On July 17th, the Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA, became the epicenter of K-pop excitement as ATEEZ took the stage for their much-anticipated 2024 ATEEZ WORLD TOUR [TOWARDS THE LIGHT: WILL TO POWER]. Known for their elite performance levels and dynamic stage presence, ATEEZ delivered a night to remember, solidifying their status as global superstars and “stadium artists.”
The K-pop sensation, ITZY, returned to the tri-state area on June 23rd, 2024, for their “Born to Be World Tour.” This tour marks the second worldwide tour for the South Korean girl group. It spans Asia, Oceania, the Americas and Europe. The tour is to promote the group’s second album “Born to Be.” Sadly, the tour will take place when the member Lia is on hiatus, but good news, Yeji, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna will still preform.
The show kicked off with the girls taking the stage clad in red and black outfits for their song, “Born To be.” With an extended intro, the girls busted into their moves before venturing into their song, “Racer.” After the girls preformed “Kidding Me,” they took the time to chat with their fans MIDZY. Chaeryeong was the first to speak and she remarked how happy she was to make memories with their fans again. Yuno then highlighted the band that was performing with the girls. She expressed that the performances that night would have a richer sound since they were accompanied by a live band and then she took time to introduce each member of the band allowing the audience to give them their flowers. Then the girls performed “Mr. Vampire” before heading into “Swipe,” which utilized interactive graphics in which the girls swipe their hands across their faces. To those in attendance it certainly was a very cool effect it played right into the music. The girls finished out the act with their hit song “Wannabe,” to the delight of their fans. At the beginning of the song, the dancers stayed on stage for an extended dance break.
After a short video, which encompassed city escapes with the girls, pondering their existence, a spotlight fell on the stage. In the center was Chaeryeong to perform her solo song “Mine.” Decked out in an all-white outfit, her performance was not only sweet, but seductive and encompassed a cool mirror effect along with a dancer who doubled as her. Up next was Ryujin who performed her solo song, “Run Away.” She started the song sitting down holding a microphone with no stand. The stage was filled with colors of red and gold as she rocked out next to a table with a teddy bear sitting next to her, before descending the elevated stage. She was wearing thigh-high boots and a bodysuit with a sparkling rock’n jacket. Then the mood all changed to absolute out of this world sweetness courtesy of Yuno. As she performed her song, “Yet, but,” a large 3-D spaceship straight from her music video was projected behind her as she danced in a diamond cut out couch. She rocked a sparkling outfit with a collar and high boots just as if she was ready to blast off into space with fluffy cute graphics were also projected behind her, at one point, she even jumped into a shopping cart and was pushed around the stage as she performed. Her stage was truly out of this world with its cute 80’s computer graphics. Then the mood shifted again with Yeji’s solo stage which had an extended outro. She performed her song, “Crown On My Head.” She was wearing a red and black outfit and rocked out with cool edgy crown graphics projected behind her with matching choreography. She stunned the crowd with her stage presence, and wow them with her vocals, belting out numerous times amazing notes.
After the girls solo stages, the concert embarked on to act three, which began with a video that was out of this world. It had Armageddon undertones with the girls looking up to the sky and pondering their existence as if they were having an internal crisis.
Then came an intro in which the girls descended from a staircase to perform their hit song, “Untouchable.” The girls were in crop tops with sequins details and denim jeans. Their dancers were all in white. Then ITZY performed their hit “Gas Me Up,” which saw the arena drenched in red and black, before cascading into a beautiful waterfall of colors for their stage for “Dynamite.” Then the girls took a break to talk and connect with fans again. The girls mention that this concert was the only time that they had performed solo stages. One mention she had a blast singing and performing her song that she wrote herself. Yeji remarked that she was happy to share the energy to which a fan yelled out. “I love you” and she jokingly replied, “I love you too!” Then the audience was in an uproar of sharing love for the group to which then Yeji had to joke, “OK I’m talking,” as she flirted with the audience. She also mentioned that she loved performing her song in the solo stage because it was such a happy song with bright positive energy. It was clear that the audience was touched by her corky sentimental sensibility. Then Ryujin joked with the audience, explaining that she couldn’t hear the audience and encouraged NYC to “make some noise,” before the girls got into their song “Psychic Lover.” For this song, this stage was immersed in beautiful colors. Projected behind the girls were squares. Each girl was jumping around, giving as much energy as the audience gave to them. The girls then went on to perform their song, “Don’t Give a What,” Which saw a 3-D monogram projected behind them with their names as they rocked out before breaking into their monster hit “LOCO.” The act concluded with the girls doing a rock version of “LOCO,” with an extended outro that continued to play long after they had quickly dived behind the stage for an outfit change and to get ready for the next act.
