[Event Coverage] Stars heat up Penang for K-pop Music Wave 2017

Golden Warriors Film & Entertainment, the organiser behind the successful K-Pop Sensation 2017 featuring Jessica Jung and Kang Gary last September, supported by Penang Tourism Board, presented K-Pop Music Wave 2017 in northern region of Malaysia at Setia SPICE Arena, Penang on November 24.

With an all-star lineup of Rain (otherwise known as Bi or Jung Ji Hoon), B.A.P (an acronym for Best Absolute Perfect), T-ARA, as well as “Running Man” duo Kim Jong Kook and Haha (Ha Dong Hoon), it was surely a unforgettable night for those in attendance.

The night started off with three local artists performing ballads and they even coverewa Taeyang’s most iconic “Eyes, Nose, Lips” to heat up the night.

Spicing up the stage was the aptly named boy group B.A.P. (acronym for Best Absolute Perfect) with “Wake Me Up” and “1004(Angel)”. This was a great way to start the concert as their energy warmed up the crowd for the rest of the night. The group’s six members Yongguk, Himchan, Daehyun, Youngjae, Jongup and Zelo are well known for their versatility and charismatic on-stage performances: perfectly choreographed dance moves, sleek rapping and strong vocals later perform “That’s My Jam” and “No Mercy” before ended their performance with “Crash” and “Warrior”.

Beautiful and sassy girl group, T-Ara shined in the K-pop scene with their catchy hook-heavy dance music and an array of visual styles and concepts. They were the second act to perform and they started their performance with “What’s My Name”, “Number 9”, a live ballad song “20090729”, and another hit “Like The First Time”. “Lovey Dovey” and “Roly Poly” was definitely a crowd favourite as many fans stood up to do their famous dance choreo with the girls, ending their energetic performance. All of their performances showed off their style of elegant and sexiness.

Up next was Haha (Ha Dong Hoon) with his Korean-style raggae Music. Haha heated up the stage complete with dancers and giant Jamaican flags waved together during his sets. Accompanied by his rapper friend, M.TySON they started their performance with “Busan Vacance“, followed by “Rossa” and few other hits songs. Even though it has been a while since Haha last promoted a new song, his performance that night was still well polished and full of energy. Haha has his own style, that is why his performances are unique compared to others K-pop artistes.

Kim Jong Kook came in as the next performer and wooed crowd by singing many of his hit ballads. He started with “Today More than Yesterday” and “Loveable” which excited the crowd with his shyly cute dance moves. Kim Jong Kook later showcased his hidden power vocals during “One Man” and “It’s This Person”. As the only ballad performance of the night, Kim Jong Kook did a great job of conveying his emotions to the crowd.

The screaming got louder than usual. Performing last for the night on K-POP Music Wave 2017 was none other Rain (Bi or Jung Ji Hoon). The crowd went wild when Rain entered the stage with his iconic “La Song” and continued with “Hip Song” and “It’s Raining” with his dancers.  His smooth dance skills are hard to miss as he gives his own little twist to the choreography and drew screams from the crowd, who sang and danced throughout the performance. To cool down the heat, Rain had sang “Ways To Avoid The Sun”, the song that put Rain on the map in Korea, which rose high up in the charts after its debut before ending the show with “Instead Of Saying Goodbye”.

This was the biggest K-pop concert to ever hit the Northern Malaysia with an all-star lineup, and the fans in attendance definitely showed their appreciation for the artists. The special fire effects ramped up the concert’s energy and made sure there was no shortage of surprises throughout the night. It was a concert packed with excitement and never-ending screaming. We can’t wait for these guys to return to Malaysia soon!

Special thanks to Golden Golden Warriors Film & Entertainment for the invitation.