It's a K-pop Thing

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"The show where we talk about all the things that make K-pop distinctly K-pop." Hosted by Alexis Hodoyán-Gastélum and Theresa Avila, two journalists, friends, and fellow K-pop multi-stans, each episode of It's a K-pop Thing explores the fan culture and the stories behind the people who've helped grow K-pop into a global phenomenon. Follow the Show: @IKPTpod on Instagram & Twitter Email: [email protected]

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Top 10 It's a K-pop Thing Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best It's a K-pop Thing episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to It's a K-pop Thing for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite It's a K-pop Thing episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Girl Groups Run K-pop: Pt 1(NewJeans, LE SSERAFIM, Girls' Generation)

It's a K-pop Thing

03/30/23 • 51 min

Something major happened in K-pop last year: For the first time since the aughts, girl groups outshone their male group counterparts. Not only did girl groups deliver hit after hit, but 2022 also saw 4th generation girl groups consistently vie for the top spot in K-pop music charts and award shows. And if “Ditto” and “OMG” are any indication of how this year’s gonna pan out, it’s looking like girl groups are gonna have another winning season. ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
This is PART ONE of a mini-series examining how girls groups are dominating K-pop at the moment. Be sure to follow and subscribe to the show so you don't miss Part 2 of our discussion!
OUR GUEST:
To help us make sense of why 2022 was such a pivotal year for K-pop girl groups, we spoke to journalist (and friend of the pod), Lai Frances. Lai Frances, has profiled acts like Le sserafim, Itzy, and Nayeon from Twice. She’s written for publications like MTV News, UPROXX, Tomorrow Magazine, among others.
EPISODE RUNDOWN:

1- Intro: Why 2022 Was THE Breakout Year for Girl Groups (2:58)
2- Guest Bio: Lai Frances, K-pop journalist (4:58)
3- Interview Highlights:
Overview of 2022's big wins (8:06)
Is it time for boy groups to ‘step back’? (Pun intended) (14:18)
How have girl group concepts evolved? (18:19)
Are labels pushing out girl groups more? (21:50)
Touring for GG in 2023 & beyond (30:01)
HOT TAKE: Are boy groups stuck, (sonically)? (36:00)
Will the market get saturated? (40:11)
What's next for girl groups? (47:39)
4- Closing Thoughts (49:13)

LET US KNOW: DO YOU THINK GIRL GROUPS ARE WINNING?
What do you think about girl groups in K-pop right now? Do you agree that they're outshining the boy groups? Do you think they'll keep winning in 2023? Why/why not
HELP THE SHOW GROW
Share the show with a friend, a mutual or anyone curious about K-pop! Tag us on IG & Twitter with screenshots of you listening to the show.

It's a K-pop Thing is hosted by two journalists and longtime K-pop stans, Alexis Hodoyán-Gastélum and Theresa Avila.
FOLLOW US:
Twitter: @ikptpod & Instagram: @ikptpod
FEEDBACK? IDEAS FOR FUTURE EPISODES?
E-mail us at [email protected]

Play This! SB19's "GENTO" and Other Beast-Idol Tracks We Love

It's a K-pop Thing

10/13/23 • 82 min

For this edition of Play This! we’re discussing “Gento,” a song by Filipino-boy-group SB19. While it’s not K-pop, per se, the song has been making its way around the industry’s boy groups, thanks to numerous idols doing the “Gento” dance challenge.

But, what is it about this song that has male idols flocking to it? Is the popularity of SB19’s “Gento," maybe due to changes in concepts for K-pop boy groups? Are male idols simply missing the hard-hitting choreography we once associated with “Beast Idols” in K-pop?

More importantly—what actually happened to the “beastly idol,” or “beast idol,” or “beast-dol” boy group concepts from the 2010s?

