HIGHLIGHT [LIGHTS GO ON, AGAIN] IN SINGAPORE
Twelve years after their last performance in Singapore, HIGHLIGHT (formerly known as BEAST) returned to our sunny shores on September 8th for the final stop of their Lights Go On, Again tour. A crowd of 4,500 Lights and B2UTYs gathered at Expo Hall 7 on a Saturday night, buzzing with anticipation for HIGHLIGHT’s long-awaited return.
As the lights dimmed, the opening notes of "Switch On" filled the room, met with cheers and strobe lights as the members made their grand entrance on the main stage. Their shimmering suits reflected the light from every angle, and they dazzled the audience with their sleek, coordinated dance moves for "Switch On" and "Privacy." Their explosive vocals shone through in "Paper Cut" and "Feel Your Love," with each member nailing the high notes and maintaining vocal stability despite the complex choreography
As the lights dimmed, the opening notes of "Switch On" filled the room, met with cheers and strobe lights as the members made their grand entrance on the main stage. Their shimmering suits reflected the light from every angle, and they dazzled the audience with their sleek, coordinated dance moves for "Switch On" and "Privacy." Their explosive vocals shone through in "Paper Cut" and "Feel Your Love," with each member nailing the high notes and maintaining vocal stability despite the complex choreography
Meeting fans for the first time since their Shilla event in 2018, the group expressed heartfelt gratitude for the unwavering support they've received over the years. They apologized for the long wait and promised to return more frequently for future concerts.
HIGHLIGHT raised the energy again with "Give You My All," moving to the middle stage and drawing excited screams from the audience. Their charisma and bright personalities shone as they continued with "CALLING YOU," "Plz Don’t Be Sad," and "BODY." The members interacted with fans, waving, smiling, and making hearts, delighting the crowd. Each member looked at the fans with genuine affection, clearly enjoying every moment while basking in the love from their supporters.
HIGHLIGHT raised the energy again with "Give You My All," moving to the middle stage and drawing excited screams from the audience. Their charisma and bright personalities shone as they continued with "CALLING YOU," "Plz Don’t Be Sad," and "BODY." The members interacted with fans, waving, smiling, and making hearts, delighting the crowd. Each member looked at the fans with genuine affection, clearly enjoying every moment while basking in the love from their supporters.
The most anticipated segment followed—a nostalgic throwback to their time as BEAST. Dressed in white suits, they performed 2024 renditions of "Bad Girl," "Shock," and "Special." The crowd’s cheers reached new heights, and the performances brought chills, filling the venue with a wave of nostalgia. It was a sentimental moment, bonding fans across the different eras of BEAST and HIGHLIGHT.
During a break, the members shared personal stories about their time in Singapore. Yoseob shared that he brought a new camera, adding in local slang, "Steady lah~," and expressed hopes to share the memories he captured. Doojoon joked about his straightforward schedule, while Gikwang talked about his intense gym session at their hotel. Dongwoon praised the local dish Bak Kut Teh as one of the best meals he’s had.
During a break, the members shared personal stories about their time in Singapore. Yoseob shared that he brought a new camera, adding in local slang, "Steady lah~," and expressed hopes to share the memories he captured. Doojoon joked about his straightforward schedule, while Gikwang talked about his intense gym session at their hotel. Dongwoon praised the local dish Bak Kut Teh as one of the best meals he’s had.
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The members also entertained fans with their attempts at Singlish:
The journey down memory lane continued with performances of "Shadow," "Good Luck," and "Breath," showcasing their sleek dance moves and powerful vocals. Even after all these years, their passion for performing was palpable, and they gave their all in every number.
- Yoseob: “Stay with us long long horh.”
- Dongwoon: “We won’t forget today lah.”
- Doojoon: “Stay with us forever, ok? … Wait, isn’t this just English?”
- Gikwang: “Thank you for being with me tonight lah. Does it become Singlish if I add a ‘lah’? Ahh… I love you lah.”
The journey down memory lane continued with performances of "Shadow," "Good Luck," and "Breath," showcasing their sleek dance moves and powerful vocals. Even after all these years, their passion for performing was palpable, and they gave their all in every number.
The transition to "On Rainy Days," "Ribbon," and "Fiction," was seamless, and their soulful lyrics serenaded the crowd with timeless classics. It was a therapeutic experience for everyone present.
Reflecting on the tour’s conclusion, the members shared their most memorable moments:
Gikwang: “even though we started the concert as Highlight, we changed our outfits to white for the start of the BEAST session. It’s something that has been long-awaited by all our fans! We can finally use the name B2ST from now on!! And since this is the first concert where you can shout it as much as possible, it’s even more meaningful.”
Yoseob: “for myself, it was before the concert when we were discussing what songs and stages we wanted to make for the fans. We wanted to make it a cool stage, so we thought a lot about it. I wanted to tell our members that everyone did a great hob and apologised that I was too persistent about my opinion. You may all know but I was initially the one against putting ‘Switch On’ as the opening song. But I was wrong, the opening stage was amazing. The whole process will be featured in a movie so please anticipate it!”
Doojoon: “I feel like everyone agrees and feels the same way, we started in Korea and the four month long journey is coming to an end today, so it’s going to be so memorable for us. Not only us, but the fans too. I hope we can have fun all the way till the end so we have no regrets, like how we’ve been doing.”
Reflecting on the tour’s conclusion, the members shared their most memorable moments:
Gikwang: “even though we started the concert as Highlight, we changed our outfits to white for the start of the BEAST session. It’s something that has been long-awaited by all our fans! We can finally use the name B2ST from now on!! And since this is the first concert where you can shout it as much as possible, it’s even more meaningful.”
