Apple TV+’s new musical competition show KPOPPED is breaking musical boundaries, one collaboration at a time.
The show premiered on the streamer on Friday, August 29, featuring a roster of both western and K-pop artists, including J Balvin, TLC, Boyz II Men, ATEEZ and ITZY. Each artist is given the chance to reimagine a hit song as they all compete to win the hearts of a live audience — all in good fun, of course.
“It’s not your traditional music competition. It’s very celebratory, it’s very warm hearted, and the big focus is the language of music,” producer Moira Ross exclusively shared with Us Weekly. Since the 2010s, K-pop has grown to become a global phenomenon and, with the genre’s biggest artists frequently topping global charts, the creation of KPOPPED was a no-brainer.
The idea for the show was first formed in 2021, following a meeting between CJ ENM’s vice-chairwoman Miky Lee and music legend Lionel Richie, producer Jake Hong explained to Us.
“They were sharing a common belief in the global power of music — that music crosses cultures, languages and generations — [and] they came with an idea,” he said. The team then set out to create a “great TV show” that would both bridge the K-pop world and Western pop world, sharing the incredible talent coming from each side.
For Ross — who previously worked as a show runner on The Voice UK and The Masked Singer — the show’s competition aspect came second to highlighting the ways in which music can unite people.
“From my personal perspective, I know that what we wanted was a sheer joyful experience. So the competition is fun and light hearted, really, and it’s just pure celebration,” Ross said.
“I think it was about K-pop,” Hong said, explaining that their shared vision was focused on “celebrating music and creativity without borders.” Ross added that it was especially important that the show remained authentic to Korean culture, inspiring their decision to film the show onsite in Seoul, South Korea.
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“We really try to make sure we showcase Korea in a beautiful way,” Ross told Us. They’re incredibly grateful for each artist that participated, and Hong joked it was “almost a miracle” they were able to secure such a star-studded lineup. Hong was especially excited to bring a few legacy artists to Seoul. “I was actually really proud to see Spice Girls and Boys II Men come to the show. It’s really exciting,” he explained.
The entire process, from pre-production to premiere, took a lengthy nine months total, but Ross is confident it’s all “history in the making.”
“It’s great, finally getting to see it come out,” she continued, saying that being able to finally see the positive reactions from viewers has been “a really exciting next step.” To see the show finally premiere feels like a full circle moment, and she’s truly excited to spotlight how music truly is a universal language.
The show’s first season cast includes Megan Thee Stallion, Patti LaBelle, Spice Girls’ Mel B and Emma Bunton, Vanilla Ice, Taylor Dayne, Kesha, Eve, J Balvin, Kylie Minogue, TLC, Boy George, Jess Glynne, Ava Max, Boyz II Men, Billlie, ITZY, Kep1er, JO1, ATEEZ, STAYC, Kiss of Life and BLACKSWAN.
KPOPPED is now available to stream on Apple TV+.
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