Categories
Show Review

HallyuPopFest 2019 Rounds up its Exciting K-Pop Packed Weekend

Held over the past weekend (May 25-26) to much fanfare, HallyuPopFest returned to stage at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, 8 months after their inaugural festival in Singapore last year. This year’s 2-day festival saw headlining acts such as Super Junior, WINNER, MONSTA X and NU’EST, as well as a fan-favourite lineup which included Hyolyn, KARD, PENTAGON, (G)I-DLE, and more.

First time in Singapore, up-and-coming girl group GWSN made their way to the red carpet right after the afternoon showcase on the first day of the festival. As newcomers in the K-pop scene, GWSN names Girls’ Generation as their role models, and even did a dance cover of TWICE’s ‘TT’ upon request, inviting cheers from all corners.

The 7-member girl group also conveyed their wishes to take on a powerful and energetic concept for their comeback in the near future.

Back in town for HallyuPopFest, this trip marked A.C.E’s third visit here and the members mentioned Sentosa and Merlion Park as the places they hope to visit if they could have a free day to explore Singapore.

Having travelled around the world to meet their international fans, A.C.E describes music as a universal language for everyone, and added that they were able to feel the energy and communication with their fans through music even though they may not speak the same language together.

The first act to kick off Day 1’s evening concert, N.Flying sent fans into a fit of roaring cheers when they performed their hit tracks “HOW R U TODAY”, “Rooftop” and more.

At the red carpet, the group recounted their reactions when they first found out that “Rooftop” charted at the top on the music charts. Describing it as a surreal feeling that they’re never experienced before, the members shared that they could still feel the nervousness and excitement from that very day, as they thanked fans once more for their love and support.

Dressed in bright red for the red carpet and concert, Oh My Girl sent hearts aflutter with several of their hit numbers that evening, including “Secret Garden”, “Liar Liar”, and their latest comeback track “The Fifth Season”.

Having tried various genres and concepts for their first full length album in 4 years, Oh My Girl revealed that they hope to take on a retro and powerful concept for their next comeback, and would love to release an upbeat and lively song to welcome the approaching summer.

One of the most anticipated groups for HallyuPopFest, NU’EST returned to Singapore as a full force and the wait for them was definitely worthwhile as fans were treated to hot performances at the concert, such as “Hello”, “Segno”, “Bet Bet”, and more.

On what fans will be able to look forward this year, Baekho answered that it has been awhile since the 5 of them gathered as a group, so instead of rushing things out, he hoped that fans could anticipate and watch them grow further. Minhyun added that being able to show their stages and performances is their definition of happiness, and they were glad that they could visit Singapore and perform for the fans.

In related news, NU’EST will be returning very soon for their own concert this August and this will mark their first full-scale concert in Singapore since their last L.O.Λ.E Tour in 2013.

 

The vocal queen of all genres, Hyolyn treated fans to a power-packed setlist at the concert, as she dominated the stage with all-time hits “Dally”, “SEE SEA”, “Paradise”, as well as a special medley of SISTAR songs.

At the red carpet event, the female powerhouse declared her love for Singaporean food, naming Chilli crabs as one of the must-have dishes whenever she makes a visit here. Hyolyn also named American rapper and songwriter Cardi B as one of the artistes whom she looks up to and hopes to collaborate with if there’s an opportunity in the future.

Finally, the headlining act of Day 1’s evening concert, WINNER got everyone in the crowd cheering and screaming at their loudest the moment they walked the red carpet. Back in town 6 months after their solo concert, members talked about having fond memories of Singapore whenever they visit.

WINNER also shared their source of inspiration that goes into their album making, stating “Whenever we produce music, we think of our fans and us singing out loud to it. That’s how our music came about.”

It was a complete party later at the concert as WINNER drove fans into a new high with their hit songs one after another. From their debut song “Empty” to their classic and latest hits “AH YEAH”, “MILLIONS”, “REALLY REALLY” and more, they ended the concert on an incredibly explosive note, leaving fans screaming for more.

The second day of HallyuPopFest began with the afternoon showcase, which was led by up-and-coming artistes TREI, Kanto, and VERIVERY.

3-member idol group TREI, was the first group to make an entrance on the red carpet, as the trio greeted fans in their biggest enthusiasm and talked about their desire to return to Singapore for a concert in the near future.

As self-producing idols, TREI shared that their fans were the source of inspiration when they make music. Even though it has only been 3 months since their debut, they would like to do a collaboration with other artistes in the future when the opportunity arises.

Rapper Kanto was next on the red carpet, drawing attention as he walked in style and made his way to the stage in all smiles.

