On August 29, pop star Lauv’s first solo concert was held at KSPO Dome (Olympic Stadium) in Olympic Park. To see Lauv, 15,000 people filled KSPO Dome to see Lauv even though it was a rainy weekday evening. Lauv is a pop star who is well known in Korea for his songs, “Paris in the Rain” and “I Like Me Better.” In particular, as the movie Elemental became popular, his song “Steal the Show,” which was featured on the soundtrack, also gained popularity. He made his first appearance in Korea at the 2019 Seoul Jazz Festival, and once again visited Korea on August 29, 2023 for a solo concert during his ‘The Between Album Tour’. 

 Who Is Lauv? 

 Lauv is an American electropop singer-songwriter and producer born in 1994. While attending New York University, he worked as a composer and gained fame by posting his own songs on his blog, and he debuted with the song “The Other” in 2015. He has collaborated with pop stars such as Ed Sheeran, Troye Sivan, and Anne-Marie, as well as BTS in songs such as “Make It Right” and “Who.” His songs are dreamy and emotional, mixing indie pop and R&B. He is an extraordinary singer who loves Korea. He chose the Korean name “Na Min Hyuk” (the pronunciation is similar to the English name Lauv). He likes crab meat a lot so he even has a tattoo of ‘맛살♡’ in Korean on his left arm, saying that the word ‘맛살’ is literally pretty in Korean. 

 Set-List 

Merchandise

 There were two types of black and white T-shirts with Lauv on them, a hoodie with a tour schedule on it, and a blue beanie with Lauv written on it. The prices were 50,000 won, 85,000 won, and 40,000 won, respectively. There was also an album sales booth next to the MD booth, which was selling LPs of the All 4 Nothing album.

 Concert Review 

 Before the performance began, singer-songwriter Alexander 23 was the opening guest and he preheated the atmosphere. Alexander 23 left the stage flapping a Korean flag on his back, and received big applause. After that, the electronic display read, “I use music to get out of my head and into the moment. What I want tonight to be all about is letting who you think you’re supposed to be go” followed by the heartfelt message saying, “Let me here for you. I love you. Let's have a good time. (And take care of each other <3)” Lauv appeared wearing a helmet that he wore in his music video, and he began his set with “Love U Like That.”</span>

 Lauv seemed sincere to his Korean fans. He went down from the stage and hugged the audience with his arms. Also, he rushed to the standing seat on the first floor and sang “Summer Nights” and “Molly in Mexico” in the middle of the audience. Making eye contact with each of the fans who were close to him, his sweet interactions continued to be reflected on the electronic display. When he sang “Chasing Fire,” “Drugs & The Internet,” and “Modern Loneliness,” the audience used the flash of their smartphones to make the crowd sparkle like stars in the night sky. When singing “All 4 Nothing (I’m So In Love),” all of the audience replied to his song with the slogan “WE’RE SO IN LAUV.” In addition, when singing “Tattoos Together,” he pointed his finger at the ‘맛살♡’ tattoo on his arm to catch the attention. Lauv showed off his unique voice with the same quality found on his albums and greeted the audience as he roamed the left and right sides of the stage. Without fancy stage effects or a huge band, he only carried a microphone on stage. By running on the stage singing songs, he breathed heavily and said, “I want to take off my jacket because it’s too hot,” but when the song started, he showed off his solid live skills.

 Lauv played the piano and sang “Steal The Show.” Then he called a couple to the stage and held a proposal event. The audience sang along and congratulated the couple. After finishing the song, Lauv covered his face for a few seconds and wiped away the tears as if he was overcome with emotion. However, there were many concertgoers who said afterward that they didn't particularly enjoy this part of the performance. Some fans said the proposal event was strange and confusing because there was no information about the couple. Also, some of the reviews on the internet said, “It was the most anticipated song, but it was difficult to concentrate because only the couple was reflected on the electronic display,” and “I paid more than 100,000 won to be a proposal bridesmaid.” As the movie Elemental became a big hit in Korea, fans’ expectations for “Steal The Show” must have been quite high. At that time, I was happy for the proposing couple, but in retrospect, I also couldn’t concentrate on Lauv singing because I could only see the couple on the electronic display. I felt regretful that I couldn’t feel the song completely. 

 During the performance, the stage screen often did not work and the image quality was uneven. In addition, the MR of the sound source bounced and the music was cut off in the middle. With the exception for Lauv’s showmanship and his voice, the stage felt somewhat unprofessional. Nevertheless, he was busy expressing his love to the audience from the beginning to the end.

 Playlist Recommendation 

♬ When I exercise                         ♬ When I'm fed up

Love U Like That                            Modern Loneliness

Adrenaline                                     Drugs & The Internet

fuck, i'm lonely...                             Lonely Eyes

Chasing Fire                                  Reforget

♬ While driving                             ♬ Lauv's love song

All 4 Nothing (I'm So In Love)        Mean It

I Like Me Better                             Tattoos Together

Paris In The Rain                           Easy Love

I'm So Tired...                                 Love Somebody

 The running time of this concert was relatively short, about 80 minutes, but the heat and afterglow after watching the performance were enormous. With the easing of COVID-19, cultural life such as concerts has become more active than before. As a result, many pop stars visited Korea and held concerts this year. It is not common for international singers to visit Korea due to various reasons such as the long distance or difficulties in booking concert halls. When you have a chance, make sure to attend a concert and feel the hot heat with the singer and audience. Love ya, Lauv!

Planning & Marketing Editor • KIM DA ON • daonda0904@naver.com