In 2018, when best friends Shannon Locke and Angélica Davila started a podcast with the aim of helping unfamiliar audiences understand and explore K-pop, the two best friends thought it would be a short project. But what began as a simple idea of breaking down the basics of K-pop for curious newcomers quickly turned into something much bigger. Nearly seven years later, their passion for discussing K-pop has grown into a well-loved podcast show with almost 300 episodes, becoming a go-to space for K-pop fans by diving deep into idol groups and entertainment companies while documenting how the industry has grown from a niche interest into a global force that has taken over the world, sells out stadiums and dominates music charts.

Locke, originally from Los Angeles and now based in central Texas, and Davila, who hails from Austin, Texas, and currently resides in Los Angeles, first met in 2007 at a musical theatre camp. A decade later, their shared passion for K-pop eventually led to the creation of their podcast. The idea for the podcast first took shape in 2017 when Locke, who was working at a podcast network, had the chance to record an episode about K-pop with Davila. That one experience of breaking down their favorite music genre into easily understandable points sparked their interest to create a podcast—one that wouldn’t just introduce K-pop, but also serve as a detailed guide for those unfamiliar with the industry, sharing their knowledge and passion for the genre.

The weekly podcast, Ask Me About Kpop, brings listeners into the heart of the K-pop world, covering everything from introductory content to in-depth industry insights, diving into current trends, new music releases, and the stories behind the artists and major agencies that have dominated and shaped the industry over time.

They shared that, unlike other shows, they enjoy “exploring lesser-known topics and answering questions about K-pop that have sparked their own curiosity.”

Over the years, they have put out 298 podcast episodes and 94 Patreon episodes with over 700,000 downloads, including interviews with K-pop authors, music producers, publicists, and even idol groups, including BLITZERS and ONEUS. But beyond the numbers, what Locke and Davila value most is the thriving community they’ve built—a welcoming space where listeners connect, share their favorite moments, and form friendships through their shared love for K-pop.

I discovered Ask Me About K-pop while exploring influential global platforms that actively promote Korean culture and entertainment beyond Korea and was impressed by its insightful take on K-pop’s history, trends, fan culture and in-depth discussions on the genre’s evolution and worldwide impact. Eager to learn more about the voices behind the podcast, I reached out to its hosts for an interview to gain insight into their journey and the role their platform plays in bridging K-pop with international audiences.

In an email interview conducted between Jan. 9 and Feb. 8, the duo shared insights into their podcasting journey, the highlights of running the show, how their relationship with K-pop has evolved over the years, and what keeps them going after nearly seven years.

Below are excerpts from the interview. 

Can you tell us about your background before starting Ask Me About Kpop? How did you both become interested in K-pop?

Shannon: On our show we call this a ‘Kpop Origin Story’ and mine is that in July 2013 I saw a YouTube video titled ‘Youtubers React to K-pop’ and during the video they played the Girl’s Generation music video ‘I Got A Boy’ and it immediately changed my brain chemistry and I started my journey of finding out everything I could about K-pop. And then like many obsessions we’ve started over the years, I tried to sell my best friend Angélica on it. 

Angélica: I don’t remember knowing anything about K-pop before Shannon showed me some of her favorites, like ‘I Got A Boy’ and the dance practice for SHINee’s ‘Everybody’, and I told her I had to think about it. But then a few days later, when I was doing my own research and going through recommended videos on YouTube, I found EXO’s ‘Mama’. It was so dramatic, the dancing was so fun – I was hooked immediately and told Shannon, I need to know everything about this. 

What was the inspiration behind creating the podcast? What moment or experience made you decide to start a podcast focused on the K-pop genre?

Shannon: Back in 2017 I worked at the Earwolf podcast network, and the company had a podcast about keeping up with youthful trends called How To Be Less Old. Angelica and I were asked to be guests on an episode and try to explain the basics of K-pop to the audience. We ended up having so much fun trying to introduce our favorite niche hobby into easily understood concepts, that when we went out for brunch after recording we spent the whole meal daydreaming like, “We should try to do this on our own shouldn’t we?” 

Angélica: This wasn’t an inspiration behind it, but after Shannon had the idea for the show, we decided to time releasing the first episode with the (PyeongChang) Winter Olympics in Seoul. Since there were artists like CL and EXO performing at the closing ceremony, we started seeing a lot of Western media articles titled ‘What is K-pop?’ So we named our first episode the same and decided to try and answer that question from a fan’s perspective.

Could you describe the concept of Ask Me About Kpop for those unfamiliar with it? What sets your podcast apart from other K-pop podcasts?

Angélica: When people ask me what the show is about, I tell them if they think of a question about K-pop, we probably have an episode about it. Like a K-pop encyclopedia, we try to create researched looks into different topics about the genre and the industry. Even though some of our episodes are about new releases or our own favorite idols, the focus of our show has always been learning about K-pop, from the way it works now to how it started.

Shannon: Yes, even if the episode is just talking about our reaction to our ultimate group, SHINee, releasing a new album. We always try to at least throw in one vocabulary word or find some K-pop historical context to explain. Even when we are at our most squealing fangirl, we try to make sure there’s at least something to learn every week. But for sure some episodes are way more info heavy than others. 

