DC Meets the KPOP Breakout Tour
Washington DC has been buzzing with K-Pop energy this year, welcoming an impressive array of groups to the nation's capital. The most recent of these is the KPOP Breakout Tour, which brought an exceptional lineup of rising stars to the district.
This 30-stop tour is uniquely designed to showcase emerging K-Pop artists and gives them the opportunity to connect with their international fanbase. As the sixth stop on this tour, DC was treated to an exciting night of music, fun, and entertainment. The lineup featured soloist U_Chae, alongside the up-and-coming groups ICHILLIN’ and CRAXY. Unfortunately, TRENDZ could not be in attendance, but despite this, the remaining performers made sure to give their all.
The concert officially kicked off at 7 p.m., following an exhilarating soundcheck that had already stirred up excitement amongst fans. The soundcheck offered a sneak peek into the performances to come, setting the tone for the night and building anticipation.
Opening the night was U_Chae, who recently dropped her debut album, AWAKE. She kicked off her set with the track "Wait for You," seamlessly transitioning into the album's title track, "Awake.” The audience was captivated, singing and dancing along, their excitement echoing through the venue. Though this was not U_Chae’s first time in the States, this was the first time fans got the chance to see her shine on the stage as a soloist. Her set continued with powerful performances of "Alright" and "One Sweet Day," both of which perfectly showcased her impressive vocal range and undeniable talent. Watching U_Chae interact with the audience emphasized the significance of a tour like this, where both fans and artists can truly connect while providing a platform for emerging talent, potentially introducing the next big name in the industry. The act following her was the talented girl group ICHILLIN’.
From their soundcheck alone, you could already tell how spectacular their set would be. The moment the members walked out, the crowd went crazy. Fittingly, the girls kickstarted their set with their song “KICK-START” and continued into their hit song, “GOT’YA.” From the crowd's enthusiastic response, you could tell this is a favorite song amongst many. The energy remained high into their next track, “Alarm.” This feel-good, bubbly song kept the momentum going for their first cover of the night “Me Too” by Meghan Trainor.
With each dance move and high note, the crowd was thrilled. We were then given covers of “Maniac” by Stray Kids and “Fear” by SEVENTEEN. Each cover was striking and had the audience hyped. The members interacted with the crowd throughout the entire performance–asking them what their favorite songs were and feeding off the audience's reaction. Their recent release, “DEMIGOD” (a fan favorite), was next on the setlist. From there, they finished the setlist with tracks “SIREN” and “La Luna.” The girls had an amazing set and gave us something we will never forget.
The crowd’s energy was at an all-time high, eager for the next act, CRAXY. With a hard-hitting setlist, we were taken to a different universe. Starting strong, the girls began their set with “CRAZY RACER” off their recent EP, 1st SINGLE ALBUM ‘RE_,’ following with the title track from that same EP, “STUPIDZ.” The audience was having the time of their lives, with each beat drop, the crowd jumped along.
Continuing, we got to hear their songs, “NO LIMIT,” and “Trigger,” which both showcase the rap line. The songs were so good the audience rapped along with them. The next section had the three members Wooah, Karin, and Hyejin remaining on stage to perform a melody of covers. Their covers included “Kick It” by NCT 127, “MONEY” by LISA, “Growl” by EXO, “Queencard” by (G)I-DLE, the iconic “Smoke” challenge by Dynamicduo, “MOVE” by TAEMIN, “S-Class” by Stray Kids, “Boom Boom Bass” by RIIZE, and “Guerilla” by ATEEZ.
Once they finished, member Swan took the stage for her beautiful cover of “Always Remember Us This Way” by Lady Gaga, leaving the audience in awe. Her voice filled the venue and left chills down your arms. After her performance, the group returned to the stage to finish their setlist. They came back with their song, “FINGER FLICK,” and merged it into the very popular, “NUGUDOM.” The crowd was on energy level 10 and with each new song, the crowd was further excited. They continued with their track “BLACK OUT” and went on to perform their recent release, “MASQUERADE.” The crowd was going crazy and you would have never guessed this was a recent release with the way the crowd was singing along. Their setlist ends with their beautiful ballad, “DAISY(03/06)”…or so we thought.
After cheering for an encore, the members came back, bringing ICHILLIN’ and U_Chae with them to end the concert with “Dance With God.” The dance circle they formed was very exciting. It was cool to watch as each member took a turn dancing in the middle. It’s always great to see idols have fun, and they all enjoyed the ending of this eventful concert. After one final bow from everyone, the KPOP Breakout Tour in DC came to an end, but not to worry for those who couldn’t catch them! The groups will be continuing on their tour until the end of September, so be sure to check it out!