From left to right: Sun Hi, Caleb, Jodi, and Corki, the band members of XO-IQ.
Make It Pop is a musical Kid Com series created by Thomas W. Lynch and Nick Cannon that premiered on Nickelodeon on March 26, 2015. The series stars Megan Lee, Louriza Tronco, Erika Tham, and Dale Whibley.
Sun Hi, Jodi, and Corki are freshmen at Mackendrick Prep, a boarding school, who eventually form a high school band called XO-IQ as the lead singers. Caleb acts as their promoter and DJ. The show draws a lot of influence from flashy, colourful pop diva bands and some aspects of K-pop.
The series abruptly ended after two seasons with two in-between specials on August 20, 2016, the second of these ending on an unresolved cliffhanger.
However, according to a recent interview
, Thomas W. Lynch has further plans for the series, although said plans have yet to be revealed.
This show provides examples of:
- Asian and Nerdy: Corki, who is from Beijing studying at Mackendrick to get into a US university.
- Alpha Bitch: Valerie, the head cheerleader and senior, who has a particular hatred of the band.
- Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: Sun Hi, Corki, and Jodi, respectively.
- Betty and Veronica : Corki is the Betty to Valerie's Veronica for Jared’s Archie.
- Boarding School: Mackendrick Prep, where the show takes place.
- Butt-Monkey: Caleb, poor guy. He always seems to be on the receiving end of humiliation or punishment.
- Cloud Cuckoolander: Sun Hi. Oh so much.
- Cloud Cuckoolanders Minder: Jodi often corrects Sun Hi when she does something wrong.
- Cute Bookworm: Corki, a quiet and studious girl
- The Ditz: Heather, the point where she forgets that she wrote a drink order on her hand (well, her other hand) so she could remember it.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Twice for Jodi: the first when Alex takes credit for Jodi's work during her internship, and the second when Hae Jyung Ko takes credit for Jodi's fashion work.
- The Fashionista: Jodi.
- Four-Persons Ensemble: Sun Hi often acts like a little girl (childish), Jodi often wears quite masculine outfits (manish), Corki is very studious but also feminine (pretty) and Caleb, a rare male example (team dad).
- Imagine Spot: Musical imagine spots, no less.
- Impossibly Cool Clothes: Not only in Jodi's fashions, but in much of their normal wardrobes.
- It's All About Me: Sun Hi, almost to an exaggerated degree. Sun Hi is obsessed with herself and is determined to become world-famous. Jared is similarly self-absorbed about his appearance and his ability as a stage artist.
- Light Feminine and Dark Feminine: Corki is the sweet and kind Light Feminine and Valerie is the Alpha Bitch Dark Feminine.
- Long Hair Is Feminine: Corki, Valerie and Heather have the longest hair and they are both feminine.
- Jerk Jock: Jared isn't exactly a jerk like Valerie, but he is incredibly self-absorbed and took a bet that he could kiss Corki first. He does mean well, though, and does apologize for mistakes he has made in the past.
- Keet: Jared and Caleb, but Jared much more so.
- Musical World Hypotheses: The show is bizarrely all four hypotheses listed on that page. The main characters start bonding when they spontaneously create a fully choreographed and edited music video on Sun Hi's livestream, which went viral (Alternative Universe). There are numerous other episodes where the musical numbers represent a particular character's thoughts and imaginations (All In Their Head), or as an interpretation of what is actually going on (Adaptation). Finally, as an actual band, XO-IQ performs songs live on stage at Club Ry Ri (Diegetic).
- Once an Episode: XO-IQ has to rehearse or sing at least one song every episode.
- Pink Means Feminine: Sun Hi very often wears pink and in season 2, her hair is pink.
- Phoneaholic Teenager: Sun Hi, who must constantly livestream or take selfies to update the "Sun Hi Nation."
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Sun Hi and Jodi are the Red Oni of Corki and Caleb’s Blue Oni.
- Sadist Teacher: Ms. Diona, the principal, very openly looks down upon most of the student body and her own staff, and is willing to have the school's musical production end in disaster so she can tear down the auditorium to build a personal swimming pool.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Caleb is the sensitive guy of Jared’s manly man.
- Ship Tease: Between Jodi and Caleb. They eventually get together.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Jodi is the tomboy of Sun Hi and Corki's girly girls.
- Town Girls: Sun Hi (femme), Jodi (butch) and Corki (neither). Although Corki is way more femme than butch.
- Two-Teacher School: It seems like Ms. Diona and Mr. Stark are the only teachers in the entire school, but occasionally we see a third.
- Unrequited Love Switcheroo: Corki used to have a crush on Jared, but after discovering that he was originally manipulating her into falling for him quickly drops it. Jared eventually falls for her, instead, becoming more of an Abhorrent Admirer.
