[Herald Review] Infinite begins second world tour in Seoul

Explaining the name of their second world tour, Infinite member Sungyeol said: “Bringing everyone together through our music, that’s the ‘Infinite Effect.’” And the seven-member boy group did just that for fans packing Olympic Park’s Gymnastics Arena in Seoul on Aug. 8.

Throughout the concert kicking off the tour, Infinite tried to bring that “Infinite Effect” to life with a comprehensive 180-minute set that included their top hits, all of the tracks from their latest album “Reality” and never-before-seen performances. 

The concert began with Infinite’s hit “BTD (Before the Dawn)” with the group’s famous scorpion choreography, followed by “Paradise” and “Be Mine.” 

Hoya, who suffered a leg injury, sat down for the next songs “Destiny” and “Tic Toc,” as well as other songs throughout the concert.

“He’s healed just enough to be able to walk around. He won’t be able to perform for the entire concert,” said Sungkyu. “We told him to relax, but he insisted that he wanted to be with us onstage.”

Next, the group performed three songs from their new album including “Footstep,” “Love Letter” and “Standing Face to Face.” During “Love Letter,” the members walked around on the extended stage that wrapped around the standing crowd, tossing signed paper airplanes to eager fans. 

The next segment showed off the members’ individual musical styles. Sungkyu sang his solo track “Kontrol,” and Woohyun performed a new original solo song called “Everyday,” an upbeat rock number with an explosive chorus. “I wanted to write a song about wanting to see you every day,” he told his fans later.

The hip-hop unit group Infinite H made up of Hoya and Dongwoo performed their songs “Sorry, I’m Busy” and ”Pretty,” while Infinite F (Sungyeol, L, Sungjong) performed “Heartthrob” and “My Girl.” Infinite F’s performance was particularly interactive, with the members coming up close and personal to fans on all three floors and tossing roses into the crowd.

“(Infinite F) wanted to show you some new songs on this tour, but we haven’t had a new album lately,” said Sungyeol, jokingly adding that the comment was meant for the head of their company. “We hope to give you some good news on that front soon.”

Korean fans were able to enjoy a special treat with never-before-released Korean versions of Infinite’s Japanese songs “24 Hours,” “Just Another Lonely Night” and “Dilemma,” as well as the original version of the “Last Romeo” music video. The video had been scrapped for a new version because of its depiction of the characters drowning in water, a sensitive image around the time of the Sewol tragedy last year.

Next, Infinite unveiled their new song “For You,” a funky and jazzy song with a strong drum beat that they performed with standing microphones. The members also walked around the extended stage, taking selfies on phones handed to them by fans.

“For You” was followed up by more songs from “Reality” as well as their past songs “Back” and “The Chaser,” before the set wrapped up with the group’s latest lead track “Bad.”

Infinite came back onstage for their encore with “Come Back Again” and “Together,” when their fans held up signs saying “Let’s go together, Infinite!”

Infinite’s second world tour “Infinite Effect” will be heading to Asia, North America, Latin America and Europe.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)