Super Show 4: Bigger & Better

SINGAPORE: The bar was set high last year, when K-pop group Super Junior dazzled fans with an amazingly entertaining Super Show 3 concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Did the boys outdo themselves this year? I’m sure many will say “yes”.
Super Show 4 is, without bias, as good as last year’s show, if not better.
This, even as the latest tour saw one more member missing in action- Heechul, who’d enlisted for military duties last September.
It was a sell-out gig nonetheless, with more than 11,000 shrieking fans piling into the Indoor Stadium over two nights for Super Show 4.
The crowd was predominantly female and young, though quite a number of mature ladies were spotted in attendance as well.
The show opened on a strong note, with the group performing one of their latest hits “Superman” to rev up the crowd.
But no warming up was needed; fans had been cheering and were in high spirits as they waited eagerly for the show to begin.
And Super Junior members wasted no time either, blazing through some of their best hits, including “A Man In Love” and “Bonamana”, which drove fans into a feverish frenzy.
Flailing their blue glow sticks madly, the crowd echoed back the lyrics, proving that there’s no language barrier when it comes to music.
Impromptu ‘wedding’
Costing some S$2 million to stage, the concert was a visual spectacle, with its generous use of fireworks and pyrotechnics. There was even a giant water fountain feature to complement an elevated platform at the centre of the extended stage.
But as impressive as the visual theatrics were, it’s the interactions between the Suju members and their fans that made the show even better.
Engagement seems to be the game plan at this year’s show, and Super Junior members went out of their way to do just that.
Sungmin, Donghae and Siwon were seen posing and taking Polaroid shots with fans, while a dashing Siwon launched himself into the audience numerous times, just to get closer to fans.
Suju members – most notably Lee Teuk – turned up their romantic charms for fans in Singapore.
The Suju leader had everyone swooning when he jumped off the stage, went on his knees with a rose in his hand, and sang a love song to a fan.
That drew oohs and aahs from all round, with many wishing they were the ones he was serenading.
And as if that wasn’t enough, the other group members took on the task of helping their leader find a girlfriend.
One Japanese fan got to play the bride by walking down the aisle with Lee Teuk, complete with the wedding march. Holding her close and laying his forehead against hers, Lee Teuk is the perfect boyfriend.
Romantic overtures aside, Super Show 4 also saw each member showcase their musical versatility.
Eunhyuk, Ryeowook, Shindong and Sungmin showed off their slick dance moves in their individual routine, while Yesung’s vocal prowess made an impression when he performed the highly emotive “A Man”.
Equally impressive was Kyuhyun, who did a wonderful cover of “Isn’t She Lovely”, jamming on the keyboard and harmonica à la Stevie Wonder.
Lee Teuk then wowed fans with his saxophone solo “Loving You”, and followed up with a snappy Chopin ‘Black Key’ Etude on the piano.
Not to be outdone, Siwon strapped on his guitar and joined a four-piece band for some rockin’ fun.
Re-grouping, all Suju members returned to the stage as they burned through another string of fast numbers such as “Don’t Don” and “A-Cha”.
But it was “Mr Simple” that brought the house down. The song was treated to a full ‘fan chant’ – a popular feature in K-pop, where fans shout out standardized lyrics, phrases or names at specific intervals of the song.
The group’s mega hit “Sorry Sorry” made a late appearance in the encore segment. It’s obvious the song is a crowd favourite, as fans were seen dancing to the moves of the signature tune.
A solid performance
With a 36-song set list, Super Show 4 clocked a solid three-and-a-half hours.
Despite the show’s length, there were hardly any lull moments; even the movie-like video sequences spliced in between segments were fun to watch.
The concert also saw one of the longest farewells, as each member took turns to say their goodbyes.
“It’s sad we can only do this for two days. For Super Show 5, how many days shall we do it? Five? Ten?” said Eunhyuk, who spoke through a translator.
“I’ve locked all the doors and you are all trapped inside (the stadium). You guys will have to stay here overnight with us,” teased Donghae.
The guys vowed to bring Super Show 5 to Singapore next year.
“Please take care till we meet again, because it’ll be very soon,” said Ryeowook.
-CNA/ls

Credit: Channel News Asia | By: Liaw Lee Sun