BOYNEXTDOOR
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Given the enormous stakes at play, when business leaders talk about AI, people listen.
In May, Dario Amodei, CEO of AI firm Anthropic — who stands to personally benefit from companies’ widespread adoption of his technology — gained widespread attention after he predicted that AI will wipe out half of all entry-level jobs within five years. And in music, Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer, in an annual presentation to investors, said the company is “going to do deals for new music AI products this year” and that it has “actively engaged with more than 800 companies” on various AI-related initiatives.
Perhaps most notable, at least on the music front, are the comments made about AI in various interviews given by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek in recent years. In them, he’s provided insights into how Spotify, the most valuable and important music platform in the world, approaches the technology. Ek’s comments carry weight: While generative AI platforms such as Suno and Udio have stirred the greatest amount of fear over AI’s ability to undermine human creativity, the largest music platforms will play a huge role in how both creators and listeners engage with it.
Understanding Spotify’s approach to AI doesn’t always require reading tea leaves. Some of its products that use AI are out in the open. For example, in 2023, the company launched two major products that utilize the technology: a personalized AI-powered DJ and a voice translation tool for podcasters that can translate recordings into other languages.
Still, given that the company’s attitudes and approaches to AI will affect Spotify’s 678 million monthly users and millions of creators, it’s worth examining Ek’s statements to see how Spotify intends to incorporate AI, embrace opportunities and address concerns. To that end, this author examined 10 podcast interviews, numerous online articles and a 2024 open letter Ek penned with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to get a better sense of how he views the technology.
The one aspect about AI that Ek has talked about most often is its ability to help Spotify deliver to listeners the right audio — whether it’s music, a podcast or an audiobook — at a particular moment. He has described a mismatch between supply and demand, and how using new innovations can help better connect listeners and creators. Right now, Spotify users can search and find what they want 30% to 40% of the time, Ek told the New York Post in May, adding that he believes AI can improve that number. “So, we still have some ways to go before we’re at that point where we can just serve you that magical thing that you didn’t even know that you liked better than you can do yourself,” he explained.
Most germane to people reading this article, the interviews show that Ek has consistently voiced a respect for creators and a belief that AI should enhance creativity, not replace it. That may not reassure songwriters who are receiving fewer royalties after Spotify adopted a lower royalty rate afforded to bundles in the U.S. Ek’s stated respect for artists also contrasts with the criticism Spotify has attracted — as detailed in the book Mood Machine and news reports — for paying flat fees for music tagged with fake artist names and inserted into playlists in order to reduce its royalty obligations. (Spotify denied claims that it’s created fake artists.) But in his public comments, Ek’s support for creators doesn’t waver, and there’s no indication that Spotify will follow in the footsteps of Tencent Music Entertainment, which offers music-making generative AI tools — it incorporates Chinese AI company DeepSeek’s large language model — and allows users to upload the resulting songs to its QQ Music platform.
But AI can aid the creative process without stepping on creators’ rights, and Ek has talked with excitement about how AI tools can help lower barriers to entry and help musicians bring their visions to life. Although making music no longer requires learning and mastering an instrument, there’s still some technical know-how involved in producing music on digital audio workstations (DAWs). AI tools can reduce the complexity of DAWs and increase creators’ productivity. “We’re most likely going to have another order of magnitude of simplicity,” Ek said on the Acquired podcast in 2023.
At the same time, Ek admits there are some frightening potential applications for AI. In 2023, he told CBS Morning that AI can make experiences in every field “better and easier,” while admitting that the notion that AI will be smarter than any human is “daunting to think about what the consequences might be for humanity.” And despite the potential for AI to unleash untold amounts of creativity, Ek admits that the ultimate outcome for creators is difficult to ascertain. “We want real humans to make it as artists and creators, but what is creativity in the future with AI? I don’t know,” he said in May at an open house at Spotify’s Stockholm headquarters, according to AFP.
Just as lawmakers and music industry groups are pushing for legislation to protect artists’ names and likenesses, Ek has revealed concern about AI’s ability to replicate a musician’s voice. “Imagine if someone walked around claiming to be you, saying things that you’ve never said,” he told Jules Terpak in 2024. Spotify wouldn’t allow it on the platform without the artist’s permission, Ek said, citing Grimes — who launched a project in 2023 allowing fans to replicate her voice to use in their songs and evenly split the royalties — as an example of permissible use of an AI-generated name and likeness. “Of course, we will let her experiment, because she’s fine with it,” Ek said.
