Super Junior are still super on stage
After three years, seasoned K-pop boy band Super Junior finally returned to Singapore on Saturday (Sept 3).
Leeteuk, Shindong, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Siwon, Kyuhyun, Ryeowook and Yesung, who are aged 34 to 39, put on a “super show” at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The group has nine active members, but Heechul no longer participates in live shows because of issues with an old injury.
And 17 years since their debut, Super Junior reminded the 7,500-strong audience why they have lasted so long, with their signature brand of synchronised dances, vocal prowess and excellent comedic timing.
The three-hour show was also a touching one, as fans cheered on Eunhyuk at his first concert appearance following the sudden death of his father in August.
Here are three highlights from the Super Junior World Tour Super Show 9: Road In Singapore.
1. Seasoned pros
Opening with a dramatic marionette-inspired dance number that had the guys’ hands tied to red strings, the octet showcased the top-notch polish and showmanship one expects of K-pop.
But throughout, they also demonstrated the ease and confidence of knowing they have nothing left to prove.
In segments where the group addressed the crowd, the men were utterly relaxed. They spoke directly to specific members of the audience, riffed on their own blunders, teased one another relentlessly and even referenced inside jokes knowing that most long-time fans would understand.
Unlike newer groups who perhaps still feel the pressure to be perfect, Super Junior were so comfortable and at home, it was akin to a meeting with old friends.
2. A variety show in a concert
Super Junior are not called “variety idols” for nothing. With members actively taking part in and hosting variety programmes in South Korea, one great strength of the group is just how funny they all are, which they use to full effect even in a concert.
Midway through, a video clip of the group dressed up in wigs and costumes to parody classical music greats like Beethoven and Vivaldi was played before they popped up onstage in the same get-up, to showcase a classical opera-style mash-up of their songs Spy (2012), Rokkugo (2007) and Mamacita (2014).
Ending the segment was another video clip of the men – still in their elaborate period attire and hairpieces – playing a hilarious game of guess-the-song, which felt as if it could have been lifted from a variety programme.
3. Nostalgic K-pop throwback
For everyone who was a teenager in 2009, the addictive K-pop viral hit Sorry Sorry – an iconic song in second-generation K-pop – is a collective memory.
Watching the group perform that famous routine as the crowd stood up and cheered loudly was a treat for anyone who remembers the early days of the Korean wave that would sweep the world.
And Super Junior served up plenty of nostalgic moments, like the heartwarming Believe (2005) from their debut album Twins.
Another beloved dance hit Mr Simple (2011) came early, as one of the opening segment’s numbers, while earworm Bonamana (2010) followed after Sorry Sorry in the concert’s final portion.
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