Hi, everyone! Apologies for the late update. I’ve been quite busy with classes and whatnot, but good news… The Melody Project is back! Thank you to everyone who tuned into the first episode (and survived through my fangirl ramblings). Andrea and I greatly appreciate all of the positive and insightful feedback. After some careful planning and discussions, Andrea has decided to stay on as a permanent co-host!
With that being said, thank you all for your support and we hope you enjoy episode 2 of The Melody Project!
-LaarniJane♡
The Melody Project – Podcast Ep. 2 (Running Time 24:50)
It’s been a crazy few weeks for BTS with the release of their first-ever English single, Dynamite! The group managed to top the Billboard Hot 100 for 2 weeks – a momentous feat for the boys and ARMY.
In the second episode of The Melody Project, Andrea and I discuss BTS’ explosive impact in the pop music scene. Dynamite’s uplifting lyrics, bright imagery, and tasteful modulation was a burst of fresh air during these pandemic stricken times. Modulation (key changes), when used correctly can help elevate a piece and bring out the overall message of the song.
Songs Mentioned
Dynamite – BTS
Love on Top – Beyoncé
I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
All I Ask – Bruno Mars (Originally by Adele)
Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson
Off the Wall – Michael Jackson
Enjoyed this podcast? Let us know in the comments and tell us what you want us to react to or discuss next!
The Melody Project – Podcast Ep. 1 (Running Time 21:30)
Welcome to the first-ever podcast for The Melody Project. In the premiere episode, I introduce myself along with my vocally-talented guest, Andrea Sargento. Andrea is currently a fourth-year criminology student at York University. She is also a member of Canada’s longest-running collegiate A Cappella group, WIBI A Cappella. Fun fact – Andrea and I are sisters and share a similar vocal timbre.
In this week’s episode, we discuss the evolution in pop music over the years and reminisce how our musical tastes have evolved consequently. Artists such as Elvis Presley and The Beatles have truly, paved the way for fan culture and the entrance to the western pop music scene overall. We then go on to discuss how Filipino culture has influenced our love for singing and sharing music with others (i.e. Karaoke). Notable artists of Filipino descent were mentioned, including Bruno Mars and James Reid.
Growing up, we loved watching Disney channel movies and TV series. This content introduced us to artists such as Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, and the Jonas Brothers. The Jonas Brothers reignited the general public’s excitement for boy bands with the rise of other groups such as Big Time Rush and One Direction. Andrea and I started listening to boy bands from other countries, particularly from South Korea. Girl groups and boy bands in South Korea belong to a genre called, K-Pop, which is short for Korean Pop.
K-Pop has taken the world by storm with the rise of groups such as BLACKPINK and BTS. By fostering a strong connection with fans (the BTS ARMY) through social media, and creating hard-hitting music with genuine, heart-felt lyrics, BTS was able to propel themselves to superstardom. This was a significant feat in the K-Pop industry as BTS’ label Big Hit Entertainment was not a part of The Big 3, which are the largest and most influential record companies in the country.
On the contrary, BLACKPINK is under YG Entertainment, a member of the big 3, which automatically gives them more exposure and familiarity among the K-Pop community. Despite being from a small label, BTS was able to sweep award shows and become the first K-Pop group to be nominated and win a Billboard Music Award.
K-Pop is primarily in Korean, yet these idol groups were able to foster a fanbase that includes many non-Korean speakers, which speaks to the evolution of pop music. Indeed, it doesn’t matter where you’re from or what language you speak, you can still enjoy the genre. Pop music isn’t restricted to western music, but rather it’s a cultivation of everyone’s interests.
Special thank you to this episode’s guest, Andrea Sargento! Please follow WIBI A Cappella on their Instagram page to learn more about upcoming music releases!