Now that Spotify is in the audiobook business, the company’s use of AI will impact a wider swath of creators than just musicians. As Ek told The New York Post, Spotify “can play a role” in getting more books converted into audiobooks using AI — specifically smaller authors who can’t afford the expense of hiring someone to read them. Such affordable text-to-voice tools already exist and are offered to authors who would otherwise be locked out of the audiobook market. It makes sense: Just as Spotify was built on providing listeners the long tail of music, it doesn’t want its audiobook selection to be limited to major titles. If Spotify builds or buys such a tool, it could vastly increase the number of audiobooks available to its listeners.
In the interview with CBS Morning, Ek quoted Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to explain how he finds inspiration in innovation. “He says that the future is already here,” Ek said during the 40-minute talk. “It’s just not evenly distributed.” What Ek means is that he looks around the world, sees what others are doing with technology and then considers how he can bring those innovations to a wider audience. And as the CEO of the world’s largest and most influential audio streaming service, how he chooses to approach AI will go a long way in determining — for better or worse — how millions of people create, consume and profit from music, podcasts and audiobooks in the future.
New Orleans rapper Boosie Badazz has accepted a plea deal in his federal gun possession case, telling fans via social media that he’s “tired of fighting.”
Boosie (Torence Hatch) announced the plea agreement on Monday (Aug. 4), more than two years after he was first charged with illegal gun ownership in San Diego. The case was briefly dismissed in 2024, but federal prosecutors later refiled the charges.
“JUST ACCEPTED A PLEA FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON MY GUN CASE,” Boosie posted on X. “I THOUGHT THIS CASE WAS OVER N I WAS GOING TO GET ON WITH MY LIFE BUT ‘GOD DONT MAKE MISTAKES’ N IM TIRED OF FIGHTING!!”
“TALKED TO MY FAMILY N THIS IS THE RIGHT DECISION,” continued Boosie, adding the “100” emoji. “TO ALL MY FANS ACROSS THE WORLD SAY A PRAYER FOR YA BOY N GO GET THE NEW ALBUM.”
The rapper ended his X post with the prayer emoji and the hashtag “#wordsofarealone,” referring to his 13-song album Words of a Real One that dropped on Friday (Aug. 1).
A Monday entry on Boosie’s court docket confirmed that a plea agreement has, in fact, been reached in the case, with a hearing scheduled for Aug. 26. Terms of the deal, including what exactly Boosie will plead guilty to, have not yet been made public.
Boosie was first charged in June 2023 with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Authorities spotted the rapper with a handgun tucked into his waistband in an Instagram video — a crime, prosecutors alleged, because Boosie was previously convicted on drug charges back in 2011.
A federal judge dismissed the case in July 2024 due to evolving Second Amendment precedent around whether nonviolent felons can be charged with this type of gun possession. But prosecutors refiled the case with some changes later that same month, and it was proceeding apace before the plea agreement was reached.
Boosie is currently out on a $100,000 bond.
Metro Boomin is trying to bring the feeling back.
The St. Louis producer, who made his name in Atlanta, dropped his mixtape A Futuristic Summa where he bridged the gap between the Atlanta rap scene of the early to mid-2000s and the new generation. The tape features stellar appearances from more veteran acts like Young Dro and Waka Flaka Flame, while also showcasing newcomers like BunnaB.
Metro took to X and essentially released the project’s mission statement in a series of tweets. He started things off by posting a video of a digital billboard and said he put together the tape “for us not them.”
He then went on to post things like: “A lot of y’all get no bi—es and it shows.”
“If yo homeboy never had to hold you up in the teen party while u was getting twerked on then you might wanna sit this one out.”
“If you never went out and competed with ya boys on who would get the most numbers then you might wanna sit this one out.”
“If you never had to write a number down period then you might wanna sit this one out.”
“If you started listening to rap music in 2017 then you might wanna sit this one out.”
“If you never intentionally wore your clothes with the tags still on then you might wanna sit this one out.”
He then ended his series of tweets by saying rap music needs to embrace and lean into regionality more often. “Its time for music to get back regional,” he tweeted. “Social media got everybody tryna do the same thing. Let’s get back to actual culture and regional identity.”
