Long before the dawn of Tiktok, there was “The P.O.P. Station” by KYTV (with “P.O.P.” standing for “Politics of the Popular”). Originally presented as an interactive work between 2004–2009, audiences were invited to make and star in music videos set to soundtracks and backdrops created by the collective. The previous iteration of the work was a satirical response to a music business which favoured formulaic approaches to manufacturing marketable pop stars. KYTV envisioned the decentralisation of pop culture instead and assisted aspiring performers by providing them with the necessary tools via “The P.O.P. Station”. The resulting music videos were then uploaded to YouTube in hopes of achieving fame through the platform’s potential for broadcast and virality. Here, “The P.O.P. Station” returns with its latest iteration, “Greatest Hits”—a vibrant, multimedia presentation tracing the journey of KYTV’s creative endeavour. Featuring a video wall of self-made stars and an accompanying mockumentary of the work’s evolution, “The P.O.P. Station” exemplifies the early beginnings of social networking sites while acknowledging the role and dreams of ordinary citizens, as well as the Internet’s shared humanity.
