Written by Clinton Camper
No opener, no filler, no problem. The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory belonged to BIBI on June 19—and we were all just guests in her unpredictable, poetic, unfiltered world.
From the jump, the energy was cracked. The girl in front of me was nervously shaking her leg so hard it was loudly squeaking her chair—like her whole nervous system was prepped for impact. Her friend finally had to tell her to calm down. That’s how amped the entire crowd was. And when BIBI finally walked onstage in a schoolgirl outfit, complete with blue pleated skirt and patent kitten heels, she didn’t just enter—she set the tone.
The first stretch of the show felt dreamy: just BIBI, a mic, a cityscape behind her, and later a glowing ocean sunset. She eased into songs like “Midnight Cruise” and “Hangang Gongwon” with a voice that felt smoky, jazzy, and sweet—an artist entirely at ease in her element. The crowd swayed with red heart light sticks in perfect sync, left to right.
She greeted us with: “Hello Irving, it’s my first time visiting… what’s Irving?” Same, girl. But she was warm and witty the whole night, downplaying her English, though she was eloquent and funny as hell. Between songs, she joked that she’s not in the Illuminati (but would let us know if they called), and revealed she’s “not religious because I’m stupid.” Her honesty and humor were magnetic.
When she launched into “Scott and Zelda,” she sat at a school desk, joined by five dancers and a touch of Broadway flair. One thing about me? I love choreo. And BIBI clearly loves storytelling. Even the interludes were theatrical—dark, surreal clips about identity, death, and rebirth. She introduced her alter ego, Eve, a clone birthed from emotional ruin, only to smash the fourth wall and say, “Forget about Eve, BIBI is back,” before unleashing BIBI Vengeance. It had the crowd losing their collective minds.
BIBI’s stage presence is a triple threat of cute, sexy, and unhinged—in the best way. She had us chanting “pack of cigarettes and condoms” like it was gospel. She danced around a fan named Alfredo during “Best Lover.” She performed “FedExx Girl” wearing a fan’s actual FedEx hat. She joked about her lack of a butt (“pancake!”), told us “Binu” (soap) launched her career, and reminded us that paying $60 for light sticks is wild when they’re $5 in Korea (thanks though, she appreciates it).
One of the most wholesome parts? She spent nearly 20 minutes roaming the crowd, asking people what their jobs were. She said she wanted to know us. Really know us. Then she sang “The Weekend” like it was her closing statement.
After teasing an encore, she returned with “PADO,” “Bumpa,” and “Eat My Love.” And just like that, it was over—but she left us feeling seen, loved, and a little emotionally disoriented. BIBI doesn’t just perform; she confesses, jokes, dances, and disarms. She’s a full-on experience.
And if the Illuminati does call? I hope she answers.