Asian Pop Nation Podcast

Korean-Australian artist/producer/DJ, nabii flew into the studio to chat with the APN team all about her newest single ‘somewhere i belong’, her musical journey, and the importance of creating safe spaces for BIPOC women in the electronic music scene!

This episode, Annabella, Renisha and Denise take to the floor to share with you their favourite recommendations in Asian media. From slice of life manga/k-dramas, a global K-pop girl group, and Shojo anime recs! Finally we end the episode with our interview with Korean-Australian artist, producer and DJ: nabii

Jess, Denise, Renisha and Annabella are back in the studio talking all things Asian pop culture - from anime, to K-pop to... celebrating the countless contributions to the scene from our favourite Filipino icons, think Manny Jacinto, Lea Salonga etc. etc. (0:51) BABYMONSTER 101 with Renisha! (12:40) Who is RESCENE and where did they come from all of a sudden?? (20:04) Anime attack: Sparks of Tomorrow! (32:23) Avatar The Last Airbender: Legend of Aang movie review (46:21) We gush over our favourite Filipino celebrities Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 12am to 2pm for all the wonderful tunes! Or find all the songs we have ever played on APN in the past here !See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuey is a Sydney based Taiwanese-Australian songwriter and producer blending electronic sounds with heartfelt melodies that come together to create a nostalgic yet new sound. His singles ‘Anemoia’ and ‘Heritage’ are not only some of APN’s favourite tracks they have played on air, but also a homage to growing up in an Asian household and appreciating memories we overlook and take for granted as children.

This episode, listen to the APN team chat to Sydney-based artist Chuey, about all things 'Heritage' and his musical journey. They also talk about their experience at A Matter of Time Tour here in Melbourne - a magical night of music sung by Grammy award winning artist Laufey. Speaking of the Grammys, BTS have officially announced they will not be submitting their songs to the Grammys...we have thoughts. And finally we gush over our favourite C-dramas, if you are looking for a new drama to watch - boy do we have reccomendations!! (1:45) Chuey interview Pt. 1 (15:03) Chuey interview Pt. 2 (28:22) Laufey's A Matter Of Time tour in Melbourne (38:50) BTS will not submitting their songs to the GRAMMYs (50:15) Our favourite C-dramas! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 12am to 2pm for all the wonderful tunes! Or find all the songs we have ever played on APN in the past here !See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Second episode of the season and the APN team are doing a deep dive into the worldwide phenomenon Pop Mart as well as reviewing the latest music to come out of girl group KATSEYE, and K-pop industry veteran J.Y. Park aka JYPapi... Finally we have a look at the MIFF lineup back in August and talk about some of the Asian films we are looking forward to! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 12am to 2pm for all the wonderful tunes! Or find all the songs we have ever played on APN in the past here !See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to Season 2 of Asian Pop Nation, where the current gang welcomes new volunteers Renisha and Amanda! This episode is all about them and what they're bringing to the Nation of Asian Pop, plus some more catching up with talks of upcoming concerts and karaoke as a staple of Asian culture! And it wouldn't be APN without your usual controversy, this time involving Love and Deepspace, a game we've talked about so many times on the show... Safe to say we definitely addressed the elephant (or wolf?) in the room. (0:04) Introducing Renisha and Amanda! (7:07) (Re)introducing the APN gang with more yapping (17:32) Karaoke is Asian confirmed (28:39) Addressing the "wolf" in the room with #bringbackvalko (41:36) Upcoming Asian concerts in 2026! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 12am to 2pm for all the wonderful tunes! Or find all the songs we have ever played on APN in the past here !See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another mega podcast episode mashup of some of our favourite chats over the course of season 1 on APN! Anime fans this one is a must listen - in celebration of the release of the final episode of the My Hero Academia anime, we reminisce and reflect on this modern classic as well as talk about the genre of Reincarnation or Isekai animes from slimes to ASMR microphones, we cover all the wackiest reincarnation forms of media out there. Finally, sandwiched in between these Anime Attacks are a discussion about the new GRAMMY award categories, particularly 'Best Asian Pop Music performance' as well as all the Asian talent at Coachella 2026! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 12am to 2pm for all the wonderful tunes! Or find all the songs we have ever played on APN in the past here !See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode of Asian Pop Nation is a special one, because we're doing a throwback show! Join Jessica and Denise as they talk about their nostalgic childhood and high school experiences in their hometown of Jakarta, and their favourite Asian media growing up! Other than that, they also talked about a peculiar vertical drama series fusing African-American and South Korean culture along with the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 12am to 2pm for all the wonderful tunes! Or find all the songs we have ever played on APN in the past here !See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A must-listen episode of APN concert reviews and chats! Hear them talk about ITZY's TUNNEL VISION tour, and XLOV's debut Oceania tour - two concerts with some very pretty idols performing. Finally, an interview with Wen Pei who opened for Mei Semones - another gig they also attended! Live Asian music is so alive here in Melbourne :D Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 12am to 2pm for all the wonderful tunes! Or find all the songs we have ever played on APN in the past here !See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Asian Pop Nation, we talked about some asian (or not asian?) romcoms, sampling in popular K-Pop songs, and more controversies in the K-Pop scene about a certain chairman of a large music corporation...

