It Was “Showtime” for iKON at Their Debut Concert Following their Successful Debut
[OSEN=선미경 기자] They were dubbed the “monster rookie” for a reason. They had the talent and presence. It was very rare for a rookie to hold a concert in such a big venue, but the response they received at the concert exceeded all expectations. The concert proved that YG’s new boy group was indeed a sensation.
iKON’s debut concert “SHOWTIME” kicked off at 6 PM on October 3 at Seoul Olympic Gymnastics Stadium. The concert was broadcasted live on Naver’s V app.
At the beginning of the concert, a video was played showing the process of how iKON started off being TEAM B of “WIN” and became the seven-member team of today. Then, iKON members came up on the stage all ready to start their performances and the stadium was filled with cheers and excitement.
The first performance was “WELCOME BACK” – a track on their debut half album. iKON appeared on the stage on a car that had the group’s name and owned the stage as if they had done it many times before.
iKON said, “We’re honored that all the tickets for our concert in this enormous stadium were sold. We are so grateful. Thank you, thank you everyone.” They described how excited they were about their debut by saying, “We’ve been able to work hard for our debut because we knew our fans have been waiting for so long.”
They opened their performance with “WELCOME BACK” and then performed “SINOSIJAK”, “RHYTHM TA”,”YGGR”,”M.U.P”,”AIRPLANE”,”MY TYPE”,”TODAY”,”OPPA’S CAR”,”WAIT FOR ME”,”CLIMAX” and “JUST ANOTHER BOY”.
Their concert had variety. Just as the title tracks of their debut album “RHYTHM TA” and ”AIRPLANE” have different appeals, the songs they performed were uniquely iKON but also all very different in their own way. For some songs, iKON members were powerful hip hop artists, and for others they were sweet boyfriends or lyrical ballad singers.
Fellow musicians at YG came to show their support. EPIK HIGH went on the stage with BOBBY and B.I and performed “BORN HATER”. They also sang “FLY” and “DON’T HATE ME”. JINUSEAN also performed “TELL ME ONE MORE TIME”, “OPPA’S CAR” and “PHONE NUMBER” at the concert.
TABLO said, “iKON has finally debuted. We live in the same apartment building so I know what they have gone through. I’m really happy for them.” DJ TUKUTZ said, “I was worried because their debut got delayed several times. Now, I see that I had nothing to worry about.”
JINUSEAN said, “Never in our dreams did we imagine that iKON would debut at a concert. We’re so happy that iKON has so many fans to hold a debut concert. Congratulations to iKON and hope all of you here today will keep on rooting for iKON and loving them.”
One of iKON’s performances was designed to show their sweet and friendly side. Before they sang “MY TYPE”, all the members ran into the audience and asked the fan of their type to come up on the stage with them. They had the fans sit on a chair and sang “MY TYPE” to them.
They also played a mini basketball game as a special event so that the fans will be able to feel closer and more comfortable towards the members. They had special presents prepared for the winners of the game. This shows how much iKON care about their fans, who have waited for iKON’s debut for a long time.
During the performance of “CLIMAX”, they said, “What we hoped for when we were writing the lyrics of this song came true today.” They added, “It’s overwhelming to sing this song after our debut. It reminds us of the old days.”
Before the last performance, iKON said, “We will never forget this moment for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much.” They thanked the fans for waiting such a long time for their debut and being always there for them even when they were trainees. They said, “We’re crying like fools. We’re all deeply touched.”
They added, “We’re able to have this concert because of all of you here today. The concert has ended but we have just begun, so let’s start a long journey together.” They went on to say, “This is our first concert, and we’re crying because we’re so happy. Thank you for taking us a step closer to our dreams. We’ve all missed you and wanted to meet you so much. We wanted you to be touched by our concert, but instead, we were touched by your huge response.”
iKON released their warm-up single “MY TYPE” last month. Their debut half album “WELCOME BACK” was released on October 1 and is currently sweeping the charts.
2015. 10. 3.
