17 Carat K-Pop

Earlier this summer, a grand jury decided not to pursue criminal charges against anyone affiliated with the 2021 Astroworld Tragedy. Since then, over 1,200 pages from the crowd-crush investigation have been made public: 911 calls, interviews, emails, text exchanges, and more. The documents form a timeline that starts months before the Travis-Scott-hosted event, goes through the minute details of w...

Earlier this summer, a grand jury decided not to pursue criminal charges against anyone affiliated with the 2021 Astroworld Tragedy. Since then, over 1,200 pages from the crowd-crush investigation have been made public: 911 calls, interviews, emails, text exchanges, and more. The documents form a timeline that starts months before the Travis-Scott-hosted event, goes through the minute details of w...

Hope decodes the “7 DREAM Production : Stranger Seven” short film, connects NCT DREAM’s latest video story developments to the larger “SMCU” storyline, and reviews ISTJ track by track!  Catch up on past artist-specific episodes of the show below! https://17caratkpop.substack.com/p/content-sorted-by-artist?sd=pf    And view a full episode directory here! https://17caratkpop.substack.com/p/the-compl...

This episode covers the girl groups with the best K-pop and J-pop releases of July: NewJeans, ITZY, NiziU, ODD EYE CIRCLE, MISAMO, and KISS OF LIFE! Catch up on part one below! Anchor link: https://anchor.fm/hope-jacobson/episodes/Best-New-Music-July-2023-e27rls3  Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/492yw5JaUyG2MrEDqeG3sg?si=KdLdXPTCSUyOHf0bZZ54rA Apple Podcasts link: https://podcasts.a...

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

New twists in the legal sagas regarding FIFTY FIFTY, EXO-CBX, and others, a fake HYBE employee’s sentencing, new K-pop concert movies, a big moment in J-pop fan-meeting history, BLACKPINK updates, NewJeans’ latest feats, and more of the latest headlines from the worlds of K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop!

How did an FBI sting operation lead to retrieving Dorothy’s stolen ruby slippers? How did Oz fan clubs go from the homes of teenagers to massive, globally-attended festivities? Overall, what has led both thieves and hardcore The Wizard of Oz fans to deem the story valuable, in every meaning of the word? Since earnest fans have kept fan clubs, newsletters, and conventions going to this day, and a m...

This second part of a guide to Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS covers the backstories of specific BTS songs, touching moments when the members showed their true brotherhood, what went through their minds as they debated contract renewals, and more. Catch up on past BTS-themed episodes of 17 Carat K-Pop here! https://17caratkpop.substack.com/p/the-btstudy-guides-episodes?utm_campaign=post&a...

Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS is so jam-packed with interesting anecdotes about BTS and big-picture insights into the world of K-pop overall that it deserves a two-part episode! This first part covers Big Hit Entertainment’s humble beginnings, rap feuds, an uncharacteristic outburst from “Mr. Bang,” the context behind some make-or-break live performances, and other pivotal moments in the...

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

A conversation with Maureen “Mo” Ryan, author of Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood. Mo describes what it has been like to watch streaming change everything about TV show creation, to witness multiple writers strikes over the years, to see Hollywood enable concerning behaviors and attitudes, and to envision what a better culture could look like after real systemic...

The highs and lows of TWICE’s Chicago concert, a breakdown of FIFTY FIFTY’s agency problems, survey results about BTS fan loyalty compared to that of other fandoms, a guide to the upcoming movies and TV shows all K-pop fans should know about, and more coverage of the latest headlines!

A guide to the best K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop albums of the year so far!  Subscribe to the show’s free newsletter for even more recommendations!  https://17caratkpop.substack.com/

The 50 greatest K-pop music videos of the year so far, revealed in the form of a guessing game!

In the form of a guessing game, this episode covers over 150 of the best songs released this year so far from the worlds of K-pop, J-pop, C-pop, and more!

A timeline covering all the twists and turns in EXO-CBX’s recent lawsuit. Plus: what to expect from KCON 2023, BIGBANG status updates, the end of LOONA's contracts, and more of the latest headlines!

MONSTA X’s JOOHONEY addresses feeling trapped in darkness in MIXTAPE [PSYCHE] and finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel in LIGHTS. Together, these releases tell a moving story about going through tough times and coming out on the other side with a desire to make that struggle lighter for those who are still in it. This episode looks closely at the lyrics from MIXTAPE [PSYCHE] that prove JO...

Come for the guide to LE SSERAFIM and their discography, stay for the storytime! After an overview of LE SSERAFIM's catalog and an explanation for why they are so popular, Hope tells the classic tales that inspired one of the group's songs: Psyche and Bluebeard!

A celebration of BTS's 10-year career in four different ways! First, an A-to-Z recap of fandom lingo! Second, starting around the 5-minute mark, the best BTS song starting with each letter of the alphabet! The third part, starting around the 14-minute mark, covers a significant moment in the group's career corresponding with each letter of the alphabet! The final round of "The ABCs of...

After sharing some thoughts and theories about the “5-STAR” trailer, the “S-Class” music video, and those videos' nods to past eras, Hope gives a track-by-track recap of Stray Kids’ new album: the funniest lyrics, interesting dual meanings, and surprising behind-the-scenes facts!

In the first half of this episode, Hope reacts to SHALALA, covers each song's meaning, and decodes the "T or Y" videos! Then, she provides a guide to TAEYONG's previous solo releases, from OSTs to SoundCloud tracks! Check out the written version of that guide here: https://17caratkpop.substack.com/p/a-guide-to-taeyongs-solo-songs?sd=pf

A ranking and review of the 20 best new K-pop, J-pop, C-pop, and P-pop releases!

What went wrong with E’LAST’s North American tour, how BLACKPINK ticket prices led to legal disputes, some intriguing and overlooked details in the “SM 3.0” announcements, the debate over the Lee Seung Gi Law, details about Rain’s new movie, and more of the latest K-pop/music industry headlines!

A guide to all the major references, from Bach to Greek mythology, in ENHYPEN’s DARK BLOOD mini-album! That analysis comes after a recap of ENHYPEN’s Webtoon, DARK MOON: THE BLOOD ALTAR, and a re-interpretation of some past music video details in light of new context.

A track-by-track analysis of Agust D’s D-DAY album, interpretations of the “AMYGDALA” and “Haegeum” music videos, and an assessment of the profound social commentary underlying all of SUGA’s work.