Category: Concert Reviews

Philippines IDs were in for another treat as B.I made his way back to the Philippines less than a year after his first fan meet!

South Korean rapper Kim Hanbin, more well-known by the stage name B.I, returned to Manila for an entire concert set, not falling short on performance and fan service. Pesented by Three Angles Production, the multi-talented, singer-songwriter, and producer held the B.I 2023 ASIA TOUR – L.O.L THE HIDDEN STAGE IN MANILA on March 5, 2023, in the PICC Plenary Hall.

SEE ALSO: B.I Gifts Fans with Memories to Remember for a Lifetime in Back-to-Back Fan Meetings

Proving once again his power as a soloist, the K-Pop star pulled in a full house of IDs with new songs in his arsenal and performed never-before-released tracks, some songs even performing for the Philippine crowd for the first time!

Here’s what we unpacked from the talented artist’s concert with his ever-loyal fans.

Make Me Go BTBT

Opening strong, B.I pulled an explosive start with his most famous and hard-hitting tracks. He performed “BTBT”, originally released as a single with DeVita and Soulja Boy, and was later included as the first track of his recent mini-album, Love or Loved Part 1, “Be I”, a notable track he released when he joined Show Me the Money 3, “One and Only”, a solo song released from the album Return by his former group iKON and “Waterfall”, from his first full album Waterfall marking his solo career. All the songs significantly highlighted his rapping and dancing skills.

During his ment, he teased the fans that the ENCORE for the latter part of the show is going to be based on the IDs reaction and energy throughout the evening. The fans showed off and started chanting the Philippines’ famous “walang uuwi!” tagline. Hanbin immediately understood that it meant the fans didn’t want him to go home, and the teasing continued when he responded, “You guys have to go home… but we can choose what time.”

You can tell that the rapper loves his fans and is truly concerned for them when he repeatedly reminds everyone that safety is important. He also constantly asks if everyone is okay, to which the IDs always respond with a resounding yes.

Continuing with his set list, he went on and sang “Alive + Flame”, and “Lover” all three songs plucked from his second mini album COSMOS and included “Illusion”, “Gray” and “Remember Me” from his WATERFALL album. He also included the song “Got It Like That” which became a famous TikTok dance trend and “Daydream” which featured LeeHi on the track, with which the fans sang along with.

Up Close with Tangerine

Literally getting up close with the fans and throwing out all security measures, B.I hopped off the stage and roamed around the venue to get closer to the fans, something an artist rarely does! While singing Tangerine, Hanbin slowly walked into the pathways and serenaded the crowd. Of course, the IDs are extremely excited about this and we can’t blame them for crowding him as he passes his way through, so Hanbin reminded everyone that he will make his way to the whole venue as long as the fans will let him pass. IDs immediately cleared the way and let everyone get a closer glimpse, a brief interaction, a short eye-to-eye, and all the kilig moments a fan could ask for as he continued to sing “Tangerine.” He followed the song with “NERD” originally featuring COLDE as he walked back to the stage.

He then sang “STAY” which featured Tablo from the album WATERFALL before going backstage for the second part of the set.

James Reid takes over The Hidden Stage

No one was prepared for what came next as B.I briefly took his break from the stage when none other than one of our own, James Reid, came into the show as a special guest! Undoubtedly loved by our own, the crowd went wild as he started his small portion of the evening with “u & i”, a song James released with CARELESS.

After the song, the duo greeted each other on stage and shared the story with the fans about how they met in a concert of ‘The Rose’ in South Korea. B.I shared that he made James promise to be a special guest at his concert if ever they come to the country, which he did!

During this interaction, they asked for suggestions from the fans about what street food they should both try together and James suggested our famous “balut” to which Hanbin said they should both try together. Hanbin cutely showed a little jealousy tease, saying the fans screamed louder when James came out. The Philippine IDs assured B.I that he’s the only one for them by cheering for him louder. A super cute interaction indeed!

Hanbin once again gave the floor to James Reid and the blonde, handsome Filipino singer/actor performed “spotlight”, a song from the album lovescene:.

A very cute VCR appeared after this that garnered some laughs from the fans towards the end of the video as Hanbin asked in the VCR if the crowd would like to join him “at the graduation party.” We have commonly known that PICC is a graduation ceremony location that even some Philippine IDs went to the venue in their toga! What a fun coincidence!

B.I appeared after wearing a sparkly black jacket and sang “illa illa”, “Endless Summer” and “Middle With You”, all three emitting summer vibes. He continued the concert with more songs, all B-Sides of his albums with “Keep Me Up”, “Numb”, and “Nineteen” (this part teasing the fans. with a see-through shirt), which led to a fan favorite, title track “Cosmos”. Inspired by the song, the fans started throwing their small confetti in the air whenever Hanbin sings the line, “You are my cosmos, 나의 우주야 (My universe)” before retreating backstage to prepare for the encore because it’s just too short to end the concert just like that!

EN-CORE Memory with B.I

B.I came out and sang “Then” before talking to the fans again. The artist spoke in Korean for the first time in the night as he’s been well-conversed in English the whole night. He thanked the fans for coming to the concert and thanked the staff, crew, and everyone who made the show possible. He took a picture with the fans after the ment to commemorate the night.

A surprise video appeared on screen and showcased one of the fan projects they prepared for Hanbin. Like their idol, who is also a producer, the IDs prepared, edited, shot, and PRODUCED the song playing in the video. Hanbin was holding his tears back in the middle of the video because of the touching message and the effort they put into him. When he turned around, another fan project was waiting for him as the Philippine IDs put a sticker on their flashlight phones and turned the crowd lights yellow.

After this, a touching performance of “Re-Birth” ensued, a song that signified Hanbin’s rebirth in the industry as a soloist.

Encore… For Real

To summon B.I for the encore, the fans needed to muster all they got and scream for him to come out, and as always, the Philippine crowd did not disappoint. Hanbin returned this energy and repeated some songs he already performed earlier in the show, but on a different scale, turning the venue upside down. It was literally a moment to let loose and let go when he sang “Flame.” The place went on fire when he started spitting his verses, so it was only appropriate when he threw water on the crowd along with his dancers.

He once again sang “Illusion” and gave his dancers a spotlight by singing “One and Only” also titled “Dotae”.

Making the night more special, B.I performed snippets of tracks for his unreleased album set for release in three to four months time. He made the fans promise that all the songs should not be released on social media, or he won’t return and Filo IDs kept this promise as no one in any form of social media has released or at least muted the videos uploaded. And you can tell Hanbin can’t get enough of fan interaction when he decided to once again roam around the PICC.

Finally, he performed an encore of “Cosmos” making it more special as he amped up for the last song of the night and thanked the fans a hundredth time that night, promising that he will return.
One of the best things at a concert, despite its ending, is something to look forward to, which Hanbin did not fall short of giving. With the unreleased tracks already hinting to be hit, (we can testify to this, they’re REALLY good), and B.I’s promise of releasing them very soon, we can expect another concert tour to give us another excuse to use the colorful BINBONG and collect more memories with the shining soloist Hanbin.

The night ended with VIP and Gold ticket holders with a photo op and goodbye session with Hanbin, (we have no idea how he still has energy at this point of the evening), who smiled and posed and greeted the fans warmly despite the interactions lasting only a few seconds. It sure will leave another core memory for the Philippine IDs, who’s always been two steps behind the multi-talented artist, who never failed to become a huge inspiration.

Words and Photos by Arielle Elep

---

B.I 2023 ASIA TOUR – L.O.L THE HIDDEN STAGE IN MANILA was presented by Three Angles Production. Special thanks to Three Angles Production for the invite.

Promise kept. Park Jinyoung met his Ahgases once again.

Continuing the tingi version of GOT7, the lead vocalist and the actor of the group Park Jinyoung held his first solo fan concert, 2023 PARK JINYOUNG FANCONCERT [RENDEZVOUS]: A Secret Meeting Between You and Me, on February 26, 2023, at the New Frontier Theater.

Being multi-talented, it’s no surprise that Jinyoung met and entertained his Ahgases with a night filled with surprises and performances. We dare to say that he provided one of the best fan experiences we’ve ever seen in the K-Pop world.

Here’s what went down with the heartthrob’s memorable night with the Ahgases, who never failed to paint the town green whenever a GOT7 member turn up on the Philippine shores.

Up close and Personal

A playful and confident Jinyoung greeted the media for a press conference ahead of his scheduled fan concert last Sunday. The questions highlighted the actor/musician’s career as a solo artist and as an actor and how he’s able to navigate both of them. He made some lighthearted digs with Kring Kim, who was hosting the press conference, further showcasing his charm.

When asked what things changed the most about himself in the past decade, Jinyoung replied that the way he spoke has changed. He mentioned he used to speak in a dialect, but now he speaks in a Seoul dialect. He also made a playful comment about how he got taller along with his muscles!

Jinyoung, who has played notable roles throughout the past ten years, was asked about his greatest challenges. Humbly and honestly speaking, the actor said that all of them looked simple in the beginning but they became challenging as he was building the character, so he found all the roles difficult to play. He’s currently filming “Witch” a webtoon-based drama and currently plays a character called “Dong-Jin.” Jinyoung expressed that the character is challenging as he had to put a lot of thought into playing it.

He was asked about his future acting goals when the subject of acting came up. As a growing actor, he stated that he wants to test all the parts and play on their many charms, as well as indicate that he wants to play a character his age. When asked if he had any seniors who he looked up to or admired, he cited the veteran actor Lee Byung-Hun, whom he respected and who was recently happy to meet.

As a multi-talented artist, Jinyoung also embarked on a solo music career like the rest of the GOT7 members. He jokingly voiced out that he liked that the preparation time is shorter compared to having all 7 members of GOT7 prepare together. But officially answering the question, despite the short preparation time, he found that being with the members is more enjoyable and he feels lonely at times without them. With a blossoming solo career comes the Rendevouz tour. When was if there were any rendezvous or encounters that he will never forget in his life, he answered having a concert with GOT7 and releasing an album after a long break and after the pandemic is something memorable for him. He said this kind of memory has hit his big, especially performing right in front of the fans.

Jinyoung was moved by the thought that despite the fact that GOT7 hasn’t toured in a while, the fans are still eagerly awaiting their arrival. The next time he performs, he wants to bring the GOT7 members along so they may join him and enjoy a joyful performance as a way of showing his appreciation to the fans.

