El pasado 31 de mayo en la noche, con casi el 99,5 % de las mesas informadas, gran parte de los colombianos se llevó una sorpresa al ver que Iván Cepeda, candidato del partido de gobierno, el Pacto Histórico, quedó segundo con cerca del 41 % de los votos (9.688.245), detrás del candidato de extrema derecha Abelardo de la Espriella, quien rozó el 44 % (10.361.413). Todo esto después de una campaña que, para algunos simpatizantes, resultó algo insípida y estuvo basada casi exclusivamente en la idea de “ganar en primera vuelta”.
Ante este panorama, Cepeda está obligado a buscar al menos tres millones de votos más, esperando que a los más de diez millones obtenidos por de la Espriella se sumen también el más de millón y medio de electores que escogieron a la candidata uribista Paloma Valencia. Fue así como desde el lunes comenzó una campaña completamente distinta, tanto desde la calle como desde las redes sociales.
Entre el 1 y 2 de junio, en Instagram y especialmente en X (antes Twitter), comenzaron a circular publicaciones en las que, para sorpresa de muchos, la comunidad del K-pop —las famosas kpopers— hizo público su apoyo a la candidatura de Cepeda. Esto ocurrió a través de múltiples perfiles que hasta entonces se limitaban a compartir rumores y noticias sobre grupos como BTS o NewJeans, pero que ahora parecen haberse convertido en cuentas de militancia digital, ensalzando las propuestas del Pacto Histórico, pero especialmente atacando a de la Espriella.
Algo cierto es que muchas cuentas y personas pertenecientes a la comunidad, aunque todavía sin tanta fuerza, ya venían mostrando su rechazo hacia Abelardo. Muchas de ellas citaban el famoso momento en el que el candidato habló sobre maltrato animal y matar gatos, declaraciones que desde hace meses circulan ampliamente en redes. Sin embargo, el inesperado segundo lugar de Cepeda en las votaciones hizo que muchas de estas cuentas tomaran un papel mucho más activo, compartiendo consignas como “Tenemos 21 días para ganar” o “No queremos que un asesino de gatitos nos gobierne”.
Aunque para muchos este apoyo puede parecer extraño o incluso anecdótico, la relación entre comunidades del K-pop y el activismo político no es nueva. Durante las protestas de 2021 en Colombia, varias cuentas de fans ya habían participado activamente en redes sociales, difundiendo información sobre movilizaciones y haciendo denuncias públicas sobre abusos de poder contra manifestantes.
La diferencia ahora es que el apoyo ya no se limita únicamente a causas sociales o coyunturales, sino que parece haberse convertido en una toma de posición electoral mucho más clara. En cuestión de horas, hashtags, imágenes editadas, videos y publicaciones comparando a ambos candidatos comenzaron a multiplicarse en X, replicando dinámicas que estas comunidades llevan años perfeccionando dentro de internet.
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Este movimiento también llega en un momento en el que el petrismo parece haber entendido que buena parte de la campaña presidencial se jugará en redes sociales. Durante los últimos días, figuras cercanas al gobierno y sectores afines al Pacto Histórico han intensificado su presencia digital, acercándose a streamers, creadores de contenido e influencers para intentar conectar con votantes jóvenes de cara a la segunda vuelta. Incluso el propio presidente Gustavo Petro se ha prestado para entrevistas, transmisiones y videos junto a distintos creadores de contenido en medio de las semanas más decisivas de la campaña.
@holii.com.co El Holii Preguntas más esperado junto a @Gustavo Petro
Por ahora, el fenómeno de las kpopers apoyando a Iván Cepeda sigue creciendo entre publicaciones virales y discusiones políticas. Lo que comenzó como algo que muchos tomaron como una broma en redes sociales parece haberse convertido en otra muestra de cómo los fandoms digitales pueden transformarse rápidamente en maquinaria de movilización política.
The post La comunidad kpoper colombiana toma partido y se suma a la campaña de Iván Cepeda appeared first on Rolling Stone en Español.
La primera vuelta presidencial dejó una fotografía clara del momento político que atraviesa Colombia que se disputa dos modelos muy distintos de país. Con una participación alta, con el 57,9% del censo electoral y equivalente a 23.978.053 votantes, la gente acudió masivamente a las urnas en una jornada que transcurrió en relativa tranquilidad y que confirmó los pronósticos de las últimas semanas. Como ya se sabe, la segunda vuelta presidencial del próximo 21 de junio será entre el candidato de ultraderecha, Abelardo de la Espriella, y el aspirante del progresismo de izquierda alineado con el partido que actualmente gobierna, Iván Cepeda.
De la Espriella obtuvo el primer lugar con más de 10.3 millones de votos, equivalentes al 43% de la votación total. Su victoria fue inicialmente sorpresiva, frente a lo que las últimas encuestas mostraban. Cepeda lo siguió de cerca con más de 9,6 millones de votos y un 40% de respaldo electoral. La diferencia entre ambos fue menor a la esperada por algunos sectores políticos y marcó una disputa que se definirá en menos de un mes.
