K-Pops!

by Mike McGranaghan

Much like it was in the 1980s, we’re living in a period where the biggest names in music want to make the jump to the big screen. In the past year alone, we’ve gotten three motion pictures built around currently successful pop stars: The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow, Charli XCX’s The Moment, and now Anderson .Paak’s K-Pops!, which he co-wrote, directed, and stars in. Unlike the others, who went darker with their films, he goes for something bright and happy. If you don’t feel good at the end of these two hours, happiness may not be in your emotional repertoire.

The title refers to K-pop music, but also to fatherhood (as in calling your dad “Pops”). .Paak plays BJ, a talented drummer at a karaoke bar who dreams of hitting it big in the music biz one day. His ambition wrecks a nice relationship with girlfriend Yeji (Jee Young Han). Twelve years later, at the behest of his mother (Yvette Nicole Brown), he travels to South Korea to become the in-house drummer for a popular televised singing competition designed to launch the newest K-pop superstar. BJ ends up having a surprise reunion with Yeji, who informs him that he’s the father of her son Tae (Soul Rasheed, .Paak’s real-life son), himself a competitor on the show.

Everything that transpires from there is thoroughly predictable. It is no spoiler to say that BJ and Yeji find their attraction still exists, that father and son form a bond, and that a time comes when BJ has to choose between a dream professional opportunity and being around for Tae’s big performance. An obligatory snooty frontrunner is present, as well, to give Tae a rival. In terms of plot, the picture is color-by-numbers.

Where it shines is in depicting how the power of music allows BJ and Tae to grow tight. The former trains his son in the art of performance, helping him to sing better, acquire slicker dance moves, and develop onstage confidence. He introduces his son to the Jackson 5 and other legendary acts who paved the way for K-pop groups. All this is done in a sweet, sincere, warmly funny manner. As the lead actor, .Paak’s passion comes across just as strongly as BJ’s does. With a charming personality and loads of talent, he’s quite capable of carrying the film. Soul Rasheed is a chip off the old block, displaying many of the same qualities his father has.

A serious love of music is at the film’s heart. The are musical interludes throughout, along with cameos from actual K-pop artists and other celebs. How can you not like a movie that pauses its plot to include a completely random performance from Earth Wind & Fire? Although the story points are cliched, K-Pops! radiates joy. It’s got the sort of upbeat magic we could all use a little more of in our entertainment.

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