When asked what are his plans for 2023, Jinyoung expressed he wanted to complete the fan meets first, the one in the Philippines and Taiwan successfully. He also wants to do his best with the current drama he’s filming until the end of shooting.

Toward the end of the press conference, he gave the fans a short message:

“I want to thank Philippines Ahgase for waiting for me for such a long time although I was not able to come here for a long time. To make up for the years that we have not met, I want to communicate with the fans by always showing new aspects of me. And thank you always, and I will most definitely come back.”

PARK JINYOUNG

One of the notable things about his answers is even though they are mostly about him, he is still able to squeeze in something about his group, GOT7, a true testament that even though they are all on their solo careers, the brotherhood still stands.

The Rendezvous

Jinyoung opened the fan meeting with the song “Coming Home” from JJ Project and his solo song “Cotton Candy”’ from his recently released album CHAPTER 0: WITH, which Jinyoung co-wrote and co-produced. He mentioned that he started creating the album around 2-3 years ago.

From the get-go, the concert felt familiar yet new as Jinyoung immediately connected with the fans. There were a lot of back-and-forth jabs and shouts of love between him and the Ahgases. When pointed to doing so many activities and asked how the people around him feel, he mentioned he doesn’t think about it that much as the fans are important and he is doing all the things he does for the fans.
A notable moment was when Kring Kim, the lovely host for the evening pointed out that the crowd in a section has caught Jinyoung’s attention a lot with their hyper energy and Jinyoung said, “THIS IS AHGASE”, solidifying his closeness with the fandom.

Park Jinyoung came home to PH Ahgases! The #GOT7 member opened #PARKJINYOUNGinMNL2023 fanconcert with JJ Project’s Coming Home and his solo song, Cotton Candy 💚@pulpliveworld pic.twitter.com/XtfKjzZrB9

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) February 26, 2023

Segment 1: Actor Park Jinyoung

This segment highlights Jinyoung’s acting roles over the years. On stage, four bears recorded his voice. The phrases recorded were keywords related to the time and drama that Jinyoung has accomplished previously.

The first bear said, “Aspiring Actor” which talked about “My Love Eun-dong”, in which he reminisced about the role when he was 22 years old. He played a middle school student, who is innocent and sweet. Jinyoung mentioned that playing the character helped shape who he is. The role made him realize that there are things that he can improve in and wanted to do better as an actor. He also re-enacted a moment where he tapped dance for the fans! A proud moment to be his fan isn’t it? There’s no better feeling than to see someone you already look up to, do even better than he doing all ready to make you prouder!

Jinyoung looked back on his role as Park Hyunsoo in the drama Beloved Eun-dong and showed a bit of his tap dancing!#PARKJINYOUNGinMNL2023 @pulpliveworld pic.twitter.com/nQo0mJs4yV

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) February 26, 2023

The second bear uttered, “Baby Prosecutor” for the drama, “The Devil Judge.” And in line with the character he played, he was asked what superpower he wants to have to which he answered “teleportation” so he can visit Ahgases more often.

The third bear surprisingly talked in Tagalog, “tumingin sa labas ng bintana”, which hinted at the movie “Christmas Carol” in which he played two roles, a challenging acting venture as both of the characters he played carried intense personalities. The actor mentioned that he learned a lot from playing such characters and at first, he doubted if he would be able to execute good acting for the movie but he found it enjoyable as he did it and learned a lot from the experience. Playing the characters made him realize that it can expand his acting skills and use them in the future.

The fourth bear uttered, “Cutie Person, Babi” was a hint at the second season of the TV show, Yumi’s Cells. He compared himself to Yoo Babi who he mentioned he jokingly had a similarity in terms of attitude: they’re both good guys. Some of the Ahgases teased him and said otherwise. Kring Kim read a quote from the writers of Yumi Cells that no one can do it better than Jinyoung and they won’t continue a third season if he wasn’t playing the character.

On the question of what Yumi’s Cells means to him, he mentioned that it was again the acting experience he learned from doing such characters and learned a lot from the seniors that he played the characters with. He expressed that these are little wisdom he picked up and wants to use in the future for other roles. I guess we can all expect more TV dramas and movies from Jinyoung and see more sides of him down the road!

Jinyoung’s role model in terms of acting: JAY B 🙌🏻

Jinyoung said he is honored to have had the opportunity to act alongside Jay B and asked the audience, “Have you watched Dream Knight?”

He also joked that Jay B is at the venue 😁#PARKJINYOUNGinMNL2023 @pulpliveworld pic.twitter.com/tzOsqVhFuj

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) February 26, 2023

Jinyoung’s Gift

One of the most exciting parts of the evening is when Jinyoung prepared a segment where he picked four fans from the lottery box that contained the seat and ticket numbers of fans from the VIP section! The lucky four fans will be going to the stage and will take a picture with Jinyoung using a polaroid camera! Midway through his ticket selection, the singer/actor realized that he will only spend a night with the Philippine Ahgases so he decided to pick another fan, which totals up to 5 lucky fans to get on stage and meet him up close and personal.

One of the notable fans that went up the stage has been a fan of Jinyoung since the beginning of his career, all the way back from JJ Project to GOT7. A well-deserved hug of the night (because yes, Jinyoung hugged ALL of the fans that went to the stage to meet him) was given to the lucky fan, surely gratitude for the continuous support she has given the talented Park Jinyoung.

From putting a towel on the skirted fans who he sat down next to, to endless posing requests and more hugs, plus an additional lucky fan just because the Ahgases requested one more lucky girl whose hands he took, it surely was an image of bliss and what those fanfiction moments we all just read about. Jinyoung looked comfortable and genuinely looked like he was having the time of his life himself.

Deserved! A Jinyoung fan since 2012 was one of the lucky fans to take a photo with the #GOT7 member on stage 💚#PARKJINYOUNGinMNL2023 @pulpliveworld pic.twitter.com/ZARv7tAIxM

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) February 26, 2023

Jinyoung’s Moments

The handsome man of the hour wanted to share more with the Ahgases of his precious memories by showing never-before-seen pictures. He shared pictures taken by his members (and he said these are special because he’s always the one who takes their pictures), a picture of him in a military uniform (that gathered protests around the theater because of a dread we all fear our male idols have to go through), a picture of him pre-debut—way before debuting in JJ project and memorizing lines and a picture from the location where they shot the photobook, “Hey Guys” all revealed from the syllables of “Jinyoung’s Moments” respectively.

When asked if there are ways how preserves all the pictures he took, Park Jinyoung answered that he does have a program that keeps all the pictures he’s taken over the years and mysteriously revealed that all of the pictures he got, including the members of GOT7, are there. He previously added that his phone is a “dangerous phone” because it has way too many secrets and most probably embarrassing pictures of the seven.

Jinyoung’s moments: JINYOUNG showed off a photo taken by Yugyeom! He said he loves this photo because it was taken by the #GOT7 maknae. #PARKJINYOUNGinMNL2023 @pulpliveworld pic.twitter.com/SaDYlM15j2

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) February 26, 2023

Message Board for Park Jinyoung

When you thought meeting the fans on stage was over, Jinyoung prepared another portion of the evening to meet his fans up close.

Before the fans entered the theater, they were asked to write small messages in post-its and placed them on a board. During this segment, Jinyoung carefully chose 6 messages from 6 fans and asked them to go up the stage for a gift!

Fans went a whole 360 degrees from the messages: from long heartfelt messages from fans to Ahgases putting stickers on the post-its, hard-hitting one-liners, to a fan asking him on a dance battle (he did do the dance battle!), it was not only fun for the fans who were lucky to go on stage but also to the rest of Ahgases who witnessed these glorious once in a lifetime meet and greets. It was a bonus that he gave them gifts, but to actually hug and even interact with THE Park Jinyoung was something else. The segment ensued various reactions from the crowd and Jinyoung himself as the fans on stage shone with the artist. He mentioned that the fans might be getting a euphoric kick but he’s the one who felt a huge wave of happiness from being able to give the fans happiness.

The second stop of the Rendevouz

While preparing for the second portion of the evening, Mr. Park Jinyoung showed his fans a special behind-the-scenes video of him recording music and doing a dance practice. He emerged wearing a bright blue fluffy sweater and greeted the fans once again.

When asked where did he get the passion and energy he showed in the video, he said that when he realized that people are waiting for him, it motivates him to just keep on going and going and do his best. I think it’s safe to say that the inspiration comes from both ways, Jinyoung and the Ahgases, and Jinyoung did not want to disappoint the fans.

That is why he prepared even more events through the night. He sang a “Happy Birthday” to the fans who were celebrating their birthdays in February and asked the fans who were specifically celebrating their birthdays that day to come up on stage! 6 fans in total were celebrating and even though there were only 3 gifts originally for this segment, Jinyoung insisted that they all come up to the stage and give the other 3 gifts, all signed by the man himself.

Special birthday song and handwritten messages for lucky fans who are celebrating their birthdays today 💚#PARKJINYOUNGinMNL2023 @pulpliveworld pic.twitter.com/zwRt2VOrRf

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) February 26, 2023

Just like the first two portions of the evening which included laughter, happiness, and funny moments with fans, this portion was not any different. What made this segment special though was the personalized birthday scrolls Jinyoung gave to the first 3 fans, with customized messages requested by the fans themselves. How lucky it is to meet your idol on your birthday and have him wish you the happiest birthday with gifts? Not everyone can share this experience!

To seal off the first part of the evening, (yes, that was only part one of the evening), he felt energized and felt like it was just the beginning of a concert. Jinyoung sang ballads to the fans that were included in his album Chapter 0: WTH. He passionately sang “Letter” and “Animal”, and beautifully at that.

He showed a video of his career progression right after and jumped on the stage with an energetic classic song he released with JJ Project, called “Bounce.” Of course, a GOT7 medley is a must for a GOT7 member so from the feel-good songs “A” to “Just Right”, and transitioning to the fast-paced “Hard Carry” to “You Calling my Name”, Jinyoung did not miss a beat. He was out of breath after the performance before the sweet fan project the Ahgases prepared.

THE GOT7 MEDLEY 🔥 Jinyoung performed a medley of GOT7 (and JJ Project) songs, including Bounce, A, Stop Stop It, Just Right, Hard Carry, You Calling My Name 💚#PARKJINYOUNGinMNL2023 @pulpliveworld pic.twitter.com/tRd49hthNj

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) February 26, 2023

Ahgases surprised the singer-actor with a fan video message. The 6-minute video featured fans speaking in different dialects of the country, taken from all across the Philippines, and heartwarming messages with clips of him and the rest of the GOT7 members playing in the video. The fans raised their banner while singing his song “Sleep Well” and you can tell that there were not enough words to describe the incredible love and effort the fans gave him. They commemorated the moment with a picture of the fans and Jinyoung and he was almost speechless after the dedication.

