By Alessandra Schade for Paper Magazine 

K-Pop hitmaker KANGDANIEL has hit the States for his ‘First Parade’ World Tour, playing nine venues across the United States and Canada. His heartfelt performance at Webster Hall on March 3 marked his first appearance in New York City (and on US soil).

KANGDANIEL, the South Korean singer-songwriter whose pop songs like “PARANOIA” and “Waves (feat. Simon Dominic & Jamie)” toppled charts over the pandemic, is one of the best-selling solo male artists in the K-Pop landscape today. Formerly a member of the now-defunct boy group Wanna One, KANGDANIEL debuted as a solo artist in 2019 with breakout EP color on me.

With the help of his loyal fans the Danitys, he’s quickly ascended to stardom, breaking the Guinness World Record in 2019 for the “fastest time to gain one million followers on Instagram,” a record previously held by Pope Francis. Joining the social media platform on New Year’s Day, the then-22-year-old pop artist hit the million mark in less than 12 hours.

The long-awaited tour, which started in Asia before making its way to Europe and North America, follows the successful release of his repackaged first full-length album The Story: RETOLD.

From his cult-like popularity in fashion, music and social media to his highly-anticipated tour that wrapped up last week, the young heartthrob gave ​Paper Magazine​ a behind-the-scenes look at tour life with an exclusive photo diary.

Check exclusive PHOTO DIARY on papermag.com