P1Harmony Make History As the First K-Pop Group to Play Nashville’s Opry House

P1Harmony in Nashville; Courtesy of Twitter

When P1Harmony walked on stage at Nashville’s historic Opry House, they had already made history. 

They are the first K-Pop group to play the venue, and only the second K-Pop group to ever perform in Music City. “We are very honored to stand on this stage because we know how monumental this is,” the group’s leader Keeho said after a killer opening. Right now, on the P1ONEER Tour, P1Harmony is going where very few K-Pop groups have gone: Deep into the American South, playing a city that is traditionally known for country music, and one that some skeptics likely believe a K-Pop group could never sell out.

But P1Harmony proved they can smash the old playbook. They debuted with FNC Entertainment, a mid-tier label that is not part of a huge conglomerate like HYBE, and have worked hard to position themselves as Gen Z’s most ambitious group. “Don’t listen to their feedback,” Intak shouted near the beginning of the concert in the opening lines of “Scared”. That song - which includes the punchy lines, “Never listen to people saying/ What's different is wrong/ Don't be afraid of showing your truth” - felt like a defiant pushback to those who questioned how popular P1Harmony would become. 

This weekend was proof that the boys are ascending: P1 received their first win as Emerging Artist at the Hanteo Music Awards on Saturday, and their concert at The Opry House was nearly sold out, with fans waiting outside for hours to buy merch and trade handmade freebies. 

The group’s opening track “Look At Me Now” was a perfect song to celebrate the historic occasion. The performance is volcanic, with fire projected all around the boys, and an insane amount of energy that rippled out into the next two and a half hours. Each member is an ace who excels in different areas: Keeho and Theo provide sultry, smooth vocals; Intak and Jongseob are fledgling rappers; and Soul is one of the most talented dancers of any K-Pop group. “This is louder than Slash,” a weary Opry House staff member told my friend halfway through the set. Oh, but they were just getting started. 

“Fans and journalists always ask us, ‘What makes P1Harmony so special?’” Keeho said as he introduced “Secret Sauce”. “And I just say, ‘If you know, you know.’ We got that secret sauce.” 

You can get a taste of the secret sauce in the first four songs on the P1ONEER setlist. They come hard and fast with a look back at the group’s dizzying discography. There’s “Back Down” the popular comeback single from this year, and “Doom Du Doom”, a song that allows the group’s rapline to shine. 

The group is nothing short of energetic: Their performances are both a display of stable vocals and incredible athleticism. This was showcased unexpectedly when the music’s audio was cut from “NEMONADE” halfway through the performance. In probably the most admirable and shocking moment of the night, the group kept performing like nothing happened. They sang, they rapped, they danced, and eventually - when it was clear the music would not return for the song - began to rap the beat.

“That was not planned,” Keeho said with a smile. “But at least you can tell we’re singing live.” At Theo’s request, they performed the song again – pitch perfect. “The technical difficulties made tonight more special,” Keeho said near the end. He was right: It proved P1 are worth the hype.

While the group can perform a perfect trenchill track like “Gotta Get Back To You”, they are at their best when they’re navigating adventurous hip-hop production. “Black Hole”, from their latest EP, was ferocious and exploded on stage. “I’m a bad guy/ I’m a black hole,” they warn in the chorus — and for a moment, their excellent performance makes you believe that they can be dangerous. When they finally hit “Do It Like This”, I wondered if P1 is writing their history and whether others will be following their lead in the next few years.

Prior to the show, the group spent three days in Nashville and exploring the city, going to Broadway Avenue where Keeho bought cowboy boots. “No lie,”Jiung said, “I think I love Nashville the best.” He and Soul claimed that they would buy houses in Tennessee when they earned enough money. Despite their busy schedules, the group set time for fun, too. Keeho shared that they went bowling across the street at Dave and Busters, where a P1ECE let them play for free.

In these talks, where members shared personal moments from their day, their stage felt intimate. As Keeho mentioned in their opening, they never once took for this experience for granted. “It means a lot that you all chose to be here tonight,” Keeho said before reminding us that he’s just as much a fan of pop music as we are. “You could’ve stayed home and watched Rihanna at the Super Bowl, but you chose us.” 

In another five years, P1Harmony will likely be one of the most popular groups in K-Pop. Frequently I heard from fans who told me that the guys feel on the verge of a major breakthrough, and Sunday night’s show proved this is possible. If it does happen, it’s likely thanks to the thigh bond shared between P1 and the P1ECES. “All of us,” Jongseob said as the groups made their final goodbyes, “are part of the harmony.” 

Special thanks to Frazes Creative for inviting me to this show! P1Harmony’s tour is almost over but you can still catch them tonight (2/14) in Austin and Thursday in Dallas. Click here for tickets.