasn\u2019t the first choice for many but now, it\u2019s become perhaps their best avenue to flex their creative muscles, writing pop, hip-hop, rock and R&B all under the ever-expanding K-pop umbrella.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s not just one sound,\u201d says Wikstrom, who never did come up for air long enough to visit the Disney store. \u201cThat\u2019s what I really love \u2014 you\u2019re not tied to anything. I used to think, \u2018No, I don\u2019t want to do K-pop. I don\u2019t even know what K-pop is.\u2019<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThen, I realized,\u201d she continues, her eyes widening. \u201cK-pop is everything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThis story will appear in the Aug. 24, 2024, issue of <\/em>Billboard.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Aller \u00e0 la source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m not getting too stressed about bridge lyrics,\u201d says Benjmn, 29. \u201cBecause there\u2019s like a 100% chance it\u2019s going to get translated.\u201d The Los Angeles-based topliner is closing in on his ninth straight hour of songwriting today. And like the 10 other lyricists and producers Universal Music Publishing Group has assembled at Arcade Studios in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-musique","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97293\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}