South Korean powerhouse vocalist from YG Entertainment, Lee Hi (Lee Ha-yi), treated her fans with her breathtaking voice during her first showcase in Manila as part of her Seoulite Tour 2016 last September 23 at the SM North EDSA Skydome.

The lights dimmed at 8PM and the spotlights focused to Lee Hi as she opened the night with the soulful “Breathe,” the title song from her latest album Seoulite, and “Fool for Love.” The songs effectively set the mood to a predictably spectacular show.

Thereafter, she greeted her fans with “Mabuhay, Philippines” and explained how meaningful this showcase is to her since it is her first time to meet the Filipino Hicecreams (the sweet name of her fandom) after her debut over 3 years ago.

Despite being known for her vocal prowess, Lee Hi awed her fans as she skillfully took on the rap verses of “Up All Night” and “Special.” The sassy concert band arrangement of “Rose” and “Missing U” followed. During “Missing U,” Hicecreams enthusiastically waved the banners they prepared for Lee Hi. The artist left the stage shortly after the song to prepare for the next part of the show.

Dasuri Choi, a famous local Korean entertainer and dancer, went up the stage and introduced herself as the host for the night. She also mentioned the planned surprise for Lee Hi who happened to celebrate her birthday on that same day. To make the event even more memorable, Filipino Hicecreams painted the venue pink (the fandom’s signature color) by donning shirts and birthday party hats of the same color.

Dressed in a sleek, black trench coat and boots, Lee Hi went back to the stage prompting the fans to gleefully sing her a Happy Birthday.

Following the birthday surprise, Dasuri interviewed Lee Hi with a variety of casual and personal questions. The host was fun to watch as she provided comic relief with her antics and side comments on Ha-yi’s responses. Lee Hi also did the adorable gwiyomi aegyo as requested by her fans. The interview was short but it definitely made the fans closer to her as they got to know more about their idol.

The show continued as Lee Hi sang the English songs Pixie Lott’s “Mama Do,” Jazmine Sullivan’s “Bust Your Windows” and Duffy’s “Mercy,” all of which she had already performed during her K-pop Star journey. Fans felt really blessed to hear Lee Hi’s ridiculously pleasant adlibs, riffs and runs throughout the show.

She then proceeded with “Fxxk Wit Us”, a song which she performed only here in Manila. Next came “Official” and “World Tour” which again impressed the fans as she sang the rap parts from each. She sang jazzy renditions of “My Star”, “Hold My Hand” and “It’s Over” for her final stage.

Of course, no concert is complete without an encore performance! Lee Hi returned after several minutes with the fun and upbeat “Turn It Up” which literally turned up the audience as they stood up and even flocked near the stage to party with Lee Hi. The same energy transcended during the fan favorites “I’m Different” and her debut song “1,2,3,4” – the final songs which resonated inside Skydome that evening.

The show ended on a high and positive note as Lee Hi commented “Mahal ko kayo” and “Today’s show was the best ever.”

Lee Hi connected and interacted very well with her fans and kept smiling as the fans cheered and sang along to her songs during the two-hour intimate showcase. The show was certainly one for the books and we can’t wait until Lee Hi returns to our country to serenade us once again.

Special thanks to Pulp Live World!

by Kenneth More

Photo above from https://www.facebook.com/OfficialLEEHI/