It's been nearly three years since the last K-Pop show in the Philippines, and finally, the moment fans have been waiting for has come.CDM Entertainment brought these stellar acts to perform in Manila, the first K-Pop artists to ever perform in person since the pandemic began. Taking place on May 29th, 'Begin Again: K-POP Edition,' one of Manila's first international shows in a long time, sold a great number of tickets, and fans from other regions flew to Manila just to see their favorites perform live on stage. The concert featured a star-studded lineup, including global boy band NCT Dream,SHINee member Key, and rising fourth-generation groups WEi, and ALICE, who recently rebranded their name (formerly known as ELRIS).

At the 'Begin Again: K-POP Edition' concert, a sea of fans gathered to finally meet and greet NCT Dream, Key, WEi, and ALICE. Hours before the concert, the seats started to fill up — even though there were a bunch of fans who were not able to buy a ticket, they brought their patience with them and stayed outside to somehow cheer for their favorites from afar. Loud cheers came in as these acts took the stage, shaking the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Manila with their jaw-dropping performances.

Many NCTzens (fans of NCT Dream) who had attended the global boy group's concert in Manila last 2020 (fun fact: they were also the last K-Pop group to hold a concert before the pandemic lockdown) now had another chance to meet them in person, but this time, only Renjun, Chenle, Jeno, Jaemin, and Jisung were able to perform, as Mark and Haechan had a schedule in Tokyo for NCT 127's Japan tour. While Shawols (fans of SHINee) were able to witness Key hold his first-ever solo live performance in Manila. Rising fourth-generation groups WEi and ALICE embarked on a new journey as they performed in front of beloved international fans.

The seven-member girl group under IOK Company, ALICE — consisting of Bella, Chaejeong, EJ, Hyeseong, Karin, Sohee, and Yukyung — opened the show by performing "We, First" and "This Is Me," the girls showed their cute and lovely side, hyping up the crowd with the charms they delivered, which was a great way to start the show. After the segment where they introduced themselves one by one to the huge crowd, ALICE then performed "Summer Dream," which the members said fits the Philippines really well. The members were a breath of fresh air, hitting all the right notes from start to finish. We who attended the concert must have been overjoyed to see them perform "Summer Dream" live because, hey, their performance is like a beautiful flower that bloomed. ALICE took a short break after their performance to have fun and play "Pirate Game," Sohee, who lost and had to do a random play dance, performed a short cover of BTS' "Dynamite" and Red Velvet's "Red Flavor."

ALICE showcased their soulful and soft vocals, performing their recent single "Power of Love" and surprising fans with a performance of "No Big Deal." ALICE hinted at an upcoming comeback with a new mini-album during a segment. ALICE served the audience with their dance synchronization and vocal prowess at the end of their set, performing "Jackpot." The songs' choreographies appear to be insanely difficult, but they pulled it off!

Rising fourth-generation boy band WEi, which is composed of all-rounder members Daehyeon, Donghan Junseo, Seokhwa, Yohan, and Yongha, took the stage next. After such a powerful performance of "Twilight," the boys mentioned that they recently held their first concert in Seoul, but fans aren't allowed to scream due to health protocol, so it's really nice to hear the crowd cheer this time. WEi continued to rock the stage with "All Or Nothing," displaying their badass side. During the game segment, the boys played the "Alligator Game," in which they also did a random dance play, performing MONSTA X's "Love Killa" and BTS' "Dynamite."

The song "BYE BYE BYE" is up next, and the group has made the audience vibe to the song, making the crowd bang their heads as they sing the line "bye bye bye." WEi chose two songs from their latest album 'Love Pt.1: First Love,' "Super Bumpy," and the title track "Too Bad," for their closing stage performance. Fans must be ecstatic to see WEi rock the stage with their unrivaled stage presence, creating a one-of-a-kind experience — which I can say fans would love to see again soon.

The loudest cheers from Filipino fans came when NCT Dream appeared on stage to perform "Hot Sauce," singing the iconic line "hot sauce gibi dip that eh." During their segment, Chenle shared a TMI, revealing that he is currently learning to play the violin. The venue even lights up as NCT Dream shows off their divine vocals, singing "Dive Into You," the first time the group performed the song outside of Korea, causing Filipino fans to scream at the top of their lungs and making the concert even more memorable for them.

On stage, all of the members exuded powerful, energy-packed moves as they performed "Hello Future" live. Finally, the band brought their high-energy performance of their latest single, "Glitch Mode," with them. Though they only performed four of their songs, everyone can definitely say that NCT Dream served. Fans are hoping that NCT Dream will return to the Philippines for a solo concert with all of the members.

Last but not least, at the 'Begin Again: K-POP Concert,' SHINee's Key. The world-renowned singer lit up the venue with his performance of "Saturday Night." Next, dressed in a high-fashion black suit, Key drowned the crowd with his unrivaled vocal prowess, performing "Helium." The song was then followed by "This Life," which sparkled the entire venue, making fans remember the event.

Fans then screamed "Ring Ding Dong," an iconic K-Pop masterpiece that fans had been longing to hear live by one of SHINee members, and the song that never gets old, "Replay," which Key and the audience both sang along to. Key closed the show on the final stage of the Sunday night concert with a show-stopping performance of his hit single, "Bad Love," showcasing his powerful vocals. Everyone admired Key's ability to interact with fans entirely in English during the concert.

All acts were warmly welcomed by Filipino fans, and everyone cheered for them all — a concert that each one of the attendees felt and enjoyed to the fullest. They all expressed a desire to return to the Philippines. It was an enjoyable experience, and everyone definitely had a blast with how NCT Dream, SHINee's Key, WEi, and ALICE performed on stage, in which all of them perfectly delivered high notes, displayed their charisma, and executed those moves.

Huge thanks to CDM Entertainment for bringing these phenomenal K-Pop artists to the Philippines!