MANILA - South Korean singer-rapper B.I was beaming with joy as he received a warm welcome from his Filipino fans during his concert last March 5.

Early into the “L.O.L The Hidden Stage” at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Plenary Hall, the 26-year-old K-pop idol had immediately noted the “amazing” energy of the Manila crowd.

“You guys know how to enjoy. You guys know how to feel the vibe. So amazing,” he said.

“In Korea, it’s still winter, but I’m very hot right now because of you guys. Thank you so much,” he added.

B.I thanks Filipino fans for the warm welcome. "You guys are really hot." | via @aprbenjamin#BI_LOLTheHiddenStageinMNL pic.twitter.com/g6RQRYHwCZ

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) March 5, 2023

Fans eagerly responded by chanting B.I’s birth name “Kim Han-bin,” “pogi” and “walang uuwi” (no one will go home).

“No, you guys have to go home,” he said before adding that depending on the reactions from fans, the show which started at 6:30 p.m. could go on until midnight, drawing more cheers.

“Well, you already know how to dance, jump, and scream. I don’t have to say anything,” he said before proceeding to the next songs.

B.I kept the energy going by performing over 20 tracks from all three studio albums that he has released so far since becoming a soloist in 2021. His set list included “illa illa,” “Cosmos,” “Got It Like That,” “Keep Me Up,” and more.

He also shared the stage with the Philippines’ own James Reid who sang “u & i” and “Spotlight.”

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A post shared by James Reid (@james)

B.I said he was meeting Reid only for the second time since they first became acquainted during Korean band The Rose’s concert in Seoul last year. Reid added they “kind of promised to meet again later.”

• James Reid features in Korean band The Rose's new album

The concert, which was presented by Three Angles Production, was originally a two-hour show, but it stretched for another hour as B.I gave in to the seemingly endless encore requests.

He sang a couple of old fan-favorites and four unreleased tracks. B.I only asked fans not to share the songs online because those could be included in his forthcoming album, confirming that a new record is already in the works.

“It’s March, right? Probably three or four months later, I’m going to release an album. Please look forward to it,” he said.

B.I became visibly touched, with beads of tears even threatening to fall, when presented with a fan-made song and music video towards the end of the night. The project titled “Core Memory” drew inspiration from the movie “Inside Out.”

“I’m really touched right now. The song was really nice. And quality of the video is superb,” he commented.

The “BTBT” singer is back in the country almost seven months after his fan meetings in August 2022. He said he is glad that more fans, called I.Ds, were able to come this time.

Philippines, you guys are magaling !! See you soon 💜#BI #비아이 #Thehiddenstage pic.twitter.com/xFKAvrWrQd

— B.I Official (@BI_131official) March 5, 2023

“This is actually my second solo tour. I feel really nice that a lot of Manila fans are able to visit my show,” he said.

“I hope I could see you guys again,” he continued.

B.I first came into the K-pop scene as a contestant of reality survival programs “WIN: Who is Next” and “Mix & Match,” and rap competition “Show Me the Money 3” from 2013-2014.

He officially debuted as the leader and main producer of K-pop group iKON under YG Entertainment in 2015. He departed from the band and the label in 2019 after figuring in a drug controversy.

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In 2021, he put up his own management company and pursued a solo career.

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