In this episode, we share our theories behind the popularity of "Gento" and we give you a brief history of "beast idols" in K-pop. Plus, we share other songs by some of our favorite "beast-dols" as well as our predictions for where boy groups go next.
Buckle up—as MONSTA X says — "we are BEASTMODE!"
LISTEN TO THE PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY: "SB19's Gento and Other Beast Idol K-pop Songs"
EPISODE RUNDOWN (with timestamps):

PART 1: SB19 & The History of Beast Idols

Episode Intro (1:39)
SB19 Quick Bio (4:56)
"Gento" Song Analysis (6:48)
Our theory behind "Gento"s popularity (12:27)
How have K-pop boy group concepts changed? (16:50)
How do we define "beast idols" in K-pop? (22:36)
A brief (and VERY unscientific) history of beast idols in K-pop (31:15)

PART 2: Other Beast-dol Songs We Recommend

2PM — "I'm Your Man" (45:18 )
MBLAQ — "This is War" (50:16)
MONSTA X — "Shoot Out" (58:02)
B.A.P — "Warrior" (63:37)
Special song mentions:
DMTN, MYNAME, ZE:A, Hotshot, SPEED, Block B (72:17)

FINAL THOUGHTS

Is Y2K boy group nostalgia up next? (75:00)

TAKE OUR POLL ON SPOTIFY: What’s your favorite “Beast-ly” Boy Group in K-pop? Do you think we should have more groups with this type of concept today?

A Look at GHOST9's Debut During the Pandemic

It's a K-pop Thing

01/17/23 • 71 min

Debuting a K-pop group under normal circumstances is, to say the least, no easy feat. So, what do we make of a rookie K-pop group from a smaller music label that not only debuts during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also decides to go on tour? Well, that's exactly what K-pop group GHOST9 did in 2022.
In our very first episode of It's a K-pop Thing, we're kicking off a two-part series that looks at K-pop groups that debuted during the pandemic. In Episode 1, we go back in time to January 2022, when GHOST9 held their first concert in the U.S.
We'll discuss the group's performance at the El Rey Theater in Hollywood, their collaboration with KOREOS, a dance cover group at UCLA, and lastly, their overall marketing and promotional strategy—and what we make of it!
EPISODE RUNDOWN:

1 - "A surplus of K-pop concerts" (4:55)
2 - GHOST9 Concert Recap (6:30)
3 - KOREOS Interview with Janie Wang (janiewang_19) and Rin Sohn (@rin.ajin) (18:30)
4 - Does this marketing strategy work? (55:34)
5 - What's next? (67:51)

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we look at another rookie K-pop group that's taken a very different approach to getting their name out there!
WATCH GHOST9 & KOREOS COLLAB HERE:
https://youtu.be/s60jrrIg1is

Rookie K-pop Group TFN (Formerly T1419) Sets Its Eyes on Latin America

It's a K-pop Thing

02/17/23 • 65 min

We're back with a very special follow-up episode in our mini series on rookie K-pop groups that survived — and thrived— throughout the pandemic.
For Episode 2 we're super excited to announce we have the podcast's ... FIRST ~ EXCLUSIVE ~ K-POP INTERVIEW!
In this episode, we chat with TFN (formerly known as T1419)—a rookie K-pop group that quickly caught our attention because of the unique way they're promoting themselves in Latin America and Japan.
Tune in to hear the members discuss what it was like to debut during a time when K-pop groups couldn't meet with fans in person—and what they make of their Latine fans. Plus, we spoke to one lucky TFN/T1419 super fan who met the group while they were in Puerto Rico last summer for the Latin Premios Juventud award show. Lastly, we dissect the group's performance at KAMP and where we hope the group goes next.
EPISODE RUNDOWN:

1 - "What's in a name? TFN's Quick Bio" (4:09)
2 - Some Notes On Our TFN Interview (7:11)
3 - TFN Exclusive Interview (8:44)
4 - "The Pros/Cons of Stanning Rookie Groups" (Our Interview with Amanda Soto, a TFN stan) (20:02)
5 - Analysis: Was KAMP a test for TFN? Did they pass? (42:07)
6 - Final Thoughts (60:31)

