[Review] WOODZ ‘OO-LI And’ in London
The soloist took to the UK stage to deliver outstanding vocals and showmanship to die for across a whopping 21-song setlist.
WOODZ thrilled UK fans with an outstanding night of performances. Image: WOODZ Official Twitter/X.
Following the release and critical acclaim of his EP OO-LI, WOODZ (a.k.a Cho Seung-youn) has solidified his status as a star thanks to his latest world tour, OO-LI And. His recent stop in London left fans in utter awe after his showcase of powerful vocals, energetic raps, and a set equating to almost half of his discography. As well as treating the audience to his popular title tracks, and well-loved B-sides, he also covered Oasis, and even sang an unreleased track. Fans — known as MOODZ — could barely contain their admiration and appreciation post-concert, and it’s easy to see why.
Pedal to the metal
After a slightly longer wait time than usual (due to trouble with queuing at the Troxy venue in London’s Stepney Green) the audience were more than compensated when WOODZ stepped onstage, decked in leather and denim alongside his incredible live band.
The crowd were gifted repeatedly, with heavier B-sides “Busted” and “HIJACK” kicking off the show, setting the tone for a night to remember. The singer traversed the setlist with ease, barely setting a foot wrong across the vocal acrobatics of fan-favourites like “Love Me Harder” and “WAITING”. He then leaned further into his rock sound with an incredible back-to-back sequence of “Chaser”, “Who Knows”, “Dirt on my leather”, and “Trigger”.
This had the audience jumping and cheering as if their lives depended on it, all scored gorgeously by the talents of the live band consisting of electric guitar, bass, keys, and drums. The show was elevated massively with this added touch, setting the show apart from a typical K-pop concert in a way that emphasised WOODZ’s chameleonic abilities, and his move from K-pop idol to a rock star singer-songwriter.
“I love, love, loved the fact he has a live band, loved that they got to show off,” said Lola, 20. ““Trigger” sounded so much more amped up than the original especially, they sort of made it more fitting with the cowboy-ish ‘rock and rolly’ songs which I loved too.”
Emily, 18, was in agreement: “The band really stood out… it really felt so genuine,” she told us.
Getting darker
After a well-received cover of Oasis’s “Don’t Look Back In Anger”, and performances of tracks like “Multiply” and “ABYSS” to the adoring crowd, WOODZ delved into a more sultry, seductive side of his discography. Having started out as a soloist in realms closer to K-RnB, it was gorgeous to witness the slightly darker side to the 27 year old’s pop-rock tracks. “NOID”, the Taemin-esque “Kiss of Fire”, “FEEL LIKE” and “DIFFERENT” went down a storm with fans, who swayed and danced the night away.
WOODZ in London’s Troxy. Image: Gabii Rayner for Cherry Chu Magazine.
The emotions were soon kicked up a notch with the performance of “Drowning”. The epic ode to mental pain and suffering was brought to life by WOODZ’s powerful raw vocals, belting and growling into the mic to tug at the heartstrings of many as they screamed along. The track was a particular standout from the two hours — to hear the audience scream back the poignant lyricism in unison, sheltered from the rainy skies of London, was a lasting, heart-warming memory.
“I think I went through every emotion possible,” reflected Millie, 25. “It just felt very reminiscent of the music culture I grew up in…. the live band and everybody singing their hearts out felt very unifying.”
Following the sentimental “Journey”, the show closed out with an upbeat energy, leaving fans grinning from ear to ear. “I hate you”, “BUMP BUMP”, and “Ready to Fight” highlighted WOODZ’s more ‘devil-may-care’ attitude from recent years; headbang-worthy tracks and swearing into the mic aren’t typical for K-pop idols, but it suits WOODZ as a performer to perfection, despite his contrasting, giggling persona.
And with an audience that came away completely overjoyed, it’s clear that there’s an appetite for an artist such as him.
Musing with MOODZ
WOODZ’s stylistic shift and unique discography has garnered him a loyal fanbase, composed of seemingly every age, background, and gender. Talking on the diversity of the Troxy audience, Kirsten, 52, says: “There was a good mix… I think he just appeals to a lot of different people — he does different genres, he raps and he sings and he’s rocky but also does ballads.”
Standout moments from the show varied from person to person, but the OO-LI And tour has had a lasting impact for sure. Lola continued by dubbing “Busted”, “Trigger”, “NOID”, and “Who Knows” as their personal favourites whilst Sy, 24 called the live performance of “Different, “Something [she is] going to remember for a very long time”.
Michi, 17, highlighted other tracks as particularly memorable moments from her first ever concert: ““Drowning” was amazing because there was a lot of collaboration between the audience and him singing and it was so sweet. “Multiply” too was such a nice atmosphere! He also changed the lyrics to mention London and I honestly melted.”
WOODZ’s ability to connect with a crowd was emphasised by many of the show-goers, from his rendition of “Happy Birthday” for someone in the crowd, to taking song requests, and his friendly small talk punctuating the set but without feeling like time-wasting.
“He was really, really engaging with us — it didn’t seem like a K-pop concert where everything is a bit rehearsed,” recalls Lola. “He was really interactive and spent a LOT of time singing as opposed to fanservice, which I was grateful for… he was really making use of the time”.
WOODZ appeared to have the time of his life with the OO-LI And crowd. Image: Gabii Rayner for Cherry Chu Magazine.
Fans consistently zero in on WOODZ’s uniqueness as an artist. He toes the line between K-pop idol and rock, pop, RnB musician in a way rarely seen in Korea’s music industry. “[The show] definitely felt less like a K-pop concert and more like a rock vibe!” exclaimed Emily. When asked about the future of WOODZ as an artist, Sysia continued: “I really like that he’s experimenting with different sounds and styles. I’m really hoping for him to get even bigger — he deserves all the hype.”
With audiences clamouring for more, it’s certain that for WOODZ, the only way in his journey is up.
Edited by Chelsea Cheetham.
