As confetti rained down on Singaporean Buddies (Gfriend's official fan-club name), there was a explosion of strobe lights. The clouds on the big screen made way as a rainbow emerged on the stage. By 'rainbow', I meant the six members of the Kpop girl group Gfriend, of course. Decked out in pastel hues of pink, blue, yellow and purple, the girls were a radiant presence as they cheerfully kicked off their 3-hour concert with their hit song 'Me Gusta Tu' .
Just a week after their latest album 'Fever Season' was released, the girls travelled to Singapore on 20th July to perform at The Star Theatre, as part of their "Go Go Gfriend: 2019 Asia Tour". In spite of their busy schedules, there was not a hint of lethargy in the members' faces as they hyped up the crowd with 'Life is a Party' and 'Vacation' . Indeed, their sunny dispositions and perfectly synchronised choreographies that lasted throughout the concert were testaments to their professionalism.
Buddies relished in the rare opportunity to listen to the live performances of lesser-known tracks such as 'Glow' , 'Truly Love' and 'Love in the Air'. True to their title as Dance Queens, each song came well-packaged with never-seen-before choreographies that caused the audience to swoon. Using a café backdrop and chairs as props, the girls were an energetic ball of fun as they enthusiastically engaged with their fans and each other.
After a quick wardrobe change, Sowon, Yuju, Yerin, Eunha, SinB and Umji returned to the stage with 'Love Whisper' looking like little water pixies. Although there was no on-stage pond to dance in, the beautiful and bright scenery behind the girls-coupled with a variety of tinkling nature noises-was more-than-enough to get the audiences captivated by the magic happening before their eyes. The ethereal and romantic mood continued on with the lovely melodies of 'Windy Windy' , 'You're my Star' and 'A Starry Sky' . Notably, it was the small, intricate details such as the subtle transition from day to night that made the concert flow as wonderfully as it did.
What made this concert so memorable was the insertion of VCR clips that were packed with entertainment value and effort. The quirky personalities of the girls shone through here. The intermission featured an alternate universe in which the six members were split into two. An 'infinity war' ensued as the two separate teams, known as "World Peace" and "Hug Hug" respectively, fought to debut with better results.
"Hug Hug", consisting of the members (Yerin, Eunha and Umji) that were known for their cutesy, doll-like appearances and temperaments, were the human embodiments of the word 'sweet'. Their song 'Shy Boy' was a mixture of trot and theatrical, but amazingly enjoyable nonetheless.
"World Peace", made up of the remaining members SinB, Sowon and Yuju, came next. Unlike the poofy pink frocks that the former group were clad in, these girls showed off their model-like proportions in leopard bodysuits. Their song, 'Monday Blues' , straddled between 'anime theme song' and 'commercial jingle'. It was catchy and head-bop-inducing, the highlight being the nonsense rap that went along the lines of "Red is Apple, Apple is Delicious, Delicious is Banana, Banana is Long, Long is Train, Train is Fast, Fast Weekend". Eventually, the members revealed that "Hug Hug" and "World Peace" were actual group names that were considered. Additionally, 'Shy Boy' and 'Monday Blues' were songs they actually practised for their debut before finally settling for 'Glass Bead'. Aren't Buddies all relieved that "GFriend" was the name that triumphed the rest?
Next, fans were treated to the sight of their idols dressed up as various sportswomen. Umji was the umpire, Yuju as a marathon professional, SinB as a badminton player, Sowon as a basketball shooting, Yerim as a taekwondo trainee and finally, Eunha as a star shooter. Of course, this feature demonstrated many 'expectations versus reality' moments, with the girls spectacularly failing in their respective sports careers. The hilarious segment concluded with the narrator's verdict that they should return to the stage, where they truly belonged.
The mood turned a little more sentimental as the girls sang ballads such as 'You Are Not Alone' , 'Only 1' and 'LUV' . Alas, just as Yuju remarked, the girls were best at emotion. In their five years in the spotlight, the girls did not need overtly flashy wardrobes, dramatic songs or eye-catching hairstyle changes to maintain their popularity. They caught the hearts of fans with the hard work they put into their dance moves and the emotion they inject into their songs.
The ballad version of 'Rough' was definitely the fan-favourite of the night. With no backing track, the strong vocals and skills of the girls bled through each lyric, each note a raw and emotional punch to the gut. What surprised everyone was how they put up flawless performances of' Flower Garden', 'Sunrise' and 'Time for the Moon Night' and miraculously remained barely breathless by the end of it. Only the slight sheen of sweat was proof of just how difficult it was to dance and sing simultaneously.
Gfriend resumed the second half of the concert in glamorous outfits. The shining chandelier behind them was no match for how brightly they shone on stage as they belted out 'Memoria' , 'Flower' and 'Crush' , each song slowly picking up speed and tempo before finally hitting the roof with 'Fingertip' . The girls commented, "You should be feeling hot because we filled this room with our hotness", and yes, the heat all that excitement was definitely palpable.
An unexpected moment Singaporean Buddies would never forget was the rare opportunity to watch Gfriend perform 'Fever' . As it was an impromptu decision made by Sowon, the girls had to make do without music. This was the first time they performed 'Fever' during a concert, and it was definitely a moment Singaporean Buddies will treasure in their hearts forever.
With 'Navillera' being the supposed last song of the concert, fans immediately demanded an encore. Dressed in a more casual number, Gfriend sang 'Hope' , a song written by them for the fans. They then interacted with fans during 'Love Bug' , in which they used selfie sticks and phones to have fun. The girls were moved to tears during the fan-video and requested for a singalong session from Buddies, who enthusiastically complied. Anything for the girls!
Finally, with 'Compass' , the concert drew to a close. It is clear, that even without a compass, the fans would always find a way back to the girls, again and again.
Special thanks to Source Music and Unusual Entertainment Pte Ltd for inviting KpopStarz to cover 2019 GFRIEND ASIA TOUR [GO GO GFRIEND!] in Singapore.
Writer: Jean Leong | Photo Credits: Source Music