Yoseob: “for myself, it was before the concert when we were discussing what songs and stages we wanted to make for the fans. We wanted to make it a cool stage, so we thought a lot about it. I wanted to tell our members that everyone did a great hob and apologised that I was too persistent about my opinion. You may all know but I was initially the one against putting ‘Switch On’ as the opening song. But I was wrong, the opening stage was amazing. The whole process will be featured in a movie so please anticipate it!”
Doojoon: “I feel like everyone agrees and feels the same way, we started in Korea and the four month long journey is coming to an end today, so it’s going to be so memorable for us. Not only us, but the fans too. I hope we can have fun all the way till the end so we have no regrets, like how we’ve been doing.”
After a brief break, the group returned in denim for "It’s Not the End". Fans surprised them with a banner event, visibly touching the members. After a quick group photo, they expressed their gratitude.
Yoseob: “even though the weather is really hot, I’m so glad you came to see us. Thank you lah~ Since we’re meeting a lot of people, we try to prepare as much as possible to give you a lot of love and energy. But you’re always giving back to us more than what we’ve prepared. I’m thankful from the bottom ofmy heart. When we meet again, I hope it’s not too late. I don’t know when it’ll be but till then, please stay healthy and happy. Thank you lah!”
Dongwoon: “from May, it’s already reaching the end of the Lights Go On Again Tour. I don’t know how the time passed so quickly but from the preparation to the concert, I was so happy. The fact that we can come back after 11 years, I still can’t believe it and I feel so sorry to you guys. Next time when we prepare another tour, I’ll make sure to insist that we come back to Singapore. Thank you for coming today, not only fans from Singapore but also those who came from other countries to be here. Until we meet again, stay healthy and we’ll try to come back as soon as possible. Thank you lah!”
Gikwang: “I’m thankful to have a really pretty ending in Singapore, I’m so happy. I heard this story – compared to the last time when we came as BEAST, when we came as Highlight and BEAST, more fans came to see us. With our age / experience, It’s not an easy thing. Thank you for not forgetting us, and like the message from the banners (of the fan event), thank you for loving and supporting us eternally. We are really grateful so many of you came to see us today. While we don’t know when we’ll return, but I guess there’ll be more fans next time, right? Really thank you and till then, we promise it won’t take too long like last time when we return. Stay healthy and happy, work less and earn more. It has been Gikwang who is so happy to meet you guys, thank you!”
Doojoon: “Since our members said all the cool things, I’ll just do a brief thank you. A lot of our fans have been telling us on SNS that many fans outside of Korea are waiting for us. This year, we got to meet so many of our fans in different countries in person, and I realised there are more fans waiting for us outside Korea than we thought. Not only SG Lights but also everyone from all around the world, thank you for sending love regardless of where you’re from. I want to send more love to our Singapore Lights for finishing the tour with us tonight. Now, we’re going to say goodbye, but you know there are more songs right? And since this is the last time, I hope it’ll be the best moment in the whole world and we’ll say goodbye. Thank you so much Lights!”
Yoseob: “even though the weather is really hot, I’m so glad you came to see us. Thank you lah~ Since we’re meeting a lot of people, we try to prepare as much as possible to give you a lot of love and energy. But you’re always giving back to us more than what we’ve prepared. I’m thankful from the bottom ofmy heart. When we meet again, I hope it’s not too late. I don’t know when it’ll be but till then, please stay healthy and happy. Thank you lah!”
Dongwoon: “from May, it’s already reaching the end of the Lights Go On Again Tour. I don’t know how the time passed so quickly but from the preparation to the concert, I was so happy. The fact that we can come back after 11 years, I still can’t believe it and I feel so sorry to you guys. Next time when we prepare another tour, I’ll make sure to insist that we come back to Singapore. Thank you for coming today, not only fans from Singapore but also those who came from other countries to be here. Until we meet again, stay healthy and we’ll try to come back as soon as possible. Thank you lah!”
Gikwang: “I’m thankful to have a really pretty ending in Singapore, I’m so happy. I heard this story – compared to the last time when we came as BEAST, when we came as Highlight and BEAST, more fans came to see us. With our age / experience, It’s not an easy thing. Thank you for not forgetting us, and like the message from the banners (of the fan event), thank you for loving and supporting us eternally. We are really grateful so many of you came to see us today. While we don’t know when we’ll return, but I guess there’ll be more fans next time, right? Really thank you and till then, we promise it won’t take too long like last time when we return. Stay healthy and happy, work less and earn more. It has been Gikwang who is so happy to meet you guys, thank you!”
Doojoon: “Since our members said all the cool things, I’ll just do a brief thank you. A lot of our fans have been telling us on SNS that many fans outside of Korea are waiting for us. This year, we got to meet so many of our fans in different countries in person, and I realised there are more fans waiting for us outside Korea than we thought. Not only SG Lights but also everyone from all around the world, thank you for sending love regardless of where you’re from. I want to send more love to our Singapore Lights for finishing the tour with us tonight. Now, we’re going to say goodbye, but you know there are more songs right? And since this is the last time, I hope it’ll be the best moment in the whole world and we’ll say goodbye. Thank you so much Lights!”
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Ending the night on a bittersweet note, HIGHLIGHT performed "Beautiful," "V.I.U (Very Important U)," and "How To Love." They bid farewell, saying, “We’ve traveled a long journey and met Lights all around the world, but we’re glad to end with the most beautiful Lights in Singapore! I love you lah!”
We would like to extend our thanks to CK Star Entertainment for giving us the opportunity to cover this event.
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Writer and Photographer: Kai Lin
