The past weekend saw K-pop queens 2NE1 performing two nights of their sold-out Welcome Back shows at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
CL, Sandara Park, Park Bom, and Minzy last performed as a group in Singapore 10 years ago, and the quartet disbanded two years later. You can only imagine how excited their fans were for the group’s 15th anniversary reunion.
As stoked as everyone was to see the ladies perform on stage together again, main vocalist Park Bom, 40, appeared tired and ran out of gas during the concerts.
For those who don’t know, Bom suffers from lymphedema, a disease which causes the swelling of the lymph nodes in her neck, and it leads to discomfort and fatigue. She was also diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and the meds she takes for her condition is said to be the cause of her weight gain.
Her fans are understanding of her condition, and instead of criticising her for her lackluster performance, have been leaving tongue-in-cheek comments about how she was “relatable” and “a vibe”.
Several TikTok videos see the star dancing with less enthusiasm than the other members and, at one point, sitting on the steps on stage to take what looked like a much-needed rest.
TikToker @Darrendt posted a snippet of Bom on stage with the caption: “The definition of turning up to work and going through the motions just to pay your bills!”
He, however, continued: “Just joking! I love how the members supported Park Bom throughout the concert.”
When 8days.sg reached out to Darren, 37, he told us: “I’m just happy that she’s here for the fans and communicating with us through music. I guess for our generation, we don’t really bother what others think as long as the members are happy. They proved what they could do 15 years ago. This concert was more of a celebration between 2NE1 and [their fans]!”
Many others have echoed the same sentiments, with some saying they would rather “Bom be at the concert than not at all”.
“It’s okay Bom, we millennials are tired too,” wrote one netizen.
During the group’s concerts in Manila in November, Bom had to drop out of the show on the second night. She reportedly faced “sudden health-related issues”, and though she received first-aid on site, was not able to return on stage.
And that might explain why fans in Singapore were content just to see Bom showing up and doing what she could.