Photos credit to INB100 and Wilbros Live

Two years after gracing the stage at the 'Be You' joint concert, EXO member and solo artist CHEN made his return to Manila, Philippines, this time for his first solo fan concert, titled 'Beyond the Door' (presented by Wilbros Live).

Thousands of fans flocked to the New Frontier Theater, wearing dazzling yellow outfits with dandelions and door-shaped banners as part of the fan projects. "It's been such a long time, right?” said CHEN, after serenading the audience with his soothing performances of "Empty" and "Dandelion."

"You are still the same, since before, the last time we met… passionate, powerful, beautiful, cute," he added. "We’ve met after such a long time, and today is the last stop for the 'Beyond the Door' tour. Actually, even in Bubble (fan-idol messaging platform), I don’t like mentioning the word 'last because it seems like we won't be able to meet again if we say it’s last, right?"

Before moving on to the next songs on the setlist, CHEN gave out three reminders to the fans: (1) cheer as loud as you can, (2) sing as loud as you can, (3) don't look anywhere else but him.

"For this 'Beyond the Door' tour, I always use this as the opening song. It's the title track from the album I released called 'Door,' and the song is called 'Empty.' I'm not sure if everyone is familiar with the lyrics, it is like a place where there's no you, but this is the message I really want to share with you: without you, I can't do anything, and that's why it became the title song," CHEN explained. "It’s a song that opens the journey of our world."

Following his soulful vocals performing "Remember" and "I Don't Even Mind," CHEN took on a "CHEN-llenge" where he needed to guess the lyrics and wear a penalty item if he failed. During this fun segment, he sang EXO's "Love Me Right," "Playboy," and "Artificial Love," BAEKHYUN's "Amusement Park" and "Pineapple Slice," XIUMIN's "You Are The One," and his own "Reminisce." 

CHEN then graced the stage performing "Playlist," "Fall In Love Again," and "Hold You Tight."

"It's already been 5 years since this song was released," CHEN on "Beautiful Goodbye," adding that the feeling is different when he sings this song compared to other tracks. "Through this tour, I want to express to you how much I care and love you guys."

"Because of you guys truly accepting me, loving me, and caring for me, I made this song to express how thankful I am to have people like you. And because of that, I’m really happy. Thank you very much," he said after serenading the crowd with "Love You."

"I call you by different nicknames to show how much I care for you and love you all. Today, being with you makes me very happy. You are truly my sunrise and, of course, my stars. This is how I really feel: for me to shine on stage, you are the sunrise that makes me shine brighter on stage. I'm not the person who lights up the stage but a person who really receives the lights you send to me for me to shine brighter," said CHEN.

"I came to Manila last night. The plane was flying through the darkness of the night. I couldn’t sleep, so I opened the window, and there were countless stars in front of me. Out of all the experiences I’ve had with stars, last night was truly special—there were so many, and they were the brightest I’ve ever seen. Seeing that scenery, you guys were the first thing that came to mind. Of course, while looking at these beautiful stars, there were cooler stars around, and that’s why I thought of you."

"Did you guys enjoy without any regrets? You are the best for being the last stop. For this 'Beyond the Door' tour, it started in Seoul, then went to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, and now here in Manila. Throughout this tour, I felt relieved and very happy that I could remember all the memories and experiences from it. And I will definitely come back."

To make the night even more special, EXO-Ls (EXO's fandom name) prepared several fan projects, including an "Everytime" fan sing-along and fan video, aside from the dandelion field and door hand banners. 

CHEN then thanked everyone who took the time to attend his show: "I’m truly very thankful that you guys came to this concert. I don't really know deeply how much effort you put into your journey to come to this venue, but I kind of understand how it is. Thank you very much, everyone. It's the last stop of the tour, but I'm receiving a lot of love from you guys. I will never forget all the love messages that I received throughout this tour. So, let's be together happily for a long, long time. Thank you to everyone who has been featured in the video. It's also touching hearing the messages that you can overcome your hardships and hard times with my songs."

Stay tuned for our exclusive interview with CHEN!

[CHEN's 'Beyond the Door' fan concert in Manila was presented by Wilbros Live; Photos courtesy of Wilbros Live]