Jinyoung dedicated the pre-encore song to the members of GOT7 and to remember the happy memories he had with them which is titled, “Our Miracle.”

Encore

The encore is every bit as enjoyable and memorable as the rest of the fan meet as this time we get to see Jinyoung’s artistic side in music. He sang, “Sleep Well” and gave a message to the fans that he will be leaving for a long period, (literally choked up when he said this because we all know what this means) but thanked the fans anyway for waiting for him. The GOT7 member then mentioned that he wasn’t expecting that he’ll be standing in a fan meet without the rest of his members. Still, he expressed his delight to be able to stand on his own, sealing his successful solo artistry. He hopes that his performances and efforts can be a driving force to look forward to the next time Jinyoung and the fans meet again.

After this, he performed the song “Dive”, a 2021 single he released, and “Last Piece”, a GOT7 song from their album Breath of Love: Last Piece, and “NANANA” from the album GOT7. He dedicated the song “Home Run” to the group’s leader, Jay B.

It seemed like Park Jinyoung did not want to go home as he continued to talk to the fans and the Filo Ahgases chanting our ever-famous, “Walang uuwi!” as we certainly don’t want our idol to go home either. But all good things come to an end and Jinyoung sealed the night with the song “Encore” by GOT7.

Jinyoung thanked the fans for the hundredth time that night before saying goodbye and expresses his hope that when he comes back to the Philippines, it will be with all the members of GOT7. You can tell that the beloved group is more of a family than a bunch of friends in a band with the Ahgases always two steps behind wherever they go.

Indeed, GOT7 and the Ahgases are a sealed deal forever and we are all waiting for the moment that one day they do come back together, finally ending the tingi concert version saga of the group, and it will all finally feel like home.

“I hope you guys wait for me please. And I know I’m going to miss you so much. I’m going somewhere [for] a few years. But, I will be back.” – Jinyoung#PARKJINYOUNGinMNL2023 @pulpliveworld pic.twitter.com/KOQucBKXuk

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) February 26, 2023

Park Jinyoung’s Letter

“Hello, this is Park Jinyoung.
It’s already been 10 years since we have been together. I cannot express all the love that I have received so far but I wanted to show my love for you, in this letter, although it may be a bit short.
Last year, I participated in lots of projects including a show GOT7 project and a solo album. I was so happy spending busy days because you guys, my fans were with me in all those moments like always. I was able to have enjoyable and fulfilling experiences. We have so many differences including nationality and gender but we are connected as one and I can feel that we have the same hearts.
Although after this precious moment, we have a short goodbye, like always I will do my best wherever I am so that I can proudly meet my fans. I will wait for the day that we can meet again. I think that our faith and hearts can always be connected.
‘Till the next time we meet, please stay happy and hold healthy always.
Goodbye.”

PARK JINYOUNG

Words and photos by Arielle Elep

---

The 2023 PARK JINYOUNG FANCONCERT – RENDEZVOUS in Manila is presented by PULP Live World and Happee Hour.

ENHYPEN and ENGENE will stay together until the ultimate fate of the universe, and MANIFESTO in Manila bore witness to those beautiful moments.

The highly-awaited ENHYPEN WORLD TOUR ‘MANIFESTO’ in Manila finally became a reality with Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-ki creating history as the first K-Pop act to stage three consecutive sold-out shows at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The septet kicked off the historic Manila stop of their first world tour on February 3 with thousands of their devoted ENGENEs filling up the venue with echoing cheers and lighting up the arena with the bright lights of their lightsticks. That day also marked the first time that the K-Pop group held a solo concert in the country since their debut in 2020. It also signaled the end of their first world tour—which saw them sell out 22 shows in 12 cities in Asia and North America— and the beginning of what is to come for the new powerhouse of K-Pop.

Even prior to the start of the concert, the energy was indescribable with ENGENEs tirelessly pouring out cheers after cheers for the seven boys who have truly come a long way from the intense survival program that was I-Land to cementing their status as one of the top idols of their generation. And ENHYPEN—seven different boys connect to discover one another and grow together— has a long list of achievements to back up that status. They debuted with high anticipation which they lived up to as their debut mini-album, BORDER : DAY ONE, achieved the biggest first-week sales for a single album among K-Pop groups to debut the same year. They also became the youngest and fastest K-Pop group to enter the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 and the fastest K-Pop group to garner over one billion streams on Spotify.

Just as how they officially started their global domination in November 2020, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-ki launched MANIFESTO in Manila with “Intro: Walk the Line”, the opening track from BORDER : DAY ONE, “Given-Taken“, their debut song and the EP’s title track, and “Flicker”.

With Jungwon’s lead, ENHYPEN greeted Philippine ENGENEs with their signature introduction of “One, two, connect! Hello, we are ENHYPEN!” and welcomed them to MANIFESTO. The members then made their individual introductions.

Jake said they were overwhelmed that so many fans turned up to support their first solo concert in the country. MANIFESTO in Manila was initially set as a two-day concert, but the demand for tickets led to an additional show. More than 100,000 people participated in ticket selling. In addition, the Manila stop is the only stop in the boy group’s world tour with three shows.

Hello, Manila ENGENEs! We have been waiting so long for this moment. We are excited to meet you!

JUNGWON

They kept the momentum with performances of “Not for Sale”, “Let Me In (20 CUBE)”, and “TFW (That Feeling When)”. Along with the amazing stages put up by ENHYPEN, the ENGENEs’ incredible vigor, and unceasing cheers were equally impressive. ENGENEs’ wave of lights accentuated the splendor of the full-house arena even more.

Returning fans’ enthusiasm, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-ki ended the concert’s first set with “Upper Side Dreamin’” and “Mixed Up” from their first studio album, DIMENSION : DILEMMA and their second EP, BORDER : CARNIVAL, respectively.

The boys returned on stage with “Drunk-Dazed”, the lead single of BORDER : CARNIVAL, and the song that gave them their first-ever music show win. With cheers that grew louder and louder, Mall of Asia Arena witnessed a fired-up performance of “One in a Billion”, the boy group’s official soundtrack from Dark Moon: The Blood Altar webtoon. The fire kept on burning with “Fever” which was named one of the best K-Pop songs of 2021 by Marie Claire, NME, Time, and Spotify.

Following a short break that saw the members do a crowd-favorite sexy dance step and reenact Heeseung’s “One in a Billion” ending pose, the members returned on stage with “Attention, please!”. Love month really started lovely for ENGENEs. Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-ki got hearts racing in “Polaroid Love” where they went down the stage to be closer to their fans. Taking things slowly, they then serenaded with “Just A Little Bit”.

ENHYPEN expressed gratitude and admiration to their ENGENEs who sang along with them and made the concert more memorable. Jake then requested that they sing along together once again to “Polaroid Love”— a request that a Philippine concert crowd will never decline— and hence, a beautiful collaboration was once again born.

Making sure that nobody felt left out, the boys struck charming positions and established eye contact with the fans as they were being captured on video.

No summer can get any hotter than the energy at MANIFESTO in Manila with the second set of performances drawing to a close with “Tamed-Dashed”, the lead single of DIMENSION : DILEMMA which is ENHYPEN’s first album to earn a million certification from the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA)— a feat they will repeat with MANIFESTO : DAY 1 that led them to become double “Million-Sellers” in the shortest period of time in K-Pop history.

Clad in an all-white ensemble, the septet opened the final set of performances with “Blessed-Cursed”, followed by “Go Big or Go Home”. “Performing Go Big or Go Home was more fun with ENGENEs,” Ni-ki said.

As the concert drew closer to its ending, ENGENEs chanted “walang uuwi, walang uuwi” to which Heeseung jokingly responded with “Shall we spend the night together?” Then, one after the other, the members gave their heartfelt messages to their adoring fans. The members expressed their appreciation and relayed their happiness to be in that moment with the fans.

When I think about happiness, I will remember this moment. Thank you for showing me the meaning of happiness. Mahal kita!

JAKE

“I will never forget a single second of today. Thank you, everyone, for coming today. We love you so much! And for ENGENEs coming again tomorrow, let us make day two even more fun. Salamat po,” Heeseung said. Leader Jungwon also acknowledged the support of the fans that greatly contributed to the success of MANIFESTO in Manila. “We could not have done this without the support of ENGENEs. We will not forget today,” he said.

And for Jungwon who will be celebrating his birthday on February 9, the fans and the members sang him a birthday song. “Thank you very much. Salamat po,” he said, adding that today went by swiftly but he was happy. Additionally, he expressed his wish for the fans to feel the same joy and return home safely., ending it with mahal kita.

From getting to perform in such a big venue to being surrounded by ENGENEs’ lightsticks, every moment has been a blessing. We will not forget your endless and supportive cheers. We will always sing and perform for you, ENGENEs. Thank you and always love you. Mahal kita!

NI-KI

Jay added, “We have successfully been able to finish the Manila concert because of you, ENGENEs. This was our first show with Manila ENGENEs, so we were a little nervous and we want to put on our best performances. The hard work was worth it because the happiness we felt was even bigger. And it’s all because of you, guys. Thank you so much for coming! Thank you. Mahal kita!”

Jungwon assured fans that despite the concert coming to end, it also marks a beginning. He then led the greeting “This has been ENHYPEN!” to cue in their final song, “Future Perfect (Pass the MIC)”, from their latest album, MANIFESTO : DAY 1.

I hope you will always be our ENGENE today and forever.

JAKE

As ENHYPEN exited the stage in preparation for the encore performances, ENGENEs showed their support for the boys through their fan chants. The chants only became louder and louder, and the enthusiasm in the crowd showed no signs of waning.

Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-ki came back on stage for a performance of “ParadoXXX Invasion”. Always in awe of the superb energy and resounding cheers of the crowd, the members lauded ENGENEs for their undying support throughout the evening. “As long as we have ENGENEs to cheer for us, I think we can do this all night. Walang uuwi,” Sunoo remarked.

We felt again that ENGENE and ENHYPEN are one.

JAY

Individually, the boys said their final messages to the fans, starting with Jake. “Today was our first night in Manila— the first of our three-day concert. You guys are so amazing! I did not know why waited so long since our debut to come here. Thank you, guys, for being so amazing,” he said.

