BTS' Seoul performance on Thursday shook Jamsil Olympic Stadium louder than any other K-pop event in history, despite the fact that the restrictions were strict: masks must be worn at all times, no yelling or leaping allowed, and only clapping permitted.
The band performed at the sports facility in southern Seoul on Thursday to start off the BTS Permission To Dance On Stage – Seoul concert series, which was the same site where they performed their last domestic in-person concert in October 2019. The Olympic Stadium was also the site of a concert in which the septet performed without an audience in October of last year, which was broadcast on television.
The band began the night with "On," a song they had been eager to perform live in front of Korean fans for a long time, and then proceeded to perform timeless hits "Fire" and "Dope" while dressed in red and white. During the performance of "Dope," the bandmates also used a camera on the stage that broadcasted live to the large LED displays behind them, as well as to the screens of fans who were watching from home through the internet.
"At long last, we've all gathered here at Olympic Stadium." The band had spent five months in the city, and they had performed in front of cameras, but "just having you guys in the audience makes everything feel different," RM explained. "When are we going to have a concert where only claps are allowed?" "This is a performance that will be remembered forever."
Despite the fact that shouting is prohibited, Suga believes that the fact that everyone is finally in the same place is more essential than anything else. "I'm definitely going to pour all I've got into today so that I don't have any regrets," Jungkook continued. Please take pleasure in the moment with us!"
During the October event, V, who had to remain seated due to a leg injury, said, "I had to remain seated in the previous concert here and I'd been so enraged that I'd declared then that I'd be back with steel legs the following time!" I'm wondering how my legs seem to you people."
It had been announced ahead of time that the night's schedule would consist solely of performances in which all seven members could take part. These included the songs "DNA," "Blue Grey," "Blood, Sweat and Tears," "Fake Love," "Boy With Luv," and the recently released "Black Swan," which the septet had been eager to perform live for months.
"It's emotional that we truly sung 'Life Goes On' in front of Armys in the Olympic Stadium," J-Hope remarked after performing "Life Goes On," a song that held a particular place in the hearts of many "Army," the band's official fandom, while the global epidemic continues, his eyes glistening.
The band's disco-pop singles "Dynamite" and "Butter," which were performed live for the first time in front of Korean fans, served as the culmination of the celebrations, as the band danced to the upbeat, disco-pop tracks. "Telepathy," "Dis-ease," and "Stay," all from the band's fifth studio album, "Be," served as B-sides.
Because the band was unable to hear the fans' words, they concentrated their efforts on capturing their feelings through their veiled expressions and whatever movements they could make while sitting still.
In an act of hitting his legs and laughing, Jimin said, "I was really worried that you guys wouldn't be able to make any noise, but I saw some people hitting their laps like this (with clappers) really hard and that just made all of my worries go away."
With attendance limited to 15,000 people due to social distancing regulations, the 70,000-capacity facility was far from half empty; nonetheless, the bandmates appeared to be having more fun than ever. During the chat sessions, they interacted with each other and fans comfortably, tossing jokes about and mocking each other.
"Earlier in the day, during the sound practice, I had a strange sensation. "I had the feeling that I had returned home," Jimin stated. After a long period of time apart, it feels like we're seeing an old friend again.
Songs from the band's early days, such as "Wings," "So What," "Idol," "Airplane," "Home," and "Bapsae," served as a nostalgic trip down memory lane for both the band and their fans. As part of their performance on "Wings," the bandmates were able to get closer to the audience since they were on a two-story movable stage that was being pushed about the stadium grounds by stadium employees.
In this arena, we played the song 'Wings' a long time ago, and I was reminded of that," Jimin explained. Jungkook said, “The movable stage was a good concept. For some reason, it caused my heart to skip a beat. "I was reminded of the good old days, which made me joyful and sentimental."
As a unique event for spectators who were required to sit in quiet, they were asked to participate in "Mikrokosmos" by clapping in time with the directions displayed on the big screen during the film.
"It's a concert after two years and five months that seemed like it had been 23 years," Jungkook explained. I've given careful consideration to what I should say today, but I won't go on too long. I've missed you terribly, and I'm overjoyed right now to finally have you back in my life. We hope you've enjoyed your stay with us, despite the fact that we can't see or hear your faces or hear your voices."
"We put forth a lot of effort to prepare for this show. We was a lot of discussion among the members regarding whether or not we should replace the entire cue sheet that we had used in the United States. However, because the majority of Korean armies have not yet seen it, we opted against making significant alterations. "Did you guys have a good time?" Jin posed for the camera. Ahead of the Seoul gigs, the band performed two shows in Los Angeles in November and December as part of the tour.
One of the most outgoing members of the group, J-Hope, looked into the audience with weeping eyes.
"How have you been doing, fellas? Honestly, I don't believe I have been in such good health for the previous two years. We were forced to wait forever for the end of the epidemic, and all I could think about was how much I missed you. This occurred to me today.
J-Hope stated that "despite the fact that we've tried everything to keep the show going without a crowd, it has become evident to me today that a concert only becomes complete when the artist and the audience are all in the same spot." Thanks for visiting today and relieving me of all my anxieties. I appreciate it very much." I'm speechless when it comes to expressing my gratitude. With the enthusiasm I've gained today, I'm going to give it my all in the next shows. "This first day holds a great deal of significance for me."
"We've had enough of the dreaded 'untact' concerts (contactless concerts)! We had no idea when we'd accumulated everything. Physical engagement, the exchange of energy, the cacophony, the leaps — all of this had a symbolic significance. After everything was said and done, we were able to put a lot of effort into this event, and while I can't claim I wasn't disheartened at all (by the limits), it was far superior to a virtual concert," RM stated.
"Singing 'Home' early in the day had a major impact. This is our true residence. We're overjoyed to be back in our hometown. The rest of this will just serve as a pleasant recollection, a time when I can tell my future children that we actually did have a concert of this nature a long time ago. Thank you for your contribution to this historic exhibition."
"Until we can see each other on better terms, until we can leap up and yell out loud, until we can honor that promise, I hope this song fills you with enthusiasm," RM said before the night's climax of "Permission to Dance." The rest of the song is completed by you, guys, no matter where you are."
The second day of BTS Permission to Dance On Stage – Seoul, a three-day event that began on Friday, will be broadcast live in movie theaters around the world on Saturday, and the third day will be streamed live online on Sunday. The tour is set to continue in April in Las Vegas.
