SOUTH Korean girl group MAMAMOO set the stage on fire as it held its first-ever concert in the country during the Manila leg of the MYCON World Tour on February 12 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
It was also a very special moment for fans, or MooMoos, for whom the four-piece girl group is more than about music. For them, MAMAMOO represents empowerment.
Composed of members Solar (Kim Yong-sun), MoonByul (Moon Byul-yi), WheeIn, (Jung Whee-in), and HwaSa (Ahn Hye-jin), the MAMAMOO members rocked the stage with their impeccable vocals, strong rap verses, and outstanding choreography.
They performed many of their most-loved group songs including HIP, Décalcomanie, Um Oh Ah Yeah, Illella, 1,2,3, Eoi!, New York, Gogobebe, and Egotistic.
MAMAMOO performing its debut song Mr. Ambiguous on stage
Since the four members have also established their solo careers, they covered each other’s songs. Fans went wild as Solar sang WheeIn’s Watercolor while WheeIn covered the former’s Honey.
HwaSa and MoonByul, whose genres are extremely different from each other, covered each other’s solo releases, with MoonByul showing off her sexy dance moves with TWIT and HwaSa bringing out her angsty groove in Eclipse.
MAMAMOO also did a medley of the members’ solo songs including WheeIn’s Make Me Happy, Solar’s Spit It Out, MoonByul’s LUNATIC, and HwaSa’s Maria.
A spectacular sea of green lights from MooMoos’ moo bongs and lightsticks
MAMAMOO gets emotional
During the group’s fourth set, the Filipino MooMoos surprised the girls with a heartfelt fan-made video that made them burst into tears.
The MooMoos, who had been waiting for the group to visit the country for almost a decade, said in the video that they will always support and wait for the girls.
Their passion and dedication for the group made MAMAMOO emotional.
“We know Filipino MooMoos are waiting for us, but we are surprised to know you’ve been waiting this hard,” said Solar, the group’s leader.
MAMAMOO’s leader and main vocalist also apologized for making the fans wait for a long time to see them perform live.
“We’re very sorry that you had to wait for so long but we’re very thankful,” she said.
The Filipino MooMoos’ love energized them, she said, as she thanked the fans for their project.
“This is the last day of our Asian tour. Looking back, we grew really tired, but seeing Filipino MooMoos made us want to start this all over again,” she said.
HwaSa, the group’s maknae or youngest member, said that when she was backstage before the start of the concert, she kept saying how happy she was hearing the Filipino fans jamming to their tracks.
Fans also sent cakes to greet Solar in advance for her birthday on February 21.
MAMAMOO is coming back for you
Solar joked to the fans that the group members feel that they no longer want to go home to South Korea after the impressive amount of love and support they received in the Philippines. In response, the fans roared the chant, “Walang uuwi.”
Overwhelmed by the warm support, the group leader promised MooMoos that they will return to the country some other time to meet them again.
“We still need to go home, of course,” Solar said, “But because we felt your warmth and passion, we will surely come back.”
MAMAMOO beyond music
If you ask a KPop fan why they support a particular group or idol, they would often, if not always, respond with, “They saved my youth.”
This is the exact phrase Fia, an 18-year-old fan of MAMAMOO, told republicasia in an interview during the group’s MY CON tour on Sunday.
Fia has been a MooMoo for almost five years. This was her first time seeing and hearing the four-piece girl group live and face-to-face.
According to the 18-year-old, Solar, MoonByul, WheeIn, and HwaSa helped to make her feel valued when she started listening to their songs.
“They saved my youth kasi as a girl na hindi gano’n kalakas ‘yung self-esteem, they helped me be confident with who I am right now,” she said.
She also highlighted the massive impact of the girl band on women, especially when it comes to building their confidence and empowering them as they navigate their daily lives.
Emotional support
“Gusto kong malaman nila na ang lakas ng impact nila sa women, na hindi lang music [but] in [the] overall confidence of their fans,” she added.
A photo of iai, 18, with her moo bong during MAMAMOO’s Manila concert
Another MooMoo, 23-year-old Cassandra, said MAMAMOO became her emotional support system during one of the darkest phases of her life. She said MAMAMOO has always reminded her to never be influenced by those who spit out negative comments about her and to just continue to live happily while pursuing the things she loves.
“When I religiously believed the whole world had turned its back on me, Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa were there,” Cassandra said.
“Like a surprise visit of the summer rain when the scorching heat embraces the earth, MAMAMOO provides a sense of comfort and hope that reminds people the sun is always bound to come no matter how dark the night has been,” she added.
Powerful message
MAMAMOO has been known for its powerful songs with meaningful lyrics that resonate with fans all over the world.
In HIP, MAMAMOO tells fans to value themselves and care less about what people say.
In Maria, HwaSa helps listeners understand that they need not please people because they are already beautiful, and urges them to continuously love themselves and pay less attention to those who want to tear them down.
Aside from the group’s songs, MAMAMOO’s musical journey also serves as an inspiration to fans to consistently persevere and work hard to attain their goals in life.
Debuting in a small entertainment company and without the privilege of being handled by the Big Three (JYP, SM, and YG Entertainments), the MAMAMOO members busked in the busy streets of Seoul, Hongdae, and other cities in South Korea to promote their music because their company lacks the financial resources to do so. They were only 18 to 20 years old at that time.
They are the definition of the phrase “a dollar and a dream.”
From busking, the members were able to break into the international music scene, showing the world their talent as they help women of all ages to gain power to transcend boundaries, norms, and stereotypes set by the world to limit their capabilities.
MAMAMOO bidding goodbye to fans after their encore
