Jaejae of MMTG guides YouTube's Lyor Cohen to the world of K-Pop
Apr 12, 2024 – minute read
From Seoul's buzzing streets, where fresh beats meet age-old traditions, my adventure with MMTG is all about linking the world with the colorful and energetic vibe of K-Pop and K-culture. Along this journey, we had a lucky chance to sit down with Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s Global Head of Music, and our time with him really flew by while listening to him speaking about his career and sharing his vast experience and passion in music and culture.
Here are the three lessons that I learned:
1) The universal language of music
Lyor highlighted how music, transcending language and borders, acts as a universal connector. Music reminds us of what we have in common, not what separates us. I think this idea is key to K-Pop's worldwide charm, with its elaborate dances, eye-catching videos and deeply emotional lyrics, all resonating on a global scale and echoing Lyor's view of music as a unifying force.
2) Embracing the global stage
Lyor shared stories from his career to illustrate the power of real connections between artists and fans, which he saw from artists like Run-D.M.C or Jay-Z whom he closely engaged with. I believe this authenticity is also a big part of K-Pop's success, fostering a true bond with the audience. What stood out in our chat was that Lyor really opened our eyes to the magic of YouTube as a global stage for billions of people looking to connect every day.
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3) Don’t get stuck on stupid
He shared stories of legendary artists that he worked with, and emphasized the importance of not getting “stuck on stupid,” meaning don’t just sit on things that worked before. And this really inspired me to think beyond what we’ve been working on. I want to steer my ship, which is my channel on YouTube, broaden our horizon, and make every video be our bridge to the world.
Wrapping up our chat with Lyor, I couldn’t help but feel even more pumped about how music and culture bring people together and drive change. And this is exactly what we hope to achieve with the concert that we are working on. With the lessons I learned, I hope I can guide more people to the world of Korean music and culture with my videos.
Thank you Lyor for taking the time to meet us during your trip to Korea, now we are off to Coachella!!!