Jay added that the evening gave him a lot of memories to look back to. “Thank you, guys, for coming. I hope to see you next time too,” he said. Heeseung shared that, even from South Korea, they know how much their fans in the Philippines want to see them. He went on to promise to come back with new albums to create more opportunities to meet Philippine ENGENEs.

Jungwon relayed his appreciation for the chance to meet fans in different countries through their world tour. The leader of ENHYPEN added that among the places they’ve been to, the fans in the Philippines are the most passionate—a passion that the three-day, sold-out MANIFESTO in Manila highlighted more than ever as fans from all over the Philippines, and even the world, ENHYPEN, BELIFT LAB, and PULP Live World came together for a collaborative effort to bring to life an organized and well-thought concert for the fans who, as Ni-ki said, are the reason they are here.

Sunghoon, whose affinity to the Philippines dates back a decade through his career as a figure skater, shared that it was good to be back. He added that coming back brought back memories from that time. Still, compared to that time, he said he is happier now because he has his members and ENGENEs. “Listening to your cheers made me so happy,” he said.

Ni-ki echoed the gratitude of his members to the fans. He also promised to return with new music and asked fans to wait for his return, before ending his message with mahal kita. Sunoo was also thankful for those who came, remarking that the Manila stop marked the end of their first world tour. He said the crowd exceeded his expectations.

Last on their set list, ENHYPEN performed “Shout Out” with fans singing along, creating the most beautiful harmony with Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-ki. Confetti began to fall, creating a lovely scene as the boys stood on an elevated stage.

But the night did not end just yet. The boy group continued with an encore performance of “Let Me In (20 CUBE)”. “We’re not done yet, ENGENE. We’re not done,” Heeseung said, cueing “Go Big or Go Home” where the members once again came down on stage to come closer to the fans.

And ENGENEs were also not done yet, before saying goodbye to the boys, the fans held up banners and sang “Shout Out” for ENHYPEN who, at one point of the event, sang along with the fans. With hearts filled with gratitude, the members expressed their love to the fans with mahal kita.

Our tour is coming to an end. I swear to go, to be honest, today was one of the most energetic concerts in this tour. Thank you so much! Mahal kita!

JAY

Thank you, guys, so much for being here tonight. Tonight was one of the best nights I have had so far. I love you guys so much! Thank you, Manila!

JAKE

With a final bow, ENHYPEN closed the first night of MANIFESTO in Manila—”This has been ENHYPEN!” Still, the energy never died down with the members, until the very last second, saying “Sumigaw!“, “Mahal kita!“, and “Thank you so much!”.

One year and 10 months following their explosive debut, ENHYPEN began their highly-anticipated maiden world tour, ENHYPEN WORLD TOUR ‘MANIFESTO’ in September 2022 in Seoul and traveled to 12 cities in the United States, Japan, and Southeast Asia for 22 performances. The record-breaking K-Pop group solidified their powerhouse status with 19 sold-out shows and a new record set as the K-Pop group to hold a solo dome concert at Japan’s Kyocera Dome in the lowest time gap since debuting among post-2019 debut K-Pop groups.

Additionally, through MANIFESTO in Manila, ENHYPEN created another history as the first K-Pop act to hold three consecutive sold-out shows at the Mall of Asia Arena—a true testament to ENHYPEN’s influence in the worldwide K-Pop scene.

With the end of MANIFESTO, ENHYPEN reflected on their world tour saying, “Although our tour is coming to an end, our journey together as ENHYPEN and ENGENEs is just beginning. The seven of us have grown stronger as a group with the support of our ENGENEs. We promise to take your support to bring forth even better music and performances, so we hope you continue on this journey with us.”

And thus, with this end comes a new beginning and a promise to stay together until the ultimate fate of the universe.

Hello, MANILA! Let’s stay in this most beautiful moment together forever.
Thank you, MANILA! Let’s stay together forever in our universe.

ENHYPEN

---

ENHYPEN WORLD TOUR MANIFESTO IN MANILA was presented by PULP Live World and Happee Hour. Special thanks to PULP Live World and Happee Sy-Go for the invitation to the event.

The Rose came back, creating beautiful memories with Philippine Black Roses.

More than three years since their first solo concert in the Philippines, South Korean band The Rose returned to the local concert stage last January 14 at the Skydome, SM North EDSA with a new tour, new music, and new stories to share.

Woosung, Dojoon, Hajoon, and Jaehyeong staged Heal Together in Manila, performing in front of a full-house venue. Tickets to the concert were sold-out immediately following the opening of ticket sales. And indeed, the band’s growing popularity in the Philippines through the years has become evident with the successful conclusion of last Saturday’s show.

With resounding cheers from Philippine Black Roses, The Rose took on the stage with “~” and “Definition of ugly is” from their latest album, Heal, and “Insomnia” and “She’s in the Rain” from The Dawn album. They then closed their opening set with “Modern Life” from Woosung’s solo release, Moth.

The Rose meets their Black Roses tonight at the Skydome for #HealTogetherInManila 🌹@Threeanglespro pic.twitter.com/f5NtFmKLJJ

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) January 14, 2023

The Rose opens #HealTogetherInManila with their best hits including She’s In The Rain!@Threeanglespro pic.twitter.com/n2YOg1f6Qi

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) January 14, 2023

“It’s a perfect weather today. It’s a perfect day for you and us to enjoy,” Dojoon said during the ment where they individually introduced themselves and greeted Black Roses. The energy escalated as the band continued on their performances with “California”, “I Don’t Know You”, “Candy (so good)” from their earlier albums, Red, The Dawn, and Void, respectively. Fans, up on their feet and lightsticks up in the air, sang loud with the band in “Red”.

Awed with the crowd’s energy, the members expressed admiration and appreciation for the superb display of energy. Woosung then looked back on their seven years together as a band and relayed his gratitude to the fans for being with them through the ups and downs. “Salamat po,” he said. “We took a break for two years. Last year, we started again. We started touring. We have a new album called Heal,” he added.

Jaehyeong opened up about “having a hard time about two, three years ago” and how his members, music, and fans helped him during those times. “I always want to thank you,” he said. A VCR played with the members gathering together and opening up. With the end of the VCR and Jaehyeong’s words, “I happy I live through music”, The Rose sang “See-Saw” — which Jaehyeong wrote to share his story.

Bringing the nostalgia up a notch, the band performed “I.L.Y.” and “Sorry” from Void, with Woosung introducing “Sorry” as the song that started it all for them. They also sang “Childhood”, “Shift”, “Time”, “Yes”, and “Cure” from Heal and their single “Beauty and the Beast”.

“I am happy to live through music.” – Jaehyeong#HEALTogetherTourInManila #HealTogetherInManila @Threeanglespro pic.twitter.com/Iioe87xaBi

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) January 14, 2023

The Rose performs tracks from their latest album HEAL, including Childhood. #HEALTogetherTourInManila #HealTogetherInManila @Threeanglespro pic.twitter.com/91puueShQn

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) January 14, 2023

“Manila has a different energy!” – Dojoon
“Yes, hands down —the loudest city in Southeast Asia.” – Woosung

The Rose teams up with Black Roses for a high-energy #HealTogetherInManila tonight! @Threeanglespro pic.twitter.com/S7avLuDF73

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) January 14, 2023

“Thank you so much, Manila,” Woosung said as The Rose sings “Sour” to close their final set prior to the encore. One after the other, the members came back on stage for their final song “Black Rose”. With the song’s lyrics resonating emotionally at the Skydome and Woosung changing up the last lines to “Hello, Manila Black Roses. We ROSE you from the bottom of our hearts,” Woosung, Dojoon, Hajoon, and Jaehyeong closed Heal Together in Manila —loud cheers echoing with the promise of seeing each other again.

What a beautiful moment! Our hearts will be so sour without The Rose 🥹#HealTogetherInManila #HEALTogetherTourInManila @Threeanglespro pic.twitter.com/8drQVIsU7y

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) January 14, 2023

The Rose successfully wraps up their sold-put #HealTogetherInManila concert tonight with PH Black Roses!

Special thanks to @Threeanglespro pic.twitter.com/ijFgATPMgn

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) January 14, 2023

---

The Rose – HEAL TOGETHER World Tour in Manila is presented by Three Angles Production. Special thanks to Three Angles Production for the invitation.

When Jay Park said in his song, “Ain’t No Party Like an AOMG Party”, he meant it.

Stretching into a four-hour-long concert, AOMG artists, Simon Dominic, Loco, Gray, LeeHi, Yugyeom, and Woo showed nothing but the best experience for the fans to remember when they paved the way in the AOMG WORLD TOUR 2023 – FOLLOW THE MOVEMENT Asian leg in New Frontier Theater last January 15, 2023.

Thanks to PULP Live World, one of the leading Korean hip-hop and R&B record labels have finally landed on the Philippine shores, kicking off the new year right as one of the first shows in 2023 in the country. As the AOMG’s six multi-talented and versatile artists rocked the stage, the night went on a colorful genre performances switch: from hard-hitting, bouncy hip-hop beats to heartfelt ballads and slow R&B songs with intimate and hilarious interactions, here’s a recap on what AOMG brought to the table.

WOO, WOO, WOO!

Opening the concert strong with his signature black bennie look, one of Show Me the Money 6’s front runners, Woo Won Jae or more commonly known as WOO started his set with “R.I.P.” plucked directly from his 1st Album, BLACK OUT which is a bouncy hip-hop piece that made the crowd jump from the get-go. In another song from the same album, he did not let the crowd breathe when he transitioned to “Chik Chik Pok Pok”, originally featuring Jvcki Wai and SIMO (MA).

WOO proved that he belonged on that AOMG stage when he hit the crowd with the fast-paced “Chingiz Khan” showcasing his rap skills and squeezing in the song “Devil” originally with Code Kunst, the 3rd chapter of the music video SignHere. Closing in his powerful set albeit it being short, he showed his intimate side with the song “ME” from his latest EP comma, telling the crowd that he poured his soul into writing the song, with lyrics showing on the big screens so that fans can easily connect with the message he was trying to portray.

Despite being a last-minute addition to the line-up for the tour’s Asian leg, WOO showed beyond doubt that being an opener–which is usually a difficult task for any act–is a breezy work with his command and made the crowd have it with them repeating his name over and over like a chant.

