On Sunday, June 16, up-and-coming Korean indie band PRYVT (pronounced “private”) gave audiences a glimpse into their minds and hearts at the second stop of The &Scene Tour. Held at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY, the show gave fans an intimate look at the band’s artistry and musicianship. PRYVT, a duo consisting of Korean-Canadian lead singer Hanuel and Indonesian bassist and producer HNATA, debuted in August 2023 with the single “tell me, will we survive?” which has amassed over 4 million streams on Spotify since its release.
Korean-American singer Highvyn opened the show with his seductive and relaxing sound. He set the mood for the night with his soft, velvety vocals on the song “stranger,” a mellow pop song about being unable to get someone off your mind. The intimate nature of the show allowed the singer to regularly interact with the crowd while performing, even taking a BeReal on a fan’s phone while singing “angel.” Highvyn also treated the audience to the sensual song “symphony,” a collaboration with JEY, and the unreleased track “valentina.” He had the crowd jumping and dancing as he closed his set with an upbeat garage pop track, opening the door perfectly for the night’s headliner.
The moment fans had been waiting for finally came as PRYVT, donned in loose, all-white outfits, made their way onto the stage draped in angelic blue lights. Accompanied by Justin Tecson on guitar and Isaac Owens on drums, PRYVT began the night with the sweet love song “mona lisa.” The band then transitioned into “blue salvia,” a slow, melodic number that showcased lead singer Hanuel’s smooth, buttery vocals.
The band then moved on to their debut single “tell me, will we survive?” and sophomore track “I can’t go home, anymore.” The audience sang along to every word of the mix of English and Korean lyrics.
The duo also gave them a taste of their upcoming first album. They played unreleased songs like “yours,” where bassist HNATA’s contagious energy hyped up the crowd. Hanuel’s powerful vocals were put on display with sustained high notes and polished riffs.
HNATA then introduced the next unreleased track, “happy endings,” which will appear on their new album.
“It’s a song that talks about what every human being should eventually achieve – which are happy endings,” HNATA explained. The song was a nostalgic chillwave track that featured a strong guitar solo performed by guitarist Justin. Other performances of never-before-heard tracks included “worst days,” “believe,” and “end credits.”
The next song was about “accepting when your former lover decides to move on with someone else,” according to HNATA. The crowd responded with boos of disapproval of the lover in question. “IT SUCKS!” the bassist joked in agreement as the crowd continued to heckle the imaginary lover. One audience member shouted, “Her loss!” and HNATA agreed.
Reining the audience in, Hanuel continued explaining the more serious backstory of the track, titled “your wedding.”
“It’s a story of letting go and being grateful for who this person was to you,” he said. He described it as “the saddest song they’ve ever written.”
The track began with an acoustic guitar over an emotional string accompaniment. The stage lights doused the band in melancholic purple lighting to set the mood. The performance again highlighted lead singer Hanuel’s impressive vocals as he sang atop prerecorded harmonies, eyes closed and lost in the music as he commanded the audience’s hearts.
To conclude the night, PRYVT sang their most recent release “if it’s not you,” which is their most popular track to date with 7.5 million streams on Spotify and 12.2 thousand usage on TikToks. Bassist HNATA challenged the Brooklyn audience to turn their phone lights brighter than the Los Angeles crowd, to whom the band performed the night before. The audience did not disappoint as they sang along to the sweet love song with their flashlights held high all around the venue.
As the bright stage lights faded and the band took their final bows, everyone chanted for an encore while the members made their way up the stairs and through a door to go backstage. However, they didn’t leave the excited fans waiting for too long. They re-entered the stage just seconds later with big smiles and laughter at the absurdly short wait time. For the encore, PRYVT performed another unreleased track called “in between,” where the audience heard HNATA sing for the first time that night. A sunny and saccharine track with an addicting drum beat, “in between” had the audience dancing with their hands in the air as the band members jumped around the stage.
With the show finally coming to a real close, PRYVT members took the opportunity to interact with the crowd. They took selfies, posed for Polaroid pictures, and gave drumsticks and guitar picks to lucky fans. Security ushered attendees and the band to the venue’s lobby, where band members and opener Highvyn proceeded to have an impromptu meet-and-greet where they signed merchandise and spoke directly to their enthusiastic supporters.
PRYVT’s eagerness to engage personally with fans and their welcoming, conversational stage presence has cemented them as a band to watch as they grow into rising stars. The &Scene Tour will end at the end of June in Vancouver, but for those who want to support the up-and-coming band, PRYVT will be opening for Korean-Canadian artist slchld’s upcoming North America tour. More information can be found here!