AGP Executive Report

Music as city identity: Ipoh City Music Month turns July into a full-on cultural campaign, with competitions like the Harmony Music Cup and events such as “Music in Every Corner of the City,” backed by Perak’s tourism arts funding. Copyright showdown: India’s Delhi High Court restrains Ilaiyaraaja from broadcasting or communicating songs from 134 films in his Saregama dispute, limiting his rights to compositions (not sound recordings). K-pop chart + Japan push: ONEUS’s Japanese single “Under” debuts at No. 3 on Oricon daily; Taeyeon’s “Bansanka” hits No. 1 on Bugs and tops Melon Hot 100 for recent releases. Touring + global branding: T.O.P announces “T.O.P PRE-STUDIO 2026” Asia dates; TWS becomes Hyundai’s “Global Project” ambassador with a Harajuku flagship store kickoff. Streaming milestone: BABYMONSTER’s “WE GO UP” tops 100M Spotify streams. Industry deal: Warner Records partners with Sickamore’s Three Times Louder, launching Laila as flagship artist.

BTS & Fan Safety: V asked ARMY to stop visiting BTS hotel locations during the “Arirang” tour, saying it affects his performances and he wants privacy. K-pop Momentum: SUPER JUNIOR-83z announced a July 13 mini-album “Promise” plus an Asia fan-con tour, while BTS’s “ARIRANG” topped 3.8B streams in 8 weeks. Biopic Teaser: Jio Studios released a teaser for Nagraj Manjule’s “Khashaba,” a pre-Independence India-set biopic of India’s first Olympic medalist, due in theaters Jan 1, 2027. Copyright Clash (India): Delhi High Court restrained Ilaiyaraaja from streaming songs from 134 films in a Saregama copyright dispute. Music x Sports: Rita Ora and Clean Bandit are set to headline the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 final closing ceremony at Lord’s on July 5. Tech + Health (China): BCI-based therapy in Tianjin uses brain signals to help stroke patients regain movement. Culture x Travel (India): Edstead, Air India Express and Dentsu launched “Voices of the Land,” a six-part docuseries on Northeast traditions and music premiering July 3 on JioHotstar. Hip-hop x Lifestyle (India): Fastrack Perfumes teamed with rapper DIVINE on a limited fragrance set inspired by his tracks. Legacy News: Village People co-founder Victor Willis has died at 74.

Philippines Pop News: BINI’s “Signals” World Tour 2026 European leg is postponed, with shows in Amsterdam, Rome, Paris, London, Zurich and Düsseldorf pushed to new dates and tickets set for refunds. Taiwan/Japan Pop: Taiwanese-American singer Vanness Wu revealed his wife is Japanese singer Emi Aramaki, with the label confirming the marriage registered in Las Vegas in early May. Live Music (Pacific): New Zealand/Australia-Pacfic festival 8TH WONDER announces its debut Rotorua and Brisbane editions, built around reggae, roots, soul, dub, R&B and contemporary Indigenous sounds, with tickets on sale July 3. Asia Music Charts: ≠ME’s “Ai Kudasai Mase” hits No. 1 on Japan’s Hot 100. K-pop/Concerts: SUPER JUNIOR-83z confirms a July 13 mini-album “Promise” and an Asia fan-con tour; NCT Taeyong returns with a new album and 2026 comeback. Streaming/Deals: Spotify bundles Premium trials with Vodafone Idea postpaid plans in India, and also partners with Vi for similar Premium offers. Music Industry (India): Virtuoso Music expands in India with a creator-first, artist-centric model, while Delhi High Court rules against Ilaiyaraaja in a copyright battle with Saregama. Global Music Tourism: Mastercard’s music programme aims to build Southeast Asia’s music tourism economy. Local Scene (Asia-Pacific): Shenzhen July live music picks and Guangzhou’s livehouse hit list highlight summer gig calendars across China.

K-pop Comeback Buzz: NCT Taeyong is back in full swing after finishing Korean Navy service, with an Asia tour, major collaborations, and a first full-length solo album marking his post-military chapter. Mandopop Spotlight: Jolin Tsai wins best album at Taiwan’s annual music awards, underlining her continued dominance in the region’s pop scene. Philippines Pop Tease: Disney Philippines dropped a teaser for the Filipino live-action “Moana” version of “How Far I’ll Go,” with fans speculating singer Kai Montinola as the mystery voice. Live Music & Culture: Singapore’s Thai rap queen Milli is set for her “Milli Jaa Ehh! Asia Tour 2026” stop in Singapore, while Hong Kong’s return-anniversary ceremony featured “Ode to the Motherland” and a full flag-raising spectacle. Music Rights Clash: Pakistani singer Sajjad Ali pushed back on social media claims over “Ravi” usage, saying his legal team will address unlicensed TV use. Streaming Business: OSN Streaming has made a take-private proposal for Anghami, offering $3.39 per share in cash.

