Wrapping up his first-ever U.S. tour, Baekhyun brought his Reverie tour to Los Angeles’ Kia Forum. The last few times the artist was in the City of Angels, he was with his groups. In 2017, EXO brought their EXO PLANET #3 – The EXO’rDIUM tour to the exact same venue, known at the time as “The Forum,” and in 2020, SuperM also brought their U.S. tour to The Forum. This time, though flying solo, the singer returned once more for his third performance in the famed arena.
The show began smoothly with a video introduction that led to Baekhyun’s grand entrance on stage. He kicked off the evening with “YOUNG,” “Ghost,” and “Pineapple Slice,” three songs with varying vibes. Serving as the perfect segue into a show of all genres, Baekhyun’s first meeting with the crowd was a great representation of his versatile talent.
Taking a quick moment to introduce himself to the audience full of fans, known as EXO-L, the soloist expressed his sincerest gratitude to fans for waiting for him for so long, and for joining him on the last stop of his first solo U.S. tour. Continuing on with his pattern of performing upbeat cute songs back-to-back with sultrier songs and cooler songs, he performed “Woo” and “Underwater,” before the lights dimmed and he re-emerged in a spotlight for “Bambi.” This last song garnered raucous cheers from the crowd as Baekhyun body-rolled in sync with his dancers and hit the song’s high note during the bridge with ease.
After yet another VCR, the singer returned for sweet songs such as “Chocolate,” “Rendez-Vous,” and “Good Morning,” showing EXO-L his sweet and soft side. Switching once again, however, he returned to his sultrier self with tracks such as “UN Village.” Baekhyun took a few moments to introduce the previous tracks, then requested for fans to keep their cheering to a minimum for the next few songs. “While previous songs were meant for cheering loudly, the next ones may be better suited to clapping instead,” he shared, as he switched from his handheld mic to a headset. “I’m not sure what this barking is, but let’s just clap for these songs,” he mentioned with a laugh before describing the next set’s lyrics as being dedicated to pain and broken heartedness. “Truth Be Told,” “Cold Heart,” and “Psycho” then filled up the venue with dark lights, intense dance moves, and smooth but powerful high notes and harmonies, creating a memorable and immersive listening experience for the crowd.
Soon enough, the show was nearing its end, much to the crowd’s disbelief. Baekhyun, wanting to end things on a bright and cheery note, returned to the stage in a colorful and youthful outfit, performing upbeat signature tracks “Betcha” and “Candy.” Wrapping up the official set, the last song was the singer’s latest title track, “Elevator.” “I hope my love can go up into your heart like an elevator,” the solo singer shared, before the beginning notes of the song could be heard. As the song came to an end, the screen behind the singer turned into an elevator. As he walked in and turned around with a smile, the elevator doors closed, and Baekhyun was gone.
No show is complete without an encore, however, and this was no different. Making his way back to the stage with a shirt embellished with heart stickers to spell out “BH,” literal sparkles on his cheeks, and his hair tied into a heart atop his head, Baekhyun took some additional time to express his sincere gratitude to his fans.
“You know how amusement parks are always there even after you return home from having fun for the day? Just like that, I want to become an amusement park for you, EXO-L. No matter how long, I’ll always be here waiting for you.”
– BAEKHYUN
Baekhyun performed “No Problem,” “Garden in the Air,” a small snippet of HEARTSTEEL’s “PARANOIA,” and finally, “Amusement Park” to end the night with meaningful, heartfelt songs. Though “PARANOIA” didn’t quite match the mood, Baekhyun performed it as a tribute to Riot Games team in the audience. “I also know there’s a new Netflix film,” he began, referring to the current top movie on the streaming platform, Kpop Demon Hunters. “Perhaps HEARTSTEEL and the Saja Boys can do a collaboration!”
Not allowing Baekhyun to be the only one pouring his heart out, EXO-Ls also prepared a special video message to express their love and gratitude towards their idol, creating the perfect ending to his first solo tour stateside. And suddenly, as if fans were being woken up from a long-awaited dream, the Reverie North America tour officially came to a close. Much like a sweet dream, however, EXO-Ls were able to leave with memories and shared moments with Baekhyun to cherish until the next time they’d meet.
