MANILA, Philippines - Somebody said the Philippines is a K-Pop republic. It’s probably true because whether they’re big names like Super Junior, 2NE1, Girls’ Generation or newbies like BTS, GOT7 and NOM, they’re able to muster large, paying audiences to venues like MOA, Smart Araneta and even in a faraway school in Dasmariñas, Cavite.
Neophyte four-piece boy band NOM (No Other Man) managed to do that on a rainy, cold Saturday night when thousands of screaming teen-aged girls descended at the National College of Science and Technology to see A-in, K, Yohan and Yonggi in person.
NOM’s young fans didn’t mind getting soaked in the rain as they sang along the group’s songs Pretty Singer and You, It’s You. They danced and held placards bearing Korean words Saranghaeyo (I love you), Oppa (which could mean sweetheart or brother) and Kansamhanida (Thank you). The boys spoke to the crowd in Korean language and the audience answered back in wild cheers and screams as though they understood every word they were saying. Some girls were even crying, perhaps overwhelmed by seeing their idols perform so close.
The boys tried hard to return the love of their fans, high-fiving the girls at the audience and even doing a sexy dance; some members even showed their abs. It’s a good thing, the concert was held in an open-air area, where the screams were less piercing to the ears.
At the press conference later after the concert, the members said they’re very grateful to their Filipino fans.
“Eventhough it was raining, the fans stayed for us and cheered us throughout the concert. Eventhough we can’t speak English and we communicate to them in Korean, they still cheered for us. So we just want to tell them that we love them and we will make our performances better, we will practice and give our best in every performance,” Ain, the group’s leader told entertainment journalists.
NOM debuted on the Korean music industry on Sept. 9, 2013, releasing their first single titled Pretty Sister, followed by You, It’s You.
Last year, the group visited the Philipppines to do a couple of shows in Manila, Naga, Iloilo and Baguio together with Korean violinist Eun Joo Pak.
Although they’re a rookie group, NOM has a loyal following in the Philippines.
NOM carries the trademarks of a typical K-Pop group: Sleek MTVs, cool hairstyles, good looks and synchronized dance moves. Like a typical K-Pop group, the members underwent a rigid training in singing and dancing which explains why the group gyrates in clock-like precision and timing. As soon as they pass the auditions, they’re plucked from their families and stay in a dorm together where they eventually train for years. Almost every day, they practice in front of a room-sized mirror to perfect their dance moves.
And these days, even a newbie K-Pop group can be popular in a matter of months since their managements see to it that they utilize the power of social media. The performances of K-Pop groups are instantaneously uploaded on social media sites and YouTube. Filipino K-Pop afficionados turn to these sites to see the latest groups in the K-Pop world.
Yohan said their first time in the Philippines was very memorable as hundreds of fans turned up at their event.
“The first time we were here was in Naga, our fans gave us an overwhelming reception. If given a chance, we would like to go back to Naga and perform again there. We want to show an improved performance. We couldn’t forget how they showed their love to us,” Yonggi said through an interpreter named Mr. Choi.
As a treat to their Filipino fans, the group memorized and sang a Tagalog song Pusong Bato, originally performed by Renee dela Rosa, in their concerts last year.
Singing Pusong Bato was not a walk in the park, the members chorused.
“We remember writing the lyrics of the song, then memorizing it, then writing it again then singing it. It was a tedious process but we persevered because we want to make our Filipino fans happy,” he said.
They even posted an MTV of their cover on YouTube which garnered various reactions, particularly on why they’ve interpreted the song in a cheerful manner when it’s a ballad about a guy who was dumped by a loved one. Yohan and Yonggi said they deliberately sang the song in an upbeat way to cheer up their fans who could be in a similar predicament.
“Yes, we know it’s a song for the broken-hearted but we thought it would be nice to put a little positive spin on the song, so that’s why we sang it differently,” said K.
In their next performance here, they want to dance and do a version of Ryzza Mae Dizon’s cha-cha complete with the “lamukot” face.
“That would really be fun to do and we’d like to dance the cha-cha with our fans. We would also like to perform with Sarah Geronimo,” said Yonggi and Ain.
NOM members count 2ne1 as one of their musical idols in Korea.
“They’re a girl group yes, but they inspire us. We would like to follow the trajectory of their careers where we could perform as a group but have individual careers as well,” K said.
All members acknowledged that they still have a long way to go and that they don’t really mind performing in small venues in the Philippines just as long as their fans are there to support them.
Asked how come they don’t perform at big venues like SM MOA or Araneta, the boys humbly said they’re still waiting for the right time and their turn to make it big here.
“It’s our dream to perform in venues like MOA or Araneta. We are still harboring that dream. The important thing for us is that our fans go to our concerts even in small venues like this. For that, we are grateful and happy already,” they said.
The neophyte four-piece K-Pop band NOM (No Other Man) is composed of (from left) K, Yonggi, Yohan and Ain