A pocos días de la elección final, las campañas se están reacomodando, reforzando su estrategia en Internet y buscando nuevos apoyos sea directa o indirectamente. Por ejemplo, la gran derrotada de la jornada, Paloma Valencia, ahora hace parte de la campaña de Abelardo, como también lo está el expresidente Álvaro Uribe. Valencia que no solo quedó por fuera de la segunda vuelta, sino que obtuvo menos votos de los que había conseguido durante la consulta interpartidista de marzo (3,2 millones de votos y en esta ocasión apenas superó los 1,6 millones), ahora está buscando acercamientos que ayuden a la campaña de su previo contendor. El resultado del 7% obtenido por la que era la candidata del uribismo refleja el traslado de buena parte del electorado de derecha hacia la candidatura de De la Espriella durante las últimas semanas de campaña, algo que se esperaba en segunda vuelta, pero que fue evidente desde esta primera jornada y que se acerca al techo electoral de ese espectro político.
Como reveló el preconteo de la Registraduría, en cuarto lugar apareció Sergio Fajardo. Aunque logró superar la votación obtenida en 2022 y alcanzó cerca de 1,1 millones de votos, el resultado confirmó las dificultades del autodenominado “centro político” para consolidarse como una alternativa competitiva. Su porcentaje apenas superó el umbral electoral y más abajo quedó Claudia López, cuya candidatura terminó con apenas 223 mil votos, menos del 1% de la votación total. Juntos, sin embargo, ya son buscados directamente por los sectores que apoyan a Cepeda, e incluso Paloma Valencia volvió a intentar un acercamiento con Sergio Fajardo.
El resultado histórico para la izquierda
Aunque terminó en segundo lugar, Iván Cepeda alcanzó un resultado sin precedentes para la izquierda colombiana. Sus más de 9,5 millones de votos lo convierten en el candidato presidencial de izquierda más votado en la historia del país, superando incluso la votación obtenida por Gustavo Petro en la primera vuelta de 2022.
Más allá de la cifra absoluta, la elección confirma una transformación política de largo alcance en el país, pues por primera vez una fuerza de izquierda tiene una bancada robusta en el Congreso y además logra consolidar una identidad política reconocida abiertamente por millones de ciudadanos que durante décadas no podían asumir públicamente. En términos porcentuales, Cepeda obtuvo el 40,9% de los votos, un poco más del resultado alcanzado por Petro en la primera vuelta presidencial de hace cuatro años.
Sin embargo, los retos de Cepeda se hicieron evidentes al analizar que Bogotá, por ejemplo, aunque le dio la victoria, se esperaba que fuera más contundente en la diferencia con de La Espriella. Algo similar pasó con la costa Caribe, donde ganó el líder de izquierda, pero donde obtuvo menos votos que Petro en la elección anterior.
Las críticas a su estrategia comunicativa y de alianzas en la campaña han mostrado que el remezón de la primera vuelta, donde el mensaje se concentraba en ganar directamente en esa fecha, necesita una transformación para acercarse a los votantes dudosos. Las bases de su movimiento social también se han pronunciado en los días posteriores a la votación, organizadas en un intento de apoyo reforzado.
El alcance impulsado por la derecha
El crecimiento electoral de Abelardo fue significativo. El aumento de votantes se concentró especialmente en la Costa Caribe, Santanderes y en Antioquia, regiones donde De la Espriella construyó buena parte de su ventaja. Este comportamiento sugiere que el candidato de ultraderecha logró movilizar nuevos sectores del electorado y capitalizar el voto de rechazo al gobierno de Gustavo Petro. Además, los votos de colombianos en Estados Unidos fueron contundentes. De hecho, el presidente Donald Trump y representantes del partido Republicano ya formalizaron su respaldo a ese candidato, quien recibió con beneplácito la noticia, mientras el presidente Gustavo Petro rechazó la interferencia en política por parte de naciones extranjeras.
En todo caso, la baja votación de Paloma Valencia parece confirmar que una parte significativa del electorado uribista ya había migrado hacia la candidatura de De la Espriella antes de la elección. Además, sus ataques permanentes contra la candidata del Centro Democrático e intensificados durante la recta final de la campaña coincidieron con un proceso de concentración del voto de derecha alrededor de su figura que le dieron resultados esperados para más adelante, pero que consolidan el voto de derecha del país. Ahora la derecha unificada en torno a Abelardo espera mantener el ritmo de subida.
Denuncias de la izquierda por irregularidades en los E-14
Tras conocerse los resultados preliminares, sectores cercanos al gobierno como el mismo presidente Petro y a la campaña de Iván Cepeda expresaron dudas sobre el preconteo electoral. Tanto el candidato como dirigentes aliados señalaron inicialmente que esperarían los resultados definitivos del escrutinio antes de hacer una valoración final, algo que fue cuestionado por algunos analistas y periodistas como Daniel Coronell, quien presentó que las denuncias de fraude no han sido respaldadas con pruebas concluyentes más allá de una investigación poco clara de la Secretaría de Transparencia de la Presidencia de la República. Algunas versiones apuntan, según Coronell, a presuntas irregularidades detectadas en 251 mesas de votación ubicadas en Bogotá, Medellín y Orlando, Florida. Sin embargo, la información disponible no ha sido presentada de manera detallada ni ha permitido establecer el alcance real de las inconsistencias. Iván Cepeda posteriormente matizó sus declaraciones y dijo que sus equipos no han encontrado pruebas del posible fraude.
