Road To Kingdom has been, by far, one of the most intense and entertaining survival show for idol groups.
For the first challenge these groups had to pick a song from an established group and perform a cover of it, creating a new concept and make the song their own. You can watch my reaction HERE.
This week, for the second challenge the groups had to pick one of their own songs to tell a story through their performance. I filmed my reaction but sadly it was blocked on YouTube (due to copyright). So here are my written thoughts on each performance.
1. Pentagon – Shine, Spring Snow
Pentagon completed their challenge for this week, last week before Jinho (their oldest member) enlisted in the military. Their performance for Shine and Spring Snow was heartfelt. It was a farewell stage for Jinho, they had a montage for him and it was very emotional. I think out of all the performances Pentagon’s stage was very personal.
2. ONF – We Must Love
This performance was beautiful. The members were portrayed as handsome puppets and their puppeteer who controlled them was their labelmate YooA from Oh My Girl.
I thought the performance was breathtaking. It was elegant and the partner work between YooA and J.US was something like a fairytale. The added strings into the original song made it feel like a classic composition and the addition of their b-side track “Moscow Moscow” was beautiful.
3. Golden Child – Wannabe
This performance was centered around music, specifically a violin. I was beyond happy when Joochan was able to showcase his violin skills. In the middle of the performance he took his violin and stole the show. That moment will definitely be one of my top favorite moments of Road To Kingdom.
I’ve always wanted Golden Child to incorporate Joochan’s violin playing skills into their music but sadly that never happened, until now.
This performance was spectacular, they had a live orchestra playing in the background while the guys performed. Their song “Wannabe” is originally a pop-dance track, but the remix they did with the added strings gave the song a new feel to it and I loved it.
4. ONEUS – Lit
I was beyond excited for this performance in particular because “Lit” is one of my favorite songs from 2019. Everything about it is so fun.
The performance did not disappoint. ONEUS gave a full traditional Korean performance, showcasing their culture in a wonderful way. I loved watching everything about it. They told an intriguing story and in the end it felt like a full festival. Their concept was inspired by “Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard” and the popular Netflix series “Kingdom”. I wonder how fun it must have been in the studio while they were recording their performance. I definitely wish I was there.
5. VERIVERY – Photo
VERIVERY chose one of their b-sides, “Photo”. Their concept was unqiue and creepy (in a good way), it was centered around a nightmare. The members performed this song with such passion. Their facial expressions told the story just as much as the music and choreography.
I enjoyed watching this group try a concept they haven’t quite done before. They did a great job and they continued to prove they can perform almost any concept.
6. TOO – Magnolia
One of my favorite debut tracks from 2020 is “Magnolia” from TOO, so yes, I was very excited for this performance as well. TOO gave a compelling story about the balance of good and evil. The group was split to represent each side and they did an incredible job. Someone who got my attention was Chan. His performance was intense and I think his energy spread to the other members and they all did great. After watching this performance I did some research and Chan came up with the concept and different aspects of the choreography. Needless to say with someone like Chan in TOO, I have a strong feeling this group could be unstoppable in the future.
Overall I am always impressed by the stage presence TOO has. Only a few months after debuting and they perform with so much passion and charisma. Each move they did was sharp and precise. This is another group whose facial expressions were spot on. The members were really into it and as a viewer I was absorbed in their performance. It was amazing.
7. The Boyz – Reveal
The showstoppers as I like to call them, The Boyz performed their latest song “Reveal” but they gave it a nice remix.
The Boyz definitely gave a performance that will leave anyone speechless. The story is a continuation from their last performance (from challenge 2) to take the crown. With different scenes and two sides battling for the crown they create a revolution. This was an epic performance that made my jaw drop.
I don’t know how they do it – but each week The Boyz continue to go above my expectations. Their concept could easily be converted into a movie or musical, it was fantastic.
Overall Thoughts:
This week’s performances were spectacular. I think each group told interesting stories through their songs. I believe with every challenge these groups get better and better.
I hope in the future these groups will continue pushing for unique concepts and epic performances for their comebacks.
Road To Kingdom is the type of show for anyone who wants to literally…see a show. The concepts, the music, the choreography, the props, everything these groups do is insane.
I continue to look forward to the next challenge and I’m eager to see what these groups will surprise us with next.
-EliMarie
I talk more about KPOP on my channel YouTube.com/elimariereacts
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