The Creative Director For BLACKPINK’s Tour Notices A Major Difference Between K-Pop And Western Artists’ Concerts
BLACKPINK completed 14 BORN PINK shows in the US and Canada, concluding the North American leg of their tour.
The group still has the European and Asia leg of their tour to complete, with their next stops being seven cities across Europe.
The show has mesmerized fans and fellow celebrities with the group’s incredible performances of their new songs as well as their older hits. They’ve pulled out all the stops, carefully planning the production of the largest concert tour ever conducted by a K-Pop girl group.
The creative director behind the tour, Amy Bowerman, recently sat down with VICE for an interview on all things BORN PINK World Tour.
Amy Bowerman has worked with artists such as Harry Styles, Rina Sawayama, and Dua Lipa and was approached by YG Entertainment about BLACKPINK’s tour in the spring of this year.
BLACKPINK Rosé’s solo stage | @amylouisebowerman/Instagram
Under Bowerman’s creative direction, they successfully planned the show with a quick turnaround. The team was able to create a magnificent concert with creative input from the members themselves.
Despite having an impressive roster of tours by A-list stars from around the world, Bowerman realized a key component of K-Pop concerts makes it different from Western artists’ shows, and that’s the fans. It quickly became a component that Bowerman had to make adjustments around.
I’ve learned about just how valued the fans are in K-pop. K-pop fans are given just as much consideration in the live environment as the group are, which is incredible. That was an amazing thing to learn more about.
— Amy Bowerman
She made a specific comparison, stating that the end of any concert is often planned around getting the artist off stage as fast as possible and whisking them away from the venue without being seen.
In contrast, K-Pop artists often take the end of the concert to address fans directly in their “ending ment,” lingering on stage to read fan signs, take pictures, sometimes answer questions, or even accept gifts. On the BORN PINK tour, VIP ticketholders have a chance to see the group off in a unique “send-off” experience.
Bowerman acknowledges that the “send-off” has created some of the most viral moments from the tour with heartwarming and sometimes surprising interactions between BLACKPINK and BLINKs.
If you look at videos of the tour so far, it’s mostly BLACKPINK engaging with their fans.
— Amy Bowerman
There’s a Western view, I think, that the K-pop world is quite cold because their performances are highly polished. But breaking those for a human moment turns it from this huge, untouchable thing into something the fans can really engage with.
— Amy Bowerman
When the group isn’t creating unforgettable memories with BLINKs, they’re also making lifelong memories with each other!
Check out the article below for more on BLACKPINK’s BORN PINK tour!
BLACKPINK Rosé’s Incredibly Heartwarming Gesture Toward Jennie Is Going Viral