On August 26, a strong line-up of K-pop artists gathered at UBS Arena in New York, where juggernauts such as TWICE and MAMAMOO performed once before. The energy that filled the arena during the concert was infectious even though it was clear that there were more than a few empty seats remaining in the stands.
CRAVITY kicked off the show and hyped the crowd up by performing songs like âFlyâ and âBoogie Woogieâ, the latter of which the group decided to take it easy and focus on singing their hearts out and forgoing the choreography. The palm trees and beach background that played behind them added to the sunny atmosphere. The group also took a small pause to shout-out mention that their next album, âSun Seekerâ, out September 11, before closing their set with the catchy, fan-favourite song âGroovyâ.
AB6IX kept the hype going with âThe Answerâ, engaging with the audience by asking people to hold up their arms similarly to the songâs choreography during the chorus. Like CRAVITY, AB6IX also made time to answer some fan questions that were submitted, with one of them being what was their most memorable experience in New York so far. The members unanimously agreed that it was seeing an advertisement of them in Times Square. Both âBlazeâ and âBreatheâ closed their set as Kwon Eun-Bi made her way up shortly after.
By the time CRAVITY and AB6IX left the stage, it was clear how the concertâs schedule would shake out. After each act, there would be about a 15-minute interval between for the audience to take a break and the next artist to prepare. This set a steady pace for the concert, but it was a nice surprise when Kwon Eun-Bi took to the stage earlier than anticipated. Stage lights went completely dark and then instrumental for âUnderwaterâ started playing, with fans erupting in applause.
During her setlist, she also got to show off her impressive vocals with âDoorâ and âBeautiful Nightâ, as well as intricate choreography with her performance of âGlitchâ. The crowd also cheered and laughed as she described her shopping experience the day before in Soho. Of course, she finished her set with her latest single âThe Flashâ, which recently won Kwon Eun-Bi her first solo win on a South Korean music show.
While the showâs pacing had been commendable so far, Krazy K-pop Super Concertâs main issue is that each artist only gets to perform five songs, which doesnât feel like nearly enough time. Just as when the crowd would get immersed in each artistâs set, it was over and then the next act would come through.
That said, when IVE approached the stage, you could tell that there was a completely different energy in the venue. The group are one of the biggest girl groups in the industry, so itâs not a surprise that the crowdâs cheers went up a few decibels. Every single song they performed was a hit: âKitschâ, âAfter Likeâ, âElevenâ, âLove Diveâ and âI Amâ. There wasnât a single quiet moment the entire time IVE were on stage and their performance was definitely the highlight of the night.
Shownu and Hyungwon of MONSTA X capped off the night with their set, starting with âLove Me a Littleâ and other songs from their mini-album âThe Unseenâ. While the duo have very few songs of their own, the pair took a couple pages from their bigger boyband, performing songs such as âWildfireâ and âWho Do U Loveâ. The energy in the arena was almost just as energetic as when IVE was on stage, with the addition of fangirls barking at random moments during the duoâs set.
Krazy K-pop Super Concertâs lineup was cleverly organized as Pulse Events knew that IVE and MONSTA X would be the biggest draws so they had them be the last acts. For its first outing, the concert was a fun time but wasnât anything mind blowing. If each of the artists played maybe two more songs, then the concert wouldâve felt more substantial. Instead, each act felt more like an appetizer for an entrĂ©e that never arrived.
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