Nicol OngBeing the final stop in K-Pop darlings 2NE1’s world tour had its advantages- Singapore’s Blackjacks enjoyed 3 encore songs on the 1st of December, even better than the 2 given in previous stops such as New Jersey, Taiwan and Osaka.
Blackjacks are the official name for the girl group’s fan community members worldwide, not the sort found in our 2 Integrated Resorts.
The fans had plenty to cheer about, about 25 songs were performed even before the encores, and the fact that their idols could embark on the New Evolution World Tour barely 3 years after their successful debut.
2NE1’s first full-length concert in the Singapore Indoor Stadium was full of energy, full of passion and nothing short of fantastic. The camaraderie amongst fans in an almost-full indoor stadium was admirable as well, with the creation of a sea of white light when waving the official light sticks in the air.
Even before the concert began at 7pm, fans who had bought sound check tickets had the privilege of a concert preview, at roughly 3pm. Despite the rain and humidity, the sound check readily pumped up the atmosphere, when the girls performed “In The Club”, “Stay Together” and “I Love You”.
Fans were allowed in to the concert area an hour before the concert began, and patience definitely wasn’t the crowds’ strong suit. Though tired, everyone was excited, singing along with the music videos playing on the huge screen and screaming at high pitch whenever their favourite member appeared on screen.
Finally, ferocious leader CL,lead singer Park Bom, natural beauty Sandara Park and youngest Minzy kicked off the concert with “I Am The Best”, making the crowd go wild with crazy levels of energy.
As Singapore was the final stop for this world tour, CL declared during their first talk break, “Tonight, I don’t want to regret anything!”
It’s a club!
The girls also got to showcase their solo skills, and leader CL was first. She manipulated her DJ talents and jockeyed her way up to the air with a console on a circular stage. Spinning remixes of Rihanna’s “We Found Love” and even Madonna’s “Hung Up”, she paved the way for the remaining 3 members by lifting the mood higher. Staying true to what she said, she went all out and even took off her jacket and throwing it down(it could only reach the stage, so no lucky fans could get it).
A lucky guy is picked
Dara performed her solo single, “Kiss”, and just as she did in New Evolution concerts overseas, she picked a lucky guy to serenade on stage. She also gave a surprising declaration, “Since this is the last stop, should I kiss him on the lips?”
He was escorted on stage by 2 dancers, and sat down on a chair in the middle of the stage. Dara slowly walked toward him in a sensual way, and continued to place 1 of her feet on his lap, whilst facing him. After sitting on his lap, she gave him a kiss on the cheek (sadly, although she said she would do so on the lips), to the jealousy of many fan boys (or even girls) present.
Dance the night away
Minzy, the youngest of the group, is known to fans worldwide for her astonishing dance skills, similar to that of Big Bang’s Taeyang. To no surprise, the 18-year-old once again amazed fans with her moves. Swaying from every corner of the stage, she made sure to get close as she could to fans, and even jumped to the front where the audio equipment was, during the encore.
Vocal talents
Last but definitely not least, it was 2NE1’s main vocalist, Park Bom’s time to perform. Singing her solo singles, “Don’t Cry” and “You and I”, her complementing voice to the melody shook the stadium even though both songs are ballads. Singing from the bottom of her heart, her emotions could be felt by everyone in the concert hall, leaving many fans teary-eyed.
Visual Effects
Another highlight of the concert was the effort placed into the lighting and graphic effects. Flashy, bright and glaring, they were all in line with 2NE1‘s aesthetics, and really kept the mood going. On top of that, the set decorations were perfect accompaniments to the effects and songs. From CL’s stage in the air, to frames made up of stairs and podiums, and even the gigantic inflated balloon slides and balls during the encore, it was massive and impressive, proving once again how the artistes’ management YG Entertainment give their fullest to create a perfect concert.
The End
Before the end of the concert, the girls sang “Go Away” and “Can’t Nobody”, 2 of the most recognisable songs from the group. Everyone from the moshpits to the sitting areas were dancing and singing along, and it was a really heartwarming scene. The encore stage was just as impressive, or perhaps even more than most parts of the concert.
Even though they were already performing for over 2 hours, the girls still gave it their all for the final lap. When the lights went on again, ginormous inflatable balloons appeared on stage, and the girls started sliding down the balloons while singing the first encore song, “I Don’t Care”. Next was a remixed version of “I Am The Best”, and an additional “I Love You”, which was requested by the fans when CL announced they would perform another encore song.
The girls’ sincerity and genuine love for fans could be felt as members Dara and Bom started crying towards the end of the show, which left the crowd even more emotional than it already was.
Many fans were also seen carrying soft toys which the idols love, for example Park Bom’s Moomin cartoon which she adores, and Dara’s Kiiroitori, and some even as big as half their body size.
Evia Wan, a fan of 2NE1 and Park Bom, had carried a 50cm tall Moomin soft toy into the concert, in hopes of passing it to her idol. She says, “I wanted to bring a 72cm one, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be allowed to enter.” However, she adds, “During the concert, Park Bom saw my soft toy and even asked for me to throw it up on stage, but the security guard didn’t allow me to do so. I attempted, but he grabbed it and rudely pushed it back to me.”
With regards to the concert, Michelle Ang, 17, tells UrbanWire with teary eyes, “The concert was so so surreal and before I could even grasp the fact that they were just in front of my eyes, it was already the encore and it was so depressing seeing them leave the stage.”
All photos courtesy of YG Entertainment.