PSY, Sunmi and Stray Kids: K-pop stars perform live at Expo 2020 Dubai
UAE fans enjoyed a two-and-a-half-hour K-pop special with their favourite stars on Sunday
K-Pop sensations PSY, Stray Kids, Sunmi, Golden Child, (G)I-dle and Forestella blew away fans with a captivating concert at Expo 2020 Dubai’s Jubilee Stage on January 16. The K-pop special was held in celebration of the Republic of Korea’s national day, in the presence of Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea.
Korean male vocal quartet Forestella kicked off the exciting night with a stunning performance, which included an acapella version of British rock band Queen’s 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.
They were followed by five-member girl group (G)I-dle, who asked their fans to dance along to their popular hit song 'DUMDi DUMDi' and their first digital single 'Hann (Alone)'.
(G)I-dle said: “We are so glad to see everyone enjoying our performance. It has been a long time since we have been able to perform in front of our fans. This is our first time in Dubai, and we were surprised to see how two countries can come together through K-pop.”
(G)I-dle are one of the most successful girl groups in Korea, known for being directly involved in the creation of their music – something that is relatively unusual for a K-pop girl group.
Billboard chart-topping band Golden Child took to the stage soon afterwards, giving a dazzling performance of their songs 'Ra Pam Pam', 'DamDaDi' and 'All Day'. Fans cheered and clapped as the band thanked their fans in Arabic.
Before dedicating their final song, 'All Day', to their fans, Golden Child said: “It has been a long time since we performed for a live audience. This is actually our first time in Dubai and seeing your reaction we realised we should come to Dubai more. Actually, we think we fell in love with the city on our way to Expo 2020 Dubai. Shukran!”
Singer-songwriter Sunmi then took the Jubilee Stage for a unique show that included her most popular songs 'You Can’t Sit With Us', 'Siren' and 'Tail', giving the audience a heartfelt thank you for attending the concert.
The star was followed by internationally renowned boy band Stray Kids, whose popularity has skyrocketed in the Middle East since forming in 2017. As the ambassadors of the Republic of Korea Pavilion, the eight-member group said they were honoured to represent their country and perform for fans at the Jubilee Stage.
With more than 34 million followers on social media, it was no surprise that Stray Kids had the crowd enthusiastically moving their feet to the beat of their latest hits.
During their energetic show, Stray Kids said: “More than anything we want to tell you that we are so honoured to be here as the ambassadors to introduce Korean culture and its vibe to everyone here at Expo 2020 Dubai. We can really see how people all around the world are becoming one here at Expo 2020. Everyone is connecting their minds and creating the future together.”
The Korea National Day K-Pop Concert concluded with a spectacular performance by PSY, whose 2012 hit 'Gangnam Style' became the first video to have more than one billion views on YouTube. The audience cheered loudly and danced along to the singer and rapper’s most popular songs 'Gentleman', 'New Face' and, as a popular finale, 'Gangnam Style'.
The international sensation said he was impressed to find out how many K-pop fans lived in the UAE and thanked them for coming to Expo 2020 Dubai to celebrate Korea's national day.
PSY said: “I have not had a show in 2020 and 2021. I have not been on a stage in the last two years. This kind of applause … leaves me speechless really. I will be coming back.”