Lightsticks are a big factor in K-Pop culture.
Each group has a lightstick unique to their concept, and their concerts are known to be colorful oceans made up of these lightsticks. For example, BTS are known for their purple ocean, BLACKPINK for their pink, and GOT7 and NCT for their green.
The purple ocean huhu pic.twitter.com/kRBsedzAer
— skylar (@wolfkim__) October 29, 2022
Lovesick Girls in the Pink Ocean 🥹🥹🥹🥹 pic.twitter.com/6R8MiC3UJD
— Tobias🏴☠️Sihyeon's Pirate🌌 (@InSomniaDiadem) October 27, 2022
But if a K-Pop fan attends a music show, award show, or festival rather than their artist’s concert, they usually keep their lightstick up during another artist’s performance to encourage the performers.
Thank you for nctzens because light up your bongs for Laboum, we don't have lightstick even 8 years in the Kpop industry. Genuine good heart from all those supporters who sang together Laboum Journey To Atlantis song too 💖#LABOUM #라붐 @officialLABOUM pic.twitter.com/mQmKbbwraz https://t.co/cM8GnqQppA
— Zafira (@DreamBoumKiss) June 19, 2022
Likewise, the dreaded “black ocean” is created if lightsticks are not on. “Black Ocean” is an organized protest of an artist during their performance.
The only black ocean army has every given an artist was at jingle ball 2019 when Katy Perry asked an arena full of us if we were happy that we were able to stay up past our bed time 😐 pic.twitter.com/Utyjt5SHN2
— dia⁷ (@jjkstillwthyou) August 7, 2020
While TWICE is one of the most popular K-Pop girl groups today, even they were not free from the “black ocean.”
A little over a year after TWICE made their debut, they attended The 2016 Melon Music Awards (also known as MMA). They performed their hit songs “Cheer Up” and “TT.” “Cheer Up” was not only nominated for Song of the Year but won.
Despite this being an event filled with great achievement for the girl group, they experienced a “black ocean” during the performance and also while winning the award.
remembering all the shits rookie twice had to go through just bcs they were "too young" to achieve such awards that idols back then could only dream of and talking abt big awards, rookie twice received a black ocean while receiving their first daesang🥺-pic.twitter.com/O0ZpP0qyTg
— ceon JIHYO DEBUT D-DAY !! 🧡 (@heavenymomo) November 27, 2022
Yet, eagle-eyed netizens noticed something. While everyone else had turned off their lightsticks, members of the BTS ARMY still raised their lightsticks, the ARMY BOMB, during both TWICE’s performance and their win. So, their ocean was not completely black; ARMYs’ lights illuminated it.
@twiceremainashistory the friendship we want #armyonce #bangtwice #army #once #bts #twice #fyp
Yall coming after armys stanning twice as if they aren't the only fandom beside onces who cheered the girls up when they got their first daesang while others gave them black ocean.. pic.twitter.com/7ZeAJ3sgRQ
— zιnєв°lilac (@TwiceIULand) April 30, 2019
Twice had a Black Ocean…….but Armys tried to help us
by u/SeLytelMerewif in twice
Thanks to ARMYs, TWICE did not have to experience a truly black ocean even if many attendees had turned off their lightsticks.
They said this This was on
was a black 2008 dream
ocean concert
(Twice, 2019) (SNSD, 2008) pic.twitter.com/8dzQpaS14H— Jazz ☁️ DM LIMIT (@mjkmwntr) October 8, 2019
BTS has also endured two different “black oceans,” one being at the same 2016 Melon Music Awards.
never forget how BTS was faced with a black ocean receiving their first ever daesang in MMA 2016 pic.twitter.com/QmyGeBfeui
— imo (@mikrokosmomo) June 11, 2020
So, ARMYs would not want other artists to experience such a thing. Also, both groups, TWICE and BTS, won their first daesangs at the award show.
TWICE & BTS took home DAESANGS.
so haters the only gain you had from those black oceans is….YOUR BATTERIES GOT SAVED. CONGRATULATIONS !! pic.twitter.com/XiaHLOZgEZ— u⁷ (@happinesspjm) November 19, 2016
Read more about K-Pop groups who survived the infamous “black ocean” below.
