omonatheydid | Two 2AM Articles from the Philippines' 111-Year-Old Newspaper

Pinoy fans get up close and personal with 2AM
By Jonathan M. Hicap

MANILA, Philippines - For four days, thousands of Filipino K-pop fans were in a tizzy. Their wish to see popular Korean boy band 2AM in person was granted when the group visited Manila last April 27 to 30, the first leg of their Asian tour in support of their first full-length album “Saint O’Clock.”

“Parang 'di po ako makapaniwala (I couldn't believe it),” said 17-year-old Juvilyn, one of the 500 lucky fans who bought the album and had it signed by 2AM at the meet-and-greet event at Newport Plaza, Resorts World Manila last April 28.

2AM—composed of Jo Kwon, 23; Jinwoon, 21; Changmin, 26; and Seulong, 25—was the latest K-pop group to visit the Philippines. The group, chosen recently by vocal trainers as the best singing idol band in Korea, was completely astonished when they found out that they have so many supporters in the Philippines.

As soon as 2AM arrived in the country on April 27, fans already gathered to meet them and show them their love. On the first day of the promo tour, April 28, fans that bought the album waited for as long as 10 hours at the enclosed area for the rare chance of getting the album signed by the group.

Grace Antoinette from Las Piñas, whose favorite is Jinwoon, tells Bulletin Entertainment that she likes 2AM because the group is full of charisma and has strong vocals.

“Very unique ang style nila kasi puro singing lang (Their style is very unique because they only focus on singing),” added 17-year-old Elaira from Navotas.

Janine Samaniego, 16, from Cavite City, noted, “Magaganda ang [mga] kanta nila (Their songs are beautiful).”

In an interview with Bulletin Entertainment, 2AM’s Changmin explained how different they are from other idol groups.

“If you listen to our title song, it’s usually [a] ballad, not an upbeat song. We have a variety of music even though our main focus is ballad and slow music,” said Changmin, who wrote the song “To Love You Again” in the album.

Wild cheers from fans greeted 2AM at their succeeding shows on April 29 at the Venice Piazza at McKinley Hills, The Fort, and during the grand showcase on April 30 at Eastwood Mall Open Park.

During the three-day Manila tour, 2AM wowed the audience with their superior voices. They sang cuts from the “Saint O’Clock” album including “You Wouldn’t Answer My Calls,” “Like Crazy” and “I Did Wrong.”

The response of Filipino fans didn’t go unnoticed, as the surprised Jo Kwon, 2AM’s leader, told Bulletin Entertainment.

“We were very happy to have our first show. There were so many passionate fans. We were amazed by the atmosphere and ambiance; how the fans loved us and shouted even when we were singing. We are happy to know that there are a lot of 2AM fans in the Philippines. We are happy that the Korean wave is spreading around Asia,” he said. Jo Kwon trained for eight years under JYP Entertainment before debuting as member of 2AM in 2008.

At the grand showcase, there were surprises for both 2AM and the fans.

Jo Kwon did his signature fan service by performing his hilarious “kkap,” a wild and crazy dance, to the delight of I AMs, the collective name for 2AM fans.

The record label, meanwhile, surprised three of the group’s members whose birthdays were coming up with a birthday cake. Changmin (May 1), Jinwoon (May 2) and Seulong (May 11) blew out the candles on the cake that was presented on stage while Jo Kwon got cookies as an early birthday present.

And to double the fans’ delight, the 2AM members also spoke Filipino during the event. “Babalik kami. Diyan lang kayo (We will be back; just stick around),” quipped Jo Kwon after finishing “This Song,” a single that was released in 2008.

The promo tour showed just how much work 2AM members put into their numbers. Jo Kwon and Changmin said they make sure they always exert effort to convey the meaning of each song despite the language barrier.

“We put our hearts into our music so even if they might not understand the lyrics of the song, they know the emotions. We want to give more music and put more effort into it so that more fans will appreciate our music,” they said.

Fans quickly took to Facebook to express their feelings about the unforgettable three-day tour.

“It was worth waiting for them. I hope they will come back,” wrote Joyce Ann Castro.

Cyril Beatriz Pita said, “I'm incredibly happy to see them up close. I still can't get the hang of it. Thank you so much for bringing them here!”

“The Filipino fans really had fun. Thank you so much,” added Nerissa Urbano.