For the next act, the band continue to rockout as the girls were working behind the stage to get ready. They started the song, “Not Shy,” with a long intro before the girls return to the stage decked out in white and black western themed outfits, which paid homage to the music video for the song. The girls then broke out their signature moves for their hit songs “Cake” and “Sneakers,” to the audience’s delight. For “Sneakers,” the girls were super cute and playful as colors surrounded the stage. They even did cartwheels to celebrate the joy. The girls then took a beat to chat with their fans again before getting to their song, “Kill Shot,” which was accompanied by extremely cool 3D graphics. ITZY then closed out their set with “Escalator,” which had an extended outro and saw the girls walking off as to say that was it!
However, for MIDZY sake the girls were only teasing. As they prepared for their encore stage a video played. The video encouraged MIDZY to get into the moment with games and challenges that included cheering, singing and even dancing. Then the girls returned to that stage to perform “LOVE is” wearing shorts or skirts with their concert tees cut in individual cute ways. They sat down to performed their touching song “Be in Love.” As the girl sat on the stage it was a very intimate moment as if it was a farewell love letter to fans to say we have to leave, but we will be back. Then the girls actually said their goodbye to MIDZY, but just as the girls were about to speak a video came on that teased each one of them. They watched as they joked with each other. Then Ryujin remarked that New York’s Time Square now feels like home to her now since they had been bless to come to New York so many times. Chaeryeong spoke in English to the audience and she promised that Lia would return soon. Before jumping into their two final songs the girls sat down on stage to take a photo with their fans. They smiled as the lights on the audience were raised. After the heartfelt moment, the girl sjumped right into their song “Boys Like You,” which saw them running around the stage in a playful manor. They jumped around as the lyrics of the song were projected behind them. Then they finished out the show with their hit song, “DALLA DALLA” which had an extended outro. As confetti was flying the girls waved goodbye to their fans and it was obvious how much they had grown as artists from their sweet humble stage in Brooklyn at the Kings Theater to now taking the worlds stage at Madison Square Garden. The moment seemed to capture their gratitude to their fans for making it possible as well as reflected how much they have grown as artists.
K-Pop group The KingDom, known for their unique concept, kicks down the castle doors with their new EP REALIZE. Since 2021, each of their seven mini-albums has explored a different kingdom within their fantastical narrative – engaging their fans, KINGMAKERs, into their concept.
On Feb. 5, P1Harmony released their first official studio album “Killin’ It,” a milestone that marked a significant leap in their career. The record swiftly soared to the top spot in Korea, igniting a blazing trail that saw it climb to the peak of Billboard’s World Albums chart.
Riding the wave of buzz from their debut EP MACARONI CHEESE, K-pop girl group YOUNG POSSE (영파씨) is back with XXL, their second EP. XXL promises a fresh new sound while keeping YOUNG POSSE’s signature style – paying homage to the song ‘Come Back Home’ from the legendary trio group SeoTaiji and The Boy.
B.I is no stranger to releasing new music, but he returns on November 9th with his latest offering to fans. In this release, he gives fans a glimpse into heartbreak with his album, “Love or Loved Pt 2.” The album includes five tracks that take on the pain of a love in trouble or lost. The album begins with the title track, “Loved,” before venturing into “4 Letters” which features, Filipino-Australian singer and songwriter, James Reid. Then the album journeys into the track, “Alone” which also features singer, TYTAN. Rounding out the album are the last two songs, “S.O.S” and “All shook up” which features Indonesian singer and songwriter, Agnez Mo.
We had the wonderful opportunity of chatting with B.I ahead of this release. During our chat we discussed everything from inspirations to collaborations. He also shared his favorite track off the new album.
Question: What was the genesis or the inspiration for the new album?
B.I: While I’ve consistently delved deeply into the concept of love, this time, I wanted to venture into new genres and experiment with different lyrical tones. Love is an emotion that feels incredibly familiar to all of us, yet I aimed to convey these stories with fresh and unique music and storytelling.
It is my sincere hope that listeners can deeply connect with this portrayal of heartbreak. And by that, I don’t only mean that they relate to the lyrics, but also that they find solace in the melodies.
Question: How would you say this album helped you evolve as an artist? as a music producer? as a musician and creator?
