We went to the MAMA Awards
It was a scene straight out of “Lovely Runner.” Byeon Woo-seok—K-pop idol Ryu Sun-jae in the series—was onstage dressed in white, surrounded by a sea of lightsticks and thousands upon thousands of screaming fans. The first notes of “Sudden Shower” played, and when Woo-seok started singing, his voice smooth and sweet, everyone fell silent, rapt.
But this wasn’t a K-drama. This was real life—just one moment out of so many incredible moments at the 2024 MAMA Awards, held at Kyocera Dome Osaka last month.
This year, the K-pop awards ceremony was a three-day affair—with Day 1 taking place in Los Angeles and Days 2 and 3 happening in Osaka.
Super flew to Japan with Metrobank to attend the awards show, which was presented by Visa, and also to try their newest offering: the Metrobank Travel Signature Visa credit card.
In fact, our exploration of the card’s benefits started even before we flew, as Metrobank Travel Signature Visa cardholders get to enjoy unlimited local lounge access. We waited for boarding in comfort at PAGSS Premium Lounge in NAIA Terminal 3.
When we landed at Osaka’s Kansai International airport, Visa staff welcomed us—including Yu Yokoyama who said, “Mabuhay at maligayang pagdating”—and whisked us off to the W Hotel where we were billeted.
Many of us hit the ground running, heading off for different adventures around Osaka, Metrobank Travel Signature Visa cards in tow.
Two unforgettable days
And in between the tapping, sliding and swiping, we witnessed and enjoyed two unforgettable days at MAMA.
We didn’t just get to watch the show, Visa also gave us red carpet access on the last day of the awards. We got to see so many stars up close.
We entered through Visa’s exclusive gates and, once inside the dome, we had amazing seats. We didn’t just have a great view of the main stage, we were also really close to the smaller stage where most of the awards were given out, and also the area where the artists sat during the show. Lucky, lucky.
Tomorrow X Together’s Yeonjun kicked things off on a high note. What followed were three exhilarating hours of fantastic performances, awards handed out, and heartfelt acceptance speeches.
There was plenty of excitement when Rosé and Bruno Mars (who collaborated on the song of the moment “APT.”—as if we need to tell you that) arrived to take their seats at the artists’ section. It was super cute to see the other idols looking thrilled to see them too. They won the Global Sensation Award, clinking their MAMA trophies together, as if doing a toast. Rosé said, “Thank you, Bruno, for everything. Literally, you’re the best.” Then, Bruno leaned into the mic and said, in a deep voice, “Kamsahamnida.”
It was so sweet how the winners kept giving their fans a shoutout, saying their fandom names ever so sweetly.
Enhypen’s performance blew our minds. “What is this sorcery?” we asked one another. “Epic!” we wrote in our notes. We loved the concept, the storytelling and yes, “XO (Only If You Say Yes)” has been stuck in our head for weeks now.
We noticed the appearance of more security personnel by our barricades. “Something is happening,” we said, jostling one another. True enough, during their performance of “Run,” the members of Treasure made their way down our barricade, getting close to the fans, with Doyoung even taking someone’s phone and giving it a kiss.
MAMA Awards pulled out all stops—huge productions, moving stages, so many screens, lasers, lights, confetti, pyrotechnics and the lightsticks that transformed throughout the show.
BigBang reunion
G-Dragon, who was given the Music Visionary of the Year award, had the entire dome—including the idols—buzzing. He really does have the “Power.” And when his performance turned into a surprise BigBang reunion, with Taeyang and Daesung joining him onstage, everyone lost their minds. It was crazy. Suddenly, all these BangBongs (BigBang lightsticks) lit up—it was so beautiful, it gave us goosebumps. That performance was so powerful that the place kept buzzing with wild energy even after it was over. We’ve never seen anything like it. Definitely one of our favorite MAMA moments and we’re grateful to have witnessed it.
Another favorite moment? Seventeen’s emotional acceptance speech. When Woozi cried, we cried too. Seventeen won big at this year’s MAMA Awards, winning multiple awards including Best Male Group, Visa Artist of the Year and Visa Album of the Year for “Seventeenth Heaven.” We loved their performance too. We’re kind of in love with Seventeen now (and not just because of Mingyu’s one-sleeved shirt)—does this officially make us Carats?
Another big winner? Aespa, who brought home many awards including Best Female Group, Best Music Video for “Armageddon,” Best Choreography and Visa Song of the Year both for “Supernova.”
And truthfully, we felt like winners too, as we basked in the great energy of the K-pop fans (saranghae) and the presence of so many K-pop idols and also K-drama stars—an exciting, dizzying list of names: Ive, Boynextdoor, Izna, Zerobaseone, Bibi, Lee Young Ji, Plave, (G)I-dle, Meovv, Kim Tae-ri, Park Seo-joon, Lee Junho, Lee Joo Bin, Yim Si-wan, Gong Myoung, Ahn Jae Hyeon, Seol In-ah, Kim Hye-jun, Seo In-guk, Ho-yeon, the list goes on and on.
We were excited to see Na PD (Na Yeong-seok), not just because of the many great shows he’s produced, but also because of his “Hospital Playlist” cameo.
Adventures around Osaka
Many of the Korean stars shared their adventures around Osaka on social media. Like them, we also enjoyed exploring the city.
Some of us went vintage shopping, food tripping, cafe hopping, toy hunting, and everyone went to Donki and the konbinis—with their Metrobank Travel Signature Visa cards, of course.
The card was designed to meet the evolving lifestyle and preferences of Filipino travelers, said Metrobank. They’ve noticed that Filipinos are mindful of forex fees, “actively seeking ways to manage costs without sacrificing their experiences—whether for shopping, dining or exploring new destinations.” Earning travel rewards is another thing that’s important for them. According to Metrobank, “Filipino travelers now view their everyday spending as an opportunity to bring them closer to their next travel goal, whether it’s a dream vacation, family trip, or business milestone.”
Also important to Filipino travelers are comfort and convenience. “Long waits at airports, red-eye flights and layovers have made access to airport lounges a sought-after benefit for customers looking to make their journeys more seamless and relaxing.”
And so they introduced the Metrobank Travel Signature Visa card for all those needs: it lets you earn 1 mile for every P30 you spend (so you’re always closer to your next trip), has a low forex fee of 1.68%, and also gives you unlimited local lounge access.
Other benefits Metrobank Visa cardholders enjoy include 24/7 Worldwide Visa Concierge, promotions like airline discounts and flexible payment options. When we were there, Metrobank also had special promos for Metrobank Visa cardholders traveling in Japan like discounts on the Osaka e-Pass and attractions like TeamLab Forest Fukuoka and Art Aquarium Museum, plus shopping discounts at Bic Camera, Don Quijote and more.
What we realized is no matter what kind of traveler you are, and no matter where your passions lie, whether you like hitting all the essential tourist spots or you like exploring the off-the-beaten track, you go for fancy meals, cheap eats, or a mix of both, whether you’re a planner or more spontaneous, Metrobank Travel Signature Visa can be your reliable companion.
It’s also great for fans who fly and cross borders in pursuit of their K-pop dreams.
