KPOPPED is a music competition program that was released on Apple TV this August. The show brings together well-known Western artists, including Pattie LaBelle, Eve, Ke$ha, and J. Balvin; and current K-pop groups to perform live remixed or “Kpopped” versions of some of their greatest hits in the eight-episode season. If you haven’t seen or heard about the show, you may find yourself in the majority. It hasn’t had much buzz outside of the K-pop community and has had a bit of criticism from fans. The reception leaves me wondering who the show was created for. What was the producer’s goal?
One of the big draws for the show was the hosts. Trailers featured Grammy award-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion and beloved K-pop artist PSY, whose song “Gangnam Style” introduced K-pop music to much of the Western world. The two are charismatic and energetic, but most of their hosting was done through prerecorded clips. Soojeong Son, actress and writer, performs all of the hosting duties during the live performance portion of the show. She was wonderful, but the trailer felt a bit misleading after realizing the audience would not see Megan and PSY’s live reactions to performances or interactions with artists.
The show gives a glimpse of what bridging the gap between Eastern and Western artists could be. Most participants were very receptive to each other’s sounds and respected their talents, but the formatting of the show gave little time for the collaboration element. At the beginning of each episode, the K-pop group is split into two to work with a Western artist or group. Then the two new groups attend a bonding activity in Korea hosted by the K-pop group, followed by a practice portion, and finally the performance. The performances are voted on by the live audience, with a new winner for each episode.
The show struggled to maintain the competitive aspect. The build-up to the performances was short, with each group and artist performing one song after two days of rehearsal. Although it was clear that the K-pop groups learned choreography ahead of time. It is difficult to get invested in such a short time, let alone have high expectations for the performance itself.
I will applaud the show’s efforts to include an assortment of artists. The inclusion of Japanese group JO1, who were formed on a Japanese survival show, Peruvian rapper J Balvin, and multicultural K-pop group BLACKSWAN showcased the diversity the show seemed to be aiming for. On top of being a musical exchange, the show also allowed for a peek into the cultural exchange. K-pop group Itzy gifted Spice Girls members Mel B and Emma Bunton traditional Korean clothing with the members’ signature colors and patterns. BLACKSWAN took Boyz II Men to a Korean restaurant where they talked about the adjustments they had to make living in a foreign country as K-pop artists.
In the end, the show lacks depth but has the potential to dig deeper if a second season is confirmed.
