WTK Review is back at it again! This time, WTK staff tuned into the amazing K-pop SuperFest hosted by the Joy Ruckus Club and broadcast on Sessions Live. The eight hour show live-streamed on June 19th and started at 6 p.m. PST. Organized from Los Angeles, California, the artists performed in real time at the famous Yes24 Live Hall in Seoul.
K-pop SuperFest Concert Line-Up
The line-up of stellar stars included solo artist AleXa, The Boyz, Woo!Ah!, GWSN, Lovelyz, Golden Child, Cravity, Momoland, AB6IX, Ailee, BLOO, Jessi, Rain, and DJ Soda. Tickets were an affordable $20 USD, and there were extra purchase options available for memorabilia like concert t-shirts, signed posters by the artists, and even a NFT.
About Sessions Live
The concert was available on the platform Sessions Live. Due to the pandemic, more and more artists— both new and established— have been using live-streaming as a way to reach out to their fans, as well as to gain new fans from all over the world. The interface is rather charming. Once you purchase a ticket and enter the live-stream interface, Sessions allows the option for viewers to interact with the artists via chatroom.
The chatroom space is alive with cute Moji characters designed by 2D/3D artist, Mindy Goto. As fans poured in, so did the cute creatures. By showtime, the room was crowded with funny looking friends posting words of support. In addition to this feature, fans are able to tip or reward their favorite artists further by purchasing “love” tokens, stickers, song requests, and shout-outs or highlighted messages in the chat.
“Fans experience music is a more personal and interactive space where they can engage and participate in the Artist’s success.” – Sessions Live
Joy Ruckus Club and Honoree Shin Hae Chul
According to Kublai Kwon, the founder of the Joy Ruckus Club, the K-pop SuperFest concert honors the legacy of his late cousin and K-pop legend, Shin Hae Chul. Shin Hae Chul was a pioneer in the early K-pop and K-rock scene. After performing with his bands Muhangwedo and N.E.X.T, he became a record producer and radio DJ beloved by Korea. His legacy lives on in the way his styles and methods influence the artists of today.
Their mission states:
“A humanitarian-oriented, virtual concert series, founded by Asian Americans, and led by artists of Asian descent from all over the world, Joy Ruckus Club is a revolution in pan-Asian music. Not silent, not complacent, not foreign, Joy Ruckus Club is a society of woke Asians who are in solidarity with all truthfully progressive movements of the oppressed and conquered.” – Joy Ruckus Club
Last month, the Joy Ruckus Club hosted the fundraiser “I Hate Being Hated” for the Stand With Asian Americans movement. The fundraiser brought awareness to the rise of Asian hate and the perpetuation of harmful Asian stereotypes with education and entertainment from notable influencers and Asian American organizations.
The Concert
The concert opened with greetings from the energetic and adorable hosts: AleXa and The Boyz member Kevin Moon. As they got adjusted into their roles and became familiar with the live chat function and show pacing, they determined their energy levels to make up for the lack of a live audience. They thanked the Joy Ruckus Club, Sessions Live, and the Yes24 Live Hall for hosting the event. During the show, the hosts would give a brief introduction before the artists came on stage to perform.
AleXa
Fairly new to the K-pop scene, solo artist AleXa debuted in late 2019 with her single, “Bomb.” She was the first act of the night. Rocking hot pink hair and a sleek outfit with black knee-high boots, she performed her song “Revolution” with pomp and gusto against a backdrop of an asteroid field. AleXa will release a new single, titled ReviveR, on July 1st.
Woo!Ah!
Newcomers Woo!Ah! set the stage for a fluffy and fun pop performance. In May of 2020, the girl group made their debut with the single album, Exclamation. Decked out in preppy gray and pink tweed outfits, Woo!Ah! performed three songs. First up was “Bad Girl” from the Qurious album. They then finished up with “Scaredy Cat” and “Purple” from their third single, Wish.
