STAYC girls, IT’S GOING DOWN: A Fun and Lovely Evening with STAYC

And it went down indeed when the sextet members of STAYC graced the Philippine shores with their bubbly and fresh personas in their first-ever fan meeting (and their first leg of the Asian tour!) in FYM Hall EVM Convention Center on December 3, 2022!

Debuting in 2020, Sumin, Sieun, Isa, Seeun, Yoon, and J proved that they’re one of the best rookies in the KPOP scene with the demand for a larger venue to accommodate their growing fanbase in the Philippines. With hits like ASAP, RUN2U and STEREOTYPE, STAYC proves that they’re nothing like stereotypes with songs that are unique in their way and distinctive that can easily capture the attention of KPOP fans, music enthusiasts, and critics alike.

Filipino SWITHs became the lucky fans to experience the first fan meet outside South Korea and they reciprocated this with much enthusiasm and love, giving the girls a delightful surprise that made the incredible STAYC touched and teary-eyed by the end of the night.

Stars to A Young Culture

Before meeting with the fans, we were invited to a small and short press conference with host MJ Felipe that showed a little bit of personality the STAYC girls possessed and they never failed to answer with finesse and poise, despite being rookies.

On the get-go, they immediately conveyed that one of the goals is to make happy memories with Filipino fans and when the host asked what did they know about Filipino fans or the Philippines, Sieun expressed that she was pleasantly surprised and touched to see that a lot of Filipino fans waited for them at the airport and is thankful for the warm welcome. They noticed that there are a lot of fans waiting for them outside the hall too and became even more eager to meet them finally.

When asked about doing live performances in each city they have visited, Isa mentioned that they are very happy that they get to communicate with fans and perform on the stage and love the loads of energy they are getting.

As they debuted in November 2020 while the world was still on lockdown, they were asked how did it feel to finally go out and meet the fans in person and how challenging it was to not be able to showcase their stages in front of an audience. Seeun pointed out that while it is challenging and saddening to only meet their fans via video call like how the rest of the world became accustomed to during the pandemic, they were still excited that their fans are still here and are very much relieved that they can finally see their SWITHs and meet them eye to eye.

When asked how would they want their first-time listeners to think when they hear STAYC’s music, Yoon said that since they pursue music that delivers positive energy, STAYC themselves has inhibited their debut process to their artistry which is to be incubated by being ‘Healthy.’ They want this to transcend to the music they release and want the new listeners to feel better mentally and physically healthy while enjoying their art.

As they are fairly new to the scene, they have also garnered new and young fans like them who look up to them and would want to follow in their footsteps. When asked what piece of advice they would give their young fans, the youngest or maknae of the group, J, stepped up and gave an inspiring quote for the fans to remember:

“I believe anything can be done if you put your mind to it and work hard. I hope you don’t lose it (the goal) until the end and you run for it. So don’t lose hope just run for it and aim for it.”

The girls took a picture with Host MJ Felipe and even taught him how to do the infamous STAYC hand sign and prepared for the soundcheck.

HELLO STAYC!

Marking their first song with the Filipino SWITHs, STAYC started their set with their first single, “SO BAD” from their debut single release, Star To A Young Culture and the fans welcomed the explosive performance with vigor. Immediately jumping to the next song, “Beautiful Monster” from their latest mini-album release, WE NEED LOVE, the girls continued to thrill the audience accompanied by a rich colorful display from the VCR behind them, only adding up to an aesthetically pleasing stage.

After the stages, the girls sat down with the Host Kristine Caballero Aplal for an introduction, with each of them making cute impressions, sneaking in a Filipino phrase like, “Kamusta kayo?” and notably Isa going for a complete Filipino introduction with “Gusto talaga namin pumunta ng Pilipinas!” After this, they were asked what their first impressions are of the Philippines.

Sumin started it off with how much they’ve wanted to come to the Philippines and perform for those who have waited for them for the longest time and are hoping that they will create a lot of great memories. Sieun pointed out that this wasn’t the first time she ever went to the Philippines! She has been here 3-4 times and went to Cebu for leisure and work. The Host asked Seeun what her impressions are and she talked about the fruits and how sweet the people are. J said that the Philippines has a whole different culture and pointed out how beautiful it is. Yoon just straight out professed her love to the SWITHs with a “Mahal ko kayo!” and Isa cutely noticed the fan’s smiles and want to bring them back to South Korea with her!

POST IT!

Proceeding with the fan meet, the first portion is them answering the questions of the fans that were written on the board by post-its! Each member gets to read or answer a post-it.
Kicking off the first portion of the program, J picked the question, “What is J’s birthday wish?” on she answered wanting to have a birthday party with the fans. The maknae who is about to turn 18 on December 9, garnered a birthday song from the members and the SWITHs! She picked another question that asked “What is your favorite food?” and she answered GREEN TEA!

During Seeun’s turn, she picked the question on what her current favorite TikTok dance challenge is and she said it would be their own “POPPY” dance challenge. They all got up and showed the fans how it’s dance and it shows that a lot of the fans already know the challenge as well! Seeun was also asked what’s the best thing about the Philippines and without hesitation, she pointed out that it’s the Filipino SWITHs!

Sieun chose the question “Have you tried any Filipino snacks and what is her favorite?” She told a brief story of how she went to the convenience store the day before the fan meet and tasted a pudding-like food. She got curious about it and recalled that it’s called the Maja Blanca. Her second question was about the possibility of her returning to acting and her answer is easy, “Sure!”

