It was a wet Saturday night for
Korean superstar Rain. Barely 15 minutes into the two-hour concert, the
dancer, singer and actor, was already drenched in sweat.
Performing
the Malaysian leg of his worldwide Rain: The Squall Tour 2016 at the
Arena Of Stars, Genting Highlands last weekend, the buff 33-year-old
stormed the stage with a vengeance. Happy to be back, he showed why
“Rain’s reign” is far from over despite the K-pop scene being flooded
with younger heartthrobs, hungry for global domination.
The
Squall Tour was Rain’s first concert tour since completing his
compulsory military service in 2013. With seven albums under his belt,
he made up for lost time, performing 23 of his biggest hits including Hip Song, Running Away From The Sun, Love Song, Bad Guy, It’s Raining, and of course, Rainism!
Hot on the heels of the tour which kicked off last November in China, his latest Korean drama series, Please Come Back, Mister,
began airing in February. Before stopping by here, Rain showered fans
in Changsha, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Hong Kong, with some hip-thrusting,
crotch-grabbing, love.
His
energetic moves, while not as fluid as the King of Pop’s, were a
less-than-subtle ode to his idol, Michael Jackson. The MJ influence –
think knee pads, white jacket and hat – was also noted in the costumes.
Appearing
initially in an anatomy-inspired white and silver suit, Rain looked
more comfortable dancing in his white tank top for most of the show.
Five costume changes through the night saw him taking on different
roles, including a dapper-looking gentleman in a black tailored suit, a
bad boy in a leather jacket and aviator shades, and a cool cat clad in
matching gold-sequinned sleeveless, cap and boots. He needn’t have
bothered because judging from the screams and squeals, the tank top was
the obvious fan favourite.
Don’t let the cute act fool you, under that suit is one macho physique.
Sadly,
unlike their counterparts, his Malaysian fans were deprived of a
shirtless show. The much-anticipated water effect of Rain, singing in
the rain – was also missing but I suspect the crowd was more upset at
having to settle for the modest view of him in a singlet.
Crowned
one of Time magazine’s most influential people in the world in 2006,
Rain sure knows how to milk his assets. Wagging his finger and
apologising for raining on their parade, he told the packed arena that
going shirtless was a “no-no”. But, that didn’t stop him from teasing
them throughout the night. After close to an hour of him toying with his
jacket and their eagerness, the wait finally paid off – well, almost.
The
big moment came at 9.45pm, when clad in a simple black tee, he ripped
the collar mid-song, revealing perfect pecs and a chiselled chest. The
only sight of him shirtless was in the videos flashing on screen. But
that was enough to invite thunderous claps and adoring whistles from an
audience that represented every generation.
The
man is a consummate performer. With the show starting only 20 minutes
later than scheduled, Rain is among the more punctual and hardworking
acts to have landed here. A global star no doubt, but the man had no
qualms walking down from the stage to high-five the lucky ones up front.
While
the costumes were glam and the backdrop jaw-dropping with its flashing
images of everything from cutesy childhood photos to stormy skies and
angry seas, it was his performance that stood out the most. Like a
squall sweeping through, Rain’s energy, charisma and powerful vocals are
why he’s Asia’s most recognisable name. Heck, even his dancers had
trouble keeping up!
