On Thursday, Jan. 30, K-pop group SuperM performed for the first time in San Diego, bringing their energy and their passion to Viejas Arena at SDSU. Eager fans filled the sold out stadium to the brim, looking forward to the group’s first performance in Southern California since their debut concert back in October.
You might be wondering, how is a group that’s only been around since last fall selling out stadiums across North America only months later? SuperM is the newest supergroup to hit the K-pop scene, meaning that each member of the group is already successful in their respective groups. Although supergroups are no stranger to the K-pop genre, SuperM has made a huge impact in not only the international market, but domestically as well.
The group debuted last October with their first mini album, and a North American tour was announced shortly after. After a break for the holidays (and after performing a sold out show at Madison Square Garden), SuperM returned to California to kick off the new year. The stadium erupted in cheers as the group took their places on stage to open with “I Can’t Stand the Rain,” one of the album’s B-sides that mixes modern pop elements with traditional Asian instrumentals.
After an electric opening peformance, six of the members left the stage, leaving vocalist and main dancer Taemin, member of second generation boy group SHInee, on stage to perform two of his solo songs, the sultry and eye-catching “Danger” and “Goodbye.” Taemin is a huge force in the world of K-pop, and his years of experience and talent is evident in the way he held the attention and captivated every member of the audience.
Since the group is still new and has only released one mini album (or EP), they don’t have enough material for a full concert of group songs, meaning that each member of the group had their own solo and duo performances. Leader and main vocalist Baekhyun (EXO) performed two songs from his solo album, and vocalist and dancer Ten (NCT, WayV) performed alongside rapper Taeyong (NCT) for the upbeat and fun “Baby Don’t Stop,” released on NCT’s group album back in 2018. Other members Kai (EXO), Lucas (NCT, WayV) and Mark (NCT) also performed individual solo songs that have yet to be released.
Although the concert as a whole was entertaining and impressive, there are definitely a few stand out moments. Dancer and vocalist Ten entranced the audience with his two solo songs, “Dream in a Dream” and “New Heroes.” As an already well established performer in the industry (and one of the highest regarded dancers), he gracefully took the stage and left the audience speechless.
While SuperM is a supergroup and every member had previously debuted with their original groups, there seems to be no disconnect among the members. They keep up with each other’s energy, and play off the audience really well. Although they have five songs released already, their best performance of the night was the unreleased “With You,” an upbeat and, although stereotypical, pop song that encourages listeners to live in the moment and enjoy life as it comes.
The show ended with an individual thank you from each member, followed by an encore with the highly anticipated performance of their lead single “Jopping.” While the song was initially ridiculed and the bait of many jokes within the K-pop community, it quickly became a dark horse in the genre. Every fan in the audience was singing along at the top of their lungs, and smiles were abundant.
If you are a fan of K-pop, like myself, or a fan of pop music in general, this group really did prove their worth as a force in the industry and provided fans of every group represented with a great night.
Cover Photo: From left, Mark, Lucas, Taeyong, Baekhyun, Ten and Taeyong perform onstage during SuperM Live From Capitol Records in Hollywood at Capitol Records Tower on Oct. 5, 2019 in Los Angeles. (Rich Polk/Getty Images for Capitol Music Group/TNS)