12 Live Performances By "Kingdom" Groups That Show Off Their Unique Charms

Apr 06, 2021

“Kingdom: Legendary War” is upon us! The Mnet competition show has brought together six K-pop groups to perform, grow, and engage in some friendly rivalry, and we’re so excited to see what kind of awesome stages the show will bring us. All of the groups are incredibly talented in multiple ways, but each also has its own unique charms. To get to know the groups better and learn what we can expect from them on “Kingdom,” we’ve pulled together a list of two performances from each that showcase a major strength of each group. Check out these performances, in order of group seniority, and prepare to be amazed!

BTOB: Emotion

Legend has it that Eunkwang once said about BTOB, “we don’t sell albums, we sell emotions,” and no words have rung truer about this group. With such unbelievable vocal talent, BTOB excels at ballads and music that highlights their voices, like the vocal line’s performance of “To My Love” below. While only half of the vocal line members are competing on “Kingdom,” we all know that every member of BTOB is a vocalist at heart!

Ballads aside, BTOB excels at many emotions, and they’re also known for being a group full of goofballs — we dare you to watch this BTOB 4U performance of “Show Your Love” without smiling. From Eunkwang yelling “happy birthday Minhyuk” at the beginning to them all shouting at random and having fun at the end, this is a group that also has the ability to bring us so much laughter!

iKON: Power

Obviously iKON is known for being full of swag, and the group’s hip hop flair gives it not only a distinctive sound, but also an unmistakable attitude. iKON is a powerful force to be reckoned with on stage, as is clear from this 2017 performance of their hit “BLING BLING”:

Far less appreciated is iKON’s prowess as vocalists, and if you’ve never heard the group perform a vocal-focused track, I highly recommend this performance of the Japanese version of their b-side “Just Go.” This powerful stage will have you falling for every single member’s voice! It’s safe to say that we hope to see both sides of iKON on “Kingdom.”

SF9: Charisma

While we wouldn’t be surprised if 90 percent of the “Kingdom” commentary about SF9 revolves around how tall and handsome they are, there’s more to this group than long legs and pretty faces! SF9 manages to have overflowing charisma and confidence in every stage, making their performances downright captivating. This allows them to pull off harder-hitting songs like “RPM” (and we love the dance intro to this performance!):

We also can’t forget their sexier songs like their 2019 release “Enough.” From their smoldering facial expressions to their effortlessly suave choreo, this performance of “Enough” makes it clear that SF9 can exude charisma in every sense of the word.

THE BOYZ: Creativity

It only seems right to include two of THE BOYZ’s performances from “Road to Kingdom” last year, given the group’s many stunning performances on the show. THE BOYZ honed their creativity for some truly incredible stages starting from day one: while their later performances may have been larger in scale, “Sword of Victory” is 90 seconds of mesmerizing perfection, focusing on the uniquely acrobatic choreos that ultimately helped win the group the crown.

But THE BOYZ also proved their versatility in their collaboration with ONEUS for what was arguably the most underrated “Road to Kingdom” stage. Their cover of Sunmi’s “Heroine” not only shone a spotlight on THE BOYZ’s vocals and acting skills, but also represented a touchingly emotional portrayal of the trials and rewards of idol life.

Stray Kids: Heat

Heat, lit-ness, hype — whatever you want to call it, Stray Kids brings it with their explosive choreographies and energy. This group has nothing but bangers in its repertoire and an intensity that makes every performance engaging from start to finish. Nowhere is this clearer than this 2020 performance of “MIROH,” in which the guys perform in a driving rainstorm that somehow gives them even more savage energy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDlwGV2JJ24&ab_channel=KBSKpop

We also know that Stray Kids will take their hype to the next level in “Kingdom,” if their past stages are anything to go by. The hypnotically lit knife-wielding intro at the 2020 SBS Gayo Daejeon prefaced another awesome performance of their recent hit “God’s Menu,” and it’s this kind of creativity that we bet we’ll see more of on “Kingdom”!

ATEEZ: Stage presence

ATEEZ is a group full of performers, and not just in terms of their powerful music and intense choreographies: when they’re onstage, there’s not a second these boys aren’t performing with their faces — as the below stage of “HALA HALA” can attest to. The variety and subtlety of their expressions is beyond impressive, and even for a song that is hard-hitting through and through, the members manage to find a whole range of expressions to show, featuring all kinds of smiles and sneers, looks of shock and looks that shock.

The group’s swag and confidence is only heightened in the way they effortlessly pull off explosive choreos, like in this dance performance from KCON 2019 LA. You would not believe that ATEEZ is the youngest group on “Kingdom”!