NCT 127’s Jungwoo to PH fans: ‘We made unforgettable memories tonight.’
NCT 127 promised to return to the country and it’s a promise they kept this month, like the sweet boys that they are. And they made this show their grandest and most heartwarming Philippine concert yet.
Their “Neo City: The Unity” concert at the Philippine Sports Stadium last Jan. 21 felt like a major party night, with members Taeyong, Johnny, Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, Mark and Haechan in attendance. One of the group’s members, Taeil, was absent from the tour as he’s recovering from an injury.
Nothing compares to the hype and energy of the Filipino NCTzens (fandom). They gave NCT 127 the amazing crowd that they deserve.
It even energized Yuta who said that he wasn’t feeling very well that night. He was worried that his performance would be affected but the NCTzens’ cheers gave him a lilft and inspired him to perform successfully.
A sea of green welcomed concert-goers to the event. Majority of the audience showed up in outfits and accessories with hints of green—ranging from the most neon to the palest shades—to show unity in honor of the fandom’s color: neo pearl champagne.
It’s a K-pop concert tradition for fans to arrive at the venue as early as nine in the morning even though the concert doesn’t start until the early evening. This is to make sure there’s plenty of time for the necessary ticket verification and strapping requirements and also get the chance to mingle with other fans and collect freebies from each other.
For “The Unity” concert, DNM Entertainment had a very smooth ticket verification process. Despite the slight delay, lines moved easily for all tiers fast.
Fans who showed up early hung out at the Fan Hub prepared by the production company and some local fanbases. Fans braved the scorching heat of the afternoon sun to enjoy the surprises and gifts prepared by the fanbases at the Fan Hub.
All hyped up
The stadium was brimming with energy from the start of the concert until its very last minute. NCT 127 opened the show with their iconic song “Punch” followed by “Superhuman” and “Ay-yo.”
After getting the crowd all hyped up, they moved to the extended stages to get closer to the fans for performances of some of their best B-side songs.
A personal favorite from NCT 127’s “Unity” setlist was how they showcased NCT 127’s versatility as performers when they performed exciting and upbeat dance songs like “Fire Truck,” “Sit Down,” “Chain” and “Cherry Bomb” one after the other and then mellowed down the mood with softer songs like “Gold Dust,” “Fly Away with Me” and “White Lie.”
For their last set, NCT 127 appeared on stage again in all-red outfits. Members Yuta, Taeyong, and Jungwoo made the stage even hotter with flashes of skin and abs.
They performed “Simon Says,” “Love is a Beauty,” “Tasty ” and the crowd-favorite “Favorite,” then followed with a ment (talking) part where they thanked NCTzens again for their support and love.
Right before NCT 127 performed one of their hit titles, “Kick It,” they taught the crowd how to chant along. But of course, Filipino fans would never back out when it comes to singing the songs of their favorite idols.
It was even caught on camera how surprised and excited NCT 127 were when they heard Filipino NCTzens singing “Kick It” a cappella. Doyoung’s shocked face broke into a grin before he hyped the fans further.
‘Walang uuwi’
NCT 127 rocked the stage hard with the triumvirate of “Kick It,” “2 Baddies” and “Fact Check” that made the whole stadium sing and dance. The members thanked the audience again before leaving the stage for the encore.
As the crowd waited, NCTzens chanted “Sticker! Sticker!” to request this hit song that wasn’t in the Unity setlist and “walang uuwi”—proof that everyone wanted a longer concert. Some slogans and messages that fans were holding up were also flashed on the screen, earning happy and warm reactions from other fans.
During the encore, NCT 127 performed “Angel Eyes.” Then Jaehyun asked the fans if they will always be there for them before the group performed their sweet song “Be There For Me.”
Before their final song, the members took turns thanking the fans.
“It was such a beautiful night tonight. I hope you all go home with beautiful memories. I hope the next time we are here, I think we should have at least two days for our concert,” Mark said. He also took a short video of his members and the fans using his phone.
“Thank you all for the great energy. I will always be right here doing my best and I hope you will be there for me too,” Jaehyun said. He also made sure to read aloud the message on the slogan raised by the fans for their special fan project.
“Thank you so much for enjoying the show with us. You really missed us so much, right?” Haechan said. He promised that they will come back to the country with an even better performance. “Even before the show I was already very excited because it was an outdoor performance. You guys really ripped it tonight. I think we made unforgettable memories tonight,” Jungwoo said.
Leader Taeyong said, “Thank you Philippines because even if we caxn’t meet often, you are always supporting us. Until we meet again, be healthy, be safe and drink a lot.” Doyoung gave his message last, saying, “I heard your loud voices tonight. So when you get home please take care of your voices, okay? We promise we will come back to the Philippines again.”
The members of NCT 127 also used their social media and bubble accounts to post about how thankful they are for their Filipino fans. One of the most memorable posts for Filipino fans was Doyoung posting about the airplane banner prepared by his local fanbase on his Instagram account.
One of the sweetest parts of the concert was Johnny saying that the moon was beautiful and that they miss Taeil, too. He’s right. It was a beautiful night, one that fans will remember for the rest of their lives.
