K-pop award season just got spicy. Christian Borda reacts to the 2026 MAMA nominations, sharing his predictions, calling out surprising omissions, and debating which artists deserve to win. From BTS and Cortis in Best Male Group to aespa and Hearts2Hearts in Best Female Group, this is a passionate, no-filter look at the MAMA races. In this episode of CJ's Got Takes, Christian breaks down the Best Female Artist, Best Male Group, Best Female Group, Best Collaboration, Best Music Video, choreography, and dance performance categories. He weighs the frontrunners against his own picks, reacts to standout releases, and makes the case for artists he thinks deserved more recognition—including Kiss of Life. If you follow K-pop, love award-season predictions, or enjoy a strong fan debate, join Christian for a fast-paced discussion of who could take home the wins—and who might be the biggest snub of the year.

Timestamps

00:00 - Best Female Artist Predictions
02:34 - Best Male Group: BTS vs. Cortis
04:22 - Best Female Group Debate
10:47 - Best Collaboration Hot Takes
14:30 - Best Music Video Picks
16:35 - Best Choreography Predictions
18:17 - Best Dance Performance Reactions
20:25 - Snubs, Final Picks & Outro

LE SSERAFIM just made history, K-pop ticket scalping is getting out of control, and KATSEYE is nominated in a K-pop category?! 👀

On this episode of CJ’s K-Pop Fix, I’m breaking down some of the biggest K-pop topics right now — including LE SSERAFIM becoming the first K-pop girl group to perform at the iHeartRadio Music Festival, the rise in concert ticket scalping, and the MTV/VMA K-pop nominations featuring BTS, BLACKPINK, CORTIS, KATSEYE, LE SSERAFIM, and LISA.

I also give my thoughts on whether KATSEYE really belongs in a K-pop category, which artists I think had some of the strongest nominations, and why aespa deserved some recognition too.

Plus, I’m getting ready to see aespa on their SYNK : COMPLÆXITY tour! I talk about the new aespa solo songs, my early solo ranking, the songs I’m sad didn’t make the setlist, and what I’m most excited to see live.

Let me know in the comments:
Should KATSEYE be considered K-pop?
Who stands out to you in the K-pop category?
And what aespa song would you NEED on the tour setlist?

Timestamps
00:00 – Le Sserafim's iHeartRadio Music Festival performance
02:12 – Ticket Scalping
04:34 – MTV Awards K-Pop nominations and predictions
10:59 – Aespa's Upcoming Tour, New Solo Stages, and Setlist Reactions
13:41 – Aespa contract renewal and disbandment speculation
14:49 – Closing Questions

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Music licensed through Soundstripe.

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#Kpop #LESSERAFIM #KATSEYE #aespa #BTS #BLACKPINK #MTVVMAs #KpopNews #CJsGotTakes

Christian Borda turns a playful AI experiment into a fast, opinionated K-pop ranking episode. He asks Gemini to generate dream K-pop collaborations, rate potential Super Bowl halftime show acts, and rank Blackpink's solo careers — then reacts with his own takes throughout.

This episode is a must-listen for K-pop fans curious how AI judges idol vocals, dance skills, and stage chemistry. Featured artists include Karina, Ryujin, Natty, Hani, Minnie, Ningning, Momo, Yeji, Chaeyun, Yunjin, Giselle, BTS, and all four Blackpink members — Lisa, Jisoo, Rosé, and Jennie.

Key Topics

• Christian asks Gemini AI to create dream K-pop collaboration units inspired by iconic "special stage" trio performances
• First dream collab ranked: Karina (aespa), Ryujin (ITZY), and Natty (KISS OF LIFE) — an 8/10 for dance power and visual impact
• Vocal-driven R&B unit: Hani (EXID), Minnie ((G)I-DLE), and Ningning (aespa) — rated 9.5/10 as a hypnotic vocal trio
• "Main dancer apocalypse unit": Momo (TWICE), Yeji (ITZY), and Chaeyun (Kep1er) — 7/10 for dance-first energy but lighter vocals
• Christian's own dream collab pick: Yunjin (LE SSERAFIM), Giselle (aespa), and Natty, plus Gemini's brutally honest breakdown of who would carry the choreography and center position
• K-pop Super Bowl halftime show debate: Gemini names BTS and Blackpink as top contenders; Christian shares his mixed feelings about a K-pop headliner
• Blackpink solo ranking (worst to best): Gemini ranks first, then Christian gives his own order — Lisa, Jisoo, Rosé, Jennie
• Why Jennie and Rosé top Christian's list: Jennie's R&B album direction and live performance appeal, Rosé's songwriting and solo identity

Timestamps
00:00 – Intro
00:29 – Gemini's first dream collab: Karina, Ryujin, and Natty
03:09 – Vocal-heavy trio: Hani, Minnie, and Ningning
05:13 – Momo, Yeji, and Chaeyun — a dance-first performance unit
07:36 – Christian's own dream trio: Yunjin, Giselle, and Natty
09:17 – Which K-pop act should headline the Super Bowl halftime show?
11:23 – Gemini ranks Blackpink's soloists, worst to best
13:33 – Christian's own Blackpink solo ranking

Notable Quotes

• "I can make this an episode."
• "Gemini is super brutal."
• "I think they're stronger as soloists."