MANILA, Philippines — Korean pop group 2NE1 proved that they are the “OG” (original) queens of K-pop with a super sold-out “Welcome Back” back-to-back reunion concert in Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City last weekend, presented by Live Nation Philippines and YG Entertainment.
The concert was a rollercoaster ride of emotions for its members CL, Dara, Minzy and Bom, and their fan base, fondly called the Black Jacks.
Shortly after the group’s opening numbers and first set, Bom was seen quietly leaving the stage, leaving behind the three other members – CL, Minzy and Dara— to interact with fans and perform a slew of hits, including “Do You Love Me,” ”Falling in Love,” and “I Don’t Care.”
“You know we love Bom, do we all love Bom? While she’s getting her dress fixed, are you going to sing her part for her? Are you going to sing as loud and soulful as her?” CL said, disclosing that Bom left the stage due to “wardrobe malfunction.”
CL, the group’s leader, had solo performances of her songs “The Baddest Female” and “MTBD.”
The three continued to perform “Missing You,” “It Hurts,” “If I Were You” and “Lonely” without Bom.
But after a “throwback” video presentation showing the group’s journey from auditions to 15 years on, Bom joined CL, Minzy and Dara again for “I Love You,” “Ugly,” and “Gotta Be You.”
Before singing “Come Back Home,” CL asked Bom during the audience interaction how was she feeling, and Bom told the audience, “Tonight, I hope you guys (are having) a great time.”
When CL asked Minzy what is she feeling, Minzy said, “Na-miss namin kayo!”
“I just wanted to say, ‘Thank you, my sisters!’,” she told the other three members, before they all formed a group hug.
“Now that Bom is here, are you ready to go crazy?” CL asked the Black Jacks.
After singing “Come Back Home” with CL, Minzy and Dara, Bom proceeded to sing “I am the Best” and “Go Away” with them, but left again in the middle of the song, leaving the three to finish it with confetti pouring over them.
The four then went out in a new costume change to perform “Happy” altogether, then Dara’s Philippine single, “In or Out.”
All of them sang an emotional “Happy Birthday” to Dara, before concluding the concert in a high note with a medley of “Crush,” “I Don’t Care,” “Ugly,” “Go Away” and “Can’t Nobody” for the encore.
In a statement posted on Live Nation Philippines' Instagram Stories last night, YG Entertainment apologized since Bom was unable to finish the Day 2 of their reunion concert in Manila due to health concerns.
"We are deeply sorry to let you know that Park Bom of 2NE1 was unable to complete her performance due to health-related issues," YG Entertainment stated, adding that Bom received "emergency medical attention" at the backstage, but "her condition did not improve and unfortunately, she was unable to return to the stage." — Video by Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo; video editing by Anjilica Andaya
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