Queens come in all forms. To welcome Park Bom, who had come to Manila for her concert, some queens showed up dressed like her at the airport and at the concert venue.
Park arrived on June 9 and was welcomed by a group of Bomshells (fandom name). Mimi the Doll, an impersonator and fan since 2009, was one of them. She wore a green dress, looking exactly like her idol. She got an autograph from Park: the star signed her leg.
This kind of exchange of love made Park Bom’s “You and I” concert in Manila unforgettable. The event was promoted by Neuwave Events and Productions. It was Park’s first solo event in the country. It followed the concert of her fellow 2NE1 sister Minzy.
Bomshells like Mimi arrived at the New Frontier Theater on June 10 also dressed like Park. RK Velando donned Park’s white dress which she wore during her “Spring” comeback stage. She was named the evening’s best-dressed. Zymon B considers herself a baby Blackjack (fandom name of 2NE1). She came in wearing the iconic black dress Park wore at 2NE1’s iconic Coachella performance.
Edsa Xxtra wore clothes inspired by 2NE1’s CL. She danced her heart out and the audience received her performance very well. She said that she was grateful for the opportunity to spread happiness to her fellow Blackjacks and Bomshells.
Real queen
But nothing compares to the real queen who dressed in black, accompanied by six backup dancers. Her presence ignited the audience’s emotions and they sang and danced to 2NE1’s megahit debut song “Fire.” The excitement was on the air as the audience sang the song’s refrain “Eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh, 2NE1” but “Fire” was just an appetizer for the main event. Park displayed her powerful vocals with her soulful rendition of the title track of her 2019 comeback album “Spring.”
This is Park’s second trip to the Philippines in a year. “Mabuhay!” Park greeted the audience.
For the next two hours, she charmed everyone through the different segments of the fan concert. She answered a few questions from the hosts as well as questions from the fans in the mini interview portion.
Fans who participated in the games had the chance to sing and dance with Park. Winners of the dance showdown did the “Paro-paro G” dance challenge with her. Park looked like she knew the choreography of the song. She chose Ariana Grande’s “Into You” for the song relay game.
Vocal powerhouse
Park sang a few lines of the song a cappella, showing why she is frequently referred to as a vocal powerhouse.
When the host asked her to repeat a few lines of the song, Park replied with “Huh?,” causing everyone to laugh. The way she pronounced it sounded like the Tagalog word,
“Ha?” Everyone thought that she was speaking in the local language.
Game winners won a Polaroid photo with Park.
Park performed her songs in between the games and other segments of the fan concert.
Artisty
Regardless of the tempo or genre of the song, Park’s artistry was on display in the way she interpreted every song with her vocals, connected with the audience and showed amazing stage presence.
A video showing 2NE1 winning music awards left and right flashed on the screen. The nostalgic trip was to prepare the audience for the next performance. Wanting to get closer to her fans, Park descended the stage while singing her 2011 hit “Don’t Cry.”
She introduced “Do Re Mi Fa Sol,” as a song about wanting to be loved in a simple way. Someone in the audience screamed, “Saranghae!” (“I love you”). She responded with her own “Saranghae.” The expressions of love came from the heart.
Best performance
“Manila, are you having fun? I will show you guys the best performance.”
She smiled a lot while singing and dancing to “Shameful.” The audience applauded this performance the loudest, but it was notable that when she was about to sing a slow-tempo song, everyone became silent, wanting her singing to be the only sound they hear in the venue.
She laughed and cried while watching the fan project video created by Park Bom Philippines.
Bom laughed at the clever and funny messages, like the fan who appeared with watermelon and corn, a reference to her favorite food. She cried at the heartfelt messages expressing their love and support for her.
“Thank you for your love and support, mahal ko kayo.” A teary-eyed Park expressed her gratitude and affection for her Filipino fans while doing the “Sandara wave.” Sandara popularized this wave which resembles the gesture of beauty pageant candidates.
Forever next to her
While performing “You and I,” Park can be seen wiping her eyes with the tissue she was holding, still overwhelmed with emotion from the outpouring affection from her fans.
The dancer to her left saw this and gently tapped Park on the back to soothe her. She descended the stage for a second time.
“Thank you for welcoming me. See you again. Bomshells and Blackjacks, mahal ko kayo.”
She came back for an encore and sang “Lonely.” She was wearing a green outfit similar to what Mimi, her fan and lookalike, wore at the airport when she got her leg signed.
While Park was singing “You and I,” the crowd sang along with her, singing the line “I’ll be there for you, baby” especially loud. It was a way for them to reassure Park that when they say they would stand by her forever, they mean it.
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