Fans came from all over Asia. According to S.M. Entertainment, some 6,000 fans flocked to Seoul’s Olympic Park on Sunday for Girls’ Generation member Taeyeon’s first solo concert.
On Sunday, the concert’s second and last day, occasional bursts of cheers in Chinese, Japanese and even Spanish could be heard throughout the packed stadium in between songs. The show was also live-streamed at some 44 theaters in Japan, according to the singer.
The 27-year-old singer performed 22 songs, including those from her two solo albums “I,” released in 2015 and “Why,” which dropped last month, alongside an all-live band and chorus.
Singer Taeyeon performs at her solo concert “Butterfly Kiss” on Sunday evening in southern Seoul. (SM Entertainment)
Titled “Butterfly Kiss,” the show kicked off to a powerful start with “Up & Down,” “Good Thing,” and “Fashion,” three dance tracks from Taeyeon’s latest album. Lasers blazed as dancers swirled on poles and flames gushed from below. The petite songstress emerged clad in a black studded minidress and thigh-high boots, later changing into sequined black lingerie for a provocative medley of “Talk Talk,” a song from Girls’ Generation’s fifth album, and “Night,” from her second solo album.
The second half of the show exuded more moody vibes with pop-rock ballad tracks “Rain,” “Gemini,” “Farewell” and “If,” the hit soundtrack for the 2008 television drama “Hong Gil-dong.” Taeyeon donned a cascading off-shoulder dress for the softer numbers, while gargantuan neon-blue butterflies were perched on either side of the stage.
In the middle of the concert, Taeyeon announced her newest single “Why,” an electro-dance track, had topped the charts on SBS’ music program “Inkigayo” to which the audience erupted in deafening cheers.
The show continued with “Blue Night in Jeju Island” and “Atlantis Girl,” both remakes of old hits.
Music producer and singer Dean joined Taeyeon onstage to perform “Starlight.” “I’ve been preparing my next album in my studio, I think I’ve forgotten how to talk,” said Dean, who released his first album “130 mood: TRBL” in March to rave reviews.
Pre-filmed clips showed Taeyeon in mini-music videos covering “Time Walking on Memory,” originally sung by rock band Nell, and Mark Ronson’s 2014 hit “Uptown Funk.” The latter clip featured a mustached Taeyeon dressed up as a man in a suit and a fedora.
Girls’ Generation members Tiffany, Yoona and Sooyoung were also present in the audience.
Taeyeon (right) performs “Starlight” with singer-songwriter Dean. (SM Entertainment)
Near the end of the show, Taeyeon sang her self-composed song “Pray.”
“I wrote this with some songwriter friends when I was going through a very hard time,” she said. “While making it, I kept thinking there’s no other path for me besides (music). It was such a hard time, but like all singers I found solace in music and healed.”
For the encore, Taeyeon sang remixes of “Twinkle,” a track released with unit group TTS consisting of herself and fellow Girls’ Generation members Tiffany and Seohyun, and “Gee,” the girl group’s massive 2009 hit.
By Rumy Doo (
doo@heraldcorp.com)