Has it been a year already? Time sure flies when you constantly slay.
8 Pinoy-Coded Moments From HORI7ON That Brought Filipino Energy To K-popRelated:
It felt like it was just yesterday that we watched the finale of Dream Maker. Now, here we are as HORI7ON has officially surpassed their one year anniversary in the industry. As the first all-Filipino boy group to debut in South Korea, their mere presence was historic. But Jeromy, Marcus, Kyler, Vinci, Reyster, Kim, and Winston proved that they were more than just the hype.
Despite the struggles and challenges they faced, HORI7ON came through each time with their wit, charm, looks, and talent. As the boys are slowly leaving their rookie era, let’s take a trip down memory lane for some of the Year One moments that future ANCHORs (the name of their fandom) will be looking up.
THEIR DEBUT
Wow, what a moment. July 24, 2023, is a special date for many, much so for these seven boys who made their official Korean debut with the release of their debut album, Friend-SHIP. And it wasn’t just a five-track EP, but 12 songs long that included the tender Tagalog ballad Mama (which the members co-write), unit tracks, and even features from Lapillus’ Haeun and TFN’s Noa. Leading the way was SIX7EEN, the title track that combined the group’s talents and youthful energy.
PERFORMING ON KOREAN MUSIC SHOWS
We never thought we’d see Filipino representation on Music Bank, but here we are. As part of their promo activities in Korea, HORI7ON performed on some of the country’s biggest music shows like MCOUNTDOWN and Inkigayo, often making history as the first Filipino boy group to perform on those shows. They even got to close their performances with an ending fairy. It’s a moment and breakthrough for Pinoy pop groups and one of the best ways to kick off a debut era. Manifesting a music show win in Year Two.
THEIR FIRST CONCERT
INSTAGRAM/HORI7ONOFFICIAL
Just a few months into their career and already HORI7ON achieved the feat of holding a solo concert in the Philippines, and in Araneta Coliseum, no less. Their first-ever concert titled Friend-SHIP [Voyage To Manila] was full of stellar performances, surprise appearances, emotional moments, and instances that made the group’s and fans’ night one to remember forever. As they made the evening their own, they showed a love for music, each other, their identity, and their ANCHORs.
ATTENDANCE AT AAA 2024
INSTAGRAM/HORI7ONOFFICIAL
The 8th Asia Artist Awards was a big deal considering the guest list and the fact that it was held at the Philippine Arena. Among the few Filipino acts to attend and participate in the ceremony was HORI7ON. Aside from their attendance, HORI7ON also performed and won the Focus Award for music, leaving a few non-fans shook when they learned that they were Filipino during their acceptance speech. Bonus points for the fire TikToks we got that night.
HEADLINE-MAKING TIKTOKS
@hori7onofficial 🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🍀 #HORI7ON #호라이즌 #REYSTER #레이스터 #KYLER #카일러 ♬ 오리지널 사운드 – HORI7ONofficial
You can take the Gen Z Filipinos out of the Philippines, but you can’t take the Philippines out of them. While they are currently based in Seoul, HORI7ON is still very much a Filipino group. Case in point: Reyster and Kyler recreating the viral confrontation scene from the teleserye Ika-6 na Utos, toy gun and all. The fact they’re the more introverted members of the group made it even better. At over 8.1 million views and 1.4 million likes, it’s their most popular video on TikTok to date and lowkey inspired others to start a mini-trend.
Continue Reading: Pinoy Meets World: HORI7ON Is Navigating Life One Milestone At A Time
