Baekhyun Kicks Off ‘Reverie,’ First Solo World Tour, in New Jersey

Baekhyun is warming up.

“ The last time I was in New York, it was actually quite cold,” says the singer on Sunday, one day before kicking off the U.S. leg of his first solo world tour. “I’m really glad that it’s warm this time.” Warm and getting warmer — this time around, the metro area was on the brink of a record-breaking heat wave. 

The singer is also on a record-making streak. Last month, Baekhyun released his fifth solo mini album, “The Essence of Reverie,” making him the first K-pop artist to surpass over 1 million sales for four consecutive albums. He made his comeback last fall with mini album “Hello, World,” his first solo release after completing his mandatory military enlistment in South Korea, also his first solo project under his own music label INB100.

“ Because this is my first solo world tour, everything really feels new. Every city feels new,” says Baekhyun through a translator, appearing relaxed ahead of his performance at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. “It all feels like a first time, and I just really want everyone who comes to see me to just feel really happy after the show.”

The tour, titled “Reverie,” launched earlier this month with two performances in Seoul, followed by concerts in Chile, Brazil and Mexico. The U.S. leg includes stops in Chicago, Texas, Seattle and L.A., and afterward he’ll head to Europe in July. “Reverie” will continue throughout Asia, with a finale performance set for Singapore on Nov. 1.

His overarching goal for the tour is to give fans “what they’ve been waiting for.” In short: himself. Although it’s his first world tour since making his solo debut in 2019, the foundation of “Reverie” is nostalgic, with many fans following along since Baekhyun debuted as a member of popular boy group Exo in 2012. 

“I’ve been visiting a lot of cities where the fans haven’t really been able to see me live, and they’ve only been able to see me online for such a long time,” says the 33-year-old singer. “So I want to be able to meet those fans, and have them reminisce about their journey as a fan — and kind of fall in love with me all over again.”

So far, he describes the tour as a “gratifying and amazing experience,” with new memories already in the books. An early tour stop provided the backdrop for one of his fans to get engaged. “It was amazing to see how intricately I was connected to my fans in ways that they would allow such a private and personal moment to be shared with me at my show,” he says.

The concert is an in-person escapist fantasy, a dreamscape costarring Baekhyun’s fans as the singer dances his way through upbeat choreography and multiple outfit changes. “This concert was a magical space I wanted to create for my fans,” says Baekhyun, adding that he wants concertgoers to “feel like they’re getting the princess treatment.” The tour’s title, “Reverie,” connects back to his most recent album, with the track list leaning on his latest releases, popular tracks like “Elevator” and “Chocolate.” But the overall concept, and idea of “reverie,” speaks to the sentiment of his 2021 track “Amusement Park.”

“You know how when you go to the amusement park, you are likely to buy things that you normally wouldn’t, such as character hats and hairpins and stuff?” he says. “I want the fans that visit my concerts to feel that way, that it’s a special day made just for them, and that they can return to that dreamy childhood feeling. So that’s kind of the whole goal and purpose of how I crafted my tour this time around.”

So far, his fans are along for the ride. Before his performance at the Prudential Center, a group of concertgoers were outside the venue handing out mini banners with a message for the singer set against the New York City skyline: “Always With Baekhyun in a World Full of Dreams and Love.” The banner project, led by a local Exo fan group and created for the concert’s group photo moment, included the lyrics to “Amusement Park” and instructions for the crowd to serenade Baekhyun while waiting for the show’s encore.

“Welcome to my first world tour,” the singer said onstage Monday night to a wave of excited screams and the glow of Exo’s official hexagonal light sticks. “You guys waited so long for me, right?” 

Looking out at the crowd with a sense of wonder, a water bottle in hand, the singer quickly pivoted to gratitude. “To be honest, I was really worried going into the start of this world tour,” he said. “As much as you guys are giving up your time to be here with me today, I will give you a memory that you won’t forget.”

He also gave the crowd a promise: “I’ll work hard today to capture your hearts so that you guys make sure to come next time as well.”