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HyunA, MC Mong rock international pop festival in Bali

July 18, 2016

BALI, Indonesia, July 18 (Yonhap) — South Korean performing artists HyunA and MC Mong whipped a pop festival in Bali into a frenzy, with the Indonesian island becoming a giant melting pot of some 8,000 international spectators infatuated with K-pop.

“Finally!” the crowd roared with smartphones held high, as HyunA appeared on stage for the finale of Viral Fest Asia 2016 on Saturday.

The concert was hosted by Web TV Asia, a leading video-sharing platform in Southeast Asia that invested some 4 billion won (US$3.52 million) into the pan-Asian cultural festival.

The event had a six-hour run and included 30 acts from 12 Asian countries. However, the audience paid relatively more attention to the K-pop showcases compared to other acts of the night.

South Korean K-pop singer Hyuna performs in the finale of Viral Fest Asia 2016 that was held in Bali, Indonesia, on July 16, 2016.

“I didn’t expect to see so many fans in Bali,” said HyunA, in her first overseas event after the disbandment of her girl group 4minute last month. “They say this festival is a great opportunity for all Asian artists. I hope today’s show turns out well and it becomes a regular event. Terima kasih (Thank you)!”

The 24-year-old K-pop diva glowed on-stage as she performed a medley of her greatest hits – “Bubble Pop,” “Ice Cream” and “Red” — with the crowd singing along in Korean, despite hailing from different nations and speaking different languages.

“Bali girls would kill to become like HyunA. HyunA’s stage today was as fabulous as ever — it was overwhelming,” said Winda, an Indonesian K-pop fan.

“I’ve liked Hyuna since she appeared on the music video of ‘Gangnam Style,’” the 27-year-old added, referring to the singer’s duet cover version of Psy’s global hit “Gangnam Style.” The original video has received over 2.6 billion views on YouTube since its release in 2012.

K-pop idol Hyuna performs in the finale of Viral Fest Asia 2016 that was held in Bali, Indonesia, on July 16, 2016.

Rapper MC Mong also set the stage on fire at Viral Fest Asia 2016.

“Language may have borders but music is universal – Let’s have fun!” he declared to cheers from the audience.

The show was the 36-year-old rapper’s first performance in Southeast Asia, but he held the audience’s attention, performing such hits as “Miss Me or Diss Me,” “Ice Cream” and “Circus.”

“I came to the festival to say hello to Asian fans,” the rapper said, prior to the concert. “The event means a lot to me — it gives me a rare opportunity to perform on the same stage with so many Asian artists.”

South Korean rapper MC Mong performs at Viral Fest Asia 2016 that was held in Bali, Indonesia, on July 16, 2016.

Some other artists in the festival revealed their passion for K-pop during their performances.

Joyce Chu, a 19-year-old Malaysian singer, replaced some lyrics in “Malaysia Chabor,” the song that raised her to stardom, with Korean words, including the phrases for “hello” and “thank you,” as well as part of Korean traditional folk song “Arirang.”

Multinational pop group Asia Hot Angels danced to “Gangnam Style,” paying homage to the world’s most popular song on YouTube.

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