KPOPPED: Emma Bunton and Mel B join ITZY on stage

Apple TV+'s KPOPPED pulled off a surprise Spice Girls reunion on August 29, 2025, when Emma Bunton and Mel B hit the stage with K-pop group ITZY. The collaboration premiered on KPOPPED, a new eight-part series that matches Western pop superstars with Korean idols to remix classic songs with fresh styles, gestures, and sounds.

The show focuses on combining generations and cultures, giving classic tunes a K-pop touch. Every episode features a new team-up, replete with unique choreography, style, and high-energy performances. The series, hosted by Soojeong Son and executive produced by Megan Thee Stallion, Lionel Richie, and Miky Lee, combines Apple TV+'s worldwide reach with Korea's penchant for performance-heavy variety programs, thanks to Eureka Productions and CJ ENM.

For fans, seeing the Spice Girls on TV together again was huge, something that hadn’t happened in years. Bunton and Mel B joining forces with ITZY proved the show could score big names and create the kind of cross-cultural mash-ups that no one saw coming.

The Spice Girls collaborate with ITZY on KPOPPED

Episode two of KPOPPED puts Emma Bunton and Mel B on stage with ITZY to reimagine two Spice Girls classics, which are Wannabe and Say You’ll Be There. The mash-up brought British pop icons together with one of K-pop’s hottest rising groups, making it a big moment for both sides.

ITZY turned up the energy with sharp choreography and powerhouse vocals, layering their style over the throwback hits. The result was a mix that kept the Spice Girls’ original charm while adding the flash and polish that defines modern K-pop. Behind-the-scenes footage shows rehearsal processes and preparation leading to the final live performance. These segments provide insight into how artists from different cultural backgrounds navigate creative collaboration and language barriers.

The team-up shows exactly what KPOPPED is about, blending different music worlds into one stage. Both groups have to shift their usual style, finding ways to highlight each other’s strengths while still keeping the heart of the original songs alive.

Unlike most music shows, KPOPPED runs as a competition judged by the crowd, not a panel. Each episode ends with the live audience in Seoul voting for their favorite act. So, the winners are chosen by cheers and claps instead of scorecards.

The format encourages creative risk-taking as artists experiment with unfamiliar styles and genres. Western performers must incorporate K-pop elements, while Korean acts learn to interpret international hits through their cultural lens.

Each collaborator is given one episode to create, practice, and present their redesigned version. This restricted timeframe puts pressure on artists, which frequently leads to surprising creative breakthroughs as they push beyond their comfort zones. The audience voting mechanism echoes Korean variety show traditions in which public opinion determines outcomes. This democratic method varies from the judge-based competition models used on Western television.

Beyond the Spice Girls reunion, KPOPPED boasts an outstanding selection of Western performers from many decades and genres.

Patti LaBelle, Ava Max, Eve, J Balvin, Kylie Minogue, Vanilla Ice, Boy George, TLC, and Boyz II Men are all jumping in on the fun. Teaming up with them are K-pop crews ranging from chart-toppers to fresh faces like ATEEZ, BLACKSWAN, KEP1ER, Billlie, JO1, Kiss of Life, and STAYC. With that mix, every episode promises a mash-up of styles that feels more like a global block party than a competition.

The song list is just as wild, with classics like Savage, Lady Marmalade, Can’t Get You Out of My Head, Ice Ice Baby, and Waterfalls getting the K-pop remix treatment. It’s a playlist that spans decades, genres, and vibes, basically designed to hook everyone from your older cousin to your little sister. Apple TV Plus clearly isn’t playing small here; they’re betting that star power plus K-pop sparkle is the recipe to pull in fans who didn’t even know they needed these collabs in their lives.

How is KPOPPED performing and what is their global strategy?

The trailers for KPOPPED lit up social media, with fans especially buzzing about the Spice Girls reunion. On YouTube, comments poured in hyping Emma Bunton and Mel B’s team-up with ITZY. Even before the first episode dropped, people were already asking for more seasons, showing faith that the mix of Western pop and K-pop had real staying power.

All that fan love might tempt Apple TV+ to cook up more K-pop collabs or even spin the idea out to other genres and global stars. The full season landed worldwide on August 29, 2025, ready for instant binging instead of drip-feed episodes. Thanks to the global drop, no one had to dodge spoilers; whether you were in London, Seoul, or your cousin’s basement, everyone hit play at the same time.

The debut episode with Bunton, Mel B, and ITZY marked a bold move for Apple TV+. By mixing nostalgia with cutting-edge K-pop, the show created a cultural mash-up that felt both fresh and familiar. Judging from early reactions, the gamble paid off, giving fans a new way to enjoy iconic songs while discovering unexpected pairings across borders and generations.

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You can watch KPOPPED exclusively on Apple TV+.

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