Manila’s got its MTV

THE CAPITAL of the Philippines was rocking on June 24 as more than 26,000 pop-music fans converged on the concert grounds of a shopping mall for MTV Music Evolution Manila 2016.
The rain failed to dampen spirits in the crowd as OneRepublic, Far East Movement, Bebe Rexha, Apink from South Korea ands the Philippines’ own father-son duo Gary V featuring Gab Valenciano, James Reid and Nadine Lustre performed.
MTV VJs Alan Wong, Hanli Hoefer, Yassi Pressman and Andre Paras were the hosts. Thailand gets to see how it all happened with a telecast on TrueVisions later this month.
Gary V opened the show in true Filipino fashion to the beat of the kulintang, a traditional percussion instrument. “Mr Pure Energy”, as he’s affectionately known, immediately had the crowds dancing. He sang his hit “Babalik Ka Rin” and then brought on his son Gab for a heartfelt performance that told his own story.
The set included some of his biggest hits, such as “Shake It Off”, “Arise” and “Sa Yahweh ang Sayaw” and featured the top dance group the Maneuvers.
Two of contemporary Pinoy pop music’s fastest-rising stars, James Reid and Nadine Lustre – together known as JaDine – opened with a duet of the well-loved singles “Para-Paraan” (her hit) and “Huwag Ka Nang Humirit” (his).
Heartthrob Reid wooed the crowd with renditions of “Randomatic” and “Bonfire”, while Nadine brought up the energy with “Me and You” and “Paligoy-ligoy”. And together they closed out with a medley of favourites like “Bahala Na”, “Hanap-Hanap” and “No Erase”.
Bebe Rexha, the New York-born singer-songwriter whose voice has provided hooks in nearly all the current Top 40 tracks, was next onstage, opening with the intense “Take Me Home”, epitomising true female prowess. She quickly had the fans moving to the chart-toppers “The Monster”, which she wrote for Rihanna and Eminem, “Hey Mama” and “Me, Myself, & I”. The crowd sang and danced along to “No Broken Hearts”, which ended her set with a bang.
A frenzy of energy greeted Korean idols Apink – Park Cho-rong, Yoon Bo-mi, Jeong Eun-ji, Son Na-eun, Kim Nam-joo and Oh Ha-young. The girls dazzled in matching sailor outfits as they serenaded the crowd with “Remember”, “Mr Chu” and “Luv”, displaying the sweet and innocent image and street style for which they’re known. The group moved in tight sync to “Attracted to You” and “No No No”.
Electric-dance trio Far East Movement revved up the vibe with a set of their hits, mingling rap and synthesiser riffs. They performed “Push”, “G6”, “Bang It to the Curb” and “When the Funk Drop”.
The guys wrapped up their set with the audience singing along to “Rocketeer”, leading into an explosive outro with their hits “Illest”, “Turn Up the Love” and “Rattle”, during which they sent giant inflatable objects flying out to the audience.
The evening closed with a memorable final act – multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated quintet OneRepublic.
Opening with “Love Runs Out”, they earned the fans’ appreciation on their second visit to the Philippines. Lead singer Ryan Tedder returned the love, saying, “You’re the most genuine people on earth!”
Emotions ran high as they went into a stunning rendition of “Secrets” with cello accompaniment. Tedder and Brent Kutzle then performed an intimate rendition of “Apologise” on piano and cello before delighting everyone with “Counting Stars” and the new single “Wherever I Go”. The night closed with an amazing performance of “If I Lose Myself” that completed the experience for the crowd with an explosion of confetti and fireworks.
Recorded live for global telecast as part of the “MTV World Stage” global series, Music Evolution Manila will reach an audience of more than three-quarters of a billion households in 160 countries.