K-Pop icon Wendy brought her first-ever solo tour “W:EALIVE” to Chicago’s Copernicus Center, marking the halfway point of her world tour. 

Although this is her first solo tour, Wendy has been active in the K-Pop industry for well over a decade, dominating as a member of the girl group Red Velvet, performing OSTs (original soundtrack) for K-Dramas, and officially debuting as a soloist in 2021 with her first mini-album Like Water. The “W:EALIVE” tour is ceremonious of the release of her third mini-album, Cerulean Verge, which released to overall acclaim for its catchy lyrics and incredible vocals.

The tour is a treat for Chicago ReVeluv’s, marking Wendy’s first return to Chicago since touring with Red Velvet in 2019 and being the first soloist of the five members to visit the city.

“W:EALIVE” is unlike most K-Pop concerts, with the focus being on the music and the emotion it elicits. The biggest aspect that sets the show apart is the presence of her live band, which really emphasizes the grandeur of her performance and allows Wendy to showcase her musicality.

The stage opened with an upbeat run of songs featuring two off Cerulean Verge, “Fireproof” and “Hate2,” which immediately captured the audience with her calming yet commanding energy.  The show traversed various moods from Wendy’s expansive discography, from up-tempo tracks to ballads that allowed the audience to connect with her on a deeper level.

Another aspect that sets the tour apart is the inclusion of her OSTs. At the midway point of the show, she took a moment to really slow it down and took a seat to perform a medley of five of her favorite soundtrack songs, stripping the instrumentals down to piano and simplistic guitar to showcase her soaring vocal performance. 

To throw us back into the last section of the show, she surprised ReVeluv’s with a performance of the Red Velvet track “Light Me Up,” a throwback from the group’s second mini-album that she felt still matched her energy as an artist. She “ended” the set with smash-hits “Wish You Hell” and “Sunkiss” before returning for an encore to say farewell to fans, but promising she’ll be back to Chicago soon.

“W:EALIVE” is an incredible show of artistry from one of South Korea’s most seasoned artists, and is not one to miss for lovers of both K-Pop and ballads alike. If you missed the show in Chicago, there are still chances to see Wendy and her band in New York, D.C., and Atlanta before she takes off for the final leg of “W:EALIVE” in Asia.