Written by Reginah Mae Reyes
Just as they promised, stepping into the K-Verse is absolutely one of the best and most exciting experiences a K-Pop fan could ever have. Featuring aespa, The Boyz and Taeyeon, K-Verse PH left a lasting impact at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on the 11th of April.
The performers had the crowd mesmerized over a two-hour-long of fan interactions and live performances, including their latest songs and a few fan favorites. Each of them showcased their distinctive colors with their impressive stages, ranging from energetic and upbeat dance tunes to heartfelt and sentimental ballads.
Here are some of the highlights of what transpired during the K-Verse PH concert day:
Prelude to Concert
Early in the morning and hours before the start of the event, fans from different parts of the country, as well as international fans, began to arrive at the venue proximity.
They were treated with various fan support projects to enjoy pre-show from the local fanbase and sponsors. Long lines could be seen from the cup sleeve events, individual members and groups’ lamp post banners near the area, fan project banners being distributed, free ice cream and drinks, and the traditional giving out of freebies such as snacks, photocards, stickers, keychain, banner, and even official merchandise.
Fans also lined up to claim their exclusive benefit, which is the K-Verse Kit, for all ticket holders. The K-Verse Kit consists of a transparent bag, event poster, souvenir card, stickers, keychain, and a general admission ticket to the upcoming Hallyu Market on the 30th of April at the SMX Convention Center.
The crowd rushed in as soon as the gates opened, cheering and singing loudly whenever their favorite performer’s songs were being played inside the venue. Hosts Denise Laurel and Kyungmin Kim greeted the crowd first and made sure everyone is hyped up for the performers.
Aespa’s debut in PH concert scene
After much anticipation by the local fans, aespa finally performed their hit tracks on the Philippine concert scene for the first time ever since their debut in 2020.
The rising quartet girl group from SM Entertainment consisting of members Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning kicked off the stage with their debut single “Black Mamba,” followed by “Illusion” from their first Ep album. The venue was filled with boundless energy alongside the loud cheers and chants from the crowd.
The members took turns introducing themselves. Karina said that it was their first time in Manila and that they really wanted to come here. She also wanted to go to Boracay as she loves swimming. Winter, on the other hand, said that they really wanted to see Filo MYs and that they hope everyone would enjoy and burn the night as hot as the weather.
When asked about what Filipino food they wanted to try, Giselle answered that her Filipino friend told her many things about Adobo and she’s been wanting to try one. Ningning also had fruits and coconut milk and said it’s really delicious.
For the next set of songs, aespa performed their first song in full English which is “Life’s Too Short” and a side track “Lingo” from their latest album. This time around, the girls graced the extended stage bringing with their bouts of joyous shouts and cheers.
The crowd also did not forget to sing and greet Karina who is celebrating her birthday on the day of the concert. They also give hints about the next comeback’s concept and did it with facial expressions and gestures. It looks like it was something SPICY. We all can’t wait for their next comeback because we know it is another hit track.
As they approached the last two songs on their setlist, they all feel sad that they only have little time with Filo MYs so they wanted to come back for a solo tour next time.
The girls performed two of their most popular title tracks for their ending setlist. First is “Savage” with the loudest “My Naevis, we love you” chant, and then “Next Level” which had the fans dancing to the iconic choreography.
It is evident that aside from their exceptional vocals, Filo MYs can’t also help but gush over aespa’s visuals. We won’t blame them because we got Blonde Karina, Wintears, Ningning in black mid-length hair with blue highlights, and Giselle who has the best eye makeup ever!
The Boyz is back
The Boyz opened their stage with their latest title track “Roar,” gaining cheers louder and even echoing throughout the whole venue. These boyz are undeniably born to be performers with their synchronized dance moves and amazing vocals.
The Boyz consisting of members Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, New, Q, Haknyeon, Sunwoo, and Eric were greeted by the crowd with loud cheers. It has been 4 years since they performed in Manila and it still feels like the first time for Filo TheBs. Excitement could be seen from how they sing to the songs they are performing. They also made sure each member would be given equal hype as they introduce themselves.
