K-pop boy group Big Bang made Korean history Saturday night, with their 10th anniversary concert drawing a crowd of 65,000 – the largest ever at a single music event.
Even the sweltering weather couldnโt stop fans from attending the show, titled โ0. to. 10โ, at World Cup Stadium in Sangam-dong, western Seoul. Many in the crowd even sang acapella renditions of the groupโs songs as they waited for the evening to start.
The five-member group opened the show with โMy Heavenโ and continued for about three hours, performing 22 songs.
Between songs, the group expressed its gratitude to the fans who filled the gigantic football stadium.
โI was concerned [about this concert] because weโve been performing a lot overseas,โ said G-Dragon, a member of the group. โBut now I realize weโre popular here, too.โ
The large crowd also came as a surprise to member Taeyang. โI didnโt really expect to see this huge of a crowd,โ he said. โWe should have done this concert for two days.โ
Singer-rapper Psy also made a guest appearance at the show.
Both Big Bang and Psy belong to YG Entertainment.
โI remember Big Bang just did their first performance for TV when I was promoting โCelebrityโ in 2006 and Yang Hyun-suk [the head of YG Entertainment] told me, โYou need to keep an eye on them because they are going to kill everybody,โ and they really made it,โ Psy said during the concert.
Big Bang first broke into the music scene in 2006.
Since then, the five members have been performing as a whole as well as in spin-off groups. G-Dragon and Taeyang, for example, released a digital single in 2014, and G-Dragon and T.O.P released an album in 2010. Daesung has also released a couple of solo songs.
Apart from the anniversary concert, Big Bang is celebrating its 10th year in various ways. In June, the group released a documentary film, โBig Bang Made,โ in theaters nationwide and are currently holding an exhibition titled โThe Exhibition: A to Zโ at a gallery in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul until October.
Since the majority of Big Bangโs members are in their late 20s, they will likely enlist in the army starting in the second half of this year.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that YG Entertainment has reaped nearly 10 billion won ($8.9 million) from Saturdayโs concert.
By Sung So-young
