Welcome back to another episode of Best of Weekly Music Shows! Unfortunately, due to various reasons such as the current baseball season, only two shows — KBS Music Bank and SBS Inkigayo. SBS The Show re-broadcasted a previous episode, Mnet M! Countdown showed a special episode of BTS Countdown, and both MBC Show Champion and Show! Music Core did not air. On the shows that did broadcast, BTS took home the two wins, which marks their first triple crown for both music shows — congratulations!
This week also marked the comeback of many groups, including Nu’est W, Got7, SF9, Up10tion, and Ha:tfelt. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of our favourite stages this week!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW0k5vC_lGw
Nu’est W’s “Where You At”, KBS Music Bank, October 13, 2017
This performance was nothing short of amazing! Firstly, the group has adopted a darker and more luxurious image, which really suits their maturity as veterans in the industry. Second, what was really impressive was the intricate choreography, which was the perfect balance of strength and softness; the chorus of the song can get quite repetitive, but the moves definitely were not. The added thigh sweep move and Baekho’s moves were also a treat for fans to watch! Finally, it was touching to listen to the loud fan chants, as it really shows how far they’ve come.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCF4L0c8PcM
Got7’s “Teenager”, SBS Inkigayo, October 15, 2017
Although “Teenager” isn’t their title track, it’s by far my favourite off the album — both musically and stage-wise. It’s a good mix of youthfulness — with the colourful and trendy — and sophistication — with the smooth moves accompanying the rich orchestral instrumentals of the music. The highlight, though, of this performance was definitely the freestyle dance section in the last moments of the performance, during which both the members and fans were chanting even after the song ended. It’s these spontaneous moments that show the wildly adorable relationship between Got7 and iGot7s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-s8-Yz0qYs
SF9’s “O Sole Mio”, KBS Music Bank, October 13, 2017
With a fresh title track, “O Sole Mio,” that borrowed elements from Latin pop, it was interesting to see how that translated into SF9’s performance on stage, and they definitely delivered! I’m not quite sure whether their outfits were inspired by traditional cultural costumes, but at one point in their choreography, they lift up their jackets to mimic the movement of the muleta, the red cloth used in bullfighting. Their choreography also seems to include some elements of traditional Latin and perhaps Spanish styles of dancing with strong emphasis on the hip movements. Overall, it’s an excellently-executed fusion of the sultriness from the Latin genre with the power and synchronisation from traditional K-pop, creating a truly unique style.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBXTkp4gWJs
Up10tion’s “Going Crazy”, SBS Inkigayo, October 15, 2017
One can never go wrong with the classic black-and-white theme, and Up10tion certainly looked sleek clad in suits for their performance of “Going Crazy”. With so many members and movements onstage, it was a wise choice to tone it down with the colours and costumes, so that we could really appreciate the intricacies and nuances of the choreography. Their comeback this time around is a little reminiscent of old school K-pop, but the group manages to put their own youthful twist to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM7V8-SggOw
Ailee’s “Home”, KBS K-pop World Festival in Changwon, October 14, 2017
“Home”, in my opinion, was severely underrated, and I’m so glad that Ailee chose to perform it recently on stage. As a moderate-tempo track that errs more on the side of sultry R&B than energetic bubblegum pop, it can be difficult to hype up the crowd, especially on a live festival stage. However, Ailee does it with ease, which shows her years of experience. Her voice and stage presence more than make up for the lacklustre fashion, and she was simply sizzling hot!
