Aside from getting into the Christmas spirit, one event that K-pop fans look forward to at the end of each year is the SBS Gayo Daejeon. This year’s SBS year-end show was recently held at the Gocheok Sky Dome on December 24, 2022, a day before Christmas. As always, the event was packed with outstanding performances by talented artists and iconic fashion moments as the groups walked the red carpet.
With performances from aespa (where two members are also part of SM’s female supergroup ‘Got The Beat’) and (G)I-DLE to TXT and ENHYPHEN, collaboration stages, and many more, SBS Gayo Daejeon 2022 was another music festival to remember.
What is the SBS Gayo Daejeon?
For those unfamiliar, here’s a quick background to this event. SBS Gayo Daejeon (or SBS Gayo in short) is an annual music festival held at the end of each year and broadcast by the Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS).
In the past, there was an awards ceremony part of this event, but this was discontinued in 2015. It now serves only as a music festival where invited artists perform their greatest hits of the year and some collaboration or special stages.
The Highlights of This Year’s SBS Gayo Daejeon
Hosts and Performers
Each year, familiar names in the industry get the show going. For this year, the show was hosted by SHINee’s Key, ASTRO’s Cha Eun-woo, and IVE’s An Yu-jin, who all did a fantastic job and looked incredible.
The line-up of performers was made up of primarily 4th generation groups, including the following: Stray Kids, NCT DREAM, NCT 127, TXT, ATEEZ, ENHYPHEN, aespa, LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans, NMIXX, CRAVITY, TEMPEST, fromis_9, Cravity, ITZY, IVE,, and (G)I-DLE.
Other artists and bands like Younha, 10cm, and Jaurim performed as well.
Notable Performances
Every stage during the year-end festival was brilliant in its own way. It was no doubt that fans looked forward to their favorite groups performing their hits and the special performances they prepared for the music festival specifically.
Some of these performances included IVE’s ballad rendition of their song ‘After LIKE,’ with their beautiful live vocals to match, and NCT DREAM’S ‘Glitch Mode.’ (G)I-DLE also performed their 2022 release TOMBOY, a song that topped K-Charts for several weeks.
Besides the performances of their own hit songs, some group members also did covers of iconic songs and had collaboration performances with members from other groups. For example, while big groups like BTS and BLACKPINK were not in attendance, whole groups or certain members of TXT, ENHYPHEN, and NMIXX performed the song and dance covers of popular tracks, such as ‘Black Swan,’ ‘DNA,’ ‘Shut Down,’ and ‘How You Like That.’
Additionally, Younha flexed her beautiful vocals, together with (G)I-DLE’s Minnie and Yuqi, as they performed ‘Comet’ together at the start of the show. NCT’s Doyoung and aespa’s Ningning also did an incredible cover of ‘Happy Together’ (originally by Park Ji-heon and Kang Min-kyung). LE SSERAFIM nailed a cover of Girls’ Generation’s ‘The Boys.’ IVE, NMIXX, LE SSERAFIM, and NewJeans also did a collaboration stage with a dance intro.
These performances, particularly the special stages, were met with positive reviews from fans and non-fans alike, with many complimenting the great live vocals of various group members.
Finally, different artists also performed Christmas songs to keep up with the Christmas spirit. Also, all artists in attendance ended the show with a bang by covering Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You.’
Iconic Styling
Besides seeing artists perform together onstage, another aspect of the SBS Gayo that fans looked forward to is seeing their favorite singers’ outfits, both as they performed and as they walked the red carpet.
This year, NCT DREAM and NCT 127 looked dashing in their white suits, while Stray Kids, in contrast, looked handsome in their black coats and jackets. TXT looked adorable and comfy in their Christmas-themed wear while carrying cute stuffed animals to complete their ensemble.
ENHYPHEN looked terrific with their suits and matching brooches. Other groups, like TEMPEST and CRAVITY, also looked cute while wearing or holding props like Rudolph’s red nose and a lollipop with a paper heart attached to it.
Of course, the ladies looked amazing as well. ITZY looked beautiful in their all-white outfits, complete with fur materials that seemed cozy enough to keep them warm. Members of aespa looked elegant in their black dresses, except for Winter, who was dressed uniquely in a dominantly-white piece (yet looked just as stunning).
NewJeans members were dressed in their own iconic way, wearing high boots and big shoes matched with tall socks to complete their look. (G)I-DLE mixed cute with classy with their all-white dresses paired with Christmas-themed hair accessories.
Get inspired by the K-Artists’ looks
Besides these hair accessories, everyone looked particularly elegant with other jewelry pieces that accentuated their looks. From pearl necklaces to subtle but beautiful earrings and rings, the stylists made sure to complete their outfits down to minor details. It’s no wonder why people look up to K-Idols as fashion inspirations.
K-pop idols are known to wear different types of jewelry (both girls and boys) with their outfits for significant events like SBS Gayo or just for casual clothes they wear at the airport. So, if you’re ever one who was inspired to express yourself through fashion, perhaps you’ve considered doing the same and completing your look with your choice of jewelry. Whether that’s a gold necklace, a ring with your favorite gem, or something else, it’s best to ensure that the piece you bought is legitimate and worth it.
One way to do this is to find a professional like Willyn Villarica to help you get all the information you need for your particular piece. Not only would you look good, but you’ll also feel great knowing that your jewelry is authentic and worth every cent!
Considering the fashion, music, and camaraderie shown through the groups who attended the music festival, it’s no wonder why people tune in to SBS Gayo Daejeon each year. As always, the show highlighted some of the biggest K-pop songs that people had on replay for 2022, and it promised another year of great releases from many talented groups and artists.
