I was at an audition to cast a virtual K-pop idol — and was kinda blown away

In three short decades, K-pop went from being pop songs made and listened to in South Korea to a globally consumed music — thanks in no small part to its knack for constant reinvention.

If the wild success of KPop Demon Hunters is any indication, the genre in its latest evolution has continued its cultural hold.

The Netflix animated film follows a K-pop girl group that also hunts demons. Said demons are disguised as their biggest rivals, a K-pop boy group. The movie has launched hit songs and the careers of the actors and singers who voice these fictional characters.

Virtual K-pop star audition

All that brings us to the El Rey in Mid-Wilshire last week, where K-pop agency Galaxy Corporation held an audition for its first virtual K-pop group. The venue, on this sleepy weekday afte