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(G)I-DLE establish their queendom in Singapore at final show of 'I Am Free-ty' world tour — gig report

(G)I-DLE establish their queendom in Singapore at final show of 'I Am Free-ty' world tour — gig report

ESTIMATED 

In October 2022, (G)I-DLE concluded their first-ever world tour, Just Me ( )I-dle, in Singapore's The Star Theatre. While the concert was a memorable meeting between them and Neverlands in the country, one could not help but feel that the 5,000-seat venue in which it was held was far too small to contain the K-pop outfit.

Fast forward to 29 October 2023. Slightly over a year after their last visit to Singapore, the quintet were back in the Southeast Asian city-state again to wrap up their sophomore world tour, I Am Free-ty. With the 12,000-capacity Singapore Indoor Stadium as their temporary residence this time round, (G)I-DLE outdid themselves with a show that was both bigger and better than their already impressive 2022 one.

BANDWAGON TV

The grand finale of (G)I-DLE's I Am Free-ty world tour was made even more special by the fact that Singapore has always occupied a special place in the hearts of Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi, and Shuhua and their fans.

Referring to the group's photoshoot for their 2018 debut mini-album I AM, Yuqi said: "Before we [made our] debut, we shot our first album jacket or something in Singapore together. So I think Singapore means a lot to us because it means the start of (G)I-DLE in some way."

For two-and-a-half hours, the Cube Entertainment act reminded Neverlands why they fell in love with them in the first place as they lit up the stage and created precious new memories with their fans. Here's what went down at the Singapore leg of (G)I-DLE's I Am Free-ty world tour.

This is Queendom, right?

The question that's posed in the header here is, as Soyeon had intended while writing 'Tomboy', a rhetorical one. (G)I-DLE had arrived to establish their queendom in Singapore, as they had previously done in cities such as Tokyo, Bangkok, Los Angeles, and London, and they weren't going to ask for permission to do so.

Through their 2023 hit 'Queencard', which made its live debut in Singapore during the concert, the group showed fans that their reign was one that encouraged everyone to be confident in their own skin. Of course, being self-confident is easier said than done, and (G)I-DLE understand that. Delivering the song's hilarious lines such as "my boob and booty's hot" and "look so cool, look so sexy like Kim Kardashian" with much sass, they demonstrated that if complimenting yourself in an exaggerated manner is what it takes to be confident, then you should do it. 

Another setlist inclusion making its live debut in Singapore was 'Nxde', a track taken off the group's 2022 mini-album I love. Inspired by the aesthetics of cabaret shows, (G)I-DLE's performance of the number saw them ascend on platforms while donning black outfits and sheer outerwear. Shedding their outerwear after singing "yes, I'm nude", they reinforced their message of self-confidence by showing a complete disregard for the negative societal reactions that may come when a woman is true to herself.  

The concert also showcased the queendom leader's gift of rallying thousands to their cause in an instant, particularly when they brought out 'My Bag' and 'Tomboy'. During the final chorus of 'My Bag', leader Soyeon pointed her microphone towards fans and glared at them as if to say, "You'd better sing." And sing at the top of their lungs was what Neverlands did. Shortly after, Shuhua stepped forward to lead the crowd in singing the now-famous bridge of 'Tomboy'. as her demands for increases in volume within the venue grew louder, so did the voices of fans who were more than happy to follow her lead.

Meanwhile, with 'Lion', (G)I-DLE closed their show looking like a pack of lionesses on the prowl. Singing "I'm a queen like a lion", the five members took their seats on the thrones of their queendom and issued a warning to anyone who would dare to challenge them. 

Goofing Around with Friends

During the show, there were also times when the (G)I-DLE that fans saw were more like goofy friends than leaders of a queendom. When they were taking breaks from performing, Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi, and Shuhua took the time to catch up with Neverlands in Singapore, and the on-stage antics that occurred filled the Singapore Indoor Stadium with laughter and joy.

