Words and photos by Danica Lacson

South Korean singer-songwriter Eric Nam delivered an unforgettable TED Talk, we mean, concert, at the New Frontier Theater last January 10, captivating Nam Nation from all over the Philippines with his live performances, wit, humor, and personality.

EN Management, CJ E&M, and Onion Production brought ERIC NAM ASIA TOUR 2020 “BEFORE WE BEGIN” to the Philippine shore which marked Nam’s first solo concert in the country and the second stop of the Asia leg of his tour which kicked off in Taipei. And Nam Nation’s long-wait really paid off as the singer-songwriter treated the crowd with 100 percent of his energy, not withholding in giving the fans a one-for-the-books evening with all the surprises and treats he prepared.

Nam opened the show with a string of lively performances of his hit songs “Come Through”, “Runaway”, “Miss You”, and “Good For You”. It was a big party, with everyone singing along and moving to the beat of every track. Still, the night was also a witness to the versatility of the singer-songwriter as he smoothly moves from one genre to another, dazzling Nam Nation with songs such as “Cave Me In”, “Lose You”, “Potion”, “This Is Not A Love Song”, “Honestly”, “Idea Of You”, and “Hold Me”.

But it is not only his musicality that deserves the applause that evening as he also did not hold back in showing his dancing skills and his expertise in doing body rolls with his performances of “Don’t Call Me” and “You’re Sexy, I’m Sexy”. Completing the jam-packed setlist of the night are tracks from his latest album, Before We Begin, such as “Before We Begin”, “Love Die Young”, “Congratulations”, “How’m I Doing”, and “Wonder”, and his 2016 collaboration with Loco titled “Can’t Help Myself”.

It was a show like no other — filled with music and interactions that were made extra special by Nam Nation who reciprocated the energy of Nam with their love and support as exhibited by the fan projects they prepared for the singer-songwriter. The crowd put up banners, lighted up the venue with the colors of the Philippine flag, and waved yellow handkerchiefs up in the air. There were gifts too, filled with thoughts and warm regards for Nam.

And the sweetest treat? Nam Nation serenaded the singer-songwriter with “Pag-Ibig Na Kaya?”, the Filipino version of Nam and Cheeze’s duet “Perhaps Love” which was originally performed by HoWL for the Korean drama Princess Hours. Nam joined in, sweetly singing the song back to his fans.

“Thank you so much for coming. Thank you so much for all your gifts. I will not forget this. Manila, you are crazy,” he said, which he also echoed on his social media posts where he wrote, “Thank you, Manila, Nam Nation. You guys were FREAKING AMAZING. See you again soon!”

The hours may have been quick, but Eric Nam made sure everyone gets home with bountiful of unforgettable memories to look back to from his TED Talk a.k.a. concert. It was an evening of escape where everyone was simply on his or her feet, singing loud, dancing confidently, and having fun.

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ERIC NAM ASIA TOUR 2020 “BEFORE WE BEGIN” was presented by EN Management, CJ E&M, and Onion Production. Special thanks to Onion Production for the invites to the concert.