To date, perhaps, no other concert in the Philippines was as talked about this year as Planet #5: The EXplOration, which featured six out of nine members of the Korean boy group EXO.
From ticketing to the fan projects to concert day to postconcert days, #EXplOrationinManila was trending on Twitter and Facebook.
For the August 4 ticketing day, fans started lining up outside the Mall of Asia Arena as early as July 31. A ticket to the concert, which started from P13,000, became the hottest item in town.
“Who is EXO?” asked bewildered parents of teenagers whose children asked for these tickets as combined birthday and Christmas gifts.
An estimated 20,000 EXO-Ls filled the Mall of Asia Arena to watch EXO’s The EXplOration concerts for two days (August 23 and 24). Local promoter Pulp had to add an extra day (August 23) because not all fans could be accommodated on the original date. Manila was the third stop of the tour after Seoul and Hong Kong.
The last EXO concert in Manila was The EℓyXiOn, on April 28, 2018.
Chanyeol, Suho, Sehun, Kai, Chen, and Baekhyun opened the concert with the triple treat “Tempo,” “Transformer” and “Gravity.”
Baekhyun took to the stage for his solo spot “UN Village,” the carrier single of his first solo mini-album City Lights released last July.
EXO, minus two members who are in the military (Xiumin and DO) and another member in China (Lay), performed more than 20 songs that also included “24/7,” “Love Shot,” “Ooh La La La,” “Monster,” “Oasis,” “Falling for You,” “Wait,” “Power,” “Bad Dream,” Damage,” “Growl,” “Overdose,” “Call Me Baby,” “Unfair,” “On The Snow” and “Smile on My Face.”
For the solo stages, Suho performed “Been Through,” Kai did “Confession” and both numbers were a hit with the ladies. Chen performed his “Lights Out” while EXO-SC, composed of Sehun and Chanyeol, performed “What a Life” and “Closer to You.”
“Thank you for your unending, unchanging love. Do you guys know that you are like vitamins to us, EXO? Are we like vitamins to you also?” said Suho, the group’s leader.
“I hope you guys keep these memories forever. I love you, Philippines. Originally, we’re supposed to have only one day but thanks to you guys, we’re able to do two days. I want to thank our EXO-L fans for filling this arena for two days. We’ll come back with the new sounds of EXO. Thank you, Manila,” said Chen.
Before the end of the concert, Suho made a promise. “This will not be our last moment together. We’ll be back soon with a new album and new concert. Manila, Philippines, mahal kita.”
EXO Planet #5: EXplOration in Manila was presented by Pulp Live World, SM Entertainment and Dream Maker Entertainment, and powered by Globe.
Image credits: Globe Telecom