When all three floors of New York's Terminal 5 are sent into screams at the lights dimming and the slightest hint of Sunmi starting her show, then you know you're heading into a night of excitement. Let’s dive into our recap of Sunmi’s GOOD GIRL GONE MAD TOUR in New York, where Sunmi’s legendary performance left all of her Miyane breathless, shocked, and madly in love with Sunmi.
Sunmi opened with Siren, the intoxicating siren call of her fans to dance and sing and scream along to begin her concert. The girl crush dances and backup dancers at her beck and call set the stage for the night ahead — intoxicating, alluring, and completely mad. The madness didn’t stop there: the hair flips of “Lalalay” were endless and charismatic! The full energy of her song and dance welcomed Miyane to the show.
Miyane made sure to welcome Sunmi just as much, with endless cheers as she began her first ment. "It's been three years, right? I really missed you all so much!" Even out of breath, Sunmi never missed a chance to share how much she loved her Miyane.
"The fact that we are sharing the same moment in the same space makes me feel so happy. I feel alive now!" Her love inspired screams from all of her beloved fans, filling Terminal 5 with cheers.
The loving exchanges between Sunmi and her Miyane came to life even more for “pporappippam”: the screams that inspired Sunmi to smile a little bit brighter, the finger hearts of the choreo, the cheers as Sunmi was lifted by her back-up dancers during the bridge. The support of her Miyane only uplifted her further as she transitioned into “SUNNY.” We couldn’t tell you what was brighter: the stage as Sunmi brought the sun to Terminal 5 for the track, or the smiles on everyone's faces as she performed.
It was so clear how much Sunmi missed her Miyane, especially being separated from them for so long due to COVID-19. It made the reunion all the more sweet, as evidenced by the sweet love that outpoured from each word she sent her fans.
"Black Pearl" welcomed Miyane even deeper into the world of Sunmi with its retro tunes. Bathed in neon light, she stared deeply into the eyes of her fans like a siren reborn. She even dragged the mic stand across the stage in pure pop idol fashion (similarly, her charisma dragged the attention of her Miyane around with finesse!) "Narcissism" brought the same loving energy as Sunmi kneeled and serenaded fans.
The sultry tones of "Borderline," Sunmi accompanied by two backup dancers, showcased her struggle between good and bad. "Please be on my side," she begged her audience – and how could we not stay for her throughout it all?
After a moody VCR, Sunmi emerged in a denim miniskirt set and skin-tight brown booties, serving cowboy chic as she rode the wave of hype for "Gotta Go." The strobe lights of the body rolls of the chorus only intensified with each beat – each frame felt picture perfect.
The upbeat tempo of "Call" kept the energy going, a "colorful" beat that she later pointed out in her ment. "Music is another way for me to express and talk about myself!" And each song let us learn more about Sunmi (and if you're curious, make sure to listen to them yourself on Spotify! Sunmi's recommendation.)
For her ment, she picked up a fan's sign of JYP doing a finger heart. Her laughs and giggles at the sign were even more affirmed by her comments to the fan: "I love you." The banter she exchanged with Miyane was top notch. One fan kept shouting at her while she was trying to talk, prompting her to playfully tell the fan to "shut up!,” followed with an even more playful "love you!" The fan's screeching "I'm sorry" sent Sunmi into more giggles.
The dreamy sultry tones of Sunmi’s “1/6" were not the type to be preceded by her giggling, but the queen of performance does not rest ever. "Childhood," with its groovy bass lines, was filled with an unparalleled level of performance. The intimacy of how Sunmi crouched close to her Miyane, connecting with them for the first time in ages, stays with us to this day.
"Today, this performance is like a dream," said Sunmi. "The next stage is a stage that Miyane has dreamed of – so I'll show you another Sunmi."
The audience was sent into screams as she took out her bright teal bass. "Multitalented queen," shouted one Miyane! "We love all of you. Slay!" shouted another.
