The rumours are true: there’s no party like an AOMG party. 

Over the weekend (15 January), Simon Dominic, Loco, GRAY, LeeHi, YUGYEOM, and Woo took over Manila’s New Frontier Theater to give Filipino fans a weekend to remember. As one of the first shows in the city for 2023, artists from the famed Korean hip-hop label kicked off the new year on an incredible high as they go above and beyond for their FOLLOW THE MOVEMENT tour. 

Presented by PULP Live World, AOMG brought everyone to their feet, throwing a four-hour (yes, four hours) party that still had everyone wanting more. From intensely energetic performances to heartwarming sing-alongs to hilarious spiels, here's everything that went down at the Manila's stop of the label's 2023 world tour.

WOO 

Woo was a last-minute addition to the Asia leg of the FOLLOW THE MOVEMENT tour, but a much-needed one at that. There couldn’t have been a better act to have opened the highly anticipated show; from the moment his name graced the stage, the excitement was palpable as everyone came together as one to jump, dance, and scream to the rapper’s certified party starter ‘R.I.P’. 

There’s something to be said about Woo’s stage presence. The rapper had a way of instantly commanding attention with barely any effort, when he told the crowd to jump or scream his name louder, everyone complied, no questions asked. 

Woo was given the difficult task of not only opening and setting the mood of the concert but doing so with only four songs. In spite of the challenge, the rapper made an impact that lasted the entire duration of the four-hour show. In the pockets of silence and darkness between each act, you couldn’t help but mentally revisit his set, wanting to relive his performances of ‘Chik Chik Pok Pok’, ‘Chingiz Khan’, and ‘Me’ already.

LEEHI

Unlike Woo, LeeHi began her set on a mellow note, serenading the crowd with her heart-touching tracks ‘ONLY’ and ‘BREATHE’. It was a change of pace from the high-intensity and energetic act we just witnessed, but one that never felt out of place. 

Backed by only a single spotlight, the singer instantly captivated the crowd. It’s no secret that LeeHi was talented, but those few first minutes reminded us why she’s one of the most impressive vocalists in Korean music. Despite being so small, she had huge presence and the vocal talents to match. 

The flow and curation of LeeHi’s was so satisfying. With each song, the energy rose as the singer guided our emotions and hearts through her stellar discography. From the gentle grooves of ‘Saviour’ to the lively retro synths of ‘Red Lipstick’, LeeHi moved seamlessly between making us cry and getting us to dance. 

LOCO 

The moment Loco materialised on stage, it was as if the energy shifted as we were instantly fed with so much power and intensity as the rapper opened what we all already knew was going to be a memorable set with ‘MBTI’. 

In the span of 35 minutes, Loco showcased so much versatility, highlighting the many sides of his musicality. The rapper’s set started with his fuzzy feel-good tracks like ‘Party Band’, ‘OPPA’, and ‘Too Much’ that the crowd vibed to before he declared a full-blown party with ‘Like Water’ and ‘No Manners’. Clothes were thrown to the side while water was thrown to the crowd as everyone from the first floor to the balcony jumped and danced. 

Loco was undeniably one of the strongest performers of the night. His entire performance was jam-packed with so much fun and fire, never letting the energy falter for even a second. 

And of course, we couldn’t forget when the Filipino crowd left the rapper speechless as they sang his track ‘Say Yes’, an OST from the 2016 drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, which he later practised backstage to perform again in the finale. 

GRAY 

GRAY is no stranger to anyone a fan of Korean hip-hop and R&B, with his name whispered on every track he’s produced (most of which are the genre’s most popular offerings). So, there was no doubt he was one of the most highly anticipated performers on the tour but what he showcased during his set was more than what we could have ever expected. 

Ushering us into the latter half of the evening, GRAY greeted the crowd with ‘Dream Chaser’ before diving into the colourful tracks of his vibrant discography, like ‘Show Window’, ‘STAY THE NIGHT’, ‘Summer Night’, and ‘U’. You, of course, have to note his performance of ‘LOSE CONTROL’ where he played the melodica and guided everyone into a sing-along. 

The rapper had not only the most sonically pleasing performance of the night, with GRAY moving so effortlessly between singing, rapping, and playing the keyboard, but also one of the most visually hypnotic sets with some of the most vivid and fascinating visuals we’ve seen—that green golf course he had during ‘Baby Don’t Cry’ will forever be remembered. 

YUGYEOM 

The last time we saw YUGYEOM was during the Manila stop of his solo tour last year. While it was at the same venue and he performed a similar setlist, there was something different about the GOT7 member this time around. 

With an entire tour now behind him, the singer had a new sense of confidence and power you couldn’t help but be in awe of. He carried himself with so much certainty. No longer was he that timid, heartwarming (yet still an incredible) performer greeting his fans alone for the first time but now, a reassured soloist whose only goal was to give everyone a night to remember.

Whether he was hitting falsettos or breaking it down on stage, YUGYEOM performed with so much precision and grace. His talents were undeniable as he kept everyone’s attention with captivating performances of ‘Take You Down’, ‘All About U’, ‘Love The Way’, and even his latest single ‘Ponytail’.

SIMON DOMINIC

If there was one name you were remembering that night, it was Simon Dominic—and not only because he had a song spelling it out. 

As the last performer of the night, the rapper had a lot to live up to but if there was anyone that could surpass that challenge, it was him. The veteran hip-hop act had no problem taking over that stage and showcasing why he’s one of Korea’s most respected rappers. Simon Dominic ran out to ‘DAx4’ before performing the most highly anticipated performance of the night, ‘Simon Dominic’, which as expected had everyone jumping and screaming along to. 

He then performed mashups of his most famed tracks and collaborations, like ‘POSE!’, ‘Wifey’, ‘Ya Ain’t Gang’, ‘NO THANXXX’, and ‘Comfortable’, as well as the remix of Jay Park’s crowd favourite ‘MOMMAE’. 

Beyond his stoic and intimidating demeanour when he was spitting his fast-paced verses (that honestly had us out of breath), there’s a warmth to the rapper when he takes the stage. Offering the most entertaining spiels and in-between-songs moments of the night, Simon Dominic felt like a friend you were reuniting with after a long while. Without an ounce of awkwardness, the rapper interacted with the crowd with so much ease as he read signs (particularly pointing out a cheeky sign that he later took home), playfully teased his translator, and gave us the now iconic “maganda forever” (meaning beautiful forever in Filipino)—which he said in the same way Black Panther declares “Wakanda forever”.

Throughout the night, Simon Dominic, Loco, GRAY, LeeHi, YUGYEOM, and Woo held their own, proving their power in their own ways and so once they all came together for their grand finale, it was hard not to bask in their caliber. They all performed the many collaborations they had between themselves and the label, with everyone shining together just as much as they did individually. 

Four hours is a long time to keep people on their feet, entertained and dialled into what was happening on stage but AOMG did that without even breaking a sweat. The flow of the entire concert (and even within each artist’s own set) was so well thought-out, with every act setting the stage for the next. 

We also particularly have to note the incredibly mesmerising stage visuals and lighting of the entire show. There was so much to look at and so much going on, and yet everything worked in sync to amplify each and every artist’s performance. 

During her set, LeeHi shared that this tour was where their real fans were going to be and as the night progressed, you could see that statement hold true. There was not a song the crowd didn’t sing along to or dance to, with so much energy and intensity thrown back to the artists on stage. The impact of their music, from across the region beyond geographical and language barriers, was incredible to witness live. If you were to take anything from this night, it was that we all followed the movement and loved every bit of it. 

Check out more moments from AOMG's FOLLOW THE MOVEMENT in Manila here.