BLITZERS Check Into the Hearts of New York City

Through a blast of cold winds and snow emerged a blazing hot rookie group ready to add another notch onto their inaugural U.S. tour. BLITZERS arrived at Webster Hall on Superbowl Sunday to show their love to New York as the second to last stop of their Check-In U.S. tour. The septet under WUZO Entertainment kicked a fire under a crowd psyched to meet them for the first time. Debuting under the shadow of COVID in the middle of last year, the guys from BLITZERS were more than ready to feed the cheers. Blee, BLITZERS fanbase, were not only fed, but satiated with the passion that fueled through the moves and sounds of guys who came prepared to kill that stage. 

As lights fell, the expected screams began. After a quick video intro, the show was on. Starting in tight formation dressed in casual gear, the hip-hop vibe was on as they dialed the energy on high for “Blitz (Next Level Remix),” the first song on their debut mini-album CHECK-IN. Chris explained that “this is the song that captured the identity of the BLITZERS.” Popping in and out of tight configurations with their choreography, the guys dominated a stage that could barely contain them. 

It was then time to meet the guys. Those who had followed them via their pre-debut YouTube series WUZO Circle may have been more than familiar with the group, but regardless, introductions were in order. From Sya to Wooju, Juhan, Lutan, Go_U, Jinhwa (the leader), and Chris, each expressed their excitement of being there. Wooju’s words may have encompassed the sentiment the best: “I”ll try my best to communicate in English, but our words may not be enough to express how I feel. Still, we’ll deliver our hearts and energy onto the stage.” Chris then stated their purpose: “The First Tour 2022 U.S. Tour Check-In is so that we can ‘Check’ into U.S. Blee’s minds.”

“Kick & Drum & Bass” started the earworm chorus from their next track, “K-POP.” Elements of the song and their movements showed that they’re not afraid of contrasts. Clapping to an upbeat rhythm while singing, “I’m drownin’ in my tears,” presented a dichotomy between the lyrics, music, and movements. Sya would explain it later, stating that,  “‘K-POP’ is a song that expresses our hope it will comfort Blee when they are sad.” 

Still in the spirit of boyhood, “Dream Pilot'' was next on the agenda. A song infused with melodic mid-tempo pop sounds proved that they’re not chained to any genre. Airplane arms flew across the stage combined with knock knock choreo. Add in a bit of aegyo, and you have a formula for Blee happiness. Taking a breather to chat after, Jinhwa stated, “[w]e have prepared this show to be closer to our New York Blee.” Cheers and screams followed, with fans chanting, “Kick & Drum & Bass 너를 담은 멜로디” (obviously, the earworm stuck). 

But nobody in that hall was sad that night. Laying on another level of charm, the group jumped into “Hop-in.” The choreography started with the adorable trio of Chris, Jinhwa, and Lutan’s arms linked at the shoulders, practically hopping to the fans. With less choreographed moves, the song was filled with finger hearts, cute moments, eye contact with fans, and many adorable dance movements which had everyone smiling. Shifting into a guitar riff, the cute “Oh Oh Oh Oh” turned into a heavier “Na Na Na Na” and “Blah Blah Blah Blah.” With rock undertones that had fans’ heads bobbing (though not quite banging), “Will Make a Mistake” was making everyone move with an energetic choreography that was on fire.

The temperature had definitely risen in the hall as well, so it was time to take a break and connect again with Blee. Jinhwa stated, “I feel so happy to be here with all you Blee dancing to ‘Hop_in.’” Sya put Chris in the spotlight. A happy soul who was so excited, Chris couldn’t help but plug in some extra dance moves before stating, “I have to say that New York is beautiful, there’s a lot of great places to go, delicious food.”

Thus began the BLITZERS NYC wishful highlights of the sites that they wanted to explore. Juhan and Sya both wanted to take a picture with the Statue of Liberty. Jinhwa said if he comes back to NY, he wants to go on a cruise with the members. Wooju was hilarious as his NY wish was to go to Central Park because in the Madagascar movie, that’s where the animals came from. Go_U asked for recommendations, with fans yelling out Times Square. Lutan stated that New York was going to be an amazing memory for them. Wooju then asked Jinhwa if he’s wet from the rain as a segway into “Rain Drop.” The lovely ballad really showed off the BLITZERS vocal line, especially Juhan and Wooju’s upper registers and Go_U’s steady vocals.

Wooju provided another highlight of the night with a special cover performance of Harry Styles’ “Falling.” Ahead of the actual song, Wooju said that he needed to warm up, with him and Chris doing a long jump contest (Chris won), while the other members went to change. Wooju’s emotive and gorgeous clear vocals brought the song to life. As the members swapped, the previous ones now dapper in white and black blazers and slacks, the social segment continued with a game with the audience. Using a diminishing show of hands, the winners lived with a dog, had a bracelet on, had a photocard of a member with them, and had glasses. Yes, there was more than one, and the few finalists played rock, paper, scissors to determine the winner. With winners set and the last of the members changed, it was time to get back into the show with their latest title track “BOBBIN.”

Hard hitting with strong rock elements, “BOBBIN” is a song that would get any crowd hype, and this crowd was definitely ready. Sharply dressed, the vibe was definitely more sexy and mature, yet there was no change to the energy they gave the song. Pounding at the pumping chorus, the group gave it their all. 

The chemistry between the members could be seen throughout the show, but during the following talking segment, watching the members openly eye each other, impressed by their own wardrobe change, was hilarious and charming, especially the body bump between Jinhwa and Chris. Giving last words of love and thanks to all the Blee by each member, with promises to work even harder for them, they then moved onto “Drawing Paper.” The ballad was a fitting end to the main body of the show, which also allowed Jinhwa, Sya, and Chris’s vocals to shine.

The encore would have their last two songs of the night. “Breathe Again” allowed them to show off their dance skills one last time, often using the hood of their hoodies as part of the choreography. Again, wishing love and thanks to Blee, BLITZERS ended the night with “Forever In My Heart” while walking around, giving fan service, and taking their last moments with the New York crew. In the end, the lyrics of the song said what the members had been saying all night: “Forever in my heart, You are always in my heart, We will never be apart.”