On the 27th, the 'Asia Top Artist Festival 2025' (ATA Festival) took place at the Youth Square in Hangang Nanji Park, Mapo-gu, Seoul. The headliner of the event was singer and musical actor Kim Junsu, with Jannabi and Peppertones as sub-headliners. Other performers included Lee Mujin, 10CM, Park Hye-won, Kyungseo, H1-KEY, Say My Name, and Hwang Garam.
During the event, Kwon Jung-yeol performed songs from 10CM's fifth studio album '5.0', released in July, including 'Our Current Situation', 'Nothing's Going On', 'Dance', and the title track 'Love is Six Strings'.
Known as a huge Tottenham fan, Kwon Jung-yeol humorously explained 'Nothing's Going On' by saying, "I love watching soccer, and I wrote this song based on the bad feelings I experienced while supporting my favorite team. Many sports fans can relate to it. However, if your team is doing too well, you might not relate. It's more relatable when the team shows a disappointing performance."
Regarding 'Love is Six Strings', he shared, "It's a song about the guitar. I've played the guitar all my life, and I felt it was time to create a song centered around it. Although summer is over, today is hot, so it's a refreshing song perfect for summer."
He also performed 'To Reach You', which dominated the music charts for an extended period after its release in March. The audience erupted in cheers as the song concluded.
Kwon Jung-yeol expressed his desire to engage with the audience, saying, "I want to perform this song with the audience. When I ask you to scream, please do so," as he performed 'Phonecert'. He then chose 'Stalker' as his final song, stating, "This is my last prepared song. It's a sad song, but it suits the season as we head into fall. Thank you for staying with us even though we're focusing on new songs."
After the 'Stalker' performance, the crowd demanded an encore. Kwon Jung-yeol responded, "I've been preparing an encore song for months. Even if you hadn't called for an encore, I wouldn't have moved an inch. I hope to meet you at the ATA Festival every year," and concluded with the encore song 'Love in the Milky Way Café'.
The 'ATA Festival' is an event with a diverse lineup of artists, offering enjoyment for all ages. On the second day, the 28th, headliner Kim Jaejoong will perform, along with The Boyz, Tours, Cravity, Ha Sung-woon, Fifty Fifty, 82Major, QWER, Eunice, Bad Villain, and New Beat.
By Taeyuna, TenAsia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr