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Put simply: We have big and complex feelings about EXO's highly anticipated comeback following the return of all members from their military enlistment.  When news of an EXO reunion first broke, we were just as excited as any diehard EXO-L. Unfortunately, as time went on and it became evident that CBX would NOT be included in the comeback due to their ongoing legal troubles with SM Entertainment ... well, our enthusiasm waned. What happened to the OT9 EXO reunion much of the fandom eagerly awaited?  Does it make sense to release a title track called "Crown" when key powerhouse vocalists are missing? Is it even possible to support the boys, but not the comeback? To help us make sense of our mixed feelings we invited Ashley, the host of the podcast An Album a Day to join us for a free-flowing and honest chat about all things EXO. Tune in to hear: Why we think "Crown" seems like a SuperM song from the vaultOur honest thoughts on REVERXE as an albumWhy we think the visuals and marketing didn't match the musicThe "Suju-fication" of EXO's unique sound - is this the future?Some quick context for EXO-CBX's legal woes with SMWhy we're hopeful about a future reunionOur thoughts on fan wars and how we can move forwardAbout our Guest: Ashley is a content creator, educator, and public speaker. As a music historian and an authority on the K-pop phenomenon, she has collaborated on projects and events with various domestic and international companies and brands. As the host of An Album a Day,  ("A3Day"), Ashley leads listeners on a journey through every album available within K-pop with fact-based and opinionated commentary within each "shortcast" episode. Keep Up With Ashley and An Album a Day: Website: A3Daypodcast.comInstagram: @a3daypodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@a3dayIt'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]

After analyzing all of the year-in-review K-pop content over the holidays, we've come to one conclusion: 2025 was *rough* and left us wanting a lot more. So, as we kick off the brand new year in 2026, we're hoping our collective positive thinking can help us manifest the best possible year yet in K-pop! Tune in as we chit chat about: Our standout releases from 2025What we're each manifesting for K-popWhat changes we're hoping to see in the industryWhat's next for the podcastLet us know what K-pop resolutions you have for the year and what you're hoping to manifest in 2026 by tagging us on social media @IKPTPOD. 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]

We're kicking off 2026 with an episode we recorded at the tail end of last year that's all about Santos Bravos! Following HYBE's big experiment with KATSEYE, HYBE Latin America focused its efforts in 2025 on debuting a Latino pop boy group using the K-pop industry model.  Though the group is most definitely NOT K-pop sonically (more on that later), its creation via a music survival show, its trainee model and its obvious connection to HYBE mean it carries the DNA or building blocks of the K-pop industry. Naturally, all this means we have a LOT of thoughts on the group's debut and where they might best fit into the current music landscape. So, what did Santos Bravos get right about Latino boy bands and is it only a matter of time before everyone knows their name in Latin America? Tune in to hear Alexis and Theresa discuss: The uphill battle the boys faced in the survivial showWhat it was like to watch the Santos Bravos showcase live in Mexico CityOur takeaways on the final lineup's cohesion (or lack thereof?)Why we think Drew was always going to debut as the anchor for the groupThe obvious (and not-so-obvious) comparisons to KATSEYEThe importance of a visual and sonic identity for a groupAnd so much more! 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]

Kpop Demon Hunters arguably gave us not just the song of the summer, but the soundtrack of the year. Sound like hyperbole? It's been months since the animated musical was released this summer and it shows no signs of slowing down. Thanks to word-of-mouth and some early guerrilla-style marketing, viewership for the film snowballed so unexpectedly and so quickly that it now holds the distinction of being Netflix's most-watched original title ... EVER, with more than 236 million views as of late August. Now, with Halloween upon us, it seems kids everywhere are eager up to dress up as Rumi, Mira, Zoey, or any of the other memorable characters from the film. At the same time, the singing voices of HUNTR/X have been making the rounds on late night TV ahead of what is arguably a campaign to get in front of the voting bodies during awards season next year. Last but not least, we have the release of EJAE's new single, "In Another World." It's about time time we finally dove into what exactly makes KPOP Demon Hunters so successful and so sticky in pop culture. Listen to hear our discussion on: How Kpop Demon Hunters capitalized on fandom cultureThe power of word-of-mouth and YouTube reactorsKevin Woo's marketing advantage as a real-life K-pop idol The choice of original songs vs. needle drops from existing K-pop groupsEJAE's career in K-pop mirroring Rumi's character arc storyKids, families and keeping K-pop accessibleOur takes on the real inspo for HUNTR/X and Saja BoysIt'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]

