[INDONESIA] Ailee Creates an Intimate Night at ‘Ascend: Live in Jakarta’

Ailee finally took the Jakarta spotlight for herself on Saturday, July 3rd, performing her first-ever solo concert after years of gracing music festivals. Held at the cozy and centrally located Jakarta Concert Hall, the concert offered a rare sense of closeness between artist and audience. With its intimate setting, the night felt more like a personal gathering than a large-scale show. Titled Ascend: Live in Jakarta, the concert showcased not only Ailee’s superb vocals, but also her charm, sense of humor, and deep connection with Indonesian Aileeans (Ailee fandom name).

The show kicked off with a bang as Ailee stormed the stage with Room Shaker, accompanied by four powerful backup dancers. After the high-octane opener, Ailee took a moment to greet Aileeans with her signature quirky and playful style. She expressed how genuinely happy she was to finally hold her own solo concert, sharing that she had prepared a lot for the night behind the scenes. The mood then shifted as she smoothly transitioned into a calmer sequence, performing Illusion, Murder on the Dance Floor, and 525 back to back.

The next part of the show brought a special treat for K-Drama fans, as Ailee performed two OST tracks. She introduced the first one with a playful tone, saying it was her first time ever singing it live, especially because she heard just how much Jakarta fans loved it. With her usual quirky charm, she jokingly added that out of all the Memories of the Alhambra OSTs, surely hers stood out the most. The crowd cheered as she performed Is You for the first time on stage, followed by a heartfelt rendition of I Will Go to You Like the First Snow from Guardian: The Lonely and Great God.

As the concert progressed, the mood gradually turned more emotional. Ailee began opening up to Aileeans in a raw and honest way, sharing a deeply personal chapter of her life. She spoke about her struggles with depression and the pain of losing her mother during the COVID-19 pandemic. She poured all that emotion into her performance of Meaning, letting the vulnerability carry through every note. The atmosphere grew heavier when she spoke about her late mentor, Wheesung, who had written Singing Got Better. Ailee invited the audience to sing along, saying she hoped Wheesung could hear it from above.

Throughout the concert, Ailee shared plenty of personal stories, ranging from emotional confessions to hilariously unfiltered moments that had the entire venue laughing out loud. In between songs, she reminded fans (half-jokingly) that she’s now a married woman, with a husband waiting at home. As much as she loved the atmosphere in Jakarta, staying here forever just wasn’t an option. She casually slipped into a part-time motivator mode, telling the crowd that if work stresses them out, they should just quit. But moments later, she laughed and took it back, acknowledging the reality that everyone still has bills to pay. Aileeans were in stitches, unsure whether they were watching a concert or a stand-up comedy show. Ailee turned the night into something far beyond music, it felt like a gathering with a friend who just happened to have incredible vocals.

Ailee then shifted gears into her most well-known hits, opening this segment with her freshest single, MMI. From there, she barreled through her three biggest anthems: U & I, I Will Show You and Heaven. By the time she reached Heaven, she made her way down from the stage into the center of the crowd, getting up close to fans and even giving a few lucky Aileeans a handshake.

As the concert drew closer to its end, Ailee invited everyone to join in a group photo moment. She introduced her signature love hand gesture, an adorable shape that resembled a monkey face, and encouraged the crowd to follow along. Despite its quirky look, fans embraced it enthusiastically, creating a sea of hands forming her playful symbol.

Ailee closed the joyful session on a high note with two club-inspired tracks that reignited the crowd’s energy. One of them, Atmosphere, instantly lived up to its name, bringing an explosive vibe that transformed the venue into a full-blown party. As the beat dropped, Ailee encouraged everyone to stand up, wave their hands, and jump along with her. The entire room moved in sync, filled with laughter, music, and motion. It was the kind of ending that left everyone breathless in the best way. A perfect wrap to a concert that was not only entertaining, but refreshingly fun and full of heart. One concert is never enough. Counting the days until we’re reunited with Ailee again!

Thank you to LOL ASIA and Live Sense for the invitation.

Written by: Asti Wisnu
Photos by: LOL ASIA

The Seoul Story – Connecting K-Pop Fans Since 2011 
WEBSITE | TWITTER | LIKE US | WATCH US