GOT7 performing in Taipei in 2018 (Picture: Getty Images)

After an initial frustrating delay on tickets going on sale and months after their US stops, K-pop group GOT7 finally performed in London for the first time, bringing their Keep Spinning tour to Wembley Arena.

Formed in 2014 by south Korean agency JYP Entertainment, they had their recent comeback Spinning Top: Between Security and Insecurity earlier this year. It was a darker offering than their previous poppier album Present: You, and this was reflected in the tone of this tour. The members were tortured by an eclipse in the opening film that laid out their concept – they are lost and only their fans Ahgase can help them find the light.



Despite the palpable enthusiasm from fans, the members seemed to have the whole light-finding thing on lock, oozing attitude through a ferocious first half kicking off with Eclipse. I’m Out and Skyway were random choices from their back catalogue, but they provided two of the most impressive dance breaks of the night.

Where other groups’ unit stages can feel like filler or incomplete, GOT7 shined separately as performers. You could have happily watched two hours of Youngjae flirting with men in masks, or group leader JB grinning like a demon around a gag in his mouth. The rapline, decked out in flashy jackets, dealt a one-two punch with God Has Returned and the bass-heavy, swaggering Mañana.


GOT7 brought their blend of hip-hop and pop to London for the first time (Picture: JYP Entertainment)

The short and sweet unit stages nipped along at nice pace, so the lull wasn’t there. But the timing went against them too. GOT7 has been together for five years and the chemistry came off them in waves. Bam Bam teased Mark, the oldest member, about his age between songs. At another point, Jackson tried to read lyrics off a teleprompter and Youngjae dashed over and covered his eyes. These guys are warm, funny and sincere – if only the bullet train of a setlist gave them a bit more time to chat.

Other fandoms will argue this, as they are entitled to, but GOT7 is easily one of if not the strongest K-pop group vocally. This was especially evident in 1°, Paradise, Look and Thank You, the rapline’s low tones harmonising tenderly with the singers (props to Youngjae again).

Ahgase turned Wembley Arena green (Picture: JYP Entertainment)

And even though they were clearly flagging, (the non stop dancing and live singing left them literally flat on the floor and unable to talk at some points) they mustered up enough energy, enough light if you like, to really bring it home for the encore. Face-melting banger Hard Carry was a welcome addition, with the festive Miracle giving Ahgase a moment to breathe before bringing out the big guns. Shopping Mall served early 00s R’n’B realness and deep cuts Go Higher and Girls Girls Girls (their debut single) had people dancing in the aisles.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Their ending ‘ments’, or speeches, were littered with basic crowd-pleasing platitudes like ‘I love this city’ and ‘thank you for coming’, however that’s to be expected given the language barrier for some members. But Jinyoung mentioning the group’s comeback next month got massive cheers.

Mark confessed the members were anxious about how many people would turn up on the night. An artist admitting they were worried they wouldn’t sell tickets is practically unheard of, and displayed the closeness between GOT7 and their fans after two blistering hours of looking as untouchable as gods. Or idols. But he, JB, Jackson, Jinyoung, Youngjae, Bam Bam and Yugyeom needn’t have feared. If anything, we should be the ones worried about how long we’ll have to wait until they come back here…

Got a showbiz story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you.

MORE: Martin Bashir brings Simon Cowell to tears with heartbreaking story and moving performance on X Factor: Celebrity

MORE: Iain Lee says Rebekah Vardy was ‘dark’ and ‘unpleasant’ to him during I’m A Celebrity