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🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Massive Attack's 'Come Back Home' performance at Incheon festival sparks debate

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • British band Massive Attack performed a reinterpreted version of Seo Taiji and Boys' "Come Back Home" at the 2026 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival.
  • The performance included Korean lyrics and visuals referencing South Korea's democratization movement and global leaders.
  • The band's politically charged stage production sparked discussion, with some praising its artistic merit and others criticizing it as political propaganda.

British trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack ignited discussions at the 2026 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival with a powerful rendition of Seo Taiji and Boys' 1995 hit, "Come Back Home." The performance, held on August 1st, saw the band reinterpreting the iconic song, retaining key Korean phrases in the chorus while weaving in English lyrics.

Why have you been waiting for the sound of giving up on all life? It seems like the whole world is going crazy.

— Massive Attack (singing lyrics from 'Come Back Home')Massive Attack performed the chorus of Seo Taiji and Boys' 'Come Back Home' in Korean, eliciting a strong audience reaction.

During the performance, Massive Attack projected visuals on LED screens that included references to South Korea's 5.18 Democratic Uprising and protest scenes from the 1980s and 90s. The band also displayed images of global leaders such as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, accompanied by messages like "Against old and corrupt power." This politically charged staging aimed to connect the song's themes of resistance with contemporary global issues.

The band's interpretation of "Come Back Home," a song historically associated with freedom of expression in South Korea, resonated with the audience. When Massive Attack sang the line "Lips stained black," the crowd responded with the subsequent lyric, "The era of honest people is gone." The band concluded their set by posing the question, "Where is the new music that will ignite resistance?"

The era of honest people is gone.

— Audience (singing in response to Massive Attack)The audience joined in singing the lyrics following Massive Attack's performance of 'Lips stained black'.

Massive Attack's politically charged performance has generated significant online buzz and debate. While many praised the artistic expression and the band's commitment to social commentary, others criticized the use of historical events and political figures, labeling it as "political propaganda" and "historical distortion." The band, known for integrating strong political and social messages into their music and visual art, has consistently addressed issues of war, human rights, and surveillance in their work.

Where is the new music that will ignite resistance?

— Massive AttackMassive Attack posed a question to the audience after their performance, linking music to resistance.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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