88rising Artists- Part 2

Sorry the 2nd post is later this week, I didn't manage to get it finished yesterday. :)

Almost a year ago I wrote a post called 88rising Artists- Part 1, featuring music from artists signed to the American mess media company/record label 88rising. You can read it here:  https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2023/01/88rising-artists-part-1.html

I had intended to follow up with Part 2 later in 2023 but never got round to it. I have several posts that I ended up splitting into two parts but haven't done the second part for yet. So I'm planning to complete those this year, starting with this one- 88rising Artists- Part 2! :)

Joji

Japanese singer-songwriter, rapper and  record producer Joji (real name George Kusunoki Miller) is one of the main artists on the record label. He started out as an internet personality and comedian before moving into music in 2017, under 88rising. He released his debut EP In Tongues (the first under the name Joji) in November 2017 and his debut studio album Ballads 1 followed in October 2018.

To date, Joji has brought out two more albums, Nectar (2020) and SMITHEREENS (2022), and he was executive producer on Head in the Clouds II (2019), the second 88rising compilation album. His most popular singles include Will He, Midsummer Madness (an 88rising collab with Rich Brian (see below), Higher Brothers and AUGUST 08), Slow Dancing in the Dark and Glimpse of Us. 

Joji's most recent single is Die For You (from SMITHEREENS), which was released in November 2022. He didn't release anything during 2023 , but last September he embarked on his 4th world tour, Pandemonium.

I featured the videos for two of Joji's songs in my 2019 post Songs from Head in the Clouds II Album (about HITC II, the follow up to the 2018 album Head in the Clouds). It contains songs from different 88rising artists.

Visit the post to see the lyric video for Walking with Jackson Wang, Swae Lee and Major Lazer, and the audio and music videos for Need Is Your Love, featuring Japanese boy band GENERATIONS from EXILE: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/11/songs-from-head-in-clouds-ii-album.html

And here is the music video for Walking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz1ztvu77FM

YUKON (INTERLUDE)

This is YUKON INTERLUDE., which was the 2nd single from Joji's 3rd album SMITHEREENS. The album is divided into two parts- the first side features introspective ballads and the second side is lo-fi, D.I.Y sounds.

YUKON (INTERLUDE) came out in August 2022.

 

Also, here is the video for Die For You, his most recent single (released in November 2022): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgsWGfUlwJI

 

Rich Brian

Indonesian rapper and singer  Rich Brian (real name Brian Imanuel Sowarno) started his music career online, posting on YouTube. His first official single Dat $tick came out in March 2016 and he then signed to 88rising. 

Brian released his debut album Amen in February 2018. Since then he has brought out another album, The Sailor (2019) and two EPs- 1999 (2020) and Brightside (2022). His most recent singles include New Tooth,  C'est la Vie with American rapper Yung Gravy and Canadian rapper and singer bbno$, Vivid featuring American rapper and singer $NOT and Sundance Freestyle.

The video for Rich Brian's  2019 single These Nights still a fave of mine) with CHUNG HA (see below) was also featured in the Songs from Head in the Clouds II post: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/11/songs-from-head-in-clouds-ii-album.html

 

Sundance Freestyle 

This is Sundance Freestyle, Brian's most recent single. It was released in January 2023. 

 

CHUNG HA

South Korean singer Chung Ha (whose is real name Kim Chan-mi/Chan-ha and her stage name is stylised as CHUNG HA or Chungha) was a member of the Korean girl group I.O.I. After the group's disbandment at the beginning of 2017, she launched a solo career later that year, with her debut EP Hands on Me. Since then she has released 3 more EPs- Offset (2018), Blooming Blue (2018) and Flourishing (2019).*

Chung Ha signed to 88rising in November 2020 (their first K-pop act) and released the English language single Dream of You with Dutch Moroccan DJ R3HAB. The following February saw the release of her debut studio album QUERENCIA (on her Korean label MNH Entertainment). 

In summer 2022 Chung Ha brought out her 3rd album Bare&Rare. It was intended to be released in two parts and the first part came out in July 2022, under MNH and 88rising. However, due to Chung Ha leaving MNH Entertainment after her contract ended in March 2023, there are currently no plans to release Part 2. (Although she hopes to release it herself in the future.) 