Music Industry Moves: Ashe signs with Atlantic Records and inks a publishing deal with Doomsday/UMPG, with a summer tour supporting Benson Boone. Label Leadership: Virgin Music Group unveils a new global and regional leadership team after its Downtown acquisition, combining services across 145+ countries. Royalties Watch: PPL pays £81.6m to 140,000+ performers and recording rightsholders in Q2, including first-time payouts for nearly 4,500. Streaming & Discovery: Spotify rolls out personalized music discovery across India, while Vi partners with Spotify to offer free Premium trials for eligible postpaid users. Anime & Music: HIDIVE confirms dark fantasy BLADE & BASTARD will stream exclusively in 2027, with music by Hayato Matsuo; Anime India Mumbai 2026 lands Naruto director Hayato Date as a headline guest. Cultural Power of Music: Documentary Freedom Needs a Soundtrack spotlights how songs fueled Tibetan resistance and the 1990s Tibetan Freedom Concerts. Live Events (Asia-Pacific): Macau announces July cultural and sports programming, including children’s arts festival activities and volleyball finals in late July.

Music Discovery in India: Spotify launched its “Discover on Spotify” campaign in India, spotlighting personalised tools like Daylist, Song Radio and Mixes to help listeners find new artists while staying connected to their tastes. K-Pop Spotlight: A guide to what Korean Pop is and which acts to start with, pointing to how the genre’s global live boom and streaming reach keep expanding. K-Pop Scandal Watch: TVXQ’s Jung Yunho faces scrutiny after breaking quarantine rules and visiting an escort bar, with reports also raising the possibility of criminal charges. Local Music Funding: Tacoma’s NPR jazz station KNKX received a $1 million gift as part of its Connect Northwest campaign to grow arts and culture coverage. New Releases (Pacific/Asia): South Auckland trio STNDRD teamed up with Myshaan for the R&B single “Get It Back,” produced by Samoan producer Aaron “Astro” Strickland. Live Music/Experiences: London gets a new Peaky Blinders Underworld immersive experience near London Bridge, mixing gameplay, live entertainment and actor-led encounters. Tech + Fandom Audio: AVIOT opened pre-orders for hololive English collaboration earbuds with new voice guidance and member modes.

Japan Music Exports Push: Japan’s METI is considering 11.5 billion yen in subsidies to help media firms use generative AI for translation and boost overseas sales, with likely targets including manga/anime giants like Shueisha, Kodansha, Square Enix, Crunchyroll and Bandai Namco. K-pop Live Momentum: ENHYPEN adds two more Busan dates to its BLOOD SAGA world tour, while RIIZE racks up triple-crown wins on music shows with “Do your dance.” Mandopop Spotlight: Jolin Tsai wins best album at Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards, underlining her continued dominance in the region’s pop scene. Devotional Music Event: Anup Jalota leads massive Hanuman Chalisa chants—over 270,000 together—in Durban on July 5, with Anuja Sahai joining him. Anime Fandom Costs: Anime Expo-style conventions are getting pricier across the U.S., forcing fans to rethink budgets as ticket and badge costs rise. Live Music + Culture Calendar: The 84th Nisei Week Japanese Festival runs Aug. 15–23 in Downtown Los Angeles, with free cultural events and music across two weekends.

K-pop Spotlight: BTS’ Jungkook went live on Weverse from Spain, showing off dance moves and singing an acoustic “Into The Sun,” while also opening up about anxiety in overstimulating places like fashion shows. Mandopop/Music Awards: Taiwan’s Mandopop megastar Jolin Tsai won best album at the annual music awards, adding to her awards momentum. EXO Solo Rush: EXO fans get a clear map of what’s next, with the group’s 2026 active lineup and member solo releases. Live Music in Asia: The Kid LAROI brings his “A Perfect World Tour” to Singapore for a one-night stop at Arena @ Expo. Festivals & Tourism (Vietnam): Vietnam’s music festivals are increasingly tied to tourism and local economic growth, with more big events planned for 2026. Classical Heritage (China): Henan Museum hosted a guqin concert calling for wider academic collaboration to preserve endangered ancient music traditions. Tech Meets Music (India): AI photo-sharing platform Kwikpic is scaling for concerts and festivals, aiming to make sharing event pics easier for fans and organizers. Summer Song Buzz (UK): Time Out editors named their “song of the summer” contenders, including picks featuring Olivia Rodrigo and Slayyyter.

