[SINGAPORE] (G)I-DLE Give Their All For Last Show of ‘2022 JUST ME ()I-DLE World Tour in Singapore’

The acclaimed quintet of (G)I-DLE graced the shores of Singapore for the concluding show of their first world tour, JUST ME ()I-DLE. Having previously held their first concert I-Land: Who Am I online at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the tour is the group’s first in-person concert series. The October 1 show in Singapore marked the end of an almost four-month-long tour, which flew the girl group to cities across the United States, Chile, Mexico, Indonesia, Philippines, and Japan.

Composed of Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi, and Shuhua, (G)I-DLE has made a name for themselves since their explosive debut in 2018. Known for their public-friendly sound and ‘girl crush’ image, the quintet is regarded as one of the top K-pop girl groups of their generation. With members hailing from Bangkok, Beijing, Taoyuan, Seoul, and Incheon, the multinational group has released music in Korean, English, Mandarin, and Japanese.

Armed with the Neverbong (the group’s official fandom lightstick) on one hand and an iridescent violet fan-made banner that reads “NEVERLAND NEVER DIE” on the other, the scarlet rows of The Star Theatre could not contain the fans’ bubbling excitement. Nevies, the endearing nickname of the official fandom Neverland, were soon rewarded with the first stage of the evening, the sultry Oh My God. Decked in an all-black ensemble, the quintet quickly followed up with Villain Dies, well-loved debut single LATATA, Blow Your Mind, and Latin pop-inspired Senorita. As the members catch their breaths, they took turns reenacting the last line of Senorita, a flirty “Hey Senõr!”, which drove the audience to a frenzy. This particular stop of the tour was viewed as an exclusive treat for fans in Singapore, as it was the group’s first performance sporting all-blonde hairstyles for their upcoming 5th Mini Album [I love]. Riding on the momentum of the crowd, the members broke into the summery DUMDi DUMDi and the sleek, bass-heavy Luv U to close the first segment of the concert.

The second chapter of the concert was noticeably lunar themed, each song a piece of a bigger story. In a matter of minutes, the stage was relit by a full moon embedded in an azure sky and the members reappeared in lace-adorned white-and-red dresses for a chilling performance of HANN (Alone in winter), which seamlessly transitioned into the wistful HANN (Alone). The melancholic atmosphere was sustained by MOON, illuminated by a gleaming red moon, which then grew into something more determined with the fiery HWAA, and lastly ending with the solemn R&B beats of ALREADY.

Without a doubt, the live vocals that (G)I-DLE delivered were nothing short of elite. There were frequent murmurs around me about how the members’ voices could be heard loud and clear, even above the thumping music. But if anyone else were to doubt their ears, the girls were ready to prove that vocal prowess. Taking orders from fans, the members performed short snippets of songs not part of the concert setlist in jukebox fashion. The dishes: DAHLIA by Minnie, Drive by Miyeon, Giant by Yuqi, BEAM BEAM by Soyeon, and Put It Straight by all. Nevies swooned over these a cappella appetisers, but it was time to jump right into the next main dish. Her majesty the LION proved to be a fan favourite, the theatre chanting to the regal number — the single was released as part of (G)I-DLE’s stint on the competition programme Queendom back in 2019. (G)I-DLE showcased their versatility in rock tracks LIAR, Never Stop Me, the retro hip hop Uh-Oh, and the unapologetic MY BAG, the last of which had set off a viral dance trend earlier this year.

Nobody does ‘girl crush’ better than the girl crushes of (G)I-DLE. Just as the concert reached its climax, the girls whipped out an all-members rendition of POP/STARS, originally sung by Soyeon and Miyeon as part of League of Legends’ girl group K/DA, followed by their latest chart-topping anthem TOMBOY. And with elaborate dance moves and a fervent crowd that practically shouts the entire punk rock-influenced single, the girls thanked everyone and left the stage.

But the action was not quite over. The five members reunited on stage soon after for their two encore songs, i’M THE TREND and ESCAPE. Relaying their gratitude for the enthusiastic crowd for the last show of the tour, the members recounted visiting Singapore for a photoshoot stint as the group’s very first overseas trip back in 2018. The then pre-debut rookies had promised each other to make it big so that they could one day return to stand on stage here.

The roaring 4000-strong crowd as clear evidence — they certainly have.