K-pop idol Chen of EXO completed his five-city “2024 Chen Fan-Con: Beyond the Door Asia Tour” with a sold-out show in Manila.
Chen performed, and interacted and created special memories with Filipino fans on Nov. 23 at the New Frontier Theater.
He launched the fan-con in Seoul and toured Taipei, Taiwan; Bangkok, Thailand; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Manila, Philippines as the last stop.
K-pop idol Chen at his “2024 Chen Fan-Con: Beyond the Door Asia Tour” in Manila on Nov. 23 at the New Frontier Theater (Wilbros Live)
Chen in Manila (X)
He opened the fan-con by performing “Empty” and “Dandelion,” two songs included in his mini-album “Door” released in May this year.
“It’s been such a long time, right? But I really have to say this before we begin anything. You’re the same since like the last time we met. We’ve met after such a long time. Manila is the last stop for the ‘Beyond the Door Asia Tour,’” Chen told the audience.
He added, “Don’t look anywhere else but me. This space is just for you and me. How I am expressing this ‘Beyond the Door Tour’ is, I want to say as a world of just you and me.”
Chen said he chose “Empty” as an opening song for the whole tour because of its lyrics.
“I would like to mention this line–a space where there is no you. This is the message I want to tell you guys. Without you, I can’t do anything. It is a song that opens the journey of our world,” he said.
He continued serenading the audience with “Remember,” “I Don’t Even Mind,” “Playlist,” “Fall in Love Again,” “Hold You Tight,” “Beautiful Goodbye,” “Love You,” “Don’t Remember,” “Shall We?” and “Starlight.”
In the game “Chen-llenge,” Chen had to guess the missing parts of song lyrics and sing a line of the song to succeed. If he succeeded, he would wear a “congratulatory” item but if he failed, he would wear a “penalty” item.
After performing “Love You,” he said, “Because of you guys, accepting me, loving me, caring for me, I wrote this song to express to you how thankful I am, how grateful I am to have people like you. And because of that, I’m really, really happy.”
During the show, Chen also sang “Everytime,” an original soundtrack (OST) which he and fellow singer Punch recorded for the hit Korean drama “Descendants of the Sun,” which starred Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo.
While he was singing it, fans raised banners with the message “You fill our days with brightness, our sunshine Jongdae [Chen’s real name].”
“Today, really, with you guys, because of you guys, I’m very, very happy. You guys really are my sunrise and my stars. In order for me to shine on stage, you guys are really the sunrise that makes a lot brighter and shine brighter. I’m not the person who lights up the stage but I’m the person who really receives the light that you extend to me for me to shine brighter,” said Chen.
He added, “You are really the best for being the last stop of this ‘Beyond the Door’ tour.”
Chen said throughout the tour of the five cities, “I am very happy that I can remember all the memories and happenings on this tour and I will definitely come back.”
A video containing messages from his fans was shown during the show with the ending message, “Maraming salamat sa pagsama, Chen.”
“I feel very, very touched. I’m really, really grateful and happy to think that I could have memories from Mondays to Sundays. I don’t know how to put it in words but I really think, like, ‘Do I really deserve?’ I’m very, very thankful just for the fact that you guys came to this concert. Thank you very much,” he said.
Chen added, “I will never forget all the messages of love, all the messages that I received for this tour.”
“Please remember me when we’re all together and we’ll see each other again. Promise,” he said.
Chen sang “Best Luck,” the OST for the 2014 drama “It's Okay, That's Love” (starring Zo In-sung and Gong Hyo-jin), to close the show.
The “2024 Chen Fan-Con: Beyond the Door Asia Tour” was presented by Wilbros Live.