Episode 10: Years of Transition 2017-2018

Goodbye and Hello! This is the last episode of season one and tells two stories: 1) The Rise of BTS and 2) the collapse and rebirth of Johnny's & Associates. Featuring songs from SMAP, Arashi, BTS, EXO, SHINee, Sexy Zone, and more!!

This episode was originally posted February 8, 2019 and much has changed since then. Some of my predictions played out and you can listen to me speak on the debut of SixTones and SnowMan in episode 23 but other worries I express in this episode have taken a far darker turn than I could have imagined writing this two years ago. I’m hoping to cover the growing dehumanization of Korean idols in English fandom spaces in a future episode but I do find the push towards idol personas decoupled from their real life human counterparts as well as virtual reality versions of real life idols very troubling.

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The songs played are:

1. "Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi" by Arashi, performed on Music Station, February 1, 2019

2. "Hello Goodbye" by the Beatles

3. "Karei Naru Gyakushu" by SMAP

4. "Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana" by SMAP

5. "Lucky One" by EXO

6. "Autumn Leaves" by Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS)

7. "Fire" by Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS)

8. "Spring Day" by Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS)

9. "I Am You You Are Me" by Zico

10. "Billboard Music Awards (Skit)" by Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS)

11. "DNA" by Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS)

12. "Sea" by Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS)

13. "We Don't Talk Anymore" by Jungkook and Jin

14. "Born Singer" by Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS), performed live at Gocheok Sky Dome, Seoul, Korea, December 10, 2017

15. "Take the Dive" by Jonghyun

16. "UB" by Arashi

17. "Can't Get Enough" by V6

18. "Ask Yourself" by KAT-TUN

19. "Kaguya" by NEWS

20. "King of Otoko" by Kanjani8

21. "L.O.V.E." by Kis-My-Ft2

22. "Osaka Ai-Eye-Aye" by Johnny's West

23. "JOY Shitai Kimochi" by A.B.C-Z

24. "Sexy Zone" by Sexy Zone

25. "Candy" by Nakajima Kento (feat. Kawai Fumito), performed on Shounen Club

26. "Sakura Saku Color" by Sexy Zone

27. "Cinderella Girl" by King&Prince

28. "Zukkoke Otoko Michi" by Kanjani8

29. "Crystal Snow" by Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS)

30. "JSB Dream" by Sandaime J Soul Brothers

31. "Love Maji" by Sexy Zone

32. "Reboot" by DBSK

33. "Call Call Call" by Seventeen

34. "Electric Kiss" by EXO

35. "You & I" by SHINee

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