An earthquake and a tropical storm couldn’t stop a busy weekend of K-Pop in Los Angeles for KCON 2023.
KCON LA 2023 got underway at Crypto Arena on Friday, August 18, 2023 – with fans swarming to get a glimpse of their faves.
Now in its eleventh year, KCON organizers know their audience well and have stuck with their newest winning formula for the events 2023 edition, offering a curated mix of well-established artists taking the main stage as well as a “Nice to Meet You Showcase” for some ridiculously talented up-and-comers.
What ensued was massive amounts of dancing, a few surprises, more dancing, and plenty of fun, at least when fans weren’t visibly irritated. Yes, irritated. From long lines and lack of information sharing to poor concert etiquette and more, the event left a slightly bad taste in many attendees' mouths.
Below, we’ve recapped the highlights of the event.
The Idol’s Idol - Lee Taemin
KCON LA 2023 offered a pretty good lineup, but nothing could've prepared fans or fellow idols for the appearance of SHINee's Taemin on the main stage. The reigning prince of K-Pop, otherwise lovingly referred to as "the idol's idol," was nothing short of spectacular during his first performance at KCON LA in seven years.
Dressed in an all-black suit-styled ensemble, the K-Pop icon headlined night one of KCON LA 2023. Accompanied by a mix of female and male dancers, Taemin captivated the packed Crypto.com Arena with his signature moves as he glided across the stage in a way only he could. As he took the audience through his fan-favorite songs, "Advice," "Criminal," and "Move," there wasn't an audience member in sight who wasn't singing or dancing along. In particular, idols who performed earlier in the night watched on from the audience below the stage, with many being caught "fanboying" over the artist, including CRAVITY's Allen. When it came time for Taemin to take his final bow, ending night one, he was met with an overwhelming, disgruntled sigh from the audience that meant they would have stayed there all night to watch him perform if they could.
The Black Ocean That Wasn’t
Ahead of day two’s festivities, netizens had hit a tipping point regarding Rain, with a call for a “black ocean” during the artist’s performance making the rounds on Twitter/X. Rain first took the stage after the opening acts as a special MC to introduce the first artist of the night before returning later for his set.
While photos and videos have circulated, calling the “black ocean” a semi-success, that isn’t necessarily true. In reality, Rain’s performance was met with a general lack of interest, undoubtedly because the artist hasn’t performed in the U.S. since his tour in 2009 - a time before most current K-Pop fans were part of the fandom. Additionally, many fans only know “Rainism” through covers by BTS’ Jungkook, MONSTA X’s Shownu, TWICE’s Daehyun, and Brave Girls, to name a few. I say general lack of interest lightly because once Rain finished “Rainism” and dived into “Domestic,” he turned up the heat, removing his jacket to greet fans with his abs, which promptly earned him cheers. The artist wrapped up his set with his song, “La Song,” encouraging fans to sing along with him, which they did.
WAYV Makes its Mark on the US
The NCT subunit, WayV, made its inaugural trip to the U.S., and to say KCONers were thrilled is an understatement. The group first teased the audience, taking the stage to sing KCON’s “Poppia” song before returning later in the night.
Welcomed by a sea of the signature green glow of their light stick, Ten, WinWin, Xiaojun, Hendery, and Yangyang enchanted fans with their powerful stage presence, ethereal visuals, and strong vocals/rap with the fan-favorite “Love Talk” as well as their latest release “Phantom.” The group may have only performed two songs, but it was enough to leave attendees wanting more - many hoping their KCON appearance signaled a comeback, U.S. tour, or both.
EVERGLOW Is Back
After over eighteen months, EVERGLOW returned in more ways than one. Not only did the group release their fourth single album, All My Girls, on Friday, August 18th (their first since 2021), but also returned to the stage as a full group.
Met with overwhelming cheers and screams, EVERGLOW absolutely nailed their set from start to finish. In particular, it was nearly impossible to hear the vocals of E:U, Sihyeon, Mia, Onda, Aisha, and Yiren over the arena singing along with them. The members took the crowd’s breath away with their amazing vocal prowess, dance skills, and visuals as they took fans through their songs, “Slay,” Dun Dun Dun,” and “La Di Da.” It’s definitely good to have them back.
Read the full recap at Hellokpop.