It would be fair to say that very few non-K-pop musical acts of this day and age make as much noise as – figuratively and literally.

The build-up to their first London concert at the O2 Arena was a mixed one, considering online comments about the tour’s opener in Dublin ranged from praise to unimpressed notes on the group’s ‘manufactured’ label and how that translated in front of audiences.

Longer-running questions also resurfaced – such as those around member , something that is yet to be directly addressed, and a messier, ongoing debate about who exactly KATSEYE’s audience is meant to be, given a fanbase younger than their content theoretically caters to.

All of those challenges are easily drowned out by the screams of the 20,000 people who filled the arena on a Thursday night, who were remarkably made up of more children than you’d usually see at most pop concerts.

There is also a case to be made that KATSEYE is not a k-pop act, but their roots, grown in the genre’s training and management system, show both in the way the audience behaves – lightsticks in the air, choreographed dance-alongs to music videos before the members go on stage, and fans decked out in outfits straight out of their music videos – and the members strenuously perform and interact with their fans online and offline, for better and, occasionally, for worse.

The London show started at close to 9pm, and Lara, Yoonchae, Megan and Daniela stepped on stage to the sounds of screams loud enough to drown out the first notes of ‘Hootie Frutti.’

from this leg of the tour went unaddressed on stage, and her vocal and choreography sections were left largely untouched by the remaining four, a choice that is presumably sound with the notion that she’ll likely be joining other legs of the tour after a brief hiatus. Still, the playback sections were noticeable, in contrast to parts that were originally Manon’s, which have been seamlessly covered by other members since she stepped away from the group in February.

The first few songs were enough to prove that Lara’s strength lies unmistakably in her vocals – full of powerhouse runs and ad-libs – while the other three put on more of a visually impressive show, each in their own distinct way. Yoonchae with charisma, Daniela with technically polished and acrobatic dance, and Megan with on-stage creativity.

The setlist ran through all of the group’s singles released over their relatively short career, broken up by solo moments in which each member infused their broad-spanning cultural backgrounds and range of skills.

The first was Daniela’s Latin culture staging around ‘Gabriela’, in which she moved very fluidly through tango, samba and salsa before introducing a Brazilian Funk-shaped version of the song and being joined by the full group for the song, including an inventive Flamenco dance break and a charming bridge that saw a crowd of British children singing in fluent Spanish.
Megan’s techno rework of ‘Pinky Up’ landed positively as well, played from a DJ table on stage, if the shaking of the stands is any indication.

K-drama soundtrack ‘Time Lapse’ was the night’s unmistakable emotional point, if not its most vocally clean. The members came down to interact directly with fans at the barricade while Yoonchae proudly sang her verses in her mother tongue, but other sections of the song were undoubtedly best enjoyed in the pit than in the stands, favouring interaction over stability. It was still a touching moment, and Daniela was visibly moved to tears.

What followed was Lara’s solo, ‘Unloveu’, which offered a rare moment of quiet. She introduced the moment with “I’m gonna slow it down for you guys” before presenting the song as the first-ever KATSEYE song written by a member of the group. The remaining three joined in at the end, leaving space in the centre for Sophia. 

Still keeping the vibes calmer, the group performed ‘My Way’ and ‘Bel Air’, which are noticeably standouts within their discography and offered the younger part of the crowd a few minutes of rest between their dancing. 

The final solo section was Yoonchae’s, a fun electronic-leaning dance break to open ‘M.I.A.’ – a song slightly infamous due to its closing sequence, with choreography that drew in equal parts online criticism and support for its non-explicit sexual tones against the artists’ live audience – that, by a show of hands conducted later that evening, included an endearing amount of children at their first-ever concert. 

The final sequence was another highlight of the evening. The members emerged back onstage clad in costumes built from tour merch for ‘Debut’, followed by ‘Iconic By Mistake’, complete with cameos from labelmates LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT, and finally their first mainstream organic viral hit ‘Gnarly’, which turned the room into as close to a rave as possible given the demographic present. 

KATSEYE are set to perform a second concert in London tonight (September 4th) at the O2 Arena before heading to continental Europe for the remaining dates of the Wildworld tour. 

Setlist: Hootie Frutti / Internet Girl / That Way / Touch / Mean Girls / Gabriela [Fan Interaction + Dani solo + Dancebreak] / Pinky Up [Dancebreak] / Animal / Tonight I Might / I’m Pretty / Time Lapse [Members in crowd] / Gameboy / Unloveu / My Way / Bel-Air / M.I.A [Yoonchae solo open + dancebreak] / Debut [Dancebreak] / Iconic By Mistake / Gnarly [Dancebreak + Ending mashup with Pinky Up & Hootie Frutti