"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-guk, 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, critics from major U.S. daily newspapers naturally invoked "Hongdae karaoke room" and "makgeolli" to describe the concert atmosphere, drawing attention.

Todd Inouye, a critic who contributed to the San Francisco Chronicle, wrote that the performances of "Butter" and "Dynamite" toward the end of the concert that day felt "comfortable and natural, as if drunk on makgeolli in 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 scene.

Inouye stated, "BTS in 2026 is completely different from the BTS that performed at Oakland Arena in 2018," and analyzed that "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. (making the surroundings too bright) so the lighting could not shine properly," he concluded that "the Stanford performance showed that BTS is not yet ready to embark on a tour that merely looks back at the past. For today's BTS, many new eras still lie ahead."

Jim Harrington, pop critic for Mercury News, declared, "This is 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 in the Bay Area this year, such as Usher and Chris Brown at Levi's Stadium, no performance will stir up this kind of passion, excitement, and the best kind of fandom like BTS." Regarding BTS, who performed about 23 songs over two hours, Harrington praised them for "delivering a truly solid pop concert," while also noting that "the moments when the members set aside the dazzling stage effects to directly connect with the audience were actually the highlights of the performance."

Kiren Cowan of the Bay Area music specialty magazine Leaf Magazine commented, "BTS, returning to the Bay Area for the first time in eight years, appeared bigger, more intense, and more emotionally expanded than ever before." Cowan, who pointed out that "the Arirang Tour delved deeply into themes of Korean identity, reinvention, and artistic freedom," vividly described a scene where "when DJ-selected fan-favorite hits 'N.O' and 'Eung-man' suddenly appeared, RM and Suga showed visible excitement and went wild with the audience." Additionally, Cowan highlighted the devoted fandom of ARMY, noting that "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 heading to Las Vegas.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.