Chen goes 'camping' with fans, ends Arcadia concert tour in Singapore

Concerts are often dazzled with spectacle, but South Korean singer Chen's concert in Singapore had a more intimate energy — rooted in voice, emotion and connection.

Held at Capitol Theatre on Sunday (April 12), it was the 33-year-old's first-ever solo concert.

Stripping away the usual elaborate choreography and stage design, Chen's performance leaned into his greatest strength: His vocals.

He also encouraged fans to fully let go and told the audience: "I want you to have the mindset that 'It's okay even if I lose my voice tomorrow.'"

Chen, whose real name is Kim Jong-dae, debuted as a main vocalist of K-pop boy band Exo in 2012 and released his first solo album April, and a Flower in 2019.

After stops in Seoul, Taipei, Yokohama, Jakarta, Manila, Macau, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, Singapore marked the last destination of his Arcadia tour.

Performing songs from his first debut mini album to his latest release Arcadia, Chen promised fans it would be "a night you won't regret".

'Camping' with fans

He kicked off the show with a banger trio of No Gravity, Fall In Love Again and I Don't Even Mind.

As expected from one of the strongest vocalists in the K-pop scene, he delivered every high note with effortless, striking precision.

Heading into the second act, Chen sang Photograph — a ballad offering to fans as a form of comfort during difficult or sad moments.

About halfway through the concert, a video segment showed Chen in a light-hearted camping video which was playfully dubbed "Chen-ping".

In the video, he introduced what he brought along: A Bluetooth speaker, drip coffee equipment, a small heater, flyswatter, lamp and even a wooden placard.

Armed with his ingredients and utensils, Chen whipped up a plate of aglio e olio and instant tteokbokki in a makeshift camp setup, adding a personal touch to the show.

He later revealed that although it only ran for seven to eight minutes, it took him about six hours to film the video.

The two-and-a-half-hour show saw Chen move seamlessly from pop-rock tracks Broken Party and Arcadia to more nostalgic songs, including Everytime, one of the OSTs from the hit K-drama Descendants of the Sun.

During the second-last song of the night, he invited fans to sing Beautiful Goodbye with him — quite literally.

Stepping off the stage, he moved into the crowd — one of evening's highlights — to get up close with fans and even passed the mic to three lucky ones.

After the concert, Chen also stayed behind for the selfie session, snapping individual photos with every fan in attendance regardless of the ticket tier — a rare occurrence in the K-pop scene.

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esther.lam@asiaone.com 

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