K-SPARK concert reinforces Malaysia as key K-Pop destination

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia once again became a preferred destination for K-pop stars with the staging of the K-SPARK mega concert last Saturday night.

Cheers from thousands of fans from within the country and abroad reverberated throughout Stadium Merdeka as they celebrated a stellar line-up of top artistes, including G-Dragon, Hwasa, ITZY and DPR IAN.

The momentum of fan excitement surrounding the Hallyu wave continued following the Super Junior concert held last month at Axiata Arena.

As early as 2pm, fans had begun gathering on the stadium grounds, many dressed in outfits inspired by their respective idols, even though the concert was only scheduled to start at 9pm.

Notably, the concert organised by KLOOK Malaysia not only featured renowned performers from South Korea, but also provided a platform for local artistes when popular Malaysian girl group Dolla was given the honour of opening the show.

The festive atmosphere continued with the appearance of 3P (ThreeeProduction), a local content creator and dance artiste group, who energised the crowd with their performance of PA SANG Anthem before the stage was taken over by ITZY.

The JYP Entertainment girl group commanded the stage with a string of high-impact songs including Tunnel Vision, Imaginary Friend, Kiss & Tell, DALLA DALLA and Not Shy.

"We are so happy to be in Malaysia. It’s been a long time. Did you miss us?” they said, prompting deafening cheers from the fans.

The tone of the concert then shifted when DPR IAN took the stage with a performance that blurred the line between music and visual art, complete with a black suit that accentuated his artistic concept.

Despite not being in the best of health, the artiste, whose real name is Christian Yu, carried on with his set, delivering seven songs including MOOD, Don’t Go Insane, So Beautiful and LIMBO in a more intimate and immersive atmosphere.

The crowd’s excitement intensified with the arrival of Hwasa, who captivated the audience with her mature aura and charisma through popular songs such as Chili, TWIT, Maria and Good Goodbye.

The 31-year-old vocalist, who is also a member of Mamamoo, appeared comfortable and confident in her solo performance, with fans enthusiastically singing along.

"This is my first time performing solo here. Let’s make tonight an unforgettable memory," she said.

The most anticipated moment finally arrived when influential K-pop icon G-Dragon appeared on stage at 10.53 pm, greeted by thunderous screams as the opening notes of POWER filled the stadium.

The King of K-pop then dominated the stage for nearly an hour with a series of his hit songs such as Home Sweet Home, Crayon and Too Bad, before bringing the concert to a close with Crooked at 11.56pm.

"Don’t forget this moment. Tonight, we are all together in Malaysia. I love you,” he said, ending the performance. - BERNAMA