2AM left Manila for South Korea Saturday night, taking with them the memories of the successful first stop of their Asian tour. The tour’s next leg will be in Malaysia on May 21, followed by Hong Kong, Taiwan and Indonesia.

Jo Kwon expressed his appreciation to Filipino fans for the wonderful treatment 2AM received during the tour.

“Philippine fans thank you!!” Jo Kwon posted on Twitter.

2AM Live in Manila was presented by MCA Music Inc. and Megaworld Lifestyle Centers along with Manila Bulletin, Garage Magazine, MYX, Barangay LS (97.1), KPOP Live, Orangemagazinetv.com, EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, Maxima Machineries & Hyundai Truck and Bus, Big Hit Entertainment Korea, JYP Entertainment Korea and 2OneDay Philippines.

Source: Manila Bulletin, Photo by Klarisse Gepilano

2AM at 2PM
Words by Sary Valenzuela, 15

Recently, the best Korean ballad boy-band came to the Philippines to meet their fans and promote their first full-length album, "Saint O'Clock," which came out last October.

Singing their greatest hists, including "You Wouldn't Answer My Calls," 2AM gave an awesome mini-concert at The Piazza in McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio. I could hardly even walk to my seat because the aisles were so congested with hoards of Pinoy K-Pop diehards who craned their necks to get a closer look at their favorite band member. One lucky girl was even able to hug the members of 2AM for a game that resulted in bitter outcries from jealous fans in the throng.

As the crowd sang along perfectly to the Korean lyrics, I was amazed to see how hardcore their Philippine fan base was. You know your fans really love you when they memorize your songs by heart, even if they have no clue as to what those lyrics mean.

Lucky for me, I was able to sit down with 2AM themselves, as the answered the most often-asked questions, ironically, at 2PM of the day.

Q: How did you manage to spread your popularity to non-speaking-Korean countries like the Philippines?

2AM: We are spreading around the word by Internet [sic] and other websites, like Twitter, Facebook, and we are doing our best in Korea, basically using our individual roles and performances, to make the fans love what we do.

Q: Who do you look up to?

2AM: When our first album was released, we always said in the interviews that g.o.d. [Groove Over Dose] was our role model. Other than that group, we also like our producer, our mentor, and good "kuya."

Q: What is your favorite accessory? I want to hear from each one of you.

JINWOON: I like simple-designed watches.

JO KWON: I like things that are very colorful, unique, and things like that. I also like earrings, rings, bracelets--everything I can wear from "head to toe," except for the toe.

CHANGMIN: Just like everybody my age, I like to collect shoes and backpacks.

SEULONG: I always bring bracelets and rings; however, I always lose them. So now I only brought a few accessories.

Q: Do you have any hobbies?

JINWOON: I like to exercise. I also like to play drums, guitar, and other instruments. That's how I like to release stress and how I enjoy my spare time.

JO KWON: I love to watch movies and chat with my friends, at eat.

CHANGMIN: Just like the other members, I love exercise, web surfing, and internet shopping. But unlike the other members, I like to cook so I bought banana ketchup to try.

SEULONG: I like to go buy the bracelets that I've lost. I love to shop.

Q: Actually, Filipinos are very fond of dramas and I'd like to ask if some of you have had opportunities to join a drama.

JO KWON: I am taking a sitcom "All My Love." I was also in the drama, "Personal Preferences." And [if ever] we are willing to take the opportunity to be in movies or dramas.

Q: How do you personally try to reach out to your fans?

2AM: It's hard to find time to meet out fans so we try to share everything like our pictures because we'd really like to communicate to our fans.

Q: Would you like to give a message to your fans in the Philippines?

JINWOON: It's our first time to visit the Philippines, ad we're very happy to meet very passionate fans. We're also very thankful that there are many supporting people here so we'd like to personally give you a great performance tonight and tomorrow afternoon.

JO KWON: We love you and please keep loving us, 2AM.

CHANGMIN: Thank you very much for coming here. We really appreciate that you love us, even if it's our very first time. If we can, we would like to come back. Thank you very much.

SEULONG: I've seen you take lots of pictures. So, please pick the great pictures, and not the ugly ones! We will also try to come back next time and we hope to meet you again.

Source: Manila Bulletin Funpage, May 7, 2011 issue (no online version)