KCON LA audience showed cold reaction to Rain’s performance, “Irresponsible attitude? Or inconsiderate song selection?”

By kpoppo on August 20, 2023

Singer & Actor Rain Faces Criticism from Overseas Fans over Ciipher Controversy

K-pop superstar Rain is currently facing harsh criticism from overseas fans following the controversy surrounding the boy group Ciipher, which he produced.

Recently, a netizen posted an article about Rain's performance at KCON LA 2023, held in Los Angeles from August 18th to 20th (local time). According to the post, local fans showed no reaction to Rain's performance and even turned off their lightsticks.

During his stage at KCON LA, Rain performed one of his hit songs, "Rainism." Despite his powerful performance, the audience remained silent throughout the entire song. They neither cheered nor showed any enthusiasm. In comparison to other artists' performances, Rain's stage had a noticeably silent and dark atmosphere, with many people even turning off their lightsticks.

The audience's cold response is believed to be related to the recent controversy surrounding Ciipher, the boy group produced by Rain.

Earlier, Rain Company announced the reorganization of Ciipher with three members: Hyunbin, Hwi, and Keita, after Tan, Tag, Dohwan, and Won withdrew from the group. Ciipher debuted in March 2021 as a seven-member boy group, but more than half of the members left after just two years and five months. Since Keita will debut with the project group Evnne after competing in "Boys Planet," Ciipher is essentially disbanding.

During Ciipher's debut days, Rain made various efforts to promote the group. He invited his wife, top actress Kim Tae Hee, to star in Ciipher's music video and took the members to appear on various programs. When asked about the amount he invested in producing Ciipher, Rain confessed that he "lost a house."

In response, overseas K-pop fans have criticized Rain's handling of the Ciipher issue. They have called him an irresponsible producer for disbanding the group after just two years and five months. Some fans even questioned why Rain was still performing while Ciipher was on the verge of disbandment. This criticism seems to have led to a "boycott" of Rain's appearance at KCON LA.

On the other hand, some fans expressed a different opinion. They believed that Rain's choice of performing "Rainism" was thoughtless and inconsiderate, given the situation surrounding the event. They felt that the song reminded them of the first

Source: KBIZoom