Taeyeon transcendent
Beginning your concert by declaring “Darling, I’m a masterpiece/ A work of art” might be seen as a bold move, but in the context of a Taeyeon concert it’s par for the course, not just because she’s earned the right to make such a declaration, but because every choice in a Taeyeon concert is a bold move. The show began with the stylized ringing of a large bell, announcing the beginning is nigh. Hooded sleeveless backup dancers walked in a procession from offstage to kneel around the center from which Taeyeon emerged, resplendent in a white/gold ensemble (the veil?! the tiara with laurels?! the ornate hand bangle??), looking very much like some goddess of beauty that also just happens to be imbued with miraculous vocals. The various LED screens made the stage setup resemble a temple, designed to make us feel like we were watching a cult perform an opening rite, except the audience didn’t need any indoctrination. We were already members.
Taeyeon opened with “Fabulous,” the closer of her fifth mini album To. X from 2023. This concert tour, entitled “The Tense,” is a celebration of her tenth year as a soloist, one with an impressive discography that was on display in a 25-song setlist meant to highlight the past, present, and future tenses of Taeyeon. The 18-year K-pop veteran dropped another surprise by making the second song of the concert her solo debut track, 2015’s “I,” eliciting cheers and waves of nostalgia among hardcore fans in the crowd. In a portion where she lets the crowd sing, local fans did not disappoint. After all, there’s a reputation to uphold that we can carry a tune. Then she jumped all the way to the present again to her most recent title track, “Letter to Myself,” from the mini-album of the same name that was released last November. And this was all before her first proper talking portion, where she greeted the crowd and received approving roars in reply.
Impressive production
So many aspects of the production were impressive. The live band was amazing, energetic, bringing such an urgency and immediacy to the songs. It was delightful seeing them rock out from the very beginning, bandleader Hong So-jin (affectionately known as Ttochi) egging on the audience and returning their energy in kind (she also had kind words to say about the Filipino crowd on her social media). The dancers were wonderful, lively, playful; their rapport with the audience and Taeyeon was palpable. The stage design made great use of the LED screens and banner lights at the top and bottom of the stage; these would often be used in sync with lasers and carefully calibrated signals changing the colors and illumination of fans’ lightsticks, making for impressive displays for those in higher sections. There were gouts of flame! Bubbles! Smoke machines! Tinsel streamers! Flower arrangements as backdrops! Gigantic floor-to-ceiling translucent curtains that were used as a screen for projections, but only for 15 seconds! Not even the whole song! Different kinds of confetti for different songs, one batch with messages from Taeyeon herself, scented with a fragrance she selected. Other concert tours: take notes.
And then, of course, the songs: the debut of choreography for “Hot Mess,” a b-side off “Letter to Myself” that left everyone gagged. This kicked off the second “act” of the show, with a costume change into flared black leather pants and a black halter top with sequined sleeves that made Taeyeon’s arms shimmer. She looked like the flyest vampire queen or biker chick, with long ribbons that looked like hair extensions adding to the effect. Songs like “Weekend” pop out in contrast just for their upbeat energy; the crowd used “Stress” as an excuse to turn the Mall of Asia Arena into a club, the seated crowd standing and losing it, lightsticks waving to and fro.
Potent
Taeyeon’s catalog is mostly ballads, torch songs, or downtempo R&B and that makes sense. They suit her, and “she’s good at them” is an understatement; few can do it at her level. But concerts like this allow for such a potent, concentrated dose. It can be astonishing. Not a few times will you catch yourself asking, “How does this capital-V Voice emerge from this petite 160-centimeter frame?” “How is she so stable, even when jumping around during ‘Stress’ or dancing to ‘Invu’?” This vibrato that through hundred-watt speakers can literally shake you, but through its tonality and clarity might rend your soul, especially when it’s a devastator like “My Tragedy,” during which the LED screens made it look like she was alone at night at sea in the middle of a storm of Biblical proportions. Or a heart-pulverizer like “Ending Credits,” during which a montage of videos of Taeyeon’s career as a soloist played, climaxing with hilarious end credits where every person credited is Taeyeon herself. It’s a funny joke when you see Taeyeon belting out a high note and a caption says “singing like she’s on her fourth divorce” but experiencing it live, it can awe you to silence, it can draw moisture from your eyes, raise bumps on your skin.
The final act, Taeyeon in a red off-the-shoulder dress, featured “Disaster,” “Ending Credits,” “Time Lapse,” “All for Nothing,” and “Blur.” Have mercy, Kim Tae-yeon! But no. We are left devastated. In “Time Lapse,” circling lasers make her look like she’s trapped in a crystal. “All for Nothing” stands out in contrast being sung in a more intimate, breathy manner, where you might find yourself straining to hear like a priest at a confessional. And then “Blur,” with its near-whistle note climax after a series of note-bending wails like Taeyeon was some vocal Avatar, leaving the audience in smithereens. Pieces.
But there she is, putting us back together by saying she remembers we provide some of the best cheers, that we taught her the word “beshie” two years ago when she was here with “The Odd of Love” concert tour, that she receives her energy from the crowd and if we are this energetic then she will be too. She concludes with encore number “U R,” another track from her 2015 debut, and brings it home: the crowd on its feet, parasocial relationships reinforced, cult members hoping it’s not too long before we see our icon again.
