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BTS on its sold-out Mar. 23 & 24 shows at the Prudential Center, K-Town, New York artists & what’s coming up

BTS

BTS
BTS

BTS — short for the Bangtan Boys — is a seven-member boy band from South Korea. The group debuted in 2013, going on to win awards within a year’s time from the MelOn Music Awards, Golden Disk Awards and the Seoul Music Awards. BTS also made history with its second full-length album Wings charting at #1 on iTunes in nearly 30 countries and debuting at #26 on the Billboard 200; previously a K-pop album had never charted so high in the U.S. Forbes recognized BTS as the most retweeted artist on Twitter in March 2016, while Billboard placed BTS in the #1 spot on its Social 50 chart in October 2016. Earlier this year, BTS ranked at #5 on the Power Celebrity list of Forbes Korea.

2017 has not only brought the release of a new BTS album, You Never Walk Alone, but also a world tour. 117,000 tickets have been reportedly sold for this tour, which includes New York area stops at the Prudential Center on Mar. 23 and 24. Following the pair of sold-out concerts in Newark, BTS has sold-out arena shows in Chicago and Anaheim. In celebration of these major events, Downtown conducted Q&A with all of the BTS members — Rap Monster (Kim Namjun/Team Leader, Rapper), JIN (Kim Seokjin/Vocalist), SUGA (Min Yoonki/Rapper), J-HOPE (Jung Hoseok/Choreographer & Rapper), JIMIN (Park Jimin/Choreographer & Vocalist), V (Kim Taehyung/Vocalist) and JUNG KOOK (Jeon Jungkook/Vocalist, Rapper, Choreographer) — via e-mail.

For more on BTS, visit http://bts.ibighit.com. BTS can also be tracked via Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

BTS toured New York in 2015 as part of the 2015 BTS Live Trilogy Episode II: The Red Bullet. Was that your first time in New York?

Jung Kook: Yes, it was our first time in the city. We were very excited to go back with even bigger shows packed with new songs and performances.

Did you try any restaurants while in New York? Any sightseeing experiences that were especially memorable?

Rap Monster: I loved Shake Shack last time I was in New York. Best burger yet! Thank god we have Shake Shack in Seoul now. I was enchanted by the scene at Times Square because it was my first time as a tourist.

J-Hope: I tried a Korean restaurant in New York back then and the meal was some of the best Korean food in the world. I also loved walking around Midtown area and Times Square. Awesome!

V: I had the best Korean food at Korea Town in New York!

Will you have any time to explore New York during your tour dates?

Jung Kook: Our tour schedule is very tight this time since we have other shows coming up in Chicago and the L.A area. We hope we can find some time to explore New York during the stay to check out the beautiful night skyline and everything else.

Do you have a favorite musician from New York?

Rap Monster: Nas, Biggie, A$AP Rocky, Lady Gaga.

V: Maxwell.

Jin: Jay-Z.

What is your favorite song on the You Never Walk Alone album?

Suga: “Spring Day,” the lead single. I wrote the lyrics based on my very personal story that involves my old friends.

Jung Kook: “Not Today.” It has very intense lyrics that excite people and I especially love choreography of the song. It is one of the best and coolest of BTS.

Aside from your upcoming tour, what is coming up for you and BTS?

Jung Kook: The upcoming tour is the most important event for us in 2017. We’re trying to go to as many cities as possible this year. We’re also planning to write more music on our own.

What is your favorite part of touring?

Jimin: Favorite part of touring is that we get to meet thousands of fans from around the world. Wherever we go, fans are passionate and they show us lot of unconditional love. It is very special experience for all of us to sing and perform in front of people who are singing the song in Korean together.

When not busy with BTS, how do you like to spend your free time?

Jin: When not practicing, I’d stay home and take rest. I like playing games with other members and watching TV.

J-Hope: I write lyrics or play around with tracks I’ve made. I also try to study foreign languages during my free time.

Jung Kook: I work out from time to time and play games with my BTS brothers at home.

Rap Monster: I usually read books in my free time. I go out and meet my friends sometimes. But most of the time, I wander around the city listening to music.

What was your favorite album of 2016?

J-Hope: Mac Miller’s The Divine Feminine.

Jin: Gallant’s Ology.

Rap Monster: dvsn’s dvsn, J. Cole’s 4 Your Eyez Only, Chainsmokers’ Collage EP, Justin Bieber’s Purpose, and Flume’s Skin.

Finally, any last words for the kids?

Jung Kook: Hey, BTS is coming to New York! We’ve been waiting for this tour for a long time. We’ve got so much prepared for the shows, so expect the unexpected of K-pop!