They said that it has been a while and they really missed their Filo TheBs. They were all so happy to be back and to perform in Manila again. Some of them also showed what Tagalog terms they learned and can still remember. Kevin even greeted the crowd in full Tagalog sentence, “Magandang gabi po, masaya ako na makita kayong muli.”
For the next set of songs, The Boyz performed two of their title track, “Maverick” and “Stealer” which both gains massive cheers from the crowd. These two songs have an awesome stage, from the choreography to their dynamic stage presence. To top it all off, the performances were utterly eargasmic.
The night would not be over without TheBs and the whole crowd singing happy birthday both in Korean and English to member Sunwoo, who is celebrating his birthday on the 12th of April.
The next song they performed was “Salty,” a track from their first album. They showed us another perfectly synchronized dance moves.
While as soon as “Dancing Till We Drop” was played, The Boyz members made sure all their fans would get the fan service they deserve. They did their best to interact with TheBs as much as they could.
Absolutely never a dull moment with The Boyz with their exciting stages and playful ments. Eric even told the crowd to “Stan The Boyz before it is too late” and that “All you guys here are gonna be TheB from now on.” We love a confident man who is not just talented but also good at promoting the group.
They also thanked all the TheBs who attended the concert and even spoiled something that they might be coming back to the Philippines again soon. Then proceed with their last song, “Thrill Ride” which is obviously the crowd’s favorite due to the groovy beats of the upbeat tune.
The Boyz truly performed well with their hit tracks, not forgetting to add a good dash of fanservice for Filo TheBs. A stage with all eleven of them combined with great choreography and vocals indeed left a strong impact on the audience.
Taeyeon, PH SONEs’ Beshy
With a simple stage setup and a microphone stand in the middle, placing focus on her beautiful voice, Taeyeon opened her setlist with her solo debut title track “I,” as the crowd sang line after line in sync with the songstress. Followed by “Toddler,” a track from her latest album.
The whole venue was filled with echoing cheers for Korea’s national girl group, Girls’ Generation leader and soloist, Taeyeon, as soon as she entered the stage. It’s been almost 5 years since the last time she has been in Manila for her solo concert tour.
Taeyeon smiled happily as she walked to the extended stage to greet the Filo SONEs. She was so happy to be back in Manila after years. Filo SONEs also reminded her of her nickname “BESHY” which she got from her solo concert tour in Manila in 2018.
Next on her setlist are “Set Myself On Fire” another track from her latest album and her single track “Four Seasons.” Taeyeon is well-known for her strong vocals, and she did not fail to prove it every time.
Taeyeon also showed how she does fanservices. She got the banner with words written “PH SONE, I’M BACK,” as she shook the hand of the lucky fan to thank her. She also said ‘I love you’ to PH SONEs both in English and Tagalog.
Aside from this, she also spoiled something for the SONEs. She told everyone that she is actually preparing for a solo concert tour again and that she promised to be back in Manila.
As the concert slowly approached the end, Taeyeon also gave the crowd a mesmerizing performance of “What Do I Call You” from her 4th mini album and “INVU,” the title track of her latest album of the same title and the crowd’s favorite.
She effortlessly and flawlessly nailed all the high notes, leaving the crowd in awe of her incredible vocal prowess.
The Ultimate Pop Universe Experience
We were all aware of the three performers’ outstanding talents and performances throughout the show. It is also worth taking note of how smoothly the concert flow went.
The amount of audience who went to the show on a weekday during a non-holiday period was a wonderful surprise, and the deafening cheers surely enhanced the atmosphere.
The crowd’s energy is also a big part of what makes the show fun and enjoyable. Filo fans demonstrated that they had what it took to rock the place with their passion. As soon as the venue was filled with cheers and lights from each performer’s fandom lightstick, we knew it will be an unforgettable sight. They were excellent at singing along to any song. They gave their best to cheer from the beginning till the end.
The energy was also incredibly high throughout the two-hour show and it is because Aespa, The Boyz, and Taeyeon are natural performers. K-Verse PH and the performers truly left us with only wonderful memories of an amazing show.
The Ultimate Pop Universe: K-Verse PH is presented by MakeItLive Asia. Thank you so much for inviting us.