Just like last week’s heat wave, the KOREA GAYOJE music festival blazed up Central Park by bringing a taste of Korean pop culture to the heart of New York City as part of Capital One City Parks Foundation’s SummerStage. Presented by the Korean Cultural Center New York (KCCNY), a branch of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE), the event commemorated 140 years of friendship between Korea and the United States. With some of the hottest artists in the industry onstage, Rumsey Field was roaring with excitement for the headliners AleXa, Golden Child, and Brave Girls into the night.
In previous years, KOREA GAYOJE presented Korean artists at SummerStage, but this year marks the first time the lineup has been solely dedicated to K-pop as a genre – one that contributes heavily to the global economy and has increased Korea’s influence on pop culture in the last two decades. According to SummerStage staff working the event, K-pop fans had begun lining up hours before doors were scheduled to open.
AleXa
Kicking off the evening was AleXa, soloist and winner of NBC’s American Song Contest back in May, with a dynamic performance of her debut electropop single, “Bomb.” Backed by Harmonyc Movement, a New York City-based K-pop dance cover team, AleXa brought the Central Park audience into her A.I. multiverse with her signature explosive choreography. Afterward, AleXa took advantage of the crowd’s energy to shift into “Do or Die,” showing fans both new and old exactly who ran the night with a girl-power rap and her commanding stage presence.
In a departure from her A.I. villain persona, AleXa brought the audience back to reality during a break with her sweet and funny personality. Making light of wardrobe malfunctions and fulfilling fan requests to “step on me,” AleXa’s fun interactions allowed attendees to connect with her on a personal level. When pointing out the summer heat, a fan joked that it was because of her, to which she responded with a lighthearted pose implying that they were right before laughing and graciously taking the compliment.
Moving into the last song of her “origin story” trilogy, “Revolution,” AleXa invited the audience to join her “revolution of the mind.” With strong vocals, powerful energy, and a Latin/hip-hop-inspired sound, it was clear AleXa had captivated the crowd – evidenced by the hyped cheers during her solo dance breaks throughout.
For the next half of her set, AleXa took a break from her usual girl crush sound to highlight her vocals in “TATTOO,” a pop-R&B tale of a complicated relationship. The action queen energy returned with “VILLAIN,” as she slayed the stage with a synth-heavy, trap-EDM infused performance. Bringing in the summer vibes, AleXa transitioned into “Xtra,” a fun, Y2K-inspired track that got the audience dancing across Rumsey Field.
To close out her set, AleXa performed the hotly-anticipated “Wonderland,” her winning funk-pop number from American Song Contest. Complete with the signature red sashes that made the choreography for her small-screen performances of the song so thrilling for viewers, AleXa’s all-around vocals and compelling presence was the perfect lead-in for the rest of the evening’s performers.
Golden Child
Next to take the stage was Golden Child, participants in Mnet’s Road to Kingdom and the title holders for the highest Billboard debut record. Typically a ten-piece group, members Tag and Daeyeol were noticeably absent due to health recovery and military service, respectively. Their appearance was part of their Meet & Live Tour in the USA, their first US tour.
As an octet, members Y, Jangjun, Seungmin, Jaehyun, Jibeum, Donghyun, Joochan, and Bomin kicked off their set with the passion-filled track, “Burn It.” The intense vocals paired with effortlessly sharp choreography burned up the stage (on par with the song) and left the audience ready for more.
In line with the screams of Goldenness (Golden Child’s fanbase) and casual attendees alike, the group transitioned seamlessly into “Fanfare,” a high-energy dance number with jazz influences. The crowd’s excitement bled into Golden Child’s official introductions following the two songs – every sentence was met with cheers as each member spoke. The song came as a pleasant surprise for Goldenness in attendance, since the single wasn’t included in the normal U.S. tour setlist.
“The energy and vibes are so good,” said Jangjun in Korean. To hype up the crowd, the members invited sections of the audience from left, right, and the back to cheer before getting everyone to scream together. Speaking to the audience, the group shared heartfelt excitement to be participating in the festival. With a sense of awe, they acknowledged how they weren’t able to explore all of the iconic Central Park during a leisure visit to New York, but were now performing in it.
