Interview: Lee Young Ji Gives Her All on the First Night of Her Debut US Tour
Prior to the ‘All or Nothing’ show in LA, HALSUG was able to sit down with Lee Young Ji and have her answer a few questions:
Photo Cr: Glenalyn Ann
Preceding the release of her debut EP, 16 Fantasy, and the success of her first #1 charting song, “Small Girl,” the world has seen 22-year-old Lee Young Ji become a prominent figure in the K-Hip Hop scene. And when asked about how she keeps herself grounded while navigating the industry, she mentioned it hasn’t been easy. She describes her journey and mind, as she continues to find her place in the industry, to be very “messy” and “unstable,” and she isn’t one to stay humble. She understands and appreciates her successes and makes sure that there are even times to be chaotic and “all over the place” since that is what life is all about. Later, when asked about the inspiration behind her EP, she mentioned how the album is a representation of the brave and reckless 16-year-old Young Ji, and how she continues to inspire herself to be as courageous as her younger self despite learning and growing more as not only a person but an artist. She proceeded to mention how the song “Unknown Guy” is her favorite song off the EP.
Lastly, as we congratulated her on her first-ever solo tour, we asked how it feels to perform in the States for her concerts in comparison to her past U.S. performances. She mentioned how even though it was fun to perform at events like K-Play Fest, it wasn’t her concert. And now with this tour, she has felt very special since even though it is nerve-wracking, she is excited to perform for her U.S. fans in the upcoming weeks. Additionally, Young Ji shared that compared to audiences in Asia, she isn’t as well known in the U.S., so she is looking forward to seeing how many fans are going to be singing along and the energy the crowd will bring!
Photo Cr: Glenalyn Ann
She closed out by letting us know that she has plans to release new music and is working on new collaboration projects that she hopes everyone will enjoy! Young Ji encourages everyone to “stay in the loop” to see when those projects are released!
CONCERT RECAP:
Fans eagerly waited outside The NOVO in Downtown Los Angeles for over six hours awaiting the start of the first stop of K-Hip Hop artist Lee Young Ji’s All or Nothing tour. With performances that showcased not only her immense talent but also her infectious personality that her fans have come to love, Young Ji’s first solo concert was truly memorable and set the bar high for the rest of her tour.
Raising popularity on the show High School Rapper 3, Lee Young Ji won the hearts of fans all over the world after she won her season back in 2019 and later released her debut single “Dark Room” that same year. She later became a household name not only in the rap scene after winning Show Me the Money 11 and working with other popular artists like Jay Park, Dynamic Duo, and pH-1, but also in the entertainment industry with her show Nothing Much Prepared and partaking in the popular show, Earth Arcade. Over the years, fans have come to love her humor and relatable personality, as well as her musicality and powerful stage presence.
Photo Cr: KStage
She opened the show with high energy performing songs like “Go High” and “I am Lee Young Ji” which had the crowd rocking out and matching her energy. Not only this, but Young Ji was also supported by a live band which added a dynamic energy to the night. As she conversed with fans in between her stages, she mentioned her journey as an artist on survival shows like High School Rapper 3 and Show Me the Money 11, and jokingly asked the crowd to applaud for winning both shows. However, as she reflected on being on these shows, she also reminisced about how she wouldn't be here without those experiences. The night was filled with moments that perfectly captured Young Ji’s charm. She joked around with her fans, her infectious personality shining through every interaction. Unexpected by the nearly sold-out show, she made sure to let concert-goers know that tonight would be filled with unforgettable moments.
She soon followed suit by performing fan favorites like “Day and Night” and “My Cat,” where she even went down towards the crowd to enjoy the concert with fans. Young Ji kept the energy high with “ADHD,” “DNA,” and “Blue Check,” songs that had the entire venue singing along. She was visibly amazed by the fans knowing the Korean lyrics, and the fans truly exceeded the expectations she had stated in her pre-show interview. The audience became an integral part of the show, helping to create beats and taking on parts of the songs. Despite her initial nerves about giving the crowd such roles within her performances, you could see smiles running from ear to ear at how energetic the crowd was to help Young Ji, even having a fan join her on stage to rap pH-1’s section during "Not Sorry." Yet, despite constantly expressing that she had never done any fan interactions like this before, the LA crowd did not disappoint!
Photo Cr: KStage
The night continued with powerful renditions of “Witch” and “Deja Vu,” with each performance met with thunderous applause. As the main set drew to a close, Young Ji wrapped up with "Tell Me," leaving the stage to the sound of cheers, but not before promising her fans that she would return. True to her word, she reappeared for an encore, starting with a celebratory drink of champagne toasting to her first solo tour before launching into a cover of Sting’s "Englishman in New York."
Throughout the encore, Young Ji's playful spirit was on full display. She encouraged her fans to cheer loudly after she left the stage so she could have an excuse to come back to perform more songs. She soon ended the night with performances of “Fighting” by BSS and “Smoke” by Dynamic Duo, both tracks in which she was a featured artist. The audience's energy never waned, and as the final notes rang out, the venue was filled with a roaring cheer that shook the entire venue.
Photo Cr: KStage
For nearly two hours, Young Ji delivered an amazing show, filled with incredible stages and heartfelt interactions that truly made the first stop of her All or Nothing tour something special. As she thanked her fans one last time and exited the stage, it was clear that this was just the beginning of what promises to be an unforgettable tour. Young Ji’s LA stop was a night to remember, and we can’t wait to see what she has in store next.
Photo Cr: KStage