Seventeen gets PH fans feeling hot in more ways than one
Seventeen was just right here for another concert. And it was hot—in more ways than one.
The weather was hot on Day 1 of the recent Philippine stop of Seventeen’s “Right Here” tour. And it showed. S.Coups, Joshua, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino had just been onstage for a few songs, but already, their faces were glistening with sweat.
In the occasional breathers they took, or talk segments in between acts, Mingyu would wipe his face with his bare hands and shake them off. Seungkwan, on the other hand, would gently pat his eyes and cheeks with the cuffs of his shirt.
But Wonwoo? Wonwoo was an aberration. As it turned out, perspiration is a function his body is seemingly incapable of. Throughout the evening, amid his sopping fellow members, he always looked as cool and fresh as when the show started.
But if the members were feeling the heat, then so must have the tens of thousands of Filipino fans, or Carats, who trooped to the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan last Jan. 18 and Jan. 19. While the temperature didn’t initially feel as high as it usually gets later in the year, being in a crowd packed like sardines, and with the ground releasing heat it had trapped earlier in the day, it did end up being uncomfortably hot and humid at the venue.
You also have to consider the fact that majority of the fans arrived at Philippine Arena Complex early in the morning. getting their tickets and straps sorted out, milling around and catching up with friends, shooting TikTok videos, and standing in long, snaking queues under the sun. Others busied themselves buying merch, trading photo cards, and playing claw games and posing against a candy-colored Seventeen photo wall and booth set up by Mogu Mogu Manila, the concert’s sponsor.
Eager crowd
But the long wait and searing heat didn’t deter the eager crowd one bit. It was Seventeen’s first visit to the country after a year-and its first concert of 2025. The 13-man K-pop band was missing Jeonghan (military service) and Jun (acting commitments in China) this time around. But just the same, the fans wouldn’t miss it for the world. And their efforts weren’t lost on their beloved idols
“Thank you for filling up the stadium despite the hot weather,” Hoshi said.
“It’s really fun that we were able to do our first concert of 2025 here,” Wonwoo said.
The heat was a recurring subject which the boys couldn’t help but point out once in a while. But what they probably didn’t realize was that it was mostly their own doing.
Because true to form, hot were the performances they unwaveringly delivered for close to three hours. We have expressed this same sentiment in the past, but it bears repeating: Seventeen has some of the most electrifying and intricate choreographies, which meld a heady variety of styles, surprising shifts in tempo, and creative formation changes that help shape the song’s storytelling.
The members execute these routines not only with razor-sharp precision and synchronization, but with swagger all their own. That much was apparent from the get-go, like in the way they slowly, and kind of teasingly, swiveled their shoulders in “Fear” or the way they made the “Maestro” routine look elegant but punchy all at once—thanks in part to the sleek silhouettes they cut with their black outfits
The new jack swing groove of “Crush” had the group vacillating between snappy and fluid moves, between angular and curlicued shapes. There were the quick little shuffles in “Ash,” the deliberate cadence of a “March,” and the snowballing collision of lights, graphics, sonic momentum of “Super,” and pyrotechnics enveloped which was punctuated by fireworks fanning out against the night sky. And as it all happened, a collision of lights, graphics and pyrotechnics enveloped the members, creating arresting visual spectacles that drew the audience deeper into their world.
One minute, the giant screens were flashing red, their intensity growing in sync with ominously rhythmic thumps and guitar licks. The next minute, the stage was an apocalyptic flurry of reds and blues, with burst of flames shooting out from the perimeter of the stage while the screens showed a brewing tempest: flashes of spider-like lightning strikes barreling down behind what looked like an Aztec pyramid.
Hard-hitting choreography
Just as hot as the group performances were the respective showcases of the hip-hop, performance, and vocal units. “Water” and “Monster” required attitude and a natural swagger—something the hip-hop unit had in spades. Wonwoo was a quiet storm. S.Coups waved and pumped his arms as he rallied the fans.
Mingyu had that almost distinct snarl on his face as he pulled off hard-hitting choreography. And then there was Vernon, who could make the most mundane gestures, like the random flapping of his jacket, look cool.
The performance unit, Hoshi, The8, Dino, gave a head-bobbing performance to the 1990s R&B-tinged dance jam “Rain,” the mood of which they completed with old-school boyband affectations, like come-hither poses and stares “Lilili Yabbay” wove disparate production elements into an intriguingly catchy ditty. Along with it, the three moved their bodies with a sense of franticness, before finally settling on the floor for their ending pose.