Songs Mentioned:
Twist and Shout – The Beatles
Yesterday Once More – The Carpenters
Sometimes – Britney Spears
Turning Up – James Reid
Play My Music – Jonas Brothers
A-G-L-E-T – Phineas and Ferb
Cake by the Ocean – DNCE
Ddu-du ddu-du – BLACKPINK
Boy With Luv – BTS
Love Myself – BTS
Enjoyed this podcast? Let us know in the comments and tell us what you want us to react to or discuss next!
“Take my hands now, you are the cause of my euphoria.”
– Lyrics from Euphoria by Jungkook of BTS
It’s 9 AM and my phone blasts BTS’ Euphoria, signalling the start of another day. On a good day, I would usually lie in bed and let the song finish. On a not-so-good day, I would jump out of bed, pick up my phone, shut it off. Regardless, I always find myself spending a good 10-15 minutes scrolling through my Twitter and Instagram feeds in bed. Why is this? When did I start developing this habit?
To answer my previous question, I thought about the time when I got my first mobile phone. I was in eighth grade when my parents gifted me with a Nokia 3500c. With my cell phone, I was finally able to send text messages and take pictures with my friends. However, once ninth grade came along, everyone around me started getting BlackBerry phones and iPods.
Not wanting to feel disconnected from my friends, I used the money I saved from my paper route (yes, I was once a paper girl) and bought an iPod Touch (4th generation). To me, this was the beginning of my mobile and social media habits. While I still used my Nokia phone to call and text my friends, I would find myself using my iPod more as I could watch videos, use social media, and of course, listen to music all with the touch of an app. Notably, I first created my Twitter and Instagram accounts using my iPod Touch.
Today, I’m happily using my iPhone 8 for many of my everyday activities such as checking my email, listening to music, taking pictures, shopping, and ordering food. It’s amazing to see how much mobile technology has evolved over the past decade. Truly, no matter what it is you want to do, there is an app out there that’ll help make things easier. On my iPhone, I currently have 48 apps downloaded that range from productivity (i.e. emailing, web browsing) to entertainment (i.e. YouTube, Disney Plus).
As a digital marketing student, I am constantly reading and sharing content on social media. Hence, it’s no surprise that a good chunk of my screen time is on social media apps. When I’m on-the-go and need information, the first thing I do is pull out my phone and Google the answer to my questions using the Safari web browser app. For entertainment, I’m usually on YouTube. My top 5 most-used apps (listed in no particular order) are the following:
Micro-moments and Pet-peeves
I want to Know
Artists I enjoy listening to these days include Crush, H.E.R., Daniel Caesar, and BTS to name a few. I remember a time when a friend texted me asking if I listened to BTS’ latest single. I was in the middle of working on a paper, but I had to take a break and check out Twitter to see if she was serious (that the song came out). Sure enough, upon opening the Twitter app on my phone, BTS was trending.
Through the tweets from other fans I was able to get the URL link to the official audio of BTS’ Your Eyes Tell. Indeed, I was a very happy fangirl when I found the news to be true and finally listened to the new song! Twitter’splatform, especially on mobile, helps users in the I want to knowmicro-moment find the latest news in pop culture. This ease of use is probably why the platform is usually the first to share trending topics (compared to traditional news outlets).
Within 3 days of release, 'Your Eyes Tell' by @BTS_twt has peaked at #1 on iTunes Top Songs Chart in a total of 96 countries so far! https://t.co/KLndTjwuhk
With the current pandemic situation, I prefer to order food in advance to shorten my time inside a restaurant. This past Sunday, while driving home from church, my family and I had a craving for Chipotle. We were pretty set on what we wanted (we were all the in the I want to buymicro-moment), and so I took out my phone and googled Chipotle. The restaurant was the first result on the SERP, so I clicked on the link and was brought to the Chipotle’s homepage. From there, I tried to place a mobile order but soon gave up as the website was loading very slowly (keep in mind the fam was pretty hungry). Slow-loading sites are one of my pet peeves!
Screenshot from Chipotle’s Website; The app was definitely faster than the website.
