[Review] THE BOYZ share jaw-dropping performance to end European leg of ‘ZENERATION II’ tour
THE BOYZ stole the hearts of their fans, THE B, with their hot performance in London on September 15, 2024.
Photo by Hermione Khan for Cherry Chu Magazine.
The 11-member boy group, THE BOYZ, have been taking the world by storm recently with their THE BOYZ WORLD TOUR: ZENERATION II. The tour has seen them take on major cities from New York to Bangkok, and finally, to London’s OVO Arena, Wembley on September 15.
Since their debut in 2017, THE BOYZ have been going from strength to strength. As all-rounders in dancing, singing, and rapping, the group have been able to try their hand at a variety of concepts. They constantly bring something new to the table and keep their fans on their toes.
After a long day of queuing and handing out adorable freebies, fans THE B (pronounced Deobi) found their energy flagging so THE BOYZ knew they had to start the show with a bang. The dark and atmospheric visuals and loud intro music immediately woke the crowd up, as the members went straight into the high-energy track “Diamond Life”.
This passion was maintained with the next two songs “Out of Control” and “MAVERICK”, both of which were accompanied by perfectly synchronised choreography. In particular, main vocalists Sangyeon and New’s vocals stood out in these early tracks.
With a quick outfit change, the group came back to the stage clad in black and white outfits. THE BOYZ greeted the audience with infectious smiles and took turns to say hello to the crowd.
Maknae Eric kicked things off with his puppy-like personality making sure the crowd was having fun. Some of the boys then shared their experiences of London, like lead vocalist and lead dancer Hyunjae who went for a meal in Soho and noted how expensive it was — a struggle many London Deobis could relate to!
Photo by Amy Britton for Cherry Chu Magazine.
Juyeon, the group’s main dancer, also explained he had taken a night-time walk through Primrose Hill to enjoy the spectacular views. Each member seemed as excited to be performing in London as Deobis were.
Jaws dropped as the boys performed “Back All Black” thanks to its stunning choreography. The fans were clearly hyped up at this point with everyone shouting “look who’s back with attitude” before the captivating chorus. The group moved to the front stage to finish off the song and went straight into the hard-hitting “Breaking Dawn”.
The third outfit change of the night took place while the crew transformed the stage into a beachy paradise to match the upbeat “Complete Me”. The members had fun messing around with each other and throwing inflatables around the stage.
The party continued with “Fantasize” before the group did a throwback to their early releases with “Right Here”, a boyish tune that still works with the members’ joyful personalities.
It was impossible not to feel cheerful when dancing along with THE BOYZ, as their energy and happiness were contagious. “Thrill Ride” and “D.D.D” helped keep the audience partying with some encouragement from Eric, who asked the whole arena to stand up and jump.
Photo by Amy Britton for Cherry Chu Magazine.
The next section of ballads was needed after the workout THE BOYZ had just put the audience through. The members sat in a row for “Walkin’ in Time” and not a dry eye was left in the arena after a meaningful performance of “Survive The Night”.
In spite of the language barrier, THE BOYZ perfectly conveyed a range of emotions through their outstanding vocals. The group finished up their ballad section with “Back 2 U” and “Hurt Me Less” before going back to what they do best and shocking the audience with their powerful dances.
The mixture of black, white, and red outfits made the members look striking as they brought back the heat for the next four songs. The performance of their unreleased track “BITE BACK” has only increased Deobis’ excitement for the group’s next comeback.
The screams from fans during “The Stealer” were thunderous as the boys performed impressive stunts throughout the dance.
Main dancer Q seemed to come alive during this portion of the show in spite of his slight wardrobe malfunction where his headscarf ended up wrapped around his face. He refused to let this accident affect his performance and didn’t miss a beat the entire time – it only confirmed his place as one of the best dancers in the group.
A highly anticipated performance of “WATCH IT” finished off the final section of the show before an emotional encore.
Photo by Amy Britton for Cherry Chu Magazine.
After falsely leaving the stage, Deobis knew the members were playing with them as they cheered and stamped their feet for more songs. THE BOYZ lovingly obliged and returned to the stage wearing their own merchandise, styled in ways that matched each member’s personality.
Throughout “Nectar”, the group was spread out across the stage making sure no part of the arena felt left out of the party. Main vocalist Kevin especially seemed to enjoy reacting to the crowd and copying their cute dance moves.
THE BOYZ were equally sad to be ending the show while saying their individual goodbyes. It was an especially poignant moment for Eric, who had missed out on their last London show owing to his hiatus. Eric mentioned his dream of performing at Wembley Stadium next door to the arena and said he hoped to see all of the current audience there.
Each member thanked the fans for continuously showing up for them and making precious memories together. Audible sighs from the crowd could be heard as the group announced they would be moving on to their final song.
Photo by Amy Britton for Cherry Chu Magazine.
Chaos quickly took over the initial upset, as the members ran around the arena and got in the crowd to end the show in style with “Fire Eyes”. Lead dancer Haknyeon was particularly proud when running around the stage with a fan’s British flag adorned with a shirtless photo of Sangyeon and Eric to many fans’ delight.
Even after an over two-hour long show, the boys still had energy to spare when dancing and interacting with fans. Nearing the end of the track, the members reluctantly went back to the mainstage for one final bow and were waved off by Deobis.
Deobis won’t need to be sad for long, as THE BOYZ assured them that they will be back soon with a new comeback. Mixed in with a few tearful goodbyes, THE BOYZ promised they would return to London soon and we sure hope they don’t break that promise!
Edited by Chelsea Cheetham.