Show Review: Kim Se-jeong delights with soothing vocals, dance tracks and infectious positivity

You may know Kim Se-jeong as a member of I.O.I, the now-defunct girl group that birthed through reality programme Produce 101. Or as a former member of the K-pop girl group Gugudan.

But for the fans present at her first concert tour in Singapore held yesterday (27 Oct), it seems like most knew her through her drama works.

Kim Se-jeong brought OSTs to live

In her 2½-hour set, she did not only belt out ballads and dance tracks.

Kim also made an effort to cater time for some of her Original Soundtracks (OSTs) from dramas she starred in. This includes Meet Again (2020) from The Uncanny Counter and Love, Maybe (2022) from Business Proposal.

She started her set with mellow tunes like Teddy Bear (2021) and Indigo Promise (2023). And between her songs, she also took time to chat with fans.

While there were prompter screens on stage to guide Kim, she told fans she was trying not to read it off wholesale.

She jumped between topics here and there, sharing about how she writes songs at night and how she arranged the setlist for the show. But the spontaneous chatter in Korean, later translated into English, made it all the more sincere and genuine.

Read more: Hallyu Spotlight: 4 things to know about Kim Se-jeong and her first concert tour

After singing her ballads, Kim told the crowd she’d need some time to change her microphone. She was using a handheld one but needed to change into an ear-hook microphone for her dance tracks. Immediately, she took a dash backstage.

An encouraging pep-talk

But she did not leave fans idling. Most artists would play a pre-recorded video (which she did as well, at other junctures) to stall time. Instead, Kim played an audio recording, one very much like a pep-talk podcast for fans.

She spoke from her heart, dishing out encouraging messages like asking her fans to find a reason to smile a little despite tough times. Kim’s positivity is infectious, to say the least. And I’d say she’s like a friend you wished you had by your side when you’re feeling down.

Kim’s other fast-paced tracks can also double as a mood booster. Endorphins are on a high as she performed Jenga (2023) and Top or Cliff (2023), flanked by a team of four dancers. Donning a blue one-piece dress later looking just like a Disney princess, she danced to Voyage (2023).

Spontaneous encore segment

As she came back for the encore segment, I thought Kim would be singing just a few more tunes before calling it a day. She proved me wrong.

She took suggestions from the floor on what songs to sing, and she was game to perform them without any backing tracks, in its rawest acapella form. From Frozen soundtrack Let It Go (2013) to Lee Seung-chul’s Western Sky (2005) and I.O.I’s Downpour (2017), she nailed it all.

I would have loved to see Kim continue promotions in a girl group. But after seeing her performing solo for myself, I’m convinced she’s got all she needs to fly high as a soloist.