After taking a break in 2025 we are BACK with a fresh season of It's a K-pop Thing! It's been a long 9 months — we could have had a baby! — and we've missed talking all things K-pop. There's tons of new things we want to try for this upcoming season so stay tuned for updates on that on our Instagram account (@IKPTPOD).  To kick things off this season, Alexis and Theresa are focusing on the current fan experience. With SO many K-pop groups touring and tickets prices being SO expensive ... we have to ask: Can we afford K-pop? In THIS economy? Tune in and hear as we commiserate with one another and strategize on how we can make lemonade out of lemons this K-pop touring season. 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]

We're back with a fresh season for 2025 and to kick things right off we're bringing you a conversation we recorded at the end of last year when Stray Kids announced their upcoming stadium tour! There's no doubt that K-pop has grown, and with it, the size of venues artists perform has grown as well. So many K-pop acts have made headlines selling out shows at stadiums across the United States and with Stray Kids embarking on an even stadium-ONLY tour, it seems a new milestone for K-pop is here: Go Big or Go Home. But—are stadium concerts in K-pop a good thing? Alexis and Theresa dive into the heavy cost that comes with attending a stadium concert and why they might not be the best thing for the fan experience. IN THIS EPISODE: SEVENTEEN Stadium Recap at BMO in LAThe Evolution of Concert Culture in K-popThe Not-so-great Impact of Stadium Tours on K-popConcert Ticket-buying Strategies and Tradeoffs to ConsiderAre We Going to See Even More K-pop Stadium Tours?How Could the Stadium Show Experience Be Enhanced?Final Thoughts and Wish ListIt'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]

We are back after our summer break for a brand new season of It's a K-pop Thing! In this episode, we catch up and discuss what it was like traveling to Mexico this summer to see NCT Dream and Cha Eun Woo. Then, you don't want our advice and tips in the second half of the show! If you've ever thought about traveling to see a K-pop show in Mexico (or maybe greater Latin America), this is the episode for you. We give you the real, honest advice we would give our closest friends about what you can expect at a show, what you should look out for and more. In this episode we cover: What it's like to go to Mexico for a K-pop ConcertCha Eun Woo in Mexico City 2024 at Arena CDMXWhat his fan meeting/concert was likeNCT Dream in Mexico CityWhat it was like getting floor seats for NCT Dream in Latin AmericaHow to see a K-pop concert in Mexico Tips for K-pop concerts in MexicoTIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Cold Open1:45 - Start of Show 3:39 - Cha Eun Woo in Mexico City19:00 - NCT Dream42:23 - Advice and Tips for Traveling to Mexico45:01 - TIP 1 - Don't be afraid to go alone48:26 - TIP 2 - Tap your Mexican friends/mutuals for help55:53 - TIP 3 - Take the right amount of cash61:02 - TIP 4 - Buy the bootleg merch!67:55 - TIP 5 - Do your research on local events before/after the show73:32 - TIP 6 - Make friends at the show80:23 - TIP 7 - "Don't piss them off"88:23 - TIP 8 - Level your expectations about concert etiquette97:12 - Final Thoughts 98:52 - End of 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]

In this edition of Play This! we bring you a previously unreleased episode that almost didn't air. Shortly after recording our discussion about ILLIT's debut hit single, "Magnetic," news broke of the corporate turmoil and fallout going on at HYBE and ADOR regarding allegations of plagiarism. In this episode—recorded prior to the allegations surfaced by ADOR's CEO Min Hee Jin—Alexis and Theresa discuss the similarities and differences between NewJeans and ILLIT,  the evolution of girl group concepts and what makes a great K-pop debut song. LINK TO THE FULL SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: Listen Here RUNDOWN (with timestamps): Disclaimer for EpisodeOriginal Show Intro (2:20)Overview of ILLIT and how it formed (5:01)First Impressions of ILLIT's concept (10:18)Is it bad for ILLIT to be compared to NewJeans? (13:26)Does ILLIT have J-pop vibes? How is it different? (20:21)Marketing ILLIT at Fashion Week (23:58)HYBE's access to songwriters & the classic K-pop sound (29:49)Do groups have to DEBUT with a HIT? (38:49)SONG RECOMMENDATIONS  Overview of the best K-pop debut songs  (44:26)NCT U "7th Sense" (45:29)SEVENTEEN "Adore U" (55:15)EVERGLOW "BON BON CHOCOLAT" (61:04)ITZY "DALLA DALLA" (74:15)Final Thoughts (85:40)LET US KNOW: What's your favorite K-pop debut song? TAG US ON SOCIAL: Take a photo of you listening and tag us on Instagram at @IKPTPOD and let us know what you liked about 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]