GWSN
GWSN debuted in 2018 with their title track, “Puzzle Moon,” coincidentally at the Yes24 Live Hall. They performed in stylish and billowing black-and-white ensembles. The chat buzzed with curiosity and approval at member Lena’s statement hair of black with red dipped ends. GWSN sang “Like It Hot” and “Starry Night” from The Other Side of the Moon EP and “All Mine (Coast of Azure)” from The Park in the Night Part Three.
Lovelyz
Seven-year-old veteran girl group Lovelyz then took the stage. Looking like modern-day princesses in beautiful pastel dresses, the Lovelyz members were cute, fresh, and comfortable in between songs as they talked about their hobbies and interacted with the chat. The ladies had fun with each other and the chat showered them with compliments on their stunning wardrobe. They performed their hits “Obliviate,” “That Day,” “Now, We,” “Rewind,” “Hi,” and “Ah Choo.”
Golden Child
Get ready to go sailing with Golden Child— who wore summery white outfits as they started their performance with the refreshing and upbeat “Wannabe.” They also performed “Without You,” “One (Lucid Dream),” “Compass,” “Milky Way,” and “Burn It.” Having debuted in August 2017, they too were comfortable and friendly on stage during breaks between songs. They enjoyed interacting with the fans and talking about delicious foods. Coming up on July 17th and 18th, Golden Child will hold an online/offline concert titled Summer Breeze.
Cravity
The “Super Rookies” of 2020 were next up. Cravity is a nine-member boy group who debuted in April 2020. They started off with the fiery and energetic song “Jumper.” This was followed by “Stay,” “Sunrise,” “Mammoth,” and “My Turn.” Personable and cute, their energy was contagious as they did their best to read comments and interact with the fans. They talked about what sports they have been doing lately. A stand-out was Allen with his bright and comedic personality as he bounced around happy to speak English to the global audience on behalf of his members.
Momoland
Hopping on the Merry-Go-Round, fans were greeted with Momoland as they began with the upbeat, techno-style “Ready Or Not”. They also performed “Pinky Love,” “Thumbs Up,” “BAAM,” and “Boom Boom.” Momoland debuted in November 2016. The ladies were cute and preppy in modified school uniforms. Nancy wore fluffy, hot pink finger gloves, and Ahin’s look resembled a young Britney Spears with blonde hair and red plaid mini-skirt and tied white top. They were comfortable on stage and were quite chatty and playful as they read the chatroom.
AB6IX
A fairly new boy group, AB6IX debuted in May 2019. When they engaged with the chat, they greeted fans and were cute and funny. They performed the anthem styled “Salute” from their third EP of the same title. They followed with “Stay Young,” “Shining Stars,” “Lululala,” and “Close.” Their final soothing song “Heaven” was complete with a beautiful blue sky background, as if they were soaring like angels.
PSA
After AB6IX performed, Kevin left to prepare for his stage with his group, The Boyz. AleXa then addressed the increasing violence and aggression towards the Asian community globally.
“All human beings, no matter what demographic they belong to, should be treated with respect. We send our prayers and support to anyone who has been affected by senseless hate crimes.” – AleXa
The Boyz
The Boyz debuted in December 2017. With eleven members, The Boyz revealed black outfits, complete with leather pants, chains, and harnesses for an alluring entrance as red lighting lit up the stage for their first song, “Reveal.” For their second song, the unit consisting of Juyeon, Q, Haknyeon, Sunwoo, and Eric charmed the fans with their serpentine dance for the sensual song, “Scar.”
For their final song “Stealer,” The Boyz became criminals, “stealing” the hearts of the fans with their crime-noir background and captivating dance moves. As they only performed three songs, they had a longer talking break. They were very comfortable on stage; talkative, teasing, and flirting with the fans.
Ailee
Next up on the lineup for the event was an artist who needs no introduction— seasoned performer and sweetheart of Korea, Ailee took to the stage! She was chatty and so welcoming to the fans in the chat who were absolutely going crazy, showering her with much deserved affection and praise. Always a professional, Ailee admitted to fans that she wasn’t supposed to perform due to currently being on tour. However, she didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity provided by the Joy Ruckus Club to reach out to her fans across the globe.
