SHAH ALAM, Feb 25 — Ask anyone who’s been to a Korean pop concert about their experience and they’ll tell you it’s not just the songs that make it one-of-a-kind.
This was definitely the case with Blackpink’s show at Malawati Indoor Stadium which spared no expense when it came to delivering a top-notch musical event.
Dramatic pyrotechnics, smoke machines, eye-catching visuals, and flashy costumes were all on the agenda for the quartet’s first show in Malaysia as part of the “Blackpink 2019 In Your Area World Tour”.
The Malaysian contingent of their fanbase, known as Blinks, came out in full force over the weekend with many dressing up in shades of — you guessed it — black and pink to showcase their love for the girls.
The South Korean superstars sold out both of their shows here in Malaysia and played to a collective audience of more than 16,000.
They opened the Feb 23 concert with their infectious hit Ddu-du Ddu-du as deafening cheers from Blinks echoed throughout the stadium.
Other catchy singles from their discography like Boombayah, Whistle, and Kiss and Make Up also made it onto the setlist.
When it was time for solo performances, eldest member Jisoo treated fans to a cover of Zedd’s 2012 song Clarity with the verses rewritten in Korean, giving a unique spin to the electronic dance music hit.
Lisa later showed off some slick choreography to Miso’s Take Me and Jason Derulo’s collaboration with Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign Swalla.
Bubbly Rosé slowed things down with a medley of covers consisting of tracks like Let It Be by The Beatles and Only Look At Me by YG Entertainment label mate Taeyang.
Individual performances were then wrapped up with Jennie’s song Solo, an aptly named track for female independence and the singer’s first solo debut outside the group.
Unlike other K-pop concerts, an interpreter was nowhere to be found during the speaking segments of the show.
There was no need for one as the girls’ multilingual skills meant that they could easily converse with the crowd in English, a talent that has undoubtedly contributed to the group’s international appeal.
Jisoo even prepared some Malay phrases like “Blinks sangat bagus” and “Saya cinta padamu” to impress local fans.
Blackpink ended their show with the song Stay, an acoustic number that made for a heartfelt ending after a night filled with upbeat, high-energy tracks.
The concert proved to be a memorable event for Malaysian Blinks who had spent months anticipating the quartet’s arrival to our shores.
Blackpink’s immense popularity even led to the crash of organiser MacpiePro’s website within minutes of tickets for the Feb 23 show going on sale.
Prompted by demand, a second date on Feb 24 was added to give fans another shot at seeing their idols in person.
Blackpink will be heading to Taipei next weekend to close off the Asian leg of their tour before flying over to Europe and the United States later this year.
The group is set for world domination as they signed a deal with Interscope Records and Universal Music Group in October 2018, a partnership that promises to increase their reach in Western countries.
