DURING his one-night gig at the Cove Manila in June 2018, Seungri, the maknae (youngest) member of the legendary boy group BigBang, promised to return for a solo concert in Manila.
Since his hyungs (seniors) went on to serve their mandatory military service for their country, Seungri, as a lone active member, got busy with TV appearances and regular social media postings to ease the longing of VIPs (BigBang fandom) worldwide brought by the absence of their K-pop idols.
Last year also saw him going back to the studio to co-compose, co-write and record his latest and first full album, “The Great Seungri.” Following its release in July, the new album peaked at Number 1 on iTunes in 29 countries. It also reached Number 3 on Billboard’s World Albums chart, Number 26 on the Best-Selling Album chart in China, and Number 16 on the Best K-pop Album chart in 2018. The Great Seungri sold 130,000 copies in China, 48,000 copies in Korea, and 25,000 copies in Japan.
This was followed by the launch of his first-ever solo tour, The Great Seungri, in Seoul, South Korea. On August 4, the tour kicked off in the city’s Jang Chung Gymnasium for two dates, with stops in Daegu and Busan that mesmerized 15,000 fans. More than 100,000 fans attended the tour dates in three cities (Chiba, Fukuoka, Osaka) in Japan.
It was in a press interview in December that Seungri revealed the much- anticipated Southeast Asian leg of his solo tour. On December 28, The Great Seungri Tour 2019 Live in Manila was officially announced on the Korean star’s Instagram account—a promise he intends to deliver on January 19 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Here’s what to expect from that concert:
- For sure, Seungri will perform the title track 1, 2, 3! and Where R U From, some of the best in the album. Hopes are high however that other memorable songs such as Mollado, Love is You, Be Friend and Alone will remain in the setlist.
- From previous tour performances, fans raved that the Seungri’s sound checks are not just ordinary sessions. Aside from performing songs outside of setlist, he talks, takes photos and gets really close to the fans while broadcasting live on Instagram. Let’s see if this is going to happen in Manila. (Moreover, there’s a special group photo opportunity with the K-pop star.)
- In his recent performance in Osaka, Seungri surprised fans with his cover performance of Solo, the single released by Jennie of BLACKPINK, complete with a long-haired wig and sexy choreography. A repeat in Manila is not that far-fetched.
- As the favorite noona (older sister) of BigBang, K-pop superstar Dara of the former girl group 2NE1 will be gracing the concert as Seungri’s special guest. Dara will not only perform, but will surely teach Seungri more Filipino words other than pogi (handsome), as in “pogi Seungri.”
- His rendition of his solo hits such as Got to Talk to You, Strong Baby and Let’s Talk About Love from his earlier releases and extended play albums
- A first for many fans, Seungri’s live performance of Flower Road—the farewell and gift song to fans before his group’s hiatus, as well as his solo performances of BigBang’s monster hits such as Lies, Haru Haru, Fantastic Baby and Bang Bang Bang.
- A reveal of several private photos: a special surprise as announced in his official Instagram account, seungriseyo
- Since Seungri has the stage for himself, expect the total entertainer to dominate it with his presence while being fully animated, funny, charming, and sexy all at the same time. Watch out also for his impersonations of BigBang members Taeyang, G-Dragon, Daesung and T.O.P, as well as other creative spiels.
The next stops of The Great Seungri Tour will be in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore and Osaka.