From Coldplay, Dua Lipa, to Katy Perry, we list down the times when international artists graced the stage of Filipino variety shows.
There’s nothing like watching your favorite artists perform live. The euphoric feeling you get to see your idol perform in person is a feeling that is hard to replicate. While a lot of international artists hold concerts in the Philippines, it is definitely a rarity to see them go on local variety shows. But when they do, it’s something special. There actually have been quite a few international artists who have made appearances on Pinoy variety shows, serenading to the studio (or virtual) audience to make for a special performance. Here are 11 times when international artists performed on local variety shows.
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ANNE-MARIE
In early 2018, British pop singer Anne-Marie traveled to the country for a series of performances. One of her most notable was her acoustic performance of her song Rockabye on ASAP where she was able to let her vocals shine through. She even had time to hang out with some of the Kapamilya actors in ASAP Chillout and even sang an acapella version of Rockabye with Darren Espanto.
CHARLIE PUTH
Charlie Puth had a concert in the Philippines, yes. But did you know that he also performed in a variety show? Back in October 2015, he performed on Eat Bulaga. He sang his song See You Again, which was one of the biggest songs of the year at the time. The performance was relatively simple with just him singing while playing the piano, but it was a good performance.
COLDPLAY
The most recent entry on this list, Coldplay performed their latest single Higher Love on ASAP. Filmed in an empty theater, the band performed the song while virtual dancers danced in front of them and it also included sweeping aerial shots of the venue. Now, if only they’ll perform in the Philippines in person again soon.
DUA LIPA
Before Dua Lipa was the superstar that she is now, she was just an up-and-coming British singer trying to get her name out. One of the ways she did this was by performing in the Philippines. Back in May 2017, she performed her then biggest hit Blow Your Mind on ASAP and went on the Wish 107.5 Bus to perform Blow Your Mind and Lost In Your Light. Note that this was way before she released New Rules, so Dua was truly a rising star at this moment.
HAILEE STEINFELD
Hailee Steinfeld has performed a few times in the Philippines, but we’ll be talking about her trip to the country in April 2016. The Oscar-nominated actress and singer held a few concerts to promote her first EP and some of her stops include performing on variety shows. She performed Rock Bottom on It’s Showtime and appeared on Sunday PinaSaya. She even did an interview with Boy Abunda for TWBA.
KATY PERRY
Believe it or not, Katy Perry actually performed on a Philippine variety show. The pop superstar performed on It’s Showtime all the way back in 2009 where she sang Hot N Cold to promote her first concert in the country. Backed by a live band, Katy was full of energy, and it looked like the live audience was having a great time. The fact that she said bitch on national TV without any hesitation makes the performance even better.
MOMOLAND
There were a few places in the world where Momoland’s BBoom BBoom went viral and became popular than in the Philippines. So it was only a matter of time before the K-pop girl group performed in the Philippines. That was what happened when they went on It’s Showtime to perform BBoom BBoom. They’re actually just one of a handful of K-pop groups to perform on a local variety show so we’re going to savor the moment.
RITA ORA
Rita Ora did not perform once, but twice on a local variety show. In 2019, aside from having a concert in the country, she also performed on ASAP. She first sang I Will Never Let You Down with KZ Tandingan. She then performed Let You Love Me solo.
THE VAMPS
Coldplay wasn’t the only British band to grace the ASAP stage. Back in 2015, The Vamps performed an acoustic version of Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart) on ASAP to promote their concert that was happening the same day.
SABRINA CARPENTER
Sabrina Carpenter was another international artist who performed on a local variety show, but it wasn’t just any performance. She was in the country at the time for a concert and she also released a new version of her single Almost Love featuring Shanti Dope. Both of them performed the collaboration on ASAP and it was quite special to have Sabrina feature a Filipino rapper rapping in Tagalog on her song.
NSYNC
Talk about a throwback. Nowadays, when you think about boy bands, what usually comes into mind is K-pop or One Direction. But let’s not forget the OG boybands of the late 90s to early 2000s as some of them actually performed on local variety shows. 98 Degrees performed on Eat Bulaga over two decades ago. They also went on S.O.P to perform with (and be upstaged by) Regine Velasquez in 1999. The Backstreet Boys performed on ASAP in 1996 to their song Get Down (You’re The One For Me). But it was NSYNC’s performance of I Want You Back on ASAP that you have to see. It was during their early years in the late 1990s. The boys performed the song while wearing matching red, white, and blue sporty outfits. A young Justin Timberlake performing on ASAP is something you have to see to believe.
BONUS: MILEY CYRUS
While she didn’t perform, Miley’s appearance on a local variety show was too good to not talk about. Back in 2011, Miley was in the country for her Gypsy Heart World Tour, and she made an appearance on Eat Bulaga. Even though she didn’t perform, the audience screamed as if she did. The Philippines was the only Asian country she visited on the tour, and she said that she did it just for the fans. Given the reaction she got in the studio, we can see why.
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