By Avier Tan

Flawless Showmanship With A Touch Of Individuality: Here’s What Went Down At K-pop Girl Group ITZY’s First Show In Singapore

The K-pop girl group performed all their top hits alongside solo performances in their first Singapore concert
ITZY’s “Checkmate” World Tour poster. Photo: Courtesy of JYP Entertainment

Since their debut in 2019 with Dalla Dalla (2019), ITZY has been a force to be reckoned with. 

But the quintet, composed of Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna, posed a question that fans would never have even thought of, at the Singapore leg of their first world tour.

What if ITZY did not exist? “Today, I dreamt about not being in ITZY,” leader Yeji shared a snippet of her nightmare, teary-eyed.

For the whole duration of the show, fans around me were shouting passionately, cheering fervently throughout their set. But at this moment, a deafening silence filled The Star Theatre.

ITZY staged their first Singapore concert at The Star Theatre. Photo: Avier Tan

Her bandmates were quick to comfort her. 

“The reason that we’re always able to do well is because of our fans, and thanks for supporting us,” she later added after composing herself.

“Having a solo concert has always been our dream,” said main dancer Chaeryeong. It would have been held way earlier, if not for the global pandemic.

Their first headline tour, which local fans waited a good three years for, did live up to its expectations. It was packed with new releases such as Boys Like You and Cheshire.

They did not forget to include all their chart-topping hits like In The MorningDalla Dalla and Wannabe into their two-hour set as well.

ITZY opened the show with ‘In The Morning”. Photo: Avier Tan / SeoulHype

But it was lengthened by their sincere, yet at times humorous speeches towards the end of the show.

Each member had their own solo performances for a touch of individuality. 

Yuna rode a bicycle on to the stage with Maniac by Conan Gray while Lia covered Taylor Swift’s Red.

Fans were totally oblivious. But lead dancer Yuna sheepishly admitted later that she made a mistake during her performance. “But if you guys like my performance [nevertheless], then I’m so happy”, she squealed.

Now, talk about being a boss: Ryujin did a rendition of Doja Cat’s Boss B*tch; Yeji belted high notes with Dua Lipa’s Hotter Than Hell and Chaeryeong presented a provocative performance with bloodline by Ariana Grande.

It was a great balance between watching the quintet perform as a band, with solo stages packed in between. “I love how each member has their own moment to shine in whatever they’re doing,” said concert-goer Zoie Quek, 19, who bought a Cat 1 ticket.

The quintet mainly boasted a high-octane set with captivating visuals. But there were times when the LED screens on stage went pitch black in an attempt to channel all attention to their vocals and choreography.

Fans sang along to the quintet as they performed ‘Domino’. Photo: Avier Tan / SeoulHype

However, it was a pity that the stage set-up was on a smaller scale this time.

“The set in the Seoul concert was bigger, with an extended stage for them to interact with fans at different sections,” concert-goer Samantha Voon, 22 told SeoulHype. She bought tickets to both the Singapore and Seoul shows.

“It’s been three years since we came to Singapore, and I hope we can see you guys in a larger place and a bigger hall [in future],” main rapper Ryujin said.

At the end of the performance, main dancer Chaeryeong promised fans that they would be back soon, so it’s our guess that it will only be a matter of time before they stage another show here.

This article originally appeared on SeoulHype, Asia’s fastest-growing media platform about Korean entertainment, culture and music.