The explosive expansion of KPOP has brought events of all sizes to Arizona in recent months. Friday night saw rising star DOE (also known as AWURA and MIXXBLU) perform a special outside set and meet and greet at Bap & Chicken in Chandler.
Joined by local KPOP dancers and vendors, the soloist attracted a devoted crowd, many of whom had caught his previous performance in April. Standing on a trailer and accompanied by a DJ, DOE ran through a setlist of covers like BTS’ “Blood Sweat & Tears”, plus his original songs like “Cocktail”. Fans were delighted when he hopped down to dance with them, take selfies and make the entire experience personal and memorable.
Atlas spoke with DOE before his set about returning to Arizona, touring the States and upcoming projects.
Atlas Artist Group: Welcome back to Arizona! Since this isn’t your first visit to AZ this year, what’s been your favorite part about visiting and performing here?
DOE: I like the Arizona vibe. I mean… I like the people here, the mood. Guys are chillin’- maybe because of the hot weather.
[For] performance stuff, all states are special. I can see lots of Americans here but also Latinos and Asians are here so it’s special- two races are here and I like that part.
Atlas: What’s been the fan reaction when you come to AZ? Do you have any memorable stories from your time interacting with fans?
DOE: Umm… One girl threw her bra- I can’t forget that. It was a reaction that you can’t see in Asian performances, so I was a little surprised and it was fun. More than anything, I was really flustered because the size was really big. Haha! The last word is a joke!
Atlas: When you’re talking about your own music, how do you describe your sound and the creative process that goes into making your songs?
DOE: For music, I think I pay a lot of attention to the melody tempo and the addictive quality of the hook. And I try to try to use many languages in the lyrics section in order to make many fans enjoy it, and when I want to use another language, I try to understand it culturally first. Creative process…it depends on the situation, but most of the time, I get inspiration from the situation I already experienced or I am experiencing. For example, I was inspired by the fans during this tour, so I’m currently making songs.
Atlas: What do you hope that your listeners will take away from your music?
DOE: When I am making a song, I make a story first that relates to the situation. So it would be great if listeners could imagine the situation while listening to the song.
Atlas: If you could share the stage with any artist, who would it be?
DOE: I love lots of artists and admire [many] also. One of the artists in America is Tyga. I like his hook, it’s really catchy. He’s really good at making catchy melodies.
Atlas: Any hints on what’s coming up next for you- creatively or musically?
DOE: I’m already preparing more music right now- I’m working on it but I’m just watching the timing when I should release it.
But there are two issues that have been confirmed. First, there is a performance in Puerto Rico in mid-July, and on that day, I am planning to release a song with a little Spanish in the lyrics.
Second, at the end of this tour, I’m planning to make my last performance on a big stage. At that stage I will release a song for my fans. The entire lyrics are for my fans and in the middle, I have a narration part for what I want to talk to fans- like a letter. The song is a little bit classic R&B so I’m working with an orchestra right now.
Atlas: Do you have anything you’d like to say to your fans reading this?
DOE: Everyone who finished reading this article! Please look forward to my last tour and what I’m doing in the future! I will try my best!
PLUS I LOVE YOU GUYS, MY ONE AND ONLY BABIES, DODO!!!
Check out all the photos from the show!
Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
