Umdotmusic was privileged to have watched HIGHLIGHTxBEAST at the first and last stop of their Lights Go On, Again Asia Tour in Hong Kong and Singapore!
Singapore was included as an additional date for HIGHLIGHT’s Asia tour, held on 8 September 2024 at EXPO Hall 7.
HIGHLIGHT, a 2nd generation K-pop group with over 15 years of experience, shone the spotlight on their legacy as BEAST members, which they recently reclaimed the rights to use.
It was an electric start with laser, lights, and smoke as the LED screen on stage flashed ‘Lights Go On Again’ for fans (known as either Light and/or B2uty) to be ready for the sold-out show to begin.
Illuminated by hues of deep red and blue lights, HIGHLIGHT glowed with charisma and opened the show with Switch On. While Yoseop pushed to include the song in the latest album, he shared that he was initially against the idea of adding Switch On to the concert setlist. We’re glad he ‘switched’ his mind!
They continued to showcase their stable vocals, falsettos, and polished moves with PRIVACY and PAPER CUT.
Some show highlights:
‘Felt their love’ for Singapore
Decked in black sequined blazers and slick hairstyles, Yoon Du Jun, Yang Yoseop, Lee Gi Kwang, and Son Dongwoon introduced themselves to the 4,500-strong crowd. They also apologised for taking so long to hold another official concert in Singapore – the last it happened was 11 years ago at the same venue!
To make up for it, they then performed songs with lovely vibes such as Feel Your Love (48.6Hertz) and Give You My All. There was a part in the Feel Your Love choreography that had the members showing off an ‘L’ – which stands for the love towards their fans, and the members kept showing the L sign throughout the show!
HIGHLIGHT showed their fondness towards the fans as they spent time at the extended stage during Give You My All. They were able to interact with fans while singing beautifully at the same time.
In true Singlish fashion, Yoseop expressed affection for his Singaporean fans with ‘I love you lah’, and Du Jun insisted for fans to ‘Stay with us forever ok’.
HIGHLIGHT enjoys ‘calling you’ their Light
The members continued waving and interacting with fans during Calling You, asking fans to sing along and put their hands up to the melody. As the members concurrently took sips of water and cleared the stage of the remaining white confetti from the previous song, the dancers reappeared to dance together with HIGHLIGHT.
The group also called to tell fans to ‘Plz Don’t Be Sad’, which was their “debut” upbeat party song. The party continued with the latest comeback song, BODY. It was addictive seeing such lively and bright performances from HIGHLIGHT.
The members also took a moment to get us up to date with their busy schedules and personal life updates. The banter and positive support amongst the members radiated throughout the hall, especially when Yoseop and Dongwoon shot their hands up when Gi Kwang asked the crowd if anyone went to his recent solo concert in Seoul. Like what Yoseop said, “Gi Kwang was steady lah!”.
Dongwoon also shared that the concert would be released as a movie, and he hoped for it to be screened in Singapore.
BEAST is the B2ST
Fans went into beast mode as soon as they heard the iconic intro to Bad Girl. HIGHLIGHT rose from underneath the stage and the LED screen with the words ‘So BEAST’ appeared right on cue. B2uty were singing and cheering along loudly to the iconic debut song.
Fans could not get enough as the members re-introduced themselves as BEAST. It was great to see their growth personified on stage through their songs – as humble idol singers, to the humble CEOs of Around Us Entertainment that wanted to make their re-debut as HIGHLIGHT.
The members were spotted with an all-white ensemble that was similar to what they wore back in 2009 as they performed their old hits – Shock, Special, and Shadow, much to the delight of B2uty. The fan chants were loud at this point – echoing Yoseop’s sentiments for fans to “stay with us long long hor”.
While their older songs had a lot more dance breaks, levels, and floorwork to their choreographies, HIGHLIGHT could still keep up and performed flawlessly without any strained notes. The dancers also made the performances a lot more dynamic.
Can’t hold your breath
HIGHLIGHT kept the momentum going with popular songs including Good Luck and Breath at the extended stage. The energy was definitely giving.
We also gasped at the fact that the VCRs included English subtitles, and English romanisation for fans during the sing-along segment to one of BEAST’s iconic song, Oasis.
BEAST also paused for a moment to share TMIs about their time in Singapore. Yoseop asked us to look out for his Singapore vlog on his personal Youtube channel using a new camera that he bought, while the other three members talked about the food they ate and the facilities they enjoyed here. In particular, Dongwoon was enthralled by SongFa Bak Kut Teh and claimed it was his “Best 3” food that he had tasted.
Fans also inhaled with anticipation and appreciation as BEAST sang heartfelt renditions of On Rainy Days, Ribbon and Fiction. The vocals were rich, deep, and soulful, and the harmonization took our breath away.
‘Not the end’ for HIGHLIGHT
Streams of confetti accompanied the next section of the concert, as HIGHLIGHT changed into a more casual but shiny denim fit when performing to Not The End.
Fans then reciprocated the mutual feelings with a surprise fan banner event that said “As long as we are here, we will support you as eternity“.
The show did not end with just their closing ment, as HIGHLIGHT performed a few songs for the night – In My Head, and Don’t Leave, from their recent albums. The stage backdrop complemented the bright and bubbly atmosphere as it screened pretty elements like the sky, clouds and flowers.
The members continued to go all out with fan-service with playful gestures and never-ending winks and hearts.
Best Encore Party!
It is not a concert without an encore! HIGHLIGHT came out dressed in the Lights Go On, Again merch t-shirt and jeans, with cute accessories and bags – all ready to jump around and party with Light/B2uty.
Fans headed straight to the barricade as soon as Du Jun said to stand up during the encore for the song, Beautiful. The members were busy interacting with fans that Gi Kwang had to cutely remind them of the dance break, so they quickly rushed back to the middle of the stage in time.
The party continued as everyone jumped up and down to another bop – V.I.U (Very Important U). Dongwoon was so passionate that he sang his heart out on his knees and jumped back up immediately after. The group did not forget about delivering perfect harmonization and ad-libs even amidst the joy and excitement.
The dancers joined the party too as one of them showed their b-boy moves to bid farewell. The members also thanked everyone involved in the production including the hair and makeup artists backstage, and the “most beautiful Lights” here in Singapore.
Another moment that stood out during the encore was HIGHLIGHT fully enjoying their own antics on stage during How To Love (2024). Yoseop and Du Jun could not hold their laughter as they copied their leader’s dance moves during the first verse.
Fans definitely felt loved by the members as they continued making eye-contact and reading the fan boards.
The group delivered a quality performance till the end and closed off the night with How To Love (2013).
Gi Kwang also shared some realistic advice: “Stay Healthy and Happy. Work Less and Earn More.”
It was easy to tell why these singers continue to have a loyal fan base. Their voices are simply unmatched. They continue to work diligently and are passionate towards their music and fans, with enough stamina to deliver high-energy performances. And their genuine smiles and fan-service were irresistible.
HIGHLIGHT also promised to return to Singapore as soon as they can. The members were grateful towards international fans and shared that they often read through the fans’ messages on social media. (Fun fact: The members do watch the clips that fans tagged them online post-concert and may even like the posts!)
HIGHLIGHT had successfully created a warm and exciting atmosphere for both new and old fans in Singapore. As Dongwoon said, “We won’t forget today lah!”.
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