And as the camera zoomed into The8’s hands, one realized that he was dancing down to his fingertips.
When the vocal unit—Woozi, Joshua, DK, and Seungkwan—emerged onstage, looking dashing and princely in their suits and ruffled tops, the impossible happened at the stadium: a hush fell over the crowd-the better to hear the quartet’s soothing voices serenading them. With songs like, “Candy” and “Cheers to Youth,” they provided some much-needed calm and comfort amid the predominantly rambunctious show.
Hot isn’t quite the right word to describe the show’s third act, but heartwarming it was. There was just something so pure and joyous about seeing the members-now dressed as if they were going out fishing-simply having fun and being silly onstage.
Before “Oh My!” they played basketball and badminton. Vernon was caught still sleeping in a standing bed amid all the activities, so The8 roused him and made him apologize. A group of wildlife mascots challenged Seventeen to a fun dance showdown, which ended in the band’s favor after DK, together with Hoshi and Seungkwan, hilariously dropped “it” down low.
In “Snap Shoot,” which evoked the vibes of a balmy summer day, the members made cute poses and pushed each other into imagined waters—scenes straight out of a coming-of-age film about friends. And to top it all off, the energetic DK—flashing his perfect set of teeth—led the others to the extended stage while doing a skippy, jolly jig.
Shock and awe
But while the high-octane production numbers provided shock and awe, it was the little moments and surprises that reeled the Carats in. When Vernon emerged in “Fearless” with a buzz cut, the crowd promptly lost it. At the end of his brooding strut, he gave a cheeky wink. That very moment, not a few fans found themselves getting bias-wrecked.
What’s that word again? A fan nearby reminded us: “Hot!” she screamed. Same went for S.Coups’ grinding and thrusting. “That’s it, I’m pregnant,” a media colleague joked as he replayed the captured moment on his cellphone. Wonwoo and Joshua reemerging onstage in glasses drew similarly riotous reactions.
In one talk segment, Dino dropped his cheeky grin and “Mr. Pogi” pose, before launching into a smooth dance freestyle which, at one point, had him flirtily throwing his head back. “Dino!” another fan holding a Mingyu fan shrieked. And not only did he make everyone swoon, he made them laugh, too, after putting on his sunglasses and summoning his alter-ego of sorts, Pi Cheolin.
Seventeen regularly complimented the Filipino Carats’ “high” and “passionate energy.” And for good reason.
The fans relished each and every one of Hoshi’s horanghae hand claw gesture before his impending military enlistment. When it was a member’s turn to speak, fans dutifully chanted his name. But while the Filipino Carats got full marks in singing and cheering, they couldn’t help but laugh at themselves for messing up the Carat wave. “They’re too fast!” one of the boys said.
Feeling hot? Fret not. Joshua and Mingyu came out with bottles of water, ready to douse everyone unlucky—or lucky enough, rather—to be within their radius during the never-ending encore to “Very Nice.”
Birthday song
They sang “Happy Birthday” to a visibly touched Seungkwan, who, later in the concert, wished everyone a safe journey home. “Walang uuwi!” the fans chanted—only for them to end up shrieking when the camera suddenly panned to S.Coups. The group leader, in turn, lamented about not being able to participate in last year’s Philippine show. “Gwenchana! (It’s okay)” the fans quickly assured him.
Perhaps it’s not much of a stretch to assume that it’s exchanges like these that inspire Seventeen to keep visiting the country. Because as The8 put it so himself, the hot weather was made only “hotter” by the Filipino Carats. “It’s hot out here … but thank you [for] making it a lot hotter!” he said, hoping that they were able to create memories to look back to in “times we don’t see each other.”
“We have such good memories of the Philippines. We’re touched by your big and passionate energy,” Woozi added.
Needless to say, the fans’ love continues to be the fuel to Seventeen’s fire. “Before coming onstage, you guys were singing so well, so we were hyped up to do our performances tonight,” DK said.
By the looks of it, Seventeen returning for another show in the future isn’t a matter of if but when. Mingyu seemed to think so. “I missed you … For sure, we will be back to see you all again. Of course, we will come back with a good album and good songs next time,” he said.
When that happens, S.Coups could only hope that there would be 13 of them again standing before the Filipino crowd. “After 10 years, I’m very happy that we have become artists or singers who can fill this kind of stadium. Although we’re not 13 now, I really hope there will come a time we will fill this kind of venue with 13 members,” he said.
And you can definitely bet that the Filipino Carats will be waiting—just right here.