For this special episode, the gang here at Asian Pop Nation were joined by the wonderful hosts Eugenie and Beth over at Talk On Your Fork, where we talked about everything food, culture, and cuisine! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation And follow Talk On Your Fork on their Instagram too! @talkonyourfork.syn Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 12am to 2pm for all the wonderful tunes! Or find all the songs we have ever played on APN in the past here !See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wen Pei is a singer-songwriter and artist (and fellow SYN host on The Hoist!) whose soft and enchanting melodies sung in Hokkien and Mandarin, will have you feeling the windy breeze and warm sun on your face no matter where you are listening from. While the APN team first learnt of her through the opening night of Limitless Play at No Vacancy Gallery last year, she most recently opened for Japanese-American jazz-influenced indie rock artist Mei Semones last month on Sunday 14th June.

APN had the pleasure of interviewing Cupnoodle - a Thai German independent singer-songwriter based in Bangkok, Thailand. She has been releasing the most delicious soul and jazz infused pop music since 2020 - writing from an in-between space fusing Asian and Western music styles, singing in English and Thai, and she is unafraid to be playful in her lyrics and music. Her latest single "A.I. CAN'T DO" is a track that celebrates how music is so human - something that cannot be replicated by AI, and will be alongside other singles such "Best Shot" in her upcoming album titled FARANG, which we learn all about in this interview. (2:28) Cupnoodle on her new single A.I CAN'T DO (6:39) The meaning behind the food themes across her music discography (8:01) Singing (and laughing!) in Thai and paying homage to "the land of smiles" :)

Coincidentally, the APN team had a lot to say about Japan this episode beginning with maid cafes, One Piece Live Action - and ending with a discussion on how Japan is romanticised online, with people on TikTok romanticising their hometowns by pretending it is 'Tokyo, Japan'

A jam packed episode filled with throwbacks to some iconic K-pop debuts and one of the team's most favourite rhythm games they were obsessed with (arguably still) Project Sekai!! As well as more recent happenings in the Asian pop world - most importantly the long awaited comeback of BTS post-military service, with the album, 'ARIRANG'. Listen to hear our initial thoughts and opinions of this comeback and a retrospective on BTS's career thus far.

In this episode APN revisit an...altercation between Knetz and SEA Kpop fans over concert etiquette, as well as report on a very recent (at the time of recording) shock departure of Heeseung from ENHYPEN. More topics include a segment on older genres of Asian pop as well as, your favourite, an anime attack!! (0:04) Intro (2:13) Anime Attack: Sentenced to Be Absolute Trash (15:31) K-Pop Wars: SEAblings vs. Knetz (24:35) Asian Pop History! (32:52) Heesung leaving ENHYPEN... (42:57) Asian Exellence in the Winter Olympics (and byebye) Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 12am to 2pm for all the wonderful tunes! Or find all the songs we have ever played on APN in the past here !See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week APN had the pleasure of sitting down with comedian Harry Jun, who was visiting Melbourne for his run of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. His show titled "Inside Jokes, Outside Voice" actually sold out its entire Naarm run (we are so proud

HOW WE FEELIN OUT THERE? APN, PRESENT!!!

