MANILA, Philippines - Arguably the biggest and most pervasive impact of the ongoing Korean wave in the Philippines is on popular entertainment and culture as it has opened the doors for an awesome variety of Korean entertainment fares, such as TV drama programs, films, pop music and the current dance style craze, gangnam.
The K-pop phenomenon has significantly altered the local music and entertainment landscape with the steady influx of top Korean singers and artists which has consistently attracted a broad range of fans to shows that feature music with distinctly Asian sound and flavor.
As the 2012 concert season enters its fourth and final quarter, the music and entertainment scene is expected to sizzle further with the much-awaited performance by another big Korean pop act, BigBang in a special concert on Oct. 24 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Titled BigBang Alive Galaxy Tour 2012 In Manila!, the local debut of the K-pop band to be mounted by Ovation Productions, is part of BigBang’s first-ever world tour in support of its new mini-album, Alive, and which covers 25 cities in 16 countries in five continents.
The K-pop extravaganza will showcase the urban-originated music of one of the most successful Asian groups in the world today that features a mix of different musical styles, from hip-hop to R&B, done with catchy vocals and exciting dance moves that have been widely copied and covered by millions worldwide.
Formed in 2006 by G-Dragon, T.O.P., Taeyang, Seungri and Daesung, BigBang became an overnight sensation when its hit song, Lies, the title single of its 2007 first mini-album, Always, was released as lead single and stayed at No. 1 on the Korean charts for seven consecutive weeks.
Its follow-up releases — Hot Issue and Stand Up — reinforced the band’s chart standings, spawning more hits, such as Last Farewell and Haru Haru.
Its star continued to shine with a string of critical and commercial successes, starting with its debut single, BigBang, which sold nearly 40,000 copies; while its debut album, Since 2007, registered sales of 48,000 by the end of February, 2007.
Always, aside from becoming a huge commercial success with sales of 87,000 copies, received numerous awards and citations, including Best Male Group Award and Song of the Year Award from the 2007 Mnet Asian Music Awards and Artist of the Year Award from the 17th Seoul Music Awards.
From 2009 to 2010, BigBang ventured overseas to Japan, where it was hailed as “the Korean group that Japanese fans wish to see the most.”
It also became the first foreign act to be awarded Best Newcomer by the Japan Cable Broadcasting Station and Best New Artist at the MTV Japan.
It drew rave comments from Time magazine, which described BigBang as one of the “most promising South Korean acts to venture into Japan,” and Korea Times, which called the group as “the icons of Korean pop (music).”
Last Feb. 29, BigBang’s Alive was released to a rousing reception from the music industry: Its music video received two million views on YouTube within 24 hours, all six tracks from the album reached the Top 10 in two weeks and charted at No. 5 on US iTunes Top Albums and No. 3 on Canadian iTunes, surpassing the previous record for a Korean album set by the group’s other album, Tonight.
On its sixth year, the group continues to ride on a wave of overwhelming popularity among millions of fans in Asia, having been voted the Most Popular Male Singer once again.
(The show is presented by Ovation Productions in association with etc, 2nd Avenue, Jack TV and Vivre Fort Entertainment and supported by, among others, The Philippine STAR. Tickets are priced at P13,200, P10,560, P7,920, P6,870, P3,700 and P1,060 and are available at all SM Tickets outlets nationwide. Tickets may also be purchased online through www.smtickets.com. For details, call 470-2222 or visit www.mallofasia-arena.com.)