KPOP is a genre of popular music originating from South Korea in the 1940s. As a musical form it connects people at a global scale with a transnational fanbase. Fans have begun using social media platforms to create political change via hashtags and music videos that hack events and digital movements. For example in June of 2020, they ruined a Trump rally meant to mark the unofficial launch of his reelection campaign via videos on TikTok encouraging fans to reserve all the seats. Trump found himself in front of an empty stadium. KPOP still has a lot to be criticized for- it is xenophobic, it fetishizes Asian bodies, it also objectifies and hypersexualizes the female body, and the abled body. It appropriates black and indigenous culture as well. However it is and remains a format that could potentially allow for critical interventions by bringing together multiple stakeholders and audiences around complex topics. It is in this realm that Chloé anchored her project.

As a part of her research residency at the University of the Underground, Chloe worked with both KPOP artists and economists as she created a fictional KPOP star named Fred inspired by these conversations. Fred loves kimchi, puppies and berets, and absolutely detests neoliberalism and privatisation. She writes songs inspired and in collaboration with other artists ( Alexander Cromer and Xiaoji Song), KPOP fans ( Pink Cloud Paris dance crew), public management researchers (Christopher Hood), to reveal and challenge neoliberalism. Fred’s songs are a way to communicate with KPOP fans, but also with political and economic leaders to spark change. The outcome is a series of songs and an EP released as a part of Chloe’s final show in March 2021.