While discussing Soyeon's solo stage for the evening, Minnie attempted to recreate a pose from 'Psycho' where Soyeon hooks the side of her mouth with her finger twice. Her silly facial expression — which looked even more hilarious when blown up on the venue's large screens — that resulted from it was enough to elicit laughter from an amused crowd. 

The 'LATATA' act's Thai member was also involved in a funny exchange with Neverlands when she sought their suggestions on food to try out while in Singapore. After the crowd jokingly suggest "麦当劳 (McDonald's)", she could be seen with a puzzled expression on her face. 

"McDonald's? The McDonald's in Singapore is different? Oh my god, I should try," said Minnie. 

It remains unclear if she was playing along or truly curious, but this is not something that matters to fans who will look back on this little exchange with smiles on their faces.

Yuqi also won the hearts of the crowd with her impeccable comedic timing and humorous comments during the show. After singing an acapella snippet from 'Giant', the Chinese vocalist let the audience applaud her before jumping in to remark in Mandarin: "唱了真好听 (That was sung so well)."

Striking again while introducing the group's song 'All Night' later in the concert, she teased the identity of its songwriter to the crowd by describing them as someone "pretty" and "talented", only for her to reveal that she was talking about herself the entire time. 

The Many Colours of (G)I-DLE

The I Am Free-ty world tour also differed from (G)I-DLE's Just Me ( )I-dle world tour in that there was an entire segment set aside to let the outfit's members shine individually. And just as (G)I-DLE are diverse as a group, so were the five solo stages that fans in Singapore witnessed.

First to take the stage was the group's eldest member and main vocalist Miyeon, who brought out 'Drive'. Dressed in white, the 26-year-old danced and flexed her vocals while performing the uplifting title track from her debut mini-album MY. When she was focusing on pulling off high notes, Miyeon wore a sweet smile on her face that charmed all who were watching.

Next up was Minnie, who came bearing her own spin on 'Dahlia'. Playing a flower-covered piano while filling the venue with her mellifluous voice, she delivered a soul-stirring cover of the song from (G)I-DLE's I burn mini-album. After that performance, it would be no surprise if fans began demanding for a studio version of Minnie's rendition to be released.

Wearing a red dress, Soyeon delivered her solo track 'Psycho' with an intensity that would have warded off anyone thinking of trifling with her. While delivering sizzling bars, she showed everyone why she's considered to be one of the best rappers from K-pop's fourth generation. And as she sang, she made sure that her abilities as a vocalist would also not go unnoticed. 

Taking the segment's penultimate slot, (G)I-DLE's youngest member, Shuhua, presented a dance cover of Britney Spears' 'Boys' that drove fans wild. As the Taiwanese singer raised temperature levels by executing chest pops, crawling on the stage, and flipping her hair, deafening screams could be heard throughout the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Wrapping up this segment of the concert was Yuqi, who sang acapella versions of Singaporean star JJ Lin's '背對背擁抱' and Jay Chou's '稻香 (Rice Field)' together with Neverlands. The bubbly singer-songwriter also showed fans her growth in her journey as a soloist by way of a performance of an unreleased track, 'Could It Be'.

And when Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi, and Shuhua reunited for the remainder of their show in Singapore, we were reminded that when you put these unique individuals together, they become a force to be reckoned with.

(G)I-DLE I Am Free-ty world tour Singapore setlist

  1. DUMDi DUMDi
  2. LATATA
  3. $$$
  4. Never Stop Me
  5. Allergy
  6. Uh-Oh
  7. Queencard
  8. Drive (Miyeon Solo)
  9. DAHLIA (Minnie Solo Version)
  10. Psycho (Soyeon Solo)
  11. Boys (Britney Spears cover) (Shuhua Solo - Dance Cover)
  12. Could It Be (Yuqi Solo - Unreleased Song)
  13. Nxde
  14. Lucid
  15. Put It Straight (Nightmare Version)
  16. All Night
  17. The Baddest / POP/STARS
  18. My Bag (Concert Version)
  19. Tomboy
  20. I'm THE TREND
  21. I Do
  22. Lion

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