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Beyonce rocks Seoul with 'Sasha Fierce'

 

Beyonce performs at her concert "Beyonce I AM Tour in Seoul" on Wednesday.   She was sexy, passionate, and fierce, for sure. Featuring her alter ego "Sasha Fierce," Beyonce proved that she is our time's number one pop diva, electrifying her Korean fans once more on the final day of her two-day concert, "Beyonce I AM Tour in Seoul" at the Olympic Park Gymnasium in Jamsil on Wednesday. It was her second-ever concert in Korea. Fascinated by her flawless performance happening right in front of everyone's eyes, a simple question lingered the whole time: "How in the world does she dance so fiercely and sing like that at the same time, with such charisma?" Standing tall, or better yet, dancing intensely on at least 10 cm killer heels throughout the two-hour performance, Knowles totally captivated the 15,000 fans packed in the stadium. At 9 p.m., about 30 minutes past the scheduled time, the 28 year-old superstar appeared on stage in her familiar look, a tight gold mini dress, singing her chart-topping hit single "Crazy in Love." Fast-beat dance songs "Naughty Girl" and "Get me Bodied" followed. Back lights highlighted her perfect body lines and showed off her famous thighs, exciting the crowd. When she reappeared after a short disappearance in time for her slow numbers "Smash into you," "Ave Maria" and "Broken Hearted Girl," the seven-time Grammy Award winner looked like a pure goddess in a long, swaying white gown. Impressive sound effects and stage settings added perfection, making her husky voice and superb singing abilities really stand out. When she started "Ave Maria," a hush fell in the audience, enraptured by her powerful voice. After pleasing the crowd with "If I were a Boy" by showing off her tomboyish charms in a gray leather suit, she popped up on a special stage prepared in the middle of the audience, back in yet another breathtaking sexy dress for "Video Phone." The crowd went crazy. There, hot under red and purple lights, she was like a femme fatale. A muscular male back dancer recorded her on his "video phone" while dancing with her -- the sultry video was viewed live on the main screen behind the stage. During the concert Beyonce hardly talked, probably minding the language barrier, but instead communicated with her fans with her body. The standing audience followed her every move, doing exactly what she motioned them to do. They seemed to be grateful when she said a few words in Korean like "Anyeonghaseyo" or "Saranghae" each meaning "hello" and "I love you." She really brought the house down when she did her usual thing before she started "Say my Name," asking a male audience member his name. The guy she chose happened to be an avid fan of hers, and when she asked him "What is your name" in Korean, he screamed out his name and "Beyonce" several times while nearly fainting with joy. Beyonce too, seemed grateful to see so many fans from the other side of the world going crazy for her. She recorded her excited fans with her mobile phone when she walked through the audience several times. But of course, the highlight of the show was when she showcased her recent mega- hit, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)." After showing a line of user created contents that parodied the song, she reappeared on stage to perform the anticipated song in her signature black leotard beaded with crystals. The song was seductive indeed, as it sent the crowd to ecstatically flip their hands and point to their ring fingers along with their heroine. The diva's killer performance however ended with a bit of a cheesy message from her to her fans on the screen, "I AM YOURS" in bold red letters, after the title of the concert. (claire@heraldm.com) By Park Min-young   2009.10.23