K-STARS FLYING SOLO

BTS' J-Hope and Girls' Generation's Taeyeon lead the slate of South Korean idols coming here without their groups in 2025

- Benson Ang

Once known only as part of a South Korean boy band or girl group, several K-pop stars have been venturing out on their own in a big way and are slated to make their way to Singapore soon.

There will be no bandmates to harmonise with or steal the limelight when these five singers take the stage here.

The Straits Times looks at how J-Hope from BTS, Taeyeon from Girls' Generation, G-Dragon from BigBang, and Kai and Doh Kyungsoo (D.O.) from Exo manage to shine in and out of their units.

KAI (EXO)

The members of third-generation boy band Exo have enjoyed immense popularity in Singapore, with at least three of their nine current members — Lay, Baekhyun and D.O. — having held solo performances here.

Kai is set to join this list with his first solo concert here at The Star Theatre on June 21, part of his Kaion world tour. It commences in Seoul in May and will stop by Kuala Lumpur, Macau and Jakarta.

He has said in interviews that his concerts might include a medley of Exo songs, and the shows will be a good opportunity for him to give back to his fans.

The 31-year-old previously performed at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in 2019 with the rest of his bandmates, during which he sang the sultry solo number Confession (2020).

In the group: Much of Exo's music blends pop, hip-hop, R&B and electronic dance music, with big beats, rap and dance segments. The versatile Kai excels in all these and has been described as a perfect embodiment of Exo's identity and its "centre".

As a soloist: In November 2020, Kai struck out on his own with a self-titled R&B-inflected EP.