CONCERT RECAP: SHINee’s Key, NCT DREAM, WEi, & ALICE For “Begin Again: KPOP Edition” In Manila
The long wait was over for Filipino fans as four talented K-Pop acts graced the Philippine stage with their amazing performances.
Filipino fans filled the Smart Araneta Coliseum with thunderous cheers and passionate energy on May 29 as Begin Again: KPOP Edition marked the country’s first live K-Pop show since the COVID-19 lockdown.
Presented by CDM Entertainment, in partnership with BRODYWORKS, Begin Again: KPOP Edition brought in a star-studded lineup of performers, namely, SHINee’s Key, NCT DREAM, WEi, and ALICE. These artists met their beloved fans face to face, after years of purely online interactions.
A lovely start from ALICE
Appearing with their stylish uniform ensembles, charming girl group ALICE, formerly known as ELRIS, kicked off the show with their lively and dream-like performances.
For the starter, they performed some of their well-loved tracks, including “This Is Me,” “We, First,” “Summer Dream,” “No Big Deal,” and “Jackpot.”
In addition, the girls checked their luck for the day by playing the famous pirate game. The losing members faced various penalties, including doing random play dances, saying “I Love You” in cute and sexy versions, and showing different kinds of hearts to show how much they appreciate their Filipino fans.
Earning the fans’ praises, the septet also showed their vocal prowess with a heartwarming serenade of their latest song “Power of Love.”
After playing pirates game, #ALICE treats fans with a heartwarming “Power of Love” number ?? their vocals ?#BeginAgain_KPOP pic.twitter.com/IyHtz5AqS1
— hellokpop (@hellokpop) May 29, 2022
Delighted with the warm welcome from fans, the group said, “We’re preparing a new mini-album. We hope to come back soon here in the Philippines. Please take care of your health and we hope you listen to our songs. We hope you give us lots of love.”
Make way for WEi
Joining in the fun was the next performer of the night — the talented boy group WEi, who marked their debut in the Philippine stage.
The six-member group took over the stage with their energetic performances. Starting off with “TWILIGHT,” the boys then delighted the audience by performing “All or Nothing,” “Bye Bye Bye,” and “Super Bumpy.”
Hyping up fans further, #WEi played the crocodile game and performed “Bye Bye Bye,” “Super Bumpy,” and “Too Bad.” ?@WEi__Official#BeginAgain_KPOP pic.twitter.com/Ivp0H76lNJ
— hellokpop (@hellokpop) May 29, 2022
Impressed by the passionate crowd, WEi shared that they are happy to be with Filipino fans. They previously held a concert in Korea but unfortunately, the attendees were not allowed to cheer.
“It’s been fun to be here for the first time for the Filipino fans. Thank you so much for making this experience super fun for us,” the group said.
Similar to ALICE, WEi also had a chance to spend extra time with the audience as they played a crocodile game. They also did the cute punishments much to the fans’ delight.
WEi closed out their set with a captivating performance of their latest comeback track “Too Bad.”
Making dreams come true with NCT DREAM
Just when everyone thought that the energy has reached its maximum level at the venue, well-loved boy group NCT DREAM, sans Mark and Haechan, came out on the center stage, welcomed by a beautiful sea of green as Filipino NCTzens lit up the coliseum with their Neobong (the group’s official light stick).
Hyping up the already heated crowd, the group opened their set with a fiery “Hot Sauce” number.
Jaemin expressed his excitement to be back in the Philippines saying, “It’s been a while since we’ve been here, we are really happy. If we do a concert, we’ll definitely come back to the Philippines.”
Jeno then shared that they are really satisfied with the warm welcome from their fans. “We prepare special stages just for you,” he said.
As a special gift to fans, NCT DREAM performed “Dive Into You” for the very first on an overseas stage. Next up, they heightened fans’ excitement by following it up with “Hello Future” performance. Moreover, the group finished off their set by turning the venue into “Glitch Mode.”
Scratch that, bring it back! ? #NCTDREAM turns up the heat at the Big Dome with their fiery performances! ? They performed “Hot Sauce,” “Dive into You,” “Hello Future,” and “Glitch Mode.” ??✨@NCTsmtown_DREAM #BeginAgain_KPOP pic.twitter.com/5syV099rJq
— hellokpop (@hellokpop) May 29, 2022
The smooth takeover by SHINee’s Key
Taking over the stage as the final performer, SHINee’s Key, the man of the hour, appeared with his pop-icon-perfect outfit.
Showcasing his prowess as one of the most talented male soloists in the K-pop scene, Key belted out some of his tracks, including “Saturday Night,” “Helium,” and “This Life.”
Notably, this marked his first visit to the Philippines as a soloist. He previously met Filipino fans together with his SHINee members back in 2017.
“My members want to be here too, they are kinda envious of me right now. Let’s just wish, ‘Go away Corona’ so we can return here soon,” Key said. He even revealed some TMIs (Too Much Information) as well such as he took a shower twice due yesterday and said that he’s happy that his hotel is just two minutes away from the venue.
Making the concert party more memorable, Key sang a bit of SHINee’s popular tracks “Ring Ding Dong,” and “Replay” together with fans.
And that’s a wrap for #BeginAgain_KPOP ⭐️
We thank @cdmentph for the media invite and for bringing #SHINee’s #Key, #NCTDREAM, #WEi, and #ALICE to the Philippines’ first-ever international live show after over two years! ??
Stay tuned for our concert recap! ?
— hellokpop (@hellokpop) May 29, 2022
Beginning a new era
Aside from becoming the first-ever international live show in the Philippines after over two years, Begin Again: KPOP Edition also became an avenue where fans and artists were able to cheer for each other during these difficult times.
As this became a good start, Filipino fans can definitely look forward to seeing more K-pop happenings in the country in the coming months!
Begin Again: KPOP Edition presented by CDM Entertainment, in partnership with BRODYWORKS.
Event covered by: Khriz Virgilio (khrizvyy)
Photo Credits: Khriz Virgilio (khrizvyy), SM Entertainment, and OUI Entertainment
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