IU’s Manila Concert Was A “Good Day” Indeed

IU once again performed in the Philippines for a sold-out concert at the Philippine Arena last June 1. The South Korean singer-actress, known for her versatile vocals and an impressive setlist, sang-along her hit tracks together with her Manila audience during the more than 3-hour 2024 IU HEREH WORLD TOUR CONCERT.

IU opened her concert with “Holssi.” She also performed her hit songs “BBIBBI,” “Celebrity,” “Blueming,” and “eight,” among others. In between her segments, IU also proudly showcased her mom’s gifts for PH UAENAs (her fan club’s name)—consisting of acrylic keychains, a binder, and three photo cards. She told the crowd, “It’s a gift from my mom to everyone. Itago ninyo ng mabuti (hide it well),” knowing fully well how rare the photo card inclusion for her Philippine tour is.

Photos Courtesy of: PULP Live World and EDAM

The Philippines is one of the countries that made an impact on IU—due to Filipinos being able to loudly sing her songs with her. The crowd was also especially loud during their duet with IU through the song “Meaning Of You.” She returned the gesture, as she showcased more of her Tagalog skills to her Filipino audience. She said, “Manila, sobrang mahal kita” (Manila, I love you so much), “ito ay langit” (this is heaven), and “masaya ako” (I am happy), among many other phrases.

However, the main highlight of the night was when IU surprised everyone with a heartfelt rendition of the Filipino song “Pasilyo,” a choice that resonated with her Filipino fans and became one of the defining moments of her Philippine tour.

IU continued the show with more crowd favorites including “Through The Night” and “Shopper.” She even had surprise VCRs for her songs “Twenty-Three” and “Love Wins All,” with the latter featuring BTS member Kim Taehyung. She “ended” the night with the rock version of “Holssi”, before leaving the stage and eventually coming back for her encore—but only after hearing her fans sing her career-defining track, “Good Day.”

IU was also impressed with her PH UAENAs and their multi-tasking skills—from singing with her, working on fan projects, and more. She told the crowd, “You’re really beyond my imagination, Manila.” She even gave her Manila audience “300 points” out of 100 for their effort.

Due to the overwhelming support from her Filipino audience, she gushed, “because of UAENA’s love, [I] want to have a law that says [I] should stay here in the Philippines.”

On a serious note, she added, “I do promise that I will come back again. When I come back, your voice needs to be this loud… and stay healthy. You showed me beyond my imagination what love is today.” And said, “Mahal kita.”

During her en-encore, IU took requests from her Manila audience. She first performed “Someday” from her 2011 Korean drama “Dream High.” She then sang several highly-requested tracks including “Give You My Heart,” “My Sea,” “LILAC,” and “Strawberry Moon.”

For her last song, she really wanted to sing her 2009 song “You Know,” but the crowd wanted her to sing the fan-favorite “Palette.” In the end, IU decided to sing both.

Before concluding her concert, IU sincerely told the crowd: “I really wanna come back next month. Please be safe going back home, have a good dreams, and may you always be happy. Please don’t forget me.”