Jay Chang showed that home is where the heart is during his special showcase. This talented singer’s solo career began in 2023 with his debut mini album, Late Night, which was released months after he competed on the variety show, “Boys Planet.” Although he continued sustaining a solo career, Chang later went on to join two different K-Pop groups, ONE PACT and B.D.U. He recently celebrated the release of his 2024 second mini album, Neighborhood, by meeting fans across North America for two weeks on Jay Chang’s Neighborhood Fansign Tour. He concluded the tour on February 2 with a remarkable fansign and showcase event, Jay Chang Neighborhood Finale Showcase, at the White Eagle Hall in his home state of New Jersey.
Despite an unfortunate water leak causing an hour-and-a-half-long delay, fans braved the cold in anticipation to see the show. The extra downtime gave fans, known as SUNLIGHT, more time to hand out freebies and banners commemorating the event. Bright yellow banners were customized by fans for his home state showcase, with the show’s date, location, and images of Chang on the front and a message for him on the back. The sweet message put an innovative twist on lyrics from Chang’s song, “LaSalle Ave,” stating “Jay, loving you is easy like Sunday morning.”
Entering to the sounds of cheers, barks, and fans chanting his name, Chang began his home state show with an ode to the street he grew up on, “LaSalle Ave.” His first outfit of the night was a simple black t-shirt and light wash jeans ensemble, complemented by the colorful cardigan he wore in the music video for “What You Need.” After introducing himself, he shared that he recognized many fans in the crowd and saw a lot of new faces in the audience. Additionally, Chang expressed the significance of returning to New Jersey to perform a solo show at White Eagle Hall. He performed at the same venue for the first time six years ago with a dance crew, did a show with B.D.U there last summer, and dreamed of returning for a solo concert. His appreciation for being able to perform at this venue expanded as he revealed that his friends and family were in the audience to support him.
The crowd loudly screamed when the beat dropped for “Up To You,” an upbeat pop track from Late Night. The show was chalked full of song covers, with Bruno Mars’ “It Will Rain” being the first of many. Fans encouraged Chang as he accidentally forgot some lyrics of “It Will Rain.” Despite this hiccup, Chang continued confidently while the crowd assisted him by singing along.
Taking another break to speak with fans, he recounted tour memories, such as receiving customized flags at different stops, and apologized for the show’s delayed start. He was aware some fans arrived as early as 8AM to see him and hoped that no one got frostbite. This prompted one fan to reveal that her hair froze while she waited in line because of the frigid temperatures and snow, which began coming down about an hour before showtime.
The warmth of Chang’s voice melted away any shivers as he slowed down the show’s pace with a soft performance of “Paper Cut.” He sat on a stool and passionately sang for fans. After “Paper Cut,” a bright heart-filled background appeared behind him as a vibrant guitar instrumental played and he grooved along to his bubbly pop track, “I’ll Be There,” with concertgoers. Chang took fans on a trip down memory lane as he went through a timeline of his career in K-pop, including making his solo debut, joining B.D.U and ONE PACT, and hosting his eventful fansign tour. He also spoke about accomplishing one of his biggest dreams, appearing on “The Masked Singer.” This segued into his next song, a gorgeous cover of EXO’s “Miracles in December,” which he sang on “The Masked Singer.” He kept the song covers coming with John Legend and Rick Ross’ “Who Do We Think We Are,” before heading offstage for a quick change.
The next song was easy to guess as its music video played while Chang was backstage. He returned onstage for “What You Need” wearing the vibrant yellow varsity jacket he sported in the music video. Fans were in for a pleasant surprise when Chang’s fellow ONE PACT member, TAG, made a guest appearance to contribute his verse. They even broke out into synchronized choreography during one of the choruses. TAG stuck around longer to spend extra time with fans. He shared that it was his first time in New Jersey and he appreciated the crowd’s lively energy. Chang revealed that they visited LaSalle Avenue during their stay so TAG could see his neighborhood. Also, the bandmates hosted an interactive question and answer segment entitled “QnA Time With Jay & TAG.” They revealed their favorite K-dramas, reenacted their first time meeting each other, did a special rendition of John Legend’s “All of Me,” sang happy birthday to a lucky fan, and more. After about ten minutes of answering fan questions, they performed two more songs together, Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open” and Lauv and Troye Sivan’s collaboration, “i’m so tired….”
After TAG waved goodbye to fans and slipped backstage alongside his bandmate, Chang reappeared in his final outfit of the night, a white top with black jeans and a black leather jacket. He paid homage to another boyband, One Direction, with their track “You & I.” Before bidding farewell, Chang closed with “Four Seasons,” a significant fan favorite that many people requested throughout the night. With a beautiful purple background of a withering tree and clouds, he passionately sang “Four Seasons.” Along with TAG’s appearance for “What You Need,” this was a pivotal moment of the night, as the crowd sang along with Chang while he belted the sincere lyrics.
TAG reappeared onstage to join Chang for group photos with the crowd and say final goodbyes. Before taking pictures, the two accepted gifts, including one of the creative banners fans handed out before the show and a custom American flag, complete with an image of Chang and the slogan, “In Jay We Trust,” embroidered below his picture. SUNLIGHT waved, flashed hand hearts, and smiled brightly as Chang and TAG held up the banner and flag to take photos commemorating a successful show dedicated to a place with immense significance to Chang.
PHOTO GALLERY