KPopped
| KPopped | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Music competition |
| Directed by | Yeonkyu Lee |
| Presented by | Soojeong Son |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin |
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| Original languages |
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| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Cinematography |
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| Running time | 32 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Apple TV+ |
| Release | August 29, 2025 – present |
KPopped (stylized in all caps) is a music reality competition television series that premiered on Apple TV+ on August 29, 2025. Produced by CJ ENM and Eureka Productions, the series pairs Western recording artists with K-pop idols to reimagine the artists’ most popular songs in a K-pop style. Each episode culminates in head-to-head song battles judged by a live audience in Seoul. The show stars Psy and Megan Thee Stallion and is hosted by Soojeong Son. Stallion additionally serves as an executive producer alongside Lionel Richie and Miky Lee.
Format
[edit]Established K-pop groups are divided into two subunits, each paired with a Western solo artist to reinterpret one of the guest's songs. In cases where acts like Boyz II Men are featured, the show skips having two guest artists, and each group performs twice—once with each subunit. Artists have 48 hours to rehearse before performing live for a studio audience, who then vote for the winning performance.[1][2]
The series also features brief cultural exchanges, such as the members of Billlie introducing Megan Thee Stallion to spicy Buldak Ramen and ATEEZ joining Kylie Minogue to learn the traditional Buchaechum dance.[3]
Production
[edit]Apple TV+ announced the series on February 5, 2025.[4] It premiered on August 29, 2025.[5] The soundtrack was released in two installments by Sony Music Masterworks: the first volume, containing seven songs from the series, arrived on September 5, 2025, followed by the complete album on September 19, 2025.[6][7]
Reception
[edit]Hannah J Davies of The Guardian gave the series three out of five stars, describing it as "harmless but largely vibeless" and "a fairly blatant attempt to cash in on the ubiquity of K-pop." She also noted that it lacked the tension and unpredictability typically associated with music competition shows.[1]
Episodes
[edit]- Note: Winners are listed in bold.
| No. in series | No. in season | Title | Original airdate | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | 1 | Megan Thee Stallion. Patti LaBelle. Billlie. | August 29, 2025 | |||
"Flipping a Coin" performed by Billlie, Megan Thee Stallion and Patti LaBelle | ||||||
| 82 | 2 | Spice Girls (Emma & Mel B). ITZY. | August 29, 2025 | |||
"Gold" performed by ITZY and Spice Girls | ||||||
| 83 | 3 | Vanilla Ice. Taylor Dayne. Kep1er. | August 29, 2025 | |||
"Wa Da Da" performed by Kep1er, Vanilla Ice and Taylor Dayne | ||||||
| 84 | 4 | Eve. Kesha. JO1. | August 29, 2025 | |||
"Love Seeker" performed by JO1, Eve and Kesha | ||||||
| 85 | 5 | Kylie Minogue. J Balvin. ATEEZ. | August 29, 2025 | |||
"Bouncy (K-Hot Chilli Peppers)" performed by ATEEZ, Kylie Minogue and J Balvin | ||||||
| 86 | 6 | Boy George. TLC. STAYC. | August 29, 2025 | |||
"Run2U" performed by STAYC, TLC and Boy George | ||||||
| 87 | 7 | Ava Max. Jess Glynne. Kiss of Life. | August 29, 2025 | |||
"Get Loud" performed by Kiss of Life, Ava Max and Jess Glynne | ||||||
| 88 | 8 | Boyz II Men. Blackswan. | August 29, 2025 | |||
"Roll Up" performed by Blackswan and Boyz II Men | ||||||
References
[edit]- ^ a b Davies, Hannah J. (August 29, 2025). "KPOPPED review – making this star-packed singing contest must have been absolutely wild". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on August 29, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
- ^ "Apple TV+ unveils thrilling trailer and star-studded lineup for global K-pop song battle series "KPOPPED," premiering August 29" (Press release). Apple TV+. August 1, 2025. Archived from the original on August 1, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
- ^ Wang, Mel (September 9, 2025). "'KPOPPED' is One of the Weirdest Reality Musical Contests Out There". Rolling Stone Philippines. Archived from the original on October 1, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
- ^ "Apple TV+ announces new K-pop song battle series "KPOPPED," starring PSY and Megan Thee Stallion" (Press release). Apple TV+. February 5, 2025. Archived from the original on April 1, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
- ^ "KPOPPED" (Press release). Apple TV+. August 29, 2025. Archived from the original on October 1, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
- ^ "KPOPPED (Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack) Vol. 1 by Various Artists". Apple Music. Archived from the original on September 7, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
- ^ "KPOPPED (Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack) by Various Artists". Apple Music. Archived from the original on September 26, 2025. Retrieved October 2, 2025.