ATEEZ live in London: K-Pop stars light up The O2 Arena
On the first of two nights in London, ATEEZ deliver an electrifying show in the capital
ATEEZ returned to London’s 02 Arena last night in style with their hotly-anticipated world tour, ‘Towards the Light: Will to Power.’
The K-pop band is made up of 8 members – Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho – and gained popularity throughout the UK in recent years with hits like ‘Bouncy’ and ‘Work.’
The anticipation inside the 02 Arena was palpable and when music videos for ‘WORK’, ‘BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)’ and ‘The Real’ appeared on the big screen the whole audience screamed and sang in unison to the music playing over the speakers. Who needs a support act to warm up the crowd when you can just play your own music videos?
It set the tone for the rest of the show and when the 8-piece eventually came out, there was such a deafening eruption from the crowd that I almost thought there would be a repeat of Storm Eunice in 2022 when the roof was ripped open.
At the beginning of the show, ATEEZ told the audience to “leave their worries behind” and it was hard not to as the audience was welcomed into their fantasy world.
The evening started with energetic performances of ‘Crazy Form’ and ‘Say My Name’ as the signature K-pop light sticks made the arena light up like a Christmas tree alongside a flurry of visual effects, pyrotechnics and fireworks.
With each album, ATEEZ love to get inventive and introduce new concepts and themes and their live shows are no different as they keep the audience guessing with an incredibly inventive and theatrical performance.
There was breathtaking set design throughout the performance but one of the highlights was their Cyberpunk section. The big light in the middle of the stage turned into an autonomous surveillance camera as soldiers chased down and chained up a runaway fugitive before performing ‘This World’ and ‘Wake Up.’
During the mid-section of the show, Jongho slowed things down with his moving ballad, ‘Everything’ and in the Arena that was so electric and raucous just moments before, you could now hear a pin drop. The crowd waved their hands from side to side and then erupted once more when he hit the high notes in the crescendo.
There were great personal touches as the group regularly addressed the audience, whilst catching their breath in between relentless dance sequences! ATEEZ spoke in English to the British ATINY – their official fandom name – about their love of London and this even prompted a mini-rendition of Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You.’
The energy hit new heights, something that was seemingly impossible, as ATEEZ finished in style with ‘‘BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)’, ‘WONDERLAND’ and ‘WORK.’ Visually, it was a feast for the eyes, and the combined choreography and atmosphere of the crowd made for a special experience.
With the likes of BLACKPINK and Stray Kids having headlined festivals in the U.K., it’s becoming the norm for K-pop acts to perform on the biggest of stages. After watching ATEEZ live in action, it’s easy to see why K-pop is sweeping the nation and why their concerts are the hottest tickets in town.