Just as I was about to give up, I noticed that the fast-food chain had an app. Voila! I was able to place my order quickly through the app as it offered a much smoother user interface. Overall, my experience with the Chipotle mobile app was superior compared to its website. Like most customers, when making a purchase, I want my transactions to be quick and seamless. After placing my order, I was able to quickly pick up my food when I arrived at the restaurant.
Based on my experiences with social media and food ordering apps, user experience is vital to keeping customers! If a website is loading too slowly, it may irritate users and cause them to take their business elsewhere. A dynamic website adapts to the device screen size, making it more accessible to different devices. However, a mobile app is beneficial since they usually have a smoother interface and load faster. Undeniably, marketers need to take into account the fact that consumers are changing, and mobile dependence isn’t going away any time soon.
Note: I decided to split this post into parts because I had a lot more to say than I originally thought haha. Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading this and please stay tuned for part 2!
“Ayo ladies and gentlemen, 준비가 됐다면 부를게 [If you’re ready, I’ll start] yeah!”
-Lyrics from Dope by BTS
Despite the pandemic-stricken state of the world, BTS fans (also known as ARMY) were able to enjoy live performances from the South Korean septet. And yes, I was one of the ARMY that attended BANG BANG CON: The Live.
BANGBANGCON The Live' will be on #WeverseShop for pre-order starting 1 Jun, 1 PM (KST)!
Stay tuned for another exciting and lifelike BTS concert experience in your room with the brand-new multi-view feature!
“BANG BANG CON” is an online BTS concert series (with BANG BANG referring to the band’s Korean name, Bangtan Sonyeondan) that was launched after the postponement of their 2020 Map of the Soul world tour. On June 14, 2020, the live instalment of the series took place and was streamed on Kiswe (BTS’ label, Big Hit Entertainment recently partnered with this American video technology start-up for the live streaming for future events). Kiswe’s technology facilitated audience engagement through live commenting and multi-views.
Live commenting is not new to the BTS ARMY community as it is used on other platforms such as V Live and YouTube. However, what really made this virtual concert unique was the multi-view function; which allowed users to switch camera views to their liking (or view all of them at once).
My screenshot from the event, featuring the multi-view function and chatbox.
Getting my “Ticket”
Tickets for the event were sold on Weverse, which is the official online store for Big Hit Entertainment artists and those under affiliated labels (i.e. GFriend, Seventeen, and TXT). As an official ARMY membership holder, I was able to purchase my ticket for at a discounted price of $26.09 USD (non-members pay $35.10 USD).
Ticket to BANG BANG CON: The Live included:
Admission to the live event
Streaming on up to 2 devices
Virtual personalized ticket (emailed after the concert)
Video On Demand streaming of the concert (so you can rewatch it again and again!)
After purchasing my ticket, I had to log in to the event website with my Weverse account to choose a nickname for the live chat box.
Event homepage featured a countdown to the event and a link to purchase admission.
My First Virtual BTS Concert Experience!
The concert was scheduled to begin at 6 AM KST, which meant that I had to wake up at 5 AM to catch the event (since I’m in Canada). Nonetheless, it was totally worth the lack of sleep as the boys put on a phenomenal show!
After scrambling to find batteries for my ARMY Bomb light stick, I turned on my laptop and logged into the event website. I was immediately blown away by the diversity of my fellow ARMYs as they all commented their country and their excitement for the show in the event chatbox. At the bottom of the screen was a button to connect the light stick to my computer via Bluetooth so that it synced with the songs. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to connect my light stick (the button wasn’t working for me for some reason). With only 5 minutes left until the concert begins, I gave up on connecting my light stick and wake my sister (Whew, almost forgot!) so she can set up her laptop too (admission allows streaming on up to two devices!).
With myoversized Koya pillow by my side and ARMY Bomb in hand, I was finally ready for BANG BANG CON: The Live!
Did you attend BANG BANG CON: The Live? Let me know in the comments!
SimplyLJ 