The South Korean idol group BTS is one of the biggest musical sensations in history. They're constantly breaking records and they have one of the most dedicated fan bases in the world known as Army. Their hit singles like “Boy With Love,” “Dynamite,” and “Butter” have been discussed on the show in the past for breaking through the US charts. But back in 2022, they decided to take a break from group activities and start releasing solo material because of their obligations to each fulfill mandatory military service in South Korea, precluding them from working together at the same time. Solo projects aren’t new for the group – BTS members have released mixtapes as far back as 2015 and countless solo singles – but this was the first time that BTS had ever announced a prolonged break. This moment, originally presented as a hiatus, has evolved into a whole new musical chapter for the group, with a seemingly endless array of new solo releases. Switched On Pop listens back to one track from each solo effort so far to introduce the casual listener to what is happening in this new era of BTS. Joining the show is Lenika Cruz, senior editor at The Atlantic, who literally wrote the book on BTS, simply called On BTS out on the Atlantic Editions imprint.
Songs Discussed:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Silk Sonic's Retro Soul (with Tayla Parx)
AJR Conjure Broadway on 'OK Orchestra'
Return of the Funk Guitar: Cory Wong Breaks Down Dua Lipa, Jessie Ware and Nile Rodgers
What the 63rd Grammys say about the state of pop
Kimbra reflects on a song that we used to know
Kaytranada's journey from basement beat-making to the Grammys
JP Saxe Didn’t Mean for His Grammy Hit ‘If the World Was Ending’ to Be So Literal
Adrian Younge's new project sounds like James Baldwin meets Marvin Gaye
The Scandalous Sounds of Bridgerton (w Kris Bowers)
How The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” used retro sounds and modern bass to break every record
Epik High is our gateway into Korean hip hop (with Tablo)
Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” is a full throttle power ballad
D.O.C. (Death of the Chorus) with Emily Warren
ICYMI: The End Of Pop Music As We Know It: Fall Out Boy & Charli XCX
ICYMI: Do You Believe in Life After Autotune?
Wham! Op. 84 “Last Christmas” with Chilly Gonzales
Taylor Swift has "evermore" of a good thing
Women's Rap Renaissance
Red Hot + Blue with Meshell Ndegeocello
The Cyndi Lauper Conspiracy (with Sam Sanders)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Good One: A Podcast About Jokes
Vulture Festival Podcast
The Vulture TV Podcast