Pooja Pillai is an entertainment journalist with Asian Media Group, where she covers cinema, pop culture, internet trends, and the politics of representation. Her work spans interviews, cultural features, and social commentary across digital platforms.
She began her reporting career as a news anchor, scripting and presenting stories for a regional newsroom. With a background in journalism and media studies, she has since built a body of work exploring how entertainment intersects with social and cultural shifts, particularly through a South Indian lens.
She brings both newsroom rigour and narrative curiosity to her work, and believes the best stories don’t just inform — they reveal what we didn’t know we needed to hear.
The eight-member K-pop group YOUNITE performed for the first time in India at Delhi's Rang De Korea festival.
Members expressed astonishment at the welcome from Indian fans, describing the trip as feeling "unreal."
Indian cuisine, especially curries and coriander, became an instant favourite for the band.
Rapper Dey specifically named Indian artist Hanumankind as a desired collaborator.
The band's India tour continues with a performance at Mumbai’s K-Harmony Festa.
The energy at Delhi’s Nexus Select City Walk was off the charts and you could feel it buzzing in the air. K-pop group YOUNITE finally hit the stage for their first gig ever in India. And this wasn’t just any show. It was part of the Rang De Korea festival, which signals that the Hallyu wave is truly catching fire here. The crowd went wild. Lights were everywhere. The band looked around and realised that this night was something special; it was not just another pin on their tour map.
YOUNITE performs for the first time in India at Delhi’s Rang De Korea festival Instagram/canalextra_/younite_bnm
What went down for Younite at their India debut?
To put it simply: it was absolute madness, in the best way possible. Steve, the lead singer, couldn’t stop grinning even hours later. He kept saying it all felt dreamlike. He mentioned the crowd’s noise was next-level, unlike anything they had heard before. It wasn’t just about singing and dancing, either.
The guys went full tourist, checking out Humayun’s Tomb and, probably the highlight, getting thoroughly stuck into local street food. If you’ve seen their socials, you know they didn’t hold back. The consensus? The curries were a triumph, with Steve singling out the potent flavour of fresh coriander as a game-changer.
Who does Younite want to collaborate with from India?
This is where things get interesting for music fans. When the topic of potential Indian partnerships came up, rapper Dey didn't hesitate. He immediately named Hanumankind, revealing the track 'Big Dawgs' was already on their playlist. Dey mused that their styles could mesh well, creating something genuinely fresh and fun.
It’s a clear signal that the group is looking beyond a simple performance, actively seeking to build bridges with local artists and sounds. This specific interest in a YOUNITE Hanumankind collaboration has certainly set fan forums alight.
The Delhi gig was only the first chapter. The group is now headed to Mumbai for the inaugural K-Harmony Festa, ensuring their Indian introduction is a two-city affair. They’ve promised to bring the same, if not more, intense energy to that stage. Beyond the immediate tour, their comments suggest a strong desire to return. The warmth from the fans and the vibrant culture seem to have hooked them. Given their clear enjoyment of the food, the history, and the music scene, this YOUNITE India debut likely won't be their last.
Nobody saw Charli XCX coming during Role Model’s Saturday Night Live slot. She just walked on stage.
Her choice of a Max's Kansas City t-shirt immediately set fan theories alight.
Swifties linked the top to Taylor Swift’s fiancé, NFL star Travis Kelce.
It turns out, the whole thing was far simpler because she grabbed the shirt from Role Model himself.
A simple t-shirt choice during a surprise cameo has sent the pop world into a spin. Charli XCX appeared on Saturday Night Live this weekend, joining musical guest Role Model for his performance, and fans are convinced her outfit contained a pointed message for Taylor Swift. The British singer’s Max’s Kansas City top, seen during the broadcast, is being widely interpreted as a new chapter in their rumoured feud, following pointed lyrics on both of their latest records.
Fans think Charli XCX trolled Taylor Swift with Kansas City shirt during surprise SNL cameo Instagram/rolemodel
What happened during the SNL performance?
The moment happened during Role Model’s set. As he sang his track Sally, When the Wine Runs Out, he called out for his ‘Sally’. On cue, Charli XCX emerged through the stage doors to a roar from the crowd, dancing through the bridge of the song. She was in full brat mode, no surprise there. A black leather skirt, those boots, the tights. But the beat-up band shirt she had borrowed? That is what did it.
— (@)
So, why is the internet losing its collective mind over a t-shirt?
Well, if you are deep in the pop gossip sphere, it makes perfect sense. Taylor Swift’s whole world lately seems to include Kansas City, thanks to her fiancé Travis Kelce playing for the Chiefs. So, when you see ‘Kansas City’ printed across Charli’s chest right after all this feud chatter? It does not look like a coincidence. It looks like a shot.
Social media lit up instantly, with fans calling the move "the tea" and calling the situation "actually romantic," a direct nod to the song from Swift’s new album The Life of a Showgirl that many believe is about Charli.
— (@)
So was the shirt really a jab at Taylor Swift?
Not according to the facts. Role Model, whose real name is Tucker Pillsbury, quickly clarified on his Instagram Story that Charli had simply borrowed the shirt from him. He had worn the very same Max’s Kansas City top, a reference to a famed New York nightclub, not the Missouri city, in promotional material for the episode. His own sophomore album is titled Kansas Anymore, making the shirt a piece of his own branding. Despite this explanation, the visual symbolism in the heat of the rumoured feud was simply too powerful for fans to ignore.
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