Singapore, 2024 – Following Kyuhyun’s successful tour kick-off in Seoul from 8 – 10 March 2024, the ‘Restart’ Asia tour continued in Singapore on 30 March at the Singapore Expo.

Decked out in a dashing all-white suit, Kyuhyun opened the night with ‘Restart’, the same title as his January released EP. Accompanied by a six-piece live band, he next delivered the medium-tempo uplifting ‘Dreaming’, aptly delivering the notion to ‘KYUpiters’ and ‘E.L.Fs’ in attendance that they are his reason for dreaming and singing.

With a ‘ho seh bo’ (‘how’s everything’ in Hokkien), Kyuhyun first greeted and thanked everyone who had been waiting for his solo concert for a long time. He jokingly shared his initial concerns about a solo concert in Singapore and expressed that all worries were gone when he saw everyone present in the fully filled venue. He further teased fans, with endearing comments like “Why didn’t tell him there are many Singapore fans. Omg lah. Very happy.” Kyuhyun also shared that ‘Dreaming’ was a song that he envisioned singing with everyone in a concert hall when it was composed, and was thus happy that he was able to finally achieve this.

Continuing with the concert, Kyuhyun delivered emotive songs ‘A Million Pieces’ and ‘Slow, Slowly’ (the hardest song in Kyuhyun’s opinion out of the entire set list!) with his captivating voice. His exceptional live vocal prowess shone through when he performed ‘Was It Love?’ and ‘Aewol-ri’ with only light acoustic keyboard and guitar background music, perfectly conveying feelings of desperation and loneliness.

Knowing that there were many Mandarin-speaking fans in attendance, Kyuhyun also specially prepared a Mandarin song ‘你好不好 (Eric Chou Cover)’ (How have you been?). He shared that he chose this song as the lyrics were pretty, and because he was always wondering how everyone has been. A song that he was singing live for the first time, he adorably told fans to not record it as he was nervous. His worries were unfounded, as his pronunciation and delivery of the song were superb; a feat Kyuhyun was also proud of as he jokingly commented: “我最近没有机会用中文所以非常非常退步了还아직은 我的发音很好， 太不像话了.” (I don’t have many opportunities to use Mandarin recently so it’s deteriorated by quite a bit, but yet my pronunciation is still good, this is too much.)

The eighth song of the night was the sixth track in Kyuhyun’s ‘Restart’ Album- ‘Thanks To You (SUPER JUNIOR- K.R.Y.)’. Originally featuring Super Junior members Ryeowook and Yesung, Kyuhyun invited fans to sing in his members’ stead as romanized lyrics flashed on the screen.

Showcasing his versatility and years of experience as a musical singer, Kyuhyun next belted to ‘Destiny’ from the musical “Ben-Hur”, aweing all in attendance with his flawless rendition of this powerful song. Voted as the number one musical song (22.6% of votes) to perform in a concert by fans, Kyuhyun expressed suspicions that the votes were swayed heavily by fans’ wishes to see him ‘take off his top’. To this, he teasingly reminded fans that the concert theme was a “high-grade ballad concert”.

After a quick outfit change, Kyuhyun reappeared in blue jeans and a white blouse in front of the seated fans, amidst bursts of cheers and screams. As he sang ‘Confession Is Not Flashy’, Kyuhyun walked around and interacted with fans by high-fiving them; making sure to fulfill his earlier promise of ensuring that the fans seated at the back do not feel left out. This was followed by ‘Time with you’, where he showcased his playful charm as he interacted with the band members in this light-hearted happy tune.

Kyuhyun continued delivering happy energetic vibes while singing and dancing to ‘Flying, Deep in the Night’ and ‘Together’, showcasing his status as an all-rounded multi-entertainer. Much to fans’ delight; Kyuhyun further lit up the concert atmosphere as he performed a medley of Super Junior hits ‘Devil + Black Suit + Sorry Sorry’ and danced to ‘IDOL (Yoasobi Cover)’.

Kyuhyun dug further into his treasure troves of hits, performing ‘All-Kill’ chart-topper ‘At Gwanghwamun’ (an absolute crowd favorite with fans singing along despite no lyrics being flashed on the screen), ‘Daystar’ and ‘Moving On’ – two stirring songs from his Love Story (4 Season Project 季) EP which he shared that he personally really likes; before ending the night with the ‘Restart’ album title track ‘The Story Behind’.

He jokingly shared that compared to dance tracks (such as ’Sorry Sorry’ where he does not have to think about anything when performing it), ballad songs definitely took a greater toll on the body (almost feeling like “lifespan is getting shorter”), as he would have to immerse himself in the lyrics and emotion of the song. However, he shared that he loves ballads too much so he would continue even if it was difficult; before reassuring fans to not worry as he will “live long”, meanwhile boasting that he is the Maknae (youngest) of his team!

No concert would be complete without an encore segment – after a quick shirt change, Kyuhyun reappeared on stage to excited fans with a repeat of ‘Restart’ and a photo-taking segment, where fans lit up the concert venue with their blue light sticks and banners with the message “WE WILL BE WITH 규 (KYU)”.

Before ending the 2.5-hour concert with the final song ‘Rainbow’, Kyuhyun expressed gratitude for fans’ unconditional continued support and love, and shared that he is looking forward to the next Super Junior concert in Singapore (happening in July), as well as future potential exciting solo ballad concerts in Singapore!

Article: Syl
Photo credits: CK Star Entertainment