“Pops is my always and forever favorite teammate,” stated Martin Nievera in an exclusive interview with PUSH ABS-CBN. 

The Concert King is set to have a pre-Valentine concert with Concert Queen Pops Fernandez tonight, February 7, at the Mall of Asia Arena titled Always & Forever.

“We will do songs that tell our story from then and until now using the music from that era,” Martin shared. 

Always & Forever celebrates 40 years of their iconic tandem, and the show is their story through music. 

“What makes it even more amazing is that there’s still a demand for it. Even if there’s only three people, that’s still a demand. I can’t believe that people still want to see this tandem together, even though they know that life has changed for both of us,” Martin said. 

Martin and Pops have gone through a lot of ups and downs, both in their personal lives and in their professional careers. While they may not have made it as a couple, they do co-parent their children, remain great friends, and have beautiful chemistry on and off stage. Fans continue to clamor for their tandem and the demand to see them sing together is still at a high. 

“I think it’s the magic we have on stage. It’s our teamwork, our tandem that is so natural, not fake. I think it works because of that: there’s nothing fake about it,” shared Martin. “We literally have fun on stage. A lot of things we do on stage are not planned. We don’t follow the script because we just so much fun playing around backstage.”

Martin believes that people see the real partnership that they have, and that’s what draws their audience. The relationship they share as people, both the good and the bad, simply adds to their authenticity and richly flavors their dynamic. 

“I think it’s because of that sincerity, that authenticity we have as friends more than former husband and wife, former lovers, former parents — of course, we’re still parents to our children, but not in the same house. There’s so much seasoning in that, and people what to see that,” he said. “Some have grown with us, some have grown up with us. Nostalgia is so in right now, so people want to go back in time and remember the good ol’ days, and Pops and I supply that for them.”

Catch the magic of Martin and Pops on stage in Always & Forever at the Mall of Asia Arena at 8 p.m. tonight, February 7. It will be directed by Rowell Santiago.