Mnet’s Street Woman Fighter 2 has concluded with BEBE winning the trophy, 50 Million won (47,000$ approx.), and Amond diamond rings with their two mesmerizing finale performances. Jam Republic became the first runner-up by garnering the highest global and second-highest live broadcast votes. 1 Million and Mannequeen came at the second and third runner-up spots, respectively.
With this, the street dance survival show that kept millions of fans across the world on their feet from August 2023 has completed another chapter. However, I do not want to let the show go without one last look at the crew’s performances. So, join me in celebrating the finalist crews and the five best stages of Street Woman Fighter 2 Episode 10.
Top 5 Finale Stages of Street Woman Fighter 2
Before I begin ranking the best stages of the SWF2 finale, I just want to take a moment to appreciate episode 10 of the show. Just a week ago, we published an article discussing the essence of Street Woman Fighter that appeared to be losing in the current format. Although that discussion still stands, the finale of SWF2 has remarkably recentered the focus on the dance.
All the finalist crews and the previous participants joined their hands not only in putting on a grandiose performance but also in reminding the audience that dance as an art form is above winning and losing.
The performances of the finale are particularly special. They capture the passion of each dancer and the colors of their crews. They also celebrate dance that connects them and the global audiences. Hats off to all the teams of Street Woman Fighter 2. Now, let’s check out the best performances of the SWF2 finale.
5) SWF2 Finale – Class Mission Special
All the dancers of Street Woman Fighter 2 came together to perform a medley of the Class Mission that trended in various countries. The stage began with the Middle-Class performance of “Swipe” by Taeyong and Ten (NCT). Which was followed by the Sub-Leaders’ performance of “Click Like” by Crush featuring Paul Blanco.
The Rookies performed “How to Twerk” by Miyeon and Yuqi ((G) I-DLE) before the Leader Class performance of “Smoke” by Dynamic Duo and Lee Young-ji. In this stage, we saw Bada Lee and Kristin next to each other, similar to the original mission, and Lia Kim performed a duet with Mina Myoung.
We also witnessed all 48 dancers perform the Smoke Challenge with the dancers who couldn’t participate in the original mission at the center. This was, in a true sense, a celebration of the show and a tear-jerking moment.
4) MANNEQUEEN Ending Credit
MANNEQUEEN performed “Express” + “The Beautiful People” + “Show Me How You Burlesque” (from the Burlesque movie OST) by Christina Aguilera for their Ending Credit Mission. In this performance, they aimed to drop their fierce tigress image and enjoy the dance, which made the performance look light and joyful.
However, while enjoying the stage with fluffy and colorful scarves, they also remained true to their crews’ color, showcasing individual strength through Waacking. The formation at the beginning of the performance was one of my favorites as it signifies how they have received power and balance with each other’s support.
Another highlight of their performance was their hair, which has created a fandom of their own. The long blond cascading on their backs has always appeared as an essential part of their performance, capturing the amount of energy they put into the short and powerful stage. It was great to see them let their hair down for the final stage.
3) 1MILLION Ending Credit
1MILLION performed “Natural” by Imagine Dragons for their ending credit mission, and it was debatably the best performance of that song ever. The power and creativity that went into that stage was overwhelming.
Due to the immaculate timing, the audience could feel each drum and changes in the flow of the music through the crew’s moves. With this stage, 1MILLION once again proved their mastery at creating choreography and talent in pulling it off. Each of the formations was jaw-dropping, and it was challenging to take the eyes off their body due to their control of making it stiff and loose at perfect beats.
One of the small details that won my heart for this performance was Lia Kim’s open hand at the 52-second mark. She stretches it and trembles it in a way of expressing emotion, and that’s the kind of detail that 1MILLION took care of in this performance, which is why it was one of the best performances of the night.
2) BEBE Ending Credit
Only BEBE can perform like BEBE is a globally acknowledged fact at this point. To continue that legacy, they performed “Praise” by Kanye West, a self-produced song by BEBE (Prod. Minseo of JustJerk), and “Run It” by DJ Snake for their Ending Credit Mission. This performance was dedicated to youth, and it couldn’t have been better.
The stage began with a part wholly focused on the speech, which they performed wearing a plain face mask. This 30 seconds proves their worth in winning the competition because dancing to a song with almost no music while wearing a mask, which makes you depend on your body to express, is tough for even the prolific dancers. BEBE pulled it off almost effortlessly and won the hearts of the audience.
They followed the performance by multiplying the masks until they flew in all directions. This highlighted that their crew is one body and soul. It was a bold step to use in the finals, and they performed it with excellence. Following this, they concluded the performance with their classic electricity and unmatched energy. It was a performance of art and, thus, one of the best of the night.
1) Jam Republic Ending Credit
While BEBE won the second season of Street Woman Fighter, Jam Republic won the audience’s hearts with its unique performances and global representation. For their ending credit mission, they performed “Jele” by Busiswa, DBN Gogo, Sino Msolo, Kamo Mphela, and Young Stunna.
This was one of the best performances of the night, mission, and the season because it ticked all the boxes. It was on the theme of representing the color of the crew, fulfilled the aim of global representation, and showcased the unmatched talent of Jam Republic‘s members. It was indeed a showcase of their efficiency, mastery of techniques, and their power as a performer.
Even the details of having their hair down and going barefoot were in tune. This is a compelling element of Jam Republic that once they’re on the stage, they give their everything to the performance. With this mission, they captured the aspects of African and New Zealand culture, leaving the audience inspired to search for various cultural representations through dance, which is the biggest win as a global crew.
Apart from these, all the finalists also performed the Global Artist Mission, mixing their crew’s elements with the legacy of the global artists. Mannequeen’s performance of Lady Gaga‘s “Poker Face” + “Scheiße” + “Judas” and Jam Republic’s performance of Beyoncé’s “Flawless” + “Baby Boy (Homecoming Live Performance Version)” + “Bow Down” were enticing.
It teleported the audience from the auditorium in South Korea to a concert hall in the USA. It was nothing less than magic to be able to witness these stages from the comfort of the home.
