TXT during their 1st concert in Paris, France. © Big Hit

Europe is not often considered a core target for K-Pop companies. As a result, fans in Europe sometimes have very few opportunities to see their favourite groups live. European MOAs know this firsthand. Despite TXT’s popularity abroad and their six years of success, the group had never toured Europe. That is, until this year, when they brought their “ACT : PROMISE – Ep. 2” tour to five European cities.

In Paris, the Accor Arena – which can host up to 20,000 spectators – was a bit tight for the group. Almost as soon as tickets went on sale, the arena was sold out. Fans wouldn’t have missed the opportunity they had been hoping for.

On March 30th, the numerous fans gathered at the venue in a sea of white, blue, and pastel outfits to celebrate the group finally having a solo concert in the city. At 7:30 sharp, a VCR featuring the members (Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and HueningKai) and a white horse set a romantic feeling in the audience. The group’s outfits – black and silver – gave them a prince-like image.

The concert started strongly, with some of the group’s most popular songs. The three opening songs were “Over The Moon,” “Déjà vu,” and “0x1=Lovesong”. After a very elegant VCR that displayed traditional ink drawings, the members came out wearing traditional blue hanboks. There was an audible gasp in the audience when Beomgyu stepped out for a solo dance break wearing this outfit. The members joined him to perform “Sugar Rush Ride” and “Farewell, Neverland.”

The group performed alone on stage. Without backup dancers, they had full responsibility for occupying the space and time. They perfectly fulfilled this responsibility – which was impressive considering the concert lasted for more than three hours. To do so, they included solo performances (including Yeonjun’s solo track “Ggum”) and ments. VCRs also punctuated the concert, each time leading to a segment with a distinctive feeling. Sometimes they showcased boyish charm (like in “LO$ER=LO♡ER”), and sometimes they showed the spirit of rebellious youth going through “Growing Pain.”

TXT during their 1st concert in Paris, France. © Big Hit

The use of the extended stage was also a statement of their wish to create memories with every fan: they performed their choreos sometimes facing left, sometimes facing right, sometimes spreading around it and standing at each corner. This was thoughtful and uncommon, and highly appreciated by fans.

As the concert went on, their image became more mature, like when they performed “I’ll See You There Tomorrow” wearing simple white shirts and jeans. The setlist pretty much let us see five boys growing up and finding their own flowery path. To illustrate this, the screen displays a garden full of flowers as one of the last images of the night, while the members made a promise to meet fans again.

During the show, one of the segments included very cute moments when the members requested fans to follow along and repeat short sentences. It led to a love declaration from the whole group and audience based on “Je t’aime” (I love you) and “Moi aussi” (me too). However, HueningKai gave it a playful twist by making fans sing a cheering song that European audiences often use to cheer on the artists they like.

TXT during their 1st concert in Paris, France. © Big Hit

And regarding cheering, there was A LOT of it during the evening. The members seemed to bask in it, happy to discover that European audiences were full of love for them. Interactions with fans seemed easy and natural, especially during the encore. If one member waved his arms in a certain way, the fans would follow, turning the venue into a Zumba session. There was water sprayed, eye contact exchanged, and the members told snippets of their day off in Paris… It felt quite like meeting an online friend for the first time, finding out that you perfectly match each other’s vibe, and leaving with the certainty that you’ll meet again someday.

TXT during their 1st concert in Paris, France. © Big Hit

Thank you Hybe, AEG, and DawBell for having us at that show.