[PHILIPPINES] ‘Begin Again’ Marks the Comeback of K-Pop Concerts in Manila

Online concert live streams and music shows have been the go-to avenues for international fans as the borders and isolation guidelines made it impossible for any performance to take place in their respective countries, let alone for K-Pop idols to hold a concert in and out of Korea. But as mandates loosened, fans were bracing themselves for the day that their faves will be back to see and once again get the feel of what a concert crowd is all about.

Then after more than two years, old and new fans alike finally got the chance to experience the thrill of having their favorite idols perform in Manila. They were greeted by an announcement from CDM Entertainment that four of the most awaited K-Pop acts will be kicking off the series of K-related events in the country. Whether you missed it or you were a part of the happening, let’s relive the moment with some of the highlights of Begin Again KPOP Edition in Manila!

A Summer Dream with ALICE

Turns out that the freshness of ALICE is just what we needed to formally open the show. The seven members greeted the roaring crowd with This is Me, sporting their checkered school concept outfits of different colors. It has been a few years since they have been in the Philippines as they visited once as a five-membered girl group, ELRIS, during the K-pop World Music Festival 2019. They expressed how glad they are that they get to be in Manila once again and how the cheers of support have warmed their hearts.

The girls also performed We, First and their debut single Summer Dream which they stated fits the Philippines really well. A bit of fun and fanservice was prompted as a game was prepared for the members to take part in. Three rounds were played and Sohee, being one of the members who lost, had to do a Random Play Dance to BTS Dynamite and Red Velvet‘s Red Flavor (wherein the other members joined her).

ALICE proceeded to grace the fans with their power ballad Power of Love and No Big Deal, a track off their fourth mini-album. They have revealed that they’re in the process of releasing another mini-album soon so they hope they can come again to Manila in the future. The set ended on a high note as they performed Jackpot which is the title track of the EP of the same name.

The Playfulness of WEi

Even if it’s the group’s first time in the Philippines, WEi made sure to give their all from start to finish. After all, it has also been their first time hearing the concert cheers again as screaming wasn’t allowed yet in Korea when they held their local concert. Daehyeon, Yohan, Donghan, Yongha, Junseo, and Seokhwa greeted their Filipino fans with toned-down charisma as they sang their debut track, Twilight.

After performing All or Nothing, the boys also presented a but more fanservice as they played three rounds of the Alligator game. Various “punishments” were done by the losers, but it was definitely a win for everyone who was watching. Who doesn’t want to see them dance a bit of Monsta X‘s Love Killa and share a bit of cuteness with the crowd? Fun and games aside, WEi expressed their sincere thankfulness to the crowd they said that they’re grateful to have received such a warm welcome from those who attended.

Bye Bye Bye and the energetic Super Bumpy was next on the setlist before the members had to say their farewell. But of course, they didn’t leave the stage without vocalizing how they wished they’d have more chances to be back. Looks like the energy of the fans really left a mark on the boys of WEi.

Big Dreams and Big Thrills with NCT DREAM

Hearing the screams of the crowd as the sign for the next act appeared, one can’t help but feel goosebumps waiting for the five members of NCT Dream to position themselves on stage. The familiar hook of Hot Sauce then started playing and the crowd can be heard singing along to the words of the song. For those who don’t know, the Dreamies were the last K-Pop act to hold a concert in Manila before the pandemic took over, and at this moment, they’re also one of the first few to set foot on the Philippine stage as soon as circumstances allowed them to.

Making extra effort to show their Tagalog skills, Renjun, Jeno, Chenle, Jaemin and Jisung uttered phrases such as “Sobrang na-miss ko kayo (I missed you so much)” and “Masaya ako dahil sa Philippines (I’m happy because of the Philippines)”. Filipino fans were also the first ones to witness the performance of Dive Into You outside of Korea followed by their single Hello Future.

Before the Dreamies comeback the day after the concert, they’ve graced the audience with their then-latest release Glitch Mode before saying goodbye and thank you to those who cheered for them that night.

SHINee’s KEY Owns the Stage

It is indeed undeniable that whichever crowd Key faces or stage he steps on to, he has an alluring presence that will make you drawn to his whole persona. Opening his segment with Saturday Night, he has shown everyone his allure while performing. He greeted the fans and said that the last time he went to Manila, he promised that he would return. Now that the promise was kept, he hopes to go back again and perform in front of everyone as SHINee.

Key continued his set with Helium and This Life, which is a song he performed for the first time outside of his Keyland concerts in Korea. The song definitely set a memorable mood and atmosphere in the coliseum as the audience witnessed that even if four fandoms were present in the venue, good music still has the power to make them groove as one. On the lighter side, Key even shared a few TMIs (that he showered twice that day, he had an amazing omelet for lunch, and it takes two minutes to go from his hotel to the venue) and granted everyone’s wish for him to sing or dance a snippet of SHINee’s timeless songs such as Ring Ding Dong and Replay.

The concert ended with Key’s performance of his hit track, Bad Love. It may be short but it definitely made a lasting impression on fans as they were left wanting more of the concert feeling as they exit The Big Dome.

Check out more photos here.

The Seoul Story would like to thank CDM Entertainment for the invitation to cover this show.

Written by: Jackie
Photos by: Shenny

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