The TENSE in Manila was not just a concert but also a celebration of Taeyeon’s decade of music.
Kim Taeyeon, the main vocalist and leader of Girl’s Generation, was the first to make her solo debut in their group in 2015, and this year marks her 10th anniversary.
Manila is her third stop after the concert kicked off in her home country and moved to Taiwan. It will also be held in other Asian cities, including Jakarta, Tokyo, Macau, Singapore, Bangkok, and Hong Kong.
Last March 29, the K-pop star gave a captivating and memorable performance to her PH Sones and “Beshies” at the Mall of Asia Arena, leaving everyone present with a lifetime memory.
Looking like a masterpiece and a work of art, Taeyeon opened her 2-hour concert with “Fabulous,” a track from her fifth mini album To. X. After a short VCR, Taeyeon re-appeared on stage wearing a cocktail dress and performed her debut single “I” which brought a nostalgic and dreamy feeling. It was shortly followed by “Letter to Myself,” the title track of her sixth mini album released in 2024.
With the help of translator, Taeyeon was able to expressed her messages to her loving fans: “Hi! Nice to meet you all! Hi Sones! Kumusta?”
Cheers echoed around the arena as fans chanted “Beshie” where she responded to “Beshie?” I remember!” Due to the loud chants from the fans, Taeyeon remembered something: “In my memory, this is one of the places with the best cheers. Thank you for joining me with the loud cheers.”
She continued to capture the hearts of her fans with “Blue Eyes,” another remarkable song from her album Letter to Myself, followed by “Make Me Love You,” from her 2017 album My Voice. She concluded her first set with her digital single, “Heaven.”
Wearing black top and pants, Taeyeon delivered amazing stage presence and powerful performances on her second set with the songs “Hot Mess,” “Cold as Hell,” “INVU,” and “My Tragedy.” Backed up by a band, the K-pop soloist continued to showcase her powerhouse vocals with “Melt Away,” “To.X,” and “What Do I Call You.”
On her second ment, Taeyeon expressed her gratitude to her fans: “Thank you so much for spending this amazing time with me together.”
As the crowd waved the pink cloth in the air, the atmosphere in the arena transformed to one of energy, fun, and clubbing vibes when Taeyeon sang a medley of “Weekend,” “Stress,” “Why,” and “Baram X 3,” proving Taeyeon’s strong connection with her PH Sones. She then finished her third set with performances of “Four Seasons,” “Disaster,” and “Ending Credits.”
After introducing her band, Taeyeon returned to the stage to deliver emotional performances of “Time Lapse” and “All for Nothing.” “Sones, thank you so much,” she said before serenading her PH Sones with “Blur.” The fans then surprised Taeyeon as they sang the full song of her hit song “11:11.”
“Sone, I love you! Thank you so much for singing for encore. It’s so touching! Thank you so much, I really love all these messages,” she said while reading the hand banner prepared by the fans.
“I’m very grateful that I spend this time with you and I hope you remember this for very long time,” she said. “Salamat po, masaya ako,” she added.
“Bye Manila, thank you!”
Taeyeon wrapped her The TENSE in Manila with “U R.”
The TENSE in MANILA is presented by PULP LIVE WORLD
Words by: P.Y. Vencio