Ask Me About Kpop started as a K-pop educational guide for newcomers. How did the first few episodes come together? What were your expectations when you started the podcast? 

Shannon: When putting together the first few episodes, I think I was picturing the audience as the people in my life who had asked me about this seemingly random new hobby I had picked up. I wanted to explain everything about the K-pop industry and idols and fan culture as if the person hearing it knew not a single thing. I originally pictured it as a 10-15 contained mini-series introducing the uninitiated to the basics of K-pop. And I thought the listeners would just be non-fans who were curious about K-pop as a pop culture phenomenon, I did not expect our fellow fan audience to show up as quickly and strongly as they did. 

Angélica: When we first got into K-pop, we found out quickly there was a lot more to it than just the music, things like music shows and fanchants, or why they call every new album a ‘comeback’. So the first few episodes were pretty easy to put together, we really just outlined what we thought were the basics or ABCs of K-pop. I certainly didn’t think we’d still be making it seven years later! The show and our audience has pretty much surpassed my expectations in every way.

The podcast covers a wide range of topics, from current K-pop events to the history of the genre, some of which are often overlooked by mainstream media. How do you choose the topics and identify these lesser-known topics for each episode? What kind of research goes into preparing for an episode? How do you balance these different aspects in your show?

Angélica: After we felt like we had covered the basics, we started by thinking about different questions we ourselves had about K-pop, like how mandatory enlistment affects K-pop idols for example. But we’ve had such an interactive audience, that we were quickly able to open it up to listener suggestions and questions to inspire future episodes. The amount of research really varies depending on the topic, but we can spend days putting together episodes, trying to find multiple sources for information. It’s a hobby we both enjoy though, so I think our own enthusiasm for the topics and our excitement to share what we’ve learned helps the episodes stay fun and engaging.

Shannon: Truly the more research we have to do, the more fun we usually have with the episode. We really do just love learning things! In 2020 we started doing episodes investigating what K-pop was like 20 years before, and it has turned into my favorite episode series we do. I lose entire weekends in website archives trying to relive a time in K-pop I wasn’t around for and it is so much fun for me to play K-pop detective. And then get to tell all my listeners about all the fun videos and music I found.

How do you connect with your listeners, and how has their feedback shaped the direction of Ask Me About Kpop? What strategies have you used to build a community around your podcast?

Shannon: I’m just going to say firstly that we have the greatest listeners in all of podcasting and I will not hear otherwise. The impact they have had on us and the show in the last seven years is immeasurable. Our listeners showed up really quickly after we started. And we found that calling a podcast Ask Me About Kpop meant that people were actually going to ask us about it. So much of our content comes from listener questions and participation. The show would not be what it is without them. 

Angélica: Our listeners never cease to amaze me, they are so kind and thoughtful. In early 2020, it was their idea to start a Discord server for listeners to be able to connect with each other. That community has really taken on a life of its own in a way I never would have imagined.

You’ve had several notable guests, including songwriters and K-pop groups. Can you share some insights or interesting behind-the-scenes stories from your interviews with K-pop industry insiders?

Shannon: Idols really are prettier in person. Honestly, idol interviews were not something we ever sought out to do. But the ones we have done fell so perfectly into place we could not say no. Even though they were all really nerve wracking experiences, I’m still so grateful and so humbled that we have the kind of platform idols want to come on. It doesn’t quite feel real to me still. 

How do you ensure that your podcast remains a credible source of information in the fast-paced world of K-pop and how has your personal understanding of K-pop deepened through the years of hosting this podcast? 

Shannon: In the early years we had no idea how long this show would go on, and how quickly episodes would become out of date. Over time we’ve done less current event content and started leaning into a historical record mindset. We do a lot more episodes about K-pop moments in the past, and any time spent talking about current news, or fangirl moments about new comebacks is framed as being discussed “for the history”. But even in keeping this in mind, the show is often immediately out of date in an uncanny way. We joke about how often we have done an episode about, say, a group that has not been active for over 5 years, and within a day of our episode posting, some breaking news will bring that group back into the spotlight. It’s truly strange how many times this exact thing has happened.

Can you share any memorable moments or episodes from the podcast that stood out to you?

Angélica: Every guest we’ve had on the show has been incredible, and like Shannon said, that’s an aspect of the show we never really intended. But I think we are both very proud of our more research heavy episodes as well. One of my favorites is called ‘Kpop Meets Tradition’, where we learned about historic Korean instruments and clothing, and then looked at different examples of them being used in K-pop. It was a really fun episode to put together, we both really enjoyed learning about the topic, and I love being able to watch and listen to K-pop with that added appreciation.

Shannon: We have made so many beautiful memories making this show together. So many great laughs and really memorable experiences. I love that we do a concert recap episode every time we go to a concert. It makes for a nice memory capsule for us to personally revisit, and the listeners really love those episodes as they may not be able to attend concerts themselves and they can feel like they went along with us. 

