Delivering on its promise of being a spooktacular, first event of its kind, HALLYUWEEN 2022, which was held on October 29 at the Mall of Asia Arena, treated concert goers to a memorable night of K-pop, P-pop, drag, and good music.
From the get-go, the first K-pop Halloween party in the Philippines surpassed everyone’s expectations – a press conference was held before the concert, with VIP ticket holders having the chance to see the artists walk the red carpet; there was an eerie stage design; there was a dance floor in the middle of the stage, with couches and tables at the sides; and staff members were dressed up in Halloween costumes.
From well-loved cartoon characters, to iconic superheroes, and even to cosplays of their favorite K-pop idols, attendees also gamely dressed in their best Halloween looks. Even at first glance, we could recognize that everyone pulled out all the stops to make HALLYUWEEN a party that all would enjoy.
To signal the start of the show, an army of zombies appeared onstage and started inching near the fans, leaving all watchers stunned.
Filipino drag queens Lady Gagita, Lady Morgana, and Minty Fresh took the stage as the show’s front act. Lady Gagita did a rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi,” while Lady Morgana sang Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance Somebody,” and Minty Fresh did Ariana Grande’s “Break Free.”
The three then combined powers for a dynamic rendition of “Bang Bang” by Ariana Grande, Jessie J, and Nicki Minaj.
Earlier at the press conference, both Lady Gagita and Lady Morgana expressed how thankful they were to be performing on one of the country’s biggest stages. “Feel namin na simple lang kaming drag queens pero pagdating namin sa MOA Arena, kahilera namin ang mga international stars na nag-perform,” Lady Morgana said. (We feel that we’re just simple drag queens, but once we perform at the MOA Arena, we’ll be alongside international superstars.)
Gaho with his band KAVE followed the drag queens’ set. Known for his heartrending soundtracks, Gaho brought back all the K-drama feels as he sang “Start Over” from the series Itaewon Class and “Running” from Start-Up.
They also performed “High,” and “Right Now,” and even surprised fans when they did a rock cover of BLACKPINK’s “How You Like That.”
While HALLYUWEEN served as their first visit in the Philippines, the group promised that they will come back again to the country to serenade more of their fans, hopefully, in their solo concert next time.
K-pop boy group PENTAGON then thrilled the crowd, their Filipino UNIVERSE, especially, as they made their return to the Philippine concert scene after almost five years. The boys performed their hits “Feelin’ like,” “Sparkling Night,” “Beautiful Goodbye,” “Call My Name,” and “Shine.”
“All of our fans give us the ability and chance to sing. That is why we believe that the UNIVERSE, they are our inspiration and we cannot do music without them,” the group said during the press conference. And during the show, they try to make their fans, who’ve been clamoring for a solo concert for the group, feel their gratitude.
After that, it was P-pop time! Boy group BGYO marked the first half of the event by showcasing Filipino talent. During the press conference, the five-piece act conveyed how honored and thankful they were to be the lone P-pop act included in the lineup.
“It is a dream come true for us. It is also a milestone that we are the only Filipinos in this event together with the drag queens. We will make the K-pop artists our inspiration,” they said.
BGYO definitely made the ACEs’ hearts flutter when they performed “The Light,” “The Baddest,” “Kundiman,” and their latest track “Magnet.”
The party continued with co-ed group KARD firing up the atmosphere. Dressed up as a pirate, a skeleton, a vampire, and Catwoman, they definitely lived up to their promise of a “sexy” performance.
Their set included their hits “Ring the Alarm,” “Oh Nana,” “Don’t Recall,” “Bomb Bomb,” “Dumb Litty,” and “Red Moon.” And in between their performances, the four members made sure to interact with their Hidden KARDs.
BM said during the press conference, “With any event, I feel like the best part of being an artist is being able to interact with the fans. I’m very happy, and I speak for all the members I’m sure, to say that we love to be given the opportunity, with our Manila and Philippine fans.”
From one powerhouse to the next! During the press conference, hip-hop trio Epik High poked fun at being the oldest act in the lineup, joking that attendees might not recognize them compared to the newer artists. But they didn’t have anything to worry about as the crowd went wild when the OGs took the stage.
“We know we can’t solve every problem, but for the time that we share together, we can make you forget about things and enjoy yourself,” they said before the show. And boy, they did not disappoint.
Their experience in delivering high-energy numbers shone through with their performances of “NO THANXXX,” “Burj Khalifa,” and “One.” Everyone was on their feet and screaming along when they also performed “Born Hater.”
No tricks, just treats as one lucky fan was able to receive a signed shirt from Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz while the trio were performing their set.
Next – well, she needs no introduction! Even with CL’s entrance alone, the crowd was already captivated. It was a win for BLACKJACKs and GZBs as she fired up the arena with her performances of “Spicy,” “HWA,” “The Baddest Female,” “Chuck,” “Doctor Pepper,” “Lover Like Me,” and “Hello Bitches.”
Singer-rapper CL is channeling Cruella de Vil for tonight’s #HALLYUWEENPH2022.
“I’m very happy to reconnect with Filipino fans.” | via @ysa_abad pic.twitter.com/coN90SPZBH
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) October 29, 2022
For the 2NE1 leader, it was an opportunity for her to “reconnect with my fans, and to be onstage, and show them my new music.”
As she ended her set, she told fans: “Manila, thank you so much for coming out tonight…. I hope to see you very soon. For my tour, hopefully, right? Thank you for all the love, the energy, and this beautiful night.”
The best-dressed concert goers were also announced before the concert switched to full-blown partying.
Dressed in a superhero costume, DJ Soda heated up the stage with her remixes that left the crowd cheering and dancing all night.
Some ticket holders weren’t able to make it to MOA Arena due to Severe Tropical Storm Paeng, sp concert organizer PULP Live World announced hours before the show that they’d be able to stream the event online.
During the press conference, the artists also said “yes” when asked if they’d come back should HALLYUWEEN become an annual thing. Based on the success of the 2022 edition, we can pretty much say we’re looking forward to attending this event every year. – Rappler.com