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Culture Entertainment Music

Yael Meyer on her Mar. 9 show at Rockwood Music Hall, the Chilean music scene, what’s ahead & more

Yael Meyer / Photo: Loreto Gibert

Yael Meyer / Photo: Loreto Gibert
Yael Meyer / Photo: Loreto Gibert

Born in Santiago, Chile, Yael Meyer began writing original music at the age of eight. About a decade later, she attended the Berklee College Of Music on a scholarship. While living in Boston for Berklee, Yael wrote and produced her debut album, Common Ground, which Rolling Stone Chile would rank as one of the year’s top 50 albums. Rave reviews also followed for 2009’s Heartbeat EP, as recorded in Los Angeles, as well as 2014’s Warrior Heart album.

Yael’s music has been featured on a variety of television shows, including Private Practice, Drop Dead Diva, Teen Mom and Life Unexpected. More rave reviews have come from NPR, The Wall Street Journal and Entertainment Weekly; Rolling Stone Argentina named her one of the five female Chilean musicians to know. Overseas in Korea, Yael has charted two Top 5 singles, in addition to penning the theme to a major television drama. All while releasing her music through her own label, KLI Records, which is set to release a new album by Yael in the near-future.

Before playing SXSW in Austin, Yael will be playing live in New York City on Mar. 9 at Rockwood Music Hall; she will also be part of a SOFAR Sounds show at a to-be-determined venue on Mar. 8. Downtown spoke with Yael about her history with New York and what else she has coming up. More on Yael can be found at www.yaelmeyermusic.com.

Where was your first live performance in New York? What do you remember about it?

Yael Meyer: My first performance in New York was at Makor on the Upper West Side about 11.5 years ago. It was a very special night filled with many friends and loving faces. The place was packed and we had a really great show that night. You can watch footage from it on YouTube. Archive from the vault.

Is performing for New Yorkers especially different for you?

YM: I lived in New York for about 6 months after I got out of school, so New York has a special place in my heart. It was home for a transitional period of time in my life and I have fond memories, so playing in New York always takes me back. In a way it’s coming back to one of my homes for a little bit.

What’s the music scene like in Chile?

YM: The music scene in Chile is very small but growing. It’s also very effervescent. There are new bands coming up all the time and people are excited to make music and share it. There are not as many live music venues as you would hope, but there are several important and big music festivals happening every year. People love music festivals in Chile and people from all over South America come to experience Lollapalooza Chile every year. We are lucky that the Chilean government has a grant program in place to develop the arts so that up and coming as wel as established bands and artists can apply for these grants and get funding for touring and creating new material.

I know you lived in Los Angeles for a while, what inspired your move there?

YM: I can’t say for sure what inspired me to move there. I had never really been to or experienced Los Angeles before my move, so it was all more of a gut decision than anything else. I knew I wanted to pursue my career as a musician, artist and songwriter and it seemed to me that there were three cities where that would be possible: Nashville, New York and Los Angeles. I had lived in New York and tried that out for a bit, and felt that maybe Los Angeles would be a good place to move to and pursue this dream.

Do you have a “home” venue in California?

YM: I think The Hotel Cafe is for many in the indie L.A. scene the hub for folk/indie music. I have played there various times throughout the years, but I don’t know if I have a home venue. The truth is I have played in many places in L.A. and I like them all for different reasons.

Where are people more likely to pronounce your first name correctly: L.A. or Chile?

YM: Chile.

Aside from this upcoming tour, what’s coming up for you?

YM: I am working on a new album. This will be my fourth studio record and I’m as excited about it as I always am with every new album I write. I love the process of writing and creating new material and watching it come together. I love being in the studio and producing and I also love co-writing with other writers. I usually write all my records on my own and co-write for other projects, TV projects or for other artists, but for this record I think I will include some songs I have co-written with other artists as well as songs I have written in my own. I am very proud of this album and I am very excited to share it with people.

Is there a career accomplishment of yours that you are most proud of?

YM: I don’t know if I can pick one. We work so hard in this business for every little accomplishment so there are several milestones that I am grateful and proud of. Playing Lollapalooza is one of them, being able to travel to Australia to write is another as well as all the TV placements we have gotten and every single e-mail or fan post is an accomplishment to me. When you hear back from fans who have made the music you make a part of their lives and they let you know how your music has touched them that is fuel to continue creating and working hard, but I think for me it also all comes down to the meat and bones and writing a new song that I feel strongly about and getting in the studio to record it is in itself to me always an accomplishment.

When not busy with music, how do you like to spend your free time?

YM: I have two kids and I like to spend time with them as much as possible. I also like to go to the movies, work out, do yoga, spend time in nature, travel, meet new people, have interesting conversations, and read and learn as much as I can about science, the environment, different cultures, women’s issues and the world in general.

What was your favorite album of 2016?

YM: Ingrid Michaleson’s “Hell No.”

Is there something you wish more people knew about Yael Meyer?

YM: I don’t know if there is one particular thing. I think the music says a lot about me already.

Finally, Yael, any last words for the kids?

YM: Stay weird, be smart, be kind, stay curious, do what makes you happy, create something new.

