MANILA, Philippines — Boyzone front man Ronan Keating jokingly claimed that their group is the original boy band in the world.
Speaking with the audience during the Manila leg of their Asian farewell tour concert in Mall of Asia Arena, Ronan said the rest of the boy bands just followed their footsteps.
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Ronan added that the reception they get in Manila every time they are performing is amazing.
“I know there is a special relationship between Manila and Boyzone. You know we are almost the original boy band, all the rest of them follows. The loyalty and the love that we feel still today in 25 years is amazing,” he said.
He recognized that the audiences that night were mostly born in the ‘90s, hinting that their music is still a hit among younger generations.
“I’m looking out to the crowd and all of these faces, mostly born in the ‘90s. We were born in the ‘50s and the ‘60s. You are all too young and too beautiful. You guys have more brilliant pop bands come into Manila, you know Backstreet Boys and NSync,” he said.
“I wasn’t saying you have to cheer for the Backstreet Boys or anything,” he quipped.
The boy band performed their latest single, “Because,” written by Ed Sheeran, and hinted that the single is among the last ones they recorded for their last album, which will be out in November.
Keating, nonetheless, hinted that their farewell tour does not mean goodbye; and that it is just the beginning of another chapter in their careers. He also mentioned that they might be back next year for hopefully “a bigger thriller” in Manila.
Boyzone’s Manila concert was fronted by Filipino balladeer Christian Bautista and Filipina girl group 4th Impact, which performed a medley of songs from Destiny’s Child and ended their performance with “Bang Bang,” the “song that changed our lives,” they said.
The group, which landed on fifth place in “The X Factor UK,” said that their audition video for “Bang Bang” now has over 160 million views, the highest so far for any “The X Factor UK” video. — Videos by Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo
Related video: Boyzone's Manila concert highlights