And it truly was a slay, with the amount of hype that Sunmi brought to her performance of “What the Flower.” The wind blew cinematically through her hair as she played bass and serenaded Miyane. The BPM picked up for "Noir," the driving rock beat turning Sunmi from sultry girl crush to hype-filled rock star. (But we truly are still crushing on her!) The thrumming rock bridge where she stepped away from the mic to focus solely on her strumming sent the whole crowd into screams.
In her ment, she shared how difficult it was for her to get used to singing and playing at the same time – but with a little demonstration of just her voice and bass, we were falling for her effortless swag. "It's so confusing," she said after playing it perfectly. We, too, were confused – how was it possible to be that perfect?
She shared more of her hopes and dreams for the future, the first being the third world tour. "Would you come back for it, Miyane?" And she was greeted with cheers!
As her most recently released track, she had the venue sing along with her for “Heartburn.” The way they knew every word and melody had her giggling. Our surprises for “Heartburn”: the otherworldly, huge decorative fans that came out as props for the song, and the way the audience sang every fanchant and lyric. Sunmi's endless charms as she sang and danced and skipped around the stage were... hardly a surprise. They're simply a constant.
In an all-black fit of sheer thigh highs and shorts topped with a jeweled chandelier top, no one could take their eyes off of Sunmi as she took the stage for “24시간이 모자라“ and its sensual dance moves. The timeless song continued to entice fans.
“Oh Sorry Ya” took the stage to another level, with a large black sheet prop that allowed Sunmi to play with shadows, disappearing from Miyane's sight at will. Whether she was in sight or not, she was always on our minds. "Tail" was even more mind-bending, turning her back-up dancers into a cage of limbs. Her dancers’ legs became optical illusions across the colored lights of Terminal 5, turning the song into an otherworldly experience.
"I want each and everyone of you to know that Miyane is my biggest inspiration," said Sunmi, taking a moment to gaze out lovingly into the crowd. The way the audience cheered and shouted for each and every one of her actions also made her giggle with surprise. "Miyane is one of a kind," said Sunmi. "Seriously. That's why you guys like me!" Miyane simply couldn't stop sharing their love for Sunmi — each breath she took was received with another "I love you!"
Miyane’s love for Sunmi? Iconic. Also iconic? The chair dance of "Heroine." Sunmi’s moves had all of us singing and screaming along. It turned into a synth-filled party. The heat only rose with the flaming hot moves of “Burn.” Fans jumped and danced along to the song. "Make some noise, New York!” yelled Sunmi — and with the cutest smile, she turned the stage into a rave.
Who are you if you haven't heard or danced to “Gashina?” The queen of “Gashina,” a staple in any idol or fan’s cover repertoire and a cultural reset of charisma, Sunmi’s legacy truly never ends. Sunmi balanced the iconic song with, once again, her endless love for Miyane. Sunmi celebrated the “Miyane” lyric of the song with a huge smile and the changing of the venue’s lights.
With even more smiles, Sunmi returned to stage with her and her backup dancers all decked out in "Good Girl Gone Mad" tour merch. The spunky track of “You can’t sit with us” had everyone rapping and dancing along. To the thrumming retro beats of the song’s backing track, she shared her final “I love you”s to the Miyanes of the night.
To wrap up the night, Sunmi introduced each of her back-up dancers – who came to the front, taking center stage and showing off their moves.
The night wouldn’t be complete without a photo to commemorate Sunmi meeting her New York Miyanes after so long, either. In preparation for the photo, Sunmi picked up everyone’s signs and gifts. With final goodbyes, she exited the stage with love and a promise to return to her Miyanes soon!
Sunmi’s GOOD GIRL GONE MAD TOUR in New York came to a close - but our excitement for it and Sunmi’s legacy continues to this day. Thank you so much to Official KEvents and Rootcompany for giving KpopStarz press access to the show!
