“KCON LA 2023” Recap: Historic Headliners, Special Stages, & Wild Weather

An earthquake and a tropical storm couldn’t stop a busy weekend of K-Pop in Los Angeles for KCON 2023!

KCON LA 2023 got underway at Crypto Arena on Friday, August 18, 2023 – with fans swarming to get a glimpse of their faves.

Now in its eleventh year, KCON organizers know their audience well and have stuck with their newest winning formula for the events 2023 edition, offering a curated mix of well-established artists taking the main stage as well as a “Nice to Meet You Showcase” for some ridiculously talented up-and-comers.

What ensued was massive amounts of dancing, a few surprises, more dancing, and plenty of fun, at least when fans weren’t visibly irritated. Yes, irritated. From long lines and lack of information sharing to poor concert etiquette and more, the event left a slightly bad taste in many attendees’ mouths.

Below, we’ve recapped the highlights of the event.

The Idol’s Idol – Lee Taemin

KCON LA 2023 offered a pretty good lineup, but nothing could’ve prepared fans or fellow idols for the appearance of SHINee’s Taemin on the main stage. The reigning prince of K-Pop, otherwise lovingly referred to as “the idol’s idol,” was nothing short of spectacular during his first performance at KCON LA in seven years.

Dressed in an all-black suit-styled ensemble, the K-Pop icon headlined night one of KCON LA 2023. Accompanied by a mix of female and male dancers, Taemin captivated the packed Crypto.com Arena with his signature moves as he glided across the stage in a way only he could. As he took the audience through his fan-favorite songs, “Advice,” “Criminal,” and “Move,” there wasn’t an audience member in sight who wasn’t singing or dancing along. In particular, idols who performed earlier in the night watched on from the audience below the stage, with many being caught “fanboying” over the artist, including CRAVITY’s Allen. When it came time for Taemin to take his final bow, ending night one, he was met with an overwhelming, disgruntled sigh from the audience that meant they would have stayed there all night to watch him perform if they could.

MONSTA X’s Shownu and Hyungwon Look Like Seasoned Pros

What happens when you combine two of MONSTA X’s well-known introverts into a subunit and send them abroad to perform? The answer – A LOT. From being their usual memeable selves to almost breaking the stage (figuratively and literally), Hyungwon and Shownu’s charisma and talent were on display.

The duo stunned fans with their unit debut title track, “Love Me A Little,” before playing games with the crowd that included performing a few select dance covers – like MONSTA X’s “Shoot Out.” Before closing out their time on stage, the twosome treated fans to the well-loved MONSTA X b-side track, “Who Do U Love?” In particular, Shownu and Hyungwon showcased their entire range of skills, making fans swoon over their visuals, vocals, dance abilities, and charms. The duo promised to return in the future as a full group of six, alongside their fellow members who are currently fulfilling their mandatory military service, or about to.

The Black Ocean That Wasn’t

Ahead of day two’s festivities, netizens had hit a tipping point regarding Rain, with a call for a “black ocean” during the artist’s performance making the rounds on Twitter/X. Rain first took the stage after the opening acts as a special MC to introduce the first artist of the night before returning later for his set.

While photos and videos have circulated, calling the “black ocean” a semi-success, that isn’t necessarily true. In reality, Rain’s performance was met with a general lack of interest, undoubtedly because the artist hasn’t performed in the U.S. since his tour in 2009 – a time before most current K-Pop fans were part of the fandom. Additionally, many fans only know “Rainism” through covers by BTS’ Jungkook, MONSTA X’s Shownu, TWICE’s Daehyun, and Brave Girls, to name a few.

I say general lack of interest lightly because once Rain finished “Rainism” and dived into “Domestic,” he turned up the heat, removing his jacket to greet fans with his abs, which promptly earned him cheers. The artist wrapped up his set with his song, “La Song,” encouraging fans to sing along with him, which they did.

WAYV Makes its Mark on the US

The NCT subunit, WayV, made its inaugural trip to the U.S., and to say KCONers were thrilled is an understatement. The group first teased the audience, taking the stage to sing KCON’s “Poppia” song before returning later in the night.

Welcomed by a sea of the signature green glow of their light stick, Ten, WinWin, Xiaojun, Hendery, and Yangyang enchanted fans with their powerful stage presence, ethereal visuals, and strong vocals/rap with the fan-favorite “Love Talk” as well as their latest release “Phantom.” The group may have only performed two songs, but it was enough to leave attendees wanting more – many hoping their KCON appearance signaled a comeback, U.S. tour, or both.

ATEEZ Does What They Do Best

Nobody loves ATINY more than ATEEZ, and the group proved that by giving fans multiple opportunities to see and engage with them over the last week. From fansigns and dance challenges to roaming the KCON convention floor and more, ATEEZ wasn’t shy about getting up close and personal.

As a KCON regular, ATEEZ has more than proven they can burn down the stage. Featured as an opener ahead of their headlining set, ATEEZ left the crowd slack-jawed with their hit song, “Wonderland.” As if that wasn’t enough, when the group finally returned later, the shock and awe continued as Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Mingi, San, Wooyoung, Yeosang, Yunho, and Jongho captivated fans with “Bouncy,” “Pirate King,” “From,” and “Guerilla.”

EVERGLOW Is Back

After over eighteen months, EVERGLOW returned in more ways than one. Not only did the group release their fourth single album, All My Girls, on Friday, August 18th (their first since 2021), but also returned to the stage as a full group.

Met with overwhelming cheers and screams, EVERGLOW absolutely nailed their set from start to finish. In particular, it was nearly impossible to hear the vocals of E:U, Sihyeon, Mia, Onda, Aisha, and Yiren over the arena singing along with them. The members took the crowd’s breath away with their amazing vocal prowess, dance skills, and visuals as they took fans through their songs, “Slay,” Dun Dun Dun,” and “La Di Da.” It’s definitely good to have them back.

STRAY KIDS Doesn’t Give A What?

In true STRAY KIDS fashion, Bang Chan, Changbin, Lee Know, Han, Felix, Seungmin, Hyunjin, and I.N. treated attendees to their insane stage presence that continued throughout their set. The group performed not one, not two, not three, but five of their songs.

From the opening, “S-Class,” to the closing, “Top Line,” Stray Kids brought the house down with their adorable yet masculine charms, vocals, and dancing – meeting fans in the aisles, along the barricade, and more as security looked on in anxiety. In particular, Hyunjin had to be “chased” off the stage at the close of the show by a producer, even flashing him an evil boyish grin before he continued running around the stage to say goodbye to fans before finally resolving himself to leave.

Other Notable Performances

• IVE – “Kitsch,” Dream Stage “I Am”
• 8TURN – “EXCEL”
• VERIVERY – “Ring Ring Ring”
• RIIZE – “Siren”
• CRAXY – “Nugudom”
• XG – “GIRL GVNG,” Special Stage 2NE1’s “I’m The Best” Cover
• JUST B – “RE=LOAD”
• JO1 – “Trigger,” Special Stage SEVENTEEN “Super” Cover
• ZEROBASEONE – “In Bloom”
• THE BOYZ Unit (Q, Juyeon, Hyunjae, Younghoon, Sunwoo) – “Passion Fruit”
• NCT U (Taeyong + Ten) – “Baby Don’t Stop”

As we close out what was an unforgettable KCON LA 2023, we can’t wait to see which groups from the three-day event do next. See you next year, KCON!

Photos by iamraeiam.