Megastar Taeyang stopped by Singapore for his White Night world tour last weekend. Despite being alone and without the other four members of BIGBANG, the pint-sized crooner more than held his own during the show, which lasted two and a half hours. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of the night!
Mic check one, two…
The soundcheck party didn’t quite play out the way it was supposed to, as fans waited nearly half a hour for Taeyang to appear. While the talented band came onstage just minutes after the soundcheck party was scheduled to start, their jazzy tunes failed to lift the atmosphere in the room, which grew decidedly confused when the star of the show didn’t appear. When he finally did, popping on stage with an apologetic, “Hi Singapore, sorry I’m late,” the audience went wild, especially when the band dived straight into the upbeat SUPERSTAR.
He was stuck in the elevator for twenty minutes, Taeyang explains after the song, apologizing yet again to his fans. To make up for it, he takes a vote for the next song before jumping into the soulful I NEED A GIRL, then takes to the piano to belt out a stripped down, acoustic version of BIGBANG’s recent hit, LAST DANCE. The soundcheck party ends with the upbeat 1AM, and Taeyang leaves with a promise of seeing the fans again very soon.
Hits old and new
It’s well-known that Taeyang is a skilled vocalist in his own right, with the perfect catalog to showcase it. From high octane hits like RINGA LINGA and BODY, to more sentimental and soulful numbers like WAKE ME UP and EYES, NOSE, LIPS, down to the driving melodies of TONIGHT and LOVE YOU TO DEATH, Taeyang proves that he’s a truly versatile singer who always delivers.
But it’s truly in the encore set that we see Taeyang’s charisma shine through, pulling off BIGBANG’s explosive BANG BANG BANG and FANTASTIC BABY flawlessly solo. It was certainly a treat for the VIPs in the audience, who were more than delighted to jump and dance around to the addictively anthemic numbers!
It’s more than just the singing
Of course, with this being K-pop, more than singing was on the offer for the night. Taeyang showed off his slick moves as part of the performance, with the most memorable being the prolonged dance break in the middle of WEDDING DRESS. In just a simple white outfit on a vast open stage, Taeyang conveys the longing and heartbreak in the lyrics through restrained yet expressive movements.
Also impressive was the thought that went into the production of the entire show. The concert was peppered throughout with pyrotechnics and laser light shows which complemented the graphics (which were literally otherworldly during LOVE ME TO DEATH, featuring Taeyang singing in front of a flaming sun, or was it a planet?). A special shoutout should also go out to the dancers and the live band, who put on a tireless performance. They were definitely the bedrock of the show!
Looking to the future
Taeyang is one of the rare few in showbiz known for his sincerity and his ‘good boy’ image. He demonstrates this in an interlude between sets. Following a performance of LAST DANCE, Taeyang takes a moment to tell the fans how he misses the other members of BIGBANG every time he sang the song during his tour. “Meeting the members is the biggest joy of my life,” he says, with just a touch of melancholy, sending fans into a chorus of ‘aww’s.
He goes on to say that although the tour has been a rollercoaster ride which got tiring at times, it’s the thought of the fans that kept him going. With a rare flash of candor, Taeyang regretfully says that he’s not sure when he’ll be able to tour again, considering his stint in the military is fast approaching. Nonetheless, he hopes he’ll be able to come back to Singapore again, with the other members in tow.
We’re sure VIPs will be waiting whenever it happens! Massive thanks to UnUsUaL Entertainment for extending us the invitation!
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