Concert review: K-pop’s Enhypen enthral with nearly three-hour gig
Enhypen World Tour Fate in Singapore
Singapore Indoor Stadium
Jan 20, 8pm
Over the weekend, seven young men have been sending teenage girls into a frenzy. K-pop boy band Enhypen were performing in Singapore for the first time.
As their heart-thumping hit Bite Me (2023) goes: “It’s you and me in this world.”
And that was likely how they made their screaming fans feel for nearly three hours on Jan 20 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, the first of two sold-out shows which reportedly drew a total of 20,000 attendees. Fans from around the region had also made their way here.
The concert was part of their Fate world tour, which kicked off in Seoul in July 2023 and has taken them to Japan, the United States and Taiwan.
The members – Ni-ki, 18; Jungwon, 19; Sunoo, 20; Jay, 21; Jake, 21; Sunghoon, 21; and Heeseung, 22 – came together after emerging tops in I-Land, a South Korean reality competition series in 2020.
Following their debut album Border: Day One that same year, the septet cemented their status as one of the fastest rising K-pop acts.
“I don’t know why it took us so long to come to Singapore. You guys are amazing,” leader Jungwon said to the crowd of mostly teenage girls, who sang along to every song with gusto.
All seven members worked hard on the T-shape stage from the get-go. For the opening track Drunk-Dazed (2022), they emerged in suits befitting their Prince Charming image.
They went on to deliver more than 20 songs and had four costume changes, including a set that resembled South Korean school uniforms.
Two members also won hearts with their musical talents. Heeseung played the piano during Just A Little Bit (2021), while Jay strummed the guitar and serenaded alongside his mates for TFW (2022).
There were surprises too, such as when Jake did an acoustic version of Justin Bieber’s Love Yourself (2015) with Jay on the guitar. This was a significant song for Jake, who grew up in Australia and had performed it during a 2019 audition to become a K-pop idol.
“Fandemonium” broke out when the members came offstage to mingle with their fans as they crooned their radio hit Polaroid Love (2021).
The crowd could barely take a breather from the excitement when the group welcomed six adorable Pikachu mascots during One And Only (2023), a collaborative upbeat track with the Pokemon franchise.
Fans also lapped up the many endearing moments, such as when the members lapsed into Singlish (“Thank you, lah”).
At one point, Jake splashed a bottle of water at the crowd out of excitement – and wet the stage as well. Sunghoon then reminded him: “You’re not supposed to do that.”
An embarrassed Jake responded that he would clean up the spill, and a few members joined him immediately on all fours to dry the stage with towels.
They continued to play off one another’s energy throughout the show.
Almost three hours later when they exited the stage, the fans – or “Engene” as the group affectionately calls them – were reluctant to leave the stadium.
The concert resembled a big house party which Enhypen promised to throw again.
Chia, E. (n.d.). Concert review: K-pop’s Enhypen enthral with nearly three-hour gig. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/concert-review-k-pop-s-enhypen-enthral-with-nearly-three-hour-gig