This week APN dropped it like hot, hot, hot, oh jigeum feeling so hot. No we did not play HOT by SEVENTEEN but we did talk all things Heated Rivalry - the hot new show generating lots of discussion and love, and Hotpot Bomb - the hot new food product that claimed to be the 'first' of its kind...generating lots of discussion and hate. And finally, Annabella again makes the most of her solo time in the studio and yaps about her favourite neighbours, BOYNEXTDOOR and explains all about their lore/concept. (7:54) Heated Rivalry and its Asian-ness (?)

Hello and welcome back to Asian Pop Nation! The very first show of 2026, and the first of the Year of the Fire Horse

L!FE is a Melbourne-based Filipino songwriter and producer, whose music combines hip-hop, rock and pop styles, with honest lyrics about, well, life! All its highs, all its lows and what it is like to be a human and alive. A week prior, APN attended L!FE's release party for his new EP 'I'm a Human Being' and fell in love with his energetic hip-hop beats you couldn't resist head bopping to, and infectious stage presence. We were so grateful to be able to talk to him live in the studio and hear him perform his song 'Show Me What You Got' (which he definitely did!). Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 11am to 1pm for all the wonderful tunes! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apart from our interview with L!FE and watching him perform his banger single 'Show Me What You Got', the APN team came together to discuss the unfortunate racism Golden Bachelor winner, Sunny had been receiving following the show. As well as some upcoming anime releases and a certain badly drawn angle of one of our most beloved characters... (0:07) Golden Bachelor winner Sunny and racist comments (10:58) Interview with L!FE (30:30) Live performance of 'Show Me What You Got' by L!FE (35:18) Upcoming anime releases - and recent memes ;D Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 11am to 1pm for all the wonderful tunes!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week the APN team talk all about their experience at L!FE's EP release party and seeing JXCKY as an opener as well as the GRAMMY nominations having an Asian representation moment with some names nominated such as KATSEYE, Rosé, Bruno Mars and HUNTR/X. Finally, we end the show with Ashly's experience visiting her homeland in China and why if you are a fan of all things pop-culture, you should join her in visiting too! (4:13) Jessie, Ashly and Jessica at L!FE's EP release party (with APN fav 'JXCKY' opening!!) (14:28) Asian representation finally at the GRAMMY's, but why is the APN team concerned? (26:24) APN's guide to fan conventions (37:39) Ashly's trip to China Pt.1 - China trees >> Australia trees?? (50:08) Ashly in China Pt.2 - fan communities galore (8 level mall dedicated to merch??) and food! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 12pm to 2pm for all the wonderful tunes! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the week leading up this show, the team at APN had been out and about completing various side-quests! The local scene for Asian art was truly thriving that week! Jessica, Annabella and Denise saw the 2005 Japanese film 'Linda Linda Linda' that was remastered and brought to Melbourne by the Asian Cinema Collective. They also went to see four incredible local Asian Australian musicians at Limitless Play, the opening event of No Vacancy gallery headlined by Juniper Care, with wonderful openers Wen Pei Low, JXCKY and Robert Baxter!!! And finally, a not-so-local band graced Australia with their presence....and that was none other than TWICE. Give this episode a listen to hear all about it!!! (2:55) Linda Linda Linda - we love female friendship and miss high school! (11:40) Limitless Play at No Vacancy Gallery - we love local artists! (26:54) TWICE - we love women! (37:22) A discussion on K-pop generations - we love the vibes of 3rd gen! (46:08) What is poppin' in Asia - we love when Asian songs go viral! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 11am to 1pm for all the wonderful tunes!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the very first time on Asian Pop Nation, our ears were graced with a live performance by Lemes – an up-and-coming Indonesian student band based in Melbourne. Joining us in the studio was Deo, Julian, Theo, Rama, and Chelsea, who performed two wonderful Indonesian songs: 'Pandangan Pertama' and 'Cinta dan Rahasia'. We had the chance to talk to Lemes about their hopes, dreams, and goals as one of the only Indonesian student bands based in Melbourne. Acting as a bridge between cultures, Lemes aims to help Indonesian diaspora reconnect with their roots and spread Indonesian music to wider horizons. Keep on listening and let yourself be charmed by this energetic band! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 11am to 1pm for all the wonderful tunes!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this jam-packed episode of Asian Pop Nation, Jessica, Annabella, Denise, and Takee address two infamous battles happening in Asian media: the Newjeans legal dispute and the appeal of sports competitions in animes like Haikyu!! and Free! For the first time ever, Melbourne-based Indonesian student-band, Lemes, joins us in the studio for a live performance and a short chat. (4:17) The appeal of sports anime (and hot men?) (16:28) A breakdown of Newjeans' legal dispute with ADOR (24:50) Annabella's Night Out with Grent Perez! (28:37) Get to know Lemes: your new favorite Indonesian student band (38:00) Lemes performs LIVE in the studio! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 11am to 1pm for all the wonderful tunes!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What would you do if your favorite K-Pop idol landed in a controversy – with a bunch of your other faves in the mix too? In this fifth episode of Asian Pop Nation, Annabella, Denise, Jessica, and Ashly discuss the various moral and cultural controversies that have surrounded K-Pop and Pop spaces in recent weeks. We also get nitty gritty talking about the newly released Chainsaw Man movie! When all hope seems lost in K-Pop...a new boy group that just landed could just renew this hope – listen to find out more about 1VERSE. In today's show... (3:47) Sabrina Carpenter's culturally questionable SNL performance (13:37) W Korea's 'charity' event (24:34) Breaking down the newest Chainsaw Man movie! (34:43) Matcha Mania?! (43:35) North Koreans and South Koreans unite through new boy group, 1VERSE Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 11am to 1pm for all the wonderful tunes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to another episode of Asian Pop Nation, but this time, everything's a little spoooooky!!

