Thank you, SEVENTEEN, for giving me and my fellow CARATs one of the best nights of our lives!
I have a confession to make: I wasn’t supposed to attend SEVENTEEN’s ‘FOLLOW’ tour to Bulacan. The 13-member boy group made history last January 13 and 14 as the first K-pop group to have a concert at the Philippine Sports Stadium. What’s more, they even filled the venue with more than 32,000 fans (fondly called CARATs) each night.
I had a final exam on January 14, and I wasn’t sure if I would make it on time, but thankfully, the stars aligned. From my friends securing me a ticket last November to my parents driving me all the way to Bulacan after finishing my exam early on the day itself (I passed it by the way!), everything led me to SEVENTEEN, and I couldn’t be more grateful. During those three hours, all my problems went away, and I only felt pure bliss and gratitude thanks to SEVENTEEN, my headliner.
Caratzone and soundcheck
Aside from being the first K-pop group to hold a concert at the stadium, ‘FOLLOW’ to Bulacan also marked the Philippines’ first-ever Caratzone. Here, fans with a Weverse membership could get an exclusive, random SEVENTEEN photocard. I ended up screaming out loud after I pulled Joshua, one of my ultimate biases along with Jeonghan!
I also experienced my first soundcheck! Seeing my idols up close and personal—bare-faced under the Philippine sun and wearing casual clothes—made me feel really happy and kilig, especially when the members would face us and wave at us. No words are enough to describe what I felt, but one thing’s for sure: I will never forget those 15 minutes.
A beautiful festival
SEVENTEEN’s ‘FOLLOW’ tour setlist is my personal favorite as it contains various songs from the group’s different eras (think: Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, but make it SEVENTEEN). As someone who just became a fan during the pandemic, I never thought I’d be given the chance to hear the songs from their past albums live. From hype songs like HIT to emotionally-charged melodies like F*ck My Life—this setlist has it all.
The group kicked off the concert with a powerful performance of Super, followed by DON QUIXOTE and Clap. The group is known for their powerhouse performances and, additionally, for being the theatre kids of K-pop. In the concert, their synchronization, as well as fluid yet hard-hitting moves left us all in awe.
The members gave their all onstage even if they were lacking two members, S.coups and Jeonghan, who are both recovering from their injuries. I was really sad as stages like Don’t Wanna Cry and To You did not feel the same without the two, but SEVENTEEN made sure to make up for their energy and leave space for them in their performances. To our two eldest members, please get well soon! I, along with my fellow CARATs, miss you both dearly.
they look like Gods, please…
‘SUPER' (part 1)#SVT_TOUR_FOLLOW Day 1#SEVENTEEN#세븐틴#FOLLOW_TO_BULACAN#SEVENTEENinBULACAN pic.twitter.com/pGmafw94n7
— Hannie¹⁷⁰⁷ ⚓️ (@hanicheollie17) January 14, 2024
While all members can sing, dance and rap, SEVENTEEN is divided into three subunits—vocal, hip-hop and performance—which have their own set of performances. The vocal unit (Joshua, Woozi, DK and Seungkwan) serenaded us with their beautiful voices in Dust and Pinwheel. The hip-hop group (Wonwoo, Mingyu and Vernon) wowed us with their rapping and dance moves in Back it Up and Fire. Meanwhile, the performance team (Jun, Hoshi, The8 and Dino) mesmerized us with their dancing in HIGHLIGHT and I Don’t Understand But I Luv U.
The group also performed their more iconic songs like Beautiful, HOME;RUN, Left and Right and HOT—complete with fireworks. Moreover, hearing the whole stadium chant “Kung chi pak chi” from God of Music gave me goosebumps. And it was nice to jump and sing with SEVENTEEN and my fellow CARATs during the unending Aju Nice. All in all, the concert felt like one big and beautiful festival, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Moreover, both SEVENTEEN and CARATs matched each other’s energy throughout the night. We’re a country known for having the best concert crowds, and we didn’t disappoint. Hoshi even said, “This is Manila!” and told us, “You’re perfect!” as the crowd was screaming and singing out loud. The energy was electrifying, and I honestly never felt more alive. All the tiredness I felt and the tears I shed on the days leading up to the concert were gone.
