iKON’s one-night concert in Manila on August 5 redefined the meaning of power blast!
From beginning to end, iKON brought the house down leaving no room for a dull moment. Responding to the energetic performance, the crowd was all up to their feet, enjoying IKON’s vibrant music stages.
Held at the Araneta Coliseum, the 2023 iKON World Tour: Take Off was held in Araneta Coliseum and the group’s first concert since 2018.
Sans Jinhwan who is currently enlisted in military service, Bobby, Yunhyeong, Ju-ne, Dk and Chan dropped a fiery concert party befitting their trademark energy
Kickstarting the concert, the group opened the show with “Tantara”, “Sinosijak”, “At Ease”, and “Killing me”.
Quickly updating fans, they take turns sharing stories. DK says Ju-ne is now an actor. He had a supporting role in True To Love. Bobby also mentions his preparation for a new album which he claimed is “going to be so dope”.
They also affirm the release of two new songs, one written by DK. Teasing fans with a sampler, they hum the melody hyping up the crowd.
Returning to the stage, iKON raises the excitement more with performances of fan-favorites “Rhythm Ta”, “Bling bling”, “Love Scenario”, and “U”.
Appreciating the engagement of the raving fans, iKON remarked how momentum-propelling the crowd’s fiery energy is.
During the concert, Filipino fans sang along with iKON. Bobby comments that ” You speak Korean better than me.” DK also said, “Manila is the best!”
After group stages, iKON top up the concert part with special solo stages highlighting their various charms and talents.
Only Chan did not perform the solo stage but he promises he will work hard and prepare for it when they come here for another concert.
DK showed a very sexy performance of “Kiss Me” and the crowd went wild. Ju-ne performed “Want You Back” with a chill and smooth vibe. He also did a stellar “Deep Night” duet with Bobby.
Bobby vaunted an energetic performance of “Heartbroken Playboy”. Then, Chan had fun performing “Fighting”.
They also performed “Why, why, why”, “Goodbye Road”, “What’s wrong”, “Dumb & Dumber”, “B-day”, “Freedom”, and “Driving Slowly”.
The group also took time to share stories about Jinhwan who is dubbed the “Prince of Philippines”.
Bobby and Chan share Tagalog words that Jinhwan taught them like “Sakit ako tyan” (My stomach hurts), “Sakit ako ilong” (My nose hurts). They also said, “Philippine Manila iKONIC, ikaw lang ang nasa puso ko.”(Philippines Manila iKONIC, you are the only one in my heart). “Hello maganda! Gusto nyo ba mag inom mamya? Mahal kita.” (Hello beautiful! Do you want to have a drink later? I love you). All the while this adorable display of fan service delighted the audience.
Capping off the event, Bobby wore a banner as a cape with the Philippine flag and the words “See you again”. Then a fan video was shown on the screen at the group photo session.
The members are so touched and made Bobby tear up. As they were saying their final messages to the fans, DK said that he thinks Manila is the best at partying and because of that they will be singing more songs in their encore. They continue to thank their Filipino fans and promise to come back complete next time.
True to their promise, the encore performance sees hyped stages of “B-day”, “Rhythm Ta”, “Love Scenario”, “Freedom” and “Tantara” which sealed a scintillating night to perfection.
The show has ended but it will surely linger for a while with the PH iKONICS. EPIC in every sense of the word, the energy of IKON while performing on the stage is contagiously addicting, effortlessly radiating to the crowd.
KDRAMADIARY would like to thank Pulp Live World for the media invites to the 2023 iKON World Tour in Manila.
Event Covered By: Hannah Benigno