On his upcoming plans for the second half of the year, Kanto revealed that he’d be busy with performances all throughout summer. He also added that he had been preparing for a collaboration track by himself, naming NU’EST Baekho and A.C.E Chan as the ones he hopes to join forces and work with.

Shortly after, VERIVERY took the red carpet stage and greeted fans in all corners with their trademark introduction. The 7-member boy group from Jellyfish Entertainment shared that their goal for 2019 is to receive a rookie award at the end of the year, as they promised to work harder to show a better and improved version of themselves for the next album.

The opening act of Day 2’s evening concert, (G)I-DLE made an appearance at the red carpet and shared their excitement of being in Singapore to perform for the fans.

Prior to their debut, they have visited Singapore for an album jacket photoshoot, where member Yuqi recalled about the bungee jumping experience they had at Sentosa, exclaiming that it was one of their fondest memories in Singapore.

The girl crush group also discussed on what they hope to achieve by the end of this year, which is to top the music charts with their new album.

During the concert, they showed off their charismatic charms with powerful songs like “MAZE”, “HANN”, and their highly well-received debut track, “LATATA”.

Another fan-favourite act of HallyuPopFest, KARD candidly talked about switching parts of their song with another member and as usual, fans were able to see their great chemistry with one another even when they’re not performing.

J.Seph picked Jiwoo’s part, explaining that she gives off a great impact and a lot of energy when she sings. On the other hand, Jiwoo chose B.M and said she don’t mind trying out his rap part someday.

Although they do not have any fixed plans next, KARD hopes to greet fans with another album as soon as they can, and in the meantime, they will be working hard towards achieving this goal.

Also the only co-ed group to grace the festival, KARD pumped up the crowd at the concert with their incredible energy and addictive tracks such as “Oh NaNa”, “Don’t Recall” and “Bomb Bomb”, which had everyone singing along!

Set to return this November for their very own World Tour, PENTAGON revealed that Singapore will be their last destination for the tour and they are looking forward to deliver hot performances for the fans.

When asked which member is most different on and off stage, a majority of the members picked Wooseok, to which Hongseok explained, “Off the stage, he (Wooseok) is a really fun guy with a sense of humour, but on stage he’s so serious and unfunny.”

PENTAGON was the third artiste to take the stage during the concert and they treated fans to a setlist that comprised songs of a variety of genres. These included the feel-good “Shine”, the mellow and sweet “Violet”, as well as the bold and slightly retro “Critical Beauty”.

MONSTA X played it cool wherever they go. Treating fans to their best hits that evening, the group performed high energy tracks that were representative of their unique and strong style, such as “DRAMARAMA”, “Alligator” and “From Zero”. During their performance of “Need U’, they even went around the stadium to get up-close with fans!

Even though Jooheon and I.M filmed their mixtape MV Be My Friendin Singapore previously, the group hoped to shoot another one here again if they could travel overseas for an MV shoot. And if there’s an opportunity, Shownu added that he would love to try a variety of Singaporean dishes for his Mukbang broadcast in the future.

The Kings of K-Pop, Super Junior was the finale act of the night and they truly ended HallyuPopFest 2019 with a bang as they performed classic hits such as “Sorry Sorry”, “Bonamana”, “One More Chance”, “Miracle”, and even surprised fans with special solo stages by Yesung and Ryeowook, as well as a unit stage by Super Junior D&E!

When asked what’s their secret to maintaining a great teamwork, Leeteuk says, “There’s no particular secret. We’ve spent a long time together, so we think of ourselves and our fans as a family.”

Adding that Kyuhyun has officially completed his mandatory military service, they are looking forward to release a new album together as a team in the later half of this year.

For the concertgoers who attended the festival and were treated to a K-pop packed weekend, HallyuPopFest 2019 definitely wrapped up on a memorable note.

 


(Photos: Nicole & Meixian)

Categories
K-Pop

EVERYTHING You Need To Know About HallyuPopFest 2019 In Singapore

Once again, the wait for K-pop fans is over. After teasing on social media with various hints of the artiste line-up, the full information has now been released for HallyuPopFest 2019, including the festival schedule and ticketing details. We will summarise everything into this page for your easy reference because it’s really extensive.

What is HallyuPopFest 2019?

Returning for its second edition, HallyuPopFest establishes itself as South East Asia’s largest K-pop festival that aims to bring fans closer to their favourite Korean stars. Just like last year, the festival will feature afternoon showcases, evening concerts, red carpet events and fan engagement opportunities.

