"Megan Thee Stallion. Patti LaBelle. Kylie Minogue. Two-fifths of the Spice Girls. These are just a smattering of the multiplatinum sellers in the all-singing, all-dancing trailer for KPOPPED, which, honestly, looked epic. If I had been reviewing this new Lionel Richie-produced singing contest based on those 109 seconds alone complete with roaring stage pyrotechnics and Megan performing a K-pop version of her smash hit Savage it would have been an easy five stars. Sadly, the series that follows isn't quite as irresistible."
"So the star power is high but the action forced and formulaic. There is usually some kind of acknowledgment from the guest stars that K-pop is the in thing, something their children or grandchildren know more about than them, while the Korean contingent talk vaguely about how iconic the guests are. There are low-stakes cultural exchanges, such as Megan eating unbearably spicy ramen; Kylie Minogue learning a traditional Korean dance; and Emma Bunton and Mel B attending a tea ceremony."
Each episode splits an established Korean boy or girlband into two halves, pairing each with a different Western solo artist to reimagine one of the guest's hits. The pairs learn new lyrics and choreography within 48 hours and perform synchronized covers featuring high production values, choreography, and pyrotechnics. A studio audience votes on which rendition best captured the K-pop transformation. Episodes include light cultural exchanges and guest reactions to K-pop's popularity. The series showcases major star power but often feels formulaic, rushed, and mechanically produced, with performances that sometimes prioritize tempo and spectacle over authentic reinterpretation.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]