17 Carat K-Pop

The first half of this episode: a quick and improved guide to Dreamcatcher’s music video world, with an emphasis on how the “MAISON” and “VISION” eras are related! The second half: a roundup of K-pop news coverage that includes awards shows’ controversies, exciting TV show premieres, and more!

The first part of this episode dissects the lyrics to Taeyong’s new SoundCloud track, “FINE,” and the hidden details in SEULGI’s “28 Reasons” video! The second half is a big K-pop news roundup that covers OMEGA X’s mistreatment, key takeaways from HYBE’s latest community briefing, and more.

Part two of an in-depth recap of TXT’s Webtoon, The Star Seekers ! This episode focuses on the parallels between TXT’s and Star One’s stories and the plot from chapters 18-30!

Part one of an in-depth recap of TXT’s Webtoon, The Star Seekers ! This episode covers the story’s characters, plots, settings, symbols, themes, nods to TXT’s music videos, and most notable quotes from chapters 1-17!

A ranking and review of the twenty best releases from last month!

This episode covers both specific artists and specific works of art RM of BTS (aka Kim Namjoon) has praised on social media and/or in interviews. From sculptures to paintings to video installations, RM has recommended a vast array of art, and each piece has a fascinating creator and unique story behind it!

A conversation with Rick Emerson about Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries. His book covers the life of Beatrice Sparks and the roles her books, particularly Go Ask Alice and Jay's Journal, played in furthering the “Satanic Panic.”

After describing some standout moments from ENHYPEN’s recent Chicago concert, Hope walks through how ENHYPEN’s music video storyline parallels the story they brought to life on stage! The setlist order allowed for the core themes in ENHYPEN’s world-building to come into focus to a new and exciting extent!

What happened at KAMP, BTS’s enlistment news, some sudden tour cancellations, Jessi’s frustrating time in Europe, a unique trademark battle, and more coverage of and commentary on the latest K-pop headlines! Also, in a new “Shoutout of the Week” segment, Hope breaks down the meaning of JUN’s “LIMBO” and its music video!

Go Ask Alice told the harrowing story of a teenage girl’s spiral into drug addiction. Jay’s Journal told the story of a young boy’s fixation on satanic rituals and dark magic. VOICES told four stories about teenagers experiencing their own identity and mental health crises. What fierce critics and passionate fans of these books alike did not know: they were all fiction. The “real diaries” and case...

Go Ask Alice told the harrowing story of a teenage girl’s spiral into drug addiction. Jay’s Journal told the story of a young boy’s fixation on satanic rituals and dark magic. VOICES told four stories about teenagers experiencing their own identity and mental health crises. What fierce critics and passionate fans of these books alike did not know: they were all fiction. The “real diaries” and case...

A track-by-track review of MAXIDENT, a list of seventeen hidden details in the album's track videos, and a new, big-picture theory about how the latest additions to the Stray Kids Music Video Universe keep a past storyline going!

A ranking and review of the best new music from the worlds of K-pop, J-pop, J-rock, C-pop, and T-pop!

A conversation with Professor Louie Dean Valencia, who created and is set to teach a course on Harry Styles next semester at Texas State University! He explains what to expect from the course, different lenses through which to view Harry Styles' discography, the ways Harry's music relates to today's society and vice versa, and more!

BLACKPINK’s VIP packages, the Crypto Arena’s recent announcement, K-pop stars’ Fashion Week takeover, a British company’s complaint against South Korean streaming services, and much more K-pop-related news.

A track-by-track breakdown of NCT 127’s 2 Baddies , followed by an explanation of the parallels between their new and past eras (especially “The Story of Favorite”)!

Allison Horrocks, a trained historian and co-host of the American Girls podcast, joins Hope to break down the ways perspectives on the American Girl books change with age, how the American Girl historical characters effectively get people interested in history, how much the American Girl brand really has or has not changed since Mattel’s acquisition, the importance of learning history, and much mo...

A guide to all things Billlie: symbolism and themes in their short films, their music video storyline, the ways they draw inspiration from the book Matilda, and the ways Carl Jung’s psychoanalytic theories apply to their music video characters!

A ranking and review of the twenty best K-pop and J-pop releases from the past month!

Ahn Ye Eun gives the inside scoop on her music and videos, from the folklore she turns to for inspiration to the ways she uses costumes to tell stories! Watch the video version of this interview at howtostan.substack.com!

Inside the downfall of Pollen and the company’s decision to cancel its SEVENTEEN-themed Vegas weekend. Plus: the VMAs, the MAMAs’ makeover, MONSTA X’s future plans, and more of the latest K-pop-related news.

Seventeen things about SEVENTEEN’s Be the Sun Chicago tour stop worth discussing, from the setlist to the VCRs! After that recap, Hope compares and contrasts the Be the Sun and Ode to You tours to decide which show was better!

Hope shares the highs and lows of her first-time KCON experience, the unique ways she experienced KCON as someone with crowd-related anxiety, advice for future KCON newbies, a review of day one’s concert, and more! More in-depth recaps of specific KCON events and official images can be found on howtostan.substack.com and 17caratkpop.weebly.com, and more KCON-related content is on the way!

This episode covers true stories of celebrities disappearing, the efforts - and sometimes lack thereof - to find them, and what the public’s response to high-profile mysteries says about how stars are remembered by both conspiracy theorists and genuine fans.

A man created a fake restaurant that topped Tripadvisor’s list of the best restaurants in London. A woman repeatedly took on a new identity and fled town as soon as her bills - both financial and metaphorical - came due. An influencer was caught using her supporters to launder money. A chef sold a questionably edible product to her followers. Do stories like these, of stars misleading or outright...