SOME 3,500 Malaysian fans witnessed a vocal extravaganza as Ailee, the renowned Korean-American singer and songwriter, graced the stage with her first solo concert in Southeast Asia titled 'Ailee, I Am: Here' on June 22.
Known as the Korean Vocal Goddess, Ailee has captivated audiences worldwide with her vocal prowess.
With a string of awards under her belt, including four consecutive wins for Best Female Vocal Performance at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), Ailee has cemented her status as the OST Queen with over 30 hauntingly beautiful contributions to popular K-dramas.
Ailee kicked off her tour spanning nine cities last year.
Every venue was sold out, a testament to her immense popularity and talent.
SPELLBINDING
And her Malaysian destination, Mega Star Arena, Sungei Wang Plaza, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur was no different.
For 90 minutes beginning 9pm sharp, the American-born Korean singer-songwriter gave Malaysians a spellbinding, 90-minute evening of K-pop magic at its finest.
The adrenaline-pumping concert was an immersive experience filled with electrifying performances, and the K-pop solo queen serenaded fans with 14 of her major hits, ranging from powerful ballads to catchy dance tunes.
HEAVEN
The 35-year-old made her debut in 2012 with the hit song 'Heaven' and has since released four studio albums, 26 music videos, six extended plays and 23 singles.
Her 2017 single 'I Will Go To You Like The First Snow', recorded for the K-drama 'Guardian: The Lonely And Great God', was the best-performing single of that year.
PRETTY IN PINK
Half an hour before Ailee emerged, the guest artiste was revealed to be vocal powerhouse Aina Abdul who appeared "pretty in pink".
The three-time Anugerah Juara Lagu winner sang her monster hit 'Semalam', K-pop singer Gummy's 'You Are My Everything' from the K-drama series 'Descendants Of The Sun' and an impressive Korean version of 'Terus Hidup', a first for herself which garnered a roaring applause.
GOLDEN DISC
After a brief intermission Ailee emerged singing the energetic numbers 'I Will Show You' and 'Don't Teach Me'.
The leggy beauty wore a short, brown skirt and matching brown blouse and looked energetic and excited throughout the show.
"What's up Malaysia? I am so happy to be back and I miss you so much!" said Ailee, adding that her very first trip to Malaysia was 2013 when she attended the Golden Disc Awards in Sepang.
SPECIAL SONG
Ailee then belted out four more energetic songs, and the audience readily sang along to their choruses — 'No No No', 'Don't Touch Me', 'If You' and 'Singing Got Better'.
"Songs give us different emotions and fond memories such as singing along to my first song," said Ailee as she dedicated "one special song" to her Malaysian fans.
The touching song turned out to be 'Breaking Down,' and this was quickly followed by a hopeful but slow number titled 'Evening Sky'.
LATE MOTHER
Ailee revealed that her next song was about snow, and she dedicated it to her late mother who died of an illness in 2012.
"I dream that she sings it to me, so do sing along with me," said Ailee as she serenaded fans with the moving 'I Will Go To You Like The First Snow'.
HOT OUTFIT
Ailee soon returned with a bang, looking hotter than ever in a red, black and white T-shirt and a shiny, black mini skirt.
She danced around the stage with her five female dancers, singing 'Ra Ta Ta' with maximum fan participation.
"You guys are having so much fun. That makes me so happy," said Ailee as she belted out the equally power-packed 'Big It Up' and 'Heart Crusher'.
GIFTS
The event organiser LOL Asia's chief executive officer Rizal Kamal subsequently presented Ailee with a large birthday cake an a beautiful pink kebaya.
"On behalf of Malaysians, we want to thank you for an amazing evening, and you will always be welcome in Malaysia!" said Rizal.
The cake was created by Malaysian chef Edwin Chan while fashion designer Ashley Wong came up with the kebaya.
"This is from us, your Malaysian fans," said Rizal, as Ailee teared up.
SELFIES
As soon as she regained her composure, Ailee decided to take a selfie with the entire crowd, and ended up with three instead of one.
"Thank you Malaysia for this very special evening," she said, before delivering a power-packed encore of 'Mind Your Own Business', 'U&I', 'Heaven', 'Ain't That Pretty' and 'Atmosphere'.
HOSPITALITY
Earlier that day, Ailee said in an interview that she was very happy with the Malaysian hospitality she received at her hotel.
Ailee revealed that her concert's title reflected her ability to sing in many genres such as pop, dance, hip-hop and R&B.
"I love Malaysia as fans here are sporting and friendly. Better still, they are very big fans of K-pop and K-drama," she said.