KRAZY FOR K-POP

Delhi is knee-deep in its K-era. And nowhere was the city's soaring K-fever more electric than at the finale of KCCI's All India K-Pop Contest 2025, where Delhi's own 3plus4crew & a young rapper from Itanagar-set the night on fire.

- ADITHI REENA AJITH

WHEN Riniya Taku, from Itanagar hit the stage with Zero Base One's 'Backpacker', a hard-hitting hip-hop track from the K-drama Study Group, she brought the house down, spitting bars like fire with her energy and command of the mic. By the end, it was clear she had rapped her way to the top, clinching the inaugural rap category win at this year's All India K-Pop Contest, organised by the Korean Cultural Centre India in Delhi.

The finale was eclectic, with dance and vocal performances by 15 teams—selected through regional rounds across ten cities—that drew a houseful crowd of young fans, chanting, cheering, and filming every move. Now in its 15th edition, the competition—running since 2011—also featured a fan meet and performance by five-member K-pop boy band NOMAD, who lit up the stage with hits like 'No Pressure', 'California Love', and 'Carnival'.

The rap rookie Like many K-pop fans around the world, the 22-year-old Taku's entry point into K-pop was BTS, back in high school. "I liked listening to their music. I never imagined trying to learn the lyrics or perform it myself," she recalls. But in 2019, she took the leap—participating in the All India K-pop Contest for the first time.