On October 3, rookie K-Pop girl group tripleS arrived at the Capital One Hall in Tysons, VA to perform for fans from across the National Capital Region, also known as the DMV. WAV, their official fandom name, could barely contain their excitement when over the summer the newly debuted LOVElution subunit announced the tripleS 1st World Tour [Authentic] LOVElution in US, kicking off with ten stops in major cities across the USA.
tripleS, whose name stands for ‘The Idol of all Possibilities’ with the three ‘S’ letters representing “Social, Sonyo, Seoul,” is a decentralized idol group consisting of 24 members who rotate within its voted-upon subunits and solo acts. This unique fan-driven concept currently has four official assemblies named Acid Angel from Asia, +(KR)ystal Eyes, LOVElution, and EVOLution.
LOVElution debuted in August 2023 as the fourth subunit of tripleS, promoting a theme of self-confidence and self-love through their music. The group is comprised of eight members – SeoYeon, HyeRin, YuBin, Kaede, DaHyun, Nien, SoHyun, and Xinyu – chosen through ‘Gravity Events’ via the fans’ interactive voting application, COSMO. They quickly gained popularity after introducing their mini debut album, ↀ (pronounced “Muhan”), and the subsequential music video release of their lead single, “Girls’ Capitalism,” which garnered millions of views on YouTube in just a few days.
As the merch line continued to grow around the lobby outside, ushers throughout the venue handed out special tripleS NFT photo cards, called ‘Objekts,’ to WAV as they made their way to the seats. Many fans were already wearing their tour merchandise, chatting with each other, and waving around various light sticks while eagerly waiting for the show to begin.
The excitement was palpable as the house lights dimmed, and a hush settled over the crowd. Light sticks turned on in anticipation of the show starting while each member slowly walked onto the stage and settled into place; when the intro music finally began to play, the crowd erupted into cheers. Wearing coordinating sporty outfits in pink, white, and black, they started off the night with a few familiar tracks from their debut albums – “Atmosphere,” “Complexity,” and the song that encompasses their identity, “Dimension.”
Commencing the first ment of the evening, each member lined up across the stage and formally greeted the crowd. “Finally, we get to meet you guys on our very first tripleS tour, Authentic! We had a pre-concert in February, but these are our first official concerts, and our WAVs must have been very surprised because we started off with a U.S. Tour!”
The crowd passionately responded to the comment before they continued, “We really wanted to see you guys and we’re so happy to be able to meet you – we heard D.C. parties hard, is that true?”
This question was met with enthusiastic applause in agreement with the statement. “WAV are you ready?! Honestly, it’s just so amazing that we’re having our very own concert when we haven’t even debuted for a year yet! The LOVElution solo concert has opened the doors [for us], and we are so touched!”
While on stage, the LOVElution members showcased the appeal of tripleS’ ever-changing combinations through a variety of formations. Aside from performing an eight-member version of Acid Angel from Asia’s “Dimension” for the first time, LOVElution also broke up into two smaller groups for their subunit performances. Xinyu, YuBin, HyeRin, and SoHyun performed their own rendition of Acid Angel from Asia’s “Rolex” accompanied by lively choreography with a touch of attitude, especially when they reached the bridge of the song, “누가 뭐라해 질투 I Don’t Care 감정가? 내 가치는 Billionaire.” DaHyun, Kaede, SeoYeon, and Nien then performed their version of +(KR)ystal Eyes’ “Touch+,” which included a quick surprise appearance by SoHyun for the rap verse, and fans went absolutely crazy over it.
Following a brief explanation about the sub-group performances and how each team prepared for it, they decided to survey the crowd. “Honestly, it was hard picking songs for the unit performances – we didn’t know what the DMV would like. Let’s find out now, what is your favorite tripleS song?” WAVs began shouting out their favorite tracks while the members nodded their heads in agreement with the selections, “Oh, so many! Now we know what the DMV’s taste is like!”
At the midpoint of the show, they shifted into the solo stage segment. This was an opportunity to highlight their individual talents through a variety of presentations by each group member. DaHyun and SeoYeon chose vocal performances of “I’m in love you” from the Reborn Rich OST, and a Claire Rosinkranz cover of “Frankenstein,” respectively; the rest of the members performed short dance covers to songs such as “NEW DANCE” by XG, “I Need You” by BTS, and “Genie” by Girls’ Generation. WAVs were thrilled with each of the solos, joining in from their seats when they recognized the songs and choreography.
Moving into the second half of the night, DaHyun stood center stage and delivered a beautiful solo of “More Than Yesterday,” complimented by swirling white lights that created a dreamy atmosphere during her performance. In contrast, SeoYeon and SoHyun then performed as a duo and introduced a wildly different mood with their energetic dancing and perfectly coordinated hand movements during “Into Danger.” The rest of the members rejoined them to continue with additional tripleS tracks such as “Beam,” and in front of bright strobing lights, they gave an explosive performance of “New Look.” WAVs bounced along to the catchy melody and celebrated each member as they were spotlighted throughout the song, while the rest of the group continued on with the cheerful and bubbly choreography.
“Although it’s quite sad, we only have a few performances left. Honestly, because we tried to share so many songs from tripleS’ album, we couldn’t showcase all of LOVElutions songs this time. So how about we sing one LOVElution song that WAVs want to hear?” The crowd ended up choosing “Speed Love,” so the members sang a portion of the song acapella while fans hummed along with them before joining in for the last few lines.
As the show began to wind down, each member took turns sharing their feelings by delivering short farewell messages. Many expressed their happiness about meeting WAVs, visiting D.C. for the first time, enjoying everyone’s passion and excitement, and promising to return soon. Before jumping into their last song, tripleS requested a group photo with WAVs. They inquired the crowd about poses, and fans chose hearts. “Okay, hearts – say cheese, say strawberry, say meow!” they jokingly asked. Following instructions, everyone began meowing, eliciting laughter from both tripleS and WAVs throughout the venue.
A few moments after the last song, LOVElution’s lead track “Girls’ Capitalism,” the crowd began insistently chanting for an encore. Finally, a short audio clip played over the speakers asking if WAVs were ready for more, and tripleS suddenly reemerged wearing customized versions of their tour shirts and hoodies. They launched into the high-energy track, “Colorful,” while rainbow stage lights strobed, creating a fun backdrop that matched the rhythm of the song. Rounding out their extensive set list, they closed the night dancing against fiery red lights for “Rising” before standing in their final group formation at its conclusion. Immediately WAV began cheering, waving their light sticks, and sharing hand hearts with the group as they bid a final farewell. tripleS hugged each other, reciprocated the hearts, and with warm and happy smiles slowly departed the stage one by one.
Despite debuting just a few months prior, LOVElution brought an impressively dynamic and highly energetic show to the DMV with their LOVElution Authentic tour. Their unique performance showcases both group and individual talents, as well as the comprehensive genres their music encompasses overall. The interactive Gravity Event concept of tripleS is a refreshing take on K-Pop music that presents a genuine way for fans to be involved with and feel closer to their favorite idols. With such a well-received U.S. tour, WAVs eagerly await their return and continue to look forward to the next dimensions of tripleS that will be revealed soon.