BTS and Harry Styles Highlight Touring Double Standards.

Discussions surrounding stadium touring standards have started resurfacing following the opening nights of Harry Style’s ‘Together, Together’ tour with some attendees questioning the changes in the artist’s live performances and overall experience. Since then it has expanded into a broader comparison between Western artists' pop tours and the increasingly high-production standards which are often associated with K-Pop artists and shows.

On May 16, Harry Styles kicked off his ‘Together, Together’ residency tour at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. This tour comes after his previous Love On Tour shows, which concluded in July of 2023, had grossed over $617.3 million and had over 65-dates. This time the tour focuses on 68 shows across seven cities, including a 30-night residency at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Unlike traditional city-to-city touring schedules, the new tour focuses on set residencies in 7 different cities rather than going from one city to another. This allows Styles to remain in one location for multiple performances rather than constantly having to travel between cities. Furthermore, it can provide some advantages and could even support a longer touring schedule. Production, stage layouts and audience interactions could benefit in these large stadium venues.

Following the opening shows of the tour, some concert-goers took online platforms such as X to express their concerns with the concert. Firstly, visibility and the stage design directly affected several fans who had purchased VIP tickets and had spent over $638.38 to secure these in the first place. They uploaded photos showing their partially obstructed views which were caused by the elevated stage structures and extended walkways.

While some fans noted how the long run-way style stage allowed the artist to interact with more sections of the audience, others mentioned how it mainly just caused more viewing difficulties and made the stage feel at times even empty due to the lack of dancers or extra people on the stage, bringing an almost awkward feeling to the show at times. It also meant that sections had to wait long periods of time just staring at the railings before catching a small glimpse of the artist again.

While this was a disadvantage to the VIP ticket holders, for people in further away sections they felt like they had an advantage as they were able to get a good enough view of the stage and the artist at the same time. Furthermore, some VIP attendees also raised concerns regarding merchandise included in premium packages after images circulated online showing what appeared to be older cosmetic products from Styles’ brand Pleasing. As of publication, neither the artist nor organizers had publicly addressed the complaints.

The last complaint many fans had was the abrupt ending of the show. Usually artists give out a mention or an indication of gratitude towards fans near the end of a show but it seemed like this time after the last song was finished, house lights went up indicating the show had fully been over.

This discussion has led some online users to compare the reactions surrounding Harry Style’s tour to the scrutiny that K-pop acts often face during large-scale world tours. For example, BTS who are currently carrying out the North American leg of their “ARIRANG” world tour, previously faced criticism from fans over adjustments made to their touring structure.

K-pop tours in general, have increasingly become more associated with large-scale stage productions, intensive choreography, elaborate visual effects, outfit and frequent set changes, all which contribute to the growing audience expectations surrounding live performances. These expectations have also started seeping into Western artists as the prices for their concerts could average at around the same prices. An example of the similar price points would be the BTS Soundcheck/VIP experience for their European leg of the tour falls under $522 which remains a hefty sum for many, especially in the current inflated economic climate.

In previous years the group would have multiple choreography-heavy sections, showcasing the group’s intricate and heavy dance sections amongst groups of other dancers. These became a stand-out point for not just their shows but many K-Pop shows as well as it would set them apart from other artists. However, in order to make a nearly 11-month tour sustainable things had to change.

However, in order for BTS to make a nearly 11-month tour sustainable, changes had to be made. The physical, emotional and mental demands that are required to be on the road non-stop for such a long period of time call for a more sustainable model. Simplified stage structures or reduced choreography could reflect a broader change within the live music industry surrounding artist health and longevity. Despite this, there are still a lot of dancers, set changes and plenty of different visual queues that replace those choreography-heavy sections, still giving audiences something to look forward to in each section.

Criticism by both fans and publications still went online as people wanted the old type of performances back without thinking of the implications that it could bring for the artist. Some argued that since they had set up this type of expectation on previous tours they had to adhere to it, while others counter-argued that in that time they were both younger and wishing to show a different side of themselves as artists and performers. While this could be the same case for Styles’ and he now wishes to show a different side of his artistry, it arguably still leaves a lot of space to be covered.

As conversations surrounding touring standards continue to grow, the differing reactions to production changes across Western pop and K-Pop have once again been highlighted by how uneven scrutiny is often distributed within this industry. The discourse surrounding Styles’ tour has expanded beyond discussions about stage layouts or VIP experiences.

Instead, it reflects and raises broader questions about why certain artists seem to face significantly heavier criticism over staging, choreography and production choices. On the other hand, other artists sometimes seem to be granted more flexibility within online discourse and audience expectations despite the ticket price being close or sometimes even higher than other artists.