I know this kinda late, but the South Korean sensation mesmerized boys with pretty sways!
It has nearly a month since March 23, but the Hallyu (Korean wave) still lingers… I blame my over fascination towards Yoona, one of the Nine Heavenly Korean Princesses. The gem of my heart, well, if only she's mine (and goes to other guys as well, I believe).
Okay. I won't talk about the Malaysian round of F1 Grand Prix or Scuderia Ferrari's victory, but the side event which happened on the date mentioned at KLCC plaza. Believe me, the Koreans really have a big impact here to pull such a crowd, even with their last-minute confirmation to perform.
I am a big fan of South Korea's top sensation, Girls' Generation [also known as SNSD or SoShi, which stands for their Korean name So Nyuh Shi Dae (소녀시대)]. Okay I know I might sound gaytarded but at first when I listened to their catchy bits and dance of hit song Gee made me drool at once. The group was founded in 2007 and presently the top K-pop girls' group, making them among the biggest hits in East Asia.
Alrite, here goes the account. The F1 concert was supposed to be held in Sepang, if I'm not mistaken with international feats of Kylie Minogue and Orianthi slot to perform, as well as local repertoires. Things went helter-skelter and the organizer had to cancel the event and this is when Petronas, MH (Malaysia Airlines) and other sponsors came in to stage a stunningly hasty concert in a week's time at KLCC plaza with Orianthi and Nicole Scherzinger performing aside local artists. The best thing is, the concert is free.
Anyway, news broke that the new organizer has penned a deal with SM Entertainment of Korea to bring SNSD to town, which went viral over the net. Of course, numerous newswire went crazy with the prospect of SNSD finally coming to Malaysia and also SNSD fan chapters like MySONE and Soshified started to rally fans to welcome the girls and conquer the show. The moment I heard the news, I can't seem not to let go newsfeed of concert info. For the whole week, I engaged in talks to go for the concert and devised plans to (very unlikely) sneaking backstage to meet them. I managed to get their performing schedule and of their travel. Oh my, I was so into it… and I can't believe it.
The rumors were confirmed and I was informed there are tickets to see them really near at the front, which means I must get it quickly or else losing it. Well, I didn't get the tickets as they were sold out pretty fast, but on the day of the concert I got a pair of premium zone tickets from a friend and was so happy!
My brother came all the way from Melaka to see his idols too. Immediately when the clock struck six, we dashed to KLCC. It was like a sea of SNSD fans that day, so crowded as if we are in a political riot of some sort. And most fans were wearing pink - the girls' so-called official colour - and I noticed that most fans are males, just like us. I was wearing a SNSD-esque clothing: pink tee, skinny jeans, sneakers and scarf - just to get the mood going. There were banners, placards and countless SNSD items everywhere. Man, they really are bringing the boys out.
As we walked to the ticketed zone, I can't help wondering the crowd. Frustrating ticketless fans got to resort flooding the free zone area (with very limited visibility to the stage, but able to see the giant screen). The security was quite tight, and once we got in, there have been thousands of fans. The scene at KLCC was so euphoric that SNSD fans kept chanting So Nyuh Shi Dae! So Nyuh Shi Dae! all the way. The Hallyu (Korean culture wave or fever) was roaring high. Guess the girls might be sweating like hell to their debut mini concert and raving boys on the floor.
SNSD is just like our national football team. Fans could be both passionate and patriotic, singing the same tune, wearing the same colour and talking the same language (in this case, Korean). The spirit of 1Malaysia as envisaged by PM Najib was visible… common interest and passion drove us together. Even during prayer breaks (yes, prayer breaks. Show starts after isya') fans were very tolerant and understanding.
After a while and the opening act by a local shuffle group, the girls were finally on stage.
My God, I just couldn't believe my eyes seeing them live on stage! It's like a dream come true and I believed the crowd felt the same too. Seeing through the masses and the giant screen as well, I could see Yoona in her white, leather outfit. It is her!
As only Tiffany and Jessica are fluent in English, they represented the whole team when engaging with the fans. It also noted that Yuri wasn't there due to scheduling conflicts. Nevertheless, both of them (especially Tiffany) wowed fans with flirty interactions and even said "Kami cinta Malaysia!" at their conclusion.
They started the Hallyu craze with their latest hit, The Boys. Wow, what a bang! And the song really described us, the boys to check them out! (B-bring the boys out!)
Next up, they performed one of their well-known number, Genie (Tell Me Your Wish). The chanting of sowaneul malhaebwa (tell me your wish) soared the plaza.
Run Devil Run was next, and this song was performed darker just like its music video counterpart.
Then it was Hoot and fans imitated the archery dance movement portrayed in the music clip, while sang along to the chants of "trouble-trouble-trouble."
After a while, the group interacted with fans with Sooyoung even mentioned "saya suka Malaysia" which was followed by MR. TAXI to rousing crowd. Most people recognised the original MR. TAXI in Japanese, but the girls performed the Korean version of the song. Well, who cared, we all sang as well.
Prior to performing their last number, Tiffany represented the group thanking the sponsors, organisers and loyal fans. No longer able to contain fans' excitement, Tiffany asked fans to guess their final song and as expected, it was their worldwide sensation and craze, Gee.
Gee is my favourite of all SNSD songs and I can even do the Gee dance. And singing to the song really made my week... and I can't believe that I joined the fans to sing and dance along with the girls on the plaza. The Gee-Gee-Gee-Baby-Baby-Baby lines were heard across, and became a ringing tune in my head for a few days.
Here's the fancam of Gee. Hear the fans in there.
Upon the conclusion, fans applauded with an encore request, but sadly they had to go. As soon as they stepped down, a large portion of crowd left the plaza. Wow, the SNSD factor was so great that it could bring fans together in a large number, such as in this debut concert. We got to scrap the plan to see them off at the airport as we struggled to get through crowded underground rail station and cramps on legs.
For me, it was an unforgettable night to see the girls live in their Malaysian debut. I hope that the girls will come again as I believe many others hoping as well. Never ever I saw a large following of a K-pop group such as them, even though there were other groups, most notably the Wonder Girls, already came to our soil for concerts.
Oppareul saranghae!
