K-pop newcomers delight Filipino fans

FAMEUS addressed concertgoers in English and Filipino. Photos by Louie Greg A. Rivera

K-pop fever maintains its hold on Filipino fans, as many of them gathered to support newcomers FameUs and Asha in a one-night Manila concert, held recently at the Ynares Sports Complex in Pasig.

Performances of relatively unfamiliar acts were reminiscent of campus music fests and battle of the bands contests, pumping up the crowd before the main event. The mascots and dance crew of the concert’s primary sponsor were followed by a rock band and a couple of K-pop cosplay groups who performed hit songs of famous Korean artists.

The main performers, expectedly, gave the audience their money’s worth, showing off well-choreographed dance moves and belting out songs from their respective albums.

Although the difference in language kept the event from being a more fluid and interactive experience, the boy band FameUs and girl group Asha mainly communicated with their songs.

Outgoing boys

Of the two groups, FameUs is more outgoing because the members know more English words and even some Filipino phrases, which they repeatedly blurted out throughout their sets.

ASHA members (from left) Yoha, Nara, Hyun and Da-ae

The group would yell out “Kumusta,” “Are you having fun?” and “Salamat” between and during their songs.

The group that consists of Han Saem, Jung Hoon, Do A/Doah, Kudo, Daeyoung and Hanyoung sang their hit “Crazy” and even performed Daniel Padilla’s “Nasa ’Yo na ang Lahat” and Sam Concepcion’s “Mahal na Mahal,” which the crowd sang along with.

ASHA members (from left) Yoha, Nara, Hyun and Da-ae

Asha, on the other hand, had trouble conversing with the crowd but gave their best when performing their hit song “Mr. Liar.” They also covered fellow Korean group AOA’s “Short Hair.”

Both groups continued their Philippine tour after the Pasig concert. FameUs had another concert in Davao, minus Asha, on Oct. 10.