If you’ve been to a K-pop concert in Malaysia, you may have realised that the fans are often singing along to the songs performed by the idols. Of course, this habit doesn’t go unnoticed by the stars on stage.
Over the weekend, K-pop group HIGHLIGHT (하이라이트) held their “RIDE OR DIE” concert at the Idea Live Arena, marking their long-awaited return to Malaysia. During the show, the group, also known as BEAST/B2ST (비스트), performed a slew of hits from their discography, including some iconic tracks like “Fiction” and “Shock”. However, it was their performance of “On Rainy Days” that caught the most attention, but for an unexpected reason.
In true Malaysian K-pop fans’ fashion, the crowd began singing along to the 2011 hit as the members were performing on stage. As the fans enthusiastically sang along to the chorus, member Yoseob paused and took off his in-ear monitors to get a clearer listen. The vocalist even began to tear up, clearly moved by the moment. The other members also looked impressed by the fans’ impromptu chorus.
Yoseob would bring up the moment again later that evening, praising the fans for how well they sang along to the songs. He also encouraged them to sing the song again, this time without a backing track. Amused by the local fans’ singing abilities, the HIGHLIGHT members would then start a random karaoke session with fans, singing together to some of their earlier hits, including “Beautiful”, “Bad Girl” and “Mystery”.
Online, fans have reacted to the two viral moments from the concert. Many cooed over Yoseob’s emotional reaction, noting how touched he was. On the other hand, some quipped that Malaysian fans can easily sing along to the ballad because of its popularity among locals. Others also joked that the K-pop group shouldn’t underestimate the local fans’ tendency to “karaoke” at any given moment.
Some fans are also hoping for HIGHLIGHT to add more of their hit songs to their setlist the next time they hold a concert in Malaysia. While we wait for that day to come, here’s a look at the two viral “karaoke” moments from the concert:
@alexhkf He teared in the end 🥲🩷 #HIGHLIGHT #BEAST #RIDE_OR_DIE_IN_MY #HIGHLIGHTinMY #HIGHLIGHTinKL
@_piqapica
