‘Best of Best in the Philippines’ concert a huge hit

Girls’ Generation bringing the Philippine Arena down during the Best of Best Philippines. Image by Magic Liwanag.

Filipino K-pop fans were treated to an unforgettable concert last Sunday, April 12, at the Philippine Arena where four of the biggest names in Korean music performed in one huge event called “Best of Best in the Philippines”. This is the first event of its kind to be held at the 55,000-seater indoor arena situated at Ciudad de Victoria in Bulacan.

The event lived up to its name with its impressive roster of the best pop groups to come out of South Korea — Red Velvet, BtoB, Girls’ Generation, and Super Junior.

Red Velvet

Red Velvet. Image by Magic Liwanag.

Dressed in their signature Seoul street style fashion, industry newcomers Red Velvet opened with a very energetic performance of “Ice Cream Cake,” the lead single from their chart-topping debut album of the same name. It was followed by “Somethin Kinda Crazy,” “Candy,” and ended with the catchy, Latin-tinged beats of “Happiness.”

BtoB

BtoB. Image by Jasper Lucena.

The screaming inside the arena intensified as the seven member boy group BtoB (acronym for Born to Beat) took to the stage, this time providing a more masculine vibe that served as the perfect contrast to Red Velvet’s candy-sweet setup.

After a quick video sequence that introduced BtoB’s individual members, the entire venue went dark and the familiar opening synth intro to “Thriller” immediately got the crowd on their feet.

The boys didn’t disappoint as they delivered their trademark rap-meets-dance music style of big beats, smooth melodies, and funky choruses with “Irresistible Lips,” “Lover Boy,” “2nd Confession,” “The Winter’s Tale,” “Beep Beep,” and “Wow.”

Girls’ Generation

Girls’ Generation. Image by Magic Liwanag.

Arguably the biggest girl group to hit the K-pop scene, Girls’ Generation started with a very flashy entrance worthy of their superstar status as they performed “Mr. Taxi,” their first Japanese single and one of their biggest hits.

The song’s dynamics, infectious chorus, and punchy choreography turned the Philippine Arena into one big dance party as almost every single fan in attendance was dancing along to the eight-piece girl group who followed it up with crowd favorites “Genie,” “Hoot,” “Gee,” and “Kissing You.”

Girls’ Generations’ intense set wrapped up with the sensitive, soaring vocal harmonies of “Complete” and the fuzzy, hard-hitting electro-pop dance track “Mr. Mr.”

Super Junior

Super Junior. Image by Jasper Lucena.

With their silhouettes projected against a red-lit background followed by a dazzling light show, K-pop veterans Super Junior’s dramatic entrance was more reminiscent of a fashion runway set than a concert stage.

The group, looking very sharp in their crisp, black & white ensemble, elicited the wildest, loudest screams of the night as they started their set with “Shirt,” “This Is Love,” and “Evanesce,” all taken from their latest studio album, “Mamacita.”

Kyuhyun’s emotional solo performance of the piano-driven ballad “At Gwanghwamun” left everybody teary-eyed while “Oppa, Oppa,” a heavy dance number by Donghae and Eunhyuk, snapped everyone out of their moody lull and brought the venue’s energy level back up. This was followed by the rest of the members coming back onstage and performing their 2011 chart-topping single “Mr. Simple.”

The group then entertained the crowd for a bit with their playful antics before ending the night amidst a shower of confetti with their last song, “Mamacita (Ayaya).”

As the glitzy dance track ended and the colorful stage lights were turned off one by one, the boys of Super Junior graciously said their goodbyes to an overwhelmed Philippine crowd as they held hands, took a bow, and exited the stage with a meaningful parting message, “See you again soon!”