The first trailer for KPOPPED just dropped, and if you weren’t already paying attention to the global music explosion happening on your screen, you might want to clear your calendar. This Apple TV+ eight-part series is less a gentle handshake between East and West and more an all-out pop culture supernova. Hosted by Megan Thee Stallion and PSY, the show brings K-pop and Western icons into a sonic collision course — and the result is gloriously chaotic.
From the jump, KPOPPED feels like it knows exactly what it’s doing. It’s camp, it’s kinetic, and it’s fully aware that K-pop isn’t just a genre anymore, it’s a global force with its own rules. Bringing in PSY, the viral juggernaut who cracked the code over a decade ago with “Gangnam Style,” is a savvy move. Pairing him with Megan Thee Stallion, a self-professed K-pop fan and global star in her own right, adds both authenticity and bite.
The real meat of the show lies in the pairings, and they’re almost surreal in their boldness. Patti LaBelle teaming with Billlie. Kesha and Eve getting in the zone with JO1. The Spice Girls’ Mel B and Emma Bunton syncing up with ITZY. J Balvin and Kylie Minogue alongside ATEEZ. It’s a roster that feels less curated and more like the fever dream of a pop historian. Vanilla Ice shows up, Boyz II Men and Boy George drop in, and somewhere in the middle, Jess Glynne reminds you she has hits too.
Everything about KPOPPED screams high stakes and high gloss. The production value, even in the trailer, is pure spectacle. But what’s most exciting is how the show refuses to play it safe. This isn’t about homage. It’s a full-on genre hybrid with room for risk, reinvention, and maybe even a little rivalry.
