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MANILA, Philippines – At this point, it’s no secret that BLACKPINK has become one of the biggest names in the music industry. And that feat became even more apparent when the K-pop girl group made history as the first act to hold back-to-back sold-out shows at the Philippine Arena, which the Guinness World Records dubbed as the world’s largest mixed-use indoor theater.
Since BLACKPINK first announced they were coming back to the Philippines, Filipino BLINKs were determined to make it a show memorable for the Pinks (fans’ affectionate term for the members), especially since it’s the group’s first return to the country since 2019. Plus, the group, now with a more extensive discography, would be performing in a much larger venue.
After waiting for more than four years, BLACKPINK successfully made their return to the Philippine concert stage on March 25 and 26 with their BLACKPINK WORLD TOUR (BORN PINK) MANILA (BULACAN) shows.
The anticipation for the show was tangible even before the members graced the stage, but the energy went over the roof when BLACKPINK officially opened their two-hour shows. From the get-go, the four-piece act wowed with hard-hitting performances of their hits “How You Like That,” “Pretty Savage,” “Whistle,” “Don’t Know What To Do,” and “Lovesick Girls.”
The atmosphere in the arena quickly became electric. The group was welcomed with deafening screams of fans.
“It’s been four years, and the crowd is crazy,” Rosé told the Filipino crowd. Lisa also mentioned how she could barely hear herself while singing, adding that they’re “so excited” to be back in the Philippines.
Jennie also expressed her shock over the massive turnout of attendees.
“I didn’t know they had the seats up so high. It looks like it’s the stars up there,” she said.
BLACKPINK might not have a robust discography compared to their contemporaries, but what the group lacked in quantity, they made up with quality. The presence of backup dancers and a live band, plus the constant explosion of confetti cannons, made each of their stages even more spectacular.
The opening set was then followed by fiery performances of “Kill This Love,” “Crazy Over You,” “Playing With Fire,” and “Tally.”
The Pinks were visibly overwhelmed by the support coming from their Filipino BLINKs, with Jisoo even asking Jennie to feel her heartbeat as the energy of the crowd gave her overflowing excitement.
“I think this is one of the loudest crowds,” Rosé said. “I must say, you guys are really getting us excited.”
Just when the members thought that was the wildest the pink wave could get, it got even crazier as BLACKPINK performed the lead single of the BORN PINK album, “Pink Venom.” During the Sunday show, the quartet also got surprised with the “loudest” and “longest” fan wave by their Filipino fans that Rosé even joked that it could be a Guinness World Record holder.
Each member also had a chance to showcase their distinct style and skills with their solo stages. Jisoo charmed the crowd with her sultry cover of Camila Cabello’s “Liar,” while Jennie thrilled BLINKs with a performance of her unreleased track “You and Me.”
Rosé’s vocal prowess was highlighted with her performance of “Hard to Love” before mellowing it down with the emotional number “On The Ground.” Lisa then ended the solo set with a bang through fierce performances of her tracks “LALISA” and “Money.”
Filipino BLINKs definitely pulled out all the stops with their fan projects, leaving the Pinks surprised with colored waves for the members’ solo stages. With the concert dates so close to member Lisa’s birthday, fans also prepared banners, a birthday cake, billboards, mascots, and even an aircraft that carried a welcome greeting, all to commemorate the idol’s birthday.
“So happy I got to celebrate my pre-birthday together with my BLINKs,” she wrote in an Instagram post after the show.
The quartet showed no signs of winding down when they returned onstage as a full group with their performance of “Shut Down” and “Typa Girl.”
Jennie also encouraged the Filipino fans to “keep going,” hyping them up even more as she said what has become her iconic line throughout their world tour – this time for the Philippines – “Manila, let’s go!”
One of the best things about attending live concerts is getting to sing with the artist, and the Filipino BLINKs definitely got the memo. During the show, Jennie said, “One thing I’m really loving about Manila is that I’m actually seeing people really jump, dance, and sing to our songs.”
The crowd kept on chanting “BLACKPINK,” “Walang uuwi (No one’s going home),” and “We want more,” that during the Sunday show, the quartet granted the fans’ request of an impromptu performance of
“Boombayah!” They were also treated with a spoiler of Jisoo’s upcoming single, “Flower.” She’s set to make her debut as a solo artist on March 31.
Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa also unleashed their charismatic sides with their energetic hits “Ddu Du Ddu Ddu” and “Forever Young.”
“You guys are truly amazing,” Jennie told the crowd, with Rosé saying: “We had such a great time here. You guys are the best. We will remember this for a very long time.”
For their encore set, the group broke away from their intense tracks and opted for their laid-back songs “Yeah Yeah Yeah,” “Stay,” and “As If It’s Your Last” to focus on interacting with fans.
At one point in the show, Rosé said that the “Philippines didn’t forget about us.” And with their BLACKPINK WORLD TOUR (BORN PINK) MANILA (BULACAN) concerts, we’re pretty sure that they’ve given Filipino BLINKs another moment to remember.
The long wait for the group was definitely worth it, but it seemed like the wait wouldn’t be drawn out next time, with the quartet hinting that they’ll return to the Philippines.
“See you soon again,” Jennie said. – Rappler.com
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