It’s clear that the K-pop scene here in the Philippines is massive. However, when you direct yourself towards the fans of the worldwide act EXO , you’ll realise that this community is amazing.
EXO-Ls from all over the country have been waiting for a long time to see these amazing boys live on stage, singing and dancing their well-known songs and interacting with fans that’ll melt hearts and make ships sail. As a fellow EXO-L, I’ve had the same sentiments.
When the weekend came for EXO to perform, the excitement and anticipation lit up my heart to the point where I was jittering in my seat with my friend on the way to the MOA Arena.
And those feelings exploded tenfold when the music started blaring and I had immersed myself in it for the next 3 hours. Here are the top 6 moments from the EXO’luXion:
Top 6 Moments of the #EXO’luXioninManila
6. The laser lights
One of the things I looked forward to was the light show that comes with some of the songs like ‘Drop That’ and ‘El Dorado’. Photos from their previous stops across Asia had me in awe whenever they were playing because they made the scene look like it came from the future to play with us for the moment; and when I saw it with my own eyes, there’s no doubt that I was floored. ‘Drop That’ made me feel like I was at a party rave rather than a concert while ‘El Dorado’ made me feel like I was transported into a storage full of Sith Lord lightsabers. Pretty cool, if you ask me.
5. The fan service
Another thing that I looked forward to were the interactions the members made with the fans. Let me tell you, they did not disappoint. From Chanyeol taking a selfie with a fan’s phone to Sehun throwing cute V-signs and the group flashing their quick change through a paper silhouette, every person inside the arena was screaming with giant hearts in their eyes. Oh, how we’d love to see what’s on the other side of that backdrop!
4. OTP interactions
Of course some of the best moments at the concert were the OTP (one-true-pairing) interactions! Despite EXO-Ls having their own preferred OTPs, we all started to ship these three when Sehun put them together at a freeze moment. Look at how cute Xiumin is at the center of it all. Thank you for managing to joke around despite your injury. We all hope that you and Kai will recover soon!
3. EXO appreciating the scene in front of them
Screenshot from @mightybaek on Twitter
Screenshot from @imforsehun on Twitter
On a more sentimental note, I could see each of the members taking their time to take in the scene in front of them throughout the concert. They scanned their eyes across every person waving a banner, screaming their name, cheering them on and singing along for as long as time allowed them. For me, time slowed during these short moments because the connection we shared as artists and fans was so strong. It moved me to tears.
2. PHIXO and mini flashmob
Now here’s one for the books. Shortly after EXO performed ‘Call Me Baby’ and ‘Growl’, they spotted two small groups that danced along with them. They were so impressed that they asked for these two groups to dance to each of them once more. Baekhyun piped in after the mini flashmob, and had an idea to combine Philippines and EXO into a collective name called PHIXO to commemorate this spontaneous interlude. Laughs were shared across the hall because I’m not sure if he’s aware that the name sounds like our money currency: ‘piso’.
1. The Silver Ocean
To me, the best moment during the concert, though, was the silver ocean. These lights were like stars that littered across every space that bobbed to every beat and waved with each hum. It never faltered for a minute and that was when I realised that with EXO, we truly are one.
EXO has inspired a lot of us EXO-Ls and we are glad that we inspire you boys as well. Thank you for coming here and making our experience the best one ever! As I sit here reliving the events in my head, I can’t wait for them to come back!
If you’re new to the K-pop scene, check out these links:
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