Classical Spotlight: Music Niagara’s free Young Virtuoso Series had violinists Sophia Chen (13) and Elisha Ruo (17) refining their craft with Ukrainian violin professor Solomiya Ivakhiv, with her Naxos album “Music of Resilience” slated for August. Live Jazz Calendar: “Jazz in the Park” returns for its 38th year, kicking off weekly Thursday sets at Gypsy Hill Park bandstand from July 9 (7–9pm). BTS & Pop Culture: A deep dive looks at why J-Hope’s solo earnings helped lift his net worth above other BTS members, while another explainer revisits how “Dynamite” landed in full English without breaking the group’s identity. Music + Tech Policy: India’s entertainment industry is ramping up AI content, but lawyers warn that unclear copyright rules leave AI-assisted works vulnerable to copying and disputes. Japanese Music Loss: Veteran singer-actor Akihiro Miwa has died at 91, remembered for hits like “Me Que Me Que” and “Yoitomake no Uta,” plus major screen and stage roles. Big Screen Music Biopic: Jaafar Jackson’s “Michael” has overtaken “Oppenheimer” as the top-grossing biopic worldwide, now at $977.4M.

Charity Concert (Fiji-Indian diaspora): Two Fiji Indian community figures, Jagdish Punja and Jimi Nathu, are set to headline “Singing Legends: Live in Charity Concert” in Auckland on Aug 1, raising funds for a rural Fiji kindergarten project. Cultural Diplomacy (India abroad): PM Narendra Modi used “Mann Ki Baat” to spotlight “Brahmakamal Dominicana,” a Dominican Republic group teaching themselves Vedic mantras through self-study. Media Ownership Debate (Native Hawaiians): Hawai‘i’s Office of Hawaiian Affairs is considering buying TV stations KITV and KIKU, with critics warning about political influence and messaging control. Mandarin Pop (Golden Melody Awards): Jolin Tsai won Album of the Year and Best Mandarin Female Singer at Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards, while Chang Chen-yue swept major craft categories. Local Music Industry (India FM radio): India’s private FM sector is urging regulatory changes—news broadcasts, GST relief, and smartphone FM tuner access—as digital platforms squeeze stations. Global Music Moment (World Cup): NPR’s Tiny Desk is spotlighting artists tied to World Cup teams as the tournament moves into knockout mode.

K-pop Spotlight: ILLIT dropped a new concept film, “Armor version,” for its upcoming Japan single “I Got Your Back,” due July 29 (MV July 26), with a mysterious storyline centered on member friendship. Mandarin Pop Buzz: Jolin Tsai won best album and best Mandarin female singer at Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards, while Ayal Komod took best Mandarin male singer—another big week for Mandopop. Japan Culture in Motion: TaikoProject announced a Summer Youth Camp in Little Tokyo (July 20–24) teaching taiko, Obon dancing, and crafts, with a recital and a chance to perform at Higashi Honganji’s Obon Festival (July 25). Live Music Calendar: Aspen Music Festival and School’s 50-year celebration continues with the 2026 Salida Aspen Concerts series (six Saturday nights, July 11–Aug 15). Regional Arts & Community: Atlanta marked International Yoga Day and World Music Day with a combined community celebration featuring live performances and talks on cultural preservation. Tamil Film Loss: Tributes poured in after filmmaker-actor K. Bhagyaraj died at 73 following cardiac arrest, with major Tamil stars and directors paying respects.

Vocaloid Goes Global: Japan’s top Vocaloid producers team up with U.S. creators for the BEYOND BORDERs project, with Hatsune Miku set to headline a free Anime Expo 2026 concert in Los Angeles on July 4. Anime Expo 2026 Expansion: SPJA reveals a bigger downtown LA campus for July 2–5, adding major venues like Crypto.com Arena and The Novo for concerts, panels, and premieres. K-Pop Ticket Rush: BIGBANG’s “BIGBANG 2026 WORLD TOUR IN GOYANG” sold out in 22 minutes, with anti-fraud steps like ID checks and one-device-per-account limits. Health-Adjusted Performances: TWS member Youngjae will still perform in Seoul on June 27–28 despite a left thigh injury, with choreography changes and sold-out dates. Mandarin Pop Spotlight: Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards kick off in Taipei on June 27, with live streams planned across Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, and North America. US Physical Release Boost: ZEROBASEONE’s “Ascend-” lands in the U.S. as their third straight physical release, following strong chart runs in Japan and China. Tamil Film Loss: Veteran director-actor K. Bhagyaraj dies at 73 after a heart attack, prompting tributes and state honours from Tamil Nadu CM Vijay. Cultural Exchange Through Music: A Dunhuang-inspired cultural event in Ottawa drew 100+ guests, blending music and dance to strengthen China–Canada people-to-people ties. Local Music & Community: Singapore’s Garden Festival returns July 4–12 at Gardens by the Bay, while Canada Day Culture Fest in Winkler features live music and multi-country dance performances.

