ITZY’s Yeji, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna did not just bring their A-game on stage, they also captivated their Pinoy fans as they learned the steps to the hottest P-pop dance craze, BINI’s "Pantropiko."
Read: ITZY shows love to Pinoy fans ahead of Born To Be concert
The K-pop girl group performed it live during their Born To Be concert in Manila, held at the MOA Arena on Saturday night, August 3, 2024.
It was mid-show by then when Ryujin told the crowd that the group got a lot of requests from Pinoy MIDZYs to do a dance challenge.
Then Yuna and Chaeryeong suddenly broke into dance, giving their best version of “Pantropiko,” the hit song of P-pop group BINI.
After dancing the chorus of the song, Yuna and Chaeryeong pointed at Ryujin and Yeji to give it a try.
When the crowd chanted, "Isa pa! Isa pa!," the group readily danced it again, much to everyone's delight.
ITZY even knew about BINI Sheena’s catchphrase “Eyyyy” as they repeated it on stage to further connect with their fans.
This thrilled the crowd, who also shouted “Eyyyy” in response.
@pepalerts Challenge accepted! K-pop group ITZY does BINI's popular P-pop song "Pantropiko" at their Born To Be concert in Manila! #PEPNews #EntertainmentNewsPH #NewsPH #ITZY_In_Manila #BINI #ITZY ? original sound - PEP.ph
ITZY CAME PREPARED WITH FILIPINO WORDS
It was also endearing how ITZY members would throw Filipino words every once in a while to show their appreciation to the Pinoy MIDZYs.
After they opened the concert with "Born To Be," "Racer," and "Kidding Me," ITZY greeted the crowd in Filipino.
"Mabuhay! Kami ang ITZY!" Chaeryeong exclaimed.
Yuna followed suit, "Hi, MIDZY! Ako si Yuna! Nice to see you again, Manila!"
Chaeryong added, "Ako ay si Chaeryeong. Sobrang na-miss ko kayo!"
Ryujin said, "Ako si Ryujin! Nice to see you again, Manila!"
Yeji spoke last, "Ako ay si Yeji! Welcome to ITZY's world tour Born To Be!"
Their energy was off the roof as they performed more or less six segments, which were deliberately arranged to pump up the crowd.
The stage was designed like a letter "I" to accommodate different dance routines and performances.
They were able to maximize it as they made sure to interact with the fans from all sides of the arena.
ITZY kept things light and easy with their performances of "Mr. Vampire," "Swipe," and "Wanna Be Me."
Read: What K-pop girl group ITZY loves best about Pinoy fans
SOLO NUMBERS
Then they showcased their individual personalities with their solo numbers.
First up on stage was Chaeryeong with her "self-composed" song "Mine." She exuded a sexy vibe with her dance moves in her white crop top and mini skirt.
@pepalerts ITZY's Chaeryeong shows her sexy side in her self-composed song "Mine" at Born To Be Manila concert. #PEPNews #EntertainmentNewsPH #NewsPH #ITZY_In_Manila #BornToBe ? original sound - PEP.ph
Wearing a rocker chic outfit, it was Ryujin who came next with her song
"Run Away." She later explained that the song is about a guy who didn't have the guts to say goodbye and simply ran away.
@pepalerts ITZY's Ryujin slays in her rocker chic performance of "Run Away" at Born To Be world tour concert in Manila. #PEPNews #EntertainmentNewsPH #NewsPH #ITZY_In_Manila ? original sound - PEP.ph
Yujin, for her part, looked like a Barbie doll in her glittery dress as she sang "Yet, but." She wanted the song to uplift those who need assurance that it's okay to be perfectly imperfect.
@pepalerts ITZY's Yuna looking like a Barbie doll as she sings her first self-composed song "Yet, but" at Born To Be concert in Manila. #PEPNews #EntertainmentNewsPH #NewsPH #ITZY_In_Manila #BornToBe ? original sound - PEP.ph
Ever-confident Yeji performed "Crown On My Head," a song about girl power.
@pepalerts ITZY's Yeji exudes girl power in her song "Crown on My Head." She performed it love at the K-pop group's Born To Be world tour concert in Manila. #PEPNews #EntertainmentNewsPH #NewsPH #ITZY_In_Manila #BornToBe ? original sound - PEP.ph
It was a nice personal touch that they took time to explain their songs for every segment, helping them connect with the audience, including those who got to see them for the first time.
Then they performed as a group again for "Psychic Lover," "Don't Give A What," and "Loco."
For the next segment, ITZY changed into cute outfits for their hit songs.
The crowd can't help but sing along as ITZY performed "Not Shy" and "Cake."
During the short break, Yuna commended Pinoy MIDZYs for singing well.
Pleased with the audience's loud cheers, Chaeryeong exclaimed in Filipino, "Nag-enjoy ba kayo? Sobrang saya ko!"
Then the K-pop group sang "Kill Shot," which was part of their performance when they attended AAA at the Philippine Arena last December 2023.
@pepalerts ITZY saves some of their best songs at the latter part of their Born To Be Manila concert! Here's their powerful per of "Kill Shot." #PEPNews #EntertainmentNewsPH #NewsPH #ITZY_In_Manila #BornToBe ? original sound - PEP.ph
For their last segment, ITZY changed costume and then sang some of their mellow songs, "Be In Love" and "Love Is."
ITZY CELEBRATES 2000TH DAY IN MANILA
It was a perfect transition to ITZY's commemoration of their 2000th day as a K-pop group.
A special AVP was shown on the big LED screen and the four ladies sat down the stage to watch it.
The video showed video clips from when they were just starting as a group and moments when the ladies were growing closer to each other.
After watching it, Yuna was moved to tears.
Speaking to the Filipino fans, Yuna explained that she feels overwhelmed to remember the group's journey.
"There were days when I could not rest, I could not even eat. You know that I love eating, right?
"Nevertheless, if I think about it, the brightest smile I actually had is when I am in front of MIDZYs."
Yuna added that her relationship with her co-members and fans is really "precious" to her.
Even Chaeryeong admitted that a lot of things crossed her mind while watching the video.
"Looking at the progress that we had for Day 2000 and our young faces, looking back it was so cute and pretty...
"Thank you so much for always cheering for us and staying by our side."
She went on to say that she's more comfortable now in front of Pinoy fans so she got to enjoy the whole concert.
"Our Manila MIDZYs, they never disappoint us. Your passion, your cheer is really off the roof. Tonight we all made it together."
Ryujin also expressed her gratitude to Pinoy fans for being so awesome.
"Whenever we come to Manila for the stage, with a concert or AAA, we always look forward to you guys because you're so enthusiastic.
"I looked forward to today, and it was perfect."
Yeji said she was also touched by the AVP.
"Manila MIDZYs are the best. It's not lying. Because of you guys we really had fun and we are happy tonight."
As a final encore, ITZY sang "Boys Like You" and "Dalla Dalla."