02.07.2023 : BST FESTIVAL HYDE PARK LONDON :  BLACKPINK

OFFICIAL BST PERFORMANCE REVIEW

BLACKPINK brought the Great Oak Stage stage alive this evening at American Express presents BST Hyde Park, with 17 of their biggest tracks and three outfit changes. Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa signalled their arrival on stage in sleek white outfits and against a hot pink background, kicking off their show with Pink Venom. Introducing themselves to their young crowd, they performed a mix of K-Pop favourites including Kick It, Pretty Savage, How You Like That, and Shut Down. Even their first ever single, Whistle – the one that made them famous – was among the setlist.  Moving between the main stage and a second platform at the end of the walkway, every step the girls took towards the audience only evoked louder screams.“We didn’t expect this much energy from London,” they smiled. “London, what a nice Breeze you have.” A quick change of outfit made way for the ‘solo’ part of the show – where Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and, finally, Lisa each took the lead on vocals to one of their favourite tracks, to enjoy a moment of the limelight to themselves. While Jennie took on You & Me and Jisoo opted for Flower, Rosé’s chosen track was Gone + On The Ground, while Lisa picked Money. The section was bookended by a carefully crafted routine by eight male, and then eight female, dancers. An hour and a half of K-pop heaven later, and drawing their set to a close, the girls appeared in all black for Boombayah, Lovesick Girls and Playing With Fire. Then, it was the turn of Tally and Ddu-du Ddu-du for the great finale. “We’re absolutely honoured to perform here at Hyde Park,” Rosé exclaimed. “It’s a dream come true!

CONFIGURATION FESTIVAL

The American Express presents BST Hyde Park is an annual London festival featuring prestigious guests throughout: P!nk, Bruce Springsteen, Take That, Lana Del Rey, Billy Joel, Gun's and Roses, in this year's "Main act". Spread out over almost 2 weeks, the festival is held in Hyde Park, in central London, in the city's tourist district. The park is extremely large, with a good quarter of it dedicated to the festival, which can accommodate no less than 70,000 people at maximum capacity every day. 

Dozens of food stalls from all over the world await festival-goers, as do merch stands, a guest area, a carousel and other moments of relaxation. The festival alternates performances on 3 stages. Film screenings and yoga sessions are also held to diversify the audience's activities! Affordable, the first pass is less than 100 pounds. However, it can go very high for the Platinium and other sesame passes for the seats closest to the main stage. 

The main stage was named Great Oak stage, because an (artificial) tree dominated the installation. Musically, the sound is pretty good, despite the size of the event, and there's no shortage of sound distractions. In the evening, the lighting effects bring out all the colours, accompanied by cotillions. 

Finally, the screens, large enough to be seen from a distance, projected beautiful images of the band on stage. In the middle of the park, another giant screen is available for those further away.

Note: As media photos were not allowed, no official media photos were taken of the performances. The photos in the article are provided by YG and the organizers of the BST Festival.

BLACKPINK : PERFORMANCE

BLACKPINK has been extremely busy since the start of their World Tour last year! After their visit to London in Novembre, the girls are coming back in Europe on July 15th for a memorable "ENCORE" at the Stade de France in Paris. In the meantime, they have fine-tuned a new version of their performance, with a stronger focus on the festival atmosphere. After Coachella, it's now the turn of the BST Festival in Hyde Park, London. Announced months in advance and sold out, eagerly awaited by Londoners (and many Blinks from around the world who came specifically for this July 2nd event), BLACKPINK's performance is historic for several reasons: the first Asian and Korean group to headline the BST Festival, with sold-out tickets in all categories! That's it, everything is set for a great moment, a grand BLACKPINK performance, despite their hectic schedule of concerts, promotions, festivals, and fashion shows... How will the group achieve this feat in front of an audience that is already devoted to their cause but also demanding?

