Published : Sept. 12, 2016 - 14:17
A South Korean hit boy band of the 1990s has made a comeback to the K-pop scene after 16 years, calling its two-day concert a “dream stage” and “a beginning,” hinting at active musical activities at home.
Of the six original members of the 1997 group, only five -- Eun Ji-won, Lee Jae-jin, Kang Sung-hoon, Kim Jae-duc and Jang Su-won -- showed up at the press conference that took place in the Olympic Park Gymnastics Stadium in southeastern Seoul on Sunday.
“This is our dream concert,” said Kang, looking back at the band’s heyday and his fans. “I could see how much our fans awaited us. (In yesterday’s concert) I saw some fans who sat there, simply too amazed to scream out.”
Eun seconded Kang's glee to see Sechs Kies’ fans again from the stage after almost two decades.
“They used to be girls in school uniforms, but now I feel like I'll have to respect them and treat them as adults,” he said.
The concert marks the first independent concert by the group, which had been one of the two iconic K-pop boy bands of the 1990s along with H.O.T. In May, Sechs Kies -- with all the members in their late 30s -- signed a three-year contract with YG Entertainment, the second largest entertainment agency here.
First-generation K-pop boy band Sechs Kies performs at its comeback concert --“2016 Sechs Kies Concert Yellow Note” -- at the Olympic Park Gymnastics Stadium on Saturday. (YG Entertainment)
In addition to the concert, Sechs Kies has many arrangements in the works, such as a new EP.
Shortly after the press conference came the concert, with the singers exploding onto the stage to sing 19 songs.
Hours before the 5 p.m. concert, Sechs Kies’ fans -- many of whom were in their 30s and older and some accompanied by their children -- swarmed Olympic Park to see their favorites stars of their youth.
Sechs Kies turned on the stage with first song “Com’Back,” one of the group's trademark dance-pop songs. The stadium was illuminated by yellow glow sticks, the band’s color, which then turned blue, purple and pink, at the change of songs.
During the happy reunion with his fans, Eun jokingly chastised their fans, “Where were you in those 16 years?” Then Kang went on, saying, “(After our disbandment) they got themselves boyfriends and husbands and forgot all about us,” arousing a round of laughter and giggles among the crowd.
The list of songs performed on stage chronicled the greatest hits of Sechs Kies from the 1997-2000 period, including “School Byeolgok,” “The Way This Guy Lives (pomsaeng pomsa),” “Road Fighter” and “Letting You Go.” Mellow pop songs with sweet lyrics, such as “Couple” and “Prayer,” aroused a frantic chorus of “jekki jjang,” meaning “Go Sechs Kies,” among the audience.
First-generation K-pop boy band Sechs Kies performs at its comeback concert --“2016 Sechs Kies Concert Yellow Note” -- at the Olympic Park Gymnastics Stadium on Saturday. (YG Entertainment)
Frantic screams filled the dome stage when the five idol singers sang “Couple,” a love song about a boy daydreaming of a happy married life with the girl he loves. While singing the song, each member and their female partners played five different skits -- Jang cooking in a kitchen, Kang on a date in the park, Kim playing games in a living room, Lee drying laundry on the veranda and Eun cuddling in a bedroom.
Sechs Kies’ fresh start under YG Entertainment made the strongest impression in their showcase of the remix version of its debut song “School Byeolgok.” The singers performed the dance song in military looks with backup dancers swinging flags with the group's new logo designed by Lee. The flashy military dress code has been tried by many YG boy groups, such as Big Bang, iKON and Winner. YG’s trademark electronic sound blended with Sechs Kies’ pulsating, dance-intensive style.
“(The YG producers) said it was difficult to make the remix because the song was way too complicated,” Eun said, curious to know how the audience liked the new version of the song.
“It was my least favorite song, but after the remix at YG ... YG is bankable in quality work,” he continued, making YG Entertainment chief Yang Hyun-suk, also present at the concert, burst into laughter.
Toward the end of the concert, Sechs Kies performed the new song “Three Words,” which will be on the upcoming new EP. (Yonhap)