Contrary to last year’s festival, this year’s event will take a miss on the global auditions and instead, replace this segment with an all-new HallyuTown event which will be open to the public with a variety of booths to enjoy, ranging from K-Food to K-Beauty, K-Lifestyle and more. The HallyuTown will also function as the main festival square where the daily Red Carpet* event will be held. (*Note: Red Carpet is free and open to the public. All artistes will be attending this event.)

Additionally, something new to look forward to will be a dedicated Fan Support area for fans to show their love and support for their idols.

When and Where will the Festival be Held?

HallyuPopFest 2019 will be held over 2 days on May 25 and 26 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Each day’s activities will kick start at 1pm where the afternoon showcases will be staged, followed by the red carpet event at 3:30pm, artiste engagement sessions from 5pm, and finally the evening concert at 8pm, with the exception of the HallyuTown festival square that opens from 10am on both days.

The festival’s finale (i.e. evening concert) promises power-packed performances that will go on for at least 3 hours each day, where headliners will perform their individual sets of at least 30 minutes each. The afternoon showcase will run for about 2 hours long.

Who will be performing at the Festival?

Besides the popular ones, fans can also look forward to up and coming groups who will be performing in Singapore for the first time. However it seems like this year’s line-up has a lot more boy groups in general. The star-studded performer list includes:

DAY 1 (May 25, Saturday)
Showcase: A.C.E, GWSN
Evening Concert: N.Flying, Oh My Girl, NU’EST, Hyolyn, WINNER

DAY 2 (May 26, Sunday)
Showcase: KANTO, TREI, VeriVery
Evening Concert: (G)I-DLE, KARD, PENTAGON, MONSTA X, Super Junior

What are the Ticket Prices & Fan Entitlements?

There are five standard ticket categories ranging from Cat 1 to Cat 5, priced from S$98 to $288 for each festival day. Similar to last year, all ticket holders will be entitled access to both the showcases and evening concert, applicable for same day activities only.

EXAMPLE: If you purchase the Day 1 ticket (May 25), you will be entitled access to Day 1’s afternoon showcases and evening concert.

This year, there’s no more DAEBAK passes but there will be a new HallyuPass that entitles the pass holder to the Artiste Engagement session with 1 performing act of the same day.

HallyuPass is only available for Cat 1, Cat 2 and Cat 3 ticket holders to purchase at an additional top-up of S$68 (each ticket can purchase 1 HallyuPass only), and pass holders will participate in a random draw to determine the artiste you will be meeting before the Artiste Engagement Session on the event day itself. Check out the full Artiste Engagement schedule below!

When will Tickets go on Sale?

Public ticket sales for all categories will be available on March 30 (Saturday) from 10am onwards (based on local time) via the following channels:

  • Online Booking: www.sportshubtix.sg
  • Hotline Booking: +65 3158 7888
  • Others: Singapore Indoor Stadium Box Office, The Star Performing Arts Centre Box Office, Scotts Square Concierge Desk and all SingPost outlets

There will also be a 1-day Priority sale for all SingTel mobile subscribers and HallyuPopFest newsletter subscribers on March 29 from 10am to 11:59pm. Check out the seating layout below!

Have any other Questions?

Didn’t managed to find an answer here to the questions you have? Head over to the Festival’s website @ www.hallyupopfest.com to read the FAQs or you can also follow them on their Facebook here.

For those who’ve missed out on HallyuPopFest 2018, find out what went down last year:

https://www.hallyusg.net/2018/09/11/hallyupopfest2018-cover/


We will keep all future updates pertaining to the festival on this page so check back often if you need to refer to the latest updates!

Categories
Show Review

[COVER] Wild KARD Asia Tour Off To A Great Start From First Stop In Singapore

KARD has successfully kicked off their 2018 WILD KARD Asia Tour with Singapore as the first stop on 21 January. The concert was opened to a great fanfare with a performance of their latest track ‘You In Me‘, followed by all-time favourite songs ‘Don’t Recall‘ and ‘Rumor‘.

In Singapore for the first time, the members were excited to share about their travel experiences which included visiting a few local landmarks as well as trying out Singapore’s famous chilli crab dish. They also took some time to answer questions submitted by fans, making the concert an intimate and fun session.

Q: If you can bring a fan on a date in Korea, what would you be doing?
B.M: I’ll show him/her a day in the life of KARD. We’ll tour around DSP Media, visit the studio where we (KARD) usually record our songs, and we’ll eat a lot of tteokbokki together!

Q: If you can only eat one food for the rest of your lives, what would it be?
Somin: Tteokbokki! It’s my favourite.
B.M: Chilli crabs
J.Seph: I really love chilli crabs…but I think if I can only eat one food for the rest of my life, it has to be rice!

