After a fantastic solo debut with The First Day & Night, it was only a matter of time before Junhee would embark on his own world tour. The A.C.E vocalist has been a favourite of the group since their 2017 beginning – naturally. He’s got a gorgeous tone, he’s a charismatic performer, and he knows how to work a crowd, as evidenced by last Friday night.
The show was, obviously, opened with “Supernova”, his debut disco hit, to get the energy oozing from song one. Devotees were alight with joy, singing along to all the lyrics. We’ve delved into some of these before, but “Supernova” is full of stellar imagery that’s guaranteed to get a head-bop out of the calmest of concert attendees:
Oh, but when you give me that kryptonite
It’s like all the stars fall out the sky
Like an asteroid we both collide
Oh, then it’s all over
Our love is supernova
Another nugget of joy followed, and Junhee’s eyes were bright with sincerity and stage presence in “Sugar”. It’s clear the fully English lyrics resonate with his UK fans, though we’re sure he could get a crowd moving even if he was singing in klingon.
The small – and perhaps too small – venue was heating up quick. Junhee dedicated “Umbrella” to the Londoners for their city’s infamous weather, but no one seemed to mind the rain when he gleefully lobbed his water bottles across the room.
The singer continued his tour’s tradition of trying out the local dishes on stage, and what is a better apex of British cuisine than the Greggs sausage roll? The hot pastry was delivered to Junhee unceremoniously on a paper plate, and after hoovering up a large bite, he gave the rest to a fan, to everyone else’s amusement.
He may not like the food – very fair – but he was visibly taken aback with the crowd’s consistent fervour. The singer reinforced the energy of his show’s second half with some well-suited covers, starting with ROSÉ’s “toxic till the end”. Junhee hopped from one impressive cover to the next; while the previous showed off his range as a male vocalist, the one to follow boasted his popularity. Not any singer can cover “Your Idol” from KPop Demon Hunters and embody the power and presence it requires. Luckily, Junhee’s got a grip on his fans almost as tight as that of the Saja Boys on their possessed underlings.
Junhee wrapped things up by one-manning some A.C.E favourites, to the delight of fans of the quintet. It’s natural that he doesn’t have enough songs of his own yet to fill out a setlist, and he did great with what he had. Junhee’s entire creative team seem to know exactly what they’re doing; he’s not fluent, yet his English lyrics are written thoughtfully. His covers match him like tea and sugar – “Blinding Lights” could be a Junhee original. Most of all, he’s got an unknowable grip on all those who’ve had the time to delve into his work.
So, take a peek!
Junhee is on Instagram and all major streaming platforms.