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BLACKPINK kicks off long-awaited tour with sizzling shows in Goyang
Fans gather near the Goyang Sports Complex in Ilsan, west of Seoul, just hours before BLACKPINK's "DEADLINE" world tour concert, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Pyo Kyung-min
By Pyo Kyung-min
Expectations were sky-high for one of K-pop's most iconic quartets as BLACKPINK gave its first full-group performance in nearly two years, judging by the sea of fans who braved a scorching heat wave to see them in Ilsan.
The K-pop supergroup — Jennie, Rosé, Jisoo and Lisa — kicked off its "DEADLINE" world tour over the weekend at Goyang Sports Complex in Ilsan, just west of Seoul, becoming the first K-pop girl group to do so at one of the capital area's largest concert venues.
Fans swarmed the venue Sunday, the final show of the two-day performance, despite temperatures soaring to about 33 degrees Celsius and a heat wave advisory in effect.
Armed with mini electronic fans and parasols to escape the heat, the throngs of fans could be heard complaining here and there, but their faces collectively lit up with excitement when asked for a brief interview.
"It's so hot and I'm sweating like crazy, but the thrill of getting to see the four perform together again is the only thing keeping me on my feet right now," said Liu Wen, a Chinese fan in her 20s who arrived hours early, clutching the group's official light stick in hand.
Fans take photos near the Goyang Sports Complex in Ilsan, west of Seoul, just hours before BLACKPINK's "DEADLINE" world tour concert, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Pyo Kyung-min
"I hope the girls deliver, as they should for all of us," she added. "And special shoutout to Chaeyoung (Rosé’s Korean name) because I love her and I've been waiting to see her for so long."
By 3 p.m., nearly four hours before showtime and with the venue gates still an hour from opening, the area around the stadium was already packed. Crowds — mostly dressed in colors black and pink — were so dense that traffic controllers were working up a sweat of their own.
Long queues formed around the venue as fans lined up to buy official merchandise, while others roamed the open-roof dome, each snapping photos and filming TikToks of the event. Nearby cafes and restaurants were also filled to the brim with concertgoers, with few empty seats to be found.
"We're planning to get up and go in at the last moment," said Yoon, a teenage BLACKPINK fan who came with his two older sisters, the trio sitting at a nearby ice cream shop. "It's just too hot out there, and I'm sure there's nowhere else to sit around here."
Nearly 40,000 fans gather at the Goyang Sports Complex in Ilsan, west of Seoul, just hours before BLACKPINK's "DEADLINE" world tour concert, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Pyo Kyung-min
The two-night Ilsan stop marked an extra special show for many fans because it marked BLACKPINK's first performance of a new song, breaking the group's hiatus of two years and eight months.
While the members have been pursuing solo activities outside of their longtime label, YG Entertainment, the company revealed the title of the long-teased track, "JUMP," Saturday morning, fueling fan excitement.
"I'm so excited for the new song too. It'll definitely hype up the atmosphere, and I'm sure we'll have a great night tonight," Yoon's sister, seated next to him, added with a grin.
The Ilsan concerts mark the start of a world tour that will take the quartet to 16 cities for 31 shows, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, New York, Paris, Milan, Barcelona, London, Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Kaohsiung in Taiwan and Bulacan in the Philippines.