MANILA, Philippines — Suho of phenomenal K-pop group EXO kicked off his first-ever solo Asia concert tour in Manila with stellar performances that unraveled his rock star image before thousands of Filipino fans, fondly called EXO-Ls, last June 22.
Dubbed “Welcome to SU:HOME,” the show began with a home-like stage setup for Suho’s dashing entrance, as he appeared on an elevated platform, acted like he got out of bed, then strummed his electric guitar to perform Mayday and Morning Star.
Suddenly, the Araneta Coliseum turned into a magical garden full of fan-made glowing tulips by EXO-L for Suho’s progressive rock Grey Suit stage, referencing the flower seen in the cover and concept photos from his second mini-album of the same title.
“Kumusta kayo, Manila? Ako ay si Suho from EXO!” he greeted cordially after singing Self-Portrait from his solo debut album in 2020.
“Did you miss me? How much did you miss me? More than I missed you? I think you don’t know how much I missed you,” he playfully asked through an interpreter.
Fascinated to point out that his last overseas trip was in the Philippines, Suho proudly declared that “it’s destiny.”
“I did not go to overseas for six months. Do you know the last (city) I visited? (It’s) Manila!” he exclaimed.
He was in the country last Dec. 14 to attend the 2023 Asia Artist Awards, while he first performed as a soloist at the “On Music Festival” with other Korean and Pinoy acts last Nov. 3.
The K-pop star went on boosting the concert mood with blasting funky tunes courtesy of his latest tracks Cheese and 1 to 3 from his third EP dropped on May 31.
Party mode continued when Suho played Hurdle and asked the fans from the seated sections to stand up as huge inflatable LED balloons bounced on the standing pit.
“You guys really know how to enjoy, huh?” he lauded the audience.
He may have run out of breath due to his thrilling set list, but Suho made sure that he would never run out of words to commend Filipino Eris’ energy.
“Manila, I swear, you are the most beautiful, sexy, cute, handsome, good-looking, awesome, fantastic, incredible, amazing,” he uttered.
When the hype was nearing its peak, the award-winning musician donning a long, gray coat transitioned to soothing yet full of emotion performances of Curtain, Starry Night, and Wishful Thinking.
“Your atmosphere is hotter than I thought,” he said while preparing to showcase his e-guitar skills in his alternative Britpop song, Decanting.
But the loudest cheers echoed through the venue during his rock-infused EXO medley featuring his group’s legendary hits Growl¸ Monster, Overdose, and all-time favorite Winter song The First Snow.
The 33-year-old artist also made sure to get closer to fans by getting down on the barricaded pathway while singing Alright Alright wearing his pink bunny headdress.
His repertoire would not be complete without the acoustic guitar performance of his popular lead single Let’s Love, which holds deep meaning for EXO and fans since it drew inspiration from the boy band’s iconic cheer: “We are one! EXO, Saranghaja! (Let’s love!).
Of course, Pinoy EXO-Ls did not disappoint as well when they passionately sang Made In You, creating a silver ocean view with their light sticks called Eribong, while waiting for Suho’s ending ment.
“For the Manila EXO-Ls who have been cheering hard for me, thank you so much,” the EXO leader expressed.
Suho, whose real name is Kim Jun-myeon, also shared how he prefers Phixo (Philippine EXO-Ls) and other international supporters calling his name in informal speech, which is typically used by Koreans to address close friends or people with the same age or younger.
“It’s quite interesting because in Korea there’s honorific terms, right?” But whenever I meet the fans overseas, you call me like, ‘Jun-myeon-ah’ or ‘Suho-ya.’ I like it so much because you call me in a friendly way. It gives comfort to my heart,” he remarked.
When Suho delivered his heartfelt closing words, he became teary-eyed and touched by the Pinoy fans’ message he had read on the official banner: “Our Suho, when you need strength, come home to us.”
“I’m so relieved and so happy that Manila is the first country of this tour. Magsama tayo magpakailanman. Mahal kita! Mahal na mahal kita!” he stated with delight before proceeding to his encore stage of Made in You.
To finally cap off the Manila leg of his tour, he promised to return to the country with his co-members. “Thank you for waiting for me and EXO. I’ll come back to Manila as soon as possible with EXO,” he vowed.
Presented by Wilbros Live, Suho’s concert was indeed true to its name, knowing how it brought comfort and joy to Filipino EXO-Ls, just like what home feels like.