hankyoreh

Still from “KPopped.” (Apple TV+)

As Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” captivates viewers worldwide, another global TV show centering K-pop has just dropped. The program is Apple TV+’s “KPOPPED,” in which global music icons perform together with world-renowned K-pop idols. 

Lee Yeon-kyu, one of the directors who helped make the show possible, said she was thankful to be releasing the series at a moment when Korean pop culture has seized the limelight.

“We’re grateful that K-pop is getting even more attention right now thanks to ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’” she said. 

“KPOPPED,” which was released worldwide on Friday, is an eight-part music competition series in which K-pop artists and Western icons form teams to recreate each other’s hits. Co-produced by industry giants Apple TV+ and Korea’s CJ ENM, the show features Psy of “Gangnam Style” fame; triple Grammy Award winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion; K-pop girl groups Billie, Itzy, Kep1er, and Kiss of Life; Emma Bunton of Spice Girls; “Ice Ice Baby” rapper Vanilla Ice; and “Tell It To My Heart” singer Taylor Dayne, among others. 

Lionel Richie and Miky Lee, the vice chairperson of Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ Group, are listed among its executive producers.

Lee Yeon-gyu, one of the directors of “KPopped.” (courtesy of CJ ENM)

As interest in Korean culture has surged thanks to “KPop Demon Hunters,” many hope that “KPOPPED” will sustain this wave of popularity. During a video interview with the Hankyoreh on Friday, Lee expressed her hopes of introducing Korean culture to a wider audience through the show. 

“‘KPop Demon Hunters’ was so entertaining, I watched it twice. I hope ‘KPOPPED’ will lead viewers to take an interest in Korean culture at large,” she said. 

The inclusion of world-renowned pop stars in the show’s star-studded cast appears to reflect K-pop’s elevated status in the global music industry. Lee noted that she sensed this firsthand during the process of casting and shooting. 

“Foreign artists are aware that music fans abroad have a strong interest in K-pop, so casting wasn't difficult. [Colombian pop star] J Balvin had met K-pop boyband Ateez at Coachella, so he readily agreed to our request,” she shared. 

Still from “KPopped.” (Apple TV+)

The Western pop stars reportedly experienced some awkwardness in their first encounters with K-pop culture, but quickly adapted. 

“K-pop has this thing called the ‘ending fairy pose,’” Lee mentioned, referring to how idols will strike a pose for the camera after finishing a performance. “When we asked the overseas artists to try it, they seemed flustered at first. But later on, they’d say, ‘I'm going for camera number such-and-such’ and strike a pose.” 

“It was fun to watch them go from being bewildered to finding harmony and vibing with the Korean artists,” she said. 

Beautiful Korean scenery plays just as important a role in “KPOPPED” as it did in “KPop Demon Hunters.” 

“Apple TV+ repeatedly emphasized that we had to shoot in Korea. We focused on locations that demonstrate uniquely Korean beauty or spots that are popular with young people. Even after the shoot, Megan Thee Stallion remarked that the streets in Korea are beautiful. She took several photos for social media with Korean scenery as the background,” Lee shared. 

Lee expressed a desire to show how K-pop can unite everyone through the show. 

"At events like the Mnet Asian Music Awards or KCON, [which are large-scale K-pop events held overseas], the non-Korean fans sing along better to Korean lyrics than I do,” she said. 

“Stuff like that opened my eyes to how K-pop has no borders. It’s not something that’s uniquely ‘ours’ but something closer to a shared language which fans across the world can communicate in,” Lee shared. 

“Our show is all about mingling together music that’s for everyone and seeing the synergy that it produces,” she said. 

By Kim Min-je, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]