Los reportes de la Misión de Observación Electoral indicaron que el proceso transcurrió de manera general conforme a los procedimientos establecidos. Según los informes conocidos, más del 80% de los formularios E-14 fueron diligenciados sin tachaduras ni correcciones. Aunque persisten desafíos relacionados con la supervisión y el control de algunas etapas del proceso, los hallazgos disponibles apuntan a un funcionamiento adecuado de la jornada electoral.
El martes 2 de junio, la Registraduría Nacional informó que el escrutinio de las elecciones presidenciales alcanzó un avance del 99,98%, con apenas 33 mesas pendientes de revisar de las más de 122.000 instaladas en todo el país. Según la entidad, los retrasos obedecen a dificultades climáticas que han impedido el traslado de material electoral en algunas zonas. Además, destacó que el preconteo divulgado la noche de la elección registró una coincidencia del 99,94% con los resultados del escrutinio, lo que mostraría que las variaciones fueron mínimas.
Lo que viene para segunda vuelta
Concluida la primera vuelta, la atención se concentra ahora en los movimientos políticos de lado y lado. La campaña de Iván Cepeda y los sectores sociales que la respaldan ya extendieron invitaciones hacia los sectores de centro buscando a Sergio Fajardo, Claudia López y hasta a Juan Daniel Oviedo, que era fórmula de Paloma Valencia.
Desde el entorno de Cepeda buscan construir un “Gran Acuerdo Nacional” que incorpore sectores ajenos a la izquierda tradicional y amplíe la base de apoyos para enfrentar la segunda vuelta, así que se espera que al menos esas conversaciones tengan lugar. Tanto López como Fajardo y Oviedo han criticado abiertamente el opaco perfil y la ética del candidato de ultraderecha.
Por otro lado, Abelardo de la Espriella desde su discurso del domingo optó por profundizar el tono de confrontación. Tras conocerse los resultados lanzó duras críticas tanto contra Gustavo Petro como contra Iván Cepeda y mantuvo una narrativa centrada en la lucha contra los que llama “los de siempre”, que serían los partidos políticos tradicionales, versus “los de nunca” a los que se adscribe. Es esta narrativa la que le ha permitido consolidar una identidad política propia como “outsider”, un aparente ajeno a los cargos de poder. Aun así, es sabido que desde antes de conocerse los resultados, partidos como Cambio Radical y varios políticos desobedientes de su partido han dado su apoyo a la campaña.
Varios sectores políticos de derecha que habían acompañado a Paloma Valencia ya están con De la Espriella. Aunque el candidato ha tratado de posicionar la idea de ser un ajeno a la política, en sus filas ya estaban sectores tradicionales como los de Cambio Radical y varios políticos de otros partidos afines que ahora liberados tras la derrota de Valencia hacen campaña con tranquilidad con el objetivo declarado de combatir lo que la excandidata califica como “neocomunismo”. Lo que parece aglutinar a la base de esta campaña no es otra cosa que el rechazo al petrismo. Aunque la figura de Abelardo inevitablemente genera cuestionamientos éticos y hasta legales, apela a que esto sea más fuerte que los temores que genera él mismo.
Cepeda, por su parte, necesita convencer a un sector al que no le ha hablado lo suficiente. Centrado hasta ahora en las bases “naturales” de la izquierda, Iván Cepeda necesita alianzas y estrategias que lo acerquen a otros votantes. Desde esta orilla seguramente buscará posicionar los riesgos de un gobierno de ultraderecha al que ha llamado fascista por sus posturas radicales y militaristas. La apuesta entonces sigue la línea de un pensamiento protector de derechos de las poblaciones y territorios históricamente discriminados. Durante las próximas semanas, Colombia decidirá cuál de esas dos ideas de país se impondrá en las urnas.
The post ¿Qué viene para Colombia en esta segunda vuelta? appeared first on Rolling Stone en Español.
She’s topped the Billboard Hot 100 four times and scored 15 top 10 hits on the chart; placed three albums atop the Billboard 200 and nine in the top 10; won three Grammy Awards; been named a Billboard Legend of Live, and is known for her astounding aerial feats. But this Sunday, June 7, longtime pop star P!nk will add a more unexpected achievement to her resume: hosting Broadway’s biggest night, the Tony Awards.
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For P!nk, a love of Broadway hits very close to home. She grew up loving classic musicals (and sometimes acted in them); now, her daughter Willow Sage Hart is not only a devoted musical theater fan but an aspiring performer herself, now attending performing arts school in New York.
But despite the fact that her own music certainly has a Broadway presence — Moulin Rouge! features “Lady Marmalade,” the blockbuster hit she sang on with Mya, Lil’ Kim and Christina Aguilera in 2001; and & Juliet features “Perfect” — P!nk has yet to appear on a Broadway stage herself. That’ll change this weekend, not only with her hosting gig, but with a much-anticipated special performance celebrating the 30th anniversary of Broadway mainstay Chicago, in which P!nk will perform alongside Queen Latifah and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
“The first thing I had to do was see if my hips worked, and they do… sort of,” P!nk tells Billboard with a laugh. The pop superstar sat for a chat as she prepares for the Chicago performance high up New York’s Rockefeller Center, around the corner from Radio City Music Hall, where the Tonys will be presented. “It’s not something I ever thought I’d do, and now that I’m doing it it’s really fun.” As for what to expect: “It’s gonna be a medley. I’m doing… something! And it’s gonna be amazing! I’m like, living out my childhood dreams right now.”
