Is Coachella the Right Platform for K-pop?

This was a big year for fans of K-pop at Coachella, especially because we had a younger group and two Second-Gen icons perform at the festival. First up we had KATSEYE, who made headlines following the will-she-or-won't-she-appear speculation regarding Manon. Then we had TAEMIN, who made headlines as the first K-pop soloist to play at the festival. Following that, we had the one and only BIGBANG, who finally got their time to shine in the desert after their previous performance was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic.

As Coachella has grown, so, too, has K-pop. And, in a world where concerts are getting more expensive and other music festivals like Lollapalooza are gaining ground ... where does K-pop fit in?

Is landing a spot at the biggest music festival a smart brand investment or is it merely a vanity performance? Let's discuss.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• A brief overview of the history of K-pop at Coachella
• The K-pop "multiverse" at the festival (according to us)
• The presence (erm, lack of?) Manon at the festival
• Our takeaways from the key K-pop performances at Week 1 & 2
• KATSEYE: Pinky Up — Is this the group's signature sound now?
• TAEMIN: The MJ references and his perfectionism on full display
• BIGBANG: Why the second weekend was the better show for older fans
• Our Big Q: What is K-pop's place at Coachella and is it worth it for artists?
• The reality of how industry connections determine the artist lineup
• The K-pop groups we think will debut at Coachella next year

It's a K-pop Thing is hosted by two journalists and longtime K-pop stans, Alexis Hodoyán-Gastélum and Theresa Avila.

LINKS TO SOCIAL:

• It's a K-pop Thing: @ikptpod
• Alexis: @hoe_doyan
• Theresa: @theresa__avila

CONTACT:
E-mail us at: [email protected]