B.I: I can sense personal growth with every studio or single album I produce. So far, I believe my exploration of various musical genres and diverse instrumental arrangements has enriched my work, and I’m very satisfied with the results.
Question: Can you break down each track on the album? Can you explain to me what its vibe is or what people should expect?
B.I: [Loved] has an alluring combination of bass and drum sounds, and its overall mood is cold. The mellow and calm vocals also add to its charm. [4 Letters], on the other hand, resembles an uplifting and bright movie soundtrack, but its lyrics in contrast, evokes a sense of nostalgia. I think that would transport the listeners into a state of reminiscence about a past love. On top of that, having James as a featured artist on the track further heightens great anticipation, I’m sure. [Alone] is a laid-back track with a peaceful rhythm, while it bursts with energy in the rap section. Titan, who featured in the song, delivered the tone I had envisioned. With [S.O.S], I spent a significant amount of time on creating the lyrics. If you pay attention to it, it could really get you thinking deep. [All shook up] is an unfamiliar genre not only for me, but also for listeners in Korea. I’m pleased with my collaboration with Agnez Mo; it’s a fresh combination that elevates the level of completion. The melody is very beautiful, so I wish the listeners a relaxing and easy listening experience.
With the entire album, I put in the effort to explore something new and uncharted. Moreover, I wanted to highlight the charming and surprising collaborations with artists in Asia. The results aligned perfectly with my vision, so I’m eagerly looking forward to sharing them with our fans.
Question: Is there a song off the new album that you feel closest to or love the most?
B.I: I adore each and every song, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the title track [Loved]. It has a wonderfully dreamy and sentimental quality. It’s the kind of mood I’ve always wanted to explore, and I’m particularly pleased with how well it came together… It beautifully showcases the essence of the album, I have a deep affection for it, and knowing that it was co-created in collaboration with such an exceptional team of songwriters, makes it even more precious to me.
“Love or Loved Pt 2” is out now and can be found on all streaming platforms.
Photo Credit: JYP Entertainment
JYP Entertainment’s first global girl group, VCHA, is aligning the stars between America and Korea with their debut song, “Y.O.Universe,” with the idea behind their group being an American girl group under the influence of K-Pop, being trained in Korea.
Courtesy of Instagram
Fresh off their performance in front of the nation on NBC’s The Today Show, K-pop mega girl group, Twice, took their charms to MetLife Stadium for a very special concert. Making history, the girls were the first K-pop female group to hold a concert at the legendary MetLife Stadium. Twice wowed their super fans, ONCE, with their New York Metro area stop on their 5th world tour ‘Ready To Be” on July 6th, 2023.
The concert kicked off with a short video of the girls. Then in front of a packed stadium, Twice set it off with their song, “Set me Free.” The girls pounced on the stage and grabbed everyone’s attention as they were clad in black and white outfits with sparkly silvery details. The outfits the members wore all were shorts with the exception of our Miss Independent Renaissance Woman herself, Chaeyoung, who opted for pants. They followed the song up with their mega dance hit, “I Can’t Stop Me,” that threw their fans into a frenzy. For their third song, Twice went hard for their song, “Go Hard.” With yellow, orange and red backdrops the girls had black silhouettes driving the song into a hard-hitting dimension. It was clear that the leader of the group, Jihyo, was feeling the song. Not only were her vocals on point but her moves transcended her physical body. With a smile exuding from her it was clear that she was sharing her soul and energy with the audience. Not to be outdone, Nayeon, the groups eldest member, flexed her vocal prowess hitting and holding high notes for this powerful rendition of “Go Hard.”
Just when it seemed like, Twice was hitting a crescendo the girls through the concert in the opposite direction slowing things down and sharing a chillaxed vibe for their cool song, “More & More.” For this song, the girls climbed onto ladders that made triangles, which could be rolled around the stage. With colorful lights projected around them and onto the white ladders it was like Twice was riding a rainbow. The main dancer of the group, Momo, delighted fans with an iconic dance break before the girls headed down stage to perform their title track, “Moonlight Sunrise,” a song which was inspired by fans. As the girls got closer to their fans moving down stage the aesthetics of twice is light sticks changing color became almost like sparkling diamonds against the setting sun. The girls stayed near their fans downstage as they powered through another epic performance, which had fans screaming and singing along with the girls. Without taking a break the girls dove directly into their song, “Brave.” Again, Jihyo kept killing it when it came to the performance. During her solo she hit the high notes and held them. Then the girls took a well-deserved water break to chat with fans. During the fan chat they asked what was your favorite song of the previous songs that they just saying. They tried to quiz the audience and decipher from the audience response what song they like the best. During this time, Chaeyoung admitted that this was one of the first times they perform their song “Brave” during the daylight outside. She joked that she missed performing it in the dark because it was edgier and cooler that way. It was also during this time that Nayeon teased the audience and wanted them to show how much they love Twice by singing along with the girls in a call and response manner to the song “Moonlight Sunrise.” Jihyo followed that up by asking the audience to do a ginormous wave that took over the whole entire stadium. The girls expressed how hot it was, but how happy they were to see their fans in the daylight. It was at this moment that Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Jihyo and Chaeyoung stayed on the stage while the other Twice members gently disappeared. Right before going off stage. Jihyo joked that there was something special coming but the audience might have already guessed what it was or could’ve looked it up online.
