Festival Review: Blackpink - British Summer Time Hyde Park, London // July 2023
Headlined by BLACKPINK, and with support from Sabrina Carpenter, The Rose, and more, Day Five of British Summertime offered a diverse and memorable celebration of music.
With a lineup showcasing some of the most exciting upcoming names alongside renowned global stars, the all-day festival was already set to provide eight-and-a-half hours of jam-packed music therapy. Before gates had even opened, the queues were already backing up past the entrance to the iconic park, quickly establishing that this was a monumental day for music lovers. As the gates opened, crowds poured into a very summery Hyde Park, and the wait for the first performance of the day began.
Tasked with kicking off the highly anticipated day, breakthrough artist Mae Stephens took to the Great Oak Main Stage just half an hour after general entry. With powerhouse vocals and groovy basslines, the 20-year-old hyped up the crowd and set the tone for what was going to be a day filled with wide-ranging talent and infectious energy. The funk-infused set featured a range of unreleased tracks highlighting Stephens’ versatile sound, including feel-good opener ‘Narcotics’, tongue-in-cheek track ‘Make Me Your Mrs’, and viral hit ‘If We Ever Broke Up’.
Opening the Rainbow Stage was Nashville-born songstress Annika Bennett. The multi-instrumentalist put on an impressive one-woman show, with her turquoise electric guitar in hand. Captivating the audience with her trademark introspective lyricism and ethereal vocals, Bennett began her set with coming-of-age anthem ‘Sober Up’, before transitioning into the beautiful ballad ‘Madwoman’. Following a couple of stripped-back acoustic songs, the electric guitar returned for pop-hit-to-be ‘Power Sex Dreams’, as well as heartbreakingly honest final track ‘Scared Of Getting What I Want’.
Caity Baser was next to take on the main stage. The Brighton-based star appeared in a colourful catsuit, with her long blonde plaits waving around in the air as she made full use of the stage. Baser radiated confidence as she sung about everything from toxic relationships to unapologetic self-empowerment. The exuberant set featured the relatable pop anthems that have quickly secured the singer as one of the most promising rising names, including ‘X&Y’, ‘Kiss You’, and ‘Dance Around It’. Just as Baser’s time in the limelight was almost up, she announced chart-topping hit ‘Pretty Boys’, which was met with uncontained excitement from the fast-growing crowd.
Back at the Rainbow stage, it was time for the pink fairy herself to make an appearance: Peach PRC. Despite it being the Aussie’s first UK performance, a crowd of enthusiastic fans gathered, eagerly awaiting her entrance. The social media phenomenon emerged dressed head-to-toe in pink, with glistening fairy wings to top off the look. The audience were treated to a range of Peach’s hits, including early breakthrough singles ‘Blondes’ and ‘Josh’, as well as tracks from her most recent EP, ‘Perfect For You’ and ‘F U Goodbye’. The flamboyant and eye-catching set felt like something out of a not-so-PG fairytale and made for an undeniably entertaining thirty minutes.
Up next on the main stage was Korean indie rock band The Rose. The all-male four-piece, consisting of Woosung (vocals/guitar), Dojoon (keyboard), Jaehyeong (bass) and Hajoon (drums), put on a full live band performance, with charismatic delivery and crowd engagement. Showcasing a masterfully crafted display, covering some of their biggest hits, the band’s extended forty-five-minute set was well-received by fans. From the heavy pop-rock-infused production of hit record ‘RED’ to the stripped-back acoustic sound of number one song ‘She’s In The Rain’, The Rose undoubtedly demonstrated their versatile talents.
The final act to perform on the Rainbow Stage was US sensation Rebecca Black. Now 26-years-old, she has come a long way since her 2011 hit ‘Friday’, which served as her claim to fame. The Californian was lifted on stage by two dancers in long black cloaks, with her entrance foreshadowing the dark and enigmatic tone of the set. The combination of a hyper-pop sound with grungy guitars made for an interesting listen, and one that is far from the music that initially made a name for herself. Finishing with a fresh take on her initial hit, Black certainly offered one of the most unique performances of the day.
With 6:40pm quickly approaching, anticipation among the main stage crowd grew, as New York-based pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter was getting ready to perform. With her first UK/Europe headline tour taking place only a couple of weeks ago, the 24-year-old has managed to establish herself a strong and dedicated London fanbase. Joined by a new set of dancers to amp up the crowd, Carpenter’s entrance was met with the loudest cheer from fans so far, as she emerged wearing a stunning hot pink dress to danceable opener ‘Read Your Mind’.
From the moment she stepped on stage until she left, Sabrina put on a show-stopping set featuring hits from her former albums, as well as tracks from her most recent record ‘emails i can’t send’. Covering everything from sassy pop hits ‘bet u wanna’ and ‘Feather’ to country-inspired tracks ‘Tornado Warnings’ and ‘Already Over’, the singer-songwriter flawlessly displayed her diverse artistry. Fans were even treated to a cover of ABBA’s iconic ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’, securing her showcase as one of the most wide-appealing sets of the day. After over 40 minutes of pure pop perfection, Carpenter moved onto her final songs, including power anthem ‘because I liked a boy’ and global hit ‘Nonsense’, which was topped off with yet another of the star’s signature cheeky outros.
As the sun began to set, the anticipatory atmosphere started to build, as the now enormous crowd of fans eagerly awaited the headliner of the day: BLACKPINK. With a packed golden circle edging closer to the stage by the minute, and an even more packed general admission pushing against the barrier, it was clear that many would do anything to get a good view of the show. Although the initial start time was set for just before 9pm, there was no sign of the South Korean girl group until almost quarter past. Just as fans were wondering what was causing the delay, the pre-show music grew louder and vibrant pink spotlights started to flash, making it clear that there wasn’t much longer to wait.
Signalled by the emergence of an army of dancers, the crashing of drums, and sparks flying across the stage, the figures of Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa began to appear. Dressed all in white, BLACKPINK had arrived and were ready to kick off their set with a fan favourite, ‘Pink Venom’. Emitting a defiant and fierce energy, the girls truly put on a highly polished first performance, which seemed to exceed even fans’ highest expectations. The combination of complex choreography with pitch-perfect harmonies immaculately highlighted the girls as musical polymaths in their own right.
After introducing themselves to the crowd, the girl group paraded between the main stage and centre platform as they performed a mix of fan favourites including ‘How You Like That’, ‘Kick It’ and ‘Pretty Savage’. It wasn’t long before the four-piece temporarily disappeared for the first outfit change of the show, before returning to begin the solo part of the set. Each member took on leading vocals for a solo performance, beginning with Jennie who kickstarted with ‘You & Me’, followed by Jisoo with ‘Flower, Rose’s ‘Gone + On The Ground’ and Lisa’s chosen track: ‘Money’. As much as the group work seamlessly together, it was great to see them each having their own moment in the limelight.
Yet another outfit change later, the K-Pop icons appeared in full black to perform their last few tracks, consisting of ‘Boombayah’, ‘Lovesick Girls’, and ‘Playing with Fire’. With the final song approaching, the girls took the time to thank the crowd for an incredible night, before proceeding into the ultimate finale: ‘DDU-DU DDU-DU’. As the song reached its final chorus, bright fireworks illuminated the pitch-black sky and mounds of pink confetti was sent flying across Hyde Park. The extravagant (and unmistakably pink) display offered the perfect ending to an incredible day that many will never forget.
Words by Emily Savage
Blackpink header image provided by Outside Organisation
Rest of Photography provided by Stefania Semini
