On Friday, June 19, K-rock band 2Z finished their Brazil tour with an explosive concert in Sao Paulo. Debuted in January 2020, the band consists of drummer and leader Bumjun, main vocalist Hojin, guitarist Jiseob, bassist and rapper Junghyun, and keyboardist (among other instruments, officially named the multiplayer of the band) Zunon. They saw their fans, called FromA, in person for the first time in two years.

Advertisement

A Crash Landing

After stopping by three Brazilian cities—Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, and Recife—for fansigns and pocket shows, 2Z prepared a two-and-a-half-hour concert for their last stop in Sao Paulo. The tour, called “A Crash Landing,” had a concept of special agents from a different planet coming to Earth to help heal humanity and learn about love.

They opened up with “Doctor” and “O@ASIS,” both hype tracks with chant parts for fans to sing along to, with the unreleased “Nightmare” coming right after. With pop and 90s rock influences, 2Z brings a refreshing and raw style of pop-rock, captivating fans and new listeners alike. They continued with the fun “Cheesecake,” the 90s rock style “2020 March,” and the synth-pop-inspired “25,” introducing themselves as coming from a planet with 25-hour-long days.

Advertisement

The show went on with the bright “Turn My Camera On” and the special track “Rainbow,” followed by vocalist Hojin expressing his surprise with the reaction and energy of the fans. “I thought I was gonna be tired from the trip when we arrived, but after meeting the fans in Brazil… You guys are amazing!” The next song was the chill “Let’s Go for It.”

The Boys Who Sing Hope

One of the ways 2Z describe themselves is “the boys who sing hope,” as they want to make their fans feel better through their music. Hojin mentioned that before they arrived, they had heard of the many destructive floods in Brazil during the first five months of 2022. “We wanted to find a way to comfort you guys through our music. […] this song is for you,” he said as he introduced “Stand,” a song with uplifting lyrics. “Every time, be brave! Now walk this way / We are now! / We are shining when we are together, Together / We are now!” they sang as the fans lifted golden moon cutouts, forming a shining sea.

Junghyun talked about how K-pop is a genre that brings everyone together despite the language barriers. “For me, the best songs are by Red Velvet and BTS,” he said, introducing their covers of “Psycho” by Red Velvet and “Butter” by BTS—though he didn’t expect the fans to reply enthusiastically that the best songs are 2Z’s!

Advertisement

In a fun segment, selected fans showed a short original choreography for the song “East End” and got 2Z tour merch as a thank you. The band followed with a cover of “A Queda” by Brazilian pop star and drag queen Gloria Groove. The cover was initially posted to their channel a few months before the tour and received praise from the singer.

The band circled back to “East End” to perform the entire song—and show their dance moves. They followed with the emotional “(Even If Not) I’m Ok” from the soundtrack of the BL drama Kissable Lips. Another soundtrack, the next song was “Behind Cut” from the drama of the same name. The more emotional segment of the night kept on going, with the boys performing “All I need” and “Not Without You,” during which the fans lit up their phone lights. “Today is our most important memory, so I wanna say thank you, guys. I respect you guys,” Hojin said to the fans.

Keeping the Promise

Revealing that they were going to perform the last song, Hojin talked about how his father used to tell him he wanted to be a protective “wall” for his son. “We want to be that protective wall to you guys now. And we will ‘Keep The Promise,’” he said, introducing the song of the same name.

Advertisement

After the members left the stage, they showed a video recap of the Brazil tour as a thank you to the fans. Of course, they came back to the stage for an encore, starting with a fun cover of Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito,” followed by “My 1st Hero” from their debut EP and “Like a Cool.”

Before the last song, the members talked about the concert and thanked their fans. Junghyun said he never expected the view and responses and will never forget the fans’ faces. Jiseob commented he was moved and will remember this day forever. “We practiced a lot for this concert and were even a bit tired before, but as soon as it started, it all went away. Eu te amo, Brazil!” said oldest member Zunon. 

Hojin said even though this was their last day in Brazil, they would like to come back and exclaimed, “And we always keep our promise!” Leader Bumjun added: “This is the first time we ever performed in front of so many people. Can I live in Brazil?” he joked. Junghyun also took the opportunity to go to the audience and thank a fan named Flavia, who was in a wheelchair. “I hope you remember this concert forever, as I will.”

Advertisement

They wrapped up with “It is U,” saying goodbye to their FromA. Before leaving the stage, Junghyun joked, “I don’t want to go back to my planet!”

With their positive energy and solid discography, 2Z put on not just an unforgettable show for their fans in Brazil but also made new listeners fall in love.

Want to relive more concert moments? Check out our recap of Begin Again: KPOP Edition.

Advertisement