Bang Yongguk held his first solo concert, The Colors of Bang Yongguk, at the Music Museum in San Juan, Manila. Previously known as the leader and main rapper of the popular boy group B.A.P, he is now making waves across the world as a solo artist.

Bang Yongguk’s colors can’t be described in simple words. The 33-year-old rapper’s artistry is expansive – infusing rock and jazz with R&B and hip-hop, creating dark undertones in melodic, memorable layers. His music can be fierce yet vulnerable, dark yet yearning, blunt yet sincere – all of which shone so well during his live performance.

The stage was simple – a DJ and the main performer, surrounded by ardent fans. The concert, which lasted for almost 2 hours, felt like an intimate show like Yongguk was talking to each person who was there.

The show started strong with “G.M.T” and “Up” from his 2022 EP titled 2. “Mabuhay! Ako si Bang Yongguk,” he introduced himself. In contrast to his fierce opening tracks, a wide smile spread across his face as he talked to the crowd.

“Don’t use your phone. Record this moment with your eyes. I want to look into your eyes,” he said. His request was mostly honored during the night, and fans got into the music all the more.

Bang Yongguk’s setlist featured the comprehensive work he put into his music. From his 2019 album, there was the introspective vibe of “Hikikomori” and the alluring beats of “Ya”. He also performed “Race”, “Screwed Up”, and “Off” from 2. From his newly released EP The Colors of Love, he performed the soft “Rain on Me”, “UFO”, “Green” and “Ride or Die”. A huge throwback for his longtime fans was when he performed his first solo single “I Remember” which was released in 2011 and the 2017 single “Yamazaki”.

“Being here made me realize I have to keep making more good music. Thank you for coming! I hope to see you again next time,” he said before performing “Xie Xie” and “See You Later” in the encore.

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The Colors of Bang Yongguk in Manila was presented by OfficialKEvents. Special thanks to OfficialKEvents for the invitation.

Words and photos by Sandra Mae Laureano