The anticipation of upcoming acts like ENHYPEN, Melanie Martinez, Taylor Swift, and more performing in Singapore rekindled the excitement from our experience at NCT DREAM’s first concert in Singapore.
The concert happened quite a while ago — on 1 May, which was Labour Day. Despite that, it still felt very surreal to us, as if it happened yesterday. With tickets selling out within minutes, NCT Dream’s concert in Singapore was definitely a night to remember.
NCT Dream is the third sub-unit of the K-Pop boy group NCT, formed by SM Entertainment. The seven-member group consists of MARK, RENJUN, JENO, HAECHAN, JAEMIN, CHENLE AND JISUNG. They debuted with their single, “Chewing Gum” in 2016, which attracted and captured the hearts of many fans, including us!
MOMENTS LEADING TO THE CONCERT
Just a few days before the concert, NCTzens were met with unexpected news that member CHENLE would not be performing at the concert due to health conditions.
Rather than dampening spirits, his absence ignited an even stronger wave of support and unity among fans. Determined to uplift the remaining six members, fans rallied together, promising to cheer louder than ever and fill the venue with unwavering enthusiasm. They pledged to sing CHENLE’s parts with heart and soul, ensuring his presence was felt throughout the performance.
Additionally, expressing their unwavering loyalty and concern, fans flooded NCT Dream’s Instagram with heartfelt messages wishing CHENLE a swift recovery and expressing their anticipation for his return. The outpouring of love and well wishes served as a testament to the strong bond between the group and their dedicated fanbase.
CONCERT SHOWTIME
Once the clock struck 6pm and the lights in the stadium dimmed, NCTzens screamed with excitement. The screams went on even louder once the members appeared on stage and started the concert with ‘Glitch Mode’, the title track from their second studio album.
Although CHENLE was not present at the concert, NCTzens passionately shouted and included his name during the fan chants. NCT Dream went on to perform their other hit songs such as, ‘Hot Sauce’ and ‘Beatbox’.
Throughout the concert, the rest of the boys kept reassuring us that they would definitely make a return to Singapore with CHENLE, and how he would have loved our energy. We are undoubtedly looking forward to seeing CHENLE during the next NCT Dream concert here in Singapore!
Many of the members also did not forget about CHENLE and showed their support by singing over his parts proudly, mentioning him during concerts. NCT Dream must miss CHENLE as much as we do!
Watching NCT Dream in Singapore made us realise why fans are willing to splurge or even travel to another country just to watch them perform. NCT Dream had incredible stage presence, and seeing them live was a different experience compared to watching them on screen. Their voices were crystal clear, and being able to see them in action was truly out of this world.
Of course, all the performances were amazing but NCT Dream performing ‘Hello Future’ stood out the most for us. Prior to the boys coming up on stage for the segment, an instrumental version of ‘Hello Future’ played. We were extremely in awe when the boys came onto stage holding hands as we knew that they would perform ‘Hello Future’.
It is an optimistic song that serves as an encouragement, assuring the listener that they will reach the dream that they are aspiring for. The song reassures us that the hardships we encounter will allow us to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Undoubtedly, it was a tear-jerker; we were extremely emotional and in awe, singing along to the lyrics during the performance.
NCT Dream also performed ‘Candy’, a remake from the 90s K-Pop classic originally released by H.O.T, NCT Dream’s senior labelmate. It undeniably stole the spotlight during their encore performance, a sentiment universally shared among all NCTzens. Serving as the title track from their Winter Special Mini Album, ‘Candy’ was the freshest release from NCT Dream at that time. Thus, we were all the loudest as the lyrics and dance for it were still very fresh in our minds. An iconic song injected with nostalgia, we were infected by NCT Dream’s sweetness as they performed their remastered and more light-hearted version. We were suddenly a choir, singing through the full song together.
CHENLE’s SPECIAL APPEARANCE
Noting CHENLE’s absence during the concert, we were in shock seeing him making an appearance through pre-recorded videos for some of the performances such as “Sorry, Heart”. During CHENLE’s part, they showed a video of him performing the song as if he were in the concert with us! We all did not expect that to happen as the news about him not being able to come came out only days before the concert. Everyone screamed when they saw CHENLE appearing on the screen.
Not only did we have the incredible surprise of CHENLE making a special appearance, but some of us also had the spotlight on the stadium screen! When NCT Dream went backstage to prepare for the next segment of the concert, the concert organisers challenged NCTzens to do the biggest Kallang Wave with their Neobong, the official fandom lightstick.
Following that, the organisers directed the cameras toward the audience, encouraging everyone to participate in the enthusiastic wave. It was during this moment that the camera unexpectedly focused on us, capturing the poignant sight of us proudly displaying our heartfelt message for HAECHAN on our board. We eagerly hoped that our gesture didn’t go unnoticed and that HAECHAN caught sight of our message through the fan board!
ENCORE
With all good things having to come to an end, it was time for the encore stage. This was the segment we dreaded the most because we did not want the concert to end. These were the times we wished we could stay in the moment forever.
For the encore, NCT Dream performed ‘Candy’ again — but this time, there was confetti falling down. As the confetti descended in an array of colours, it danced and swirled in the air harmoniously to the beat of Candy. It felt as if time slowed down as the member’s voices lingered in the rain of confetti. This time around, NCT Dream went around the stage collecting gifts and plushies from NCTzens. Members were picking up various gifts from the floor and running around playfully with their hands full of gifts. Some of them even wore the gifts given to them! Since it was the last song, NCTzens cheered one last loud cheer for the boys.
Overall, NCT Dream never fails to deliver such outstanding and breathtaking performances. Although we have listened to and watched their performances repeatedly online, it felt so different and surreal to witness them in real life. After the cancellation of NCT Dream’s concert previously, we are so glad to have been able to attend the concert after so long. Truly, it was an experience to remember.
We definitely cannot wait for NCT Dream to perform in Singapore again. Hopefully, they enjoyed performing in Singapore as much as we enjoyed watching them perform. See you again next time, NCT Dream — this time with CHENLE!
