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

Switched on Pop

Vox Media Podcast Network

Music, Music Interviews, Music History, Music Commentary

4.6 • 2.9K Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2026

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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 - Haegeum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:47.3	BTS is back.
0:53.6	The K-pop supergroup has been on hiatus for four years.
0:58.4	They haven't released an album in six.
1:01.0	They were the biggest band in the world, and the question is,
1:04.2	can they regain their throne or has the world moved on?
1:10.4	Today, on the pod, is the return of BTS and the future of K-pop.
1:16.3	Welcome to Switched on Pop.
1:17.3	I'm a songwriter Charlie Harding.
1:18.7	I'm musicologist Nate Sloan.
1:20.5	And today, to discuss the return of BTS, we have a really exciting special guest. It's Hajun Lee. Hey, Jin, welcome to the show.
1:31.7	Hello, hello. Thank you for having me. Welcome.
	...

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