EXILE holds their first overseas solo live show Members tear up after receiving a surprise gift from fans: “We’ll definitely be back!’

Dance and vocal group EXILE held their first overseas solo live show “EXILE LIVE 2023 in TAIPEI” at TAIPEI MUSIC CENTER in Taiwan on the 9th.

In July of this year, based on EXILE AKIRA’s activities in Taiwan, EXILE was invited to perform at “2023 SUPER SLIPPA 12” held at Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei. After that, AKIRA was appointed as the representative director of “LDH Aimuetsu,” a company based in Taiwan that disseminates LDH’s entertainment to Asia, and this live performance was made possible.

From the moment they arrived in Taiwan, they were greeted by a large number of local media and enthusiastic fans, and on the day of the concert, an audience of approximately 5,000 people gathered at the venue. I enjoyed the special showcase created just for this Taiwan performance.

Following the opening video, the live performance started with “BE THE ONE”. Kids dancers from EXPG STUDIO Taipei appeared from the audience waving flags. AKIRA, TAKAHIRO, Kenchi Tachibana, TETSUYA, NESMITH, and SHOKICHI appeared as the venue became one with cheers and applause.

In a preliminary interview, AKIRA said, “The six members of the second chapter have inherited the thoughts of the original members.EXILE is still evolving, but it is meaningful for these six members to take the lead in opening up Asia.” The members who appeared on stage conveyed their determination and readiness, and above all, the positive energy of the six members who were looking forward to tonight’s performance.
“How Are You Feeling!? We Are EXILE!” (TAKAHIRO)

The second song, “Heads or Tails,” featured flames and lasers flying, and guest artist THE JET BOY BANGERZ also participated in an energetic stage performance. The powerful vocals of TAKAHIRO, NESMITH, and SHOKICHI further raised the audience’s excitement.

However, shortly after the third song “VICTORY” started, something happened: the sound coming from the speakers suddenly stopped. However, the members kept the audience at ease with their positive talk from beginning to end, such as, “A crisis is an opportunity,” “My first overseas performance was a memorable event,” “It’s a great start, I love things like this (lol)!” .

After that, the sound was safely restored and the live performance resumed. Added to the sense of unity that everyone had overcome the incident, the best “VICTORY” echoed through the venue. During “WON’T BE LONG,” which featured kid dancers, there was a chorus of “OLY OLY OLY OH!” There was a scene of happiness that transcended eras, languages, and generations.

The next zone that started with the countdown video was EXILE THE SECOND. Starting with “YEAH!! YEAH!! YEAH!!,” which excited the audience, the excitement continued to rise as the soulful dance number “SUPER FLY” and the playful upper tune “ASOBO!” continued.

EXPG’s female dancers also appear in “LA・LA・LA LOVE SONG,” creating a gorgeous and beautiful stage. After performing “Acacia,” which uses chairs to express a sexy worldview, the members greeted each other in Chinese, Taiwanese, English, and Japanese.

Six people express their gratitude while also laughing. Rather than being happy to be able to communicate with the fans, I was impressed by the expressions on their faces that showed how happy they were to be able to communicate well with the fans in front of them. At the end of the MC corner, SHOKICHI introduced “NEVER SAY GOODBYE,” the theme song for the Taiwanese reality show “Mystery of the Five Stars,” starring AKIRA.

The audience seats were naturally enveloped in smartphone lights, and SHOKICHI’s silky singing voice echoed in a dreamlike mood. In addition, SHOKICHI collaborated with Eve Ai, Taiwan’s leading female singer-songwriter, on “6.5 Days feat. Eve Ai,” which features Eve Ai herself, creating a special collaboration. “Let’s do it together again!” the two said, receiving a big round of applause.

The next section that the pretty ballet dancer quietly invited was TAKAHIRO. “Lovers Again” was performed with performers from EXILE THE SECOND, and in “Ti Amo” AKIRA and a female dancer dressed in a bright red dress deeply and beautifully expressed the worldview of the song. For “More Stronger,” the lyrics in Chinese are projected on the screen, reiterating the feelings and messages contained in this song to Taiwanese fans.

In a pre-interview, AKIRA said about this performance, “We aimed for content that would convey the true essence of LDH’s entertainment,” but added, “We didn’t just want to liven things up with hit songs and cover songs, we wanted to create a story about LDH’s history.” I wanted to create a package that would convey the message and philosophy, so I decided to use Chinese lyrics to realistically convey the message in this song.” From the serious expressions of the audience staring at the screen, it was clear that the song was carefully selected and produced with great care down to the smallest detail.

Next was THE JET BOY BANGERZ’s performance. A 10-member dance and vocal group that was born out of LDH’s largest ever audition, “iCON Z,” which attracted 48,000 participants, and member HINATA was previously enrolled at EXPG STUDIO Taipei Campus. Performer songs featuring AKIRA, Kenchi Tachibana, and TETSUYA, as well as two songs, “Jettin'” and “PHOTOGENIC,” were performed with a fresh and aggressive performance that captivated the audience.

The second half of the live performance started with “Choo Choo TRAIN” where you can enjoy plenty of call and response. “LAST CHRISTMAS”, which is perfect for this season, was a happy “Christmas present” in which EXILE members descended to the audience seats and sang while interacting with the fans. After that, they performed “Galaxy Express 999” with a total of 37 EXPG dancers, and then moved on to the last song of the main event, “Love of History.” TAKAHIRO emphatically declared, “I’ll definitely come back here to Taipei again!” and the six members waved happily as they looked around at the smiling faces of the audience.

For the encore, they performed “24WORLD” first. Afterwards, during the MC, a surprise gift lottery was held from the members to the fans, and the event proceeded in a friendly mood, including a surprise cake for TAKAHIRO, who celebrated his birthday the day before. Just when it seemed like they were going to go on to the last song, a video of gratitude prepared by Taiwanese fans began to play on the screen.

It consisted of many memorable scenes, passionate messages about EXILE’s constant support and “I will continue to support you”, and although I couldn’t see his expression, AKIRA wiped his eyes many times. After watching the show, the members expressed their gratitude and expressed their gratitude, and then performed their final song, “Love, Dream & Happiness.”

First overseas solo performance as EXILE. During the interview, AKIRA said, “Just as I myself was shocked by EXILE and am still running, I hope that it will be an opportunity for the children who stood on stage with me today to get excited about the future.From now on, we will tour including Southeast Asia.” We want to expand globally, with an eye to festivals unique to EXILE TRIBE, and we want more and more new artists with EXILE-ism to come out of Taiwan.” However, “Love, Dream & Happiness” This is a song that condenses that feeling. The ending was full of hope, as if the feelings contained in the song had opened a new door to the future.