[Recap] Nihao Taiwan – Mnet M! Countdown in Taiwan

Soompiers Rachel and Shirley are Americans living Taiwan. Lucky for us, they are also great writers and photographers. I hope you enjoy their recap of this special event as much as I did, and look forward to their future coverage of the active K-Pop scene in Taiwan! -soomp

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The Mnet music show M! Countdown traveled to Taiwan for the first time on April 24, 2013 to the excitement of many local fans. SHINee, INFINITE, T-ara, and SISTAR headlined the Nihao-Taiwan concert. They were joined by more than 10 other popular performers including such artists as K.Will, Davichi, and Teen Top. 

Since K-Pop is such a large part of Taiwanese pop culture, it is rather surprising that a show like M! Countdown had not yet come to Taiwan. Taiwan is indisputably a staple on the K-Pop world tour circuit. Big name artists like Big Bang, CNBlue, FT Island, and BEAST have all made an appearance just within the last year. As Americans currently living in Taiwan, we have been fortunate enough to live out many of our K-Pop dreams and attend more concerts and fan-meetings than we ever imagined.

This concert not only met our expectations but expanded our K-Pop horizons as well. We were thrilled to be able to see many artists that rarely have the opportunity to perform outside of Korea. The top-notch lighting displays and use of multiple stages provided for great audience interaction and enjoyment. The three-hour concert was over before we knew it!

Beforehand, Mnet hosted a few pre-concert activities including an interview with Dal Shabet and the chance to take pictures with the M! Countdown trophy and mascot. They also gave away various prizes like bandanas, notebooks, and even a few front row tickets.

At 8:05 p.m. M!Countdown Nihao Taiwan officially began. H.O.T.’s Tony An and SHINee’s Onew were the MCs of the night, doing their best to speak some Chinese and interact with the audience.

Teen Top opened the show with an impressive entrance from the top of the main stage, starting with “Crazy” and ending with their current hit “Miss Right.” Their white and black suits could be a signal that they are ready for a more mature, but still upbeat, sound. We were especially looking forward to “Miss Right” because of the unique dance and catchy tune. They did not disappoint. Teen Top was a great choice for the opening act as there were many loyal and vocal fans in the audience.

Girl’s Day immediately grabbed our attention with their skin-tight red outfits and sparkly silver suspenders. Their image has certainly evolved from the innocent sound of their debut. While their first performance was the cutesy “Twinkle Twinkle,” the highlight was definitely their hot rendition of “Expectation.” From an entertainment perspective, the suspender dance clearly wowed the crowd.

Next: Hong Dae Kwang sings the Meteor Garden theme, Tasty, and Dal Shabet