TAG US — Let us know if there's another rookie K-pop group that you think should be on our radar! Who would you like to see us interview next?
SPECIAL THANKS to TFN & MLD ENTERTAINMENT for helping make this episode possible!
REMEMBER TO KEEP AN EYE OUT ON SOCIAL FOR EXCLUSIVE TFN CLIPS!
Follow us on @ikptpod on Instagram and Twitter for updates :)
WATCH TFN'S SPANISH SONG "BEFORE SUNSET" HERE:
https://youtu.be/oNnGFBl8LVs

All Hail HYUNA! (Special Segment: Battle of the B-sides)

It's a K-pop Thing

02/28/23 • 61 min

We've tabled the reporting this week to bring you a special bonus episode in the form of a little game we're calling, "Battle of the B-sides."
Now, before you get ahead of yourself—there is no singing OR actual "battle" taking place. Instead, we're taking a deep dive into the B-sides of one of our favorite K-pop artists to figure out which non-title-track is our favorite.
Here’s how it works:

Two teams will each share their Top 2 album B-sides from an artist and then will make the case for why it’s that idol’s “winning” B-side! A not-so-impartial judge will help to choose a winner over a few rounds of debate.
By the end of it all, we hope you’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for an artist’s music as well some new songs to listen to!

To make this all happen, we've invited our friends over at the Kpopcast to join us for our inaugural Battle of the B-sides: HYUNA Edition!
That's right—for this episode we’re starting off with none other than the remarkable, one-of-a-kind, and iconic HYUNA!
EPISODE RUNDOWN:

Team Intros: "Sounds Like K-pop" VS "The Return of 2PM" (3:24)
First Impressions of HYUNA (5:53)
Round 1: "Get Outta My House" VS "ICE ICE" (17:28)
Round 2: "Freaky" VS "Show Window" (30:01)
THE BEST B-SIDE! (44:11)
Hopes for HYUNA Moving Forward (53:31)

HYUNA B-SIDE SONGS MENTIONED:

CHECK OUT THE KPOPCAST HERE:
Web: https://kpopcast.net/
Twitter: @thekpopcast
WANT US TO FEATURE ANOTHER K-POP ARTIST?
If you like this episode and want us to explore deep cuts from another artist, make sure to tag us on Instagram & Twitter @IKPTPOD or email us at [email protected].

Girl Groups Run K-pop: Pt 2 (IVE, TWICE, FIFTY FIFTY)

It's a K-pop Thing

04/12/23 • 80 min

We're back with Part 2 of our mini-series examining the state of Girl Groups in K-pop today! We have a lot to discuss in this episode, including new releases by plenty of 4th-gen acts as well as our theories on why the spotlight is shining so brightly on girl groups.
PLUS!! We share our TOP 10+ GIRL GROUPS (atm): With so many girl groups charting at the moment, we made our own list of the girl groups that have us excited for the rest of 2023! Plus, you'll hear which groups we're crossing our fingers make an epic comeback so they don't fade into the background.
(Note: If you missed Part 1 of our discussion, go back to the feed and check out our interview with music journalist Lai Frances.)
EPISODE RUNDOWN:

Vox Pop: What K-pop Stans Think (2:38)
K-pop Girl Groups Are Breaking Records (6:09)
Theories On Why Girl Groups Are Breaking Through (9:25)
Our Top 10 List of Girl Groups (for 2023) (31:25)
Honorable Group Mentions (67:25)
Groups We Hope Have a Comeback (72:20)

LET US KNOW: WHAT GIRL GROUPS TOP YOUR LIST RIGHT NOW?
Do you agree with our Top 10? What groups are you most excited about? Tag us on social and let us know!
HELP THE SHOW GROW
Share the show with a friend, a mutual or anyone curious about K-pop! Already done that? Tag us on IG & Twitter with a screenshot of the latest episode & what you thought about it!

