“When I lived in [the] Philippines, my dream was to be a singer. I’m a singer now.”

This was Woodz’s statement during the press conference for his 2023 WOODZ WORLD TOUR ‘OO-LI’ IN MANILA. Born as Cho Seungyoun, the K-Pop star spent a year of middle school in the country back in 2011. After more than a decade, Seungyoun has returned, setting the New Frontier Theater ablaze with captivating all-around talent, magnetic stage presence, and production excellence.

“Busted” hit everyone in the face with the ferocity of a Superman punch. With such an intense opening, one could only brace oneself for what else was to come. He continued on the rock streak with “Hijack”, and then “Love Me Harder”.

The night’s setlist initially included 21 songs, but he honored requests for “Pool”, “Accident”, and “Deep Deep Sleep”, as well as second takes for “Drowning” and Parokya ni Edgar’s “Your Song”. “Hope to Be Like You” ended up replacing “Better and Better” on the setlist due to popular demand. Even during soundcheck, he was only supposed to sing three songs but ended up singing five more on the condition that there be no recordings.

The artist and the fans played along well. Woodz listened to Moodz. He even dedicated time to read placards and grant requests, such as birthday greetings and singing snippets of his songs. Fans felt particularly giddy when he borrowed a guitar and played the first line of Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud”.

Woodz himself had one request – to tear up the place. When he felt the audience could go harder, he would redo the song and make sure everyone was on their feet. He did it twice for “Trigger” and “Bump Bump”. Moodz didn’t take themselves too seriously, laughing it off when they couldn’t reach high notes or when they would miss their cue to stop singing, but rocking out whenever Woodz would ask for it was serious business.

Woodz is recognized as an all-rounder – he sings, dances, raps, and composes. He switches genres with ease, showing off his versatility with OO-LI’s diverse setlist that covers hip-hop, rock, R&B, pop, and dance. Beyond all these, he also possesses a great talent for making people around him feel comfortable. His easygoing chemistry with his band and his dancers made the performances a joy to watch.

He stood onstage with a mission to create great memories with Moodz. In the press conference, he shared that when people reflect on their experience, he wants them to “think of it as a healthy, happy, exciting memory, and [to] feel closer between artist and fans.” Without a doubt, it was mission accomplished. The venue sizzled with post-concert euphoria, and social media was filled with the kindest words towards Woodz, his team, the fandom organizers, and fellow fans.

There’s no telling when Woodz will make his way back to the country again, but he left a reminder for everyone to note until then – “Kalusugan, Kasiyahan, [at] Mahalin Mo ang Sarili Mo.”

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The 2023 WOODZ WORLD TOUR ‘OO-LI’ IN MANILA was presented by PULP Live World and Happee Hour. Special thanks to PULP Live World and Happee Hour for the invitation.

Words by Marijo Endriga