In another life, Jin would still be a superstar. Instead of being one-seventh of BTS, though, he’d be the affable host of a variety show, turning charisma and humour into ratings gold. Tonight, at the first of two London shows on his ‘#RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR’ outing, he lives that fantasy.
This is not your typical concert, nor your usual K-pop extravaganza. Instead, it feels like you’re inside an episode of Jin’s Run Jin series, the web show he created as a spin-off from BTS’ own Run BTS. The logo for the programme remains in the corner of the big screens throughout the night, and when the singer first appears on stage for buoyant versions of ‘Running Wild’ and ‘I’ll Be There’, he jumps around a lightning-shaped podium with a big game-show style button on it.
Between performances, he leads the crowd in a series of “challenges” – a telepathy game where he has to guess a word through fans’ gestures alone, another where he has to figure out the song from the crowd’s a cappella singing. “Korean’s difficult for you too, huh?” he quips after fans struggle to recreate the rap verses in ‘Boy With Luv’. Compared to the usual flash of K-pop shows, where dramatic, cinematic VCRs often appear at regular intervals to uphold the narrative of the night, Jin’s is refreshingly down-to-earth, with only one video game-themed clip running right before the encore.
Jin’s performances aren’t without some extra razzle-dazzle, though. Many come accompanied by pyrotechnics and explosions of streamers, or during a snippet of BTS’ ‘Dynamite’, rainbow-coloured confetti explosions that mirror a scene in the music video. ‘Super Tuna’, meanwhile, sees him performing dressed in an inflatable alien costume – a “prize” the crowd earns during the first game of the evening. As he finds out what he’ll be wearing, he tilts his head and laughingly winces, as if bemusedly regretting his choices leading up to this moment.
The challenges and games – and Jin the variety host – are only half of the night’s story. On the flipside is the role that Jin is more commonly known for – phenomenal performer. He shines brightest when he’s engaged in emotionally rich songs, like a beautiful rendition of ‘Abyss’, which finds him seated at a paint-splattered purple piano, lost in the melancholy of the song. He’s equally commanding for the thundering ‘Another Level’, but ‘Rope It’’s endless lasso moves, his arm circling his head, becomes a little awkward.
As fun as the rest of the show is, it’s the closing section – no games, just quality songs – that really hits. A medley of BTS songs – the aforementioned ‘Dynamite’, ‘Butter’, ‘Mikrokosmos’ and ‘Spring Day’ – is received rapturously, fans screaming back every word of each song. ‘The Astronaut’, ‘Epiphany’ and ‘Moon’, meanwhile, showcase what Jin does best – soaring, sentimental songs that allow his voice to dazzle.
Before he wraps up the show for good with a sweet version of ‘To Me, Today’, he takes a moment to reflect. “I think five or six years ago, we sang ‘Epiphany’ here, right?” he says, referring to BTS’ 2018 concerts at this same venue. As he continues, he promises to come back “next time” – a pledge that whips up even more excitement in the stands, given his group’s impending March 2026 return. As a badge he wears at the start of the concert declares, stay tuned for that, and the burgeoning growth of Jin’s fun-filled solo career.
Jin played:
‘Running Wild’
‘I’ll Be There’
‘With The Clouds’
‘Falling’
‘Don’t Say You Love Me’
‘Super Tuna’
‘I Will Come To You’
‘Abyss’
‘Background’
‘Another Level’
‘Loser’
‘Rope It’
‘Dynamite’ / ‘Butter’ / ‘Mikrokosmos’ / ‘Spring Day’
‘The Astronaut’
‘Nothing Without Your Love’
‘Epiphany’
‘Moon’
‘To Me, Today’