Fans of SM Entertainment-signed K-Pop acts braved an unseasonably hot day for a chance to see members from 13 groups perform at Carson’s Dignity Health Sports earlier this month.
Known as one of Korea’s “big three” K-Pop agencies, SM brought members from acts dating back to 2003 as a part of their well-known SMTown Live concert series. This year marked the agency’s 30th anniversary. It’s been 13 years since the last SMTown Live in California, which took place in Anaheim.
It was an all-day affair for fans who opted to purchase the red-carpet ticket, which gave them a chance to see their idols relatively close and kicked off before 1 p.m. Some performers stopped by the barricade of fans to snap selfies or say a quick hello. Several groups teased new music and exciting performances. TVXQ, Super Junior, SHINee’s Key and Minho, EXO’s Suho, Chanyeol and Kai, Red Velvet, NCT 127, NCT Dream, WayV, aespa, Riize, Hearts2Hearts and SMTR25 all performed; NCT Wish was slated to perform but was unable to attend due to visa issues.
Girl group aespa seemingly teased their future plans at SMTown Live. “We’re about to release music very, very soon, so please stay tuned for that,” Winter told The Hollywood Reporter. The group described their performance of the night in one word: fire. The crowd went wild for the four-piece group, performing hits such as “Whiplash” and “Next Level.”
“It’s our first time in L.A. for SMTown, and it’s not every year that we can come here as a whole SMTown family,” Riize’s Anton said before the concert. The group recently released their first album, Odyssey, which they previewed for fans during the L.A. show. “It’s a really special opportunity,” Anton continued.
TVXQ, the eldest of the crop of performers, told THR that fans could expect to hear the duo’s older songs, a promise they delivered on when they sang their 2008 K-Pop classic “Mirotic.” The undeniably catchy track had the entire stadium singing along. “We just want this performance to be a place where we can show a lot of synergy between the senior and the junior groups,” member Changmin told THR.
Other groups like girl group Red Velvet decided to play older fan favorites. The three members who performed during the show surprised the audience with their 2018 song “Bad Boy.” The group told THR they included it as a special treat. It was Red Velvet’s first performance in L.A. in years, so they said they knew fans were “going to love it.”
On the other end of the spectrum was SM’s latest endeavor, girl group Hearts2Hearts, who were fresh off a Saturday performance at Wango Tango. The eight-member outfit expressed how excited they were to be in L.A. for the first time. Stella, a vocalist, said the group was particularly looking forward to the show’s final song, “Hope from Kwangya,” where all of the night’s performers come together to sing farewell.
To perform that final song, all artists flocked to the stage and later waved goodbye to fans all together. SM Entertainment’s next SMTown Live is set for June 28 in London. Another in Japan is scheduled for August.