South Korean Artist EJAE Leads Netflix KPop Demon Hunters

The Netflix animated film "KPop Demon Hunters," featuring the chart-topping hopeful song "Golden" performed by South Korean artist EJAE, has become a global cultural phenomenon. EJAE, who transitioned from a K-pop trainee to a songwriter for major groups and now a leading singer, helped capture the authentic sound of K-pop in the film, which topped the US and Canada box office for Netflix with $18 million in earnings. Meanwhile, MIT's new Edward and Joyce Linde Music Building enhances the institute's already strong music program by providing state-of-the-art spaces for rehearsal, performance, and acoustic experimentation, fostering a collaborative environment for over 1,500 students annually. In the realm of documentary scoring, this year's Emmy nominees showcase a diverse range of compositions, including works by Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw, who composed original music for a Leonardo da Vinci series, blending historical inspiration with modern creativity. Additionally, research highlights that linguistic choices in music performance go beyond formal aspects to express identity, authenticity, and sociocultural negotiations across genres such as country and blues. Finally, innovative approaches are emerging to translate musical elements like tempo, timbre, and contour into visual designs, enabling creators to convert sounds into logos and imagery that embody the music's character.