“EVA-...”? CNBLUE, still burning with passion on their 16th debut anniversary ‘Thrillogy’ [S.T. Review]

[Sports Today reporter Yoon Hye-young] The band CNBLUE still delivered a passionate performance with a fiery presence.

CNBLUE (Jung Yong-hwa, Lee Jung-shin, Kang Min-hyuk) held the final show of the second day of '2026 CNBLUE LIVE 3LOGY (2026 CNBLUE LIVE Trilogy)' on the 18th at Seoul Ticketlink Live Arena (formerly Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium).

The concert title '3LOGY' means that CNBLUE's three members each form their own axis, creating a single system completed on the balance between them. Sharing the same title as their third full-length album released on the 7th, the show expanded the music and messages from the album into a live performance, clearly expressing the band's identity.

That day, CNBLUE painted a more three-dimensional picture of their past, present, and future direction with a setlist spanning both the past and the present.

With hit songs such as 'Intuition,' 'Love,' 'I'm Sorry,' and 'Loner,' CNBLUE drew loud sing-alongs from the audience. Even the seated audience members stood up, cheering loudly and enjoying the concert.

CNBLUE also added freshness by including many songs that had not been featured in previous shows. In particular, they unveiled all 10 tracks from '3LOGY,' including the title track of their third full-length album, 'Killer Joy,' as well as 'Ready, Set, Go!', 'Lowkey,' 'To The Moon And Back,' 'Bliss,' 'Still, a Flower,' 'Again,' 'The Temperature of Memory,' 'Little Things,' and 'Anthem of Life,' adding greater significance to the performance.

Throughout the show, the members not only delivered crisp live vocals but also poured out nonstop passion, heightening the sense of immersion. In particular, Jung Yong-hwa, who had teased early in the concert, "I'm going to go all out today. I won't set any limits for myself. Let's see how far Jung Yong-hwa's limits go," astonished the audience with powerful shouts that shook the venue, nonstop 'Everybody Jump' ('Eba Ddwi'), and even a beatboxing showcase.

In addition, CNBLUE did not neglect communication with the audience, giving comments about every three or four songs. Jung Yong-hwa expressed his gratitude to the standing audience, saying, "You seem to have come fully prepared. My heartbeat is going up fast. You're showing the best audience manners. Thank you," while Kang Min-hyuk also said, "This is the first time while playing drums that my heart has been racing this much. I feel like I'm experiencing unparalleled happiness."

They also mentioned the so-called 'Eba Ddwi.' Jung Yong-hwa said, "People on staff were booking tickets because they wanted to experience 'Eba Ddwi.' There are even people who come and get knocked out by it. As we've been doing many festivals lately and more and more people are loving CNBLUE's image, I'm happy every day. From here on, we'll keep showing you an even more developed side of ourselves. I'll work even harder through this tour. Please keep watching us," he asked.

CNBLUE also explained why they performed every song from the new album. Lee Jung-shin said, "This time it's like a harmony of old and new. All 10 of the latest songs are included. I'm proud," and Jung Yong-hwa said, "This time we decided to do every song from the third full-length album. While preparing the album, we kept preparing for the tour as well. We kept saying to each other how incredibly hard it was. We worked hard to make 10 songs look great in a short time and to show the best performance, and we always work hard, but this time the preparation was extremely difficult. So after ending yesterday's first show, we said to each other that we'd probably catch a cold after all this, because we were so nervous. We think of this as such a great tour that even we call it a challenge. You all gave us such a great start, and we'll keep going all the way to the end. Through music, I want to go with you to somewhere beyond happiness," he said.

He continued, "Recently we've been doing a lot of festivals and tours, and I wanted to try something new. I think CNBLUE's motto is to take on various challenges and show new sides of ourselves. We worked hard to prepare a new look for this tour too. If we did the same thing, it would feel stale, so we studied all night. We opened it yesterday for the first time and were so happy that everyone loved it. We'll work hard to become CNBLUE that can show you new sides of ourselves," he emphasized.

Explanations of the new album tracks also followed. Speaking about 'Still, a Flower,' Jung Yong-hwa said, "While preparing the album, I heard in a dream the words 'still, a flower.' I don't remember who said it. I woke up at dawn and wrote it down in my notes app. I forgot about it, and while I was working on a song, I opened the notes app and there it was. I thought, 'Right. I dreamed that.' That's how I ended up writing the song, and it felt like a message to deliver warmth to many people. It felt like heaven's will, so I wrote the song," adding, "My first thought, even before thinking about how I should develop it based only on the title, was that I might be a little different and might not meet what many people want, but I think you all are the same. I wanted to show that just because someone is different, they are not a flower; we are all flowers. I wanted many people to listen to the song and think, 'That's right. I, too, was born beautifully and can give fragrance to many people and show a lovely side of myself.' When I made this song, I even stopped thinking that the song itself had to do well. I made it thinking that if many people can listen to it, feel something, and receive a message, then it is a successful song. I hope we all live without forgetting that each and every one of us is a flower," he explained.

About 'Again,' he said, "When I look at you, I often think of the universe. When I see your shining moseup, you're so pretty and beautiful that it makes me wonder if going to space would feel like this. This song was written by the three of us together, and it's also a song dedicated to you. I hope you remember this moment and recall it later, and that it becomes a driving force in your life. Through this song, I hope you definitely cherish today. I hope it stays in your memories forever," he said.

CNBLUE, who kept jumping energetically through the encore, shared their thoughts as the concert came to an end. Kang Min-hyuk said, "CNBLUE has turned 16 years old. It's our 16th anniversary in our 17th year. We started a new world tour yesterday, and I think we'll be able to keep going all the way to the end with all the energy we've received. Let me thank you once again," he said.

He continued, "Thanks to all of you, we had an insane time. When Yong-hwa hyung tells us to jump, you jump well and cheer loudly, and once again, I thought yesterday that this tour, being together with you, felt like a dream, and I felt that again today. I offer my sincere thanks once more," he said.

Jung Yong-hwa shouted, "These were two unforgettable days. You are the stars of the concert. We'll keep coming to do 'Eba Ddwi.' We'll do festivals often and meet you often, so let's keep great memories and live this year wonderfully. For 17 years, the driving force that has kept CNBLUE running hard has been you. We want to show you great performances, and because we've been around for so long, many people say, 'Can't CNBLUE just keep doing what they always did?' But CNBLUE has not listened to those words; instead, we have always worked to keep growing so we can show many people amazing performances rather than asking, 'Why do we have to keep taking the same steps? We have so much to show.' I think those efforts have become an opportunity to show many people what we can do, and from here on, until the day more people can say, 'I went to a CNBLUE concert and it was the best,' I will keep working hard," he declared.

CNBLUE, which opened the curtain on its new world tour with the Seoul concert, will continue its global run across the world, visiting Macau, Taipei, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Yokohama, Aichi, Kobe, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kaohsiung, and more.