Manila says Hi! To LeeHi

One of the most recognizable voices and known names in the Korean music industry, LeeHi opened her set and mellowed out the crowd with her most well-known songs that made you feel nostalgic and experience emotions, her usual effect on everyone who hears her music.

Starting with her most-listened and most popular song “ONLY” from her overall 4th full album 4 ONLY, a release that marked her boarding the AOMG family, LeeHi made the fans feel that they belong in the story by letting them sing the choruses. Continuing the mellow train singing “Breathe”, another familiar ballad from her album SEOULITE that she delivered flawlessly as if it came straight from the actual recorded song. These ballads reminded us that LeeHi remains one of the strongest vocalists in South Korea as she is simply accompanied by nothing but a simple stage, and still able to immediately seize the attention of every person in the venue.

Speeding the mood a bit, LeeHi sang “Savior”, another song from her 4 ONLY album and originally with B.I., a crowd favorite that made you dance a little, and digging into her old discographies, she officially pumped up the crowd with her song “Rose” from her 2013 album FIRST LOVE.

Bringing out some backup dancers signaling an upbeat set of tunes, LeeHi added “No One” and went way back to her first song, “1,2,3,4” to keep the fans energized while showing everyone that despite the only female act of the night, she can keep up with a fast-paced AOMG stage.

“You are our real thing right?” she asked the crowd, to which the fans answered with a resounding YES. The fans proved that all right when she asked them to chant “머리 어깨 무릎 발” for the song “H.S.K.T” and the fans did not miss a beat. LeeHi responded to the enthusiasm by impressively rapping the song’s featured artist Wonstein’s rap part, showing how much of a versatile artist she is. Capping her performances for the night, she danced to the retro-styled funky song “Red Lipstick”, originally with Yoonmirae, leading us into a complete full circle of mood from dulcet to upbeat.

Loco for Loco

If you’re into Korean hip-hop, it’s almost impossible to not have Loco in your playlist. As the original winner of the most recognized rap reality TV Korean show, Show Me the Money, Loco proved to be a household name in Korean hip-hop as he exhibited his talent on the Manila stage.

Starting his set with an explosive song titled “MBTI” a song produced by GRAY, Loco showed that he didn’t come to play and was serious. The fans matched his energy while he bounced with everyone and told the crowd, “You guys are so hot!”. He also shared that he visited the Philippines when he was young and he went to Cebu in his small talk with the crowd, while preparing to open a full-blown party portion of the evening.

Performing songs from his EP Summer Go Loco, “Party Band” and “OPPA” that made you feel like the summer came too early and it wasn’t too much when he sang “Too Much” from his only LP release, BLEACHED, originally featuring DEAN. Adding to the lineup of incredible songs, Loco showcased two songs in collaboration with Hwa Sa, which got us all ‘shipping’ the duo because of their chemistry. Said songs are called “Don’t” and “Somebody!”.

Rendering the usually confident rapper speechless, the Filipino fans surprised the artist by singing the song “Say Yes”, an OST for the popular Korean drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo after he shared that he heard that the song was popular in the country. As it has been a long time since he performed and recorded the song for the drama, he promised that he will practice the song to sing for the fans and immediately fulfilled his promise later when he came out to sing the song cutely in front of the fans with lyrics on hand.

In line with this, he tackled “It Takes Time”, the last song from his act before he shook the grounds with the next portion.

Immediately making the crowd jump up from their seats and dance, he performed “ON IT + BOSS”, a song from Show Me the Money 4, and “No Manners”. No manners indeed when he decided to set aside his jacket and went topless, sending the crowd into a frenzy. He topped that performance by spraying water to the crowd like how rockstars do, even hyping them and making sure that his act is not something you easily forget.

Who could forget Loco really, he led a whole generation of rappers when he took the crown for SMTM 1 and continued to have collaborations with the biggest artists in the industry like Baekhyun of EXO, Heize, Crush, and many more.

Get Colorful with GRAY

Another household name in the Korean Hip-Hop scene, the singer, rapper, and producer GRAY steered the fans to a colorful act, opening it with a song that goes back to his roots, “Dream Chase” from the album CALL ME GRAY. As if being transported to different times and places, GRAY showed us that he has a vibrant discography along with the hypnotizing visuals that accompanied on stage, which moved from the groovy, “Show Window” featuring pH-1 from his album grayground. to a slow R&B “TMI” and then jumping back up to a funky track of “Summer Night”.

“Kamusta ka?” GRAY greeted the fans, a fail-safe kilig factor for Filipino fans everywhere when the artist makes an extra effort to greet the crowd. GRAY then continued his show with “Close 2 U”, “Baby Don’t Cry” and “Make Love” three songs from the album grayground. and followed it with a synth-rich track “Moon Blue.” Being a skilled producer, GRAY gave the fans a treat when he played the melodica for the song “Lose Control”, which was most likely the inception of most of his creative and colorful tracks. Joining a handful of artists for the webtoon She is My Type, GRAY contributed to the series with the song “STAY THE NIGHT”. A serenade? GRAY got you. He slowed the mood for a moment when he sang “U”, another great track from his grayground. album.

Joining GRAY on stage, Loco once again came out on stage and performed “Just Do It” and “Late Night” completing the stage of the well-rounded artist that witnessed and expressed how energetic and welcoming the Filipinos are in one of his small talks with the fans.

Yugyeom in the sea of Green

Undoubtedly one of the most awaited acts of the night, the Aghases never failed to show up for all of the members of GOT7 including their maknae, raising their green-colored lightsticks before Yugyeom even stepped on stage for support. Reciprocating this act, he performed “I Want U Around” from his EP Point Of View: U, a slow R&B track that helps the audience find their groove in between the beats.

Following the same genre, he performed “Take You Down” and “Lights” both coming from his single release, Take You Down, and excited the fans, even more, when he approached them, closer than any fan would ever dream of. Coming out the third time and upping the atmosphere a bit, Loco came out to add his voice on stage with Yugyeom with the song “All About U” while the latter showed off his dance skills, proving to everyone that he’s still that incredible dancer we all love.

He continued his set with “Running Through the Rain” accompanied by GRAY who does the synths and instrumentals and GRAY sang the song “All Your Fault” next, hailing also from his EP Point of View: U and “Love the Way.”

Being a notorious but humble dancer, he let his backup dancers have their light under the spotlight, with solos and freestyle the crowd welcomed. After the two dancers had their style showcased, Yugyeom also showed off a bit of krumping and locking, all these talents under the song Chingiz Khan by WOO. We love a humble king!

Ending his set, he proudly sang his latest 2023 release, “PONYTAIL” featuring Sik-K, not missing a single step on the dance floor.

Yugyeom also reminisced on the previous times he was in the Philippines, from coming in as a GOT7 member or just a solo artist, he couldn’t help but still be in awe of the welcome he was getting. The appreciation was evident as towards the end of the whole show, he went down to the crowd and took a couple of selfies with his fans, signing paraphernalia and merchandise, to give them back the love they have been giving Yugyeom since Day 1.

SPELL HIS NAME. It’s Simon D-O-M-I-N-I-C oh oh!

Opening strong despite being the last act of the night and garnering the largest cheers from the venue yet, Simon Dominic manifested the phrase, “Save the best for last!” and showed that belongs to him.

The Filipino fans showed how impressively passionate they are when they can catch up with his single “DAx4” even though the chorus will get non-fans tongue-tied. No one in the room faltered that night so he then transitioned to one of his most famous tracks, “Simon Dominic” with fans spelling his name as a part of the lyrics regardless of it being released way back in 2015. He even garnered more cheers when he squeezed a “Magandang gabi po!” a phrase you rarely hear from international artists. This only showed his dedication to the fans, the same way fans are dedicated to him.

“This is my first time coming to Manila right?” he asked. “One of the things I’m surprised is… how crazy you guys are. So crazyyyyy!” he pointed out before letting the room bounce with the songs “POSE!”, “room type”, “ya ain’t gang”, and “GOTT” from his 2019 EP release, No Open Flames.

Giving a kilig factor to the fans, he said he’s looking for his “Wifey” from the crowd, a song that featured CAMO.

As he is one of the most prominent names in the K-hip-hop industry, he had a whole portion of all the best songs he was featured in. He sang “Baddest Nice Guys” a song originally he was featured on led by Jay Park and Krin, “NO THANKSXXX” with Epik High, MINO, and The Quiett, “At Night” and “make her dance” with Loco, who came out again to sing the song with him on stage and still keeping Jay Park’s spirit in the house, he performed “MOMMAE”.

Closing the set with a slow R&B song that was showcased originally in Show Me the Money 5, and bringing out GRAY who was featured in the song, Simon got comfortable with “Comfortable.”

Simon talked the most to fans that night with hilarious banters about the cheeky banner brought by a fan–which he could not get over the whole night and taking the piece of paper home, drawing a fan’s next tattoo, and telling everyone that as much as he would like to date the Magagandang Filipinas–meaning beautiful Filipinas–(another Filipino word he learned and played with MAGANDA FOREVER), he doesn’t like long-distance relationships or giving bottled water to fans who were thirsty, nearly tripping in the process, it’s hard to believe that it’s his first time interacting with the Filipino fans. A contradiction to the strong powerful rapper that he is, he showed that there’s more than meets the eye and despite the rapper image he has built over the years, he’s still that humble, approachable idol you feel close to.

The Avengers of Hip-Hop: Encore

The group closed the night with “119 Remix”, “UPSIDE DOWN”, “TTFU”, “Party for the Night”, “ON AIR”, “WE ARE” and, “WHO YOU” in evincing the power AOMG label has in all genres of music and how they’re not the people you mess with but the people you respect in the industry.

Follow the Movement in Manila was an all-out eye-candy event as well because the production did not fell short with the stage set and visualization that matched the bigger stages of KPOP.

It was a good chaotic last hour stretched as if all security measures were scratched. It showed that despite being giants in the scene, meeting fans and getting closer to them by going to different ticket tiers–like Loco and Simon Dominic running close to the Royalty area, just behind the VIP Standing tier–or LeeHi almost diving into the crowd desperately looking for a pen to sign an album a fan brought or Yugyeom going around the area for a selfie with whoever asks for it while GRAY and WOO take cameras from the crowd for a selfie is more important.

The passion the fans showed proved that they are the “real ones” as LeeHi kept on repeating the whole night when the whole venue did not fall short on any of the songs, noting that there are 6 artists who mostly sang the lyrics in Hangul.