Play This! FIFTY FIFTY'S "Cupid" And Other Soft K-pop Hits We Recommend

It's a K-pop Thing

05/02/23 • 49 min

FIFTY FIFTY's "Cupid" is still going strong on the charts, thanks to the popularity of its English "Twin" version. But where do you from there? What other K-pop songs do you queue up on your playlist? After all, you need at least a few good songs to get the algorithm to do its thing!
Lucky for you, we've got four K-pop songs for you that are in the same vein as FIFTY FIFTY's "Cupid." Tune in to hear us break down what's helping "Cupid" chart so well plus our personal song recs for you to play next.
EPISODE RUNDOWN:

Intro
How does TikTok factor into all this?
Is "Cupid" an outlier?
Other K-pop Soft Pop Hits We Recommend
1. IU - "BBIBBI"
2. LE SSERAFIM - "Good Parts (when the quality is bad but I am)
3. BOL4 - "Some"
4. Wonder Girls - "Rewind"
What older K-pop hits would blow up on TikTok today?

LET US KNOW: What other K-pop soft pop hits would you recommend? Tag us on Instagram or Twitter with your thoughts!

We Chat With AleXa About Singing In Spanish and What Makes K-pop Unique

It's a K-pop Thing

07/21/23 • 66 min

Today's episode features a special interview with K-pop idol and artist, AleXa! Recently we chatted with her about her latest digital-single, "Juliet," and the 6(!) different versions of the song, which include a bachata remix sung entirely in Spanish. In other episodes, we’ve touched on the globalization of K-pop and how artists have branched out to other markets to gain traction beyond Korea. But, AleXa is the latest K-pop idol to turn to the massive fandom in Latin America and recognize them with a special release for Spanish speakers.
Tune in to hear AleXa talk about writing a ballad, what it was like winning American Song Contest, and her thoughts what makes K-pop so unique. Plus, stay tuned after the interview for our takeaways and discussion on the significance of K-pop catering to international fans.

WATCH ALEXA PERFORM"JULIET" IN SPANISH HERE:
https://youtu.be/R-5PnLajFn4

EPISODE RUNDOWN (w/TIME STAMPS)

Intro to AleXa (2:17)
Interview with AleXa (4:32)
- Singing in Spanish & not sounding like a "gringa" (8:35)
- Bringing K-pop to American reality TV (19:15)
- Growing up in Oklahoma & finding your people (21:42)
- Why K-pop is always "intentional" and polished (31:28)
Our Discussion & Takeaways (39:31)
- How do we define K-pop today? (44:13)
- Where does AleXa fit into the music landscape? (48:07)
- We applaud AleXa for addressing her haters (50:55)
- Some context on K-pop catering to Latin America (58:48)
- Final Thoughts: The impact of K-pop in Spanish (1:02)

LET US KNOW: What do you think of AleXa and other K-pop idols singing in Spanish? Tag us on Instagram or Twitter @IKPTPOD with your thoughts!
ABOUT OUR GUEST ALEXA:
AleXa (알렉사) is a K-pop singer, dancer and songwriter who grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 2019, AleXa made her multilingual K-pop debut with “Bomb,” which hit #7 on Billboard’s “World Digital Song Sales” chart. After a breakthrough comeback with mid-tempo dance track “Tattoo” in 2022, her song “Wonderland” earned a resounding win on NBC’s American Song Contest, a remake of Europe’s hugely popular Eurovision Song Contest. “Wonderland” ranked #38 on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart, propelling AleXa to the 6th most played Korean artist on U.S. radio and the first female Korean act to present at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards.
KEEP UP WITH ALEXA:
Official Site: https://www.alexazb.com
YouTube: AleXa • ZB Label⁣⁣
Instagram: @Alexa_zbofficial

Play This! TXT & Jonas Brothers "Do It Like That" Plus More K-pop Collabs We Recommend

It's a K-pop Thing

08/10/23 • 78 min

We're back with another edition of Play This! where we give you some song recommendations inspired by recent K-pop releases. On this episode, we discuss the latest collaboration between a K-pop group with a Western artist: "Do It Like That," by TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Jonas Brothers.
"Do It Like That" is a bouncy, fun pop song that's perfect for summer and it got us thinking about how rare and special it is to have a collab happen between a K-pop group and a Western artist.
Tune in as we travel back in time to bring you some of our favorite musical crossovers from years past.
GET THE PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY: Play This! Great K-pop Collabs (TXT, Jonas Brothers and More)
EPISODE RUNDOWN (w/TIMESTAMPS)