In this third episode, the APN team explores all things that makes our love of Asian media SOCIAL; we recap the recent PAX convention, bring back bittersweet memories of watching K-Dramas, and address the 'parasocial' phenomenon happening throughout K-Pop. Listen more to find out the best and trendiest Asian collabs of the year! (3:00) Jessie and Ashly recap the PAX convention (12:40) K-Drama Sad Hours (prepare your tissues) (22:51) Parasocial-ism in K-Pop? (32:18) Viral Asian songs throughout the years (43:32) Asian collabs of the year Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Saturday from 11am to 1pm for all the wonderful tunes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

APN has taken off and landed on a planet...a BOYS II PLANET!

Did you miss us?? Asian Pop Nation is finally back, after a (almost!) one year long hiatus! And for the first time in many many moons, we are recording LIVE in the studio

An APN episode in 2025?! It's more likely than you think... Enjoy a little blast from the past moment as some of our team members gather around our metaphorical campfire to revive Asian Pop Nation for just one night only in honour of SYN's 2025 Radiothon. If you ever wanted to know what we have been up to post-APN plus also some of our itching thoughts about the latest Asian content taking over the world during the first half of the year, tune in!

After 31 episodes provided by a team of 10 young Asian folks who loved popping in every Tuesday to yap about everything under the sun, we have officially reached the end of Asian Pop Nation 2024 (and potentially forever)! Come join us one last time to not only talk about a concert that feels very on-brand for us to end our show on, but to also reflect on the year and the evolution of APN with some fun behind the scenes lore. No matter if you are a long-time or recent listener of our show, thank you so much for tuning in to our little corner here on SYN and for one last time... this is APN signing off!

