MTV Music Evolution Manila ‘16, one of the biggest music events in the country this year, wasfor the books. The epic night saw a bunch of talented artists unleash pop energy to tens of thousands of people. Luckily, I was invited to join in on all the fun.
Our day started at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila where a battery of press conferences were held. One by one, the artists came to greet us and answer questions regarding their performance that night and some juicy, intriguing questions.
Past 5:00 PM, we were taken to the venue, the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds. We waited for the concert to begin in the media tent, as they started to let people in. The weather was quite bad at the time, but the people were still hyped up despite the intermittent rain.
The concert started by getting up on stage four of MTV Asia’s VJs—Alan Wong, Hanli Hoefer and Yassi Pressman, and Andre Paras—who served as the event’s hosts.
GARY V WITH GAB VALENCIANO
First to heat up the stage despite the slight rain was Mr. Pure Energy himself, Gary V who opened his set with Filipino beats and an energized performance of his classic Babalik Ka Rin. He was later joined by his son, Gab Valenciano, and the father-and-son duo sang and danced to songs like Shake It Off, Arise (remix version), and Sa Yahweh ang Sayaw.
JAMES REID AND NADINE LUSTRE
James Reid and Nadine Lustre, known together as the power couple JaDine, showed that there’s more to them than just being an onscreen tandem. James wooed the crowd with his songs Randomatic and Bonfire, as well as his hit Huwag Ka Nang Humirit, while Nadine sang with Me and You and Paligoy-ligoy, as well as her hit Para-Paraan. They closed their set together with a medley of fan favorites, including Bahala Na, Hanap-Hanap, and No Erase.
BEBE REXHA
Brooklyn-born singer and songwriter Bebe Rexha has been making waves in music recently for her smash hits, and she took them to the MTV Music Evolution stage. She gave an intense rendition of Take Me Home, The Monster (which she wrote for Rihanna and Eminem), Hey Mama, Me Myself & I, and her recent hit No Broken Hearts, which the crowd loudly sang to.
A-PINK
Legions of K-pop fans were in attendance to see their idol, A-Pink, so as the girls went up the stage, they were welcomed with thunderous screams. The group didn’t fail their fans with their energetic performance of their hits like Remember, Mr. Chu, Luv, Attracted to You, and No No No.
FAR EAST MOVEMENT
Asian hip-hop and EDM group Far East Movement came next, mixing their tracks with live rap segments and synth riffs, and they were so good that everyone moved to their beats in raised fists. Among the tracks they performed were Push, G6, Bang It to the Curb, When the Funk Drop, Illest, Rocketeer, Turn the Love Up, and Rattle.
ONEREPUBLIC
The moment all have been waiting for had come as OneRepublic took the stage—and honestly they were better than I thought they were. Stunning the crowd talent in singing live and playing several instruments, frontman Ryan Tedder was a revelation that I wondered why I hadn’t given the band much more attention they deserve.
OneRepublic performed their crowd-favorite hits, which understandably made the crowd sing and move along with them. Among these were Secrets, Apologize, Counting Stars, Wherever I Go, and If I Lose Myself. Their performance literally ended with a bang as fireworks lit up the sky.
WATCH MTV MUSIC EVOLTION MANILA ‘16 ON MTV
For those who weren’t with us to see these great acts perform and for those who wish to relive that epic night, MTV Music Evolution: Manila Asia Special will premiere on MTV on Tuesday, July 19, 2016 at 8:00 PM in the Philippines. It will also have repeat airings on:
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July 20, 2016 (Wednesday) at 12:00 AM
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July 21, 2016 (Thursday) at 11:30 AM
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July 23, 2016 (Saturday) at 2:30 PM
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July 24, 2016 (Sunday) at 8:00 PM
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July 25, 2016 (Monday) at 2:00 PM
For more updates, follow MTV Asia on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Be sure to use the hashtag #mtvmusicevo on social media.
Photos above are courtesy of MTV Asia.