He later added, “This is Avengers: Endgame level for the city. An Atlanta love letter,” when a fan commended him for thinking of putting the roster of artists involved together.
Metro Boomin Presents: A Futuristic Summa features guest appearances by J Money, Travis Porter, Young Dro, Gucci Mane, Roscoe Dash, Quavo, Breskii, YK NIECE, Skooly, Shad Da God, Meany, Imcfli, BunnaB, Jose Guapo, Rocko, 2 Chainz, Yung Booke, Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Future and Yung L.A., and is hosted by DJ Spinz.
What do we expect from a K-pop concert? For six-member boy band BOYNEXTDOOR (SUNGHO, RIWOO, JAEHYUN, TAESAN, LEEHAN and WOONHAK), their first tour “KNOCK ON Vol.1” was a coming-of-age story told onstage.
Kicking off at Incheon’s Inspire Arena on Dec. 14–15, 2024, the tour swept through six cities in Japan, then Singapore, Manila, Taipei, Jakarta, Hong Kong and returning to Tokyo, finally wrapping up with a three-night encore at KSPO DOME in Seoul on July 25–27, 2025.
Despite debuting only in May 2023, BOYNEXTDOOR has quickly built a global fanbase, especially among teens and 20-somethings in Korea. Their first tour featured 21 tracks, pulling from four EPs, a soundtrack appearance, and the fan-dedicated song “400 Years.” Though the initial shows drew praise for solid vocals and performance etiquette, some fans expressed reservations about the overall production.
As leader JAEHYUN shared during the second night of their Incheon concert, “Since it was our first concert, we tried to stay close to the original versions to clearly express the group’s identity.” And while the intent was understandable, performing without any concert-specific arrangements — relying solely on the original choreography and the abilities of members just two years into their debut — felt like a tall order for a venue the size of Inspire Arena, which holds up to 15,000 people. Adding to the challenge was the timing: December is one of the busiest months in K-pop, filled with domestic and international awards shows and year-end specials. BOYNEXTDOOR had already proven themselves on those kinds of high-profile stages, and the group’s consistent pride in their live vocals had only heightened expectations.
Still, the fact that fans could share in such a significant moment — the group’s very first solo concert — was meaningful in itself. When ONEDOORs lit up the venue with light sticks and phone flashlights and sang in unison, “So let’s go see the stars,” the stage glowed like a falling starlight, and the members, overcome with emotion, stood teary-eyed, visibly moved. It was the kind of symbolic moment destined to replay itself throughout their career. After the final show ended, the members went live together, sharing their heartfelt reflections and gratitude with fans.
BOYNEXTDOOR
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Between the Korea launch and the encore finale, the group’s momentum only grew stronger. On Jan. 6, they released digital single “I LOVE YOU Today,” a breezy band-pop track that became a chart-topper in Korea. Then came “I Feel Good,” the title track of their fourth EP <No Genre> (May 13), which swept music shows, earning their first “quadruple crown.”
BOYNEXTDOOR
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Instead of sticking to the usual encore formula — a few new songs, a reshuffled VCR, minor tweaks — “KNOCK ON Vol.1 Final” blew the door open from the first second. The show opened with “Nice Guy,” which originally closed their main set. Notably, this version was identical to the one they performed at the 2024 Mnet Asian Music Awards, complete with synchronized dance breaks and the signature chant: “Who’s there? BOYNEXTDOOR!”
“As WOONHAK said on the first night, ‘There was some regret at first. We waited for this encore show to show everything we’ve got.’” True to his words, the show looked nothing like the Incheon leg — not in setlist, stage design, or wardrobe. Utilizing the KSPO DOME’s relatively low ceiling and wide viewing angles, the backdrop LEDs were fully reconfigured to match each song’s tone. Groovy, retro-tinged openers like “Nice Guy,” “Serenade” and the ‘60s-inspired soul pop track “123-78” were paired with romantic white ensembles and soft-toned visuals, while brighter, bouncier tracks like “Back for More” and “One and Only” leaned into a street-style aesthetic with urban-inspired graphics and costumes. The transitions between sections also stood out for their creative flow: during “Fadeaway,” a dance crew filled the stage as the members exited, sustaining energy without a pause. Elsewhere, the group incorporated sound elements from past album trailers to bridge segments seamlessly. One of the most striking examples came just before “But Sometimes,” the title track of their debut EP (‘WHY..’). RIWOO choreographed a new dance break using the EP’s teaser sound, and all six members joined in — a perfectly-timed detonation of energy before launching into the original track.