We have a special concert recap episode that's ALL about our recent K-pop travels, concerts experiences and even a special run-in with some K-pop idols after a concert! (No spoilers: You'll have to tune in to hear who it was!) In this episode we cover how Alexis recently traveled to Tokyo to catch NCT 127 before military enlistments for the members began and Theresa talks about how she flew to Las Vegas to catch TWICE on the last stop of their world tour.  We get into the nitty gritty about Alexis's experience buying the SM Global package and what it was like watching a K-pop show without her phone. Plus, hear about Theresa's experience giving K-pop freebies for the first time and how VCHA opened for TWICE. 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]

Lately, the general consensus seems to be: K-pop is bigger than ever before —and that's to be celebrated— but it's also ... different. The music trends are changing and, depending on who you ask, it's not always for the better. Especially among multi-stans, there seems to be a newfound sense of overwhelm and fatigue due to the relentless amount of content churned out by K-pop. All of this has us thinking: Are we entering a new era of K-pop? Is K-pop's rapid growth stalling? Dare we ask: Has K-pop Hit a Plateau? To help us understand where K-pop is today, we're joined in a roundtable discussion by friends of the pod, DJ Peter Lo of the Kpopcast podcast and Tamar Herman, a longtime K-pop journalist and author of the newsletter Notes On K-pop. We don't promise to have all the answers, but maybe we can share some good thought starters! Let us know what you think of the state of K-pop today by tagging Alexis and Theresa on Instagram @IKPTpod. Follow Tamar @Tamarwrites Follow Peter @DJPeterLo  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]

This episode is PART 2 of our two-episode discussion on the latest K-pop and Latin music collab, "Amigos" by BIBI and Becky G.  If you haven't checked out PART 1, go back to the feed and listen! In this portion of the discussion, we dive into our top K-pop and Latine song recommendations! We focus on K-pop songs that cater to a Latine audience, by either featuring a Latine artist, they're sung in Spanish or..they simply have a Latin vibe. EPISODE RUNDOWN: Intro to the discussionSong Rec #1 (1:11) - GOT7's "Lullaby" in SPANISHSong Rec #2 (7:36) - VAV ft. De La Ghetto & Play-N-Skillz “Give Me More”Song Rec #3 (15:25) - Super Junior x Leslie “Lo Siento”Song Rec #4 (22:44) - ONEUS “Baila Conmigo”Final Thoughts (30:17) - Plus other song recs!LISTEN TO OUR FULL SPOTIFY PLAYLIST! We've got more 25+ K-pop x Latin songs that highlight the growing crossover between Korea and Latin America. REMEZCLA ARTICLE on K-pop x Cumbia/Norteña LET US KNOW YOUR DREAM K-POP X LATINE COLLAB! Tag us on Instagram @IKPTPod to let us know! 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]

Hey everyone! We're back in 2024 with an episode we recorded at the tail end of last year when BIBI and Becky G had just released their collab track, "Amigos." It's a chill, fun song that also serves as a good introduction to K-R&B and Latin music. Given this song bridges the broader worlds of K-pop and Latin music—two of our fav genres—we naturally have have a LOT of thoughts on the song! This episode is PART 1 of our two-episode discussion on the latest K-pop and Latin music collab, "Amigos" by BIBI and Becky G. Make sure to stay tuned for Part 2 of our discussion later in a future episode, where we give our top song recs for K-pop/Latine music collabs. EPISODE RUNDOWN: IntroArtist Bios: BIBI & Becky G (2:36)Why does this collab make sense? (5:57)Song Review (20:45)When did we start seeing K-pop/Latin collabs happen? (28:23)Our Hot Takes (39:59)What's NEXT for K-pop/Latine collabs? HYBE's influence (43:18)What we would like to see when K-pop labels go to Latin America (59:29)Wrap Up (66:34)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]

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? 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]

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 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]

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, HRVYAll Night —BTS, Juice WRLDPut My Hands On You — DEAN, Anderson .PaakFreal Luv — Far East Movement, CHANYEOL, Marshmello, Tinashe (52:43)Temple — Baauer, M.I.A., G-DRAGONLet's Shut Up & Dance — Jason Derulo, LAY, NCT 127Honorable Song Mentions (73:49) Sour Candy — Lady Gaga, BLACKPINKUp To You — PRETTYMUCH, NCT DREAMKiss and Make Up — Dua Lipa, BLACKPINKNILIRIA — G-DRAGON, Missy ElliotLET 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! 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]