Under the scorching summer sun at Chicago's iconic Grant Park, two of HYBE Labels' most promising rising acts took center stage on Sunday, delivering performances that clearly demonstrated their intention to establish themselves as major forces in the global music industry. KATSEYE and BOYNEXTDOOR, both emerging stars in the international music scene, brought the four-day Lollapalooza Chicago festival to a thrilling close with dynamic sets that perfectly balanced spectacular showmanship with genuine artistic promise.
Despite being relatively new to the music industry, both groups showcased distinctly different but equally compelling strengths during their respective Sunday performances. KATSEYE captivated audiences with their theatrical presentation and cross-cultural appeal, while BOYNEXTDOOR demonstrated their impressive stage presence and commanding performance abilities.
For the six-member girl group KATSEYE, their appearance on Lollapalooza's premier T-Mobile Stage represented a pivotal milestone in their rapidly ascending career trajectory. This marked the group's very first major festival performance, making it an especially significant moment for the international act. The group was formed through the highly competitive 2023 HYBE x Geffen global girl group audition program called "Dream Academy," and consists of six talented members: Manon, Daniela, Sophia, Megan, Lara, and Yoonchae. Despite their relatively recent formation, the group has already successfully cultivated a passionate and devoted international fan base across multiple continents.
However, according to all six members, stepping onto the prestigious Lollapalooza stage represented an entirely different level of performance experience. "It's our first festival ever," Manon explained during an exclusive interview with The Korea Times on Saturday, just one day before the group's highly anticipated set. "We've worked so hard for it, and now we're at a point where we're just ready to take over the stage and let Chicago know who we are."
The group's carefully curated setlist drew heavily from their latest musical project, "Beautiful Chaos," featuring several standout tracks including "M.I.A.," "Mean Girls," "Gnarly," and the sultry lead single "Gabriella." The performance of "Gabriella" included a particularly memorable surprise element – a sophisticated tango-inspired dance break that the members revealed they had perfected through intensive overnight rehearsal sessions leading up to the festival. The group also performed several earlier fan favorites that helped establish their reputation, including "Touch" and "Debut," creating a well-rounded set that showcased their artistic evolution. While the vocal performance showed some unevenness at certain moments, the overall presentation remained visually stunning and thoroughly engaging for the enthusiastic crowd.
"I think it's insane to see the growth and the journey we've been on in just one year," Daniela reflected on the group's rapid rise to prominence. "The fact that we're here, on a main stage at Lollapalooza, is unbelievable. We're just so grateful for this incredible opportunity."
Despite their significant viral presence across social media platforms and growing international recognition, the members candidly admitted that they haven't fully processed the reality of their rising fame and influence. "We see the follower counts on social media, but then we go to an event and see all these people yelling our names and we're like, 'Wait, are we famous?'" Manon said with genuine surprise. "It's surreal, but it keeps us humble and grounded."
When questioned about their future plans and upcoming releases, the group members remained deliberately tight-lipped about specific projects in development, explaining that they're not quite ready to transition away from their current "Beautiful Chaos" era. "We're going to enjoy this one a bit longer," Manon explained. "It just started, and we're not ready to let go of this chapter yet."
Just one hour before KATSEYE's main stage performance, the six-member K-pop boy band BOYNEXTDOOR took control of the adjacent Lakeshore Stage, delivering a set that proved to be significantly more impactful and memorable than many initially expected. The group, widely regarded as one of K-pop's most well-received fifth-generation boy bands, consists of members Sungho, Riwoo, Myung Jae-hyun, Taesan, Leehan, and Woonhak.
The group powered through an impressive 11-song setlist with remarkable energy and precision, seamlessly mixing high-octane tracks like "Dangerous" and "Earth, Wind & Fire" with beloved fan favorites including "123-78" and "Serenade." Despite being relatively early in their professional career, all six members appeared remarkably poised and confident throughout their performance, showing absolutely no signs of stage fright or nervousness as they skillfully fed off the infectious energy of an ecstatic and highly responsive crowd.
The audience represented a perfect blend of ONEDOOR – the group's official fandom name – and curious newcomers to the K-pop genre who were experiencing the group's music for the first time. Both segments of the crowd enthusiastically sang along in Korean and responded with tremendous enthusiasm to every call-and-response moment throughout the set.
"This whole moment feels like a dream," the group shared with the audience during their performance, speaking in English that they had been diligently learning and practicing in preparation for this specific event. "We want to come back, and next time, we'll bring even greater songs for all of you."
The band's final number of the evening proved to be a delightful surprise – an unplanned encore performance of "I Feel Good" that felt almost like a promise to their growing fanbase. This closing moment seemed to symbolize that BOYNEXTDOOR is finally ready to evolve beyond the traditional constraints and limitations of the typical boy band category. The genuine passion and authenticity they demonstrated on the larger festival stage, combined with their notably polished live vocals and natural performance instincts, strongly suggested clear and significant potential for continued growth and artistic development in the competitive global music market.
