Solo artists HYO, Yugyeom, and Taemin headlined a night of music, epic performances, and dream-come-true experiences at K-Magic Live in Manila.
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My first time at the barricade at a concert headlined by multiple artists made me learn three things: one, artists really are as talented in real life as they are on screen. Two, the musical experience really is amplified by fans and people who share the same love for music and the artists. Three, one should always be prepared to get splashed with water when in the pit.
I already knew of Hyoyeon, Yugyeom, and Taemin’s artistic prowess (they are icons, after all), but seeing them live altogether was an incredible experience as different styles, genres, and even generations were showcased for one whole evening, given that Hyoyeon and Taemin are 2nd generation idols and Yugyeom is from the 3rd.
Organized by OctoArts Entertainment and directed by John Prats, K-Magic Live! was a whole lot of music and a whole lot of fun. Denise Laurel as the host brought the energy to the stage as she interviewed the artists between songs and hyped up every fandom present. Hyoyeon, Yugyeom, and Taemin maximized their joint slay as they performed a medley of their hit songs, made their fans’ wishes come true, and gained new fans along the way. Here are some moments that you may have missed or may want to relive!
FANDOM UNITY
Make sure to drop by the K-Magic fandom booths to get your hand banners and freebies.
— SUPER (@inquirersuper) October 13, 2023
There are stations for #HYOYEON, #YUGYEOM, and #TAEMIN!
Check this thread out!#KMAGICLIVEinMNL #KMAGICLIVEinMNL_TAEMIN #KMAGICLIVEinMNL_HYO #KMAGICLIVEinMNL_YUGYEOM pic.twitter.com/694aqmdcGB
Unlike on X, if you put a bunch of different K-pop stans in a concert venue, best believe they’ll be screaming and supportive of everyone—even if they’re not a fan. I even overheard plenty of people who praised artists they weren’t a fan of. So many people definitely became a fan of one artist or another after K-Magic! Seeing artists who have hundreds of performances under their belt live is just such a grand experience that can bring people together, no matter what fandom colors they’re wearing or what lightstick they’re carrying.
Alongside a sea of different-colored lightsticks and clothing, fandom unity was shown through fan projects, color-coded and personalized banners for each artist given to all attendees, and freebies! The crowd went wild for every artist, earning thanks and praise from each of them.
GOT WHAT WE DESERVED WITH HYO
HYOYEON performs Dessert at the #KMAGICLIVEinMNL tonight!@OctoArtsEnt pic.twitter.com/2NYQPXioop
— Philippine Concerts (@philconcerts) October 13, 2023
HYO, or Hyoyeon, soloist, DJ, and member of K-pop girl group Girls’ Generation, opened the night with an amazing performance of Picture, followed by Deep, Second, and Dessert. Skilled, fierce, and clearly having fun on stage, Hyoyeon absolutely bodied each song and was incredibly sweet to the crowd. So when she said to jump, best believe we all did.
SURPRISE WATER SHOW WITH YUGYEOM
Soloist and GOT7 member Yugyeom was all smooth vocals and smooth moves as he performed several of his solo tracks back-to-back, including All About U, I Want U Around, Ponytail, Love The Way, and more. The artist remarked about the Manila heat, joking that it caused him to have a runny nose and leading to him taking off his jacket (to the screams of many a fan) and getting water poured on him. Yugyeom also continued the GOT7 tradition of throwing water at the crowd while performing GOT7 hit Hard Carry, which I personally completely forgot about until I was splashed. But that’s a tick on the bucket list!
TAEMIN, THE IDOL OF IDOLS, PROVING HE EARNED THAT TITLE
Delivering a showstopping performance and stunning vocals, solo artist and SHINee member Taemin brought the house down with Move, Criminal, Idea, Advice and the gorgeous ballad Hypnosis. Most of the crowd were Shawols, so the screams were absolutely deafening. People even ran all over the pit as they followed the artist from the main stage to the extended stage to catch a better view. And even Yugyeom, halfway through the set, praised the idol of idols.
The anticipation was well-rewarded as the singer and dancer effortlessly moved through a setlist that showcased his vocal and performance skill, honed since he was 14 and still the baby-faced maknae of SHINee. Taemin promised to come back soon with new music and new live shows, and clearly no one’s going to be able to wait.
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