SECRET NUMBER kicks off UNLOCK tour in Chicago

Last Friday, the city of Chicago was sweltering hot, but the temperature didn’t stop K-pop group SECRET NUMBER or their fans (LOCKEYs) from having a blast at Distro Music Hall that night.

The six-member girl group made the windy city the first stop of their very first U.S. tour, and the room was buzzing with anticipation long before they took the stage. Attendees took photos with the custom Chicago stop banners they’d been gifted (made by a fan at the show) and hyped each other up for the performances to come.

Fans started cheering as soon as they saw the silhouettes of the members making their way to the center of the stage to take their places. Since SECRET NUMBER’s debut in 2020, U.S. LOCKEYs have been waiting patiently for the opportunity to see them live.

The group opened with “Who Dis?” their debut track,  starting the evening on a somewhat sentimental note. That theme followed throughout the night, as well. Members Jinny and Dita spoke about their family members who were present in the audience, and overwhelming emotion was felt throughout the room. The two spent the rest of the night making them proud, along with the rest of the group.

“STARLIGHT” and “HOLA” felt like perfect setlist choices for the blazing summer night. The girls turned up the heat even more with “Dangerous In Love” and “TAP” before taking a break and letting a series of pre-recorded videos play for the audience.

Each member gave their thoughts about their first U.S. adventure as a group, and Léa said she’d been so excited about the tour for the past few months that she could hardly sleep. They all spoke of the hard work and preparation that went into the tour, and it was easy to tell that they meant it. Each of their faces was brimming with excitement from start to finish, and they gave an incredible effort despite the almost unbearable temperature inside the venue.

After the members caught their breath, they came back with the banger “DOOMCHITA,” following it up with “Holiday.” The group performed “Crazy Love” and got the crowd jumping and singing back to them; the members were having a blast interacting with their LOCKEYs and posing for fancams.

Audience members were surprised with duo stages the group had prepared for them, as well. Soodam and Léa performed a dance to “Fever” by Beyoncé, which the members later mentioned was a performance they’d kept in the vault since their trainee days. Dita and Zuu danced to both “Nasty” by Tinashe and “Bad” by Christopher, followed by Minji and Jinny’s performance of “Superbass” by Nicki Minaj.

Getting back into their discography, the group brought out b-sides “SLAM” and “PRIVACY” before getting the crowd fired up for their hit “DOXA.” The members once again got the crowd up and dancing with the carefree weekend anthem “Fire Saturday” before wrapping up the main portion of the setlist with the classic “Got That Boom.”

To wind down the show, the members paused again to speak to their LOCKEYs. Things got emotional quickly while they talked about the tour and their families, after which they began to tearfully sing their ballad “Beautiful One.” After taking their bows and saying goodnight to their fans, the LED screen on the stage began to play. The display showed photos of the girls in their practice room working hard to prepare for the tour, with handwritten notes to their fans on the images.

Each of the members put an immense amount of effort into their show that night, and they all excelled at performing. On top of being great on stage, the loyalty they have from their fanbase is telling. LOCKEYs were making noise both online and in person, working overtime to spread the word about their tour and show their support at the show.

During one of the pre-recorded videos, Minji spoke about her goal of gaining new fans throughout the tour. They’ve already gained one with me, and if they keep up the energy they’ll have plenty more by the end of the tour. The members of SECRET NUMBER are natural performers, and it’s hard not to be starstruck by them.

Don’t miss one of the most exciting K-pop tours of the summer — get your tickets to see SECRET NUMBER here!