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The Rose's last concert in Manila before hiatus: Memorable, fun, emotional
The Rose's last concert in Manila before hiatus: Memorable, fun, emotional
Korean rock band The Rose took the stage in Manila for the last time before going on a temporary hiatus as a group to focus on their individual careers and interests.
Held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Aug. 15, the band’s “Rosetopia” concert served as an opportunity to meet their Filipino fans, look back on their career, and reveal their plans for the future.
The Rose announced last April that after completing the “Rosetopia” tour and releasing their “Rose” album, they would go on a group hiatus.
Prior to their debut in 2017, the members showcased their music through busking in Hongdae, one of the most popular tourist areas in Seoul.
They have come a long way since then, touring around the world and performing for thousands of people.
At the Manila concert, The Rose performed more than 20 songs, including “Utopia,” “Lifeline,” “You’re Beautiful,” “Red,” “Yes,” “Threshold,” “Nebula,” “Shift,” “Time,” “Slowly,” “Back To Me,” “Chemical,” “Alive,” “Control,” “Cosmo,” “Sorry,” “She’s In The Rain,” “Beauty And The Beast,” “Sour,” and “Wonder.” For the encore, they sang “Blue Moon,” “Utopia,” and “Black Rose.”
Before the show, The Rose’s Woosung, Taegyeom, Dojoon, and Hajoon held a press conference at the arena, where they talked about the Philippines, their career, and their plans.
Through L-Squared Productions PH, Manila Bulletin Entertainment asked them to name the highlights of their career over the past 10 years.
Hajoon cited their Coachella performance in 2024, which marked their first appearance at the popular annual music festival.
“It was our dream stage. It could show you guys about our journey through that stage, I think. So that's the reason,” he said.
Woosung said they had “a couple iconic moments,” including their performance at Lollapalooza Brazil in 2023.
“We had, like, a video that went viral. To name one more, we played our first 10,000-people-over show, which was in LA. That was pretty iconic at The Forum.”
Throughout their career, they have visited many countries for shows and concert tours, including the US, Switzerland, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, and France.
Asked what they want to pursue moving forward, Woosung said they want to continue sharing their love of music.
“I think we just want to spread just a good message, loving music. And I think we kind of always came into this world where we're okay not being popular ourselves with our face and as a singer or whatever. But as long as our music is known to people, we are very happy about that. So that's what we're pursuing in the meantime until forever. So that's it.”
Memories of Manila
Taegyeom said his fondest memory of Manila was when The Rose performed at the CONQuest Festival 2023, where he also played the video game Valorant.
“It was so fun. This is a unique, iconic moment for me. I'll never forget that moment. Yeah, that's why I love you, Manila. It's very important to me. I have a lot of memories. And I love food,” he said.
Woosung said he lived in the Philippines for a year when he was about six years old.
“And I think coming here, even though I've only lived here for a year, it feels like, because the people are so warm, it feels like our second home when we do the shows. There are a couple, we go to all kinds of different cities. And to me, personally, Philippines, Manila, feels like home,” he said.
“Rosetopia” was The Rose’s comeback concert in the country after holding their “Dawn to Dusk Asia Tour” in January 2024.
Asked about one Filipino habit or cultural trait that made them smile during their visits to the country, Dojoon cited the warmth of Filipino fans.
“The warm smile and the way they call us. It's just like, they're like very… high-pitched. And every time we see them, it gives us a smile.”
Woosung, meanwhile, noticed how Filipinos use the word “sir” as a form of respect and politeness.
“You know, when we worked with the staff in the Philippines, I really liked... I do this with my friends too, and we call each other ‘sir.’ Like, ‘hey sir,’ like. When I text my friends, I'm like, ‘Okay sir.’ Like you know what I mean? And I think the staff, they're very, they do that, and I kinda like doing it back, so it makes me feel like we're closer than we are,” he said.
Taegyeom said Filipinos “are so kind. Every time we come to Manila, they're so kind and make me smile.”
For Hajoon, Filipinos are “really respectful.”
Knowing each other
The members have been together for 10 years, including nine years since their debut.
Through the years, they have learned different things from one another, including English and how to express themselves through music.
Hajoon said they learned from each other because the members have different musical preferences and different ways of expressing their music.
Taegyeom echoed this, saying they have different tastes in music but have learned from each other to “go with the flow.”
Dojoon said one thing he has learned is that each member has different strengths.
“It's best when you put your strengths out for the team and it becomes one song and one thing.”
Changes
From busking on the streets of Seoul, The Rose became one of the most recognizable Korean indie rock bands, particularly outside their home country.
Their career has changed their lives, and for Dojoon, being recognized by fans is one of the biggest changes.
“I mean, we can come to Manila just because we are The Rose and there are a lot of Filipinos who are waiting for us,” he said.
Woosung said their career has allowed them to travel the world and share their music.
“But in terms of our personal lives, it hasn't changed too much. I think we're still pretty similar from 10 years ago when we first met. And now, (it is) just how we act, how we talk. But yeah, just to be able to ride a lot of planes, that's changed. I hate planes. Yeah, I wish there was a faster…you know,” he said.
Hiatus
After “Rosetopia,” The Rose will temporarily step away from group activities and pursue their individual interests.
At the concert, Woosung told fans, “Unfortunately, I have one small bad news that is not really a bad news, is that we're going to go on a small hiatus.”
“You know, we have been doing this with you guys for nine years, but with ourselves for 10 years now. And over that time we have been so focused on making the band be a band that we were kind of like a racehorse where they only see forward and we were just running and running and running and we kind of forgot to look around for a little bit as we were running,” he said.
He said that after 10 years, “it's time for us to take a small break from each other and learn other things and do other things that we each wanted to do in our personal lives.”
Woosung said their individual pursuits could include a solo album for Hajoon, an acting career for Taegyeom, or a solo or DJ album for Dojoon.
“So, we're going to take some time and really, really learn again, learn about ourselves, and then we will come back together, tell you guys what we learned,” he said.
Filipino fans unveiled a large banner in the arena that read, “No matter where life takes us, we'll always meet in Rosetopia.”
For them, it may take years for The Rose to return to the Philippines, but they will always wait for and support the band.
