Concert Review: THE BOYZ Command the Stage and Capture the Hearts of Their Fans at NJPAC

The energy was palpable at NJPAC on Friday night, just upon entering the theater and hearing the buzz of Deobis as they prepared for The Boyz to take the stage. With lightsticks in hand, fans screamed the words to the group's songs before the members even appeared on stage, singing and dancing along to the music videos playing on the big screen.

The girl sitting next to me turned to me at one point before the show had begun, and said, "wow, the energy is amazing!" I was glad to know I wasn't the only one thinking that.

But nothing compared to the energy in that room when the 10 boys finally entered. Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, New, Q, Ju Haknyeon, and Sunwoo (minus the group's 11th member, Eric, who is currently on hiatus for health reasons), commanded the crowd from the first note.

Photo Credit: Stephi Wild

The group opened with "Maverick", from their latest single album of the same name, and from that moment forward they captured my attention.

The Boyz are a group who have always been on my radar, and I will admit I only really knew a few songs going in, but I left as a huge fan. Not only is their energy insane, but the way they interact with their fans in the audience is something I've never seen from any performer, k-pop or not...and I've seen hundreds.

Following their first set of songs, Kevin, one of the three members who is fluent in English, told us "we'll have plenty of time to give you waves, and complete your hearts" and that they did. Every time the members weren't engrossed in perfectly in-sync choreography, they were interacting with their fans, making sure each and every person felt special and seen. They sent finger hearts, flying kisses, and even asked for fans' input on their favorite songs, and things to do in New Jersey.

While I know all of the songs from the setlist now (yes, I've been doing a deep dive ever since the show), one of the highlights for me was seeing them perform 'The Stealer', which is one of their first songs I fell in love with while watching their stages on k-pop award shows in 2020. Another favorite moment for me was 'Thrill Ride', which was one of my most-played songs of last summer. It's such a fun bop that gets everyone up and dancing.

Speaking of dancing, 'Dancing Til We Drop' is a song that features simple choreography, designed to be a TikTok dance challenge for the group's fans. During that song, the members stood at the front of the stage doing the dance, while at least 75% of the crowd did the moves too. It was a beautiful moment to watch, and the boys themselves seemed so happy to see their fans dancing along.

The Boyz ended their concert by throwing signed plastic balls into the crowd, which is something many k-pop groups partake in at their shows. This was my first time experiencing this, though, and it was definitely a fun little interactive way the end the show. I can't wait to see what this group does next, and I hope to be cheering them on again on their next tour!

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Who Are The Boyz?

The Boyz (Korean: 더보이즈) is a South Korean boy group formed and managed by IST Entertainment. The group debuted on December 6, 2017, with the lead single "Boy" from their debut EP The First. The group is composed of Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, New, Q, Ju Haknyeon, Sunwoo and Eric, and previously Hwall until his departure from the group in October 2019.

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