The music transcended through space and geographical borders and making it yet again, another win for music in general as it’s unofficially declared as the universal language. And we may not know when is the next concert but we can hope that it should happen soon, wishing for a possible whole AOMG family line-up. We are incredibly glad that we witnessed a commanding set of talents and we await their next step in music as we follow the movement.

Words by Arielle Elep
Photos by Arielle Elep

---

AOMG World Tour 2023 – FOLLOW THE MOVEMENT in Manila was presented by PULP Live World and Happee Hour. Special thanks to PULP Live World for the invitation to the event.

Always a good memory with Super Junior — from Super Show 2, and now, Super Show 9 in Manila.

These days, it seems a K-Pop act is in the country every weekend. This wasn’t always the case. The road to K-Pop artists seeing the Philippines as a tour destination is long, and Super Junior, without question, paved the way.

Twelve years after they first brought Super Show 2 to Manila, the group returned to the SM Mall of Asia Arena for two days of Super Show 9: Road, taking their rightful throne as kings of the genre.

Super Junior led the pack of K-Pop groups that broke through mainstream Philippine media in the late 2000s. When virality was more novelty than the norm, their earworm of a track “Sorry, Sorry” was heard all over the world in 2009, thanks to a dance number by the famed Cebu Dancing Inmates. In 2012, members Siwon and Donghae became the first Korean ambassadors to endorse a local brand, and ELFs would make the trip to Guadalupe for a glimpse of their gigantic ad.

The chemistry between Super Junior and ELFs is unmatched. Super Junior are industry veterans, having debuted in 2005. The fandom has become veteran concert-goers as well. Since Super Show 2, all Super Show installments have come to the Philippines with the exception of Super Show 4 and 6. The crowd may seem laid-back, but as soon as the lights are off, these K-Pop titas and titos go wild.

The K-Pop royalty that they are, they fittingly opened the night donning Renaissance-era suits for “Burn the Floor”, “The Crown”, “Super”, and “Mr. Simple”. The setlist was divided into four thematic segments evoking a range of emotions, starting with dark and heavy tracks and ending with fun, upbeat dance themes. Old-time favorites like “Sorry, Sorry”, “Bonamana”, and “Mr. Simple” were of course on the list, as well as “Callin’” which was released this February.

Super Junior gave Filipino fans the privilege of being the first in the world to hear “Celebrate” and “White Love” from their freshly released The Road: Celebration album. The music video for the title track “Celebrate” was released just the day prior. Even with the announcement of the performance being short notice, ELFs came through with sapphire blue hand banners that will hopefully appear on the live performance video the label is putting together.

Widely recognized as among the funniest idols, Super Junior brought their comedic chops for a special segment where they dressed up head-to-toe as Classical composers competing to be recognized as the God of Music. After a wildly-entertaining video of them deep into their characters, they rose to the stage to perform operatic versions of “SPY”, “Rokkugo”, and “Mamacita”. Humor and banter have always been Super Junior’s most charming quality, and it shines through even on tape.

The stage layout was generous, and the group was an arm’s reach away from the standing and seated VIP sections. Donghae in particular took time to borrow a few phones for selfies and high-fived as many as he could on the extended stages.

This concert did not come without challenges. Super Show 9 was originally scheduled for August 6 this year but had to be postponed after the death of Eunhyuk’s father and Siwon’s CoViD-19 diagnosis. On the afternoon of the original date, Label SJ announced that the concert was postponed, but that the members still wanted to greet the fans. With utmost humility, the group stepped onstage to apologize to a tearful crowd. On that day, a promise was made: Super Junior will return at a better time, and ELFs will cheer for them as loud as they can.

For how melancholic the 2022 schedule became, this do-over turned it around. Promises were fulfilled on both ends. Eunhyuk confessed he was worried about how things would turn out and was apologetic about the concert cancellation. The audience responded with warm cheers of “it’s okay” and chants of his name.

This is their last Super Show for the year. They mused about how Filipino ELFs are Christmas presents to them, and how the show has become their early Christmas present for fans as well. By the end, a promise to come back soon was signed and sealed once again.

---

Super Show 9: Road in Manila is presented by PULP Live World and Happee Hour. Special thanks to PULP Live World and Happee Hour for the invite to the event.

Words by Mar

SEVENTEEN unlocks another milestone as the first K-Pop group to hold a solo concert at the world’s largest indoor arena with BE THE SUN in Bulacan!

With the unwavering support of their fans, South Korean boy group SEVENTEEN made history last December 17 as they officially becomes the first K-Pop group to hold a solo concert at the Philippine Arena, the world’s largest indoor arena, through their BE THE SUN in Bulacan concert.

BE THE SUN in Bulacan also marked the return of S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino to the Philippine concert stage a few months following the success of their two-night Be the Sun in Manila concerts at the SM Mall of Asia Arena last October. Like always, Carats welcomed the boys with the loudest cheers and the brightest lights, filling the Philippine Arena with the best energy.

SEE ALSO: SEVENTEEN Reunites with Carats in Back-to-Back “Be The Sun” in Manila Concerts

SEVENTEEN opened the historic BE THE SUN in Bulacan concert with a parade of strong performances of “HOT”, “March”, and “HIT”. With general leader S.Coups’ lead, the boys said hello to their Carats with their signature greeting of “Say the name, SEVENTEEN! Hi, we are SEVENTEEN!”

The members expressed amazement at seeing the full-house arena. “We told you we will be coming back — because of you,” Hoshi said. Seeing the thousands of Carats that came to meet them again, the performance unit leader remarked that it was good to have returned swiftly. DK added, “We were shocked that there are so many people here right now.”

Joshua thanked Carats for filling up the venue all the way to the top, saying they are the reason they came back to the country for another concert in a single year. “It feels so great to be back in the Philippines. It’s actually our first time coming to Bulacan so really, really excited about tonight. You guys filled up such a big arena. Thank you guys so much. Let’s have fun tonight,” he said.

Keeping the high energy going, SEVENTEEN performed their 2021 hit song “Rock with You” from their Attacca album before taking the stage unit by unit.

Joshua and Vernon kicked off the unit stages with “2 Minus 1”, while the performance unit, made up of Hoshi, Jun, The8, and Dino, mesmerized everyone with their moves in “Moonwalker” and “Wave”. The vocal unit, composed of Woozi, Jeonghan, Joshua, DK, and Seungkwan, filled the arena with their sweet vocals in “Come to Me” and “Imperfect Love”. The “Imperfect Love” stage also witnessed the beautiful moment of thousands of Carats at the Philippine Arena, singing together the song. Firing up the concert stage next, S.Coups, Wonwoo, Mingyu, and Vernon came together to deliver fired-up performances of the hip-hop unit’s “GAM3 BO1” and “Back It Up”.

And when everyone thought the unit stages are over, SEVENTEEN’s leader line S.Coups, Hoshi, and Woozi surprised the crowd with “CHEERS”. Deafening cheers echoed loudly with the unexpected addition to the setlist. Never beating the Philippine crowd-sing-the-song allegations, Carats surely made the leader line proud as they spit fire during S.Coups’ “Ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy, 아무도 못 따라 해 / Ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy, 이젠 우릴 따라 해” part.

Clad in red and white, the members came back on stage for group performances of “Mansae“, “Left & Right”, and the always iconic “Aju Nice”. Vernon also gave a short performance of LE SSERAFIM’s “Fearless” as part of the boys’ delightful skit pre-“Mansae“.

The crowd was on its feet with Carat bongs in hand, leaping along to the music with the greatest fervor and feeling every second, every moment of their beloved boys’ return — this time, to a larger arena.

After a brief intermission, they returned and looked as dapper as ever in black and silver costumes. They then performed their most recent hits, starting with “Shadow” and “Crush” in powerful and captivating stages before concluding the set with “_WORLD.”

We who are united will lighten the darkest paths and share the moments with everyone. We are about to begin our journey to become the SUN, to the place close to the SUN which no one ever conquered. We will become the brightest existence. We will not hold back anymore.

from a vcr played during the be the sun in bulacan

SEVENTEEN returned on stage for an encore performance of “Dar+ling”. The boys moved around the stage, approaching every corner of the stage to come closer to their Carats. They then sat down to deliver their ending messages one after the other.

The members became emotional as they express their gratitude for the undying love and unwavering support of their fans who filled the world’s largest indoor arena with the best energy and the loudest cheers. Joshua, who received an early birthday greeting from Filipino Carats, remarked, “We’re so happy to be back. It’s only been two months but we got here at such a bigger venue, so we are really thankful for that.” He also expressed gratitude for the birthday greeting, saying “You guys made another unforgettable memory for me. Thank you so much!”

Seungkwan also looked back on the journey of the boy group as he reminisces about their first-ever meeting with their Filipino Carats back in 2016. The boy group debuted on the Philippine concert stage with a two-day SEVENTEEN 1st Asia Tour 2016 Shining Diamond at The Theatre at Solaire, a 1,740-seater grand auditorium. Six years after, SEVENTEEN filled the Philippine Arena which has a maximum capacity of 55,000 in a span of a little over two months after filling up the SM Mall of Asia Arena with a two-day concert back in October.

A teary-eyed S.Coups promised that SEVENTEEN will meet their Carats again in a bigger venue and a cooler stage. “We will come back with a better show — much better than Be the Sun. Mahal ko kayo,” he said.

Aside from creating history with S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino that night, Carats made sure that the boys will look back on that historic night with the fondest memories as they gift them with a banner project and a serenade of “Campfire”.

Thank you for making this moment our happiest memory!

message on the banner raised during the fan project

SEVENTEEN then performed “Our Dawn is Hotter than Day”, “Snapshoot”, and “Aju Nice”. Philippines’ Superstar Dino and Carats once again collaborated for his iconic part in “Snapshoot”. Chosen fans also made the night more fun as they give their all in dancing to the song.

Still, a SEVENTEEN concert will never be complete without the seemingly never-ending “Aju Nice”. And when everyone thought BE THE SUN in Bulacan has ended, S.Coups led the run back to the stage for one last “Aju Nice” with Carats at the Philippine Arena.

“Today is a perfect day,” Hoshi said as the members gather for their final greeting — “Say the name, SEVENTEEN!”

Indeed, the name SEVENTEEN will live on in Philippine K-Pop history as the first K-Pop group to play a solo concert at the world’s largest indoor arena, the Philippine Arena, with BE THE SUN in Bulacan. It is a defining moment, an accomplishment that will never be forgotten. They have transformed into the brightest existence — in rose quartz and serenity — with the promise of returning with a bigger and better concert. SEVENTEEN will not hold back anymore.

