2024 IU H.E.R. World Tour Concert In Singapore

Singapore Indoor Stadium

April 20

It has been five years since IU’s last concert here, and the South Korean singer-actress has clearly missed being away from the Lion City.

This time, the 30-year-old included Singapore performers in her show, inviting a group of 12 students from local performing arts studio Maddspace to share the stage with her.

The child performers added to the show’s sense of celebration and optimism, which was attended by about 8,700 fans.

With her poise and girl-next-door charm, the K-pop star made use of the large Singapore Indoor Stadium to good effect through the use of immersive animated backgrounds, and support from 16 back-up dancers. The first few rows of the audience were treated with countless showers of confetti and colourful streamers, which added to the party atmosphere.

The H.E.R. World Tour, known in some places as the H.E.R.E.H. World Tour, started in South Korea in March and has made stops in Japan and Taiwan, with upcoming gigs in locations such as Germany and the United States. Her April 20 show is the ninth on this tour, and she performs again at the same venue on April 21. Both shows are sold out.

Here are three highlights from her April 20 show.

1. Local talent on display

Halfway through the upbeat opening number Holssi, 12 students came onstage and joined her for the second chorus.

Dressed in trendy outfits, the students grooved with the star for about 30 seconds, as she delivered the well-known lines: “You say hoo, I may fly/you say hoo, then I fly.” At this point, a confetti cannon was activated, triggering the evening’s first confetti shower.

During a transition segment later, one of the students, aged eight, had the stage to herself for about three minutes.

After the number Obliviate, the child was fashioned as a younger version of IU in a white dress as she held a lit candle with both hands, and knelt in the centre of the stage as effects simulated a thunderstorm.

After this, the scene transformed into an idyllic rainforest. A golden path of stars linked the girl to the grown-up IU, who proceeded to sing the song Celebrity.

After the number, IU said: “Please give a big applause to my little friend. And during Holssi, our baby dancers are also from Singapore.”

2. Heartfelt interaction with fans

The star is known for her interaction with audiences, and she made it a point to pick up some local lingo.

She spoke in a mixture of Korean and English, and threw Singlish phrases into the mix.

One phrase was “swee lah”, which included the Hokkien word for “beautiful”. Although it took some practice to get the intonation right – with the emphasis on “swee” – she eventually perfected this to warm response from the audience.

Another phrase was “steady lah”, which she used to praise the audience’s singing. Admittedly, these phrases did not come naturally to her, as she checked repeatedly with her interpreter as to whether she was using them correctly. But the fact that she tried to localise her banter was admirable.

Before the performance, attendees were also given a concert-themed keyring and luggage tag. These gifts were said to be prepared by the star’s mother, who has given cushions to audiences at the star’s concerts in South Korea.

During the Singapore show, IU shared that the cushions were too bulky to ship over, and said: “I know the price does not matter to you guys, but (this gift) is not cheaper than the cushion.”

The extra mile she put into personalising her interaction with fans made the experience all the more special.

3. Newer hits

Since IU’s last concert here at The Star Theatre, she has released her fifth studio album Lilac (2021) and two EPs – Pieces (2021) and The Winning (2024).

That is a lot of new material to showcase, and the star wasted no time during the three-hour show getting audiences up to speed.

Dance-pop tune Celebrity was a standout, with her dancers busting out elaborate moves against a sea of golden lights. Funky song Coin, with its brassy flourishes, upped the energy and sass, while the rousing Shopper inspired with its lyrics of big dreams and an exhilarating future.

The sugary Lilac, about love during springtime, also made for a sweet goodbye during the encore segment, before the fizzy Palette closed the show, leaving a honeyed aftertaste which hopefully will not need to last for the next half a decade.