P!nk caught up with Billboard days ahead of the Tonys to discuss her own musical theater past, the shows she’s constantly listening to with her daughter, and whether she’d ever consider letting her catalog become the basis for a musical.
Billboard: Broadway cast recordings can be formative just like pop albums; was there a gateway theater album that really got you into musical theater?
P!nk: Annie. [Sings from “Maybe”] “Maybe now it’s time, and maybe when I wake…” That was my singing lessons song. It was Whitney Houston that made me want to take voice lessons [in the first place], because I was like, well, how come she can sing like that? But I did train classically, so I would sing Phantom and then I got into Les Misérables and I just loved it all.
Singing Phantom will definitely get your range going!
Oh yeah, I mean, I used to sing it seriously. And then I smoked it all away [laughs].
And you participated in theater yourself growing up too, right?
Oh yeah. I was Rumpleteazer in Cats! I had to make my own costume. I was also Annie as a child at musical theater camp, this tiny little YMCA camp in Doylestown [PA].
Which cast albums are in rotation in your house today, that you listen to with your family?
What is [Willow] not listening to? Newsies was a big one for a while. The Notebook was a favorite of Willow’s, to be honest. Huge Outsiders fan. Sara Bareilles is amazing and Waitress was amazing — that’s another one we have in constant rotation. Hamilton was kind of an entry point for Willow — it was The Greatest Showman and Hamilton, around that time where she was like, “What is happening?”
If you had to choose your personal Mount Rushmore of musicals, what would be on it?
I mean, Les Mis every time. That’s some of my favorite music. You see that girl playing Cosette singing “Castle On A Cloud”… just great songs and really fun.
There is increasingly so much overlap between the pop and theater worlds. Do you have friends who’ve come to the theater world who have helped bring you into it?
I don’t know many pop musicians. It’s Willow all the way that brought us here.
There’s a lot of interest today in mining pop artists’ catalogs for Broadway musicals. Have you ever been approached?
Many times. I don’t know if I have an opinion just yet. I think & Juliet was the coolest. It’s a really good show, I really liked it, and I was skeptical, even though I love Max Martin. I think anything is possible if it’s done right.
Speaking of & Juliet, I have heard rumors that you might go into it at some point….?
They asked me to play Shakespeare, and I thought that was hilarious and awesome and would certainly be the role for me. But I’m not doing anything right now.
Would you ever be interested in writing an original musical?
Yeah, I like to write. Absolutely.
Among the performers you’ve seen on Broadway, do you have particular favorite voices?
Joshua Henry — he’s so good. Caissie Levy I love, Jessica Vosk I love. Shoshana [Bean] is incredible. I mean, even the guy that plays the dad in Lost Boys [Ben Crawford], he opens his mouth and I’m like, how are you that good with this small of a part?! Like, Jesus, do you have the best voice in the play? You’re here for four seconds! And [Crystal Lucas-Perry] who played the mom in Bigfoot! [off-Broadway], her voice is sick. I love Maria [Wirries] in Lost Boys, Emma Pittman [and] Sky Lakota Lynch from Outsiders…
You have an innate sense of theatricality. Has a sense of theater affected how you put together your live show?
I think very much that we always come from a theatrical place. I mean for me, I’m a carney, right? So it’s sort of like a circus, without the animals of course, other than the humans [laughs]. It’s a combination of circus, theater, rock opera… I guess pop show, but the pop show has the least amount to do with it. I would say more of a rock show than anything. We rock harder than a lot of rock bands. But definitely with staging and what’s possible, it is theater — it’s just a movable stage.
Can you share anything that’s happening with your own music right now?
Absolutely nothing. No, I’ve been writing some songs just because my heart needs it. But no, I don’t have any plans right now. I’m just mom-ing and seeing where the day takes us.
The Tony Awards are produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. In addition to executive producing the show with Sussman, Kapoor and Levine Hall will also serve as co-showrunners. Patrick Menton and Rob Paine will co-executive produce, with Menton also serving as head of talent.
It’s been 15 long years since R.E.M. called it a day. Michael Stipe isn’t looking back.
The Rock Hall-inducted singer stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday night (June 2) for a performance of “I Played the Fool,” the theme song for the new Steve Carrell HBO comedy Rooster.
For the late-night spot, Stipe, bathed in green static light and wearing a beard that would make Santa envious, was joined by a full band featuring Grammy Award-winning producer, songwriter, and musician Andrew Watt, who co-produced Paul McCartney’s new solo album The Boys of Dungeon Lane and composed and produced the original score for Rooster.
Since R.E.M. officially disbanded in 2011, Stipe has released several solo songs including “Your Capricious Soul” (2019), “Drive to the Ocean” (2020) and “No Time For Love Like Now” with Aaron Dessner’s Big Red Machine side project (2020).
