Review: JAY B Brings Nostalgic Sound and Effortless Charm on 'tape: roots' Tour

JAY B, the leader of the K-pop group GOT7 who has had quite the career as a solo artist, brought his latest tour "tape: roots" to the Palladium Times Square in New York City on September 23. He brought his signature smooth nostalgic-sounding vocals, sensuality, and effortless charm while still showcasing a relaxed vibe and clearly having a ton of fun on stage.

From the beginning, there was a sense that JAY B was there to have fun, with the first few songs showing off a more chill vibe, from his outfit to his dancing. The styling of JAY B's first look immediately established the opening section of the concert’s more casual, effortless tone. Rather than feeling overly formal or heavily constructed, JAY B’s wardrobe consisted of a simple t-shirt and jeans, a rare occurence for a K-pop show, especially in the opening stages. The outfit matched the vibe of his first few songs, "go UP", "The Way We Are", and "FAME", which were accompanied by brightly colored lights and projections on the screen behind him.

The casualness of the outfit didn't mean the show lacked professionalism. In fact, it was much the opposite. JAY B showed that he could command the stage while still looking relaxed and having fun, accompanied by just four dancers, two women and two men.

The use of co-ed dancers was another notable element of the show. Rather than treating the dancers simply as background performers, the choreography told a story during several songs, with the dancers acting out mini scenes through their movements. This gave the show more dimension and brought depth to the lyrics JAY B was singing, rather than the dancers just being an afterthought.

Later on, JAY B swapped his casual look for a black suit jacket, fitting the vibe-switch as he sang the more formal-sounding ballads. This switch from his first, more casual outfit brought out a more sensual tone to the performance, and was accompanied by more sensual choreography as well.

Musically, the concert drew heavily on a nostalgic sound that felt particularly appropriate for JAY B's catalog. With GOT7 being a 3rd generation K-pop group, JAY B's vocals have a very distinct tone that is reminiscent of that era. He showcased these butter-smooth vocals in songs like "Time" and "Dive Into You." 

The VCR segments helped give the concert some additional narrative structure, as we saw JAY B take on a character in a perfume ad, "Smells Like JAY B." The first VCR had a more serious tone, with the performer playing the role of a "greasy and cringey" (his words) guy, promoting his perfume. The second ad, however, took on a much more comical tone, with JAY B playing "Dr. Jay", and singing and dancing to a silly song about the fictitious perfume. Rather than simply functioning as transitions between costume changes or sections of the set, these VCRs showed JAY B's sense of humor and gave the show a narrative structure.

This also leads into my next point: JAY B is a FUNNY guy. Despite using a mix of English and Korean, and relying on a translator for much of his ments, JAY B was cracking jokes and making his fans laugh every time he spoke. He interacted with the crowd, responding to one fan saying he should move to New York with "I love Korea — but not North." During these moments it felt like we were all just hanging out together, sharing a laugh.

There was a noticeable contrast between JAY B the performer and JAY B simply having a good time onstage. He could go from belting powerful vocals and fluid body rolls to joking with the audience moments later, making the concert feel less like a carefully controlled presentation and more like an evening spent with an artist who genuinely enjoyed being there.

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