AppleTV+ and Megan Thee Stallion bring to global TV a show where big K-pop artists collaborate with legendary global artists to “kpopify” their western music in a fierce competition. Except, this isn’t really a competition. It’s an attempt to introduce K-pop to a global audience that has always been skeptical about it and considers it outsider music. For one, as a K-pop fan already, I must admit, I’m not the target audience for this show. It’s specifically for those who want to see legends like Patti LaBelle, Spice Girls, TLC, Boy George, Boyz II Men and more. Here’s the thing: In some episodes, there is actual competition, because we’re seeing two global artists compete with each other, while the K-pop group gets split in two. So, for example, we have Megan Thee Stallion with half of Billie and Patti LaBelle with the other half. However, when it’s Boyz II Men or Spice Girls, the global artists don’t split in two; they simply sing two of their own songs with two halves of the K-pop group.
I always thought I didn’t watch reality TV because it was too dramatic, and I was worried it would make my blood boil, but after having seen this peaceful show, I have to admit, I get the appeal of the drama now. Each episode of KPOPPED is about 30 minutes long, which, in my opinion, is a great choice. The global artists get to explore a little bit of Korean culture before the competition begins. This is how it works: One K-pop group gets split into two, working with a global artist each (for the most part). The global chart-toppers get remixed or KPOPPED, and the two new groups get 48 hours to prepare for a studio stage performance, after which the studio audience votes to choose which song was “KPOPPED” the best.
As a fan of Korean pop music, I found myself quite disappointed to see how things turned out after rehearsals. It became apparent pretty early on that, despite wanting to make their music look like it’s from the other side of the globe, most of these artists (big stars, of course) struggle to assimilate into Korean popular culture. The only star I genuinely believed had fun and was excited to do this show was Kylie Minogue. Not only did she greet the idols and the audience with a simple “anyeonghaseyo,” she also looked like she was making an effort to understand idol culture, rather than just being a “senior” teaching them how to do what they do best.
The point of K-pop is to be synchronised, show a group dynamic and have a lively stage performance that you can’t look away from. Of course, for some of the global idols, this is difficult because of age; you can’t expect Patti LaBelle to break out into dance at 81. It is insane to me that she travelled for this show and gave such an incredible performance still. But for the younger artists like Ava Max, Jess Glynne, or even Megan herself, it doesn’t make sense for them to take centre stage while the K-pop artists act like background singers and dancers. If you truly wanted to get “KPOPPED,” you’d shake a leg too. But this also makes these Western artists look like they’re underperforming their own songs. The style and precision with which idols are trained automatically make them more performative, and they know how to bring the stage to life.
At the end of the day, the people who watch this show will either do so to specifically see their favourite idols or their favourite global superstars. The show is not aggressive because that’s just how K-pop idols are trained, and the most anyone will say is “bring it,” or “your stage was sooo amazing, but we’re going to win.” To be fair, it’s okay if the groups are not competitive, but the voting after just feels a bit pointless after all of that. In truth, we’re just getting to see some remixed performances and some old artists taking to the stage again. “My kids are going to be so excited,” says Vanilla Ice before changing his group’s choreography to incorporate his original moves.
The show is hosted by Psy and Megan, but in the studio, it’s Sujeong Son. Psy and Megan introduce the artists every episode, and it’s all very clearly done at once, probably due to scheduling issues, etc. Psy and Megan’s interactions are sweet, but there’s an awkwardness to the whole thing. However, I must admit, nobody looked more awkward than J. Balvin, who seemed entirely uninterested in being there. Though I don’t know what the guy is like otherwise, so it could just be an introverted problem, no judgment here.
The other thing is I wish we could understand why a group is split in a certain way, especially if they’re not going to use the full potential of a certain idol’s talents. Going into some minor spoilers here, but if you don’t want any at all, you can skip to the next paragraph. For example, in the final episode, we have Julie, who is a rapper from Kiss of Life, but we never get to see her rap, even though it’s such a major part of K-pop in general. Are these songs really getting KPOPPED then? I loved how Ateez chose to add some Korean lyrics.
At the end of the day, KPOPPED is a decent show if you’re into these artists. You’re not going to get any musicality or learn how to produce a K-pop track through this show, but you might get to see how hardworking K-pop idols are, because that seems to be the main subject of interest here. Having said that, if you just want a musical background watch, you might enjoy KPOPPED. The production value is high, and the stuff happening on stage looks fantastic, too. I’d give KPOPPED 2.5 out of 5 stars, mainly because I found myself enjoying some of the tracks loads.
