Kang Daniel has a long list of achievements in spite of his relatively short duration spent in the limelight. For starters, he was ranked Number 1 in the popular idol survival series Produce 101 Season 2, making him a valued member of the now-disbanded boy group Wanna One.
His new debut album "Colour on Me" sold over 460,000 copies within the first three days, making him the first-ever K-pop solo artist to have ever achieved these numbers. Even all the way here in Singapore, he continues to shine. Not only is he the first idol to ever hold a fan-meeting in our spacious 12,000 capacity Indoor Stadium, but he is also the first to have his face printed on our transportation cards, known as "EZ-link". After clinching so many firsts, it is certain that the title "King Daniel" is well-deserved.
On 16 August 2019, many Singaporean No Names (the unofficial Fanclub name for Kang Daniel) screamed "TGIF!" as they eagerly streamed into Singapore Indoor Stadium. Most of them were clad in pink, the color that Kang Daniel had requested his fans to wear on the day of the fan-meeting, as it reminded him of passion that isn't overly zealous. Everyone had their hands full of posters, fans and a beautiful holographic banner (that was meant to serve as the main prop for the fan-event later one), but these were immediately dropped the moment the emcee announced that Kang Daniel was going to grant everyone's wishes of unlimited access to as many photos and videos of him, showing his prowess as the CEO.
The lights dimmed, the deafening cheers echoed across the stadium, and Kang Daniel emerged from the smoke. Starting off with 'Through the Night' and 'Colour', bright strobe lights and generous amounts of confetti could not distract the audience from the brightest figure amidst the hype. Kang Daniel was sultry, smooth and strong all at once as he executed his performances with confidence and perfection.
The fan-meeting finally kicked off with the game segment after a brief introduction from Kang Daniel. He was all smiles as he greeted his passionate fans with matched enthusiasm. He also hinted for fans to look out for content related to Singapore that will be released soon. It would feature his adventures here in our little red dot, including experience on an extreme ride that truly tested his guts.
"I don't think you guys know how this game works", the emcee repeatedly stressed to the fans who seemed to egg Kang Daniel encouragingly towards the correct answers during the first round of the games, which tested his knowledge of Singapore. He ended up getting all of them right.
For the second round, however, fans turned a little more devious. Kang Daniel was made to dance to express how he felt about the taste of the food kept inside four mystery boxes. He winced when fans intentionally opted for the wrong choices in order to see the 22-year-old carried out the forfeits, which were random punishments drawn by Kang Daniel himself. He picked "Rolex Dance" and "Level Up Dance", giving fans a delightful treat. We were stunned by his ability to pick up the 'points' of each dance routine just after seeing a demonstration video once, a feat that only he could accomplish with ease.
Fangirls squeals filled the venue when Kang Daniel exposed his collarbones, whispered "we're going to be dancing through the night" seductively and posed for 'boyfriend' photos compliantly in the next mission game. What made this fan-meeting all the more memorable was when King Daniel had to face the King of Fruits in an impromptu challenge that was only otherwise mentioned in his press conference. He took it like a champ though, commenting "okay lah" as he tasted durian for the first time, his smile never wavering. The emcee could not help but sing praises about Kang Daniel's sporting attitude and politeness, even when they were backstage.
The highlight of the concert was definitely the back-to-back performances of 'Horizon' and 'What are you up to?'. Blood pressures collectively rose in the stadium as Kang Daniel rolled his body fluidly to the music, gyrating alluringly in his tight black suit before switching it up to a full pink bodysuit for the latter stage. He even made his way to the extended stage to get closer to his fans, who were all flushed as pink as his outfit.
After receiving a fan-made video and basking in a sea of holographic banners which stated "You Colour My Life", here's what Kang Daniel has to say to his Singaporean fans, spoken by himself in English: "Thank you for supporting me and cheering me, maybe next time, you Singapore guys [can] come to South Korea and have fun all night at my concerts. How about that? That's good? Love and Peace."
It was a heartfelt message that definitely made fans feel appreciated and loved. Following after 'I Hope', Kang Daniel prepared a special stage for his final encore, which was a cover of Justin Bieber's 'Sorry'. In a simple white tee and jeans, he looked like the boy-next-door. It certainly felt so, too. He ran to every corner of the stage, trying his best to connect to fans all around him, bowing earnestly and sending affectionate hearts to everyone. Kang Daniel also mentioned that he has great ideas for his future Fanclub name, requesting for his fans to be patient and to stay tuned.
This was a fan-meeting filled with 'highs'. Kang Daniel made sure that there was not a certain 'low' moment, except for maybe when everyone got a little sentimental during the VCR segments and when footages of his past with Produce 101 flashed across the screen. He thanked everyone sincerely in a video with his cat, Ori, and made promises to go a long way and to do his best for all his fans.
VIP fans had the exclusive chance to have a meet-and-greet group photo, whereas some lucky fans from Cat 1, 2 and 3 won the opportunity to send him off.
Indeed, Kang Daniel has won many 'firsts', but most importantly, he is Number 1 in all our hearts.
Special thanks to Unusual Entertainment Pte Ltd for inviting KpopStarz to cover 'KANG DANIEL COLOR ON ME SINGAPORE'.
Writer: Jean Leong | Photo Credits: Ong Melin