Q: Who cries the most in KARD?
J.Seph: I’m definitely in the last place. Somin takes the first place, followed by B.M, then Jiwoo.



Moving on from the Q&A session, the members presented their individual stages starting with Jiwoo performing a cover of WINNER’s ‘Really Really‘. Showcasing her cool and chic side during the performance, Jiwoo mentioned that she chose this song as it’s one of her favourites and she believed it’s a song that would be enjoyed by many.

J.Seph continued the show with a powerful rap performance of his self-written track, while Somin put up an impressive cover of Taeyeon’s ‘Fine‘, and finally B.M with a continuation track from the group’s latest album.

When asked about their comeback plans, B.M revealed that their next album will be one that’s worth the wait and anticipation, adding that it would be their goal to clinch #1 on music charts and music programmes this year.

During the second half of the concert, KARD also performed several cover hits such as ‘Side to Side‘ (Ariana Grande) and ‘24K Magic‘ (Bruno Mars), bringing the energy level to a new high. The concert was at its peak towards the end when ‘Hola Hola‘ was belted out on stage, followed by two encore stages, ‘Oh NaNa‘ and ‘Living Good‘.

Thanking fans for making the concert possible in Singapore, KARD mentioned that it’s a great start to their Asia Tour and look forward to return again in the near future.

In case you missed it, be sure to check out our exclusive interview with KARD below where the members chatted about one another and shared about their recent interests!


2018 WILD KARD Asia Tour in Singapore was brought to you by My Music Taste and DSP Media.

(Photos: Meixian)

Categories
Features

Exclusive Interview: K.A.R.D Reveals This Member Is Number ONE At…

Hola Hola! Calling all Hidden KARDs in Singapore, are you ready to catch K.A.R.D at their 2018 WILD KARD Tour this weekend? Set to perform at ZEPP @ BIGBOX this Sunday (21 Jan), the co-ed K-pop group will be holding a Facebook Live Q&A session a day prior to their showcase to interact and answer some burning questions from their fans. Be sure to bookmark the links and join in the fun with K.A.R.D!

Details of K.A.R.D Facebook Live Q&A
Date: January 20, 2018 (Sat)
Time: 2PM (SGT)
Wherehttps://www.facebook.com/officialkard/ or https://www.facebook.com/kpopmusic/

In the meantime, check out our LATEST video featuring an exclusive interview with K.A.R.D, where the members chatted about one another and picked the one who is best at something!


Special thanks to MyMusicTaste for facilitating the interview with K.A.R.D!

Categories
K-Pop

[UPCOMING EVENT] KARD To Bring Their Wild KARD Asia Tour To Singapore In January 2018

Following their successful tour in Europe this year, South Korea’s rising co-ed group KARD will be kicking off an Asia Tour commencing from January 2018 across 5 cities. The upcoming Asia Tour will include Bangkok (19 Jan), Singapore (21 Jan), Taipei (2 Feb), Hong Kong (4 Feb) and Manila (9 Feb), making it as KARD’s second fan-initiated tour organised by MyMusicTaste, an online service that brings together music fans’ requests for their favorite artist’s concert.

Though they only made their official debut on 19 July 2017, KARD was selected as one of Billboard’s “Top 5 K-Pop Artists to Watch in 2017” and recently bagged home the “Best Rookie Award” at the Asia Artist Awards, gaining recognition not just in Korea but also across the globe.

Get ready to party with KARD at their first Asia Tour in Singapore and catch their live performances including new tracks from their latest EP “You & Me”!

Details of 2018 WILD KARD TOUR in Singapore
Date: January 21st, 2018 (Sun)
Venue: ZEPP @ BIGBOX
Time: 7:30pm
Ticket Pricing: (Exclude booking fee)

  • Ultimate KARD S$238 (Includes Hi-Touch & Group Photo)
  • Wild KARD $168 (Includes Hi-Touch)
  • General Admission $88

Ticketing Platform: APACTix (Note: Link will be available starting 4 Dec)

There will be an exclusive pre-sale (for TasteMakers who have requested for KARD’s show in Singapore) on 4 Dec (Mon) from 4pm (SGT) onwards and the pre-sale will end on 6 Dec (Wed) at 3:59pm (SGT). Public ticket sale will begin on 7 Dec (Thu) from 4pm (SGT) onwards. All tickets for pre-sale and public sale will be made available through APACTix.

Good news if you’re a Singapore TasteMaker! All KARD x Singapore TasteMakers will receive a 10% discount off two tickets, and Top 10 TasteMakers will be rewarded with two free Ultimate KARD tickets (worth S$238 each)! (For more information, visit HERE!)

Stay tuned to us for more updates on the above event!