I’ve been a K-Pop and T-Pop fan for years. Keeping track of comebacks, new releases, and events across dozens of artists always felt harder than it should be. Information was scattered across Twitter, fan forums, and official accounts. I wanted one place to see it all.
So I built Popradar.
The Problem
As a fan, I was constantly switching between apps and websites just to answer simple questions: When is the next comeback? Did I miss a new MV drop? What events are happening this month?
There wasn’t a single, clean destination that aggregated this information in a way that felt modern and personal.
Tech Stack Decisions
I went with Next.js for the framework because I wanted server-side rendering for SEO (fan searches are a real traffic source) and the App Router felt right for the data-fetching patterns I needed.
TailwindCSS was a no-brainer since I use it for everything. The utility-first approach lets me iterate on UI fast, which matters a lot for side projects where momentum is everything.
For the AI-powered features like artist recommendations, I integrated the OpenAI API. The goal was to help fans discover new artists based on their existing favorites, not just by genre but by vibe.
What I Learned
Building Popradar taught me a few things:
-
Start with the data model. I spent too long on UI before nailing down how artist, release, and event data would relate. Once I fixed the schema, everything clicked.
-
Side projects need momentum. I shipped an MVP in two weekends. If I’d tried to make it perfect first, I never would have launched.
-
Fans are passionate users. The feedback I got from early users was incredibly detailed and enthusiastic. Building for a community you belong to is a different experience.
What’s Next
Popradar is still evolving. I’m working on personalized feeds, push notifications for comebacks, and better event coverage for T-Pop artists specifically. The Thai pop scene is growing fast and deserves better tooling.
If you’re a fan, check it out and let me know what you think.