B.A.P. Performed Their Last Concert at the "2018 LIVE - LIMITED" as a K-Pop Boy Band?
Last Sunday, July 22, 2018 KST, Best Absolute Perfect, better known as B.A.P., performed a special concert in Seoul, South Korea known as the 2018 LIVE - LIMITED. It was 150 minutes of Yongguk, Himchan, Daehyun, Youngjae, Jongup, and Zelo performing for K-pop fans, especially those who are part of their official fan club B.A.B.Y.
It is safe to say that K-pop fans in attendance will never forget the performance. However, there was one part of the performance that is far more memorable than the rest. Unfortunately, the reason for it is very sad. In said segment, members of B.A.P. opened up about how the 2018 LIVE - LIMITED might be their last concert together.
Korean outlet Naver initially reported the news. It states that Youngjae initially tried to make the sad news known, but he was only able to state the concert marked the end of their tour followed by thanking the fans before shedding tears. It would be Himchan who would break the news to the attended crowd.
"Actually, all six of us have contracts that end at different dates. That’s where we are. In a way, this might be the last concert we do together. I wasn’t sure if I should say this today, and I was thinking of not saying it. We still have time left on our contracts, so you might be able to see us on stage again, but we think this will be our last concert as six."
Daehyun tried to add a bit more clarification to the situation. At the very end, he was unable to finish as he too was overwhelmed with emotion. He turned away to shed tears.
"Nothing has been decided yet, but as of now, this is our last scheduled concert. But we’re always ready to greet you. So please don’t be sad. If you cry…"
Is B.A.P. evidently going to disband later on this year?
With B.A.P. making it known their final concert for their 2018 LIVE - LIMITED tour might be their last, it is only natural for K-pop fans to wonder if disbandment was just around the corner for the boy band. Stipulation-wise, it is technically time for B.A.P. to disband too as they've been active for seven years (K-pop seven year curse). Thankfully there is a sliver of hope as Yongjae has made it known they are still in negotiations with their agency.
"There is still some time left and nothing has been confirmed yet. The members are thoroughly discussing it amongst ourselves."
At the end of their concert, all the members of B.A.P. reassured their fans that they still have "many days ahead of them" and to "keep walking with them."
Right after B.A.P. performed their final concert, many entertainment outlets reached out for an answer to TS Entertainment about the boy band's status. Were they really disbanding? Eventually, TS Entertainment responded indefinitely stating that "nothing has been decided" and they are "in discussions with each member."
What should B.A.P. do in this situation?
Before we even answer this question, it is best to provide some general information about B.A.P. and how much of an impact they made in K-pop. Formed under TS Entertainment seven years ago, B.A.P. made a major impact in K-pop especially among international fans. They had music that was entertaining but fans could also relate to it. Not to mention their social media presence was astounding.
The aforementioned resulted in B.A.P. becoming the first K-pop act to break number one on the Billboard World Album chart. Their fourth number one album, Noir featuring the title track song "Skydive," broke the tie with Got7 at the time. And it should also be noted that the music video for "Skydive" is probably the most artistic and stylistic K-pop music video produced so far.
To be frank, B.A.P. had the talent, the skill, the know-how, the popularity, fan appeal, and fan support, especially from their fan club BABY, to be the first K-pop act to really dominate the international scene. In short, they would have accomplished what BTS accomplished.
Unfortunately, B.A.P. was hindered due to their agency TS Entertainment at the time. The hiatus they suffered during their lawsuit really hurt them despite the fact they came out on top. Ultimately, B.A.P. lost a lot of their momentum they initially had as other up-and-coming K-pop acts entered the fray especially BTS. To this day, it is believed that B.A.P. has not truly recovered.
With all the details above in mind, if B.A.P. were given the choice to go elsewhere probably under a new name, many K-pop fans would most likely understand if they decided to go elsewhere. They will still be sad, but they will be understanding. If it does come down to that, let's hope they can all go together and come back under a new name, kind of like how Beast left Cube Entertainment and became Highlight under a new company.
