Music Bank in MADRID

Oct 12

I remember months ago when there were rumors about a K-pop event being prepared, and we were all given the chance to send our requests. I think you already know me and know that my requests wouldn’t be complete without Red Velvet; GFriend, whether as VIVIZ or with their three soloists; TRI.BE, obviously because of all the love I have for them; Secret Number, for their festival anthems; YOUHA, because she’s simply a queen; KARD, as I needed to see them in Spain again this year; and, of course, I took a wild shot by adding MAMAMOO.

I’m not going to lie, my requests felt like too much, or at least that’s what I thought. They seemed impossible.

MAMAMOO hadn’t performed as a full group outside of Asia for a while, and each member already had a lot of solo plans that year. But who knows? Dreaming is free, and it has always been a dream of mine to enjoy them live.

You can’t even imagine how nervous I got when they announced the lineup, seriously, I almost cried.

I think I’ve told you before, either here or on YouTube, that the groups that made me fall in love with K-pop were GFriend, Twice, and MAMAMOO in equal parts. I had the chance to see VIVIZ at MIK London 2022, and you wouldn’t believe how much I cried after their performance, it was a milestone for me as a music lover. In 2023, I got to see Twice in Paris, and even though my experience wasn’t what I expected, it was still incredibly special to witness them live. I felt so lucky to have secured tickets. The only one left to complete my holy trinity was MAMAMOO, and then the impossible happened. They announced MAMAMOO+ as part of Music Bank. MAMAMOO. In Spain. Unbelievable.

I needed to relive the MIK experience with VIVIZ, to see part of the girl group that stole my heart back in 2020. I was on cloud nine with happiness. So, I went all in to get the best tickets that would allow me to enjoy the concert to the fullest. I got lucky and managed to secure standing area tickets. I needed to make the most of this experience.

But I think we all know what happened next.

Honestly, what the Korean Power team has done is incredible. You can really see the dedication and effort they put into making everything happen despite the circumstances.

It was a shame that after securing great standing tickets with assigned seating, we suddenly had to stand for the entire concert and deal with everything that came with it, arriving hours early to queue, crowds, pushing, and just so many people. But hey, it was what it was. All for the sake of making us fans happy. From here, I just want to highlight all the hard work and effort the promoter put in to make this happen.

To be honest, these kinds of concerts or festivals are really tough. Personally, I truly appreciate the famous seated tickets, they’re super comfortable and convenient. But at the Auditorio Miguel Ríos, it was impossible to follow the plan they had for the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, so we had to arrive hours early to queue up and try to get a good spot.

I got to the parking lot around 3 PM, put on my outfit inspired by Moonbyul’s Special Clip of GGBB from 1theK, and set out to find the queue for my ticket type. I’m not lying when I say there were a lot of people everywhere. And despite arriving hours in advance, I quickly realized that there were still tons of people ahead of me in the line. So, well, now it was time to wait for the gates to open and, later, for the concert itself.

After spending a while in the crowd waiting for the gates to open, I finally got inside the venue and confirmed my suspicions, there were a lot of people ahead of me. I figured it would be a good idea to stand to the side of the main stage, leaving the central platform behind, thinking that at least I’d be able to see the artists up close on the main stage.

That being said, it seemed like Music Bank was cursed. It started raining a couple of hours before the concert began. But well, everyone knew it was coming and had brought their raincoats. The organizers had warned us in advance, and I really appreciated how attentive they were to everything.

The hours of standing were starting to take a toll, fatigue was kicking in, but the excitement was at an all-time high. There was barely any time left before this adventure began.

And then, the moment arrived. Despite all the changes, the rain, and the crowd, Music Bank Madrid 2024 had officially begun.

I have to admit that my expectations were really high, and unfortunately, something similar happened to me as with Twice—it wasn’t what I expected.

I felt like Solar and Moonbyul’s performance was rushed and too short. I know the concert had to be shortened after the venue change, but it really hurt that Moonbyul didn’t even step onto the main stage during their set.

Don’t get me wrong—it was an absolute dream come true to see them both live, with those incredible vocals and stage presence, but it felt a bit off. They performed as MAMAMOO+, yet they didn’t sing any of their songs as a duo from either of their albums. Instead, each of them sang their latest solo releases at the time, followed by a MAMAMOO medley. It was magical to hear them live and cross that off my bucket list, but I really wish they had spent more time on stage.

As for the rest of the groups, I have to say—I was really impressed!
Freshly graduated from the NUGU status, Kiss of Life proved just how talented they are and how much energy they bring to the stage.
P1Harmony never disappoints with their music and their solid career in the industry.
RIIZE shocked me—they’re a new group, but their songs are absolute bangers.
NMIXX are our honorary “latinas,” and I hope they come to Spain on tour because I need to hear them speak Spanish more often.
BOYNEXTDOOR was the group I knew the least about, but they definitely made an impact. Their stage presence was awesome, and their songs were top-tier.
Back to MAMAMOO+, I love them so much, and I truly hope to see them again in the future, whether as soloists or as a full group of four.
What can I say about aespa? This was my second time seeing them, and they are absolute machines when it comes to music and performance.
And finally, the ones I felt the audience was most hyped for ENHYPEN. Their songs and performance were amazing.

I’d like to end by once again thanking the entire organization for all their effort in making this happen despite everything. It was truly unique and historic.

Dream checked off the list. 🥬

Music history made in our country. 🎸