K-pop has undergone significant transformations since you started the podcast. How do you think it has evolved from a niche genre to a global phenomenon over the years? In what ways do you believe K-pop’s rise in the global music scene has influenced the broader entertainment industry?

Angélica: I think the way that K-pop has grown and evolved is something we’ve tried to cover in many, many different episodes! There are a lot of factors that went into the explosion of the Hallyu Wave, and I think the fact that K-pop is just as much an industry as it is a genre is a big part of that. Its growth was very intentional, and learning about that history through producing our show has been so fascinating. I’m very interested to see how K-pop may influence global entertainment, it seems as though its popularity grows exponentially every year, and it’s been fun to see the increasing number of collaborations with artists from around the world.

There have been criticisms of the K-pop industry for a variety of reasons, especially from the western media. What are your thoughts on this and how do you navigate discussing these sensitive topics in your podcast?

Shannon: I don’t think we’ve ever really shied away from difficult topics on the podcast. K-pop as an industry has many huge flaws. K-pop Idols, like all people, are also imperfect. I think we try as hard as we can to take nuanced approaches to difficult topics, and to present information without judgement and allow the listeners to choose how they want to feel about things. 

‘The dark side of K-pop’ type narratives that are often found in Western media make it seem like K-pop is only ever bad. And some fans try to present a side that it’s actually only ever good. I like to think that we are able to present both of these views in a balanced way.

Angelica: We definitely try to take a more journalistic approach to sensitive topics, rather than presenting them through our own opinions. And even though our show is born from our deep love for K-pop, we do think it’s important to acknowledge its flaws as well. However, because our show is not about current events, we usually choose to cover topics that we can have as much of, if not all, the information possible.

Shannon: Yes, I think we learned within the first year that commenting on controversy as it is unfolding can definitely make you look foolish in the future. 
 

How do you feel about the journey of Ask Me About Kpop over the past seven years? What has been the most challenging aspect of running the podcast? How did you overcome these challenges?   

Angélica: I am overwhelmed by the past seven years, to be honest. It feels hard to believe that we’ve been doing the show for that long, and the opportunities and community that have come from it are very humbling. I think the hardest part may be coming up with episode ideas, and early on in making it, we had to sit down and have a big brainstorming session to decide how we were going to keep it going.

Shannon: Sometimes it’s just been the actual technical aspects of making a podcast happen. We originally recorded in a studio, and then needed to make an at-home set up during the pandemic, and now we’re recording from different states. Trying to schedule recording times, or like Angélica said, just picking the topics has always been the hardest part. But overcoming them has been very easy because we still just love doing the show! And our listeners are SO patient and kind.We’re independent and not tied to any network expectations, so if we need to take a week off because it just isn't coming together, or life got in the way, everything's still fine! We’ve always said since the very first episode, that we will only do this if it’s fun. If it ever gets to a point where we aren’t enjoying making it anymore, then we’ll know it’s time to go. 

Over nearly 300 episodes, how has the podcast evolved from its original mission? What major shifts have you noticed in your content and approach over the years?

Angélica: When we realized that we could keep the show going past 10 or 15 episodes, we started to broaden our lens to cover more of K-pop history. We also started designing recurring episodes, like artist deep dives, K-pop themed games, or looking at specific years in K-pop, which I think helped us build some of the longevity we’ve enjoyed. We’ve been able to turn the show from a quick start guide to a fairly comprehensive look at K-pop, and really shifted in our own perspective from thinking of ourselves as just K-pop fans, to now fans and historians.

Shannon: I think we’ve also changed as fans and as podcasters. In the beginning we were still relatively new K-pop fans and everything was still so new and exciting and we thought we knew a lot more than we actually did. We spoke with a kind of freedom in the first episodes that we have since learned to reign in. I think we’ve learned how to better vet sources, and how to balance our own personal opinions with the information that we want to present to the audience. 

Looking at the future of K-pop, where do you see the genre heading in the next five to ten years? What new directions, formats or projects are you considering to adapt your podcast to these changes and keep your content relevant as the genre continues to evolve?

Shannon: I’m not sure we’re very worried about staying relevant to be honest. We found over 7 years that our strength lies in investigating what happened in K-pop in the past. So I would prefer to give new K-pop fans history and knowledge to expand their K-pop horizons than stress out and lose sight of our true fangirl selves trying to keep my finger on the pulse. We have been fans long enough that we fully recognize we are from a different generation and can offer a different perspective than a brand new fan who only listens to groups that came out this year. There is about a 20 year age gap between us and the newest class of idols, we can’t exactly pretend we’re the ideal audience for the newest of K-pop. So I am proud to just keep being ourselves and make our show for the people who like it. 

What advice would you offer to aspiring podcasters who want to create content in niche genres like K-pop?

Shannon: Be yourself and show why you love your niche thing. The feedback we get most often from listeners is that they love our show because they love us. Our show on its face might be about sharing K-pop info, but the true heart of the show is about how we’re best friends and how much we really truly love K-pop. We have always been very free with our excitement and have been told by listeners that it’s infectious. So my advice would be to just be real and the audience you want to have will probably follow.