There’s still no word on when his long-awaited debut solo album will be released into the world. Stipe did touch on it in April during an interview with Stephen Colbert on the late-night talk show’s now-defunct Late Show. “One of the songs is the sound of a tree hearing itself for the first time,” he said at the time, cryptically, explaining that a friend had recorded the sound of a tree in his backyard in Georgia and then played it back to said tree for a song he described as Daft Punk-like. He added that he would be including his version of the standard sea chanty “Drunken Sailor” on the unnamed LP.
R.E.M. did reunite, briefly, in 2024 when the Athens, GA natives — Stipe, Mike Mills, Bill Berry and Peter Buck — got the old band back together to sing “Losing My Religion” at the Songwriters Hall of Fame gala in New York, on the night of their induction. Prior to that, the band’s last full public concert was in November 2008 in Mexico City, although the foursome did play a private party in 2016.
Watch Stipe and Watt’s performance on ABC’s Kimmel below.
Saint Etienne’s goodbye lap will make it to Australia and New Zealand later this year.
The beloved British indie electronic-pop act will get their final Australasian tour underway with a concert Nov. 20 at Auckland’s Powerstation, followed by a show Nov. 21 in the New Zealand capital, Wellington.
Presented by Destroy All Lines, the jaunt then skips the Tasman for shows in each of Australia’s five capital cities: Adelaide (Nov. 23), Melbourne (Nov. 26), Sydney (Nov. 27), Brisbane (Nov. 29) and a tour closer Dec. 1 in Perth. The general onsale starts Friday, 9am local time at destroyalllines.com.
Across a career spanning more than 35 years, Saint Etienne earned a reputation for creating the creamiest, classiest of pop, with electronic touches and swinging ’60s flair. Saint Etienne is one for the connoisseurs.
The farewell tour follows the release of their final studio LP, International, via Heavenly Recordings, which dropped in September 2025. International has an Australian connection, a collaboration with Brisbane electronic-pop act Confidence Man on the track “Brand New Me.”
That collection peaked at No. 8 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, one of the act’s three career top 10 appearances, and 11 entries in the top 40. The group also landed 17 tracks on the top 40 of the Official U.K. Singles Chart, including a top 10 appearance with their year 2000 collaboration with Paul Van Dyk on “Tell Me Why (The Riddle)” (reaching No. 7).
Saint Etienne bandmates Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs have known each other since childhood, and turned that friendship into a band in 1990 with their cover of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart.” The first thing they ever recorded, which they completed in just two hours in a bedroom studio in Pollards Hill, north of Croydon, also gave Saint Etienne their first and only appearance on the Billboard Hot 100, topping out at No. 97 in 1992.
Singer Sarah Cracknell completed the lineup when she joined for their third single “Nothing Can Stop Us” and the 1991 album Foxbase Alpha.
Saint Etienne “aren’t splitting up as such,” reads a statement from the band. They “still remain the best of friends after 35 years recording together – but they don’t feel like they want to go on forever and wanted to go out with a bang.”
Before making the long haul, Saint Etienne will criss-cross the United Kingdom and Europe for a run of summer festival shows and headline concerts.
Saint Etienne Final Australia and New Zealand Tour:
Nov. 20 – Powerstation, Auckland
Nov. 21 — Meow NUI, Wellington
Nov. 23 — The Gov, Adelaide
Nov. 26 – Forum, Melbourne
Nov. 27 — Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Nov. 29 — The Tivoli, Brisbane
Dec. 1 — Freo Social, Perth
Luke Taleno isn’t short of courage. Or talent, as it turns out.
Taleno stepped into the America’s Got Talent auditions on Tuesday night, June 2, with a performance that was nothing short of golden, and a story that reads like a book.
Born in Cuba, and a cancer survivor, Taleno relocated at the age of just three to the United States, his parents chasing a “good life,” he explained in the preamble. Before he could speak a lick of English, he understood the language of music and its power to connect people. “Actually, that was how I got to learn the language. And the best way I could express myself.”
At 13, he was diagnosed with leukemia. “Writing songs, and music, got me through it,” he remembered.
After high school, Taleno took on odd jobs to pay the bills. “Music was the only thing I loved.” So, he started busking, rapping on the streets. Trying to find that small window of opportunity to chase his dream. Last season, he watched AGT from the audience, as a guest of his friend Jourdan Blue. That experience “made me realize,” he recounted, “this is what I’m supposed to do.”
He didn’t waste the opportunity then to get in front of Simon Cowell. “Remember this face,” he told the British hitmaker and AGT judge a year ago, “because next year I’ll be on this stage. And I expect that golden buzzer.”
Under the bright lights of the AGT stage, he pronounced: “I’m here for a reason, everything in my life prepared me for this moment right here.“
Taleno didn’t waste the opportunity before the entire panel of judges, either. Performing an original number, “From Seat to Stage,” a nod to his real-life AGT experience, Taleno showed he could walk it, and talk it.
“That’s how you take your moment,” Cowell remarked at the close. “I loved it. It was amazing,” Sofía Vergara enthused. “I am so glad that you made it to the stage because you deserve to be on the stage. Good job.”
