MANILA — With infectious R&B and funk tunes that showcase its members’ fluid vocals and bewitching harmonies, NCT DoJaeJung easily captivated the crowd during its recent fan concert in the Philippines.

The audience fervently cheered on the K-pop trio consisting of Doyoung, Jaehyun and Jungwoo as they performed songs off their debut extended play (EP) “Perfume” and played games with several lucky fans at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The boys were grateful to their Filipino fans, so much so that they hoped to return to the country.

“I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude to each and every one of you for showing such incredible love to us during our fan concert,” Doyoung said during a press conference at a mall in Makati, held a day after the concert.

“I think if you continue to love and cheer for us, it would allow us to come back to the Philippines more often,” he said.

“I really feel that every time we come, we get to feel your love. It’s such an amazing opportunity,” Jungwoo said. “I hope that we get to have more opportunities to feel your warmth, to come back more and to express our gratitude to you all through our performances.”

Launched in April, NCT DoJaeJung is the latest group from NCT, a boy band whose 20 members are divided into various sub-units. The trio distinguishes itself from the other teams by being a vocal-focused act.

• NCT debuts new unit DoJaeJung with 'Perfume'

“When I first heard that we’d be NCT DoJaeJung, we were very happy and excited to think that we’ll be forming a trio. It made me feel excited for all of this,” Jungwoo shared during the press conference when the trio was asked about their immediate thoughts upon learning about their sub-unit’s creation.

Jaehyun, meanwhile, “was very curious about the concept and music that we would do.”

“While preparing the [‘Perfume’] album, I really wished the NCTzens would like our possible album,” he said, referring to NCT’s fandom.

NCT DoJaeJung also sang a snippet of their song “Kiss.” #NCTDoJaeJung_Manila | via @jaehwabernardo pic.twitter.com/qNssklCSBH

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) June 25, 2023

It’s not the first time that the three members worked together since they are all part of the Seoul-based team NCT 127, but Jungwoo said being in another sub-unit strengthened their bond.

“Through DoJaeJung, we got to know each other more and of course, we got to stick to each other more so it allowed me to feel that the three of us are more like a family,” he said.

Jungwoo, the youngest of the three, said being in a sub-unit helped him realize how sweet and caring his older bandmates were, noting how they would always buy him “a lot of delicious food.”

Through DoJaeJung’s activities, Jaehyun learned that Jungwoo “likes to try every kind of local food” in the places they visit, while Doyoung “really likes swimming.”

“The day we came to the Philippines, even before we were on the flight, he was asking if we had swimsuits and if we were ready to go to the swimming pool. He was so ready and he really enjoyed being in the swimming pool,” Jaehyun recounted.

Doyoung said he knew that Jaehyun and Jungwoo were both “wonderful singers” even before DoJaeJung, but the “Perfume” album “allowed them to wear the musical style that really fit them well.”

Of the six songs comprising the album, the trio agreed that B-side “Strawberry Sunday” is the song that they recommend the most, likening it to the Philippines and their fans.

“I really want to recommend ‘Strawberry Sunday’ to our fans because it’s such a bright and very fresh song and it also gives a lot of positivity,” Jungwoo said.

“I think I also recommend ‘Strawberry Sunday’ because the bright atmosphere of the Philippines matches the mood of the music itself,” Doyoung added.

Jaehyun said fans can expect “more singles” from the trio in the near future while Jungwoo hoped for “more concerts.”

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— With a report from Alyssa Gonzales, ABS-CBN News