Taemin, OneRepublic, and AMPERS&ONE Spread K-POP Heat with Global Tours

K-POP artists are expanding their global footprint through concerts both domestically and internationally. Solo K-POP singer Taemin is set to perform in Hawaii, the United States, as part of his “Ephemeral Gaze 2024-25 World Tour.” He will hold a show at the Neal Blaisdell Arena on Oahu Island at 7:30 p.m. on March 22, which is expected to be the first K-POP concert in Hawaii and the first major K-POP event of the week since the global K-POP phenomenon began. In a video message, Taemin said, “The 2024-2025 Taemin World Tour ‘Ephemeral Gaze’ starts in five cities across North America before expanding to Hawaii.” He added, “I’m happy and excited to meet fans from the United States around the world.” He continued, “I’m truly grateful for all your love and support. I hope to see you soon to create precious memories together.” Taemin began his career in 2014 with the chart-topping EP “ACE,” followed by hits such as “Press It” in 2016 and “Move” in 2017. His album “Never Gonna Dance Again” in 2020 received widespread acclaim, and his EPs “Guilty” in 2023 and “ETERNAL” in 2024 further solidified his artistic prowess as both a solo artist and an active member of SHINee. Taemin is also a member of SuperM, a supergroup composed of some of SM Entertainment’s most famous artists, which achieved international success by reaching number one on the Billboard 200 with its debut album. Meanwhile, the band OneRepublic returned to Korea after about seven years. OneRepublic gained popularity in 2013 when their hit song “Counting Stars” reached second place on Billboard’s main singles chart, the Hot 100. They held a concert in South Korea on the 18th at the Inspire Arena in Yeongjongdo, Incheon. Vocalist Ryan Tedder said, “Today’s performance will be a bit more interesting and fun. We’ll show you how we perform in the Korean karaoke style.” During the show, Tedder sat among the audience to interact with them, creating a festive atmosphere, and he also led the crowd in singing through a “Ryan Tedder Medley” that featured songs he produced for other artists. Tedder did not forget to praise K-POP, saying, “I think K-pop has grown something that started in the United States into something even bigger and more amazing. It’s delightful to see Seoul become the center of world entertainment and music.” He collaborated on songs with BTS’s Jimin and BLACKPINK’s Lisa, and he sang songs like Beyoncé’s “Halo” and Maroon 5’s “Maps” accompanied by piano, engaging closely with the audience. OneRepublic, which gained popularity in 2022 when their song “I Ain’t Worried” was used in the original soundtrack for the movie “Top Gun: Maverick,” performed their hit songs “I Ain’t Worried” and “Counting Stars” one after another toward the end of the concert. On another note, AMPERS&ONE, an emerging male boy group under FNC Entertainment, revealed the schedule and locations for its first North American tour, “2025 AMPERS&ONE LIVE TOUR My First_.” Organized by Leo Presents, this tour will start on February 17 in Miami, Florida, at 19 different cities, and it is scheduled to conclude on March 18 in Los Angeles. AMPERS&ONE is a multinational boy group that made its debut on November 15, 2023, with the song “On and On.” It consists of seven members from the United States, Canada, Korea, and Australia: KAMDEN, BRIAN, JIHO, SIYUN, KYRELL, MACKIAH, and SEUNGMO. The group name combines the ampersand (&) symbol, which means “and,” with “ONE,” symbolizing “the unity of you, me, and all of us.” AMPERS&ONE was nominated for “New Artist of the Year” at the 2023 Hanteo Music Awards, “Best New Male Artist” and “Artist of the Year” at the 2024 MAMA AWARDS, and it recently received a nomination for “New Artist Award” at the 39th Golden Disc Awards. In October 2024, it made its comeback with “He + She = We” from its first EP “ONE QUESTION.”