Genius

Since her debut in the K-pop girl group i-dle (아이들) in 2018, SOYEON has been known for leading the production of her group’s tracks, crafting hits including “LATATA,” “HANN (Alone),” “TOMBOY,” “Nxde,” and “Queencard.” She first made her entrance into the K-pop industry through her participation in the survival shows Produce 101 and Unpretty Rapstar.

In 2006, Justin Timberlake dropped his standout sophomore effort, FutureSex/LoveSounds, one of the defining pop albums of the mid-2000s. Stepping entirely out from under the manufactured shadow of *NSYNC, Timberlake teamed up with the trailblazing producer Timbaland at the height of their respective powers for pure pop perfection. FutureSex/LoveSounds arrived after a four-year musical hiatus from Timberlake. “I did [my 2002 solo debut] Justified in six weeks,” he told The Guardian in July 2006.

Singer-songwriter and DJ Soleil fed listeners' hearts and souls with "Heart Strings." The silky soulful record was met with much acclaim. The songstress continues the momentum with a new R&B/Soul single, "Rubbish." "Rubbish" is stylistically in the same vein as "Heart Strings," but it leans more into Blues and Funk. Soleil’s velvety, impassioned vocals are put on full display. "Rubbish" is an empowering breakup anthem that places great emphasis on reclamation, self-love and self-worth.

After two decades in the industry, Korean American artist Tiffany Young still has plenty of firsts in store for the world. This includes her recent first full-length solo album, Edge of Calm, which coincides with the 10th anniversary of her solo debut with the 2016 EP I Just Wanna Dance. But for the founding member of the pioneering K-pop group Girls’ Generation, it’s not just about the timing—it’s about the story leading up to this point and the voice of someone who has lived through it all.

At the beginning of August, after working for 12 years on his debut album, Black Boy (Alternative), Dahi, formerly known as DJ Dahi, held a communal free show at the open-air South Central L.A. citadel Sister Dreamer. There, a handful of artists who bring their nonconformist genius to Dahi’s project—Childish Gambino, Vince Staples, Ravyn Lenae, and Jesse Boykins III—filled the nighttime atmosphere with expansive performances across Dahi’s eidetic musicianship.

NCT 127 formed in 2016 as the Seoul-based subunit of NCT, a K-pop group created by SM Entertainment around the “Neo Culture Technology” concept and a system of multiple subunits, and it’s since become one of the project’s defining teams. The number 127 represents Seoul’s longitude, reflecting its connection to the city.

For the Chinese boy band Wayv, the mini album Vision Wings, released on August 10, marks a meeting point between where the group comes from and the direction it continues to take. The album draws from Chinese musical and visual traditions while placing them inside a contemporary sound, giving the members space to explore an aspect of their identity in a new way.

Dolly Parton, the singer, songwriter, actress, playwright, author, and philanthropist known for writing and performing country hits like “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “I Will Always Love You”—as well as for the good-natured, glamorous-yet-self-effacing persona she created for herself—has “died peacefully” at the age of 80, according to a press release.

The overtly political song was previously released as a CD single at a California record shop. Although she’s best known for relationship songs, Olivia Rodrigo has been quite outspoken about numerous hot-button issues, including reproductive rights, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and President Trump’s immigration policies. Today, she’s back with “serena joy,” perhaps her most political song to date.

With Latin music and K-pop exploding on a global level, it was only a matter of time for those two worlds to collide. We’ve already seen a handful of high-profile collaborations, and now, there’s SANTOS BRAVOS, the first Latin boy band formed by HYBE, the label behind BTS and KATSEYE. Since debuting last October, the fast-rising group has toured across Latin America and South Korea.