From20 X HELLO GLOOM : Fast On The Highway - NEW MORNING - PARIS - 15.04.2024
TEXTE PROMOTIONNEL DE LA TOURNEE
South Korean independent artists and owners of the label from 20 x HELLO GLOOM will embark on their first European tour "Fast On The Highway" in April 2024. The duo, who debuted as K-pop idols but have since focused on a rewarding solo career, will be performing in France. From20, also known as Kim Raehwan, former member and lead vocalist of the K-pop boy group BIGSTAR, is a singer-songwriter, producer, video director, editor, and everything in between. As a soloist, he has offered his own version of the modern-retro combination that delivers tracks heavily influenced by the 80s and synth-pop. HELLO GLOOM, also known as Na Ungjae, former member of the K-pop boy group IMFACT, is an idol turned independent singer-songwriter. Offering a refreshing dose of sincerity, passion, and self-acceptance, he has released music ranging from introspective pop to captivating dance rhythms accompanied by a genre-less visual aesthetic. Together, the members of from 20 x HELLO GLOOM have established WAY BETTER, formerly known as THE FAKER CLUB, a company that has allowed them to generate creative production in music, fashion, and video production on their own terms, serving as a path to expand the boundaries of K-pop and present a new vision for the cultural industry.
(Re) Découvrez notre focus !
LE NEW MORNING
The New Morning is a jazz club located at 7-9 rue des Petites-Écuries in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, placing it ideally in a popular and eclectic neighborhood. The maximum capacity of the venue is 500 seats, which allows for a very good view of the stage regardless of seating, due to its circular formation. For this concert, the proximity to the artists was perfect. In terms of staging, two tour-colored pennants on each side of the stage adorned the venue. Some lighting effects according to the songs, a decent sound reproduction, and a distinct vocal quality complemented the evening's setup. A small venue, renowned for its good sound and focus on vocals, which was very well suited for the duo!
1RST PART
At 7:05 PM, HELLO GLOOM and from20 arrive amidst cheers from the audience. It's the final date of their first European tour, and the duo, pioneers of the WAY BETTER label, come to meet their fans, some of whom have been following them for over 8 years, since their first career with BIGSTAR and IMFACT. They know what to expect tonight, after triumphing on the stage of the FicZone in Grenada (among others), yet they will be surprised throughout the concert, as the Parisian audience is so invested at every moment!
The two singers, dressed in leather jackets and sunglasses, start strong with iconic songs from their repertoire. The particularity of this concert is that, regardless of the song (from20 or HELLO GLOOM), most will be sung by both! *(in parentheses, the name of the original artist of the song)
We start with WEOL (from20), the energy is high! The well-paced title quickly follows with James Dean - READY 4 THE HIGHWAY (from20 & HELLO GLOOM). No pause, it's time for IN THE NIGHT (HELLO GLOOM). This last title with summer accents. Dancing In The Dark, HELLO GLOOM's synth-pop title takes on another dimension in duo! The bass of the soundtrack gives power to the title. We don't lose the rhythm, it's time for "eyes on me" (HELLO GLOOM). Another "summer vibe" title, perfect to liven up the room, with its progressive buildup throughout the song. Now it's from20's turn with Beat It, whose video has reached over 600,000 views! First real break! It's deserved, considering the efforts required by the songs offered so far: Between breakneck rhythm and high notes, you have to take a little break and interact with the audience: The exchange is almost completely in English with a very comfortable from20 and excellent accent! HELLO GLOOM, more shy and hesitant, remains adorable while trying out both French and English.
We can see it guys you are having fun. Thank you fans. Thank you to my ex!
2ND PART
A solo moment in this frenetic concert: from20 covers ANTIFRAGILE by the band LE SSERAFIM! then Hype Boy by NewJeans. And he has nothing to be ashamed of in these performances, they set the stage on fire in front of an audience who knew these songs by heart! To continue, from20 offers two songs from his own repertoire, including the famous Demon that the audience loves (a song part of the "The Revenge Trilogy"), followed by Radio. It's HELLO GLOOM's turn for his solo part: MAMACITA, his latest title, on track to become his biggest success, thanks to the power of social media, tonight, it's fire on stage! I made this song for my family, my friends, and my fans. A quieter piece takes over: SATELLITE. Hello Paris! I love Paris. And we're off again as a duo: from20 joins his companion HELLO GLOOM and takes the concert back to two for F**k You (from20) then with two titles from HELLO GLOOM: Falling & Heaven on Earth. The care taken in balancing the setlist is notable: we easily switch from one artist to another, with coherence and without losing rhythm. Already a good hour of concert, and the t-shirts come off, specifically from20's, and the heat rises a notch at the New Morning: The end is coming. Next song is our last song. It's time to take it off. Champion of the false ending, from20 announces that it's the last song of the concert and it will be TV STAR by HELLO GLOOM: F*cking want to be a TV star! Obviously, those were "THE last songs" and we quickly move on to Because it'll be faster for you to forget me than me loving you by from20. Paris make some noise! Two songs will really conclude this concert (before the potential ENCORE) with a nice balance between the two artists: Drama by HELLO GLOOM and CHEMICAL by from20. Even though we expect an Encore, this concert ending is dynamic, with warm exchanges and unabashed fanservice!
ENCORE
What an "encore"! There were 3 tonight! The two singers were so well in Paris that they didn't want to leave the stage. Between water bottle throws, fan service, and photos with flags (including a beautiful personalized French flag dedicated by the fans), these 3 encores spoiled us. Very generous in interaction with the fans, some audience members even have little videos and photos on their phones! In terms of songs, even though nothing new compared to the concert setlist, the effect is just as incredible, especially on tracks like MAMACITA.
MEET AND GREET
For the luckiest ones who took supplements (group photo, Meet and Greet), everything happened after the concert. The two singers took the time to pose with their fans, while exchanging a few words with most of them. A very appreciated and enjoyable gesture, which will be found on social media, posted by the lucky ones. Overall, a good initiative to offer several different packages that allow everyone to afford a supplement, instead of a "complete" package that would be much more expensive. To finish, some goodies were available: a signed poster and an exclusive polaroid were available at the stand. An additional significant advantage, a gift box was made available to deposit small bonuses for the artists.
CONCLUSION
Fans of HELLO GLOOM and from20 were spoiled: a show that lined up the greatest hits of both artists, a long encore, lots of interaction with the audience, and post-concert events, more than generous. The duo shows versatility in their music and delivers high-quality sounds. We hope to see them again at festivals (like in Spain) or for another tour soon, and above all, with even more visibility, because both boys deserve it!
Thank you to WAYBETTER, 4BB, Envol Production for the accreditation and their trust. Thank you to HELLO GLOOM and from20 for this performance.
Poster tour, group photo : WAYBETTER
Photos concert : K-Pop Concert Team