New Delhi grooves to K-Pop beats at regional round of All India K-Pop Contest 2024
OUTKASTS declared the winner in the dance category, while Bem Khuvung took the top prize in the vocal category. Both the winners will now will take part in the semi-final that will be held in New Delhi on 19th October.
NEW DELHI: K-Pop fans in New Delhi had only one destination this week as hundreds of them gathered at the famed Ghalib Auditorium located on Mata Sundari Lane in ITO to witness the regional round of the All India K-Pop Contest 2024. A total of 84 participants were selected for the regional round after 2,945 registrations – the highest from any city in the country – were received for the online round competition in the region.
There were 23 teams in the regional round with 11 teams performing in the dance category, while another 12 teams took part in the vocal category of the contest.
It was amongst this splendid display of performance that OUTKASTS performed to NMIXX’s ‘O.O’ and went on to take the top prize in the dance category. Similarly, Bem Khuvung mesmerized the crowds with Jung Seung-hwan’s ‘If It Is You’ and earned the top prize in the vocal category of the New Delhi regional round. Both of these participants will now perform in the semi-finals that is scheduled to be held in the National Capital on 19th October.
The other participants who performed exceptionally well at the New Delhi regional round include the group ‘Girl Crush’ who were the first runners-up in the dance category. The group danced to the popular track, ‘More & More’ by TWICE. The boy-band ‘3 Plus 4 Crew’ was the second runners-up in the dance category after performing to ‘Get A Guitar’ by Riize.
The competition in the vocal category was extremely intense, with Victor taking the first runners-up prize by crooning to ‘I Miss You’ by Kim Bum-soo. Khushi was the second runners-up after performing to ‘Goodbye My Love’ by Ailee. At the Ghalib Auditorium, the most popular songs on which the participants performed in the New Delhi regional round were Ailee’s ‘I Will Go To You Like The First Snow’, IU’s ‘Love Wins All’, Le Sserafim’s ‘Fearless’ and NMIXX’s ‘O.O’.
Speaking about her love for K-Pop, Shivika Gulati of OUTKASTS, a seven-member group that had a remarkable run last year and finished as the second-placed team in All India K-Pop Contest 2023, said, “Since we are seven members, we were all introduced to K-Pop at different stages of our lives. Some of us stumbled upon it through viral music videos, others through friends or social media, and a few were drawn in by the choreography. Despite our different paths to discovering K-Pop, we all share a deep passion for it now, and we’re united in doing what we love. Also, this is the second time that we are participating in the All India K-Pop Contest. Last year, we came in second place in the finals, so we’re definitely eager to see how well we can do this year. Beyond the competition, a trip to Korea with our friends has always been a dream. We also love dancing and performing, and we’d do anything to be on stage, which is why this competition means so much to us.”
After the successful completion of the New Delhi regional round of the All India K-Pop Contest 2024, seven out of a total of 11 cities have now completed the regional round of the contest. The regional round caravan will continue to pass through Hyderabad (August 18th), Ahmedabad (August 25th), Bhopal (September 1st) and Lucknow (September 1st).
More than 300 teams are expected to showcase their talent in the regional rounds that spans across India. The Grand Finale of ‘All India K-POP Contest 2024 presented by LG’ will be held at the state-of-the-art exhibition and convention centre, ‘Yashobhoomi’, in New Delhi on November 23rd, 2024. The winners of the Grand Finale will get an opportunity to visit Korea.
Hwang Il Yong, Director of Korean Cultural Centre India said, “New Delhi is the Capital of India and it is the very heartbeat of the entire country. It is a city where people from different parts of the country and the world have settled down, leading to a vibrant diversity in culture. The New Delhi regional round of the All India K-Pop Contest 2024 was a further celebration of this diversity that the city inhabits. It was wonderful to see so many participants and their family members come out to celebrate this event. I would also like to thank all the participants who practiced hard, displayed great performances, and made this event so successful.”
