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Born Pink World Tour: I left the arena even happier

I had waited for this since 2019. BLACKPINK today even have more dominant vibe

Born Pink Tour

When YG entertainment announced the Manila stop of BLACKPINK’S “Born Pink Tour” back in September, I was nothing but excited.

The last time I saw them was four years ago when they came to Manila for the first time, and I had been waiting for their next concert since the release of their album Born Pink. When they announced that they would be performing in the same arena, I knew it would be difficult again to score tickets. Their fame, both individually and as a group, has skyrocketed since the pandemic hit. Luckily, a few weeks later, they announced that they would be performing at Philippine Arena for two days. Immediately, both days sold out, but I was able to score lower box tickets. A month later, I was offered VIP tickets with soundcheck passes, and since it wasn’t difficult to find a fan who would buy my tickets, I was able to upgrade.

March 25 came and BLACKPINK Live in the Philippines was finally happening. I prepared early in the morning because wrist band strapping started at 11 a.m. and anyone who got strapped later than 3 p.m. would not get the chance to watch the soundcheck. I got to the venue at around 10:15 and lined up for 45 minutes. I got my strap and joined the queue at around 11:30, fast and efficient, unlikes the stories I’ve heard from past concert-goers in the same venue. I saw a friend and his girlfriend, and we decided to watch together.

We spotted a section of the arena with air conditioning and decided to hang out there until they called all of us in for queueing. They lined us up in batches of 100 and organized us by queue number. Upon entering, I got so excited at the sight of the stage set-up. I knew this would be a much bigger production than the one in 2019. I could tell just from the size of the stage and the intricate lighting set-up that they had leveled up the production. Bigger venue, better production—to say that I couldn’t wait for it to start was an understatement.

After a few minutes the soundcheck began—BLACKPINK all looked so beautiful even in casual clothes and no makeup. We were all screaming, as if the concert itself was already happening right in front of us. They sang three songs and left to begin their preparations with hair and makeup. We sat on the floor and sang to different songs while their music videos played on the LED screens. I had been looking forward to seeing them perform their newer songs, especially those that came after their first concert here, and those MVs were already hyping me up.

Born Pink Tour

They started with How You Like That, a song easily recognizable by old and new fans alike. I was right, the production really had gone a notch higher for their opening song. It set my mood and expectations for the night. Hit after hit, the girls didn’t disappoint. Vocals were on point, dancing was energetic, and the vibe of the whole production just proved why these girls are the biggest girl group today.

Born Pink Tour

Their group performances were filled with energy and kept all of us fans on our feet from start to finish. Each member performed solo songs, starting off with Jisoo, widely considered the main visual of the group, and there was no denying why she’s said to have the most beautiful face of BLACKPINK. Next was Jennie, who performed an unreleased single, dancing with one of the male dancers. With her sexy dance moves and her partner partially shirtless, this number was a very sensual treat for us fans. After her was Rosé, who is known for her vocals. She was always the best singer among them, but I was still stunned at how her singing has improved from the last time I watched her. I saw Tweets after the show from people who shared the sentiment. Lastly, my personal bias, Lisa who performed her singles Money and Lalisa. She didn’t need to prove her charisma and talent as a dancer to me or anyone else in the arena, and watching her dance made you understand why she’s such a fan favorite. There’s this one piece of choreography of her twerking in Money that I was really looking forward to seeing, but unfortunately a backup dancer was in the exact line of sight between me and Lisa. Thankfully, a friend who was also close to the stage sent me a clip of the exact moment.

Born Pink Tour

They performed more of their songs, old and new, and announced their last one. The crowd was chanting and dancing along until the show ended. I left the arena feeling even happier than I remembered feeling after seeing their 2019 show (not even the hours we spent exiting the arena parking could dampen my mood). The girls have a much more dominant vibe this time around, and you can tell that they’ve built on their confidence in the last few years. Any KPOP fan, no matter how you feel about BLACKPINK, should be able to see them live in concert at least once. You will know exactly why they’re called the biggest girl group in the world right now.

About author

Articles

Jason Arneson is a former cheerleader who now runs a car accessory business, and is also a cofounder and producer of Drag in the South, a series of drag shows featuring the contestants of Drag Race Philippines. He enjoys travel, coffee, and coaching cheerleading teams.

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