Before we officially rip the band-aid off when it comes to reaching the end of APN 2024, our team members wanted to focus on more light-hearted moments that happened back in November (with an October sneak entry), such as the trio of concerts we got to see from girl groups' ARTMS & (G)I-DLE as well as from solo artist, tiffi. The fun times however do come to an end as we also say our early farewells to our newest team member, Annabella, by giving her the spotlight to yap all about the stuff she personally loved in 2024! (P.S. Listen to this episode to find out where you can continue to hear her on your airwaves)  (01:46) Annabella's Asian media faves of 2024 ❤️ (16:29) Ethan's SVIP experience at ARTMS's Moonshot World Tour in Melbourne (25:40) Tracy's experience at (G)I-DLE's i-DOL World Tour in Melbourne (39:56) Tracy's experience at tiffi's cold medicine tour in Melbourne Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Tuesday from 8pm to 10pm for all the wonderful tunes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the title of this episode suggest, we are doing a massive recap session on all of the major headlines that took the world by storm... maybe a while back, but we couldn't end off the year just yet without covering these topics at all! So tune in to the APN team discussing all of the chaos from the past while also switching the spotlight to our EP, Tracy, making her official return to the mic after her big overseas trip to Singapore and Taiwan for the first time! (01:24) RIIZE & Seunghan's controversy (17:36) The Vatican designing an anime-inspired mascot called Luce (20:17) Simu Liu vs Bobba in the TV show, 'Dragon's Den' (25:56) Why is a new Korean cooking show called 'Culinary Class Wars' so popular right now? (30:48) A solo traveller's guide to Singapore, brought to you by Tracy (43:19) A solo traveller's guide to Taiwan, brought to you by Tracy Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - @asianpopnation Please note that SYN does not have the rights to podcast the music it plays on 90.7FM. That means you'll have listen live on SYN 90.7FM | DAB+ syn.org.au every Tuesday from 8pm to 10pm for all the wonderful tunes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Entering the month of November reminds us of the fact that we have to start our countdown to the end of our 2024 APN run!

In a similar vein of bringing back a classic APN special that has been neglected for far too long, we are welcoming our Member Mixtape back to this year's APN rotation! If this is your first time seeing these words thrown around, it is an annual tradition in which each of our team members will have the spotlight to chat & play whatever they want; all rules are off the table! From casual catchup sessions with team members who have been MIA for a bit, to showering love & appreciation to some of our personal fave shows, this episode has it all.

Call this episode a little throwback to a topic that hasn't been getting as much love as usual here at APN, aka all things anime/manga related! Given how much talk there has been about a series of long-running manga's reaching their end in 2024, we wanted to take a look back at a large variety of endings that didn't really hit the mark for us personally. We will also take a slight detour this episode into discussing a certain VTuber announcing their retirement from the streaming scene, and what closing a chapter in their streaming journey means to a fan. Minor spoilers ahead...

If you are looking far and wide for an incredible Asian artist who was able to look at a real life ceramic bear, and make it the inspiration for one of our favourite new tracks of the week, look no further than the LA-based Singaporean singer-songwriter, Linying! She joins Tracy & Annabella in dissecting through the behind-of-scenes creation process of her latest single, "Donovan", as well as the many transitional phases in Linying's artistic journey, including moving overseas!

And the ball doesn't stop rolling here at APN as we have another exciting interview, this time from Los Angeles-based Singaporean artist, Linying, joining us for a chat about her latest single, "Donovan"! But if you also love to fall into deep rabbit holes into certain niche, but well-loved films & music, you are going to love the many movie retrospectives that are all occurring at once in little old Melbourne, from Godzilla to Akira Kurosawa. We'll also take a look into a disbanded Japanese girl group that has been having a bit of a revival moment due to the certain recent Emmy winning actress.

After releasing a joint collaboration album back in July titled, "AAA", indie powerhouses HYUKOH & Sunset Rollercoaster are ready to bring their album to life with their upcoming November tour across Australia! In preparation for an once-in-a-lifetime concert experience, Tracy sat down with frontmen Oh Hyuk from HYUKOH and Kuo Kuo from Sunset Rollercoaster to chat all about the work that went behind intertwining two creative visions from Korea and Taiwan together plus a little tale about taxes.