Fan service: Lay Zhang pulls out all stops, including removing shirt, in 1st solo concert in Singapore

Calling fans "chio" and "yan dao", making heart signs and inviting them to his hometown in Changsha, China – multi-hyphenate Lay Zhang sure knows how to sweep his fans, or Xbacks, off their feet.

AsiaOne was also won over by the many sweet gestures at his solo concert Grandline 2: Infinite Lands held last night (Oct 19) at the Resorts World ballroom.

This second stop in Lay's tour marked his first solo performance in Singapore. The singer-dancer last visited the country as part of a tour with South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo in 2016.

After an energetic opening performance of hit songs Descendants of The Dragon, Ascetic Monk and Mask, the 31-year-old artiste greeted fans with his newly-acquired repertoire of local slang.

"You are all very chio and the guys are all very yandao,' Lay said in Chinese, drawing excited squeals from the crowd.

"I hope we can all enjoy the stage and performance today, having not seen one another in a while," he added.

Lay took the opportunity to repay the favour after his performance of Changsha – an ode to his beloved hometown. He taught fans the phrase "what do you want" in the Changsha dialect and the crowd enthusiastically echoed it back.

He also went further to invite fans to his hometown to enjoy the local delicacies, promising that he would give them an equally warm welcome.

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@asiaone/video/7156775746910883073?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7156775746910883073&lang=en[/embed]

Lay knows that it's these little gestures that count and keep fans wanting more. Throughout the two-hour long concert with a set list of more than 30 songs, these swoon-worthy moments were aplenty.

While performing one of his more sultry songs Lay U Down, he took off his shirt to the delight of his fans, proving how hard he had trained in the gym before the concert.

[embed]https://twitter.com/AlwaysXing1007/status/1582715961849049088[/embed]

In addition to making heart signs at the crowd and going off the stage to be up close and personal with fans, Lay also made sure to interact with a few lucky fans. One fan in particular had caught his attention with their handmade fan board, which stated that they had "waited for him for nine years". 

"You waited for me for nine years?" Lay asked in amazement. And according to their Twitter update after the concert, the nine years were "really worth the wait".

[embed]https://twitter.com/jennheng/status/1582756294335008769[/embed]

In fact, this solo tour by Lay was 10 years in the making, as it also marks the tenth anniversary of his debut in show business.

From powerful dance performances of hit songs Sheep, Namanana and Lit, to more sensual performances of Amusement Park and Give Me A Chance, the programme flow – which he had thoughtfully designed himself – was a testament to his decade-long experience.

The programme also showcased his passion in integrating Chinese culture into his music, with elements such as performances by Peking opera artists and the use of traditional Chinese instruments like the tanggu and hulusi.

Not forgetting to inject some local flair into his performance, Lay busted out his guitar and dedicated a song to his favourite Singapore dish, chilli crab. Fans indulged in his creativity and sang along with the phrase "chilli crab".

When it was time to say goodbye, it was no surprise that fans were left wanting more. He returned in a shiny outfit for two final performances of Honey and The Shepherd Boy.

While fans are usually the ones pining for one precious photo with their beloved idol, Lay ended the night with a role reversal and asked fans for a group photo instead.

Even though the fans knew they were going to show up as a speck in the crowd, most of them still happily obliged.

[embed]https://twitter.com/asiaonecom/status/1582739264433192960[/embed]

Ending off the night, Lay bowed several times to the crowd to express his gratitude, wrapping up the show with one last heart-melting moment.

For fans longing for more even after the two-hour-long show, they were delighted when Lay took to Instagram to start a livestream. 

"I am very happy to have performed in Singapore today and I hope you all enjoyed the show," he said, thanking his fans again for attending the show.

Saying that he had already reached home, Lay reminded his fans to stay safe while heading back after the concert.

yukiling@asiaone.com

No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.