2022 in review: A year of K-pop concerts

With a return to live music, this year did not disappoint

As someone who has followed K-pop on and off since high school, the beginning of the pandemic was really what made me TRULY dive in to the genre. It all started with the charm and talents of BTS. That then led me into a world of other groups like Red Velvet, Twice, Seventeen, Blackpink, Monsta X and Day 6.

Soon, I was yearning to see these groups in concert whenever that became possible.

Now I’m happy to say that 2022 really made a lot of those dreams come true, despite a number of cancellations due to COVID-19. But nevertheless, I was able to attend 10 K-pop concerts this year. That’s wild! And I’m even more excited to say that those concerts included many of the names I listed above.

Due to limited space, I’m going to list some highlights from this year alone. Every single show I’ve been to has been amazing and super fun this year. I can’t wait to do it again in 2023!

Epik High

This was my very first concert since the pandemic, and I’m so glad I was able to relive high school memories with Tablo, Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz. Since debuting more than 20 years ago, it’s nice to see the hip hop trio is still touring actively despite everything they’ve been through.

Back in 2010, the group took a hiatus after internet users raised doubts over Tablo’s Stanford education. Those rumours almost ruined his life. And this past year, Tablo delved into this difficult period of his life in a VICE podcast called Authentic The Story of Tablo. The group since been able to move forward despite this challenging period, and I’m so grateful they did. They’ve been invited to Coachella multiple times. All the members are dads now. And every year they’re still gaining and retaining their loyal group of fans.

Soon after I saw Epik High in concert, I had a chance to speak with Tablo for Complex Canada. When I asked him what he’d like to say to someone struggling right now, here’s what he had to say: “I think it’s very important to know what is important and isn’t. Not everything a lot of adults say is important. And by adults, I’m including their parents, teachers, priests, pastors, social leaders. A lot of what they say is important, really, is just important to them. It’s not even about you. A lot of what they say is good for you, is simply just good for them. So learn to ignore some of it, learn to look at things and recognize that some things are just bullshit.”

Sunmi

Since her days on Wonder Girls, Sunmi has always been the epitome of girl crush. Despite debuting at a young age, she’s been able to remain relevant and popular with 3rd and 4th generation idols with her cool girl style, humour and ability to try new musical genres. Her single “Heart Burn” was undoubtedly one of the biggest hits of the summer. Not to mention, the iconic hip shimmy that became a viral TikTok trend.

I didn’t really know what to expect as I headed into her show at Massey Hall. She danced and sang the entire time, and impressed the audience with her command of the English language. She took out her bass guitar and played a few songs, showing the crowd more of a rockstar persona. I would also like to give her backup dancer Cha Hyun Seung (you may have seen him in Single’s Inferno) a little shout-out. He was very sexy, and his chemistry with Sunmi was literally on fire!

P1Harmony

As sad as I am that P1Harmony is not making their way to Toronto again for their next tour, I have to say it was a steal for me to see them without breaking the bank. You just can’t beat seeing them for $35 dollars!

I had a chance to see them perform at the Royal Ontario Museum this past September when leader Keeho brought his members back to his home city for a special performance.

The stage was incredibly small for intense choreography, and I was nervous about all the rare artefacts beside the stage. But P1Harmony definitely made an impact on me with their stage presence and adorable personalities. So much so, that I had to write about it for Teen Vogue. I have no doubt big things are to come for the group. As Keeho said, “The next time we come back, let’s do it at the Rogers Centre!”

ATEEZ

This was the year I said I’d try going to concerts alone. And ATEEZ just so happened to be one of them. To be fair though, I had a couple other friends in the crowd who I met with afterwards. But for the most past, I was alone. I was cranky to have to make the trip up to Hamilton to see the boys. (Not even ATEEZ wanted to admit they were in Hamilton instead of Toronto lol). However, two of my good friends assured me it’d be worth it.

While it’ll be hard to convince me to do general admission seating again in an arena, I did enjoy ATEEZ a lot. I was very impressed by how they were able to do complicated dance routines and sing live for two hours straight (yes, I know they train for this. But this is Olympic athlete territory). Not to mention, how GOOD every single costume and outfit they came out with looked. The production, lighting and set design was also top notch, and it was a visual feast for the eyes with every song the group performed.

To me, “Cyberpunk” is the song that really defines ATEEZ. It’s dark and intense, sexy and catchy. I think I really fell in love with Seonghwa especially when they were performing this live. Maybe it was his strappy, shoulder-less outfit. But also, it was his vocals and dancing. Nevertheless, I’m so glad I was able to witness it live.

Blackpink

I’ve written at length about Blackpink and my feelings about where the group currently stands in the K-pop conversation. Yes, they deserve more concepts and comebacks. And yes, they should get to make the music they want to make!

But knowing how rare it is to see them in concert, I jumped at the chance when they announced they were going on tour. While many have said the girls don’t seem as passionate as they were in 2019, I still had a lot of fun singing along to hits like “Ddu-du Ddu-du” and “Kill This Love” live. It’s rumoured that their contract is set to end in 2023, so there’s some uncertainty about where the group will end up. I’ve tried to keep an open mind about where Blackpink could be headed next. Regardless of whether they stay together or not, I hope the members can continue supporting each other in their projects.

Seventeen

Seventeen has been on the cusp of taking over my heart since the majority of 2020. But to be honest, trying to learn the names of all 13 members was overwhelming to me. I was happy to enjoy their hits on Spotify though, as they were mainstays during my workout routines and walks. That being said, 2022 was the year I truly went from casual fan to full blown Carat.

Seventeen are the musical theatre kids of K-pop. They’re extra in the most hilarious of ways. They interact with fans by making them sing and dance. They read fan signs and react to them in unpredictable ways. Not to mention, they perform at 100 percent with every single song, whether they’re together as a 13-member unit, or a sub-unit. It was easy to go down a rabbit hole of their variety show content right after the concert because I found myself wanting more.

I loved Seventeen so much after the Toronto show that I had to go see them one more time in LA3C when the opportunity presented itself to me. Even when they’re performing the same songs again, they give something new every single time. Oh, what I would give to hear “Hot” again and again live. That truly is a religious experience.

BTS

A lot has happened in the span of a year for BTS. Grammy nominations, solo albums, concerts and yes, the decision to enlist in the military. It’s still sinking in that Jin is actually in training right now. But I’m so grateful I was able to see them twice in Las Vegas. Little did I know that would be their last North American shows in a while.

Having seen variations of the Permission to Dance concert multiple times online, I had come to memorize the setlist by heart by the time I was able to see BTS live in a stadium. That didn’t stop me from having the time of my life. You can’t just replicate the moment when BTS surprised fans at Allegiant Stadium with news of a comeback album. I can’t believe I was there! Those were some of the loudest cheers I’ve ever heard in my life! Little did I know what was to come months later…but if it meant hearing three new songs from BTS, I will take it.

I’ve always said that BTS was my connection to the world when the world closed down for COVID-19. So getting to see them perform was truly a full circle moment, and a top memory for me in 2022. Until 2025! See you during the comeback.

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