Purple on The Top : Arkansas’ First K-pop Concert Held in Little Rock

On a cold February day, a yellow and red trolley meandered up and down President Clinton Ave. The warm aroma of Earl Grey tea filled the air, offering a comforting contrast to the chill. A crowd gathered in the heart of Downtown Little Rock, wrapped around the infamous Revolution Music Room to celebrate Arkansas’ first-ever K-pop performance. The line, a vibrant sea of purple, stood out against the gloomy grey backdrop of the day. Hundreds were dressed in purple from head-to-toe to commemorate the Purple Kiss Headway Tour, queued in a growing single file line hours before doors opened.

Throughout the day, people frequently asked, “What are y’all lining up for?” as curious passers-by gave puzzled looks to the buzzing crowd. A troop of police officers even trotted by on horseback, wondering what the large, purple line was for. 

“I was so shocked,” Josie Summers, an attendee and die-hard Plory (Purple Kiss fan) said about the group’s stop in Little Rock. She did not even believe it was a concert, but rather a movie showing or fan-sponsored event. “It did not process in my brain for a while. I bought the tickets instantly.”

The overall reaction from fans when they saw the initial tour dates could be summed up in one word: flabbergasted. When has a K-pop idol group ever come to Arkansas? The short answer is never.

When idol groups tour America, they typically frequent the top five biggest cities and perform there for two or more consecutive days. For example, one of the largest K-pop boy groups in the industry, Seventeen, just recently concluded their American tour. Their tour stops included Rosemont, Belmont Park, San Antonio, Oakland and Los Angeles – each having two dates.

There have been some outside forces working to extend the parameters of K-pop to places less traveled. Leo Presents (the company that sponsored the Purple Kiss Headway tour) is trying to expand Korean entertainment to these places, especially in the American South. Beyond Little Rock, Purple Kiss also performed in Memphis, Birmingham, and Oklahoma City. 

Nearly everyone in line was having conversations about previous trips they made to places like Dallas, Houston, or Chicago to see other K-pop groups. They all ended similarly: I can’t believe a group is in Arkansas.

But just because K-pop groups do not normally tour smaller cities does not mean there is a lack of dedicated fans in those areas.

“Purple Kiss coming to Arkansas generated a lot of buzz for people in and out of the state,” Olivia Johnson, co-founder of Arkansas K-pop said. “Everyone was ecstatic to know that a K-pop group was finally coming to Arkansas,” adding that the best part was not having to plan a 6+ hour road trip or airfare for the concert.

Arkansas K-pop was officially created in February 2024 by three friends with a mutual interest in K-pop. The group is dedicated to fostering the vibrant, growing community of K-pop fans located in Arkansas. They aim to create a supportive space for people to connect with one another, explore Korean culture, while also supporting local businesses.

Arkansas K-pop frequently hosts cupsleeve events to create an interactive community space across Central Arkansas. They even created free goodies and banners to hand out before the Purple Kiss concert.

“We hope other tour companies will take note of how successful the Little Rock show was,” Johnson said.

Purple Kiss themselves were shocked to learn no K-pop artist had been to Arkansas. They spoke highly of the city’s energetic atmosphere and culture and were especially complimentary to the food.

The energy at the concert was so infectious that a booming applause erupted when the fog machines turned on before the show even started. The purple and pink strobe lights illuminated giddy smiles, while a “Welcome Plorys” light-up sign sat front and center on stage.

There were also many mini-contests for prizes like signed polaroids, exclusive photobooth pictures, and other merchandise that fueled night-long anticipation leading up to the start of the show. 

As the fog grew thicker, so did the crowd’s energy. The lights went out while screams nearly drowned out the backtrack, and there stood six powerful silhouettes on stage. The girls immediately showed a captivating performance of their pre-debut single My Heart Skip A Beat. Much like their debut, this song set a strong precedent for the rest of their night in Little Rock.

Purple Kiss has dynamic choreography, which was emphasized in such a small, intimate venue like the Rev Room. They are a performance-based group with a darker pop sound, and almost each song they performed was accompanied by synchronized choreography. But their unique vocal tones are phenomenal and really shined during the sub-unit stages – especially members Yuki and Swan, who covered Side to Side by Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj.

The group  was engaged with fans throughout the show and were curious about what Arkansas was known for. Shouts of “cheese dip,” “chocolate gravy,” and “diamonds” seemed to pique their interest. And true to Arkansas tradition, the crowd even called the hogs during the encore intermission.

Purple Kiss performing in Little Rock is a testament to how expansive the K-pop industry has become and how important it is for dedicated fans to have a space to celebrate their interests freely, regardless of where they live.

K-pop in Arkansas reflects the excitement and unity of fans while adding a unique local flair, proving that K-pop truly has no bounds.