BTS is back. But K Pop is not the same.

About this episode

The episode discusses BTS's return after a hiatus and explores the evolution of K Pop through their new album 'Arirang'.

BTS is back. The best selling K Pop group of all time has been on hiatus for four years. They haven’t released an album in six. They were once the biggest band in the world. Can they regain their throne? Or has the world moved on. Leaning on traditional Korean sounds and a bevy of international producers, from Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker to JPEGMafia, is their album Arirang the future or the past of K Pop? Hye Jin Lee, communications professor at USC and K Pop scholar, joins to break down the album's references and ponder how longtime fans will respond. Songs Discussed BTS - Body to Body Koreana - Hand In Hand Lee Chun-Hee - Arirang BTS - Hooligan Michel Magne - Yang Tse Kiang - Bande originale du film "Un singe en hiver" ROSALÍA - MALAMENTE - Cap.1: Augurio Prefuse 73 - The End of Biters - International BTS - Aliens Kim Young-gil and Yoon Ho-Se - Ajaeng sanjo - Jungmori BTS - FYA Junior Sanchez - Lookin 4 Love - Extended Mix BTS - No. 29 BTS - SWIM BTS - Merry Go Round Tame Impala - New Person, Same Old Mistakes BTS - NORMAL BTS - they don’t know ’bout us The Four Freshmen It's A Blue World BTS - Paldogangsan BTS - No More Dream BTS and Zara Larsson - A Brand New Day Agust D…

People in this episode

Host: Switched on Pop

Guest: Hye Jin Lee

Topics covered

• BTS
• K Pop
• music industry
• album analysis
• cultural references
• fan response

Keywords

• BTS
• K Pop
• Arirang
• Hye Jin Lee
• album analysis
• music
• fan response
• cultural references

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: USC, BTS, Tame Impala, JPEGMafia, ROSALÍA, Prefuse 73, The Four Freshmen, Agust D

Products: Arirang

Books & works: Body to Body, Hand In Hand, Arirang, Hooligan, Yang Tse Kiang - Bande originale du film "Un singe en hiver", MALAMENTE - Cap.1: Augurio, The End of Biters - International, Aliens, Ajaeng sanjo - Jungmori, Lookin 4 Love - Extended Mix

More episodes of Switched on Pop

• Paul McCartney went back to Liverpool for something new to say · June 9, 2026 · 43 min
• How a sci-fi dystopia became a personal utopia (ft. Arc Iris) · June 5, 2026 · 13 min
• MUNA's end of the world dance party · June 2, 2026 · 54 min
• Drake's Slop Era · May 26, 2026 · 55 min
• Kacey Musgraves walks country’s borderlands · May 19, 2026 · 40 min
• Two countries at war. Rostam’s 'American Stories' belongs to both. · May 15, 2026 · 55 min