HIGHLIGHT held their 2024 solo concert, “LIGHTS GO ON, AGAIN,” on May 11th at KSPO Dome in Seoul.
This concert marks HIGHLIGHT’s first full-group performance in two years since May 2022. It began on May 10th and lasted for three days until May 12th, selling out all seats and even opening up additional seats with restricted views, proving HIGHLIGHT’s domestic popularity.
Above all, the members being able to confidently shout out the name “BEAST,” which they couldn’t call for a long time, added meaning to this concert. They recently reached a significant agreement with their former agency Cube Entertainment regarding the use of the BEAST trademark.
Debuting under Cube Entertainment in 2009, BEAST gained huge popularity with hits like “Shock,” “Beautiful,” “On Rainy Days,” “Fiction,” “Beautiful Night,” “Shadow,” “Good Luck,” “12:30.”
In 2016, after seven years with Cube, BEAST established Around Us Entertainment upon the expiration of their exclusive contract and signaled a new beginning. However, controversies arose surrounding the trademark rights of BEAST as they embarked on an independent path.
At the time, Around Us Entertainment stated they were “continuing discussions regarding the team name,” emphasizing their intention to maintain a friendly business relationship with Cube. However, Cube Entertainment soon announced plans to reform BEAST as a new three-member group, stirring controversy.
Even ex-member Jang Hyunseung expressed bewilderment, calling it “the first time hearing about it,” deepening the conflict as Around Us Entertainment took a firm stance.
Backlash from both fans and the public intensified. Facing the crisis of the five members’ history under the name BEAST collapsing in an instant, negative reactions surged.
Ultimately, the plan for a three-member BEAST reunion did not materialize any further. HIGHLIGHT also made a new start in 2017 with their first mini-album, “CAN YOU FEEL IT?”
During this concert, a section dedicated to reminiscing about their time as BEAST began in the middle of the concert. In a prepared VCR, captions such as “There were times stained with worries and tears. We were afraid our memories might stop,” and “Back then, it was cold and harsh in a way that couldn’t be explained,” portrayed the difficult times the members endured.
At the end of the video, captions read, “Let’s mention just one name,” and BEAST’s name appeared, followed by the prelude to BEAST’s debut title track “Bad Girl.”
Tears burst from the audience as they sang along to “Bad Girl” and the members poured their passion into the stage, sharing their past memories together.
After “Bad Girl,” they performed “Shock” and “Special” consecutively before HIGHLIGHT greeted loudly, saying, “Hello, we are BEAST.” Yoon Doojoon continued, “Now you can shout it out without any hesitation,” expressing their overwhelming emotions.
They then continued with performances of BEAST’s hit songs such as “Shadow,” “Good Luck,” “Breath,” “On Rainy Days,” “Ribbon,” “The Fact,” “Fiction,” “You Like Me The Best,” and “V.I.U.”
Moreover, they took spontaneous requests for BEAST songs from the audience, showcasing their outstanding live skills and captivating the audience with high-quality live performances.
Son Dongwoon explained the meaning of “LIGHTS GO ON, AGAIN” during the concert, saying, “When we were planning the setlist for this concert, we thought a lot about the flow of the story. We showed the present with HIGHLIGHT’s songs in the beginning, sang only BEAST songs in the BEAST section that showed the past, and divided the final section into ‘Heart’ and ‘Love,’ drawing a picture of the future. The important thing is that we are together from the past to the present and into the future.”
HIGHLIGHT’s 2024 concert “LIGHTS GO ON, AGAIN” will continue with an Asian tour in June in Hong Kong and Bangkok, and in July in Kaohsiung and Tokyo after Seoul.
Source: naver
