 |
| (YG Entertainment) |
 |
| (YG Entertainment) |
YG Entertainment’s boy band WINNER poured their hearts out at their first concert, “WINNER Exit Tour in Seoul,” on March 12-13 at Olympic Gymnasiums Arena in Seoul.
The mood of the performance was overall sentimental and toned-down compared to other YG concerts, but it only elevated the overall quality of the event. Instead of showing copycat performances of YG’s predecessors, WINNER tried to maintain their savvy, yet more R&B side of their musical identity.
 |
| (YG Entertainment) |
As the beats went on to alert the start of the concert, lights went off and a sea of blue lights covered the entire arena. Soon WINNER members appeared on stage to the delight of their fans, and performed the upbeat “Go Up.”
During the opening remarks, leader Kang Seung-yoon sounded emotional and somewhat overwhelmed as he thanked fans for coming. “We’re so excited to finally host our own concert.” The band was also surprised to see that fans had flown from overseas to watch them perform.
 |
| (YG Entertainment) |
Another noticeable part was that there were several tributes made to their fellow YG artists. Member Kim Jin-woo’s punk red hair suited his solo cover of G-Dragon’s “Crooked.” After Kim’s rock ‘n’ roll stage, the rest of the members came out in ’70s retro costumes and afro hair to take on their next cover of Psy’s “NAPAL BAJI.” They talked about their costumes and joked about Kang’s looks. Kim soon followed suit by donning the same costume and coming out from backstage to perform the number.
Their fellow colleague, Lee Hi came out as guest star to the concert and performed two tracks from her most recent album, “Seoulite.” Her duet with Mino added chemistry to the show and both artists acted very awkward and shy around each other.
 |
| (YG Entertainment) |
Member Nam Tae-hyun’s solo track from their most recent album, “EXIT:E,” was the most “theatrical stage” among all for the background looked like it was water-painted and the atmosphere went well with Nam’s calm voice. The transition into the next track “Prick” -- where Mino joined Nam in a soulful duet -- was smooth as the background of a black rose slowly transformed itself into a moving art.
 |
| (YG Entertainment) |
 |
| (YG Entertainment) |
As a contrast to their stage, a parody footage of “Reply 1988,” came up on the screen. Nam Tae-hyun’s role as the tvN drama’s main female lead, Deoksun, was complete with a bob cut and a bra that made fans laugh. Kang Seung-yoon took on the role of Jungwhan and showed impeccable “bromance” with Nam. Members Mino and Lee Seung-hoon took on diverse roles and Kim Jin-woo was the innocent Go master Taek -- who went astray from the original character by his affection for Deoksun’s chest.
 |
| (YG Entertainment) |
 |
| (YG Entertainment) |
“We wanted to show and give our fans as much as we could,” said Kang, while explaining the motive behind the parody shoot.
Lee complained that he always took on “mom roles” in such parodies, so he asked if he could play the male lead next time. When the members reluctantly consented, Lee asked in a worried voice, “Are you guys going to make me play Spongebob?”
 |
| (YG Entertainment) |
One of the double lead tracks from “EXIT:E,” “BABY BABY” filled the entire room after the the parody. Their sexy dance and wind effects made their shirts billow, revealing their chests.
The show ended with a series of encores and the group thanking their fans and supporters.
WINNER will continue their tour with concerts in Gwangju, Daegu, and Busan on March 26, April 2, and April 23, respectively.
By Jung Min-kyung (mkj1105@heraldcorp.com)
Related article:
WINNER to ‘give it all’ in their first concert