Mel B doused the vibe by pointing out it wasn’t the greatest of all auditions. His breath work needs improvement, the Spice Girl explained. Cowell wasn’t having any of it. “I really admire people who just do it,” he stated.
Taleno just did it.
Howie Mandel, after giving a standing ovation, spoke last. Taleno, he said, is the poster boy of authenticity. “Last year you predicted something, and I have just one question,” he reacted. After a pregnant pause, and a response to his own question, Mandel hit the Golden Buzzer. With that, Taleno automatically advances to the Live Shows for AGT season 21.
Watch below.
Barry Can’t Swim, Interplanetary Criminal and Richie Hawtin (aka Plastikman) are the top billed talent for Bizarro’s 2026 festival run of Australia, which will drop into three east coast cities across one long weekend this October.
The electric music heavyweights lead the Labour Day weekend action at Overtone, set for Friday, Oct. 2 at Musgrave Park on the Gold Coast/Kombumerri; Freeform, Saturday, Oct. 3 at Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne/Naarm (presentedin collaboration with Crown Ruler), and Mode, Sunday, Oct. 4 at Cockatoo Island/Wareamah in Sydney/Eora.
Each respective lineup is unique and “centered on the same DNA celebrating electronic music on day-to-night dancefloors, while also being individually sculpted by the cities and spaces around them,” reads a statement from Bizarro, the Sydney-based promoter.
While Australia’s festivals scene is in a state of flux, with banner events Bluesfest, Splendour in the Grass, and many others either taking a pause or folding altogether, dance music events are playing to a different beat.
Creative Australia’s Soundcheck report from 2024 mapped the nation’s festivals circuit and found that dance music was the top genre, accounting for almost one in every four fests in these parts. Money is tight, but Aussies love a party. Further proof came earlier this week, when homegrown EDM superstar Dom Dolla sold out his homecoming show at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium in record time, an historic moment for electronic music in these parts, say promoters Untitled Group and Frontier Touring.
The general on-sale for Overtone, Freeform and Mode festivals begin on Thursday, June 11, with the portal for early access opening the day before, on Wednesday, June 10.
Overtone Festival (presented by Bizarro)
Oct. 2 — Musgrave Park, Gold Coast/Kombumerri QLD
Barry Can’t Swim (DJ) / Interplanetary Criminal / Mall Grab / Richie Hawtin
(A-Z) 6 Sense / Avalon Emerson / Bella Claxton / Ben Ufo / Eva Charley / Freddy K B2B D.Dan / Liza / Memphis Lk / Mikalah Watego / Ned Bennett / Ngaaru / Shimmy / Swim / Tori Pepper / Two Shell
Freeform Festival (presented by Bizarro, in collaboration with Crown Ruler)
Oct. 3 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne/Naarm VIC
Barry Can’t Swim (DJ) / Interplanetary Criminal / Richie Hawtin
(A-Z) 2lubly / Ash Lauryn / Avalon Emerson / Bella Claxton / Ben Ufo / Call Super / Crÿbaby / D. Dan / Freddy K / Gigi FM / Hasvat Informant / Memphis LK / Mikalah Watego / Ned Bennett / Ogazón / Rakhi / Ron Trent / Storm Mollison / Swim / Twiena / Two Shell
Mode Festival (presented by Bizarro)
Oct. 4 — Cockatoo Island/Wareamah, Sydney/Eora NSW
Barry Can’t Swim (DJ) / Interplanetary Criminal / Richie Hawtin
(A-Z) Alilia B2B Anusha / Ash Lauryn / Avalon Emerson / Bella Claxton / Ben Ufo / Call Super / D. Dan / Freddy K / Fuchsia / Gigi FM / Harry Hayes / Hasvat Informant / Jun Wan / Ksmba / Memphis LK / Mikalah Watego / Ned Bennett / Obeido / Ogazón / Ron Trent / Storm Mollison / Swim / Twiena / Two Shell
In March, Billboard unveiled its 2026 Global Power Players list honoring leaders driving music business success outside the United States. Among the names recognized as this year’s Power Players, Hyunrock Han, representative director and CEO of HYBE JAPAN, was recognized for the first time. To mark the occasion, Billboard Japan sat down with Han to hear how he helped grow the company from around 20 employees at the time of his appointment to roughly 300, about his strategies with &TEAM, an act signed to the label he heads (YX LABELS) and more.
First, could you tell us a little about your background?
I spent my career in management strategy across a range of industries — finance, manufacturing, trading companies — before joining Big Hit Entertainment (now HYBE) in 2019. At my previous company, MISUMI Group, I was based in Thailand and handling the Asia region when a mutual friend introduced me to Si-Hyuk Bang, the Chairman of HYBE’s Board of Directors and the company’s founder. His business philosophy, his extraordinary creativity, and his character left a deep impression on me. I had no prior experience in the entertainment industry, but felt that I could put my background in strategy and various project experience to good use working under him, so I returned to South Korea in 2019.
So you weren’t assigned to Japan from the very beginning.
Initially, the plan was to work in Korea for a few years. But about six months after joining, I was asked to go to Japan. I wrestled with the decision, but told them, “The way I manage and operate based on my experience may differ from the conventions of the traditional music industry. In the process of reforming and shaping the organization, there may be friction and pushback. But whatever anyone says, I need you to trust me for three years.” I made my resolve clear and made up my mind to come to Japan.
