CNBLUE just can’t be stopped

MANILA, Philippines - The title of South Korean band CNBLUE’s concert tour proved to be portentous when its members performed in Manila last week.

Last Friday, Sept. 19, Metro Manila experienced heavy rains brought by tropical Typhoon Mario. A number of major events scheduled that day were cancelled due to severely flooded streets in the metro. For instance, the fashion line Bench had to move their bi-annual fashion show the following day due to the storm.

But the four-man K-Pop band — composed of Jung Yong-hwa (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Lee Jong-hyun (lead guitar, vocals), Lee Jung-shin (bass guitar, vocals) and Kang Min-hyuk (drums, vocals) — shouldered on and pushed through with the Manila leg of their Can’t Stop concert tour at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

That their fans probably traversed the flooded streets of Manila was not lost on the band, as the guys of CNBLUE referenced and mentioned the storm’s onslaught in the country during spiels in between songs.

“Kumusta? Salamat sa pagpunta, kahit may bagyo,” Minhyuk told the audience. He later said: “I’m very happy to be here. I’m happy to be back in the Philippines.”

“Are you guys having fun? Masaya na ba kayo?” Yonghwa asked. When the audience answered in the affirmative, he replied: “Ako rin!” He thanked the fans at the concert “even though the weather is bad.” “I pray for you,” Yonghwa said. “We will come back here, here in Manila... I’m very, very mahal kita. I’m very, very salamat.”

The fans — a few dressed in K-Pop-inspired outfits, several donning the official CNBLUE concert tour shirt — responded with shrieks and screams. They bore no signs that the country’s capital almost shut down due to heavy rains a few hours ago. The coliseum was only half-full, perhaps because of the rains, with some people saying that a number of fans were disallowed by their parents to attend the concert because of the storm. But they were visibly appreciative.

“Jungshin, ang gwapo mo,” a fan screamed while the band performed one of their slower songs during the concert. “Yonghwa, ang puso ko! I love you,” said another.

CNBLUE, which first performed in the Philippines last year for their Blue Moon world tour, performed more than 20 songs during their two-hour concert — including hits such as Can’t Stop, I’m Sorry and I’m a Loner.

Wearing casual clothes (plaid shirt for Minhyuk, black shirts for Yonghwa and Jonghyun), the boys of CNBLUE looked like true rock stars. The band differentiates itself from other popular K-Pop acts by playing instruments and shunning away from dance tracks and meticulously choreographed dance moves which have become the signature of South Korean male music groups.

During a press conference held on Thursday, Sept. 19, the band members expressed their gratitude for their Filipino fans and revealed their craving for Filipino fastfood Jollibee and their intention to visit Manila Ocean Park.

“Sometimes the lyrics come first, sometimes the melody comes first. In thinking about what to write, I prefer talking with people, communicating, and that’s how I get my inspiration,” Yonghwa said of his song-writing process during the presscon, adding that they hope to be “real rock stars.”

He also said, “You can be flexible with time when it comes to communicating with our fans. Up to now, we are dreaming to become rock stars.”