As mentioned earlier, the stage of the Great Oak Stage is exceptional, adorned with a giant artificial tree and surrounded by an array of equally impressive technical equipment. Lights burst from everywhere, illuminating Hyde Park primarily in pink! The crowd chants the group's name, waving their (hammer Bong) lightsticks that are already prepared and glowing! "BLACKPINK! BLACKPINK!" The audience has been eagerly waiting for over an hour. The performance, scheduled for 8:30 PM, starts about 10 to 15 minutes later after some stage and instrument adjustments. Yes, BLACKPINK will be accompanied by their regular orchestra, male and female dancers, and high-quality sound and visual effects. Just like that!

The concert is divided into three distinct parts: it begins with a beautiful introduction followed by an electrifying VCR that ignites the crowd, featuring performances by the dance troupe. PINK VENOM echoes, they're here! The audience erupts with excitement as the concert finally kicks off with the presence of Rosé, Jisoo, Jennie, and Lisa! The songs quickly follow: How You Like That, then Pretty Savage, and Kick It! The dancers change their outfits for an extended instrumental version of Whistle! Meanwhile, the girls take the opportunity to change and start the second part of the concert dedicated to solos! After an intro and a VCR that keeps the energy high, Jennie takes the stage with shortened and modified versions of You & Me and SOLO! Jisoo then takes her place for the eagerly awaited Flower, followed by Rosé, who starts with a mini intro of Gone and seamlessly transitions into On the Ground, all on a large platform overlooking the stage! Lisa doesn't hold back either and during MONEY, she treats the audience to an impressive dance break!

The dancers return for another performance during the "interlude/outfit change," this time with BOOMBAYAH. The incredibly popular song electrifies the crowd! And here they are, BLACKPINK, still full of energy! It's a true communion with the audience! It's time for Lovesick Girls and Playing With Fire! Now it's the orchestra's turn to shine and deliver a small musical solo. The orchestra brings a real depth to the performances. Feathers fall, and the girls return for Typa Girl and Shut Down! The group takes the time to interact with the audience, expressing their gratitude for their presence. Rosé is thrilled to be in London! The group introduces the members of the orchestra accompanying them on their tour, and then it's time for Tally! Over an hour and 20 minutes of performance, and the concert reaches its end, leading to the "ENCORE" with the iconic Ddu Du Ddu-Du! Confetti rains down, lights dance in all directions, the bass amplifies, and the finale is here! And what could be more iconic than ending the concert with Forever Young? BLACKPINK IS THE REVOLUTION! The group thanks the audience and disappears into the night. The concert is over, and everyone goes home, holding their lightsticks and with stars in their eyes.

CONCLUSION

We had a fantastic setlist with 17 songs! Despite some surprising rhythm losses (black screen, music stopped, stage only with dancers) due to production, which created a rather curious sensation of being plunged into darkness without any music after having been thrilled for about twenty minutes (the duration of a segment), the concert was phenomenal: the stage was huge, the audience was there, and the girls were extremely cheerful and dynamic. It was a beautiful performance by the group, which also allowed us to (re)discover lesser-played songs, especially Jisoo's famous solo Flower finally performed live! And the outfits were stunning. The BST performance definitely ranks in the top 10 for the girls. Despite limited visibility for those in the pit or at the other end of the park, the memory left by this concert is unforgettable, and we hope it will inspire major European festivals to trust more Korean artists, even though the trend, though timid, is starting to confirm itself with the regular presence of The Rose in this summer's festivals (including BST), and Stray Kids soon at Lolla Paris.

SET-LIST

1RST PART

BLACKPINK (Intro)

VCR (Crew performance)

Pink Venom

How You Like That

Pretty Savage

Kick It

Whistle (hort version)

Whistle Remix (Crew performance)


2ND PART - SOLO - 

Solos Intro

VCR

JENNIE : You & Me / SOLO 

JISOO : Flower

ROSÉ  : Gone / On The Ground

LISA : MONEY


3RD PART

BOOMBAYAH Remix (Crew performance)

BOOMBAYAH

Lovesick Girls

Playing with Fire

Typa Girl

Shut Down

Tally


ENCORE

DDU-DU DDU-DU

Forever Young

Follow BLACKPINK on SNSThanks to BST Festival Organisation organisation for the accreditation and trust

Crédit : BST Festival

Pictures :YG Official