As the foursome walked off stage, the stage became dark. When light reappeared, the group’s lead rapper, Dahyun, appeared sitting at a piano dressed in a flowing gorgeous white with blue accent dress. She looks like a beautiful aqua Angel as she played the piano and sang, Colbie Caillat’s “Try.” Continuing on and the girl’s individual solo songs for this site was the Maknae of the group, Tzuyu. Performing mid stage in a gorgeous jumpsuit she busted out moves and even bent down on one knee for her rendition of Charlie Puth’s “Done for Me.” Up Next was the gorgeous visual of Twice, Sana. Wearing a red collared long sleeve shirt/tunic with black tights and a bodysuit she charmed the audience with her verison of Dua Lipa’s “New Rules.” Dancing her way into the fans’ hearts main dancer of the group, Momo, busted out on stage wearing a sparkling jersey top and shorts for her rendition of Beyoncé’s “Move.” During mid song she changed everything up, shedding her jersey revealing her crop top and shorts she took to a pole. High above the audience she swirled around the pole as if she was channeling her inner J Lo circa her Super Bowl performance. Closing out these solo stages in this set was Mina covering Ariana Grande’s “7 rings.” She strutted and showed off her dance moves in a white cropped sparkly top with denim shorts and high thigh bright pink boots. As she danced around her dancers shot fake dollar bills into the sky. At the end of this solo set a video appeared on the screen of the girls singing a minimalistic version of their big hit, “Feel Special.”
After the video, Live musicians in the band appeared on stage and began to play this song, “Feel Special.” Twice then reappeared on stage rocking new outfits and belting out the song. At the conclusion of this song, the girls jumped right into their song, “Cry for Me,” before delivering a rock rendition of their big hit, “FANCY.” For “FANCY,” the stage was bathed in pink with fiery unapologetic hyper feminine energy. To close out the set before the break, the girls delivered a colorful beautiful almost prismic stage for their song, “The Feels.” During the song images of the girls singing live captivated the audience with gorgeous colorful images. At the conclusion of the song, lead rapper, Dahyun joked with the audience. She teased saying could you say that we’ve done something new for this concert? She confessed is the first time that twice has ever used a live band. She shared in her excitement with how Twice has evolved as artists, now incorporating live instrumentals. The girls quickly exited the stage as it became dark again.
When the lights came up on stage, Chaeyoung was sitting alone on a wooden barstool with guitar in hand. She looked like a little red riding hood and a beautiful simple dress with red details. Her sweetness exuded while she sang, “My Guitar.” Up next, Jihyo took to the stage for her solo performance of nightmare with haunting rock vocals and dressed all in black she exuded emotion. Delivering a 180, Jeongyeon changed up the vibe completely in a bright green jumpsuit. She brought down the house with fun vibes and positive energy as she covered Lizzo’s “Juice.” In a iconic certainly memorable moment she even attempted to play a recorder channeling Lizzo’s flute playing prowess. Certainly was a hilarious and fun uplifting moment that made the audience giggle with glee. Rounding out this solo stage set was the one the only Nayeon. With deliciously decadent filled to the top with confectionery pop, she belted out her hit song “Pop.” Was clear that the audience was feeling her vibe and returning her fun energy with confetti flying everywhere. Another video Break gave the girls a chance to change things up. When they returned the stage they performed, “Who Am I?” and “Queen of Hearts,” before heading into a medley of their biggest hits.