You then became President of Big Hit Solutions Japan (now HYBE JAPAN) in 2020, when the company had fewer than 20 employees. Six years later, you’ve grown to around 300.
If someone asked me to do the same thing again, I’m not sure I could. [Laughs] That’s how hard those six years were. When I came to Japan, I had two broad missions. The first was to build an in-house, autonomous solutions organization. The second was to develop original Japanese artists.
When I arrived, HYBE was outsourcing virtually all of its operations through business partnerships. Company A handled live production, Company B ran the pop-up stores, Company C produced merchandise, Company D managed the fan club, and so on. But neither data nor institutional knowledge accumulates in-house that way. I restructured everything so that our own staff could handle each area. In my first year, I was conducting interviews with two or three people almost every single day. I didn’t limit myself to candidates with music industry experience and hired specialists in retail operations, merchandising, loyalty customer business and so on, bringing in experts from each field.
When I make decisions, I always base them on common sense, logic, and data. So I spent over a year organizing and connecting the various customer data sets our company held, looking at things like whether people who came to show were also purchasing albums, how pop-up visitors behaved online and so on, and built an organization that drives its business on the foundation of such data.
With data, you can do an accurate post-mortem whether a business succeeds or fails. This allows us to maintain a continuous improvement loop (PDCA) — forming hypotheses, executing, and refining our strategy. Repeating that process is how we’ve grown the organization.
The second mission — the original Japanese artist — is &TEAM. They’re HYBE’s first localized artist developed by one of its global headquarters outside of Korea, so everything was uncharted territory. I think we looked at over 50 properties just scouting for their rehearsal space. Everything from that initial groundwork to trainee contracts, we built from scratch through discussions among our staff.
Bringing together people from all different industries while taking on projects no one has done before must require tremendous leadership. What do you consistently tell your employees?
The two things I always tell everyone as being important are interpersonal excellence and problem-solving ability. Interpersonal excellence means the ability to generate empathy, draw others in, move them, bring them together, and drive them toward something new. Some people move others through passion, others build empathy through logical explanation, others have a natural charm they were simply born with — if there are 100 people, there are 100 different expressions of interpersonal excellence. Big business doesn’t move without people working together, so I tell my employees to develop the ability to speak straight with each other while bringing others along with them.
What do you mean by problem-solving ability?
No matter how thoroughly you plan, the unexpected always happens. So the ability to troubleshoot when something comes up is critically important. I hold myself to both of those standards at all times, and I encourage everyone to do the same. As HYBE JAPAN has grown this large, each business unit can also become siloed, so in Japan we created a structure called Artist Strategy.
What role does that play?
It’s a team that tracks each area of business — live shows, merchandise, music releases — on a per-artist basis. Thanks to them, we’ve been able to keep each artist’s branding consistent and on course.
What strategy did you take with &TEAM, the second mission you mentioned?
When I took over as label head in June 2025, &TEAM had set “Japan to Global” as their goal, but I felt there were challenges because the fact that “&TEAM is an act from Japan” and that “&TEAM is taking on the global stage from Japan” wasn’t coming through clearly enough to the public yet. So first I simply focused on getting more people to know &TEAM, and on making them artists who are loved across all generations.
“Go in Blind” came in at No. 5 on Billboard Japan’s year-end single sales chart.
Thank you. I’m grateful to every fan who supported them. And to help more people learn about their “Japan to Global” challenge, we released the documentary series &TEAM 100 Days Journey 〜Howling out to the World〜. Typically, documentary footage is released after a phase of activity has wrapped, looking back at what went on behind the scenes. But this series was broadcast in near real time.
So fans could feel like they were running alongside them.
Yes. There were many things we couldn’t show in advance — new choreography, for example — so in practice it turned out to be incredibly difficult. Debuting in South Korea was a major challenge for us. I wanted viewers to experience firsthand what kind of conflict, struggle, and obstacles they were facing as they pushed forward. We aired it on terrestrial TV and Hulu, while also releasing edited excerpts on &TEAM’s official YouTube channel to reach fans all over the world.
If the goal is global expansion, there’s an argument for targeting North America first rather than South Korea. Why did you choose the latter?
Because of what I’d call the “distribution structure” of K-pop and Korean television broadcasting. In Korea, when a music program airs, the official footage from that program is also shared on YouTube. High-quality video broadcast from television can reach the entire world almost immediately. We wanted to deliver &TEAM’s performances globally through that ecosystem, and that’s what led us to pursue the Korean debut. Korea has a concentrated wealth of know-how for expanding the K-pop industry to the world. Just as BTS spread Korean culture across the globe, one of our goals is for &TEAM to eventually become a bridge, not just through their music, but connecting Japanese culture, food, lifestyle, and trends to the rest of the world.
Since 2022, you’ve also been running THE CITY, an initiative that partners with local governments and companies to create new entertainment experiences. Could you share your thoughts on the economic impact that live events create?
