As the live event industry remains halted amid the coronavirus pandemic, artists have been taking to other means to keep the spirit of concerts alive. K-pop sensation BTS joined artists livestreaming for their own “Bang Bang Con,” which became the world’s biggest paid online concert in history.
The livestream, presented by BTS’ management company Big Hit Entertainment, took place yesterday, streaming from a studio in Seoul. The 100-minute show drew in around 756,000 viewers from across the globe in 107 countries, including South Korea, the U.S., Britain, China, and Japan. According to Big Hit, the attendance accounted for 15 filled stadiums – the largest attendance from any live stream ever.
Throughout the event, which consisted 12 songs, BTS fans were sitting in online “rooms.” The stage production of these rooms changed constantly, presenting five different scenes to coincide with each song. Fans had the chance to see the show from six different camera angles with help from the US streaming service startup Kiswe Mobile.
“Despite the difficulties the concert industry is going through due to COVID-19, BTS is being evaluated as opening new possibilities through its online concert,” Big Hit said in a statement.
As the industry remains halted, K-pop fans can likely expect to see more like “Bang Bang Con” going forward. BTS’ Map of the Soul World Tour, which would have kicked-off this past spring, has been rescheduled to 2021.
On Monday, BTS dropped the 13-track LP Map Of The Soul: 7 – The Journey, which includes original Japanese songs “Stay Gold” and “Your Eyes Tell,” as well as Japanese versions of hits “ON,” “Boy With Luv,” and “Fake Love.”