Just like their encore concert in Tokyo where the group split into two units — JAEHYUN, LEEHAN, and WOONHAK covered Creepy Nuts’ viral hit “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born,” while SUNGHO, RIWOO, and TAESAN performed Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Ao to Natsu (Blue and Summer)” — the Seoul shows also featured special unit stages. This time, they brought to life cover clips that had gone viral on YouTube earlier in March. SUNGHO, RIWOO, and JAEHYUN delivered a charismatic performance of Primary’s “See Through,” while TAESAN, LEEHAN, and WOONHAK earned cheers with their emotive rendition of DAY6’s “Congratulations.”
But above all, it was the introduction of a live band that elevated the encore experience to an entirely new sonic level. Starting from the transition between “Step by Step” and “Amnesia,” the band’s presence became impossible to ignore — amplifying the energy, rhythm, and impact of BOYNEXTDOOR’s music. It felt natural to lead into “I Feel Good,” a track with distinctly rock-oriented textures, but what followed next offered a surprise: a hard cut into “Parental Advisory,” one of the group’s most intense hip-hop tracks. The contrast between genres — yet seamless flow — created a sense of sonic exhilaration that rippled through the crowd.
A particularly moving stretch came with the progression from the tender ballad “Crying” into “Dear. My Darling,” which began with SUNGHO’s solo guitar intro. The emotional buildup peaked with “Pebble,” originally led by a simple guitar riff, but now expanded through the band’s full-bodied arrangement. Even after the members had exited the stage, the musicians continued to play — with the electric guitar and keys holding the atmosphere for nearly a full minute. These same band members would later accompany BOYNEXTDOOR to the Lollapalooza stage.
The official set came to a close with “Earth, Winds & Fire,” the title track from their second EP (‘HOW?’). Poignantly, it was also the very first song that opened their debut concert — completing the arc with perfect symmetry. During the encore segment, most of the members left the main stage and roamed through the arena aisles, connecting directly with fans in both lower and upper sections. All three nights were packed with extended sets, reaching the “encore of encores” each time. The magic of “So let’s go see the stars” returned in full. On the final night, when “Earth, Winds & Fire” made a surprise reappearance during the second encore, WOONHAK shouted, “Put your phones away — let’s really go wild!” And astonishingly, most of the crowd obliged, jumping and dancing with their hands in the air. The final setlist of “KNOCK ON Vol.1 Final” totaled an impressive 27 songs.
BOYNEXTDOOR
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“We are six people who love music, and we’re grateful to sing here tonight for ONEDOOR. Thank you. This has been BOYNEXTDOOR.” With JAEHYUN’s closing words, the curtain fell — but the echoes of the music, the raw emotions, and the candid reflections each member had shared lingered in the air.
So back to the original question: What should we expect from a K-pop concert? In a system where most idols begin their training and careers as teenagers, fans often become the closest witnesses to someone’s growth — watching from the very beginning as these artists find their voice, their confidence, and their place in the world. When you’ve shared in someone’s most vulnerable, formative years, there’s little choice but to keep cheering them on. What began seven months ago as a question — a possibility — has since turned into something certain. And the encore concert made it clear just how much collective effort this team poured into delivering that certainty. BOYNEXTDOOR proved their growth, their sincerity, and their purpose. In a concert — the most intimate and immediate moment in an artist’s journey — they succeeded in showing everything fans had come to see, with nothing left behind.
BOYNEXTDOOR
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On Saturday, local time, BOYNEXTDOOR took the stage at the Lollapalooza Aftershow — just ahead of their main set — and once again showed how effortlessly they enjoy performing. On Sunday, they presented a full hourlong set on the Lollapalooza Chicago stage. It marked the first time the group delivered a fully realized concert experience in North America. What new fragments of youth will these six boys next door gather in this unfamiliar land, in the middle of summer? One thing is certain: Those glittering pieces won’t belong to BOYNEXTDOOR alone — they’ll linger in the memories of every person who was there to see it.
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