"It was like a Hongdae karaoke room at 2 a.m."…How U.S. media are reviewing BTS concerts this time [K-EYES]

*This content was translated by AI.

"A return after eight years, yet completely different"…Local media pour praise on BTS Stanford concert

BTS (BTS: Jung-kook, Jimin, Jin, V, RM, J-Hope, Suga) concluded their first performance on the 16th (local time) at Stanford Stadium in California, U.S., prompting major local outlets to release a wave of glowing reviews. Notably, a critic from a major U.S. daily newspaper naturally invoked "Hongdae karaoke room" and "makgeolli" to describe the concert atmosphere, drawing attention.

Todd Inouye, a critic who wrote for the SF Chronicle, described the "Butter" and "Dynamite" performances at the end of the concert that day, writing, "It felt like a comfortable and natural atmosphere where they were drunk on makgeolli at a Hongdae karaoke room at 2 a.m., singing enthusiastically with the audience." This phrasing subtly reveals that the critic, writing for a major U.S. daily, has visited Korea and is familiar with Korean pop culture elements like Hongdae and makgeolli. The fact that Hongdae and makgeolli were cited so naturally demonstrates how deeply Korean culture has permeated the local area.

Inouye stated, "BTS in 2026 is completely different from the BTS that performed at Oakland Arena in 2018," and analyzed, "This tour placed greater emphasis on each member's live vocals and mature themes rather than strict choreography."

While honestly noting the regret that "the concert started too early at 7 p.m. (the surroundings were too bright), so the lighting could not shine properly," he concluded, "The Stanford performance showed that BTS is not yet ready to embark on a tour that merely looks back at the past. For BTS today, there is still much of a new era ahead."

Jim Harrington, a pop critic for Mercury News, declared, "The biggest pop culture event to take place in the Bay Area (a term for the region near San Francisco) this year," and added, "Although there are major stadium concerts this year in the Bay Area, such as Usher and Chris Brown's performances at Levi's Stadium, there will be no performance that stirs up this kind of passion and excitement, or the best kind of mania, like BTS." Regarding BTS, who performed about 23 songs over two hours, Harrington evaluated, "They presented a truly solid pop concert," while also noting, "The moments when the members temporarily set aside the dazzling stage effects and directly connected with the audience were actually the best moments of the performance."

Kiren Kauvar of the Bay Area music specialty magazine Leaf Magazine commented, "BTS, returning to the Bay Area after eight years, was bigger, more intense, and more emotionally expanded than ever before." Kauvar, who pointed out that "the Arirang Tour delved deeply into themes of Korean identity, reinvention, and artistic freedom," vividly described a scene where "DJ-selected fan-favorite hits 'N.O' and 'Eung-man' suddenly appeared, prompting RM and Suga to show excitement and go wild with the audience." Additionally, she highlighted the devoted fandom of ARMY, stating, "Fans exchanged handmade stickers, cards, and props, and the entire stadium's light sticks glowed in synchronized colors." All three media outlets agreed that this Stanford performance will be recorded not merely as a K-pop concert but as a cultural event that will remain in American pop music history.

In addition to the May 16 concert, BTS will continue their performances on the 17th and 19th (local time) at Stanford Stadium in San Francisco before moving on to Las Vegas.

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*This content was translated by AI.