Clad in denim outfits the girls kicked off their iconic hits medley said with their monster hit, “Yes and Yes.” They followed it up with, “What is Love,” and “Cheer Up.” When it was time to sing, “Likey” the group started the song from Dahyun and Chaeyoung rap section before letting Mina belts out her solo bridge and Momo did her iconic dance break for the song. The girls went on to perform their songs” Knock Knock,” “Scientist” and “Heart Shaker,” which concluded with the girls jumping up and down with glee just as they did in the music video for the song.
Courtesy of Instagram
After the medley the girls took a moment to acknowledge the history that was being made at the concert. They admitted it was a little over a year ago that they re-signed with their label JYP and now they are playing at one of the biggest stadiums in North America. They thanked the fans for such a historic moment and beautiful memory. As the sun had finally set twice kick things into high gear for their last couple of songs.
As the show drew to a close, they treated the audience to “Alcohol-Free” and“Dance the Night Away.” For these two songs, the girls really amped up the energy as if to say we know we’re coming down the homestretch and so we’re just gonna take it home for the win. The concert hit a crescendo when twice performed their megahit from last summer, “Talk That Talk.” Wearing cream outfits lights around with the girls that reflected with rainbows on giant screens. The stage ended with fireworks being shot off right behind the girls before they disappeared backstage.
As the girls were transitioning into a new set the fans had a chance to interact with one another. Projected on big screens a dance battle was set. The audience was challenged to show off their best iconic Twice dance moves. Whether it was fans competing with themselves or fans competing with other fans, it was clear that everyone was winners as the audience became so hyped cheering everyone on. Obviously, there were some fans who clearly knew all the Twice moves to the point that you could swear they were JYP trainees. Then the girls reappeared on stage. Twice were decked out in Twice T-shirts with childhood photos of them laid out in a newspaper format projected behind them as they performed their song, “When We Were Kids.” The sweet sentiments continued as the girls finished the show with the song, “CRAZY STUPID LOVE.” They said goodbye to fans each girl took a moment to acknowledge how much they loved the fandom. Again, they acknowledged it was one year ago that they signed the contract and then they found themselves performing at MetLife Stadium. Sana noted how amazing it was to see their fans in the daylight and in the Moonlight as the concert spend several hours while the sun set in the New York sky. It was this moment in which Momo took the time to tease the fans about Twice is subunit made up of Sana, Mina, and Momo. Now the subunit did not sing any of their new music which will be released later this summer, but they did give a sneak peek to a dance move that will accompany their new song. Jihyo Remarque just how proud she was of this new subunit. The girls then took a moment to do a K-pop classic concert staple, take a picture with their fans. They grab the camera and hand the girls huddled together with all their fans in attendance behind them to snap several photos and savor this historic moment.
Though the concert was unofficially over, Twice was not ready to leave their fans empty-handed. Pulling out a giant wheel, they left their encore performance in the hands of fate. The wheel displayed some of Twice his classic songs that the girls hadn’t had a moment to perform yet. Getting into the vibe Jeongyeon couldn’t help but spin the wheel in between taking photos with her camera. The first song the giant wheel landed on was “Scandal” followed up by twice is iconic song “Like OOH-AHH.” It was during these two songs that the girls ran around waving at fans trying to savor every moment and draw them closer. After both songs, Chaeyoung couldn’t help but spin the wheel for the final time. She acknowledged she wanted to land on the song, “Firework,” but kept landing on songs that twice had just performed. But the third time was the charm, and she got her wish. Twice finished out the show by performing their song “Firework.”
The girls took a few moments before heading off stage to savor the moment for one last chance with their fans. The last to leave the stage looked like it would be Jeongyeon until she ran into Dahyun, who pushed her back on stage. The two laughed and giggled and proceeded to head off stage for the final time before Dahyun turned around and promised that Twice would be back to New York and motioned as if to ask for the fans to wait for their return.
Twice made up of the nine members of now take a quick break. They will return to the stage in September in London to kick off their international European leg of their tour. That performance will take place on September 7 at London’s iconic O2 Arena.
In a jump-start to the summer season, the multitalented Korean pop sensations P1Harmony are making waves with the release of their sixth mini album, “HARMONY: ALL IN.” This album serves as the grand finale to their captivating three-part HARMONY series, showcasing the group’s evolution and harmonious growth as artists. With their infectious dance tracks and powerful performances, P1Harmony continues to captivate audiences worldwide, leaving an indelible mark on the K-pop scene.
It was the girls first ever US tour! K- pop sensation, MAMAMOO kicked off their first ever US tour, ‘MY CON,’ with their initial stop at New York’s Belmont Park UBS arena. The quartet, made up of Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa, we’re excited to see their fans, Moomoos.