KPOPPED review – making this star-packed singing contest must have been absolutely wild | Television

Megan Thee Stallion. Patti LaBelle. Kylie Minogue. Two-fifths of the Spice Women. These are only a smattering of the multiplatinum sellers within the all-singing, all-dancing trailer for KPOPPED, which, truthfully, appeared epic. If I had been reviewing this new Lionel Richie-produced singing contest based mostly on these 109 seconds alone – full with roaring stage pyrotechnics and Megan performing a Okay-pop model of her smash hit Savage – it might have been a simple 5 stars.Sadly, the collection that follows isn’t fairly as irresistible. Every of the eight episodes sticks tightly to the identical format: a longtime Korean boy or girlband is cut up in two, with every half paired with a special “western” solo artist to reimagine one of many visitor’s hits. They then carry out mentioned cowl collectively, together with military-precision dance strikes. On the finish of every episode, a studio viewers decides which track was “kpopped” probably the most successfully (precise metrics aren’t supplied, nevertheless it basically boils right down to “which is probably the most up-tempo, and possibly a bit menacing as well”). The place bands like Boyz II Males are concerned, the present forgoes having two visitor artists, and every group simply performs twice (as soon as with every half of the Korean outfit), successfully competing towards itself. I do know, I do know, it doesn’t make sense. Take that up with Apple.So the star energy is excessive however the motion compelled and formulaic. There’s often some sort of acknowledgment from the visitor stars that Okay-pop is “the in factor”, one thing their youngsters or grandchildren know extra about than them, whereas the Korean contingent discuss vaguely about how iconic the visitors are. There are low-stakes cultural exchanges, equivalent to Megan consuming unbearably spicy ramen; Kylie Minogue studying a conventional Korean dance; and Emma Bunton and Mel B attending a tea ceremony. Two artist-approved covers are then magicked up, with lyrics and dance strikes mastered in a mere 48 hours. Then it’s on to the dwell performances in entrance of starstruck audiences, who would certainly take heed to the likes of ITZY and Ateez belting out the telephone e book. Gangnam Fashion star Psy, billed as a co-host, is definitely confined to prerecorded cameo appearances; it’s the indefatigable Soojeong Son, a Korean-American actor, who comperes on stage.The result’s innocent but additionally largely vibeless, and a reasonably blatant try to money in on the ubiquity of Okay-pop. I’m not suggesting that we return to the unhealthy outdated days of Simon Cowell crushing the hopes and goals of terrified normies on primetime TV. However KPOPPED reveals that singing contests want friction, drama and possibly the occasional botched excessive be aware. Right here, the whole lot feels frictionless, regardless that the logistics should have been wild (“Did you make Patti LaBelle do that?” asks Inform It to My Coronary heart singer Taylor Dayne, as she cooks snails). Except you’re already a Okay-pop connoisseur, you’re unlikely to study a lot right here, besides that the folks concerned work very, very laborious, Korean girlbands are liable to provide you physique dysmorphia, and Korean boybands have probably the most impressively inflexible curtain haircuts recognized to man. Megan – who does the odd little bit of internet hosting right here, too – describes Okay-pop as being “like boot camp”. In addition to Jess Glynne describing it as a “system”, that is the closest we get to any acknowledgment of simply how regimented their counterparts’ pop careers are. (Perhaps that’s not shocking, contemplating that Korean leisure powerhouse CJ ENM co-produced the collection).The perfect moments, then, are those which might be a bit chaotic. Boy George trying to sing in Korean. TLC’s T-Boz struggling to maintain up with a high-energy dance break. Mel B deciding that synchronised choreo isn’t for her and simply doing her personal factor. Vanilla Ice amending the dance strikes for Ice Ice Child again to his authentic 1990 routine, leaving the members of Kep1er (pronounced kepler) in a tizz. And but, these points are shortly resolved, and performances go off with out a hitch. Karma Chameleon in translation is even – shockingly – fairly respectable.The ultimate episode is a revelation, however not in a means that has something to do with Okay-pop. Boyz II Males – it seems – sound as wonderful as they did 30 years in the past, and their model of Finish of the Street with Blackswan singer Nvee (who’s herself American) is actually a delight. It does sound suspiciously like the unique, although. Not a lot “kpopped”, then, as merely made in Korea. KPOPPED is on Apple TV+ now