On Sunday, December 13, the eight members of PENTAGON (KINO, HUI, YEOONE, HONGSEOK, SHINWON, YANAN, YUTO, and WOOSEOK) took the stage at their much anticipated online concert, 2020 PENTAGON ONLINE CONCERT “WE L:VE.” The event was originally slated for November 29 but was postponed due to the members undergoing COVID-19 testing and self quarantine after YEOONE was within the same vicinity a COVID-19 positive individual. Fortunately, all members tested negative and the event was able to be rescheduled.
The concert was divided into four chapters that each highlighted PENTAGON’s growth and development that shaped them into the group that they are today. The two-hour event was filled with captivating performances, special stages, and also heartfelt surprises for both the fans (called UNIVERSE) and the PENTAGON members.
The online show implemented a live chat feature that was filled with messages from UNIVERSE around the globe. Just as fans would exchange stories amongst themselves while lining up outside the venue or waiting for the live concert to start, the online concertgoers were sharing their past PENTAGON concert experiences with one another, listing songs that they hoped would be performed, who their biases were, and overall giddiness and excitement for the concert. Some even shared that “WE L:VE” would be their first-ever concert concert experience.
CH. I: <WE L:VE IN THIS MOMENT>
Like soldiers marching into battle, PENTAGON made their grand, bold entrance with an explosive performance of “Basquiat” followed by “Gorilla,” and “Can You Feel It.” “Basquiat,” which was produced on the competition show Road to Kingdom, was the first performance with YANAN. As the members did their introductions and shared their excitement for the event’s festivities, YANAN was quick to express his gratitude to YUTO and WOOSEOK for helping him learn the difficult choreography. The members briefly reflected on their PENTAG-ON online fan meeting and their 2019 PRISM Tour, the last world tour they held pre-pandemic. The first chapter of the concert closed off with the sensual choreography and captivating performance of “The Black Hall.” Although they were unable to meet their fans in person, PENTAGON, ensured that they were pouring their hearts and soul into every one of their stages to create a memorable experience for the viewers.
CHAPTER II: <WE L:VE WITH COLORS>
The next chapter highlighted each member’s unique colors and skills through special unit performances. The band unit, consisting of Hui and Shinwon, was up first with its unreleased, self-composed song, “WTH.” Short for “What The Heck,” the blood-pumping rock song is about breaking stereotypes and living your life. Next, PENTAGON’s hip-hop team YUTO and WOOSEOK performed a three-song set starting off with YUTO’s “독 (Poison)” followed by WOOSEOK’s “Always Difficult Always Beautiful.” The rappers then teamed up for their unreleased track, “도돌이표 (Repeat Sign),” a catchy, feel good song that will help you destress after a long day. Following suit was the F2 (flower boy) unit HONGSEOK and YANAN with a ballad cover of Ailee’s “I Will Go to You Like the First Snow.” The song was specifically chosen to reflect the sentimental feelings of the approaching winter season and perfectly complemented their soothing vocals that blended seamlessly with one another. Closing off the special stages was PENTAGON’s very own dance unit. YEOONE and KINO performed a very charismatic and sexy cover of Taemin’s “Move.” The song’s choreography has been known as one of the most difficult K-Pop choreographies out there due to the need of complete body control to carry out the subtle core movements. No surprise, PENTAGON’s dance unit carried out the performance flawlessly and topped it off with their own flair.
CHAPTER III: <WE L:VE YOUNG>
As the concert reached its third chapter, the PENTAGON members showed no signs of fatigue. The set opened up with a high school skit where KINO is the new student at PENTAGON High School. One by one, each of the after school clubs (the unit teams) attempted to woo over their potential new recruit. Their hyperactive, beagle-like energy carried over to their “Happiness (KR. Ver.)” and “Shine.” UNIVERSE did their best to make their support known by typing out the songs’ fanchants in the live chat. The group continued with their playful track, “Naught Boy,” charming viewers with their signature heart-macarena dance moves before finishing with fan-favorite “Spring Snow.”
CHAPTER IV: <WE L:VE ON STAGE>
The third chapter was characterized as “sincerity for stages.” PENTAGON performed “Paradise” and “You Like” for the first time at the concert. “Paradise,” a track that pays homage to the early 2000s K-Pop sound, featured a Photoshop-workspace backdrop. “You Like” played with the glitch-style backdrops and made great use of heavy strobe lights during the song’s experimental electronic break. Fans complemented the creative use of bold, vibrant colors with traditional East Asian art styles during the “SHA LA LA.” With a plethora of flowers filling up the backdrop, PENTAGON concluded the third chapter with “Daisy,” the beloved song that scored the groups first-ever win on SBS The Show.
Leading up to this set, PENTAGON opened up and shared their thoughts in a sentimental pre-recorded interview. When asked about the feelings they experience, YEOONE thoughtfully commented that one can experience every single type of human emotion onstage. He reflected on the group’s 2nd anniversary where he shed tears of gratefulness upon hearing the roars and cheers of the fans. YANAN said the stage brought both joy and frustration to him, the latter due to him not feeling that was not living up to his own expectations. HUI, who will be heading off to mandatory military enlistment, expressed his sadness as he will be enlisting in the military soon. However the sight of the smiles and tears from UNIVERSE is what keeps him motivated to keep singing on delivering a top-tier performance.
ENCORE: <WE L:VE IN THE UNIVERSE>
After filling the night with a handful of never-before-seen performances, PENTAGON was treated with a surprise from their beloved fans. Ahead of the “WE L:VE” concert, Kino created and shared a tutorial of the “Unibong Dance” he choreographed for “Nostalgia.” As the song reached its chorus, additional voices were heard singing along and the background screens revealed a wall of fans singing and dancing along. The surprise project, which the group shared was not on their concert script, left a deep impression on both the PENTAGON members and viewers alike.
PENTAGON closed the night with the unveiling of their new song, “Eternal Flame.” The song was created by KINO and was dedicated to their beloved fans and those who have been by their sides since debut. Although UNIVERSE was not standing in front of them, the members shared that they were still able to feel the deep connection through their hearts. “Eternal Flame,” which also features direct quotes from fan letters that the group received over the years, is PENTAGON’s fan letter to UNIVERSE, expressing their thankfulness and gratitude for their unwavering support.