I’ll be the primary to confess I’m not a Ok-pop fan. Other than a number of tracks by BLACKPINK, I don’t know any songs. I don’t have a ‘bias’ relating to idols, and I don’t actually perceive the attraction of forking out £75 on a light-weight stick that may illuminate in time with the music. That stated, I’m not a whole novice, both – one among my greatest mates is an actual Ok-pop stan, and dragged me to see Stray Youngsters carry out in London final yr.
I believed I’d return the favour this yr and take her to see ATEEZ, one other of her favorite bands, carry out at BST competition in Hyde Park. Comprised of eight members – San, Wooyoung, Seonghwa, Hongjoong, Yunho, Yeosang, Mingi and Jongho – I believed it might be fairly troublesome to maintain monitor of who’s who, particularly with the frilly dances the style is understood for.
That turned out to not be as a lot of a fear as I’d thought – every member has a definite persona that shines by way of even from the sting of the Diamond VIP pit. Whereas they’re joined by a dwell band and a flock of different dancers, Mingi’s deep vocals and rapping stood out, whereas Yunho’s dancing left me speechless.
ATEEZ premiered in 2018, and since then they’ve gone on to prime the Billboard charts and racked up a whole bunch of tens of millions of streams. It’s simple to see why – energetic tracks like WORK and Guerrilla had even probably the most reluctant viewers members bopping.
There was a slight lull in the midst of the set, with songs like ARRIBA and Ice on My Tooth failing to land with me personally – although possibly it’s as a result of my training on this planet of Ok-pop isn’t fairly full.
Personally, I used to be drawn to the ballad Now This Home Ain’t a Dwelling, carried out with a backdrop of rain streaming down the massive screens that surrounded the stage like tears.
ATEEZ additionally took to the stage with their newest single BAD, launched on the finish of June. After a much-begged for encore, they carried out The Actual, leaving most individuals within the crowd screaming earlier than lastly departing the stage for good.
Am I now a die-hard Ok-pop stan? In all probability not. However I couldn’t assist however be drawn into the music, the vocals and particularly the choreography. I discovered myself eager to know extra about every band member, and leaning over to shout questions in my pal’s ear, and at one level because the set drew to an in depth I requested myself, ‘Is that this why so many individuals love this music?’ as I danced alongside in a swell of screaming followers.
Ok-pop isn’t just a style of music, it’s a neighborhood – one I used to be joyful to be a part of only for an evening.
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