'Textbook idol' Taeyeon shows why she's K-pop royalty with regal stadium concert in Seoul

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'Textbook idol' Taeyeon shows why she's K-pop royalty with regal stadium concert in Seoul

Published: 10 Mar. 2025, 16:34 Updated: 11 Mar. 2025, 12:47

LEE JIAN
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

[Review]

Taeyeon descends a staircase on stage during ″Fabulous″ (2024), the first song of her solo concert, ″The Tense,″ at the KSPO Dome in Songpa District, southern Seoul, held from March 7 to 9. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

A textbook idol — It’s a phrase often used to describe Taeyeon, soloist and member of the seminal K-pop group Girls' Generation, who has now been in the job for 17 years.

One might ask: What makes a textbook idol? Juggling singing and dancing? Being scandal free? Possessing flawless beauty? The answer is likely all of the above, along with many more demanding expectations.

And while the characterization is one of the highest compliments one can hear in Korea, it does not do justice to Taeyeon's performance during her ongoing solo concert series “The Tense.” During the show, Taeyeon’s musical talent conveyed glimmers of the artist's own complexities, submerged in music — refusing to be defined by any tool of measure.

Concertgoers to Taeyeon's ″The Tense″ show roam around the performance venue KSPO Dome in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on March 9. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

Some 30,000 people stood witness to this throughout the Seoul shows of “The Tense,” held in Korea, at the KSPO Dome in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on March 7, 8 and 9.

The singer is set to tour eight more cities in Asia, starting with Taipei on March 16.

Sunday’s Seoul show was particularly special because it was Taeyeon’s birthday. She turned 36.

“Happy Birthday Taeyeon!” a male audience member hollered in the hushed, pitch black concert hall, just seconds before the lights came on. A deafening cheer erupted.

Taeyeon greeted fans in regal style. Dressed like a modern Greek goddess in a golden gown and a mini veil adorned with golden feathers, she visually captivated the audience as she opened the show with “Fabulous,” a languid and slightly histrionic English track from her 2023 EP, “To. X.”

“Hi, my name is Fabulous, your favorite star.”

Taeyeon performs ″Blue Eyes″ (2024) during her solo concert, ″The Tense,″ at the KSPO Dome in Songpa District, southern Seoul, held from March 7 to 9. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

The rest of the show was less theatrical. Taeyeon’s concert is a display of her past, present and future, hence the title “The Tense,” which the singer named herself in honor of the 10th anniversary of her solo career.

That theme becomes more apparent by the second number, which was arguably the most anticipated one for her fans: Taeyeon’s solo debut song “I” (2015).

A decade later, her Sunday performance of “I” rang with a sense of accomplishment rather than nostalgia, having sufficiently shown to the world her “butterfly wings” that were ready to “fly high,” hoping that finally “everybody’s gonna see it soon” — according to the song's lyrics.

Taeyeon performs during her solo concert, ″The Tense,″ at the KSPO Dome in Songpa District, southern Seoul, held from March 7 to 9. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

It was in striking contrast to her next number, “Letter To Myself” (2024), her most recent song, where Taeyeon shifts from external perception to introspection, focusing on the clarity that comes with self-honesty.

In the following greeting session, the singer relayed her thoughts about the last decade with brief yet heartfelt sincerity.

“It has been 10 years since I began my solo career." She paused. "Thank you.”

Taeyeon had one request for her audience: “Really enjoy it,” she said, referring to the show, “because we can’t come back to this moment right now.”

Taeyeon performs during her solo concert, ″The Tense,″ at the KSPO Dome in Songpa District, southern Seoul, held from March 7 to 9. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

This sentiment seemed to encapsulate the concert’s overarching theme and Taeyeon’s personal focus — staying present and truly connecting with herself in the moment, much like the message of her latest song.

A few days prior, during an Instagram livestream, Taeyeon shared her vision for the concert, describing it as a letter — not just a simple, bright and happy love letter but a more introspective one that would allow her and her audiences to explore themselves further and face the emotions that come with truly understanding oneself.

She concluded by mentioning that her concerts tend to be “fast-paced,” and “The Tense” lives up to this statement.

Packing in a total of 25 songs in just over two hours, the concert has an ambitious set list that shows off Taeyeon’s multifaceted “idolness.”