This may sound contradictory, but as technology has advanced and people can now watch livestreamed concerts, the value and scarcity of the offline experience has actually increased. And then, to make that offline experience more flexibly enjoyable, IT technology becomes important again, meaning a kind of cycle has emerged. Our “digital stamp” service for preserving memories with artists, or WEVERSE Pickup, which eliminates wait times at merchandise booths at concert venues, are examples of this. By making smart use of these digital tools, the time spent offline becomes all the more meaningful.
HYBE is a company born in South Korea, but the foundation of HYBE JAPAN’s coexistence model is to firmly take root in Japan and grow from there. Giving people more to enjoy before and after a show also connects to revitalizing the local area, and we felt it was important in terms of letting fans feel a deeper connection with the artists they love.
The first thing we tackled was a merchandise pre-order system. In the past, buying goods at a venue meant standing in line. But by building a system where fans select items and pay in advance, then come to pick them up at a designated time, there’s no longer any need to queue. The time that would have been spent waiting can now be used for pop-up experiences, dining, or anything else.
Shows draw not just people from nearby, but fans traveling from far away by bullet train or plane. For those fans, we’ve developed shops featuring local specialties from the area, which might in turn lead to passersby coming across the artist collaboration pop-up and becoming a new fan. It creates mutual promotional benefits for both sides.
MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN launched in 2025 as an initiative to accelerate the export of Japanese content globally. How do you see it developing?
I think it’s a truly meaningful music award as an effort to send a diverse range of artists from Japan out into the world. NewJeans’ “Ditto” won the award for Best K-Pop Song in Japan last year, and I’m very grateful that artists from HYBE MUSIC GROUP are receiving such positive recognition. Going forward, I hope this award takes firm root and becomes a central launchpad for artists to take flight from Japan to the world.
—This interview by Naoko Takashima first appeared on Billboard Japan
Sunita Kaur joins Universal Music Publishing Group as president, Asia, part of a major restructuring at the music publishing giant.
Based in Singapore, Kaur will lead UMPG’s activities across the Asian continent, and is tasked with driving sustainable growth, strengthening the company’s presence in key markets, and helping “to shape a more connected, inclusive, and forward-looking music ecosystem,” reads a statement.
Also, Kaur will work closely with UMPG teams across the region with a focus on supporting and amplifying the voices of songwriters and artists, ensuring they have the platforms, partnerships, and protections they need to thrive.
“Asia represents one of the most exciting and important regions for the future of music publishing, and I’m thrilled that an executive of Sunita’s experience and depth is joining UMPG to lead our continued growth in the region,” comments UMPG chairman and CEO Jody Gerson, to whom Kaur reports. “She has a deep understanding of the evolving digital landscape and the opportunities it creates for songwriters, and her leadership and relationships across the region will be invaluable as we continue supporting and championing the next generation of songwriters.”
Kaur is a Billboard International Power Player alum who brings to the role a resume stacked with experience in music, digital media, and technology. She served as senior VP, APAC at Twitch from 2020 to 2023, and before that, climbed the ranks at Spotify, including stints as managing director SEA and VP revenue, APAC. From 2011, to 2013, she oversaw Facebook’s operations in the region as director, Asia.
“I’m grateful to Jody and Marc for the opportunity to join UMPG at such an exciting time for the company and for music across Asia,” Kaur remarks. “Having worked across both music and technology throughout my career, joining UMPG feels like a natural and exciting next chapter as those worlds continue to come together in new and powerful ways. Asia is at a defining moment for the global music ecosystem, and I look forward to working with our teams across the region to drive the next phase of growth and opportunity for songwriters.”
UMPG unveils their top new recruit just hours after announcing the departure of long-standing regional chief Andrew Jenkins, with effect from July 1. Currently, Jenkins serves as president of Australia and the Asia Pacific Region.
Taylor Swift might have her own new music arriving this week, but she took to her Instagram Story on Tuesday night (June 2) to hype up someone else’s brand-new project.
Late Tuesday, Swift shared an Instagram post from Paul McCartney promoting his just-released album The Boys of Dungeon Lane, which arrived on Friday. Swift added her own message too (along with a bicep emoji): “Never not inspired by this eternally exceptional artist.”
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This is hardly the first time the pop superstars have crossed paths. In addition to sharing the stage to perform “Shake It Off” at a legendary Saturday Night Live 40th-anniversary afterparty in 2015, they also interviewed each other about songwriting for Rolling Stone magazine back in 2020, in which McCartney revealed he had planned to ask Swift to join him onstage for his COVID-canceled Glastonbury set. “Were you going to invite me?” Swift asks. “I was hoping that you would,” he said. “I was going to ask you.” Not only was the Beatles legend going to extend his hand, he was planning to play “Shake It Off” with her again. “I know it, it’s in C!” McCartney quipped.
After that interview, Swift released her second 2020 album, the Folklore follow-up Evermore, on Dec. 11, 2020, and the Wings frontman dropped McCartney III the following week. Dungeon Lane is McCartney’s first solo album since then, while Swift has released four re-recorded albums and three originals in the years after.
McCartney also showed up as a VIP guest at one of Swift’s Eras Tour dates at London’s Wembley Stadium in 2024 and was captured in fan video dancing along to The Tortured Poets Department standout “But Daddy I Love Him.”
This week, on Friday, Swift is set to release the song “I Knew It, I Knew You” from the Toy Story 5 soundtrack.