“Apa khabar Malaysia, you guys (look) so cantik,” Kim Jae Joong (김재중) complemented the crowd gathered in Plenary Hall, KLCC on Friday night. It’s been over a decade since the former TVXQ and JYJ boybander performed in our country.
As you may know, the 36-year-old South Korean was supposed to hold his solo concert in Kuala Lumpur 2 years ago, but then Covid happened. Regardless, fans who have been patiently waiting for his return got double doses of him this week.
Prior to his concert, Kim Jae Joong made an appearance at his press conference held at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur the night before. Thousands of fans showed up at the popular mall to catch a glimpse of their favourite idol. Looking sleek in black from head to toe, the main star of the event was seen waving enthusiastically with a red rose in his hand.
“It feels great to be back. Although I haven’t visited Malaysia for such a long time, this place still feels familiar. I’m so touched and surprised that all of you haven’t forgotten me,” Kim Jae Joong expressed. “Words can’t expressed how grateful I feel towards my Malaysian fans. I sayang you!”
On the night of the concert, excited K-pop fans were already prepared with their glow sticks and power banks. As soon as the lights deemed to signal Kim Jae Joong’s entrance, the screams in the hall were definitely next level. The singer dived into 3 back-to-back hits, “Just Another Girl”, “BPM”, and “Tick-Tack”.
When he slowed down to greet the crowd, he cheekily asked, “Do I look like I’m getting old?” Despite being in the entertainment industry for so many years, Kim Jae Joong look as though he hasn’t aged one bit. If anything, this dude can easily pass for someone in his 20s.
Throughout the 1.5 hours concert, the segments were evenly paced. It was well balanced with uptempo dance numbers, head banging rock anthems, and also tender moments where he allowed his vocals to do the talking.
In between, we were also treated to behind-the-scenes moments where Kim Jae Joong talked about his childhood, heartwarming relationship with his super supportive mom, deep dives into his Instagram posts, and also the controversial episodes in his career. We appreciate how the layers were peeled and we got to see a more authentic side of Kim Jae Joong the human instead of the celebrity.
Music lovers who have been loving the singer’s latest album “Born Gene” – which debuted this month – were stoked to see him performing every single song on the album. Of course, the experience wouldn’t be complete without other favourite hits like “Butterfly”, “9+1#”, “Welcome To My Wild World”, and our personal favourite – “Good Morning Night”.
During the second half of the concert, Kim Jae Joong stated that he needed a short time-out and laid flat on the stage floor. Turns out, the knee injury on his right leg had reopened and he was gushing out blood. “Ouch, it hurts!” the idol exclaimed, explaining that he had suffered from an injury while performing in Seoul recently.
Although it must have been uncomfortable with the injury, Kim Jae Joong went on rocking out to the next few numbers as if it was nothing. Mad respect to the singer for keeping it professional. It goes without saying that he was determined to give it his all to the dedicated fans present that night.
Saying goodbye is never fun, but as the saying goes, “all good things must come to an end”. Before delivering the 2 encore songs (“In the Rain” and “Nobody Like You”), Kim Jae Joong promised that he will return soon to Malaysia.
Here’s the singer catching the night flight after his concert a few hours later:
Kim Jae Joong Concert Setlist:
- “Just Another Girl”
- “BPM”
- “Tick-Tack”
- “Let the Rhythm Flow”
- “Welcome To My Wild World”
- “I Want to Ask You”
- “Tender Love”
- “Locking Love”
- “Rotten Love”
- “Broken Mirror”
- “Butterfly”
- “9+1#”
- “Mine”
- “Good Morning Night”
- “Walking on Water”
- “In the Rain”
- “Nobody Like You”
