STAYC’S EMOTIONAL FAN MEET IN MANILA
STAYC is aware of how popular K-pop is in the Philippines. They also know how much their Filipino fans love them. They were thrilled to see so many fans waiting for them when they landed in the country.
“When we arrived at the airport, there were a lot of fans who greeted us. We were so touched,” said Sieun during the press conference that was held before the group’s fan meet. They were excited to meet their fans and make memories with them. They never thought they’d end up in tears.
STAYC (Star to a Young Culture) is a six-member K-pop girl group from High Up Entertainment that debuted in November 2020. They arrived in the Philippines on Dec. 2 for their first fan meeting in the country, which took place the next day at the EVM Convention Center in Quezon City. The event was presented by Neuwave Events & Productions. It’s the first stop of their Asian tour.
Members Sumin, J, Sieun, Seeun, Isa and Yoon displayed their charm and shared their thoughts in a presser.
Yoon described their music as something that conveys positive energy that is good for both the mind and body.
“But for us to deliver that kind of music, we must also be healthy both physically and mentally,” she said.
The challenge for a group that debuted during the pandemic, according to Seeun, was not being able to show or perform onstage for fans. But that has changed now.
“I’m happy to be able to communicate with the fans and perform onstage,” Isa said. “I’m grateful to the fans because we’re also getting a lot of energy.”
J, the group’s youngest member, has advice for those who want to follow in their footsteps: “Anything can be done as long as you put your mind into it and work hard for it.”
“Don’t lose hope, just run for it until the end. Aim for it,” she added.
Their leader Sumin said that they wanted to make happy memories with the fans who went to see them.
Meeting the fans
The fan meeting started with the group’s concert-worthy performance of their debut single “So Bad” followed by “Beautiful Monster.” The excited crowd matched STAYC’s enthusiasm by singing along, chanting the group’s catchphrase “STAYC girls, it’s going down!” while waving their lightsticks, and yelling the names of each member.
STAYC expressed their own excitement by grinning, waving and showing their love to their SWITHs (fandom name).
The individual introductions revealed the members’ unique personalities which, according to Brian Sespeñe, STAYCPH’s head admin, are among the reasons they adore STAYC.
“Ako si Isa. Gusto namin talagang pumunta ng Pilipinas,” said one of the group’s lead vocalist.
The Filipino words they picked up and used during the fan meeting were endearing.
From a Filipino-Korean take on “Bato-Bato Pick” to “kiliti, kiliti, kiliti,” Yoon’s humor shone and had the audience laughing.
The latter she picked up from the translator who translated her “kanji, kanji, kanji”—the Korean word for tickle—when she was teasing J and Seeun during the Copy My Pose game.
The girls’ wit and timing are comparable to those of variety show regulars—they were great at keeping the audience entertained. During another game, when they couldn’t figure out what was in the secret box (it was guyabano), Isa and J scored points by giving unexpected answers. Isa shouted “I love you” while J said “mahal kita.”
Heartwarming stories
STAYC’s fan meeting included not only singing, dancing, and fun games but also heartwarming stories.
Sieun, who has been to the Philippines at least three times for work and travel, talked about a Filipino snack she likes. “Yesterday I went to the convenience store and there was a sort of pudding. It was good, it was sweet and soft. I can’t remember the name but it’s like ‘maja’.”
The group said they would all like to go on vacation in Cebu.
The fans present had their own tales to tell.
Cev Abagat, a working student who has been a fan of STAYC since their debut, felt lucky to have been able to get tickets despite the short notice.
Clarisse Eloisa Cruz expressed gratitude to her older sister, a fellow STAYC fan, for purchasing both of their tickets to the concert.
Amory Antoine admires STAYC’s vocals, especially the song “Young Luv.” “It will be the first time we will see our girls, so I saved for the tickets.”
Charito Dasalla from Laguna came as a guardian for Ayesha Narvaez and Xylah Planas, who were both overjoyed to attend the fan meeting.
STAYC went to perform four more songs: “RUN2U,” “So What,” “I’ll Be There” and “ASAP.” What’s nice about their live stages is that each member got to shine brightly without disrupting the group’s harmony.
They also gifted Filipino fans with their rendition of Nadine Lustre’s “Paligoy-ligoy.”
In return, their Filipino SWITHs gave the group a fan project showing their journey from being trainees to debuting as STAYC. The video also showed how their birthdays and the group’s anniversary were celebrated.
The fan project made Isa and Yoon emotional.
“It’s been two years since we made our debut and all those times, we wanted to meet you our Philippine SWITHs. Finally, we are here. We are very grateful. I love you so much, guys,” said Seeun.
J, who celebrated her birthday on Dec. 9 said that the video made them feel that they are really loved by their fans.
“We never imagined we would cry today. You prepared such an amazing video, thank you for making this unforgettable memory tonight. We promise we will come back. Thank you for celebrating our birthdays, and STAYC’s anniversary. Even if we were in different countries, it felt like we were together. I love you so much Philippines,” said Sieun in English.
For a group that debuted in the midst of the pandemic, technology made it possible for them to communicate with their fans and vice versa. But nothing beats face-to-face interaction in which every emotion is felt and seen without being lost in translation. Throughout the fan meeting, fans raved on STAYC’s visuals or looks.
The Philippines, a country known for its warm weather and people, left a mark on STAYC’s hearts. Isa said, “All of your smiles are very beautiful, all of the smiles I want to have and bring them back to Korea.“