Ending the North American part of its world tour, South Korean group BLACKPINK performed at the Fort Worth Convention Center on Wednesday, May 8. The band has been actively performing all over the world since late 2018, though the energy never seemed to deflate throughout the entire concert.
The lines to enter the venue were insane and unorganized. Fans were completely lost as they did not know which line to get in. The staff had to move people from line to line so they could enter the arena faster. The show was set to start at 8 p.m., but due to the long and agonizing wait, the concert was pushed back 20 minutes.
While the lines to reach the venue were hectic, the merchandise setup wasn’t as bad. There were multiple tents setup and workers at each one. Everyone had a chance to purchase light sticks, bags and hoodies. The staff were accommodating and willing to help customers if any issues arose.
After an explosive beginning to the show, each member had their own solos. Starting with Rosé, she sang a melody of “Let It Be” by The Beatles, “You & I” by Park Bom and “Only Look At Me” by Taeyang beautifully, accompanied by live music. Next, Lisa danced along with backup dancers too “Take Me” by MISO and “Swalla” by Jason Derulo. Jisoo followed up next with a cover of “Clarity” by Zedd, with Jennie directly after performing her own single, “Solo.” All four performances brought out contrasting talents and moods admirably, showing the girls’ personalities.
Suddenly, the lights went out and a video was shown on the big screens. The video was from BLACKPINK to all the fans. A compilation of fans dancing, singing and saying thankful speeches toward the band flashed over the screens; fans heavily admired it. The heartfelt video was touching and beautiful. The personalized touch aided to the group’s down to earth character.
The Band Six, a live band which has been touring with the girls, was a special guest during the concert. The group was hidden backstage during the time BLACKPINK was on stage, but received attention from the crowd during one of the small intermissions. Fans enjoyed The Band Six’ solo as they got to hear its upbeat rock sound. The Band Six made sure to hype up the audience during the wait using dramatic bass and drum solos to keep the crowd jumping during the intermission.
After The Band Six finished its fascinating performance, BLACKPINK came back to the stage with a new set of flashy outfits. The members performed their latest song “Kill This Love” following with “Don’t Know What To Do,” which excited fans. During these performances, Rosé caught everyone’s attention with her hair pulled back into a braided ponytail, unlike how her hair was down throughout the previous half of the concert.
The tour was sponsored heavily by KIA; when BLACKPINK left the stage once again, a video was shown to the audience of BLACKPINK driving around in KIA cars. The girls were speeding in a parking lot, making it look like a scene from an action movie. Fans were curious as to what was going to happen, but at the end of the ad, the rough tire marks printed out “BP,” which stands for BLACKPINK.
They played their last two songs, “BOOMBAYAH” and “As If It’s Your Last,” right after they said sweet parting goodbyes. The girls disappeared after the songs, but the house lights never came on. Fans were confused yet excited for an unpromised encore. Although a few unlucky fans ended up leaving, thinking the show was over, BLACKPINK came back several minutes later with the “DDU-DU DDU-DU” remix.
All four girls interacted with the audience right before the last song of the night which gave the concert a personal feeling. Rosé held a screaming contest against the two sides of the venue which finished off everyone’s eardrums for the night. The fans surrounded by the stage threw flowers, stuffed animals and cowboy hats respectfully to their feet. “Hope Not” from BLACKPINK’s latest album was sung with pleasing live vocals as the crowd swayed along in unison.
The concert soon ended, but it felt like time went by too fast. The show was barely two hours long but felt like it was an hour and a half. Overall, the concert was filled with upbeat songs to hype the fans. The concert itself deserves 3.5 out of 5 stars, but plenty of people didn’t do anything but stand and were only recording, which made the experience boring because few fans could not become as hyped as they wanted to. If the fans were hyped, it would deserve a higher rating.
