Words by Micah Tampil

Photos by Danica Lacson

It’s no easy feat for teenagers to be seen as having achieved beyond their years, yet NCT Dream showed why they have rapidly risen to the top. As the youngest unit of supergroup NCT took command of the New Frontier Theater on February 29 for the NCT Dream Tour “The Dream Show”, they presented themselves as the group that sings of the hopes and dreams of their peers, in a variety of genres that showcase their growth from boys to young men.

Known to the fandom as Dreamies, NCT Dream took the fans on a musical adventure delivering bubblegum teeny boppers from their debut days to their recent edgier tracks.

The concert, presented by SM Entertainment and promoted by PULP Live World, was the group’s second time visiting the country, having first met Filipino NCTzens during the 2019 K-Pop Friendship Concert. The boys mentioned that the energy they were welcomed with during their previous visit made them excited to come back for a solo concert and spend more time with fans.

Dreamies exhibited power as they opened with “Go”, the song that signaled their transition from young and cute to grown-up. The track illustrated how the group overcame stereotypes and redefined what it means to be young, encouraging teens to live outside the box and embrace their individuality. It was then followed by even more impactful performances such as “Drippin’” and “119”.

Even as they have grown into the cool adolescents they are today, the members still made Seasonies (NCT’s nickname for fans) fawn over them like older siblings especially when they gave messages in Filipino, saying “Sobrang miss ko kayo” (Jeno), “Higit na nagmamahal kay Seasonie” (Jaemin), “Magandang araw sa isa’t-isa” (Jisung) and “Sobrang masaya ako dahil nakita ko ang Manila Seasonies” (Chenle).

Concerned about everyone’s safety, Haechan cutely asked the fans near the stage to “Take a small step back please!” Renjun paid special attention to the fans on the second floor and always made sure that they had a great time.

It was impossible to get over the charming gestures the boys made as they performed their debut song “Chewing Gum”. The group took the K-Pop community by storm in 2016 when they were introduced as having an average age of 16, emphasized in their initially youthful and vibrant concepts. They then treated the fans with high-spirited performances of “Dunk Shot” and “Dream Run”.

Dressed in white and gray and looking like gentlemen, the six members yet again showed another side of them. A piano was set-up for a heartwarming string of tracks. Chenle wowed with his own arrangement written as a prelude to “Best Friend”. The group continued to serenade the crowd with “Walk You Home” and “Candle Light”.

NCT Dream lifted the atmosphere with songs reminiscent of carefree summer: “We Young”, “My First and Last”, “My Page” and “Bye My First”. They ran around and chased each other in circles while interacting with the fans.

As the end of the concert inevitably approached, fans expressed their sadness by chanting “Walang uuwi!” The members asked Seasonies to give all their energy for the last set of performances and make the most out of the afternoon. Extending the same energy as the fans did, they performed their special releases “DNYL (Don’t Need Your Love)”, which is a collab with English singer HRVY, and “Fireflies” and “Trigger the Fever”, official songs of The World Scout Foundation and FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea 2017, respectively. The boys capped this energetic set with the recently-released “Boom”.

The concert ended on an intimate note as the group sang “La La Love” and “Beautiful Time”, celebrating the wonderful memories NCT Dream and Filipino NCTzens have made together throughout the concert. With a promise to come back, the members expressed their gratitude to everyone who came and bid their goodbyes. Hoping for another fateful meeting, the group and the fans, led by Haechan, parted ways as they sang “우리 다시 만나자” (Let’s meet again).

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The NCT Dream Tour “The Dream Show” in Manila was presented by SM Entertainment and promoted by PULP Live World. Philippine Concerts extends its gratitude to PULP Live World for the invitation to the event.