Hoshi: wow perfect, Manila, you’re perfect!
sir calm downpic.twitter.com/mRohuvJDRN
— 겸 ⚔️ saw svt!~ (@fallfor_DK) January 14, 2024
Personally, the highlight of my night was finally hearing Kidult and Together live. These songs saved me and kept me going during my darkest days. I was already in tears in Kidult, because it was the song that made me feel so seen and heard amidst the struggles that came with adulting yet wanting to feel as carefree as a child. When they finally sang Together, I remembered the days when I felt so sad, and this song made me feel less lonely. I was reminded that I’m not alone as SEVENTEEN and my CARAT friends are there for me.
Aside from their visuals and talent, what makes SEVENTEEN special for me is their bond as a group and with CARATs, which is evident in their ments. We were able to sing Happy Birthday to Seungkwan, who celebrated his birthday a few days after the concert. I’ll also never forget SEVENTEEN’s different antics, from various members teasing Mingyu to Dino’s iconic character “Picheolin” performing a snippet of Fighting by BooSeokSoon (a subunit composed of Seungkwan, Hoshi and DK). The members also hinted that they’ll be back (hopefully soon?). Woozi mentioned “Kita-kits (We’ll see you soon)!” and Wonwoo said “Babalik kami para sa inyo (We’ll come back for you).”
Happy Birthday, our Seungkwanie! #승관이는_우리의_숨이니까_생일축하해#happyBOOday @pledis_17#FOLLOW_TO_BULACAN#SEUNGKWAN https://t.co/H55c1pTsTy pic.twitter.com/WRanag891G
— P | will see SVT (@aeri_hae) January 15, 2024
Celebrating the love between SEVENTEEN and CARATs
Despite the scorching heat and long lines that fans had to endure, SEVENTEEN made sure to take care of CARATs. Mingyu even gave out water when some fans in the standing section needed it! In their opening and ending ments, they never failed to express their love and appreciation for CARATs. They also interacted with fans and read their messages as they went around the stadium.
@chelseyamarie24 My best bois forever This was Mingyu giving us their water after someone passed out because all in the standing area were so thirsty and tired from the heat from lining up to soundcheck until the con proper. Thank you Mingyu i love you so much. Seventeen my lifeline #seventeeninbulacan #kpopfyp #follow_to_bulacan #fyp #seventeen ♬ To you – SEVENTEEN
As I’m writing this while suffering from post-concert depression, I suddenly remember everything I went through to be able to watch this concert. From the heartbreak I felt from being unable to attend Be The Sun: Bulacan in 2022 to the stress that came with balancing academics and internships, I can now finally say that the hard work I put in the past few months to fund my ticket and to be able to go to ‘FOLLOW’ was worth it. I am grateful to everyone who made this possible.
Some people may question why I would go to such lengths to be able to go to a concert and think that I’m exaggerating whenever I say that SEVENTEEN saved me. But the truth is, they really did. Their songs and content—like their variety show, Going SEVENTEEN AKA GoSe— kept me going and gave me something to look forward to each week, especially during the pandemic. I also strengthened my relationships with friends and gained new ones because of SEVENTEEN. Lastly, SEVENTEEN inspired me to work hard and FOLLOW my dreams. They were once trainees in a basement who practiced for hours on end and now they’re here—and that gives me hope that my dreams can come true, too!
[17'S] 캐럿과 함께 빛나는 순간,
모든 사랑을 건네는 오늘항상 캐럿 옆에 서 있을게요#SEVENTEEN #세븐틴#SVT_TOUR_FOLLOW#FOLLOW_TO_BULACAN pic.twitter.com/jfy8ipGcp6
— 세븐틴(SEVENTEEN) (@pledis_17) January 13, 2024
Overall, ‘FOLLOW’ to Bulacan is a celebration of love and happiness between SEVENTEEN and CARATs, who shine even brighter together. From holding their first-ever fan meet at Solaire to performing at the Philippine Sports Stadium—SEVENTEEN, you’ve come so far and I am proud of you. That said, we’ll see you again soon and we, Filipino CARATs, can’t wait to have you back! Until the last say the name!
To the CARATs who have yet to see SEVENTEEN, trust me, your time will come, too. Everything will eventually work out and fall into place at the right time. See you soon at the next concert and yes, I’m claiming it already!
Words MJ Viernes
Art Macky Arquilla