Top K-Pop and local acts came together to give back and honor the elderly through a heartwarming tribute and impressive performances in Be You 2: The World Will Care.

Last December 8 and 9, Neuwave Events and Productions staged the second installment of its concert-for-a-cause, Be You, in two cities in the Philippines — Cebu and Metro Manila. The Be You 2: The World Will Care concert gathered top K-Pop acts BoA, TVXQ!’s Yunho and Changmin, and EXO’s Xiumin and Chen, as well as, Filipino acts Ms. Pilita Corrales, Ian Veneracion, Lady Pipay, Lukas Magallano (Cebu), and G22 (Manila) at the Mactan Newtown Open Grounds in Cebu and at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila.

The K-Pop stars described it as an honor to take part in Be You 2: The World Will Care and its advocacy and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to meet their Filipino fans through a meaningful event. The concert marked Xiumin and Chen’s first solo performances in the Philippines and their return to the concert stage following EXO Planet #5 – The EXplOration. For Yunho, Changmin, and BoA, the event served as their first concert in the Philippines.

Following a show in Cebu, Be You 2 concluded the two-night concert at The Big Dome. Heartwarming videos and stories honoring the lives and impacts of the senior members of society were played during the beginning of the concert before Asia’s Queen of Songs Pilita Corrales took the stage with her signature style and humor to perform her best hits, including “A Million Thanks to You”.

A group of lolo and lola joined the veteran singer on stage as Ian Veneracion serenades them with his renditions of “Handog” and “Don’t Know What to Say (Don’t Know What to Do)”. P-Pop girl group G22 showed The Big Dome their strong stage presence and powerful vocals and moves in their stages of “Takin’ Over” and “BANG”. Lady Pipay then impressed the crowd with her many talents, hyping the crowd with her dancing and singing, including Jennifer Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud”.

And the energy continues to escalate as the lights dim and the stage sets for the main acts of the evening. Emerging from the stage and welcomed by loud cheers, EXO’s Xiumin performed his solo songs “Brand New”, “Serenity”, “Love Letter”, and “Feedback”. The singer-actor expressed his delight to see EXO-L once again and added that it has been a while since their last meeting. “You’re the best, EXO-L,” he added, grinning widely as he moves towards the extended stage. Sending all his love to his dedicated fans, the EXO member made a heart sign for everyone together with a promise to come back with the rest of the members.

A love letter from XIUMIN has arrived! #BeYou2Manila @neuwave_events pic.twitter.com/cM3ImaoMMN

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) December 9, 2022

Also coming back to the Philippine concert stage after a long while and after he completed his military service, Chen blessed Manila that evening with his vocal prowess. The singer took the stage, serenading everyone at The Big Dome with “Last Scene”, “I Don’t Even Mind”, and “Shall We”. He got K-Pop and K-Drama fans wrapped in nostalgia with his last song that night, “Everytime”, his official soundtrack for the hit Korean drama Descendants of the Sun. And of course, a concert in the Philippines will never be complete without the crowd singing along. What a moment!

EXO’s CHEN performing “Everytime”, his OST for the “Descendants of the Sun” ❤️#BeYou2Manila @neuwave_events pic.twitter.com/bXxqDJZYEM

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) December 9, 2022

It took more than a decade, but it finally happened — TVXQ! has come! Yunho and Changmin captivated the crowd with their powerful stages of “Maximum”, “Keep Your Head Down”, and “Dream”. Truly legends, the duo dominated the concert stage with their impressive vocals, strong moves, and oozing stage presence. Loud cheers continue to envelope the coliseum — cheers that continue to get louder and louder as Yunho and Changmin performed their legendary and always iconic hit song, “Mirotic”. Indeed a performance to remember, a mixture of emotions filled crowd.

Can’t believe we finally saw TVXQ perform one of their legendary hits,“Mirotic”, live 🥹#BeYou2Manila @neuwave_events pic.twitter.com/BPP1CxPekI

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) December 9, 2022

Closing the night’s performances, the Queen of K-Pop, BoA, took the stage. The singer made her debut on the local concert stage with “Better”, “Only One”, “Starry Night”, and her newest single, “Forgive Me”. She relayed her apologies to have come to the Philippines late and promised to return for another performance in the country.

She has arrived! BoA performed her newest single, “Forgive Me”, at the #BeYou2Manila! @neuwave_events pic.twitter.com/8xNtAkmbZt

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) December 9, 2022

As Be You 2: The World Will Care draws to a close, BoA, TVXQ!’s Yunho and Changmin, and EXO’s Xiumin and Chen returned on stage to bid farewell to everyone who came at the Be You 2 concert. The K-Pop stars expressed their gratitude to everyone with thank yous and a bow. Chants of “SMTOWN” resonated in the venue, showing the fans’ desire to see them back on the Philippine concert stage for a bigger concert with other SMTOWN acts.

BoA, TVXQ’s Yunho and Changmin, and EXO’s Xiumin and Chen came together on stage to thank everyone for coming to #BeYou2Manila and bid goodbye with a promise to see each other again! @neuwave_events

The crowd chanted “SMTOWN”! Who wants an SMTOWN concert in Manila? 🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/m7oJnFBm9Y

— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) December 9, 2022

---

Be You 2: The World Will Care in Cebu and Manila was presented by Neuwave Events & Productions. Special thanks to Neuwave Events & Productions for the invite to the Manila show.

Wild spirits were unleashed as Lacuna Coil enthralled in their first solo show in the Philippines!

The Italian Masters of Symphonic Goth Metal, Lacuna Coil, made their return to the Manila stage last December 9 at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura. The band consists of Andrea Ferraro on vocals, Cristina Scabbia also on vocals, Diego Cavalotti on guitars, Marco Coti Zelati on bass, and Richard Meiz on drums. They were first seen here last 2016 as headliners of PULP SummerSlam XVI: Come Out & Play, together with Veil of Maya and Belphegor.

The CoViD-19 pandemic had a large impact on everyone, even on the music industry. Due to the threat of the virus and local restrictions, most bands during this period canceled touring. Paid gigs and performances came to a shocking halt. Now everyone is getting back on their feet. With the Italian goth metallers, Lacuna Coil has their fiery vengeance onstage.

Decked in white jumpsuits with faces covered in sinister-looking corpse paint (except for Scabbia and Ferro). The band was in such high spirits when they started rattling the roof of the music hall with their opening song “Blood, Tears and Dust” along with the roaring excitement from the metal crowd. They continue pummeling the night with “Reckless”, “Layers of Time” and “Our Truth” their middle set includes “The Ghost Woman and The Hunter XX” and one of their biggest hit “Heaven’s a Lie XX” both from their current album the re-engineered and deconstructed Comalies XX. The band ended their repertoire with a cover of the Depeche Mode song “Enjoy the Silence” before coming back for an onslaught of encore “Aeon XX”, “Tight Rope XX”, and “Swamped XX” all from Comalies XX.

The band ended the night on a positive note, chanting “We Fear Nothing!” as a way of motivating everyone to fight the pains and sorrows caused by the void left by the pandemic before starting their last song, “Nothing Stands in Our Way”.

This was my first time watching the band perform live and I was really in awe of their powerful performance. Scabbia’s emotive angelic-Esque singing was countered by Ferro’s devilish growls. Backed by Zelati, Cavalotti, and Meiz’s tight monstrous rhythm. Overall, the band’s exuberant vibrancy and dynamics make me want more.

“Rising from the Dark” is the title of their current tour in support of their latest release, Comalies XX. I could say both are timely from the world’s viewpoint. It’s like everyone is waking out from a coma — slowly healing, carefully rising, and emerging stronger from the pandemic.

Words by Kerwin Riego de Dios

---

Rising from the Dark 2022: Lacuna Coil Live in Manila was presented by PULP Live World. Special thanks to PULP Live World for the invite to the event.

The December air got sweeter as reel-to-real-life couple Nadech Kugimiya and Yaya Sperbund came to Manila to meet their fans for the first time!

Nadech and Yaya gathered followers from all around the Philippines and other countries, including Thai fans who traveled to the country to take part in the couple’s first fan meeting event in the Philippines together last December 4 at the New Frontier Theater.

The two Thai stars kicked off the night with a lovely duet of “Way Back into Love” from Music and Lyrics, a 2007 romantic comedy film. With the largest smiles, they conveyed their joy at finally seeing their followers during a fan meeting event. They then made certain that everyone in the crowd left with fond memories as they took the stage for their individual solo performances.

Nadech and Yaya also allowed the audience to get to know them better as individuals and as a pair. They gamely played games, answered fan questions, and granted wishes. They also bravely accepted the consequences, which included eating polvoron and Jollibee and doing a sexy dance.

The cheers resonated loudly throughout the New Frontier Theater, indicating the audience’s undying support and affection for the pair.

Nadech acknowledged the love with gratitude. “I just want to say thank you to all of you here. I’m so excited to be here and see our fans. I’ve been working a lot. I’ve been seeing so many fans in my country, but I never have the chance to see overseas fans. I think our Filipino fans are solid fans, I feel that strong bond. You guys, everyone here today…you guys present here, it means so much to us,” he said.

Meeting their local supporters was likewise considered an honor by Yaya. “It’s such an honor to be here and share this wonderful night with you guys. I hope you get to see each other more and more. Again, thank you so much for this amazing night. Maraming salamat!”

Yaya and the fans came together to give Nadech an early birthday celebration with a cake and a birthday song. The actor will turn 30 years old on December 17. Nadech and Yaya also arranged a fantastic surprise for their Filipino admirers, serenading them with a beautiful performance of Yeng Constantino’s “Ikaw” while dressed in Filipiniana and barong.

It was a fan meeting filled with wonderful memories for both the Thai stars and their followers as they enthusiastically reciprocated each other’s support.

---

The Nadech and Yaya 1st Meet & Live was presented by Neuwave Events & Productions. Special thanks to Neuwave Events & Productions for the invite to the event.

Pinoy rock bands dominated radio and television in the late 90s and early 2000s. At its forefront was a slew of female-fronted bands who lent their voices, words, and instruments to produce the anthems of a generation.

On November 26, Acel Bisa of Moonstar88, Hannah Romawac of Session Road, Aia de Leon of Imago, Barbie Almalbis of Barbie’s Cradle, and Lougee Basabas and Kitchie Nadal, both of Mojofly, came together for Tanaw, delivering a four-hour concert filled with emotion and nostalgia.

