[PHILIPPINES] ‘K-Pop Masterz’ TREASURE, BamBam, & Jackson Wang Pose a Triple Threat in Manila

A wave of blue and green swept the Mall of Asia Arena last July 29, 2022 as fans flocked to see TREASURE, BamBam, and Jackson Wang perform at the 2022 K-Pop Masterz in Manila. Hosted by the ever-charming Kring Kim, the joint concert was the first K-Pop event organised by PULP Live World since the pandemic began.

Let’s travel back in time and relive the three-hour K-Pop extravaganza that was 2022 K-Pop Masterz in Manila!

TREASURE Brings Their A-Game

2022 K-Pop Masterz in Manila marks TREASURE’s first ever overseas concert, so it was only fitting that the lovely and energetic boys were the first to grace the stage. Treasure Makers‘ (affectionately known as Teumes) booming cheers filled the sold-out arena as soon as the introduction video for the group started playing, and they only grew louder once the boys appeared on stage to perform JIKJIN and I LOVE YOU.

During the talking segment where the boys formally introduced themselves, Filipino Teumes sang Jaehyuk a belated happy birthday. Jaehyuk expressed gratitude for the crowd’s birthday greetings, saying, “Thank you very much for remembering my birthday. I’m very happy that Filipino Teumes got to greet me.” He turned 21 years old (by international reckoning) last July 23.

As it was TREASURE’s first time in the country, fans were curious about what comes to mind when they think of the Philippines. Yoshi shared that for him, the Philippines is almost synonymous with the sea because of its beautiful beaches like Boracay. Meanwhile, Junghwan took this chance to express his love for local mangoes: “Although we have mangoes in Korea, Philippine mangoes are special and different,” he said.

Following the short chat, the boys returned centre stage to flaunt their duality with back-to-back performances of MY TREASURE and MMM. TREASURE then went on to play “One Body, One Soul”, where all team members have to do the same pose for a particular word. Leading Team Mahal Kita (I love you) was Hyunsuk, while Jihoon was appointed as the leader of Team Gwapo (handsome).

However, the game ended in a tie, and they had to play ddakji to determine who would win. When a winner still failed to emerge after that, it became clear that the boys were losing on purpose so that all of them would win the prize — a dedicated photo time with their beloved Teumes.

Hyunsuk requested everyone to stand up before TREASURE capped off their set, and the crowd happily obliged as they danced away to BOY and a remix of DARARI. The boys thanked the arena for giving them a warm welcome during their first overseas performance. Flexing his Tagalog skills, Asahi promised, “Babalik ulit ako (I’ll come back soon).” Indeed, we’re all looking forward to TREASURE’s return to the Philippines, hopefully with members Yedam and Mashiho next time around!

BamBam Shows That He’s a Filipino at Heart

The light sticks in the arena switched from blue to green the minute the introduction video for BamBam began playing. The crowd, especially Ahgases, went wild when “Double B” himself finally appeared on stage clad in a dazzling get-up. He kicked off his jam-packed setlist with high-tempo tracks Wheels Up, Ride or Die, and Look So Fine.

“It feels really good to be back in Manila after 4 [sic] years,” he told the audience after introducing himself. The last time BamBam was in the country was during the Manila leg of GOT7’s Keep Spinning World Tour held on October 26, 2019 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

He shared that although he has been to the Philippines before, this trip was his favourite because he got to try a lot of different food. In addition, BamBam proudly showcased a fun Tagalog phrase he learnt recently: Tagay, shot puno! (Cheers to a full shot!)

It seemed like BamBam had the complete Filipino experience during his stay. The day before, he arrived late to his fansign event at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay because of Manila’s infamous rush-hour traffic.

His tweet about the incident went viral with the locals, whether they were K-Pop fans or not. BamBam also revealed that his new favourite nickname is Bangus (milkfish) because people have recently called him that. “It’s the best fish I’ve ever had in my life,” the soloist declared. “After I’ve tried it here in the Philippines, I now eat it every day. You guys can call me Bam-ngus (a wordplay on ‘BamBam’ and ‘bangus’).”

After that fun interview segment, BamBam serenaded the crowd with a cover of Ronnie Liang’s Ngiti, fulfilling his promise to Filipino Ahgases many years ago. He then performed a graceful dance number of Who Are You with a female dancer before raising the tempo once more with Pandora. Soon, BamBam told the audience that his set was unfortunately nearing its end.

“But before I say goodbye,” he said, “I want to introduce one of my friends. She came all the way from Korea just to cheer me on.” To everyone’s surprise and delight, Sandara Park went on stage and greeted the arena with a wide smile.

Sandara sang an acoustic version of 2NE1’s I Don’t Care, and, as expected, the crowd knew every lyric by heart. Speaking entirely in Tagalog, Sandara said she missed being on stage and felt very grateful to BamBam for letting her experience it again that night.

The labelmates then teamed up for BamBam’s last song, riBBon. BamBam assured Filipino Ahgases that he’ll return to the Philippines as soon as possible, whether as a soloist or with GOT7 — and if there’s one thing that we’re sure about him, it’s that he’s a man of his word.

Jackson Wang Proves That He’s a “Magic Man”

After his set, BamBam passed the baton to fellow GOT7 member Jackson Wang as the final act of the joint concert. Jackson opened his set by debuting his tracks Cruel and Blow on the big stage, mesmerising the crowd with his fierce expressions and sleek choreography. Both songs are pre-release singles from his upcoming full album, Magic Man, to be released on September 9.

After his opening performances, Jackson was joined on stage by MC Kring Kim for a short interview segment. Jackson shared that since it was his first time performing in the Philippines as a solo artist, he was thrilled to have the chance to show a different side of himself. When asked about what he remembers of his previous trips to the country, Jackson replied: “The [Filipino fans’] passion is just on another level. When they cheer for you, you know they mean it.”

MC Kring Kim then asked if he had other memorable overseas concerts. Coming off as a TMI, Jackson revealed a funny story about his Coachella performance earlier this year. “I was at Coachella last April, and I was so nervous that I forgot to spit out my gum. During my whole set, it was still in my mouth,” he admitted, earning laughs from all around the arena.

Before this confession, this gum fiasco became a topic of debate among Ahgases, with some speculating that it was all part of the concept Jackson was going for. Now that the record has been set straight, it’s safe to say that we’ll never look at gum the same way again, thanks to Jackson.

On a more serious note, Jackson also shared his interest in the film industry when asked if he had any plans to get into acting. “I have a lot of respect for the film industry, so I try my best to familiarise myself with it,” the soloist said, adding that he’s open to branching out into acting if the opportunity comes.

Jackson has been very hands-on in directing and producing his music videos, and the results have been spectacular. If those indicate what he has to offer the film industry, then we’re sure he’ll carve a niche for himself in that field in no time.

Jackson shared an exclusive sneak peek into his upcoming Magic Man album by performing two unreleased songs as a treat to fans before capping off his time on stage with his funky 2020 single, 100 Ways.

After three artists, three hours, and countless memories made, 2022 K-Pop Masters in Manila finally came to a close. This one-of-a-kind joint concert was indeed one for the books, and we’re certain that the Teumes and Ahgases who were present that night came home with their hearts full to the brim. ❤️

The Seoul Story would like to thank PULP Live World for extending us a media invitation! We hope to see TREASURE, BamBam, and Jackson Wang back in Manila soon! 😉

Written by: Sai
Photos by: Tricia

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