A concert was held by S. Korean artist Zion.T just a couple days ago on March 18 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto, Canada. Zion.T is an R&B singer who has his own very distinct style, and is an icon in S Korean music. He is only 28 years old, and yet has an old soul that is apparent in his musical style. This concert was an experience unlike any K-Pop concert I’ve attended before -- and I’ve attended quite a lot, including another R&B solo artist, Dean.
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One thing that made this concert different than North American K-pop concerts, besides the genre of music, was that the vast majority of attendees were Korean. Other K-pop concerts are generally filled with a majority of loud and excitable fan-girls of all backgrounds. The reason this made the biggest difference was that Zion.T was able to speak to us as an audience in Korean without needing a translator or memorizing a few sentences in English, as is typical of a K-pop concert, since most attendees usually don’t know Korean.
An audience that could understand Korean might have made this an even more intimate experience, in my opinion, because he was able to tell us exactly everything on his mind as it came to him, we were able to react to everything he said, and it gave us an easy back-and-forth flow of communication. Don't get me wrong, I was able to feel a connection with, and appreciation from, the artists at other concerts, and the communication in English is just as special. Obviously, you don't need to speak Korean to enjoy a K-pop concert! This concert just was just an unusual experience and had a different vibe from the others I'd been to, so I enjoyed the change.
Zion.T’s concert style was very relaxed, yet filled with good energy -- just like his music. He mainly has slower jams, but he also has fun songs that had the audience jumping with the beat. The concert also featured guest artist Lil Boi, a rapper who performed a song with Zion.T and then a few solo songs. A lot of the crowd didn't seem to know who the guest was going to be, so Zion.T and Lil Boi made jokes about how everyone was clearly hoping it would be his longtime friend Crush, who he has done a lot of collaborations with and is just as legendary and popular as Zion.T. Lil Boi at one point said (in Korean) something along the lines of, "I know you were all hoping for Crush, but I hope that you’re okay with me." The audience laughed and responded with an encouraging “YES!”
The concert was incredibly engaging because Zion.T interacted with the audience a lot, and not just when he was talking to us between songs, but also as he was singing. As a long-time fan, I was thrilled when he looked me right in the eyes as I sang along with him multiple times (and once he even motioned for me to keep singing and held my eyes for at least three lines of Yanghwa BRDG!). It was definitely worth buying those second row seats, for a big fan like me.
It was an amazing feeling when the whole audience sang along to parts of his songs. He even kept us singing the ending lines to Yanghwa BRDG over and over when he sang it for a second time during an encore. The audience sounded lovely singing all as one, and he appreciated us displaying a love for his music in that way.
At the end of the concert, those of us who purchased top tier tickets lined up to take a photo with Zion.T. Luckily, the photo groups only consisted of 6 fans and Zion.T, so I got to stand right next to him and he even hugged me as we said good-bye!
Zion.T is one of my favorite solo artists (if you couldn't tell), so I might be a bit biased, but this was one of the best concerts I’ve attended. The meaningful and fun atmosphere he created with the fans was just as special and unique as his flawless singing that made even songs I didn't know delightful to listen to. Make sure you check out some of his music below, and watch him sing live at the concert on the 1d4 Facebook page!
Want to check out Zion.T? Try some of these songs:
- Yanghwa BRDG - Smooth and slow. Possibly his most well known solo song. Something that many other artists have covered and one of the songs that makes him the highly respected artist he is.
- Babay - Fun with a faster tempo, but still that smooth signature style.
- Just (feat.Crush) and Two Melodies (feat.Crush) - Crush and Zion.T collaborations always make for something great, and fans often look forward to these friends creating something together. I also suggest checking out Crush's solo songs like Woo-Ah, Sometimes, and Outside.
- The Song - A feel-good song with a great music video.
- Eat - A song made to keep you company when you're lonely.
- No Makeup - This song proves that his voice is the most important part of his songs, as he doesn't need much background music or anything exciting surrounding his voice in order for you to want to listen to him.
- I Love It - This song is by probably the most famous and respected artist in S. Korea, G-Dragon of BIGBANG, featuring Zion.T. It was the first song I heard Zion.T's voice in, and I knew I had to look him up. He adds something incredibly special to every song he features in.
To see videos of the concert, go to 1d4 on Facebook!
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See our other K-pop articles, like this one about a U.S. concert with 24K, or one about Day6, or read about EXO, the K-pop group that performed at the Olympics!