With the loud cheers, the waves of light, and the sound of music, you know that it is concert time. The minute the stadium’s light darkens to put focus on the stage, you know it is about to start. And when the first artist finally goes on stage, you know it is going to be a good time. The ‘Be You 2: A Tribute to the Elderly’ concert was certainly something to remember.
Be You 2 started with stories from our elderly kababayans who have children who have their own lives. It showed their side of the story, and the struggles they face such as difficulty in finding jobs, and not being able to see their children as often. Let this be a reminder to check up on our elderly relatives, you may never know, they might miss you and a chat or call will cheer up their days.
After this, Madam Pilita Corrales was the first to take the stage for the opening acts. She was still lively and even interacted with the audience many times. She kept saying that she felt like a ‘Korean superstar’ while performing as the energy of the audience was very infectious. Madam Pilita was such a dear to have on stage.
Ian Veneracion was the next performer, and while he sang he interacted with the crowd. He even carried a fan bridal style! (Mapapa-sana all ka nalang talaga). He was very charismatic while he sang. You can probably feel the kilig radiating off of the audience.
This was then followed by G22, a Filipino girl group that performed their songs and proved that Filipinos are world-class with their performances. There were four members and they all did their part nicely and definitely hyped the crowd.
The last opening act was Lady Pipay, who sang and danced. Her performance was mellow, in a sense that it gave you comfort while watching it. The highlight of her part were the aerial dances she did and various stunts.
After the opening acts, Xiumin started off the concert with a very emotional ‘Serenity’. Coupled with the blue lights and the galaxy backgrounds, it set the mood for the song. I could not stop my tears from falling when I heard the first two notes of the song as it was such a comfort song for me. If you guys want proof, feel free to send me a private chat. (Choz!)
After Serenity, Xiumin performed his lead single ‘Brand New’. It was an upbeat song coupled with the colored lights and backgrounds, that if it were not for the very emotional start I would probably be jumping and dancing about with Xiumin. (Pasensya na, I was still crying.)
Xiumin then checked up on the audience, before proceeding to perform yet another emotional song, ‘Love Letter’, a song he dedicated to the EXO-Ls. His final performance was an upbeat one, ‘Feedback’ which hyped the audience for the next performer. Bye Xiumin! EXO-Ls missed and will miss you a lot!
The next performer was Chen, who started off with yet another emotional song, ‘Last Scene’ which was from his new mini album under the same name. EXO-Ls sang their hearts out with Chen, and I was crying, yet again. (Sorry na mga bhie). His next song was ‘I Don’t Even Mind’, which was my personal favorite from his latest mini album. It had a different vibe from his other songs, but in a good way.
He then proceeded to check up on the audience, before performing his song ‘Shall we?’ from his second mini album, ‘Dear my dear’. Chen showcased his singing abilities in this album, proving that even if he is not singing the high notes, he is still a great singer nonetheless. His last song is arguably one of his most popular and most iconic, ‘Everytime’ which was a part of the official soundtrack of K-drama, ‘Descendants of the Sun’.
TVXQ was the next to perform after Chen, starting with ‘MAXIMUM’, from their album ‘Keep Your Head Down’. It was a strong and energetic song that really got the Cassiopeias, and the entire crowd itself, hyped. Their next song was just as lively, ‘Keep Your Head Down’, and at that moment TVXQ was the definition of “if you started high, go even higher!” (If you understood my reference, mga bhie, BFFs na tayo agad choz!)
Their next song was cute, which was ‘Dream’ from their album ‘Catch Me’. They were going around the stage and were interacting with fans.Their last song was one of their (if not the most) popular songs, ‘MIROTIC’. The crowd went wild for their performance, and every one was singing along and you can especially hear it during the ‘I got you under my skin’ part. (Or ako lang ba ‘yun mga beh?)
BoA was the final performer, starting off with ‘Better’, from her 10th album under the same name. She was so badass while performing that it was quite a whiplash when started singing ‘Only One’, from her seventh album under the same name, as she was all smiles while singing. She definitely knew how to sell herself on stage.
She then took a short break and talked to the crowd, saying that she was happy to see the lights. Whether it was from an Eribong, TVXQ lightstick, or hers, it did not matter. She was just happy to see the fans enjoying the show. Her next song was ‘Starry Night’, from her second mini album. She requested the fans to sing with her if they remember the song. And finally, she ended strong with ‘Forgive Me’, one of her latest songs and yet another badass performance ensued.
After all the performances, the headline performers — Xiumin, Chen, TVXQ, and BoA — took the stage once more and said their goodbyes. They all took a bow and finally the night of excitement has come to an end. The colorful lights turning off, and the exit being filled with people leaving.
How are you fellow EXO-Ls, Cassiopeias, and Jumping BoA’s? Is the PCD kicking in? I hope that you guys had fun as much as I did because truly it was a night to remember and an iconic one too, as two artists — TVXQ and BoA — had their first concerts here in Manila during this event. Let us hope that this is only the first, of many, many more concerts to come!
Written by: U1