ON an unassuming Saturday, in the quiet town of Shah Alam, a K-pop superstar set the stage of the indoor Malawati Stadium on fire as his fans (known as Taemate) cheered him on.
Debuting with K-pop boyband Shinee, Lee Tae-min (Taemin), often referred to as “your idols’ favourite idol” or “Dance Machine”, recently brought his Ephemeral Gaze tour to Malaysia and here is what went down.
Theatrical performances
Opening with Deja Vu, Taemin’s persona on stage captures the wandering eyes as the star first appeared on stage alone on an elevated podium, which was slowly brought down, marking the beginning of his concert.
He was then joined by his dancers and together, they gave an electrifying performance that set the tone for the rest of the night. Continuing his show with Guilty and Advice, Taemin showed sides of him that were familiar but still mesmerising to watch. His sharp body movements, accentuated with his fluidity and paired with his unique vocal tone made the concert an unforgettable experience.
After a dynamic performance, Taemin brought the audience through an emotional journey with ballads such as Goodbye and Clockwork. His clear vocals echoed through the stadium as he serenaded Taemates in a melodic embrace. His distinctive airy and sensual voice shone through even more during Heaven and emphasising the theme of the song (divinity), the stage was adorned with visuals of gothic architecture.
After a powerful dance cypher by his dancers that foreshadowed the third set, Taemin came back on stage embodying a hip-hop persona to perform his songs G.O.A.T and The Rizzness. In the third set, he performed his iconic song Move, which defined his image as a solo artiste. Safe to say, the audience went berserk.
A blend of clever theatrics, storytelling and spellbinding performances, the star brought the house down as he made a statement as an artiste.
Wholesome concert
During the interval of his performances, Taemin interacted with the audience and explained his set by going into details of the show, exhibiting meticulous care and passion for his work.
He also recounted when he performed with his band Shinee as the headliner of the Formula One Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix in 2015. He expressed gratitude for the growing love and passion of Malaysian Taemates.
“Saya rindu awak semua,” he declared affectionately to his fans.
He took it a step further and wrote a song called Pansy to express his deep gratitude to his fans. The heartwarming moment turned into a cute sing-along bit as fans also dedicated the song to Taemin by singing it to him, creating a core memory for die-hard Taemates and Taemin himself.
The special bond shared by Taemin and Taemates was evident in an unexpected banter when a fan called him “cute” and he wittily remarked: “Do you even know how old I am? I cannot be called cute anymore!”
Towards the end of the night, after a group photo with the audience, Taemin was surprised with a special video dedicated to him by Malaysian Teamates. In the video, they expressed their gratitude to Taemin for simply existing and making music that moves them. They promised to stick by him for as long as he makes music. The teary-eyed Taemin then thanked the fans for showing so much love for his music and him.
A playful person when not performing, Taemin is a wholesome and genuine artiste as far as K-pop idols go.
On the outside, Ephemeral Gaze by Taemin was a quintessential K-pop concert that is dynamic, visually stunning and heart-tugging, complemented with great fan service that the industry is known for.
But, Taemin’s quality as an artiste is what sets this concert apart from the rest. He commanded the stage with a fiery passion that is a rare pearl in a sea of talented artistes. His discipline for his artistry was evident in each of his well choreographed stage. All in all, Taemin is an artiste who was born for the stage.