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Business NYC Travel

Cadillac Executive Design Director Andrew Smith on the new Escala, his passion for design, New York City, and more

Andrew Smith

Andrew Smith
Andrew Smith

Debuted on the Concept Car Lawn at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the Escala was long-awaited from Cadillac. Seen as an extension of previous Cadillac cars like 2011’s Ciel and 2013’s Elmiraj, the Escala looks simultaneously contemporary and classic. It is undeniably a luxury automobile, roomy while also performance-centric.

While the Cadillac brand is universally-known and respected, it is not often that you hear about the people that make concepts like the Escala into a reality. Andrew Smith, Executive Director of Cadillac Global Design, is one of these people. Andrew has worked within the General Motors family for 20 years, having come into his current position in September 2013. Beyond the Escala, he worked on the CT6 prestige sedan and the XT5 crossover.

Cadillac is often thought of as a Detroit-based company, yet Cadillac recently relocated its global headquarters to New York City. It also opened up Cadillac House, a public space on the ground level of Cadillac’s SoHo headquarters, which features a coffee shop, art gallery, and retail space. The Escala is currently on display at Cadillac House — as located at 330 Hudson Street — through Oct. 19.

For more info on the Escala, click on over to www.cadillac.com. Cadillac also stays active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

What was the first car-related item you ever designed? 

Andrew Smith: My dad was a Holden dealer in Australia, and one childhood visit I took the liberty of filling his entire 60-page paper desk blotter with different facelifts of the first generation VB Commodore ostensibly so he could send them to Holden. As a design professional, the first item was a tail lamp.

When studying design in college, did you have a specialty? Did you then realize that people designed cars? 

AS: I studied Industrial Design and graduated from the Sydney College of the Arts and University of Technology Sydney. As a kid I sketched cars for hours on end. However, the watershed moment for me occurred at age 14, reading an issue of Autocar Magazine. It featured the graduating class at the Royal College of Art. I showed it to my parents and said something like I needed to go to London to study design.

Where does your inspiration for design usually come from? Do you go to museums and galleries? Read magazines? 

AS: I do, however my inspiration for design comes more from the broad curiosity I have for the world around me. At its foundation, design is about being curious and problem solving. Among the top reasons I pursued a career in design was the opportunity to collaborate and create products for brands with a great story to tell.

Cadillac Escala
Cadillac Escala

How would you describe the Escala to someone who has not yet experienced it? 

AS: I have been with Cadillac for three years and I see my job as a stewardship. The brand is coming up on 115 years and so the question is where do you take it next? The Escala is our opportunity to convey the work we have been doing in terms of brand positioning and tonality — the direction we are going with sophistication. This concept shares how Cadillac will bring forward a new experience that is uniquely-American, and unmistakably-Cadillac.

What was the first Cadillac model you ever drove? 

AS: It was a first-generation SRX and it was in Michigan.

You spent a few years in Korea for your job. Is there anything you miss about working and living there? 

AS: I miss the people and the food — especially mandu, the Korean dumplings, and the chicken noodle soup. I don’t miss the traffic.

Speaking of moving, Cadillac recently moved its global headquarters from Detroit to New York City. What prompted that? 

AS: Having a distinct Cadillac business unit enables the brand to pursue growing opportunities in the luxury automotive market with more focus and clarity. The city of Detroit and the state of Michigan remain central to Cadillac, as the majority of our vehicle portfolio is built here and all of our design, and product and technical development activities remain in the Detroit area.

Andrew Smith Exec Dir Global Cadillac Design MedRes

How would you describe Cadillac House to someone who hasn’t been there yet? 

AS: Cadillac House New York is a public meeting place at Cadillac’s global headquarters in SoHo where innovators, creators and the curious can find inspiration–and each other.

Do you have a favorite part of Cadillac House? A favorite drink there? 

AS: My favorite feature at Cadillac House is the runway. I love the way it frames the car and draws visitors to the car. Coffee is my beverage of choice.

Escala aside, what’s coming up for Cadillac? 

AS: The momentum in the Cadillac studios is at an all-time high with the second half of the decade marking a new era of expansion and new products in development for launch between now and 2020.

When not busy with your day job, how do you like to spend your free time? 

AS: With my family — especially LEGOs with my son, watching movies with my daughters, entertaining with my wife and walking the dog.

Do you have a favorite restaurant in New York? 

AS: For the cuisine, I like EN, the Japanese brassiere in the West Village, and The River Café in Brooklyn for its view.

What about a favorite neighborhood? 

AS: I really enjoy the High Line and Chelsea in general is awesome as is the Meatpacking District. There is always so much going on and something new to see and experience.

Finally, Andrew, any last words for the kids? 

AS: My guidelines for aspiring designers are to be open to new opportunities, look around and ask questions, get involved, don’t take it personally, and ask “Does it make me happy?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al4bt2D4zQ4