Welcome back to another week of Best of Weekly Music Shows! Owing to my much-dreaded finals, it’s been a very long time since I’ve even watched music shows, let alone cover this segment on Seoulbeats, but I am excited to be back! Many groups have also made early summer comebacks, including Shinee, AOA, and Hyukoh. There have also been a number of group subunits making their debut recently, including Pristin V and Loona yyxy.
(G)I-dle took home their second win on SBS The Show and third overall win for “Latata”, while BTS scored the rest of the week’s music show trophies with “Fake Love” on MBC Show Champion, Mnet M! Countdown, KBS Music Bank, MBC Show! Music Core, and SBS Inkigayo.
Without further ado, here were some of our favourite stages of the week!
Shinee’s “All Day All Night”, MBC Show! Music Core, June 02, 2018
Shinee’s back! This stage encapsulated the essence of the group: strong vocals, sleek choreography, trendy styling, and amazing group chemistry. What’s really unique about Shinee is that each member is extremely strong and unique in their own regard, especially with respect to their vocal color — they have each developed their individual sounds that somehow complement beautifully with the rest. Of course, Shawols have been by the group’s side all along, and this stage is particularly evident of that with the deafening fanchants!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2T4Dl9CKk0
AOA’s “Bingle Bangle”, SBS Inkigayo, June 03, 2018
“Festive” would be the word to describe AOA’s stage for “Bingle Bangle”. Clad in red-and-white outfits, I would believe it if you told me that the group was going for a Christmas comeback. Yuna’s short blonde bob this comeback cycle looks suspiciously similar to Choa’s, almost as if the group was trying to cover up her departure. If that is the case, it is entirely unnecessary: the members look and sound fine as they are — at this point, it’s important for AOA to re-establish their image as a six-membered group instead of hiding the absence of a seventh member. Despite the slightly underwhelming title track, the members’ infectious enthusiasm more than makes up for it, making for a fun stage to watch.
Bol4’s “Travel”, MBC Show! Music Core, June 02, 2018
They say “less is more”, and Bol4’s performance for “Travel” really exemplifies this. Stripping away all the fancy choreography and elaborate stages to leave only the two adorable members and a guitar, the duo really showcase their talents in a carefree, liberating track that echoes the freeness and relaxing nature of the summer season. On an additional note, Jiyoung’s blonde hair was nice, but I really do prefer her dark roots and colorful ends!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sPDJ2v6uYI
Pristin V’s “Spotlight”, KBS Music Bank, June 01, 2018
The styling for Pristin’s first subunit, Pristin V, is refreshing, to say the least. In the sea of bright lips and dewy complexions, it’s nice to see muted tones and matte looks peeking through. The makeup and costumes really match with the more mature concept that the members take on like fish to water.
BTS’s “Fake Love”, Mnet M! Countdown, May 31, 2018
I don’t have much to say about this performance, because I was awestruck the entire four minutes and two seconds of this stage. From the sleek black-and-white costumes to the powerful choreography to the members’ intense stage presence, this was a definite treat to watch. BTS is a group that has performed globally on countless, world-renowned stages, and the maturity and professionalism they display truly reflect this. Amazing.