K-pop & Pop Culture: BTS’ Jungkook keeps stacking milestones, hitting 3 billion Spotify streams in Asia for the first time, while Singapore is gearing up for Thai rap queen Milli’s Milli Jaa Ehh! Asia Tour 2026. J-pop Global Push: YOASOBI drops its new album THE BOOK for, with the original track “Orion,” plus an Overwatch tie-in and themed in-game rewards as it heads into North American touring. Live Music & Community: Pacific Symphony’s SummerFest brings big-screen nostalgia to Irvine with orchestral nights for “Star Wars,” ABBA, and more. Music + Wellbeing: A new wave of concertgoers is embracing earplugs to protect hearing without killing the vibe. Asia Music Scene: Busan leans on K-pop to attract international students to stay after graduation, while Japan’s Music Awards Japan 2026 spotlights top artists like Kenshi Yonezu and Creepy Nuts. New Releases: NPR’s New Music Friday highlights fresh albums, and “New Music Friday” rounds up standout records for June 26.

K-Pop Global Push: TWS kick off their first Asia tour, with two sold-out Seoul shows (June 27-28) for “24/7:FOR:YOU,” then rolling through Japan, Macau, Bangkok, Singapore and more. P-Pop Breakthrough: SB19 land a major international spotlight with an appearance at the Grammy Museum’s “Global Spin Live” in Los Angeles (July 28; July 29 in the Philippines), ahead of Lollapalooza and a Japan Summer Sonic slot. Japanese Music Momentum: Hi-Fi Un!corn drop the Korean single “Wae yo,” announce Japanese “Telescope” for Aug 19, and set a live house tour across Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo. New Debut in Australia: UNIS make their first-ever Australian appearance at Sydney’s “K-Mega Concert” on June 26, with a Japanese mini-album due in July. Big-Stage Nostalgia: BIGBANG announce a 20th anniversary worldwide stadium tour—UK/Europe/US tickets go on sale today, with Asia dates running into early 2027. Anime Streaming: Crunchyroll confirms it will stream “Kagurabachi” worldwide (excluding Japan/China/North Korea/South Korea) from April 2027. Local Scene Spotlight: Mumbai’s weekend picks include a The Weeknd fan event (June 28) and Shankar Mahadevan/Sonu Nigam-led “Anandam – Bhakti Concert.”

World Cup Culture: Fans packed MetLife for Germany vs Ecuador, with Ecuador’s late 2-1 win sending the buzz into the next round. Classical Spotlight: San Diego Symphony’s Shostakovich Symphony No. 7 lands on Delos and becomes an Apple Music Classical global exclusive. Music Business: BMG acquired Chris Cheney’s publishing catalog from The Living End, extending its long-running label-and-publisher relationship. India Heritage Fight: India stalled a Paris auction of Pierre Jeanneret chairs and has started steps to repatriate them back to Chandigarh. Japan Pop & Live: Hikaru Utada released “PAPPAPARADISE” with a new video and EP, adding to the summer release push. K-pop & Tours: Kim Junsu wrapped his GRAVITY Asia run in Taipei, while ATEEZ is set for a cinema event. Tech Meets Listening: OnePlus expanded dual Bluetooth audio streaming to OnePlus 13R and OnePlus 12 via a new OxygenOS update. Community Music Moments: Ozomatli brought LA’s genre-mix energy to Downey’s FIFA Fan Zone.

Anniversary Pop Culture: The Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” turns 30, still remembered for its girl-power message and chart-topping global splash after its June 26, 1996 release. K-pop & Live Events: BTS’ Singapore run (Dec 17–22) is already sending hotel demand soaring, with some fans even weighing cheaper stays in Johor Bahru or Changi-area options. K-pop Concert Circuit: F1 Singapore GP adds Cortis as the only K-pop act to its updated lineup, joining JJ Lin, Janet Jackson, Zara Larsson and more. New Music Releases: Beabadoobee announces fourth album “Pylon” (Sept 18) with a starry set of collaborators and shares “Sun Has Set,” while LE SSERAFIM’s “CRAZY” hits RIAJ Platinum for 100M+ streams. India Music Business: Virtuoso Music launches India operations with a creator-first model, planning Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu releases for early 2027. Health + Performance: Sonu Nigam continues performing despite a worsening nerve injury, posting updates as he pushes through pain. Regional Pride & Culture: The Philippines’ LoveL4ban Pride PH Festival and Pride March (June 27) is set for a major turnout across Quezon City.