Last October Chung Ha signed to Korean American singer, rapper and record producer Jay Park's new label MORE VISION. Prior to signing with them, she has said that she considered leaving the music industry. But now she's moving on to a new chapter. :)

Her singles so far include Why Don't You Know featuring Korean rapper Nucksal, Gotta Go (one of her most successful singles to date), Snapping, Stay Tonight, Play featuring Korean rapper and producer CHANGMO, Killing Me and Sparkling.

 

Here are my previous posts featuring Chung Ha's music:

Post about her debut EP Hands on Me: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2017/06/chung-ha-solo-debut.html

Features the music video for her 2019 single Gotta Go: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/01/new-music-for-2019-k-pop.html  

Includes These Nights with Rich Brian: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/11/songs-from-head-in-clouds-ii-album.html

Features Stay Tonight and Be Yourself, plus a link to the video for My Friend with pH-1 (2020): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2020/06/new-k-pop-releases.html

Includes X, from Querencia: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2021/01/new-music-for-2021-part-2.html  

Features Bicycle (also from Querencia): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2021/02/new-music-releases.html

Plus, WHY DON'T WE with veteran Korean singer RAIN (I linked to this in another post about Rain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srWfDwiRVgQ

 

Dream of You (with R3HAB)

Here is Dream of You, Chung Ha's first single release on 88rising. It's an all English single with DJ and producer R3HAB and was released in November 2020, one of the tracks on her first album Querencia. 

Dream of You is an electronic/dance song. This is the performance video. 

 

 

Sparkling

And here is Sparkling, Chung Ha's most recent single. It was the lead single from Bare&Rare Pt. 1 and was released on 11th July 2022, the same day as the album.

Sparkling is sung in mostly Korean with a few English lyrics and is described as a having a "refreshing soda pop" sound. Click "Subtitles/closed captions" on YouTube for English subtitles! :)

 

Seori

Korean indie singer-songwriter Seori (real name Baek So-hyun) made her official music debut in 2020, under the artist collective ATISPAUS, after previously uploading covers on YouTube. She released her first EP ?depacse ohw ("Who Escaped?" backwards in May 2020, along with the lead single Running through the night. The EP is mostly Korean, with some English lyrics and the English song Fairy Tale.*

Seori is also signed to 88rising, through which she released the English singles Trigger and Lovers In The Night. Her single album The Long Night came out in June 2021. In addition to solo releases, Seori has collaborated with K-pop artists, including eaJ/Jae (a former member of the Korean pop rock band DAY6) on the singles It just is and Dive with you, 0X1 =Lovesong (I Know I Love You) with boy band TXT and Shutdown with Moonbyul of girl group MAMAMOO.

Her other singles include Lovers In The Night (her first release with 88rising), The Long Night featuring Korean rapper and singer Giriboy and Can't Stop This Party. She has also recorded several songs for soundtracks, including Warriors with Indonesian rapper and singer Warren Hue (a fellow 88rising artist) from the 2021 film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Sound of your heart from the Korean TV series Tell Me That You Love Me. 

Seori left ATISPAUS in July 2023 and signed to Label Sayu in October.

The video for Lovers In The Night was a Weekly Music Video in June 2021: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2021/06/weekly-music-video_9.html

 

The Long Night feat. Giriboy

This is The Long Night, which was the title track from Seori's 3rd single album, released in June 2021. It's a Korean song and features rapper/singer and producer Giriboy. It's about feeling empty after having a great day and saying goodbye at night to the person you love.  

I like the soothing style of the song. English subtitles available! :)

 

Can't Stop This Party

And here is Can't Stop This Party, which I think is Seori's most recent single (apart from the soundtrack songs). It came out in April 2022. Can't Stop This Party is an English song with a relaxing yet melancholy vibe.

 

Follow/subscribe to Seori's official YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrlbUrI63PGA4nnVq0D7bwg

 

Ylona Garcia

Filipina-Australian singer Ylona Garcia (who is also an actress) started out in the music business as a child, before getting her big break as a housemate in the second edition of Pinoy Big Brother (the Filipino version of the show). She finished as runner up.

Ylona released her debut EP My Name Is Ylona Garcia in August 2015 and was also briefly part of teen pop group ASAP G! in 2018. From 2015-2016 she had a part in the Filipino romantic comedy TV series On The Wings of Love. 

She signed to starmusic, which she released her debut album and debut single Dahan Dahan Dahan Lang through. She later moved to Homeworkz. 