Leader Sumin picked the question that asked about what she does before she goes to sleep and shyly mentioned she just watches Youtube about camping! (don’t worry Sumin, you’re not the only one!) She’s always wanted to go camping but she never tried it and she would very much like to try it someday. Onto the second question, “If STAYC is given the chance to visit the Philippines, what would you like to do in summer?” The leader heard that there is an activity in Cebu where you can swim with whales and she would very much like to do that with her members.

The bubbly Yoon chose the question of which place would they want to go on a vacation in the Philippines and it seemed like they all want to go to Cebu! They heard a lot of great things about the place and how pretty it would be and she wants to go with her members there someday. For her second question, “Can you tell us TMI for today?” in which she answered cutely, “I received your cuteness today!”

Lastly and closing off the portion, Isa chose the question “What would you want to do if you have a one-day vacation?” She answered that she wants to do activities with her members and go to the local market, play at the beach, and try to make sand castles. The second question is about what food would she like to eat for the rest of her life, her fancy buds immediately answered “Salmon!” because it’s good for good, delicious, and healthy!

Concluding this section, the girls reminisced on how the members changed from debut to now and what was the first impressions they have of each other. Most of them answered that they all thought that they were all cool and pretty and never expected that they would all meet in their entertainment company and become STAYC.

After the question and answer portion, they performed two other songs, the first being “RUN2U” from their EP released this year, YOUNG-LUV.COM, and continued performing with “SO WHAT” from their STAYDOM single.

STAYC vs STAYC: Secret Box!

Heading to the second portion of the fan meet, the girls teamed up into two groups to play against each other in a game called “Secret Box”, a popular game where they need to guess what is inside the box without looking and the only way to get a hint is to hold what’s inside it. The girl’s fates were determined by the leaders of the group playing “Bato-Bato pick!” and the results were the first group that is led by their leader Sumin along with Seeun and Isa, calling themselves TEAM MAGANDA, and the second group led by the maknae J with Yoon and Sieun, their team name being TEAM MASARAP.

They all put their hands in the box to feel what was inside and there ensued a series of funny and chaotic interactions between the members which the fans truly enjoyed.

The final score was 2:2 which means they have to play the 3rd portion of the evening to see the odds and who the winning team is going to be and will be the tie-breaker!

STAYC vs STAYC: Guess My Pose!

Maintaining the same team, the game mechanics are about the other team guessing what the other team’s representative pose is going to be but similar to the last game, the girls can only try and feel the pose of the opposing team by using their hands and eyes shut close! After 30 seconds of guessing they have to pose within 5 seconds and imitate the pose, they think the other member’s team has done. The fandom went crazed after seeing the hilarious interactions each member did and trying to outdo each other to make sure the other team don’t guess what their opposing team is trying to copy.

In the end, Team Masarap (J, Yoon, and Sieun) won with additional 2 points, making them the winner of the game! Team Maganda had to face the consequence and dance to Baby Shark in front of the audience, which may be a consequence but an incredible treat for the Filo SWITHs.

STAYC Covers Paligoy-ligoy by Nadine Lustre!

Before concluding their fan meet and their final performances, they wanted to sing a Filipino song and it’s none other than our President Nadine Lustre’s song, Paligoy-Ligoy! Despite it being a fast-paced song, they were able to sing it beautifully.

After singing, they promised that when they come back, they will practice more and sing more Filipino songs!

They expressed that would very much like to come back and asked the fans a favor and take a picture with them.

WE’LL BE THERE, STAYC!

Filo SWITHs went an extra mile for the girls and gave them a surprise besides the banner project they distributed. A video appeared on the LED screen just right after the group picture was taken and it’s a compilation of how Filo SWITHs have been celebrating the member’s birthdays and anniversaries, which immediately made the girls cry out of happiness! The girls expressed later how happy they are that their fans gave them this surprise, starting with Seeun who said that she is extremely thankful that they got fans who support her and are thankful that they are finally able to meet Filo SWITHs after a long time. She emphasized that she loves the fans so very much!

J mentioned that she is aware that Filo SWITHs have been waiting for them for a long time but by looking at the video, she can now confirm that the fans truly love them. She also said that they will return.

Sieun never imagined that they will end the day crying because of the touching video and also promises to welcome back to which the fans replied enthusiastically, and even though they are not in the same country, STAYC and Filipino SWITHs are always together. She advises the fans to always take care and take care.

Leader Sumin thought at first that there was a small error on the screen but it was a pleasant surprise to see the video instead! She assured that in return, they will do their best to match this energy and see them again, closing it with a thank you and love to the fans.

Yoon said she was not going to cry (but she’s already crying, poor baby!) but she thanked the fans for celebrating their birthdays, singing their songs, and celebrating their anniversaries and also promises to come back and see everyone again!

Isa closing their ment, Isa said that the Philippines is their first and are grateful that it happened here and spent it with Philippine SWITHs. They really appreciate the full support and repeated that they love the fans and are just extremely thankful.
After the tearful messages, they performed another song called “I’LL BE THERE” from their EP STEREOTYPE and bid the fans goodbye for a bit.

ENCORE

Of course, the show will not end that easily and the Filo SWITHs will not let them go without another performance of one of their hit songs, “ASAP” from their EP STAYDOM, giving their all as always and capping the night with “YOUNG LUV” from the album YOUNG-LUV.COM while repeating the words “thank you” and “I love you” and “Mahal kita!” while bowing to their audience in all corners they can get.

It was truly a remarkable evening and fan events don’t usually happen in our country, let alone it being the first leg of a long line of countries they will perform in, but nothing wavers the dedication the Filipino SWITHs gave to STAYC and the girls delivered and replied the enthusiasm with the same vigor.

Indeed, the girls of STAYC will always remember this night as we are going to remember the same and we patiently wait for future releases of these talented girls who will do and spend a long successful career in the years to come, with SWITHs backing them up every step of the way.