Day6 gives back Filipino fans’ energy tenfold
The night Day6 took over Manila, temperatures hovered around 24 to 25 degrees Celsius—comfortably mild by what locals are used to. Inside the SM Mall of Asia Arena, with the air conditioning cranked up, it felt even chillier. But for some reason, in the lulls between sets, the South Korean band’s keyboardist, Wonpil, would repeatedly insist that it was sweltering, much to the amusement of the fans.
“Ikaw kasi yun!” our seatmate shrieked. The rest could only cheer and giggle in agreement—because, right, what other plausible reason could there be when Wonpil, together with lead vocalist Sungjin, bassist Young K, and drummer Dowoon, was right there?
Singing their hearts out
While the group of fans in our section had pretty much agreed that it was Wonpil’s—or the band’s collective appeal, for that matter—that prompted the spike in the mercury, they might actually be missing something. What if they were the ones actually causing it?
More than the heat, there was something else the band kept bringing up throughout the Philippine stop of their recent “The Decade” world tour: the energy. If there’s one thing about Filipino fans, it’s that they will sing their hearts out to every lyric until they are hoarse, and scream at every little thing that excites them, however fleeting or seemingly random.
True enough, the four members didn’t have to do much to get them going. Sungjin could just shrug and give a thumbs up; Wonpil could just scan the venue in childlike wonder; Dowoon could just pout while whacking the drums in his own corner; and Young K could just stand there and flash a bedimpled smile—and the fans would still find a way to lose it.
This wasn’t lost on the four. “Grabe, super galing niyo at ang taas ng energy niyo!” Wonpil said through an interpreter. “I feel like when we receive this kind of energy, we have to give it back tenfold.”
Expansive setlist, vocal prowess
They did just that by doing what they do best: playing stadium-friendly pop-rock music that soars, swirls, pleads, and tugs at the heart at every turn of their almost 30-song setlist.
There was a sense of unbridled joy and optimism in the chant-filled anthem “Welcome to the Show.” The band hopped on a cheeky, funky groove in “Disco Day,” and shimmered with retro synths in “Days Gone By.” The middle part of the show gave way to more downbeat, electronic-laden tunes like “Zombie” and rock ballads like “You Were Beautiful,” whose forlorn opening eventually surged into pulsing guitars and crashing piano chords.
As the night wore on, the sound grew heavier, with the razor-sharp riffs and marchlike beats of “Love Me or Leave Me,” the beautifully chaotic punk-rock, jazz-lite fusion of “Sweet Chaos,” and the pop-funk punch of “Warning!”—one of the band’s grittier, harder-hitting songs.
Toward the end, the band returned to their melodic rock signature in songs like “Dream Bus,” whose uplifting, almost anime theme-like sound makes it feel like an adventurous sibling of “Welcome to the Show.”
But no matter the shift in style or the ebb and flow of intensity, the band performed everything with unrelenting power, stamina, and emotion.
Young K is perhaps the most technically skilled and agile vocalist of the bunch, belting with ease and sliding between head tones and sweet falsettos—all while having the nerve to smile as he links notes in a curlicue of runs. In most songs, Wonpil was content staying in the pocket with that comforting tone of his. But this mild-mannered performer can shift gears when needed—as in “You Make Me”—and belt with the best of them.
Meanwhile, Sungjin felt like a singer who lets instinct and emotion—more than technique—guide his delivery. His voice, with its natural rasp, lends itself well to grungier songs and adds a twinge of ache and desperation to slow-burners. In some parts of “I Smile,” he sounds like he may have been crying all along.
Dowoon rarely sings, but from the back, he matched his bandmates’ vocal prowess with his chops on the drums. And every so often, they would break into a little a cappella number—just to subtly drive home that their mics were on. Not that they left room for any doubt.
Fun and levity
If the band so wished, they—with their skill and catalog—could have just let their playing do the talking. But the four also made sure to make time for fun and levity through spontaneous moments among themselves and with the fans.
Like that one time Wonpil—overwhelmed by the occasion—said he was “going crazy” and “felt like a psycho,” and Young K was quick to catch the cue, breaking into Red Velvet’s “Psycho.” Or that time when Dowoon quipped, “Beautiful!” after the woman who starred in a fan-made video tribute was shown on screen. Or perhaps when an amused Sungjin thanked the crowd for singing him “Happy Birthday” more than a week after the actual day.
“Kahit matagal na birthday ko, thank you very much for greeting me!” said Sungjin, who, once again, wondered out loud where Filipinos get their energy from. “It has been two and a half hours, pero di kayo napapagod!”
Actually, make that 10 years
Since debuting in 2015 with “Congratulations,” Day6 has evolved and soldiered through lineup shifts and a multi-year hiatus for military service. As such, “The Decade” tour serves as a sort of victory lap for the four members who have held fast to both their bond and their music.
“You’re the reason we sing, the reason we go onstage, the reason we write the right lyrics, and the reason we release albums,” Young K said. “Seeing you guys smile, having a good time, and singing along together is what makes me want to keep going onstage as often as I can.”
“Super saya na nasa harap namin kayong lahat ngayon…na kasama namin kayo from beginning until now, so we wish na lagi tayong magkakasama hanggang sa dulo,” Wonpil added.
A marathon, not a sprint
Unlike other massive K-pop acts, Day6 didn’t experience the same explosive trajectory. The boys had to build their career brick by brick, one song after another. In many ways, their journey is just like their song “Marathon”—a permission to slow down when things become too much to bear. But with their Filipino fans by their side, Sungjin, Wonpil, Young K, and Dowoon couldn’t be more grateful.
And as they look beyond their 10th year, it’s clear that, for Day6 and their My Days, the marathon is far from over.
“I’m sure marami kayong mahirap na pinagdadaanan at mga pagsubok sa buhay,” Sungjin said. “Kapag nahihirapan kayo, just look at us, just listen to our music. We’re going to return the favor. Sa inyo rin kami kumukuha ng strength.”
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