SOUTH Korean boyband The Boyz may not be as big as K-Pop kings BTS, but they have a strong and steady following in Malaysia.
This was evidenced last Sept 7, when they performed for the first time in the Malaysian capital for two hours, non-stop.
The Boyz's concert was organised by Star Planet and titled The Boyz World Tour: Zeneration II In Kuala Lumpur, and it saw them put some 5,000 fans in the packed hall under their spell.
ECSTATIC
Delivering 23 songs, the group comprising Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, New, Q, Haknyeon, Sunwoo and Eric got their young fans screaming and cheering as soon as they appeared on stage at 3pm sharp.
And even before they made their physical presence, promotional videos of the boys meeting and greeting fans as well as smiling and blowing kisses at the camera got many of their female fans in the hall ecstatic.
The Boyz opened their concert with the haunting yet funky song Diamond Life, and this was followed by the more energetic and upbeat Out Of Control, Maverick and Tattoo which saw the stage lights brighten them up.
They soon began to "move like water" with Levitating, while wearing all-black outfits that aptly matched the next song Back All Black.
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Each member then greeted the audience, both in Korean and English, and some of them most notably lead singers Kevin (with his Simba-like blonde hair) and Jacob (the only curly-haired member) mustered a few commendable words in Malay, to roaring applause.
The Boyz's next song Breaking Down was literally "red hot" as they donned dark red outfits and had the big screen behind them bright red with balls of fire flying around.
Even their moves were energetic and "mean", as if they had just consumed "fire water".
WHITE
The next song Complete Me proved to be a stark contrast to Breaking Down, as their backdrop was transformed into snow white and they changed their outfits into matching white suits.
Their following songs Fantasise and Right Home saw them pay a tribute of sorts to iconic 1990s American boyband New Kids On The Block as they donned colourful, teenage outfits such as overalls and baggy shorts.
This 1990s mood continued with Thrill Ride, which got the audience thrilled as the music video portrayed The Boyz having a good time riding on a roller coaster and some merry-go-rounds at a theme park.
INFECTIOUS
The next song DDD which means Dance, Dance, Dance got everyone in the arena standing up and dancing to its infectious beat.
The Boyz's leader Sangyeon, who is known for his dashing good looks a la the late Tommy Page, commended the audience for being "some of the most sporting fans" they had met.
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Their next song Walking In Time saw them sit in a straight row on chairs, as they serenaded their fans in a more relaxed manner.
This continued with the next two songs Horizon, which saw the stage get brighter to signify a sunrise, and Survive The Night, which saw it transform into a night full of stars.
FAMILY
The Boyz got back on their feet, though they did not dance, in their next song Back 2U which paid tribute to family values.
The crowd started waving pink luminous sticks and singing along the entire chorus.
BURNING
Hurt Me Less and Bite Back made The Boyz dance aggressively once again, this time they moved like "flowing water" and somewhat resembled The Black Eyed Peas.
Bright, silver and golden beams of light criss-crossed the stage next, as the boys belted out Reveal and The Stealer.
Here, they moved with "attitude" in a burning factory that looked right out of a Korean action movie.
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Sangyeon then led them in saying "thank you" to the audience, and hoping to return to Malaysia for "a lot more fun" in future.
"We love Malaysia, it is a beautiful, friendly place with lots and lots of friendly faces. We've come to the end, and I hope you all enjoyed yourself today," he said, as fans started shouting "We want more".
BIRTHDAY
The fans' wishes were granted, and their Kpop idols sang Watch It, which saw them accompanied by twisting and turning metal bars on the screen, Nectar which showed a large, green park, clear blue sky and paper birds flying, and finally Fire Eyes which saw them pose for a selfie with everyone.
"Let's all sing a birthday song for our dear brother Hyunjae, and wish him all the best for the future," said Sangyeon, as he led the group as well as the audience in celebrating the 27th birthday of their lead singer.
TIMELY
It was timely that the organisers held the concert in the afternoon instead of the late evening, as the fans proved a lot more energetic than usual.
And while The Boyz still have a long way to go as a boyband, their showmanship, friendliness and rapport with fans made their maiden concert in KL a show to remember.
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The Boyz was formed in 2017 and have five studio albums to their credit.
In 2018, The Boyz won two Rookie Awards at the Korea Brand Awards and Soribada Best K-Music Awards, and the Best New Male Artiste at the Melon Music Awards.