[SINGAPORE] P1Harmony Basks in Gen Z Zest with Equally Hip Fans

P1Harmony was in town on September 17 for the Singapore leg of their Live Tour ‘P1USTAGE H:P1ONEER’, attracting over 1000 fans (nicknamed P1eces) to The Theatre at Mediacorp. 

Their 2023 tour marks the first time the FNC Entertainment boy group is exploring Asian territory, having extensively promoted in the US thus far. Other stops in Asia include Hong Kong, Manila, Taipei, Bangkok, and Jakarta.

From the moment all fans got on their feet for the first song, we knew we were in for a ride. The six members of P1Harmony debuted into the pandemic back in late 2020, and their fans have spent a considerable period watching the boys in online concerts, so this is a very starved crowd we are talking about. 

Given their overflowing charisma and polished skills, we can safely say P1Harmony was worth the long wait.

Invigorating Performances

Decked in navy blue marching band-inspired jackets, the boys looked smart for the opening tracks of the evening, Look At Me Now and Back Down. Scared and That’s It played to the sassier side of the group. The show was run in a no-frills manner, free of elaborate stage effects, allowing the audience to focus on what the boys had to show. 

Most songs, except for a handful of mid-tempo ballads, were accompanied by gruelling choreography, the usual 4th-gen K-pop fare, but P1Harmony executed it with exceptional flair and ease. The singing did not fall any short of the dancing — the group flaunted their vocal skills in less dance-intensive songs like Me Too, Gotta Get Back, and Love Me For Me, indulging fans with a stellar live concert experience.

The same voracity was sustained throughout Secret Sauce, Follow Me, Doom Du Doom, Do It Like This, and JUMP, the latter of which Keeho mentioned to be one of the toughest songs to perform. Doom Du Doom particularly stood out not only for its cathartic energy, but also because it featured a gravity-defying solo dance break by Soul, which we later discover is freestyled with each performance of the song. Despite their young ages, which span from 18 to 22, P1Harmony carried themselves like seasoned performers.

Solos and Units Show Versatility

The six boys are strong as a group, but they are no weaker apart. The second part of the concert showcased a series of solo and unit performances, with a mix and match of members trying their hand at genres that P1Harmony doesn’t typically tackle.  

Theo was the first to show up, with a single mic stand, to perform 21 by DEAN, who is his favourite musician. True to his name, Soul presented a soulful ballad, Hug Me by JOONIL JUNG. The atmosphere quickly perked up for Beyoncé’s Deja Vu by Keeho, followed by Michael Jackson’s Love Never Felt So Good by Jiung, who was later joined by Keeho and Soul.

One of P1Harmony’s main appeals is its hip hop focus, which might not be all too rare in the landscape of boy groups of late, but they do have some solid rappers in the group to set them apart from their peers. Intak and Jongseob showed us that they are serious about their craft, appearing in twin fur coats to perform an original rap track. The rapper duo displayed impressive flow and rhythm, especially for a verse at the beginning that was performed a cappella.

Easiness of Veterans, Despite Pressures

Maybe it’s because they’re a fully Gen Z group, but P1Harmony’s demeanour as a whole did not have that air of untouchability that idols usually carry themselves with. The concert felt like a big gathering of friends for the members and P1eces. Before performing Do It Like This, Jiung threatened to leave if fans didn’t copy Intak’s dance moves to a T. Thankfully, it worked out for everyone — Jiung did not leave, and fans were complimented for their dancing skills. The boys also faked leaving the stage during the encore, only to reappear among the audience to snap pictures and meet fans up close. 

All of them mostly spoke in perfect English throughout the show, but we gained a newfound respect for Keeho, a Toronto native, who seemed to be in charge of interpreting the members’ occasional Korean. Perhaps to reward his hard work as the leader of the group, Keeho jokingly requested that the members sing an early birthday song for him and fellow September babies in the audience, with an interesting request for hip hop flavour in the birthday song. “Very shiok,” Keeho rated the hip hop birthday song.

It was the members’ first time in Singapore, with the exception of Soul who once visited the city as a child with his family — before the show, he had shared photos from the 2016 trip on the group’s Instagram. “It’s a strange experience,” Soul added. 

In the group’s concluding remarks, Keeho opened up on the pressure that P1Harmony faces each time they perform in a new country. “You guys showed us that there was nothing to worry about,” Keeho shared. “Thank you for letting us live out our dreams.”

Special thanks to Live Nation Singapore for the media invite! 

Written by: Gloria
Photos by: FNC Entertainment and Live Nation Singapore

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