Big on B.A.P boys

They may have only debuted in January last year, but Korean boy band B.A.P looks set to make their mark in the saturated Kpop music industry.

They may even give their A-list seniors Super Junior, Big Bang and SHINee a run for their money.

When the sextet arrived at City Square Mall on Wednesday evening for a fan meet, over 3,000 fans turned up to show their support.

Some had queued overnight at the shopping mall to secure a good position to catch a glimpse of their idols.

Student Sharon Handaya, 20, who had queued alone from 10pm the night before, said: "I was worried that there would be many fans queuing up too as there are so many B.A.P fans around, so I came earlier to make sure I got the best standing position.

"I like how they are different from other new K-pop boy bands. Their lyrics are about societal issues, and not just about love. They will definitely be the next generation of big K-pop idols."

B.A.P, which stands for Best Absolute Perfect, consists of Bang Yongguk and Kim Himchan, both 23, Jung Daehyun, 20, Yoo Youngjae, 19, Moon Jongup, 18, and Zelo, 17.

The cream of the crop among K-pop's rising stars, B.A.P bagged 13 Best Newcomer awards at various award ceremonies last year, including the prestigious Melon Music Awards and Gaon Chart K-pop Awards.

The group set themselves apart from the start with hit single Warrior - a powerful, explosive track that caught the attention of both fans and music critics alike.

Within two days of its release, Warrior sold over 10,000 copies in South Korea. The band's debut album Power sold out its initial batch of 30,000 copies in South Korea.

Student Joanna Yeong, who lives in Malaysia,flew in from Kuala Lumpur for two days to see the six-piece outfit.

The excited 20-year-old said: "B.A.P's songs are very powerful, and they have a strong stage presence when they perform. I can relate to the lyrics, which is why I like them so much.

"I especially like the leader Yongguk because his voice is very strong and special."

Student Leonard Luke, 13, who joined the queue at 6am, said: "B.A.P reminds me of superstar group Big Bang when they first debuted. They are very talented and especially charismatic on stage. I can see them being the next top idol group in five years' time.

"My favourite member is Zelo because his rapping skills are very good. The entire group is just too awesome."

Deafening screams

And it seems the boys were well worth the long wait. They showed up at 7.30pm to deafening screams and an explosion of camera flashes.

B.A.P - who visited Singapore in March last year for a joint fan meet with TS Entertainment label mates Secret - were in town for their first solo Live On Earth concert at The Star Theatre on Thursday.

The Star Theatre is at The Star Performing Arts Centre.

The group waved to the crowd, with Bang saying through a translator in Korean: "Singapore is so clean and the people are very nice. And most importantly, our fans are so pretty!"

He added: "You guys have shown us so much love, so we'll show all of you twice the amount of love when we perform at our concert here. Thanks for being so loyal and faithful to us!"

Kim continued: "If we have a chance to film a music video in Singapore, we definitely will!"

The fan meet may have lasted only 30 minutes, but those moments were precious to their die-hard supporters.

Student Jacklyn Tan, 15, gushed: "They waved in my direction! I am so happy and I think I am going to have sweet dreams of B.A.P."

jocelee@sph.com.sg

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