The Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics is witness to multiple record-breaking stunts in the winter games. But aside from the intense athletic competition, there was not a minute of idleness in the 2-week Olympic games. South Korea, a country boasting of one of the liveliest entertainment scenes in the world, did not disappoint. The Pyeongchang Olympic performances were as spellbinding as the games themselves.
2018 Winter Olympics, Get Your Head In The Game
While the world expected a smashing Kpop performance, South Korea turned against that tide. They opened the 2018 winter Olympics in a more traditional style. The Pyeongchang Olympics began with the theme of “Peace in Motion.” In a move to focus on unity internationally and between North and South Korea as reported by Forbes, K-pop was notably absent in the opening.
The Pyeongchang Olympic performances kicked off with John Lennon’s “Imagine.” It accompanied the human formation of the glowing dove of peace. Artists of different generations came together to perform the track. These artists are folk-rock icon Jeon In Kwon, Bolbbangan4 indie pop singer Ahn Ji Young and Ha Hyun Woo of the Guckkasten rock band.
But, before that was the opening ceremony of the International Olympic Committee. Here, EXO’s Baekhyun performed the South Korean National Anthem. A children’s choir of 25 accompanied the singer. Kpop group VIXX also performed their song “Shangri-La.”
Before the games formally began on February 10, Taeyang performed his single “Louder.” The member of the world-renowned group Big Bang is also the Olympic’s Honorary Ambassador.
Other Korean artists featured, albeit minimally, in the opening ceremonies were BTS, EXO, Red Velvet, Psy, and Twice.
Pyeongchang Olympic Performances Creates Headlines
Each day of the winter Olympic games was a special treat. A unique headline performance followed each medal ceremony. The list of artists and the days of their performance was released by MBC News and it is as follows. Insooni, who also sang the Olympic Torch Relay theme song “Let Everyone Shine”, performed on the first day of the games. On the second day, DJ Doc left the world dancing. Next came the group NCT 127 who performed their hit songs “Limitless”, “Good Thing”, “0 mile”, and “Cherry Bomb.” The next days flew by quickly with Jazzyfact, BTOB, B1A4, Rose Motel, The Boyz and Kim Taewoo.
On the 19th, 2PM fans lit up as the whole group appeared on stage. It is a momentous moment as the group has been on a hiatus for some time because of military enlistments. Next came the girl group Red Velvet who performed their catchy songs “Bad Boy”, “Peek a Boo” and “Red Flavor.” On the next day, Jazzyfact performed again. The last three days were graced by Hwang Chiyeol, GFriend, and Super Junior D&E.
But that’s not the end of the Pyeongchang Olympic Performances within the game week. As part of the Cultural Olympiad, Korean stars like Ailee, Teen Top, Dynamic Duo, San E, Changmin, and Momoland had their own sets. Other artists include Bada, No Brain, Koyote, Ulala Session, Cheetah, BewhY, and Dj Doc.
Closing With Power
Of course, the 2018 winter Olympics has to end with a bang as it featured the theme “The Next Wave.” The world was left in excited anticipation as to who will be the ones to close the games and set off the new journey of the Olympic torch. After the subtlety of Kpop in the games, the last of the Pyeongchang Olympic performances finally cut the reigns.
The beginning of the end was set off by the 13-year-old Yang Tae Hwan alluring the audience with the electric guitar. The guitarist prodigy perfectly shredded the stage with his rendition of the “Winter” portion of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons.” What made it more amazing was how there were 80 musicians playing the traditional Korean instrument Geomungos along with him.
There wasn’t even time to calm the stage when CL appeared and set the flames higher. This queen claimed the stage with a rendition of her powerful single “Baddest Female.” The song further highlighted the female power showcased in the Olympics. With a short snippet of another of her songs “Hello Bitches,” she delved into “I Am The Best” which was a hit song of her old group, 2NE1. The crowd shared her flames as they sang to the pump-up anthem that helped her and her group shoot into international stardom.
Last but definitely the most crazed over was the boy group EXO. Their act started with EXO’s Kai in a hanbok, combining traditional and modern Korean dance as he dominated the stage. Carrying their alien-like personas, the other members converged wearing immaculate white. Bearing such a huge stage presence, they exploded with a rendition of their chart breaking track “Growl.” To finally end the games and set the new journey on a captivating start, they topped it all off with their performance of “Power.”
The Pyeongchang Olympic performances have given energy and vibrancy to the Olympics. In the two-weeks of games, it was enough to dose the world with success.