17 Carat K-Pop

After a close reading of aespa's short film and music videos, Hope draws connections to other SM Entertainment artists' videos and to the stories told through SMTOWN's latest concert. Overall, this episode provides clarity on what the SMCU is all about and how different SM Entertainment artists fit into the same cinematic universe! 

This is a good episode to pause repeatedly and listen to with friends! Follow along as Hope asks what your favorite K-pop moments were this year and lists your options! From whose disbandment was the most upsetting to which magazine cover was the most iconic, this is a chance to reflect on the highs and lows of K-pop in 2021!

In this final news roundup of 2021, Hope gives an honest review of MONSTA X’s The Dreaming movie, revisits her K-pop predictions for 2021, recaps the MAMAs, and much more!

Over 150 K-pop music video recommendations, discussed by category (quirky plot, aesthetically beautiful, etc.)! Listen until the end to find out which ones made the top 50 countdown!

A ranking and review of the fifty best K-pop albums released this year!

A quick PSA! More information is on https://17caratkpop.weebly.com/how-to-stan.html and in the "Blog" section of my website!

The 150 best K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop songs released this year, ranked!

From the poem Johnny is seen reading to the numbers that keep popping up, this episode is a thorough guide to all the meaningful details in NCT's Universe Era teaser images and videos! It also serves as a breakdown of the ways NCT's newest chapter continues telling the story of the broader SM Entertainment Cinematic Universe!

The world of "true crime makeup," the latest example of an author revealed to have been an imposter, a new sense of vindication among UFO enthusiasts, the story behind the once-beloved Von Dutch brand, and even more updates on stories covered this year! This episode both summarizes what this year's episodes of Enthusiasts were all about and shares stories that previously did not make the final cut...

A chance to meet MONSTA X, the best parts of the BTS concerts at SoFi Stadium, some MAJOR SEVENTEEN news, the blacklist that was just made public, global Spotify Wrapped data, and more of the latest headlines.

The seventeen most iconic moments in the world of K-pop in 2021!

A ranking and review of the twenty best new K-pop and J-pop releases!

The seventeen best parts of SEVENTEEN's "Power of Love" online concerts, eaJ's surprising comments in a new interview, Sorn's exit from CLC, the latest court ruling in Samuel's case, why Baekhyun's YouTube videos were taken down, a fun competition show coming this December, BTS's big night at the AMAs, and even more K-pop news!

This episode summarizes the findings from a variety of studies on the psychology of music preferences and the "fan economy." Why do some people love sad music? Are music tastes more biological or social? When do people "age out" of intentionally listening to new music? Which music preferences have been linked to vegetarianism?! This research answers all these questions and more!

Rolling Stone culture reporter and Don’t Let This Flop podcast co-host EJ Dickson joins Hope to break down the best of, the worst of, and the most memorable content on TikTok! They also discuss other buzzed-about topics from the past year, from David Dobrik to right-wing children’s books!

This episode starts off with a revised timeline of Britney Spears's conservatorship and the Free Britney Movement, including additions from new documentaries, reporting, and publicized documents from the past year. The latter half of this episode (during which listener discretion is advised) focuses on disturbing instances of financial malfeasance, neglect, and even deaths in the unregulated world...

The "scammer-turned-millionaire" vying for a girl group member's attention, the new song drawing ire in China, the surprising rise of "Costco influencers" in Shanghai, the eye-popping profits from virtual merch sales, and more of the latest news related to K-pop, China, and the internet!

Choreography, spotlights, camera angle changes, makeup, clothes, color schemes, props, backgrounds, settings... these are just some of the many variables SEVENTEEN utilize to engage in effective “storyshowing,” as they put it. This episode takes a close look at some examples of "storyshowing" in their music videos, instances where every detail added to the delivery and impact of a message. From th...

Both Andrew Solomon’s The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression and its predecessor, his wildly popular article in The New Yorker , are outstanding examples of how to discuss a mental illness with the care and depth it deserves. Rather than focus solely on personal experiences or the science behind depression, Solomon explores both and then some. He covers the philosophical, biological, personal,...

A timeline of significant changes to the six main K-pop music shows, TRL's parallel evolution, and memorable moments in K-pop music show history- for better and for worse!

Hope predicts who will win at the 2021 MAMAs and what Winwin’s future holds. Plus: the best Halloween costumes K-pop stars wore, all the major announcements made at HYBE’s and SM Entertainment’s latest briefings, the struggles KEY faced during his Bad Love comeback, and more coverage of the latest K-pop news.

A ranking and review of the twenty best new K-pop, J-pop, and J-rock releases!

This episode looks at the many ways Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed television and the lives of its viewers. From inspiring “Buffy Studies” curricula to paving the way for the teen-centered shows that followed it, this show broke ground on many fronts.

From the 1700s to the present day, this episode explores the evolution of horror movies and the history of monster imagery! The “zombie walk” that drove a political uprising, the rise of the Halloween-ready restaurant, and the ways Jaws changed Hollywood forever are just some of the many topics covered!

A brief history of K-dramas, a Squid Game primer, and an explanation of how and why Korean television became a massive hit globally.