Korean pop music — K-pop — is a cultural phenomenon. From the global sensations of Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS), BIGBANG, and BLACKPINK, Korean pop music or K-pop has solidified its place in the hearts of millions. But, to me, it embodies more than just catchy melodies and mesmerizing performances — K-pop has become my life.

When I was 10 years old, my aunt introduced me to K-pop by showing me a video of BTS dancing at the American Music Awards. At first, I was weirded out by their over-expressive facial expressions and the dramatic dances. However, as I dug deeper, I found myself irresistibly drawn to their music. It was like nothing I’d ever heard before — catchy beats, infectious melodies and lyrics that resonated with me on another level. Before I knew it, I was spending hours watching K-pop music videos, learning choreographies and eagerly awaiting comebacks. Slowly but surely, I transformed into a die-hard superfan.

A month ago, I attended an IVE concert at Oakland Arena, part of the relatively young band’s first world tour, Show What i Have.

My mom and I purchased the tickets back in November and had been eagerly anticipating this moment. Finding our seats, I couldn’t help but marvel at the breathtaking view from our perfectly-positioned seats in the center of the arena.

Despite not sitting next to each other, my friend and I also made bracelets with the band members’ names as well as the band’s fandom name, “DIVE.” The name “DIVE” reflects their group greeting, “DIVE into IVE.” Before the concert, I gave bracelets to children and younger kids, and seeing their faces light up was a full circle experience.

One way fans show their support during concerts is by flashing the band’s lightstick. They are used to glow in sync at concerts and match concert displays. Another way fans show support is by matching their concert outfit to the band’s official colors or theme. A fellow concert-goer sitting next to me complimented my outfit and lightstick. It’s moments like these that truly highlight how K-pop brings people together and has helped me forge many new friendships.

When the concert started and the beat dropped, I felt my heart pound with excitement and anticipation. They opened with “I AM” which is about learning to love yourself and learning to accept love. Shortly after, they followed with “Royal,” describing how royal and queen-like they are. This is one of my favorite songs and they performed a rock version of it that electrified the crowd

But K-pop concerts are about more than the songs — the artists go all out to make sure that the fans have a great time. During the concert, one of the members, Yujin, performed a popular TikTok dance that had been trending recently. The entire atmosphere filled with excitement and energy and it was truly a sight to behold.

Before intermission, the members split off and performed covers of songs as solo performances. Some performed separately, others sung in a duo. I personally loved Gaeul and Rei’s coverage of “Wannabe,” and as an avid Spice Girls fan, I sang my heart out.

After their final outfit change, they performed their latest collaboration song, “All Night,” featuring the hit singer Saweetie. As a playful finale, they took the song’s title quite literally, playing the song in intermissions “all night.”

Towards the end of the concert, they repeatedly pretended to close out the show, only to surprise everyone by bounding back onstage, resuming their energetic performance. It was amusing to see how many people fell for their antics and left early.

But perhaps what truly resonated with me was the sense of community that surrounds the K-pop fandom. Whether online or at concerts, I found myself surrounded by people who shared my love for this cultural phenomenon.

Overall, I found the concert very enjoyable. Having been to tons of K-pop concerts already, this wasn’t my favorite; in my opinion, they could’ve worked more on their energy on stage during performances. Since IVE is a newer group, it explains their inexperience on an international stage. If you are just discovering K-pop, I would recommend going to a more experienced group’s concert, that way it would be more enjoyable.

But nonetheless, as I think back to the concert, it truly demonstrated K-pop’s profound impact. K-pop is more than just music; it’s a unifying force transcending gender and ethnicity, bringing people together in ways you’ll never imagine. K-pop has become more than just a genre — it’s a shared passion that connects us all, reminding us of the power of music to foster understanding and unity.