Early dance hits like FIRE and IDOL fired up the crowd
Polished live vocals remain a work in progress
BTS
By afternoon, the chill in the air had been erased by 40,000 ARMY chanting for BTS, and the stadium grew noticeably warmer. On the 11th, BTS closed the second night of their BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG IN GOYANG' at the main stadium of Goyang Sports Complex in Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi.
Fireworks boomed overhead to open the show, and RM appeared holding a torch to launch the \"Hooligan\" segment. The group followed with \"Aliens\" and \"RUN BTS,\" sending the crowd into a louder frenzy.
Jimin said the good weather seemed to lift the mood and that he could hear ARMY clearly. He noted that the group had released the Arirang album after four years and was back on tour after six and a half years, adding that they tried many new things on the record. \"We worked hard on this, so I hope you enjoy and have fun tonight,\" he said. When J-Hope encouraged fans to put their phones away for a while and just run, play and enjoy themselves, many lowered their screens; the members returned the gesture with finger hearts.
The set moved through a diverse sequence, including \"they don't know 'bout us,\" \"Like Animals,\" \"FAKE LOVE,\" \"SWIM,\" \"Merry Go Round,\" \"2.0,\" and \"NORMAL.\"
The Arirang album stages were notable for their inventive use of fabric. In \"SWIM,\" flowing cloth created wave-like motion to evoke an underwater world; \"Merry Go Round\" featured choreography inspired by flight attendants; and \"2.0\" opened with red and blue fabric arranged into a taegeuk pattern, a striking nod to Korean aesthetics.
The band ramped up energy with faster, remixed BPMs during sections of \"Not Today,\" \"MIC Drop,\" \"FYA,\" \"FIRE,\" \"Body to Body,\" and \"IDOL,\" taking the atmosphere to its peak. During \"IDOL,\" they marched along the stadium track, amplifying the fans' response.
The second half began with \"Come Over\" from the Arirang deluxe vinyl, followed by \"Butter.\" RM joked, \"That song even the neighbor’s dog Chulsoo knows is coming your way,\" and teased that it was the same jam Jungkook used to spread on his toast, drawing laughs.
After \"Dynamite,\" \"Take Two,\" and \"DNA,\" Suga noted their deep catalog: \"We have over 200 songs. With many shows ahead, we'll present a variety of stages.\"
V kept the room smiling with his trademark banter. He confessed he had overdone his warm-up during a first-night event and ended up with a sore neck, then quipped that seeing ARMY had made that \"magic\" vanish. Jin urged the crowd to let off steam—\"Let it all out tonight\"—and performed his signature hand kiss, admitting he was nervous because it had been a while. When V asked for another hand kiss, Jin obliged and urged fans to \"scream until the end and finish beautifully.\"
RM offered heartfelt thanks to the audience. Bowing deeply, he said it had taken a long time, and he was truly grateful for the fans' patience and support. Although they released a song called \"2.0\" and are showing many changes, he stressed what mattered most had not changed: the seven members chose to do this together, and their sincerity toward the fans remains constant. He added that they have never taken the packed arena for granted and asked fans to trust them and be generous as they continue to evolve. \"Thank you and we love you,\" he said.
Jungkook also bowed deeply and pledged, \"Please know that, in any situation, all of our hearts are sincere. I’ll give everything until my body breaks. If you wait for us, I’ll repay you with more variety and even better performances.\"
BTS closed the show with encores \"Please\" and \"Into the Sun.\" They will wrap the Goyang dates on the 12th and resume the world tour at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo starting the 17th.
Early in the set, cheers and the sound mix sometimes drowned out vocals from members like Jimin and Jungkook, but after \"Like Animals\" the group settled into consistently solid live performances. Still, the half-step-lowered high notes that Jin and Jimin sang in the latter portion of \"FIRE\" leave a technical detail the band will likely tighten up as the tour continues.
© Dailian Co. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
