We chatted with a couple of fans who opened up about seeing the K-pop legend live, and they still aren’t over it (same, TBH).
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It may have already been two weeks since G-DRAGON’s historic concert at the Philippine Arena last May 17, but we’re still not over it. As his first concert in the country since his Act III: MOTTE world tour at the Araneta Coliseum in 2017, many fans made the most of the moment to see him live and watch the K-pop icon do what he does best. That was very much on the agenda for two GD fans who we spoke to recently as they shared their experience at the concert. The PCD may be slowly fading, but these Gen Z fans still hold their night at Übermensch with the kind of fondness to last well past the month.
MEETING POP ROYALTY
The beauty of concerts is that they can bring together both new and longtime fans. That was the case for the two fans we chatted with. For Chesca, she started being a fan of his at the start of the year and quickly became enamored. “I like his artistry — he’s an experimental artist. I like that when I listen to his music, I can see how K-pop now was inspired by him. He was truly an icon of his time and a pioneer to how K-pop has grown.” she shares.
Gab, meanwhile, is a longtime fan who has been into K-pop since 2013. Arguably at the height of the popularity of 2nd generation K-pop, Gab soon found her way to BIGBANG.
“I could still vividly remember the first video I watched that got me hooked all together. It was a school morning while I was waiting for my school service to arrive when I took my mom’s iPad mini and saw on the screen BIGBANG’s Haru-Haru on pause. The moment I hit play, the soulful catchy music and narrative-driven music video opened my eyes and ears beyond even understanding a foreign language.” In a story many K-pop fans can relate to, that one video led Gab down a BIGBANG rabbit hole that she happily hasn’t left since.
Naturally, when G-DRAGON announced that he was coming to Manila for his latest world tour, Chesca and Gab knew they needed to be there.
“When he said it was in the Philippine Arena, I just knew I had to be there. It was a necessity,” recalls Chesca. “It was a no-brainer. I knew I had to watch it and see him live. I knew that it was not going to be any ordinary concert. It was going to be a nostalgic party and a whole masterpiece altogether–the creative stage designs and massive production that G-DRAGON and BIGBANG are known for, his crazy outfits, and charismatic adlibs that will get any crowd jumping and screaming at the top of their lungs. All of it. I knew I had to see it all live,” adds Gab.
With tickets secured, Chesca and Gab were one of the tens of thousands of Filipino fans who made their way to the Philippine Arena for a night to remember.
A NIGHT AT ÜBERMENSCH
G-DRAGON has built a reputation as one of K-pop’s trailblazers. When it comes to music, style, and performance, GD’s influence is felt to this day. And experiencing all that straight from the king himself? Chesca and Gab were living their best lives. “Honestly, no words – pure gaggery,” says Chesca, adding that the whole experience was surreal. Oh, and it was also Chesca’s first K-pop concert ever, which lowkey is a brag we’d happily flex.
Putting her stanning into words, Gab articulated her experience with admiration and respect for one of her faves. “It was exactly what every VIP (BIGBANG’s fandom name) and FAM (G-DRAGON’s fandom name) expected. The whole 3-hour concert felt like less than an hour. It was a wave of nostalgia to finally be jumping to CROOKED, WHO YOU?, Heartbreaker, and crying to Untitled, 2014 live. And seeing how much he has never changed as he performed his new album live.”
As for what they loved most about the concert, Chesca turned her attention to those moments with the crowd that stuck with her. “G-DRAGON made an effort to have conversations with his fans, feeling the atmosphere in the arena. He’s also a Filipino king, who had several Tagalog phrases up his sleeves. You knew he wanted to make the experience a memorable one and that it meant a lot to him, too.”
Gab, meanwhile, had a whole list ready that touched upon the night’s highlights. “I think the Philippine Arena crowd would agree when I say: 1. The CROOKED Frenzy, 2. His tear-jerking last song Untitled, 2014, and 3. The cinematic video of him explaining what Ubermensch meant to him—him finally hitting pause on his crazy life, slowing down and reflecting, having more time to enjoy time with his friends, and being more excited to create more.”
Seeing one of the best to ever do it live is a treat for any K-pop fan, and much so for Chesca who got to watch one of the genre’s visionaries as her first K-pop concert. As a newer fan, the whole experience was a 101 on why GD was, is, and will continue to be that K-pop idol.
“His stage presence is undeniable,” she gushes. “It was my first time seeing him live, his stage presence is something that you cannot capture fully through videos. Seeing firsthand how he interacted with his fans and dancers – there’s so much love that goes into his artistry and his craft, which is something I deeply appreciate about any artist I see live. Seeing him live is an experience I would come back to time and time again.”
The moment hits harder for longtime BIGBANG stan Gab. Beyond all the cool ‘fits, epic songs, and undeniable aura, it’s in the quieter moments that really spoke to her. “It was his honesty and his raw emotions that came with time,” she shares. “I mean every fan would know that he probably has never performed a templated boring performance, either as a solo artist or as part of BIGBANG. But I think I saw it the most while he was performing Untitled, 2014 live. Him grabbing tightly his beret to his stomach as he tries to hit the high notes of his song. One would really see on screen how much it’s not as effortless as it used to be for him, but it’s the wanting, his desperation, and the deep breaths he took in between, that gave more emotion and life to a song that was created years ago.”
WHEN CONCERTS BECOME MEMORIES
Regardless of when they got in the fandom, it’s lowkey a good time to be not just a G-DRAGON fan, but a BIGBANG fan in general. GD, TAEYANG, and DAESUNG have been active in the past year with new music and concert tours while BIGBANG made their long-awaited return to the stage at MAMA 2024 and dropped a couple of new tracks. And as G-DRAGON teased during his Bulacan concert, there’s a good chance we might get a BIGBANG anniversary concert tour in 2026.
“It’s an exciting experience, knowing that they haven’t been active for so long and that they’re doing stuff together now,” says Chesca in a sentiment shared by many fans. “It’s very exciting to also hear the information from G-DRAGON that the group will be together for the 20th anniversary. It’s definitely something worth looking forward to and to start manifesting to secure tickets.” Adds Gab, “As any pop-culture content would say, I healed my inner child.”
The flurry of new activity from G-DRAGON, the members, and the group as a whole means a lot to Gab in particular as her relationship with BIGBANG, and the wider YG Family in general is one that stretches over a decade. These aren’t just musicians she listens to, but artists who had an impact on who she is today.
“I poured 4 years of my life doing voice lessons, then another 4 [years] practicing dance, then having the urge to want to know how things work backstage and joined my university’s broadcasting and production organization. I can say that how these bands and people do music and how they are marketed in the creative aspect, molded the kind of personal taste I have and the kind of creative I am now.”
We don’t know when G-DRAGON will come back to Manila (hopefully it won’t be another eight years), but Chesca and Gab are resting easy knowing they got to witness the intricate production, the one-of-a-kind artistry, the iconic hits (including the few BIGBANG songs he sang following the chants from the crowd), and trendsetting style.
There’s a lot that can be said about it all, but these fans keep it simple. “Thank you so much for working so hard. Honestly, it’s better that your fans see you smile more now, and that we’re happy that you’re happy. Keep being happy. Keep on doing what you love doing,” imparts Chesca. “I would simply say ‘thank you’, ‘I can’t wait to see what he will create next’, and ‘see you next year,’” concludes Gab.
Photos courtesy of ⓒ GALAXY CORPORATION.
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