[PHILIPPINES] Jessi Zoomed Into Our Hearts at Her First Concert in Manila

The night of September 30, 2022 was a night of many firsts. Korean-American artist Jessi landed on Philippine shores for the first time to hold her solo concert at the Mall of Asia Arena. Not only was this her first concert in the country — it was also her first solo concert in general, as she revealed at a press conference before the start of the show.

“I’ve had tours [before], but this is the first time that I have more than a thousand people [in attendance],” Jessi told the media. During the concert, the look of pure joy in her eyes was difficult to miss as she gazed at the multi-coloured fan lights of her beloved Jebbies stretching all the way to the fifth floor of the arena.

It was a night of many firsts, and it was surely a night to remember. Let’s look back at the highlights of Zoom in Manila and relive the concert that marked a milestone in Jessi’s nearly 18-year career.

Lights, Camera, Action, Baby

You could almost feel the Mall of Asia Arena shaking as soon as the countdown for the concert began. The show had been delayed for about an hour no thanks to Manila’s infamous rush-hour traffic, but for Jebbies, the wait is always worth it when it comes to Jessi.

Clad in sexy black latex, Jessi kicked off the concert with one of her biggest hits, What Type of X. She followed it through with a performance of Don’t Touch Me, the debut and only single of project group Refund Sisters, which Jessi was part of, along with Uhm Jung Hwa, Lee Hyo Ri, and Hwasa.

Not even 15 minutes into the show, Jessi was already holding back tears. “You guys know that this is my first concert ever, right? Thank you so much for being here,” she said to the crowd, as if it still had not sunk into her that she finally has a stage all to herself.

Jessi managed to keep her tears at bay with the help of her fans’ cheers and continued the show with hip-hop tracks Put It On Ya and Ganji. Before moving onto her next set of songs, Jessi made a special request to the crowd. “I know you Filipinos are known for being great singers, so sing along, okay?”

Of course, Filipino Jebbies were up for the challenge — the entire arena joined Jessi as she sang her heart out to Numb and Arrived, two of the few non-rap tracks in her discography. In a change of tempo, the arena instantly turned into a club when Jessi performed tracks Boing, Gucci, Who Dat B, and Down.

Known for her signature bluntness and tongue-in-cheek humour, Jessi admitted something before singing Gucci. “I’m so sick of this song already, guys,” she confessed jokingly, saying that she has performed the song more times than she can count. Gucci is the title track of her first mini-album Un2verse, released in 2017.

Jessi then performed fierce and sultry tracks Spirit Animal, Drip, and Wet to cap off the first part of the concert. She was joined on stage by the A-Team, a premier Filipino street dance group housed under independent label Careless Music.

Always Keeping It Real

Fierce, authentic, and unapologetic — these are some of the characteristics that have become almost synonymous with Jessi. Indeed, Zoom in Manila is nothing if not a no-holds-barred affair. From her unfiltered quips to her alluring outfits, Jessi was on a mission to be her true self.

“In Korea, I can’t wear things like this because it’s very conservative there,” she said, referring to her stage outfits for the night. “But at the end of the day, I’m 33, guys. I’m not gonna have this body forever. [It’s the] same with you guys. So wear what you want, live how the f*** you want.”

While it is true that Jessi has always been bold and daring, there are many layers to Jessi — some of which only came undone on the night of her concert.

During one of the talking segments of the show, Jessi admitted that life has not been easy for her lately. “Honestly, I’m going through a really hard time right now,” she said, “but I always tell myself: ‘You got this.’ So I need you guys to always remember that there will be battles in your life, but you got this, okay?”

It was undeniable that it took a lot of strength on Jessi’s part to share her troubles with her fans, especially those that concern her personal life. But a concert is not merely a celebration; it is also an avenue for artists to connect with their fans like never before, and Jessi did just that with her heartfelt words of encouragement.

The tears that Jessi had been trying to hold back since the start of the show finally came when she sang Star. She dedicated the track to everyone in attendance, saying, “This song is for you guys. Thank you for making my dreams come true.”

At that moment, the arena must have looked surreal from her point of view — the sea of people morphed into a constellation as Jebbies swung their phone flashlights and fan lights to the rhythm of the song.

That image made Star’s lyrics even more meaningful: “Every day I see the stars / Shining bright into my life / Oh yeah, oh yeah / Fought this battle on my own / Found my strength in love I feel / Everything I do is real for you, for you.”

A Dream Delayed Is Not a Dream Denied

The road that Jessi took to get to where she is right now was anything but easy. Although she debuted in 2005, it was not until she joined Unpretty Rapstar in 2015 that Jessi saw her career reach new heights. Since then, Jessi’s trajectory has gone nowhere but up.

“As a solo artist, this is the most tickets they’ve told me I’ve sold,” she shared during the beginning of the concert. “Thank you again so much for being here.”

Zoom in Manila had been a rollercoaster of emotions, but if there is one feeling that stood out from the rest, it would be pride. Jessi has made everyone incredibly proud — herself, her fans, and her loved ones.

This was evident in the surprise video played for her at the latter part of the show, where Filipino Jebbies, as well as Jessi’s friends and family, congratulated her on her first solo concert. The video made Jessi smile, laugh, cry, and above all, made her feel the love that everyone has for her.

After that emotional segment, Jessi took some time to gather herself before moving onto her last set of songs for the night. She closed out the concert with her viral hits Cold Blooded, NUNU NANA, and of course, the fan-favourite ZOOM.

As a treat to her beloved Jebbies, she performed Ssenunni for her encore, after which she went around the barricade to greet and take pictures with those in the standing zones.

Before she capped off her first solo concert, this is what Jessi said to her fans: “Not too long ago, I wanted to give up on everything. You guys made me realise what I truly love doing. I’ve been waiting for this moment for 18 years.”

It may have taken 18 years for Jessi to finally headline her very own arena show, but, as they say, it’s not about the destination — it is the journey that matters. We are sure that if little Ho Hyun Joo from New Jersey could see Jessi now, she would be beaming with pride. ❤️

The Seoul Story would like to thank Neuwave Events & Productions for the media invite! We hope to see Jessi in Manila again soon. 🙂

Check out more photos from the concert here.

Written by: Sai
Photos by: Shenny

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