"On this starry night, with my heart trembling in my chest, I'll give it all to you, baby, come closer to me, hold my hands, I'll give myself to you" (G-DRAGON "
Before you can get too excited about the confessional lyrics, he approaches. He wears a VR device weighing up to 1kg like glasses, and before he can complain about the "pressure of the weight," he appears.
G-DRAGON (BIGBANG), the all-time superstar, is the one who has been a big star for a long time. There is nothing more exciting than this. He is so close that you can almost touch him if you reach out your hand. It is hard to tell whether it is reality or fantasy.
It's enough to give the illusion of being naked. The smooth skin shines on the slender jaw line, and the "eye attack" makes the hearts of VIPs ("BIGBANG" fans) pound, regardless of gender.
Kim Dong-yeon (36), who came out after viewing the VR content, said, "When I was a student, there were no exhibitions or pop-up stores for K-pop artists, so I never got to experience them. But now I've come across Shinsegae."
"Yeah. It was inexplicably embarrassing to see him so close. When G-DRAGON started dancing, I felt like I wanted to stand up and take on the challenge," he said with a hearty laugh.
At 11 a.m. on the 10th, a crowd of people in their 20s to 40s who were clearly G-DRAGON fans gathered at The Hyundai Seoul, the largest department store in Yeouido, Seoul.
The purpose of the visit was to see the "Übermensch" media exhibition of G-DRAGON, who returned as a solo artist after 11 years and five months. The exhibition will continue until the 19th, but on this day, the "Family Day"
" It was a day when only fan club members could enter. The 5th floor Epic Seoul, which is said to be the hottest of all the spaces in The Hyundai Seoul, had a 7-meter-tall pure white daisy in full bloom.
Your encounter with G-DRAGON begins when you step off the elevator. Daisies, his symbol, fill the space on the fifth floor, expressing a powerful presence.
This exhibition is a digital media art that carries through the message of G-DRAGON's third full album "Übermensch". The space is AI (artificial intelligence),
It is heavily armed with "cutting-edge technology" such as real-time holograms, VR (augmented reality), and CG created with Unreal Engine, a next-generation 3D solution.
An exhibition in collaboration with Mut. Unlike conventional pop-up stores, the space is not filled with all kinds of goods, but is a space that reflects G-DRAGON's aesthetic sense.
The biggest feature of the pop-up store is that it was decorated in a very simple way. There was no space for merchandise sales, which is the main purpose of a pop-up store.
They produced various merchandise such as scarves, T-shirts, and socks, but they were only sold online, and a separate area was set up at the venue where fans could pick up the goods.
She enjoyed the scene with both hands full of shopping bags that she had received after waiting for them.
Located in the heart of Epic Seoul, "DAISYGARDEN" is G-DRAGON's idea.
It was a space where people could learn about the identity of G-DRAG. Huge replicas of daisies were placed on the ceiling, creating photo zones all over the place, and a huge screen was placed above the daisies, showing G-DRAG's
The new music video for ON can be seen on the screen. At the entrance to "DAISYGARDEN", which is decorated like a completely separate world, fans smile with big expressions on their faces.
People were busy taking pictures and videos with their smartphones. "Übermensch" was embodied as a "participatory exhibition" in every corner. If you want to leave a message for G-DRAGON,
An interactive message wall was also set up, where messages were displayed on a large screen in real time, allowing fans to feel their heartfelt emotions.
They conveyed their support and gratitude, saying things like, "Thank you for coming back," "JIYEON hyung, be happy," and "May the whole world be GD's world."
The highlight of the exhibition is the "MEDIA TECH ZONE." When you sit on a chair using VR equipment, you can listen to G-DRAGON's new song "Take
The audience was thrilled to see the lively hologram of G-DRAGON and the dancers.
I was completely immersed in the song, unable to raise my voice or close my mouth. The ecstasy of facing G-DRAGON singing "just for me" in front of me was unlike any other K-POP song I've ever heard.
This was an event that could not be seen at a hand-held exhibition or pop-up store, and it gave a tremendous sense of satisfaction. The number of visitors was limited to just 20 people, so fans had to wait a long time to get into the space.
In this space, there is an "experiential photo zone" that recreates the atmosphere of a music video set, and an "artist hall" where you can take photos with G-DRAGON.
The "Artist Hologram" was a super special event for fans who purchased MDs worth over 200,000 won (about 20,000 yen).
The event was very popular as it allowed the children to capture their greetings and make heart shapes on video and in photographs.
Hats (59,000 won/about 6,000 yen) and penlights (58,000 won/about 5
900 yen), reusable bags (2,000 won/about 200 yen), photo card sets (13,000 won/about 1,300 yen), slogan towels to take to concerts (1
Kim Ju-in (33), who bought various goods worth 250,000 won, including the 10,000 won (about 1,500 yen) and 10,000 won (about 1,500 yen), said, "In my heart, I wanted to buy more, but I just wanted to buy one thing.
I had to wait so long to buy it, and I couldn't get into the server, so I just scraped together what I had and gave up on the rest. Fortunately, I was able to take hologram photos, which was great.
"I'm excited. It's a shame I only have one chance," he said. After one practice shoot, the actual shoot for the hologram photos will begin. Fans will be provided with a separate file of the footage to "keep forever."
For residents who happened to be visiting The Hyundai Seoul, the G-DRAGON exhibit was on their bucket list. Kim Soo-kyung (43), who I met at the venue, said, "I work nearby, so
I came here to have lunch, but then I found out that there was an exhibition. I loved BIGBANG and G-DRAGON in my 20s and 30s, so I have fond memories of them, and I want to take photos of the exhibition, but
"Today, only members of the fan club can enter, so I'll come back later," he said, expressing his disappointment. The exhibition began with about 80 fans gathering early in the morning, and as time passed, the crowds grew larger and larger.
Many people gathered. Most of them were female fans in their 20s and 30s, but there were also a considerable number of male fans, which was something we had never seen at a K-POP group pop-up store before.
Jeong Seohyun (29) from Ilsan, Gyeonggi-do, was carrying a hat with G-DRAGON's album track "Power" engraved on it and his popular icon.
Wearing a scarf, which is a part of her daily routine, she arrived at the exhibition early. "I've been a fan since elementary school. In our time, we had to like BIGBANG, so I was a little
To exaggerate a bit, the whole school was a fan of BIGBANG. When I was a student, I didn't have much money and I could barely buy an album, so I couldn't even go to their concerts. But now that I'm an adult, I've been going to see them for the first time in eight years.
I'm very happy that he came back and I was able to earn money and buy G-Dragon merchandise and go to his shows."
At the same time, "Even after such a long time, he is still a superstar
"As a fan, I'm proud that they're still in their prime, existing as a trendy band that continues their previous musical style from new genres."
