I watched a K-pop concert without being a fan – here’s my ATEEZ verdict | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a K-pop fan. Aside from a few tracks by BLACKPINK, I don’t know any songs. I don’t have a ‘bias’ when it comes to idols, and I don’t really understand the appeal of splashing out £75 on a light stick that will illuminate in time with the music. That said, I’m not a complete novice, either – one of my best friends is a real K-pop stan, and dragged me to see Stray Kids perform in London last year.

I thought I’d return the favour this year and take her to see ATEEZ, another of her favourite bands, perform at BST festival in Hyde Park. Comprised of eight members – San, Wooyoung, Seonghwa, Hongjoong, Yunho, Yeosang, Mingi and Jongho – I thought it would be pretty difficult to keep track of who is who, especially with the elaborate dances the genre is known for.

That turned out not to be as much of a worry as I’d thought – each member has a distinct personality that shines through even from the edge of the Diamond VIP pit. While they’re joined by a live band and a flock of other dancers, Mingi’s deep vocals and rapping stood out, while Yunho’s dancing left me speechless.

ATEEZ premiered in 2018, and since then they’ve gone on to top the Billboard charts and racked up hundreds of millions of streams. It’s easy to see why – energetic tracks like WORK and Guerrilla had even the most reluctant audience members bopping.

There was a slight lull in the middle of the set, with songs like ARRIBA and Ice on My Teeth failing to land with me personally – though maybe it’s because my education in the world of K-pop isn’t quite complete.

Personally, I was drawn to the ballad Now This House Ain’t a Home, performed with a backdrop of rain streaming down the huge screens that surrounded the stage like tears.

ATEEZ also took to the stage with their latest single BAD, released at the end of June. After a much-begged for encore, they performed The Real, leaving most people in the crowd screaming before finally departing the stage for good.

Am I now a die-hard K-pop stan? Probably not. But I couldn’t help but be drawn into the music, the vocals and in particular the choreography. I found myself wanting to know more about each band member, and leaning over to shout questions in my friend’s ear, and at one point as the set drew to a close I asked myself, ‘Is this why so many people love this music?’ as I danced along in a swell of screaming fans.

K-pop is not just a genre of music, it’s a community – one I was happy to be part of just for a night.