SEE ALSO: INTERVIEW: Pinoy Rock Queens On OPM, Coming Together for TANAW, and More

From Lunch to Launch

It started over a meal. On September 14, the ladies gathered for lunch and posted their photos online. Kitchie was absent as she’s based in Spain but was edited in the comments section. Fans were quick to send love and requests for a concert. Understandably so, seeing them all at one table is probably the 90’s kid equivalent of seeing The Avengers eat shawarma. Gabi Na Naman Productions then picked up and produced the concert.

Fans and Family

These rock icons grew up in the music circuit. Acel, the oldest in the line-up, started singing at 18. She’s currently 46. They now carry different last names and have transitioned from cool girls to cool moms. But even after several decades, their voices, instrument expertise, and stage presence remain phenomenal. And they look as youthful as they have in their heydays.

The artists have grown, and so have the fans. During the concert, Lougee joked about how the audience probably had to contact their parents to look after kids, and the reaction confirmed she hit the nail on the head. Over and over, the artists gushed about how unbelievable it was to go from venues like Mayric’s and Club Dredd to selling out the posh halls of Solaire.

The show was a family affair.

Acel’s parents came to watch because finally, there was no smoking or drinking, or cramped spaces. Her Dad is 91, her mom is 80, and it was their first time seeing Acel’s gig. Hannah introduced her daughter to the audience. Taking a cue from Hannah, Barbie had her two kids and husband come up. She pointed to a lot of family on their seats: her dad, her mother who turned older at midnight, mother-in-law who styled her for the occasion, future in-laws, and three brothers with a shout-out to youngest Mark who bought tickets to her show for the first time in her 25-year career. Lougee’s niece Sam ran up to hand her a poster filled with messages from Sam’s classmates and teachers.

The onstage crew was also family. Ali Alejandro is Mojofly’s drummer and Lougee’s husband, Karel Honasan who plays bass for Barbie is her in-law. Hannah’s brother, also a member of Session Road and an event staff, dashed to deliver tissue when she cried.

Top of the Bops

When a concert has Moonstar 88’s Sulat as the opener, you just know the rest of the night is going to be glorious. Acel’s set continued with One Love, her first project as a solo musician in 2008 after leaving Moonstar in 2004, and a rendition of Your Universe, a Rico Blanco-original she recorded as part of the Between Maybes movie soundtrack. As the first notes of Torete played, the crowd went ecstatic with recognition, and the venue needed no prompt to sing along.

Hannah was a ball of uncontainable energy as soon as she walked onstage. Leaving You and Blanko played back-to-back, with Hannah admitting that she was purposely delaying her speech to avoid the tears that came inevitably with talking. She shares that her ”why” for doing music has evolved. Now at 44, she’s giving music another go-to model bravery and showing her teenage daughter that she can chase her dreams regardless of age. Cool Off and Suntok sa Buwan rounded off the set.

In the video shown in-between acts, Aia said the best part of music is when it means something to people other than one’s self, that it’s beautiful when people sing an artist’s song to them. There was no lack of that for Aia as she sang Akap and Sundo. A funky cover of Spoliarium and Taralets kept the set fresh and fun.

Barbie brought her different eras: Torpe from her days as Hungry Young Poets, Tabing Ilog from Barbie’s Cradle, and soloist Barbie Almalbis with Say Goodbye. Hardcore guitarist Barbie also made an appearance with a Metallica Master of Puppets interlude.

Kitchie has been based in Spain for the past five years with her husband and son, but couldn’t pass on the opportunity to hold a concert with good friends. The Kitchie Nadal Medley is an essential addition to any karaoke session and watching it live felt like the holidays came just a bit early. Huwag na Huwag Mong Sasabihin was interspersed with Spanish translations, followed by Same Ground and Bulong.

The last solo of the evening went to Lougee, who played Rally, Tumatakbo, and Mata
Her dream of playing a drum duo with husband and drummer Ali Alejandro finally came true. She quipped, “Ang bilis ng panahon, kabanda ko lang yan noon, asawa ko na ngayon.”

Duets and Collaborations

Lougee recalled being a huge fan of Mojofly before becoming its vocalist and called on the band’s original vocalist Kitchie. Together they sang Kitchie’s favorite Mojofly track Another Day.

The duets continued with Hannah and Aia mashing Imago’s Rainsong with Sheryl Crow’s Strong Enough. Acel and Barbie performed Moonpools & Caterpillars’ Soon, with Acel on double duty on guitar and harmonica.

The night would not be complete without all six coming together as a mega group. Lougee, Kitchie, and Barbie were on guitars, with Barbie in charge of solos. The others switched up their instruments – Acel on keys, Aia on bass, and Hannah on drums.

Playing homage to Pinoy rock heavyweights, they played Sampaguita’s Nosi Balasi and Francis M’s Kaleidoscope World, followed by a heartfelt rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide. They exited for a moment before heeding requests for an encore with Rivermaya’s Panahon na Naman. By the end of it, they were met with rousing cheers and a standing ovation.

Thinking Back, Moving Forward

The women of Tanaw are sisters in music, motherhood, and faith. They speak of each other with fondness and admiration so warm it radiates. Hannah shared she was content with being a mother and an athlete and leaving music behind, but the rest showed her there was still something more for them.

These ladies are not stopping anytime soon, still releasing original tracks which they also performed at the concert. Acel’s Buhangin was released in April this year, while Barbie’s Days Are Long came out last year. Aia showcased Tao Lang which has yet to land on streaming platforms. Kitchie sang a song she did not mention the title of but notes it’s a life update of what has happened since the last time she was in a Gabi Na Naman gig where she announced her pregnancy.

With the concert done and dusted, the ladies have high hopes for the future – more songs, more collaborations, and more gigs together. Lougee put it best when she talked about her music journey, which likely encapsulates how it is for everyone else – it wasn’t a smooth journey, but true passion persists at the end of it all.

---

The TANAW concert was presented by GNN Entertainment Productions. Special thanks to GNN Entertainment Productions for the invitation to the press conference and event.

Epik High was here and we love love love it!

On November 30, Epik High performed a dynamic and explosively fun show at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City. Just a month ago, the Korean hip-hop trio was also part of the line-up for Hallyuween 2022. This time, the stage was solely theirs and the Filipino (High Skool) crowd enjoyed every minute of it.

“Epik High is here!”, Tablo announced before introducing themselves at the beginning of the show. Exactly as their tour and album title go, that declaration was precise yet meaningful. After capping off rounds of successful shows in North America, Seoul, Australia, and other parts of Asia, it was Manila’s turn to get the full Epik High Experience.

SEE ALSO: INTERVIEW: Epik High on their Career, Future Plans, and How They Wished to be Remembered

When the lights dimmed, the succinct “Here” followed by “Prequel” was enough to get the crowd going. To add to the fire the 2006 setlist staple “Fly” formally started the party. People were already waving their hands in the air, vibing hard to their music, and this energy continued to flow throughout the evening. The fierce “Rosario” and “Burj Khalifa” were met with roaring sing-alongs during the chorus.

“We stopped by about a month ago, but honestly, it was a little too short. We missed you very much. We’re happy to have you here all to ourselves. We don’t have to share you with anyone. We have your attention. You have ours. You have our love. Good to be back,” Tablo told the crowd.

Being in an Epik High concert was a unique experience. As much as their show inspired a spectacular hip-hop dance pit, it was also a comedy of epic (or epik) proportions. In the middle of performances, the trio pulled their own shenanigans onstage, poking fun at each other every chance they got.

In the middle of their set, Tablo revealed that they were playing a game with one simple rule: the last person to drink water gets to order the other two around. Having won the game, Tablo ordered Mithra Jin who is the maknae (or youngest) of the group to perform the K-pop ritual aegyo (wherein the person has to act cute).

DJ Tukutz was ordered to give the crowd “The Full Tukutz Experience” or “TKX” for short. He was more than willing to oblige as he showcased not only his skills as a DJ, but also as a rapper who doubles as a substitute vocalist, and his formidable breakdancing chops.

Epik High’s classic hits were also given their time in the limelight — “Love Love Love”, “One” and “Fan”, a combination that only served to amplify the audience’s energy.

The group also took their special time to thank the crowd with the additional effort of looking somber while a cheesy melancholic song was in the background (reminiscent of the kind you hear during a sad scene in a soap opera).

“We are very grateful for the beautiful night that you gave us tonight. We hope that we made you jump, we made you laugh, we made you smile. For just a little bit of time, we made you forget all the problems in your life. We hope that the memories we made together will last until we meet again,” Tablo said in between smiles, stifling his laughter. “Even though we can’t solve any of your problems, we hope that we helped a little bit. And I want you to know that you being here tonight helps us deal with our problems as well,” he continued this time, with a sincere tone.

The upbeat techno fury unleashed by “High Technology”, “New Beautiful” and “Don’t Hate Me” immediately dispelled the bittersweet mood.

—

It was my third time seeing Epik High live. The first was during their Parade Tour stop in Manila in 2015 and the second was during their set at Someday Theater Pleroma in Seoul in 2019. In all the shows I had attended, they had consistently made it a fun, fulfilling experience for every person in the crowd. It’s like attending a rave dance party where you just lose yourself in their beats, their music even if you don’t fully know every song that plays – which is quite frankly one of the best ways to enjoy a concert.

Their latest tour is the most enjoyable one so far. Maybe one reason for it is the band’s and the crowd’s renewed energy after being held back by the pandemic for almost three years. Surely, though, the new additions to Epik High’s repertoire from their two-part eponymous album “Epik High is Here” has given their music more color and layers. It’s admirable how Epik High has been in the Korean hip-hop/pop industry since 2003, yet they still manage to keep releasing fresh, innovative songs and collaborations with other artists. It’s even more amazing how they can keep performing with passion, energy, and humor during their live shows.

by Sandra Mae Laureano

Epik High – Epik High is Here Tour in Manila Setlist
Here
Prequel
Fly
Face ID
Rosario
In Self-defense
Burj Khalifa
Super Rare
Eternal Sunshine
BLEED
Love Love Love
One
Fan
High Technology
New Beautiful
Don’t Hate Me
NO THANKXXX
Born Hater

---

The Epik High is Here in Manila was presented by MakeItLive Asia and CK Star Entertainment. Special thanks to MakeItLive Asia for the invitation to the event.