In the idol group-saturated world of K-pop, six-member boy band B.A.P (Best Absolute Perfect) is a quickly rising star. Since their debut in early 2012, B.A.P, known for their powerful stage presence, socially conscious lyrics, and hip hop influences, has released a string of hit singles that earned them a passionate fan base both domestically and abroad. Coming on the heels of their latest single One Shot, B.A.P launched Live On Earth, an ambitious, four-city North American concert tour, the last stop of which is New York City.
Our friends at MTVK hosted an intimate live event with B.A.P before the group’s May 17th concert at Best Buy Theater, and DramaFever was lucky enough to visit their studio to watch the act perform and interact with a handful of lucky fans. You can watch the entire show, including the Q&A, a graffiti art experience, and an exclusive performance of “Rain Sound” on MTV K in the coming weeks.
We had the chance to watch the boys rehearse before the live webcast alongside some lucky VIP fans, 2 of which were DramaFever users! (Shout out to Daphnee and Aliyah!) The boys appeared very slim, probably exhausted from back-to-back concerts on opposite coasts of the country. They seemed to be intensely focused (perhaps even a little nervous) during their sound check.
But the streets of Times Square was filled with adoring and screaming BABYs (the official name of B.A.P’s fandom). Only a select few of them were lucky enough to enter the studio moments before the live broadcast.
The boys performed four songs: One Shot, Rain Sound, No Mercy, and their debut single Warrior to a crowd of very supportive and very loud fans. There was a lot of love in the room, with coordinated fanchants to boot, and I couldn’t help but dance along to the music. B.A.P tore up the stage–the rock and chiptune-infused No Mercy and relentless beats of Warrior seemed to resonate especially strong with U.S. fans.
A special Q and A session moderated by the effervescent Ellie Lee took took questions from the studio audience and fans on Twitter. During the interview, we learned that while in New York, B.A.P shopped in Soho and ate at Shake Shack. Also, leader Yong Guk says that fans can expect studio recordings of their solo tracks “soon.”
When asked what his superhero power would be, Jong Up replied “teleport” so that when he returned to Korea, he could teleport back to New York for Shake Shack. Also when asked to say something to international fans, Jong Up wondered if fans knew of any good pizza places in the city. BABYs you know what to do. The boy sounds hungry–win him over with some food!
All in all, it was a music and dance-filled night, and I felt that I witnessed a very important moment not only in B.A.P’s career, but in the larger phenomenon of K-pop crossing over to the U.S.
Perhaps Leader Bang Yong Guk put it best. When asked during their interview which moment he thought was most special since B.A.P’s debut, he simply replied, “Right now.”
Indeed, Yong Guk. It was a special night.
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