[SINGAPORE] Solo Star in the Making – What Irene’s ‘I-WILL’ Concert Said About Her Next Chapter

There is something quietly significant about watching Irene stand alone on a stage. For years, she has been the face of Red Velvet as the untouchable visual, the one whose mere existence could command the attention of the entire room. And seeing her in person only confirms what fans have always known: Irene is a timeless visual with a kind of classy, undeniable beauty that is not polarising – the sort of pretty that transcends taste, that everyone can agree on. 

But a solo concert is a different beast from simply being pretty on a screen, and the I-WILL Asia Tour stop in Singapore felt like a genuine statement of intent from an artist still in the process of discovering herself.

And honestly? It was a fascinating watch.

The Stage Was Doing Its Part

Production-wise, Irene came prepared. The VCRs, screen effects, and stage design were polished and cohesive, threaded together with moon and rabbit motifs (rabbits are her look-like animal) that gave the show a dreamy visual identity. The setlist covered a wide range – pulling from both her solo releases Biggest Fan and Like A Flower, and the show seamlessly moved from light and whimsical to something noticeably darker midway through, where Irene performed Black Halo and Spit It Out in a stunning all-black lacy outfit.

It was a side of her that felt genuinely rare. Irene has always been made to fulfil the elegant, classy image — her solo titles lean bright and pretty, and even in her subunit with Seulgi (otherwise known as Aseul), she tends to play the lighter counterpart while Seulgi takes on the darker energy. So, watching her own a grungier, more intense concept entirely on her own terms felt like a quiet but significant moment. The pretty-pop image was never the whole picture, and this was her proving it.

The Ments Were Very Joohyun

If the performances were about artistic range, the talking segments were a reminder of why fans fell for her in the first place. Slightly flustered, a little awkward, but completely endearing, she came out for her first chat having just cut her bangs (much to her hair stylist’s disdain) and debating whether to bleach her hair lighter for summer. She also dropped that a Red Velvet comeback is coming in August along with a new light stick design after 8 long years, which the crowd received exactly as you’d expect (finally!!!).

And when it comes to talking about Singapore, food is always a highlight. Irene revealed she had eaten durian and jackfruit on the day of the show – jackfruit, though the smell hits you right on the nose, was sweet with a nice, chewy texture. Durian was as good as ever, she said, and she mentioned how lucky Singaporeans were to get to enjoy good food all the time. The crowd laughingly shot back that they were too poor to be having chilli crab and durian regularly. 

When fans started shouting out local food recommendations, she calmly revealed she had already tried everything on the list – kaya toast, laksa, bak kut teh (“The thing that’s like galbi-tang, right?”), prata, satay, all checked off. She was heading for chilli crab that night. This came as no surprise – if you have been to enough Korean events in Singapore, you know these people are serious when it comes to chilli crab.

A First Chapter, Not a Final Act

The encore was where things got particularly memorable. Hearing Red Dress, Rookie and Russian Roulette live touched every ReVeluv’s heart – but it was the jazz rendition of Rookie that stole the show. Rookie is one of those songs that lives rent-free in your head with its in-your-face-chorus, the kind that would randomly play on loop during a boring lecture and somehow makes everything better. Hearing it rearranged into a jazz version was unexpected and honestly beautiful. It suited Irene in a way that felt almost obvious in hindsight, and looking forward for Irene to explore a jazz concept further for her future solo comebacks.

The concert closed with Start Line, and it felt like exactly the right choice. Not a conclusion, but a beginning. Irene is still finding her footing as a solo artist, and there is something genuinely exciting about watching that unfold in real time – an artist growing into herself, exploring genres and concepts she has not always had the space to try, and doing it on her own stage.

If this is just the start of what Irene has to offer as a solo artist, we are very much along for the ride.

The Seoul Story would like to thank FriedRice Entertainment for the media invite!

Written by: Anna and Asraf
Photos by: FriedRice Entertainment

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