In February 2021, Ylona signed to 88rising and is managed by their Filipino record label PARADISE RISING. Her first release with them was the single All That and her second 88rising single Don't Go Changing was featured on the third Heads in the Clouds album. Her other singles include Walk in My Timbs featuring Jay R, Split Milk featuring Billy Davis, Entertain Me (a collaboration with the video game VALORANT and Vibin.

Ylona hasn't released any new music in the past couple of years but is still active with live performances. 

The music video for Vibin (her most recent single, released in June 2022) was featured in my  2022 Summer Vibes post: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2022/07/summer-vibes.html

 

All That

Here is All That,  Ylona's debut single with 88rising. It came out in March 2021 and was the first single from  her upcoming album, which hasn't ben released as yet. The pop/dance song is about leaving all the negative stuff behind, particularly after going through the pandemic.

Please note that the song contains mild swearing. :) 

 

Don't Go Changing

And here is Don't Go Changing. It was released in September 2021 and the music video was the first in a series filmed with Samsung Galaxy as part of the Head in the Clouds 3 visual album, which featured the fans.

 

I was unsure if Head in the Clouds 3 had been officially released, but you can find a YouTube playlist here (last updated in August 2022): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhrG05fbuPKfdkP0PXWBpaHSyjAPsAL3g

 

Also check out the remix for Entertain Me with Ylona and 220 Kid:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=witJXrynP3w

 MILLI

Thai rapper and singer MILLI (real name Danupha Khanatheerakul) started her carerr by appearing on the Thai TV show The Rapper 2 in 2019, aged 16. She signed to the Thai record label YUPP! and went on to release her debut single Phak Khon ("Calm Down" or "Take a Break" in English) in February 2020. The music video reached 4 millions views in 4 days on YouTube and continues to be one of her most successful videos. The song is a mixture of the Thai languages Lu and Isan, as well as English.

That June, MILLI  brought out herr2nd single Sudpang, which was also a hit. And the following October she collaborated with Thai rapper F-HERO and Korean rapper Changbin from the K-pop group Stray Kids on the single Mirror Mirror. Her debut album Babb Bum Bum was released in November 2022.

MILLI is also signed to 88rsing and performed with others from the label at the Coachella festival in April 2022, the first Thai solo artist to appear at the event. She also collaborated with fellow 88rising artists Korean singer BIBI on a remix of her single The Weekend, and Hong Kong rapper and singer Jackson Wang on the single Mind Games. Her other singles include Not Yet! Mango Sticky Rice, Sad Aerobic, Welcome and ROSETTA with pH-1.

Check out the music video for Phak Kon here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUAuEo3t0-o

 

SUDPANG! 

Here is Sudpang, MILLI's second single which was released in August 2020. I think the title translates as "Superbang" in English. The song is about beauty and confidence in different styles and ethnicities of women, and the importance of having confidence in yourself. It's sung in several dialects and languages- Northern an Southern Thai, Isan, phasa lu and English.

English subtitles are available! :) 

 

88rising & MILLI feat Jackson Wang- Mind Games

Finally, here is Mind Games, MILLI's collab with Hong Kong rapper and singer (also a member of K-pop boy band GOT7) Jackson Wang. It's an English pop/R'n'B song and was released in January 2023.

 

Here are a few more songs by MILLI:

Music video for Mirror Mirror, her 2021 single with F.HERO and Changbin (I did a post featuring a dance cover of this last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZlBKl-spfY

The Weekend MILLI Remix, with BIBI (2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVi5kQjyUVQ

Welcome feat. MINUS ('21): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_LYCUcr_ww

Final Take with TWO Popetorn (latest release from Nov '23): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b9NUv6A3Z8

 

And for more on Jackson, check out 88rising Artists- Part 1:  https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2023/01/88rising-artists-part-1.html

 

For more on MILLI visit these links:  

YUPP! page: https://yuppentertainment.com/en/artist/milli/

Kprofile: https://kprofiles.com/milli-profile-and-facts/

Official FB page: https://www.facebook.com/milli.minus

Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phuckitol

Official YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@milliofficial6932

 

Hope you liked the post! :) There are more 88rising artists that I could feature but this post is already quite long. I may do shorter features in the future, rather than a Part 3 that may take me longer to post! Who are your favourite artists on 88rising?  

*These are Korean names with the surname/family name written first.