Taeyeon performs during her solo concert, ″The Tense,″ at the KSPO Dome in Songpa District, southern Seoul, held from March 7 to 9. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

She dances (“Hot Mess,” 2024). She belts (“Blur,” 2024). She is innocently sweet in some (“Weekend,” 2021, and “Blue Eyes,” 2024), viciously dark in another (“Cold As Hell,” 2022) and then devastatingly melancholy in the next (“Disaster,” 2024). She sings soulful R&B (“Melt Away” and “To. X,” 2023) and rock (“Stress,” 2015) in addition to pop (“What Do I Call You,” 2020) and ballad (“Time Lapse,” 2017).

The fact that she can pull off so many varied styles of music and looks is seen as a huge advantage in the K-pop world, where, particularly for up-and-coming stars, there is an understanding that they must constantly show new facets of themselves, as to not lose fan interest, instead of just being their genuine, individual selves.

Taeyeon performs ″Hot Mess″ during her solo concert, ″The Tense,″ at the KSPO Dome in Songpa District, southern Seoul, held from March 7 to 9. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

Taeyeon also made sure to include her hits, such as “Four Seasons” (2019) and “INVU (2022) and fan favorites “U R” (2015) and “Why” (2016).

In them and others, she squeezed in ad-libs and evidently calculated and preplanned gestures, like pretending to take a smoke in “Stress,” as well as facial expressions that enthused the audience.

Taeyeon talks to the audience during her solo concert, ″The Tense,″ at the KSPO Dome in Songpa District, southern Seoul, held from March 7 to 9. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

Vocally, the singer glided through with ease and no apparent glitches. But when it comes to Taeyeon, it isn't so much her vocal technique or natural musicality that stand out — although these are clearly evident. It's her emotional delivery that tugs at the heart of the audience.

Seemingly an innate talent that she displays in clips filmed as early as in her teens, Taeyeon has a way of concentrating during a song, particularly a ballad, that makes listeners believe in what she is singing.

Her bandmate Sooyoung, puts it best: “When Taeyeon sings, it’s like an actor in a scene is singing.”

Taeyeon and her fans during the singer's solo concert, ″The Tense,″ at the KSPO Dome in Songpa District, southern Seoul, held from March 7 to 9. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

The concert headed to its end with “Ending Credits,” where the screen scrolled fictional credits and confetti showered the audience. Inscribed on each of them was the phrase, “Don’t forget. Remember,” again circling back to the theme of living true to oneself in the present.

But arguably, the most compelling part of her concert was the three ballads she sang after “Ending Credits.”

This penultimate section of the concert was much more personal and conveyed Taeyeon’s widely reported belief in music as a healing device.

Starting with “Time Lapse,” she sings about parting with a loved one and the static feeling of loss: “Though everything is changing, you are at the same place, looking like you always do, and making me cry every time.” The large digital screens that had been zooming in on Taeyeon’s face shut off for the next song, “All for Nothing” (2023), where she sang about a love in vain that repeatedly leaves her hurt, saying, “I give you all for nothing.” The screens came back up for “Blur,” a more upbeat song from her latest album, about repressing herself for such a long time that “my words are not free,” and ignoring her pain to the point that “I don’t recognize you. It’s all a blur.” But “now I am looking straight. It’s just a blur. Now really look at me,” the song ends.

Taeyeon performs "Blur" (2024) during her solo concert, ″The Tense,″ at the KSPO Dome in Songpa District, southern Seoul, held from March 7 to 9. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

Her closest fans are likely to have some idea of what was running through Taeyeon’s mind during those songs. Many in the audience, seemingly in large part women in their 20s and 30s, have watched the singer’s life for the past 17 years. Some will even share similar pain and frustrations with her.

A sea of claps instead of cheers, and a few sniffles, rippled through the arena as the singer concluded the three songs.

Taeyeon isn’t much of a talker, as she herself admitted during Sunday’s concert. But being quiet doesn’t mean she’s shy. Her job as a K-pop star puts breaks on free speech, but music is her clear and comfortable medium of communication. And her ability to connect with her fans through that is a foundational stone in her career, keeping her presence strong in an industry known for ruthless competition.

Taeyeon and her fans during the singer's solo concert, ″The Tense,″ at the KSPO Dome in Songpa District, southern Seoul, held from March 7 to 9. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

After the final encore, fans refused to leave the seats and chanted Taeyeon’s name in unison for her to come back out and sing an encore, despite the concert staff pleading them to exit.

About five minutes later, Taeyeon did come back on stage. But contrary to the expectation, she only told everyone to leave.

“It’s Sunday night. We all have things to do tomorrow.”

Not simply textbook. She's Taeyeon.

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]