Ailee started her set radiating queen energy with her song “U&I,” followed by the title track “Make Up Your Mind” from her 6th EP, Lovin’. If there was a live audience, her next song would have brought everyone to tears as she sang “I Will Go To You Like The First Snow” from the OST from Guardian: The Great and Lonely God. Before she began, commented that singing this song affects her differently now due to her mother’s passing in February of this year. Perhaps unplanned, Ailee surprised fans with a short acapella session singing pieces from “Breaking Down,” “Spring Flower,” and the crowd favorite, “Heaven.” Ailee went out with a bang, singing her iconic “I’ll Show You,” prancing with her signature dance walk and famous soaring vocals.
Bloo
Accompanied by a DJ and hypnotizing backgrounds, solo rapper Bloo swaggered along with his songs, opting to show his skills by performing rather than stopping to talk as he had eight songs to get through. He and his DJ collaborated well and almost seamlessly moved from one track to the next. He performed the high-energy rap songs “So Rude,” “Nae Tat,” “Hennessy,” and “Drive Thru.” Cooling the heat down, Bloo switched from rap tracks to his smooth R&B songs “Drama,” “Come and kiss me,” and “I’m the One.” He finished off his set with his Korean chart-topping track, “Downtown Baby,” from the EP of the same name.
Jessi
Against a diamond background, Jessi burst onto the stage teasing fans with “Who Dat B?” as if she needs any introduction. As one of the hottest rappers in Korea, Jessi exuded confidence and swag with “Ssenunni,” “Gucci,” and her most recent digital single, “What Type of X.” She also hinted that she will be releasing new music soon.
Grabbing some water, Jessi addressed that an artist’s power onstage is directly linked to fans’ enthusiasm. If fans are hyped, then the artist gets hyped too. This is what creates such a meaningful bond. So, after apologizing for a slight lack of energy because she missed her fans and dancers, Jessi called for AleXa and Kevin to join her onstage. Completely unplanned, fans couldn’t contain their excitement in the chat as the epic collaboration between Kevin, AleXa, and Jessi was born. AleXa and Kevin being fans of Jessi themselves were shy and over the moon dancing with Jessi for her iconic song “NUNU NANA.” It was easily the most fun performance of the night.
Rain
International superstar Rain was the grand finale of the night. Decked out in a short-sleeved black shirt and jeans while wearing a cute smile, Rain stopped to talk just a little bit with the chat in between songs. Truly a legendary professional, Rain performed some of his hottest songs: “Why Don’t We,” “I Do,” “Love Story,” the crowd favorite “It’s Raining,” and “Hip Song.” New and old fans alike were blown away by his talent as he sang and danced perfectly— an appropriate ending to an awesome show.
DJ Soda
For the encore act, some curious and enamored fans stayed to listen to the famous DJ, talented model, and brand ambassador, DJ Soda. Lit by playful psychedelic backgrounds, DJ Soda happily bounced and danced while masterfully performing her sets.
Concluding the Night
As a whole, fans had a blast and greatly appreciated the Joy Ruckus Club for giving them the chance to see and interact with their favorite artists and discover new artists as well. The chat was filled with positivity and curious and friendly people from all around the world. While waiting for acts to perform, the Joy Ruckus Club had the waiting screen showing the schedule set to a BGM song that was an enigmatic and addictive ear-worm. When fans asked who the artist was, someone replied the artist was none other than Mr. Shin Hae Chul. It was wonderful for the Joy Ruckus Club to honor him and for new fans to discover his music and appreciate him even now.
What did you think of the K-pop SuperFest concert presented by the Joy Ruckus Club? Who were your favorite acts of the night? Tell us what you think on our Twitter or Instagram @whatthekpop1 or on our Facebook page as well!
AMP_POWER is an Asian culture enthusiast from the US who enjoys having discussions with fellow fans about the industry and newcomers who are interested in broadening their horizons and expanding their taste in music. Having lived in Asia for a few years, she would be overjoyed to grab a cup of tea and sit down with you to tell of her cherished adventures. Art is her Life. She thanks the Joy Ruckus Club for letting WTKpop review the event!
Media: As Credited
Featured Image: Joy Ruckus Club