Fifteen years after his last appearance in Singapore, U-KNOW returned with his first solo concert in the country, U-KNOW PROJECT 26: SCENE#1 in SINGAPORE. Built around his journey so far, the show brought together performances, VCRs and personal stories, giving the audience a look at the different sides of his career.
The evening began with a VCR tracing U-KNOW’s artistic journey before he appeared on stage with the dance tracks “Time Machine“, “DROP“, “Follow“, and “Set In Stone“. From the outset, the production made it clear that SCENE#1 was intended to be more than a straightforward concert.
One recurring element throughout the show was a young boy who portrayed a younger U-KNOW in several of the VCR segments. He was also brought on stage to perform alongside U-KNOW on several occasions. In our view, his repeated appearances gave him a presence that went beyond what would normally be expected of a guest feature, making him feel like a recurring character within the concert’s story.
Beyond the performances themselves, a few elements of the concert stood out to us, from the different sides of U-KNOW that the concert showcased to the effort that went into making the show feel distinctly his own.
- More than a dancer
U-KNOW is perhaps best known for his dancing, and the concert certainly gave him plenty of room to show it off. But the ballad section offered a different side of the performance, with “Need You Right Now“, “La Rosa“, “Waterfalls” and “Spotlight” giving the choreography a back seat. “An Ordinary Story” was particularly notable to us, as the focus was placed more firmly on his vocals and showed that he could hold the stage without relying on choreography. He also shared that the songs in this section were closely connected to his own story.
Clips from U-KNOW’s early trainee days were shown before he spoke about his younger self, joking that he had been immature at the time and still had plenty of growing to do. It was a brief look back at the person he was before the performer he is today.
- A concert built like a production
U-KNOW shared that he had been especially excited about bringing his first solo tour to Singapore. He explained that his intention was to go beyond the format of a typical concert, with some parts designed to feel like a movie and others taking on the character of a musical. The effort put into the production was evident in the constant changes in styling throughout the show. U-KNOW moved through several different looks, from a silver long coat and shimmering black military-inspired suit to a red embellished jacket and a black bomber jacket with yellow stripes. Even the encore had its own change, with U-KNOW returning in a black T-shirt.
- The moments that made it personal
U-KNOW’s long-standing dream of becoming a radio DJ also found its way into the concert through a special segment where he read fan-submitted stories. He said he would read each story in the language it was written in, turning the segment into a small radio show within the larger concert.
For the Singapore stop, he read a letter from a fan who had undergone major spine reconstruction and had to relearn how to walk and sit. She wrote about the role TVXQ! and U-KNOW had played in her journey. After reading her story on stage, U-KNOW sang to her, also prepared a written reply for her, which staff would pass to her after the concert.
During the encore, U-KNOW surprised fans by coming down to the first floor and walking through the audience, deliberately taking an “H”-shaped route as a reference to the “Ho” in his name. He completed hearts for fans along the way and spent time performing towards the back of the venue as well.
For Singapore, he had also specially prepared the song “Champagne“, a different song from the one he performed at the previous tour stop in Macau. He also noticed the fan banner event, which carried the message that fans would always walk by his side, and took a moment to thank the fans in Singapore for it.
Longtime TVXQ! fans were also in for a treat towards the end of the concert, when the dancers performed a medley featuring “Mirotic“, “Rising Sun“, “Keep Your Head Down” and other TVXQ! hits. The familiar songs drew some of the loudest cheers of the evening, bringing a touch of TVXQ! history into U-KNOW’s solo concert.
For a concert that marked his first solo appearance in Singapore after 15 years, U-KNOW PROJECT 26: SCENE#1 gave U-KNOW the opportunity to bring together the different sides of his performance, from dance and vocals to the personal stories behind the show. After roughly two and a half hours, U-KNOW remarked on how quickly the evening had passed. He thanked Singapore fans for making the day a memorable one and said he would not forget the experience.
KAvenyou would like to thank FriedRice Entertainment for the media invite to U-KNOW PROJECT 26 : SCENE#1 in SINGAPORE.
Pictures by: FriedRice Entertainment
