An ocean of pink slowly formed as fans streamed into Max Pavillion Hall with their pink lightsticks and fan banners that Sunday evening. Fans buzz in excitement as they waited for their favourite South Korean idol girl group to grace the stage. Even though this marks APINK’s third visit to Singapore, it is the first time the sextet are here for a full-length solo concert. Through PINK PARADISE IN SG on 22nd March 2015, local and regional fans were treated to classic hit tracks such as NoNoNo and MyMy as well as their recent hit, LUV. Fans also saw another side of APINK that is in contrast to their pure and innocent image.

When the lights began to dim and a countdown timer appeared on the screen, the crowd started cheering and all eyes were focused on the main stage. The silhouette of the group soon became visible and once the timer hits zero, the curtain dropped. Dressed in white, APINK first opened the night with their debut song ‘I Don’t Know’. Cheers amplified as lead vocalist, Jung Eunji effortlessly belt out every high notes with perfection. Captivating the crowd with their sweet live vocals and cute dance moves, they continued to impress the crowd as they deliver back-to-back performances of ‘Good Morning Baby’ and ‘Mr. Chu’.

With no translator to aid them on stage, it was heartwarming to see the girls conversing actively and sincerely with the crowd using simple English. Visual, Son Naeun notably had the best command of English language in the group as she guides the other members with their English greetings.

Despite the heavy influx of girl idol groups in the industry, APINK represent one of the more successful ones to date with an increasingly solid fanbase.  Ever since their debut in 2011, they have been widely known in the music industry for maintaining their pure and innocent image. However, through their solo stages, they prove their versatility as artists – showing a different side of them.

Fans were pleasantly surprised and entertained as the group delivered solo stages of genres that are very different to their usual concept. Leader, Park Chorong led the series of solo stages with her dance performance to Chris Brown’s X. Dancing on stage bare footed, the leader exudes a soft yet powerful and sexy charm leaving the crowd in awe. Up next was duo Oh Hayoung and Son Naeun with their cover of SISTAR19 ‘Gone Not Around Any Longer’. Dressed in black, they charmed the crowd as they transformed into sexy yet classy women to the slow-tempo sensual hit track. Naeun later revelead that she was worried her shoes would fall out during the performance as she had accidentally swopped shoes with Hayoung and Hayoung’s shoes size are bigger than hers. Vocalist, Kim Namjoo continued the series of solo stages with hot dance track, Dirty by Christina Aguilera. Like a diva, she ruled the stage and sent the crowd into roars of cheers as she effortlessly delivered her performance. Not only were the performance on point, the stunning laser works and pyrotechnics were in tandem and appropriate to every beat and moment, making the stage visually delicious too.

Putting the series of solo stages on pause, the group then appeared on stage donning a black and white stripes top with yellow skirt. Their sweet and fun charms overflows as they performed ‘MY MY’, ‘It Girl’ and ‘Hush’. This marks the halfway point of the concert and yet both the crowd and group showed no signs of fatigue.

Continuing to heat up the stage, Yoon Bomi delivered a stellar performance of Ariana Grande’s up-tempo dance-pop track, Problem. To the surprise of many, Bomi included a pole dance segment in her performance – showcasing her sexy side. Different from the rest, Eunji decided to showcase her vocal abilities and delivered a classy performance of Beyonce’s timeless hit number, Listen. I was personally very impressed by her solo stage even though I have always known that she is an exceptionally good vocalist. Her ability to belt out the high notes with ease and precision as well as her charismatic stage presence left the crowd with goosebumps.

In light of their 4^th anniversary on 19^th April, Singapore fans prepared a rainbow cake. Being their 3^rd visit here, it is no doubt that they do have a strong bond with Singapore Pink Pandas. “Singapore Apink Forever” echoed in the hall as the group blew the candle.

As the concert draws to an end, mixed emotions filled the hall. Both the fans and the girls’ started getting emotional. For a change, the arena was filled with white lights as the sextet delivered a stunning and emotional performance of Wishlist. Their soothing vocals tugged the heartstrings of the crowd, making it a memorable night for them. Naeun started tearing and soon after, it was already their last stage, April 19^th.

Before they wrapped up the concert with April 19^th, the group took the chance to thank the crowd for their support and love. Namjoo started tearing as she expressed her gratitude to the fans. Even though there was a translator to guide them for their ending speech, Bomi chose to make her ending speech in English with a letter that she wrote as a guide. Speaking in English, she said, “When we go back to Korea after this concert, we will miss you so much. And of course, we will never forget today. So, we hope that you’ll do the same”.

Of course, I too, believe that any Pink Panda who went to PINK PARADISE IN SG would never forget 22^nd March 2015. It was a memorable and enjoyable night for everyone there. Language wasn’t a barrier at all. Seeing their sincerity and talents first hand left a deep impression on me.

May APINK continue to prosper as a group, healing fans always with their music. Music is indeed, the strongest form of magic.

Written by: Shaz
Photos by: Fion