Photo from @uarmyhope

J-hope was right in front of me and signed my copy of his album. He took a video with us, the loyal ARMYs. Before he left, he stretched out his arms, and we all reached for his hand. He had soft hands.

This was Day 1 of j-hope’s HOPE ON THE STAGE concert in Manila, presented by Live Nation Philippines. I was lucky to secure a ticket that allowed me to attend the sound check before the concert proper—and to send him off afterward.

Photo from @uarmyhope

“I’m so happy—this is such a fun and passionate city, the first stop in my Asia tour. I was moved by your energy. I’ll finish this tour with your positivity,” the BTS main dancer told his Filipino fans in Korean.

ARMY, as we call ourselves, were even happier. When j-hope announced in January that Manila was included in the HOPE ON THE STAGE world tour, Filipino ARMYs—Pearl ARMYs—were ecstatic. The country was back on the BTS map. 

Photo from @uarmyhope

It has been eight years since the last BTS concert in Manila—part of the WINGS tour in May 2017. That was before the pandemic and just before they won their first Billboard Music Award for Best Social Artist.

J-hope returned solo. His two-day concert at the Mall of Asia Arena, held on April 12 and 13, sold out as soon as tickets were released in February. 

Manila kicked off the Asian leg of his tour, right after his successful tours in South Korea and North America. 

Photo from @uarmyhope

Manila was scorching, with temperatures hitting around 40 degrees Celsius. But the ARMY’s welcome was even warmer, and j-hope’s performance was electrifying.

It was only the sound check, but we were already screaming our lungs out when he performed “Base Line,” “HANGSANG,” and “Outro: Ego.” 

We were very curious how the Manila concert would recreate his stage setup since the venue was smaller than in other countries. We were pleasantly surprised to see how closely it mirrored the setups in Seoul, the U.S., and Mexico.

Photo from @uarmyhope

Fans joke that j-hope came to Manila not for his concert but for ours. Scroll through social media, and you’ll find clips from the two-hour concert where Filipino voices occasionally drown out j-hope’s own.

The concert featured 27 songs, opening with “Music Box: Reflection” from his debut album Jack in the Box. j-hope emerged on stage with “What if…,” followed by “Pandora’s Box,” “Arson,” “STOP,” and “MORE.”

The second segment highlighted tracks from his second album, HOPE ON THE STREET Vol. 1. He performed “on the street,” “lock / unlock,” “i don’t know,” and “i wonder…”—with ARMYs singing Jung Kook’s part. He also brought back “Trivia: Just Dance” from BTS’ Love Yourself: Answer.

Photo from @uarmyhope

In the third set, he performed new tracks “Sweet Dreams” and fan-favorite “MONA LISA,” with its sexy choreography. He followed with early solo work—“1VERSE,” “Base Line,” “HANGSANG,” and “Airplane”—then launched into BTS songs: “Airplane pt.2,” “MIC Drop” (with the iconic ARMY fanchant and “Mianhae eomma” lyric), “Silver Spoon” (Baepsae) featuring j-hope’s signature split and hip thrust, “Dis-ease,” and “Outro: Ego.” He wrapped up this segment with “Daydream” and “Chicken Noodle Soup.”

After “Chicken Noodle Soup,” j-hope teased that only one song was left. The crowd shouted, “Walang uuwi!”—to which j-hope responded with confusion and then attempted to say the phrase himself, making everyone laugh.

Photo from @uarmyhope

“I promise I’ll be back!” he said, and ARMYs erupted in cheers. 

“I really don’t want to go home! I’m perspiring because of your energy!”

He then performed “Hope World” and introduced his live band.

For the encore, j-hope returned with “= (Equal Sign)” and picked one lucky ARMY for a special moment—on Day 1, it was a beautiful fan; on Day 2, a fanboy who turned out to be a dancer. He closed the night with “Future” and “NEURON,” giving the spotlight to his dancers.

Photo from @uarmyhope

After the concert, 300 ARMYs were selected for a send-off party—and I was one of them on Day 1. We were lined up randomly and ushered back inside the venue. 

I ended up at the barricade. I didn’t expect anything more—I was already thrilled to see him up close—but I was lucky to have my HOPE ON THE STREET Vol. 1 album signed and be part of a group photo. As j-hope was walking out, he reached out his hand. I reached back—and touched it.

It was the perfect ending to a fantastic day. 

I returned the following day for Day 2 of the concert. I didn’t have the same ticket anymore, but once again, I sang my lungs out. 

Photos from @uarmyhope