The Rose, a four-piece band, has turned into an unexpected phenomenon. Formed over two years ago in Seoul, South Korea, the group has rapidly gained an incredible number of international supporters. Consisting of Woo-sung (leader, lead vocals), Do-joon (keyboard, main vocals), Ha-joon (drums) and Jae-hyeong (bass), The Rose has become the perfect cure for one’s woes. The band blends pop-rock with Woo-sung’s raspy vocals, but don’t be fooled, every single member of the band can sing well. After their sold-out 2018 European tour, the group embarked on another musical journey, this time, a world tour. After wrapping the US tour, the young men set off on the European leg by visiting 9 cities, and having two dates in London.
Image © Narine Chalabi for View of the Arts
The Rose was all smiles as they took to London’s Scala stage at 7.30 pm (Nov 24) to the roar of applause, they opened their show with I.L.Y (I Love You), a soft-rock song from their 2018 album Void, and from that point onwards it was an evening to remember; a night filled with hits, a few covers and fresh songs. Without interruption, and to the fans’ satisfaction, the group smoothly moved to their next song Insomnia, followed by I Don’t Know You and Candy.
The Rose is one of those performers that know how to excite their fans and make a decent size venue feel like a friend’s backyard, that’s how intimate the concert became. With K-Pop pushing rock and pop-rock genres aside in the charts, the group has been working extremely hard to demonstrate that Korea has more to offer than just K-Pop, and this shows not only in their stage presence, but also their lyrics. Going to their gig felt like going to therapy, after a busy and complex week, one could have only said ‘thank you’ for being able to relax at the show.
Image © Narine Chalabi for View of the Arts
With the audience often brought into the show, the crowd sang along not only to the English lyrics but also to the Korean ones with The Rose pouring more energy to each and every song performed that night. Woo-sung took the centre of the stage to sing Beautiful Girl, while Like We Used To and California came after, and ameliorated fans’ mood with great sound and vocal execution. Looking at the stage and the artists, it’s obvious the members complement each other, with their distinctive voices and self-confidence, the group brought more than magic to their London show. One of many high points of the night was the performance of She’s In The Rain, probably one of The Rose’s biggest hits to date and one that brought the crowd to their knees, metaphorically speaking. There was not a single person in the venue who didn’t jump around and enjoy a bit of dancing.
The Rose highlights their versatility as a band with ease, they might represent the pop-rock genre, but they are not afraid to use others to brighten up their sounds – Beautiful Girl is a perfect example of it – showing, at the same time, that they are musically creative.
Image © Narine Chalabi for View of the Arts
The Rose had even more to offer on Sunday night. After a few hits, the band performed four covers together, including The Script’s Breakeven and The Beatles‘ Hey Jude, before splitting into units to sing a couple more. Do-joon took on James Bay’s Hold Back The River, while Ha-joon and Jae-hyeong displayed their vocal abilities by singing Before You Exit’s Soldier; Woo-sung performed his solo songs Moon and Face which the fans sang enthusiastically along to at the tops of their lungs. After singing 16 songs, there was no sign of The Rose ending the show, on the contrary, the group performed seven more. Don’t Let Go, Baby, Sorry and Take Me Down, undoubtedly the hit of the evening, were also welcomed with an almost a minute-long ovation and Do-joon’s reaction: “London is always the loudest, thank you.”
The beauty of The Rose’s performance is all due to their talent, bright personalities and hard work. They have not only won over young listeners, but also those in their late 20s and 30s. The London show on November 24 was filled with blistering energy and showed that The Rose is one of the finest exports from South Korea.
Rating:
Written by Maggie Gogler
Image © Narine Chalabi for View of the Arts
View of the Arts is a British online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, arts, and fashion, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, arts and fashion, worldwide.
VIEW OF THE ARTS 