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| Photo Cr. Studio Pav Europe |
Since their debut in 2021, Billlie have developed a storytelling universe through their albums that began with the Billage of perception: chapter one. On Sunday 21st at the Troxy, London they welcomed their fans Belllie’ve into their FLOWERED --their carefully curated universe full of fun, and frolics.
With a quick and breezy VCR introduction, there was little to no time to build anticipation for the girls on stage, who were well put together in cute denim outfits. Their first song was the punchy “GingaMingaYo (The Strange World),” and although it's about the hardships that come with growing up, the stage painted a different picture. A clean choreography was performed, which was full of playfulness making it easy to see why the fans were screaming loudly. Going from the difficulties of life to the alternative R&B number “Flipp!ng a coin” with an EDM beat that hyped up the crowd, it became a giant nightclub where everyone was dancing carefree like there was no tomorrow. Judging by the reactions, it was clearly a fan favourite, with the singing sometimes overtaking the group themselves.
Aegyo is a big part of the K-pop industry, and although it can be a little cringe-worthy sometimes, the group was able to incorporate it into the performance by enjoying and leaning into it. The girls are arguably a very cool group with their own distinct personalities, and these small moves here and there allowed them to play up to that character. Together, they know how to blend the intense rhythm whilst bouncing off to corners of the stage, and interacting with fans who are more than happy to show-off their well-known poses alongside them.
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| Photo Cr. MYSTIC STORY |
The first Ment of the evening allowed the girls to say their hello's to London. As this was their first visit to the city, they expressed their excitement and what they had seen so far. This would explain the aforementioned cheers from the audience. The members got the crowd involved in fan chants, and whilst the small talk was sweet it quickly became stagnant.
After the first three songs had really warmed up the crowd, it seemed odd to take things slower on their next stage. Their live singing on the following, “The soul saviour—I don’t need a superman,” “extraordinary,” and “Lionheart (the real me)," was incredibly beautiful. However, in particular, it was vocalist Haram who shone, impressing with her powerful vocals. The seven members gave a relaxed performance, standing still with their microphones in place. It seemed that this segment was determined to show that they weren't just here to dance and look pretty but to show off their live skills. Although it did cause a small dip in energy, it could have flowed better had these been moved later on in the set.
With fans loudly singing along to each track, they rarely needed to be encouraged to sing louder. It may not seem like a big issue, but seeing fans enjoying themselves while waving their light sticks to songs they’d been waiting for- all without a sea of phones filming the whole thing was very refreshing. However, the stage backdrop added very little to the performances or aesthetics. If anything, it was distracting and reminded me of the vivid swirling graphics that used to appear on desktop computer music players- 90’s kids will understand.
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| Photo Cr. MYSTIC STORY |
The third section has become the norm at K-pop shows: choosing to cover hit tracks from well-known K-pop artists. Normally, these choices are safe and aren't particularly bold or daring. Members Tsuki, Sheon, and Haruna began dancing to BLACKPINKS “Kill This Love” and BTS’s Jungkook’s “Standing Next To You.” Although there were some out of sync moves, it was nice to see them embrace the fun routines that we all know and love.
The aforementioned boldness goes to vocalists Suhyeon and Haram, who chose to perform the extremely difficult ballad “Rewrite the Stars” by Pasek and Paul. The strongest moments happened when they sang alone. Both are certainly skilled vocalists, but their vocal ranges didn’t compliment each other on the choruses, resulting in a mismatched power struggle. But credit to them for trying.
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| Photo Cr. MYSTIC STORY |
For me, rapper's Moon Sua and Siyoon stole the show. They chose yet another BLACKPINK song, this time 2022's “Pink Venom”. It may be brave of me to say this, but they easily outperformed the original. They effortlessly rapped both individually and collectively, together radiating a unified passion, dominating the stage, and receiving the biggest cheers from the crowd.
Rehearsals for their European tour were shown in a tour vlog VCR, giving the girls some respite while also allowing the audience to conserve their energy. Scenes showed dance practices, with a few humorous moments. It was like watching sisters play together during rehearsals, with the elders lovingly overseeing their playfulness amongst each other.
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| Photo Cr. MYSTIC STORY |
One more VCR was shown consisting of goodbye messages, followed by an encore of “RING X RING,” “BYOB (bring your own best friend),” and the sentimental “Believe” as the finale. As it was written by the girls dedicated to their Belllie’ves, it was the perfect ending. To say they pleasantly surprised me would imply that I had little expectation for what I would see.
Instead, I entered the FLOWERLD of Billie, seeing the light-hearted, sweet and charming side. But more importantly, the talent and effort that went into showcasing just how strong they are as a team. It was admirable that they weren't afraid of stepping outside their comfort zone, and is something that would be great to see with more acts in the future.
Thank you to Studio PAV for having us!