“Let’s move into a song that fits this great weather today,” Jangjun continued, bouncing off the cheerful energy of the audience. With the perfect intro, Golden Child jumped into “Pump It Up,” a youthful pop song reminiscent of being at the beach with friends. Next up was “Crush,” a catchy tune with a similar vibe of summer and young love. Complemented by boisterous guitar riffs, Golden Child had the audience singing along and falling in love.
From “Crush,” the group moved into “Bottom of the Ocean,” an 80s-inspired power pop summer song combining buoyant guitar chords with synths and a lively synth line. The dance-minimal number gave the members time to let their vocal ranges shine through robust harmonies and showstopping solo high notes. It also gave them the opportunity to interact more directly and physically with fans – Joochan made waves by spraying water on the crowd.
In a cooldown break after “Bottom of the Ocean,” Golden Child took some song requests from the crowd, performing short acapella versions of “ONE (Lucid Dream)” and “Wannabe.” To end their set, the group went back to their roots with an energetic performance of their debut song, “DamDaDi.”
Brave Girls
As the sun began to set, a different star rose with Brave Girls who walked onstage to deafening cheers. Affectionately known as the K-pop’s greatest underdogs, the four-piece group made up of members Minyoung, Yujeong, Eunji, and Yuna had a belated breakout 10 years after their debut when their 2017 single, “Rollin’,” unexpectedly shot through the Korean charts last year with a perfect all-kill. Like Golden Child, the quartet’s SummerStage performance lined up with their first ever U.S. tour.
Brave Girls started off with “Chi Mat Ba Ram,” an upbeat song with a tropical sound that immediately got the GAYOJE crowd dancing and jumping. The summer-themed single was a hit with the audience, and the cheers for the girls during their introduction almost drowned out their opening remarks.
Leading into their second song of the night, “Easily,” the group taught the audience a simple dance move to be performed during the chorus. After some practice, the crowd perfected the move. Finally, the group kicked off the song with an acapella intro that highlighted their smooth vocals and seamless harmony that blended into a summery reggae-inspired track. The matching dances between the girls and the audience exuded a unique sense of camaraderie between the two groups.
Next up was “High Heels,” another highly-anticipated song. Equal parts sexy and cute, the choreography and sensual, high-energy sound inspired nostalgia for the kind of bubblegum pop that was popular in K-pop of the 2000s without feeling dated. The number even had audience members who spent the concert seated bobbing their heads to the beat.
Introducing “Pool Party,” the group taught the audience a specific part of the chorus to sing along to, similar to the mini dance lesson with “Easily.” The delighted “na na na’s” echoed by the attendees were so loud that it felt as if they were reverberating through the park. Once the audience had mastered their part, the Summer Queens themselves dove straight into the performance, captivating the audience. With all eyes on them, Brave Girls then moved into their sleeper hit “We Ride,” a retro-inspired song full of lush synths and a steady vibe.
From there, the group transitioned into the emotional and melodic “Love is Gone,” which focused on their vocal performances over choreography. In the same nostalgic, retro vibe, the girls then moved into the adventurous and wistful sound of “FEVER.”
“I’m so happy to be able to perform in front of so many people in New York, and I don’t think I’ll forget this moment,” Yuna remarked to the audience in an interlude leading into the final half of their performance, to a response of whoops and cheers.
Yujeong added onto the sentiment, “We are really thankful and we hope you guys keep supporting Brave Girls in the future as well.” For Fearless, Brave Girls’ dedicated fandom who had watched them travel from the edge of disbandment to performing for a near-overflowing crowd in the Capital of the World, the words held extra significance.
The group then moved into “Red Sun,” another area where their vocal performance was a highlight. Buzzing with mutual energy, the slow jam offered them a moment to interact with front-row attendees and for the audience to wave their lightsticks and phone flashlights in the air.
For the show’s climax, Brave Girls focused their performance on two songs that were particularly sentimental for both Brave Girls and Fearless. “Whistle,” the song showcased on their Queendom 2 appearance this past spring, told the group’s story of revival and their journey to becoming icons in their own right.
Finally, the girls set the stage with chairs for their most well-known song, “Rollin’.” With joy evident on the girls’ faces, the energy of the crowd was unmatched – some in the crowd even cried happy tears as they sang and jumped along together. It was clear that this moment was a pivotal moment in Brave Girls’ career.
Even after the girls exited the stage, Central Park remained alight with the cheers from the audience. While it’s not yet clear if KOREA GAYOJE will host an event next year, there’s no doubt that fans will be ready to show up and support.