LOS ANGELES, CA–
“…Give me a cha-cha beat boy! My favorite performance of Head In The Clouds– BY FAR– was Jay Park, an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, and entrepreneur of Korean descent. The announcement of Jay Park on the lineup created a lot of buzz, since the last time he performed in the United States was in 2019. Known as the “scene stalwart” of Korean R&B, Park is famous for his charisma and insane energy, and he did not disappoint.
Jay Park’s career has been surrounded by scandal, but he is credited as one of the main figures responsible for the increased commercial acceptance and mainstream popularization of K-hip hop in South Korea. Originally born in Edmunds, Washington, Jay Park rose to fame as the Leader of JYP’s boy group, 2PM. However, after comments he wrote about Korea as a teenager came to the surface, he left the group and did not return until 2010, when he debuted as a solo rapper and producer. Not only has Jay Park released multiple albums, collaborating with influential artists like IU and Charli XCX, he also created high own record labels– AOMG, H1ghr Music, and More Vision– and recently started his own soju brand, WON SOJU.
Opening with “All I Wanna Do,” Park brought out the swag that few people possess. It’s worth mentioning that he began the song singing the English version but closed singing the Korean version. Maybe I’m reading into it, but I think that the fact that Jay Park sang both versions of “All I Wanna Do” highlights how he brings American influences to his music but has also remained true to his Korean heritage. Maybe that’s why his fan base is as dedicated as it is.
Prior to his performance, Park teased two special guests on his Instagram story, so fans were speculating that he would bring out someone from his record label, H1ghr Music. Turns out they were right. After performing “Yacht” and “Garadara,” his collaboration with IU, Jay Park brought out Sik-K, and they performed “Party” together. If I told you that the crowd went absolutely insane when Sik-K appeared, that would be an understatement compared to when Park brought out pH-1 for a performance of “Cupid.” All three of them are signed under the same label, so their brotherhood was fully on display throughout the 40-minute performance.
The energy that the three shared was infectious because the fans could not get enough. I cannot count how many bras were thrown on stage and how many chants were started (one of my favorite moments was when Jay Park and Sik-K clinked the bras like wine glasses on stage).
Just when I thought his performance couldn’t get any better, Jay Park closed his performance by taking his shirt off and performing his sexiest track, “Mommae.” Needless to say, the crowd went berserk. Even after he went off stage, fans were screaming his name for minutes on end. Thank you, Jay Park, for such a great performance, and I’m already waiting for his next performance in Los Angeles…”
Follow Jay Park on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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