Intro to the episode (2:09)
What is the TXT sound? (6:36)
How does this song bridge fandoms across generations? (10:15)
The 411 on "Do It Like That" (16:51)
Measuring the song's "success"(19:55)

Other Great K-pop Collabs with Western Artists We Recommend (28:57)

Don't Need Your Love — NCT DREAM, HRVY
All Night —BTS, Juice WRLD
Put My Hands On You — DEAN, Anderson .Paak
Freal Luv — Far East Movement, CHANYEOL, Marshmello, Tinashe (52:43)
Temple — Baauer, M.I.A., G-DRAGON
Let's Shut Up & Dance — Jason Derulo, LAY, NCT 127

Honorable Song Mentions (73:49)

Sour Candy — Lady Gaga, BLACKPINK
Up To You — PRETTYMUCH, NCT DREAM
Kiss and Make Up — Dua Lipa, BLACKPINK
NILIRIA — G-DRAGON, Missy Elliot

LET US KNOW: What did you think of our song picks? What would you add to the list? Tag us on Instagram and Twitter with your thoughts OR leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Is There Such a Thing As TOO Many K-pop Concerts?

It's a K-pop Thing

09/20/23 • 92 min

If you're a K-pop multi-stan like us in the USA, you might have noticed something lately: The number of K-pop acts on tour has grown by a LOT! But with that growth, we've also seen an increase in tour dates overlapping and fans ultimately having to choose between which of their favorite artists to support.
We have to ask: Are we finally in the era of too many K-pop concerts?
To help us talk through this dilemma, we invited our friends Carolina and Kat, each one-fourth of the women behind the podcast Not Your Average Fangirls. If you've ever listened to the show, you know NYAF are some of the biggest K-pop multi-stans around!
On this episode we chat about how K-pop tours have changed, what improvements we'd like to see and—most importantly—their tips for how fans can pay for those concert tickets!
EPISODE RUNDOWN (with Timestamps):
Part 1: Overview of current K-pop tours (2:28)

The 3 problems we've noticed with tickets (4:48)
Our thoughts on shows not selling (8:24)
The impact on older and newer K-pop groups
Should promoters do more 2 for 1 sales? (13:59)
Is the playing field more uneven? (18:34)

Part 2: Interview with NOT YOUR AVERAGE FANGIRLS (23:30)

How do we decide what shows to attend? (30:12)
What's unique to K-pop tours? (39:21)
The impact of certain venues and stadiums (46:23)
Can things be improved? How? (64:00)
Budgeting for K-pop concerts (68:21)
The most we've spent on tickets ... (86:00)
Tours we're excited for! Plus a shout-out to SuperM (88:15)

VOTE IN OUR SPOTIFY POLL—Let us know what YOU think! Are we in the age of too many K-pop concerts?
CHECK OUT NOT YOUR AVERAGE FANGIRLS HERE:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nyafangirls/
X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/NYAFangirls

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FAQ

How many episodes does It's a K-pop Thing have?

It's a K-pop Thing currently has 19 episodes available.

What topics does It's a K-pop Thing cover?

The podcast is about Kpop, Korean, K-Pop, Music, Podcasts, Fandom, Music Interviews and Music Commentary.

What is the most popular episode on It's a K-pop Thing?

The episode title 'This Is Our K-pop Debut ... As Podcast Hosts' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on It's a K-pop Thing?

The average episode length on It's a K-pop Thing is 70 minutes.

How often are episodes of It's a K-pop Thing released?

Episodes of It's a K-pop Thing are typically released every 33 days, 21 hours.

When was the first episode of It's a K-pop Thing?

The first episode of It's a K-pop Thing was released on Sep 22, 2022.

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It's a K-pop Thing

Alkemie Sound Lab

Top 10 It's a K-pop Thing Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does It's a K-pop Thing have?

What topics does It's a K-pop Thing cover?

What is the most popular episode on It's a K-pop Thing?

What is the average episode length on It's a K-pop Thing?

How often are episodes of It's a K-pop Thing released?

When was the first episode of It's a K-pop Thing?

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