2023 has been a year of prosperity and fruition of hard work for singer Chuu. After a grueling and complicated split from her previous agency, the resilient entertainer prepared for her return as a solo artist with ferocity. While Orbits, KKOTIs, and other onlookers excitedly waited for her comeback, it was a surprise she would set her sights on touring internationally. On the Howl tour, she held an all-encompassing, intimate showcase at LA’s historic Orpheum Theatre. Even though she showed some nervousness and vulnerability onstage, the smiling idol proved why she was previously the face of LOONA.
Opening with the pop-lullaby, “My Palace,” the bright-eyed vocalist showcased her raw, emotional vocals. Rising from her comfy armchair, the ‘adorable queen’ greeted the Sunday night audience to her cozy fantasy. Her prowess as a veteran performer prepared her for taking on any situation with a smile, even when standing alone. Although English isn’t her first language, she continued forward while mimicking the same energy as her own spoken words when a translator covered for her. Any anxiety she had went unnoticed by the crowd.
“Nice to meet you, everyone. Thank you for coming to see me,” said the soloist. “It’s been four to five years since I was last here for LA KCON. I’m so glad to come back and I hope to come back year after year.” Despite being on stage without 11 other members, Chuu proved she could hold her own, and could keep fans engaged with her cheery personality. “My English isn’t good yet, but I want to show you all the songs on my album.”
To make her first stop and first solo tour special, the singer gave the crowd a special fan remix of the solemn, alt-pop song, “Underwater.” Originally titled “Withered,” the track provides insight to her tumultuous journey away from her previous identity and into a new era. “I feel really strong because this is my first tour and I’m doing it with an interpreter. She’s carrying my emotions to you guys, my KKOTIs!” exclaimed Chuu. Taking a page from her time as a show host, the merry musician punctuated her words with upbeat nods, a little dance, and a wink as her interpreter spoke.
“When I sing this song, ‘Underwater,’ I feel like my heart is connected. I’m happy to communicate with you guys through this song,” shared Chuu. “For the next song, I want to create a stage with you guys. I want to see how well LA sings.” She sang “comethru” in English—a collaboration track with Jeremy Zucker—-as the crowd sang along, with help from the lyrics projected behind her. Tapping into her experience in variety programming, her VCRs included entertaining skits about her journey to becoming a solo artist. The videos followed her travels to meet the “vocal, acting, and dancing masters” in preparation for her concert. A slight faux pas played out when she met the “cool” and tough-looking dance choreographer, who is Chuu but in a culturally appropriative costume. Outside of that one character, the others were played straight.
Coming back on stage in a new outfit, the eager “Hitchhiker” introduced a cute pixel video of her 8-bit character. Inspired by the world of Super Mario, the adventurous girl jumps and sprints through different trials and tribulations to get to her castle destination. The tour exclusive music video has not been released online, but it clearly had the highest budget of all her backgrounds. “Just a minute ago, I felt like we were in a forest. There were so many flowers that were blooming,” said Chuu in reference to her fanclub and its lightstick. “The stacked video wall portrayed me in a video game going through a very rough trip. Because my KKOTIs were here to cheer me on, I was able to make it to the end.”
Switching gears, Chuu displayed her artistic skills as ‘Chuu Ross,’ a play on Bob Ross. She asked the crowd what they thought about the masters that showed up in the VCR before. “The masters couldn’t make it since we couldn’t get them tickets,” she joked. During her fan Q&A segment, she drew her memories of visiting LA. “I’m going to draw LA’s first image: Disneyland, dancing, and excited Chuu. In 100 seconds.” Once she finished her third and final image, she requested to put in a rush print order of her special memories with LA as a present to all fans. With that, she surprised KKOTIs with a quick costume change into a Christmas outfit, topped with a Santa hat. Of course, everyone held their collective breath as they expected her to sing “Heart Attack” since the music video has a winter-inspired scene. Instead, her early Christmas gift was a jazzy rendition of “White Christmas”—not that anyone complained.
Approaching the last section of her concert, Chuu left the stage once again as the last VCR played onscreen. Fans cheered as they read her intimate letter and text conversation with her ‘little hero.’ Returning onstage in a purple, punk outfit, she jumped into a cover of Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” As the crowd-pleasing song ended, the snappy opening of “Heart Attack” sent KKOTIs and Orbits into a frenzy. Unfortunately, due to a sound issue, Chuu asked for the track to start over. This time, she coached the audience to learn her fan chant before transitioning back into the rock rendition of her debut song.
“Even though there was a mistake in the song, hearing everyone cheer and scream encouraged me. I honestly can’t believe I’m here in this place,” confessed Chuu. “I was nervous because today was the first concert. You guys gave me a lot of energy, it makes me feel like whatever I do in the future, I can do it confidently.”
“This year was a long year for me. I was feeling smaller and there was a time I was losing confidence,” she somberly reflected despite her usual joyous demeanor. “But I’m ok now! Today I made a beautiful, meaningful happy memory. I think I’m going to come back again soon.”
As a fan screamed, “Chuu can do it,” the bubbly singer beamed a vivid smile. “I really wanted to do a tour. I honestly worried a lot but the members really cheered me on, so here I am,” revealed Chuu. “The LOONA members are doing really well. Because there are only future days when Orbits and KKOTIs can be happy together.”
Before saying goodbye, the ex-LOONA member disclosed the words Orbits have desperately waited to hear: “Next time if there’s an opportunity, I want to do a special stage with our members.” Signing off at the end of her showcase, Chuu sang an encore remix of “Howl,” which included an extended outro so she could say goodbye. When the lights turned on, the dazzling lights reminded the crowd of Chuu’s words in her visual journal titled, “November 2023, Jiwoo’s Diary.”
Click on the photo below to view our photos from the concert:
Setlist
My Palace
Underwater
Comethru (cover)
Hitchhiker
White Christmas (cover)
Shake It Off (cover)
Heart Attack
Aliens
Encore:
Howl
