By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Stephanie Pradnyaparamita from Indonesia

On a scorching day in Jakarta, I drove my car to see Stray Kids in concert. This K-pop boy band represented by JYP Entertainment made its debut in March this year. Despite being new to the K-pop scene, the group has made a name for itself since appearing last year on the TV reality competition show of the same name, “Stray Kids.”

Upon arriving at the parking area near the concert hall, I saw hordes of the group’s fans, who are officially called STAYs. The band was appearing with other acts including Slot Machine from Thailand, Anne-Marie from the U.K., Tulus from Indonesia and DJ Alan Walker from Norway. Most people in the line around me wore yellow ribbons on their wrists and held hand banners; other Stray Kids paraphernalia confirmed that they’d come to see this rookie group like I did. We queued for hours before entering the venue under the bright sun as the organizer didn’t prepare enough shade for us. Despite the uncomfortable weather, STAYs meeting each other for the first time talked to each other like friends. Some of them even shared snacks and drinks to make sure that we’d have some energy left to enjoy the concert later.

The concert kicked off with a performance by the Thai rock band Slot Machine, followed by the British singer Anne-Marie. Because I didn’t know the order of performers, who went on next was always a surprise. Not long after Anne-Marie left the stage, the long-awaited Stray Kids appeared on the jumbo screen in front of us. This caused the crowd to scream in anticipation of their performance.

The boy band heated up the stage by starting off with their debut hit “District 9.” Everyone in the audience screamed and danced so hard. It was hard for me to believe that many there could shout out fan chants so well as they contained many long and fast phrases, so it was quite hard even for people who understood Korean. The high excitement made us immune to the pushing and shoving that ensued while dancing and singing along with the group. The concert was stopped for several minutes for safety reasons because of the capacity crowd, especially at the front section where I stood. After things calmed down, Stray Kids continued their performance with “My Pace.” I love this song’s message of keep looking ahead, stop being jealous of others and walk one’s own path at one’s own pace.

The band slowed things up a bit with the songs “Awkward Silence” and “Grow Up,” and closed the concert with its pre-debut song “Hellevator.” This was the second time I got to see the group perform the song live. A day before the Honorary Reporters Induction Ceremony was held back in January this year, I had visited Seoul’s Gangnam district to meet friends and planned to buy the group’s pre-debut album at COEX Mall.

While exploring the mall, I heard girls screaming and walked toward them to see what all the commotion was about. Surprisingly, I saw Stray Kids there. They held a hi-touch (fan meet) event and performed several songs including “Hellevator.” I was mesmerized by their talent in seeing them perform live for the first time and wanted to see them again. It’s still hard to believe that in less than a year, I got another chance to see them, this time in my country, and I screamed for them just like those girls at COEX Mall. I confess to being a Stray Kids addict after seeing them live twice, and I’m dying to see them again.

Though not everything went as planned during the band’s debut performance in Jakarta, I hope Stray Kids consider Indonesia as a venue for a bigger and solo concert. I also wish that they remember this Jakarta concert as the moment when Indonesia fell in love with Stray Kids.



wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.