I am sure K-pop fans still haven’t completely “healed” after being “bombarded” with incredible performances over the last weekend by South Korean stars, namely Taeyang, CL, Suho, and Hyo.
A thrilling two-day music extravaganza
The electrifying two-day Borneo Sonic Music Festival (BSMF), which was organised by BME International (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Skyline Entertainment, and Dream Factory Entertainment, has astonished almost 15,000 spectators at the Sarawak Stadium.
Hyo, a South Korean singer, DJ, and member of the well-known Girls’ Generation group, transformed the venue into a massive dance club on the first day of the festival by spinning an exhilarating, non-stop, over 30-minute DJ mix that delighted the festivalgoers.
Lee Chae-rin, better known by her stage name CL, a rapper and member of the girl group 2NE1, was the day’s headliner, and the stadium erupted in cheers and screams of “CL” for her.
She opened her shows with her 2021 hit “Spicy” before singing other top songs like “Dr Pepper”, “Hwa”, “5 Star”, and “Lover Like Me”.
The unforgettable night then continued with a surprise performance from CL, who performed 2NE1’s chart-toppers such as “Fire”, “I Don’t Care”, and “I Am the Best”, which the Blackjacks are definitely looking forward to.
The jubilant crowd’s screams echoed when CL sang “The Baddest Female” to end the show.
Yungkai, Keeyushee, Guccimith and Zhe Kamil, Andi Bernadee, Ning Baizura, Majin, Nike Chen, as well as American rapper and hype master Fatman Scoop, were among the other lineups on the first day.
One of the most anticipated performances on the second and final day was by Suho, a South Korean singer-songwriter, actor, and frontman of the well-known K-Pop boy band EXO.
To the joy of the EXO-Ls in attendance, he sang some EXO songs in addition to singing the ballads from his solo debut.
The lineup for the day also included performances by Belle Sisoski, Ja-G, Jordan Queka, Dolla Melo Moon, BG8Locc, and Australian DJ Havana Brown.
Wrapping up the incredible night was the one and only Taeyang, a member of the ‘Kings of K-pop’ group BigBang.
Taeyang, who is regarded as one of South Korea’s top vocalists, lit up the stage with “Vibe” and continued his energetic performance with “Shoong!”, “Ringa Linga”, and “Wedding Dress”.
The crowd sings out loud to the night’s favourite, “Eyes, Nose, Lips”.
During his chat with the audience, Taeyang said “aku cinta padamu” (I love you), to the delight of the VIPs.
He also succeeded in tantalising the audience towards the end of the concert by singing a little passage of BigBang’s hit song “Bang Bang Bang”.
Our reporter had the chance to speak with some concertgoers about the occasion.
Muhammad Hafeez Bakram said that he and his wife had the best moments of BSMF and that he felt it to be remarkable, enjoyable, and fantastic.
“Congratulations to the organisers for the amazing concert! My teenage dream has come true. I never imagined that I would be able to see Taeyang so close (thankfully, I was standing in front of the stage).
“I am excited to see other K-pop performers such as CL, Suho, and Hyoyeon (Hyo) as well.
“For upcoming events, I would like to see the second generation of K-pop like Super Junior or any solo artistes from the top group idols.
“And maybe the organiser could bring Simple Plan or The Killers to Kuching next year,” he said.
Touching on flaws, the 32-year-old Sabahan said that the sound system and the queue lines for all categories, particularly the VIP lane, could be improved.
For Amelia, she said her eight-hour drive from Pontianak, Indonesia, was well worth it given that such a significant event was rarely held in her hometown.
“Watching Taeyang perform in front of me seemed like a dream. Both his performance and the entire music festival more than met my expectations.
“I hope the organisers will invite Taeyang again in the future,” said the 33-year-old Indonesian.
Simon Medin said that the BSMF was very enjoyable and satisfying and that he was impressed by the diverse lineup of artistes, the high quality of the performances, and the positive energy of the crowd.
“Overall, I thought the festival was very well organised and executed. The sound and lighting were excellent, the stage production was top-notch, and the security was tight.
“The moment that I will remember the most is when Taeyang performed his “Eyes, Nose, Lips” and “Ringa Linga” songs; they are my favourites, and it was so special to see him perform them live.
“The crowd went crazy when he started singing, and he sounded amazing. He also put on a really emotional performance, and you could tell that he really connected with the songs. It was a truly unforgettable moment,” he said.
The 34-year-old Sarawakian pointed out some aspects that could be improved for the following BSMF, such as offering more transportation choices like shuttle buses or ride-sharing services.
Apart from that, Simon believed that it would be great if there were more vendors available, especially around the main stage, besides improving signage so that it would be more clear and concise; this would really help those who were attending the festival for the first time.
“I believe that having more seating alternatives would be fantastic, especially for people with disabilities.
“Last but not least, I would also love to see more local Sarawakian artistes featured on the lineup in the future, as I believe this event is a great opportunity to showcase the talent and diversity of our music to the world,” he added.
For the upcoming BSMF, Simon said he would love to see BTS, Blackpink, Twice, Stray Kids, ITZY, aespa, ENHYPEN, TXT, NCT Dream, Kep1er, IVE, and NMIXX of South Korea, Ardhito Pramono, NIKI, and Rich Brian (Indonesia), Stefanie Sun, and Nathan Hartono (Singapore), as well as local Malaysian artistes like Priscilla Abby, K-Clique, Isobahtos, Joe Flizzow, Yonny Boii, and Arabyrd.
“For me, the best way to choose the lineups for the following BSMF is to listen to the feedback from fans.
“The organisers should create a survey or poll to get input from fans on who they would like to see perform. This would help to ensure that the lineup represents the musical tastes of the fans,” he said.
Simon said he was eager to see what this music festival’s future would bring because he thought it had the potential to grow to be one of Asia’s biggest and most popular music festivals.
Meanwhile, in a recent interview with TVS, BME International (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd managing director Steven Au, who is also the founder of BSMF 2023, said that future editions of BSMF would include a meet-and-greet session in addition to featuring more senior performers.
“In the near future, we intend to host a few more small-scale shows for a single band or artiste with 2,000 or 3,000 attendees and a meet-and-greet.
“In the long run, of course, we’ll offer BSMF 2.0 with one or two K-pop performers as well as from the United States, China, Taiwan, and Indonesia.
“We promise a difference in terms of artistes performing and location selection for the upcoming events,” he said, illustrating the festival’s dedication to global representation in maintaining its exceptional standards.
Speaking of challenges, Au acknowledged that organising this significant event posed numerous difficulties.
However, he said, all his efforts were worthwhile when attendees could see and feel for themselves the quality of the event (BSMF).
During the interview, Au also envisioned the festival as a hub celebrating a tapestry of cultures, aiming to captivate music aficionados with a vast spectrum of tastes, encompassing genres like K-pop, R&B, Hip-Hop, EDM, and others.
So, music enthusiasts, start saving your money right now so you can purchase the following BSMF ticket without worrying about the price.
