Toronto might have hit its highest temperature of the year, a scorching 35°C, but that didn’t stop fans from lining up hours early outside the venue for 82MAJOR’s North American tour stop. As one of K-pop’s fastest-rising boy groups, 82MAJOR are riding serious momentum, and their Toronto show was proof: pure energy, beautifully controlled chaos, and a crowd that knew every lyric by heart.

Before the chaos, though, I had the chance to slip backstage and hang out with the boys, just before they hit the stage. And instead of a classic interview, we did something a little more fun and mildly invasive. I hijacked their phones.

From lock screens to screen time stats, camera rolls to most-used emojis, we poked around their digital lives in what felt like the ultimate. To their credit, the boys were wide open, cheeky, and surprisingly honest, letting us in on their more private, off-stage personalities.

Later that night, as the lights dimmed and the opening beats dropped, the crowd exploded. Packed from wall to wall, the venue was full of fans from all backgrounds. Different languages, cultures, and styles, yet somehow, everyone sang in perfect Korean, word for word. At that moment, it hit me: K-pop isn’t just a trend. It’s a universal language, spoken loud, proud, and in sync around the world.

To explore more in-depth content and detailed interactions with 82MAJOR, be sure to watch our full video interview for the complete experience.

Editor: Esther Wang 

Photographer: Michael Liang