Welcome to this episode of Pass the K-popcorn, where the Seoulbeats team get together to discuss their thoughts on K-entertainment and share their personal experiences.

Many things have changed since the first generation of K-pop idols to this day, and being a fan has come to mean an entirely different experience in 2021. The writers and editors from the Seoulbeats team share their journeys into the K-pop universe. Going from their own baby steps into the world of K-pop fandom to discussions on social media presence of idols and their best picks to recommend to new fans, it’s a wild ride through time! Join us for this exciting trip down memory lane!

Listen to it here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0wvLuLSWw8ldi5C4Ry3IkU?si=044mJlvPTg6dmK4v8LvfIA

0:01:28 When did we enter the K-pop universe?

0:16:10 Going back to listening to older generations of K-pop music

0:17:37 Discussing personas of different generations of idols the return of second-generation idols

0:21:56 The new era of social media, unregulated content, and the rawness of idols

0:24:55 Reflecting on the current environment of idol debuts and the current pressures

0:27:56 Dreamcatcher, their success, and rebranding idol groups

0:30:25 The rise of pre-releases and survival shows

0:33:52 Media attention at a young age and online criticism

0:36:37 Day6‘s Jae, candidness, the debate over online interactions

0:40:22 Celebrities on social media: Hyuna and Sunmi

0:41:21 Negotiating the internet sphere for younger idols (things don’t go away on the internet)

0:45:51 Our recommendations to K-pop first-timers and the appeal of self-producing groups

0:59:08 Chatting about the increase of media platforms and our final msuic recommendations

(Music by lrobinson_sds from Pixabay)