#FangirlGigs: Red Velvet celebrates 10 years of 'Happiness' with PH Luvies during fan con
K-pop group Red Velvet and Filo ReVeluvs just had a one-of-a-kind fan con last weekend!
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of their debut, Wendy, Irene, Seulgi, Joy, and Yeri finally returned to the Philippines on Sept. 14 as part of their “Happiness: My Dear ReVe1uv” first-ever fan con tour at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Excited PH Luvies from all ages donned their best Red Velvet-inspired outfits and made sure to pour out their hearts in cheering for the group, dubbed the Cake Girls.
Melanie Uson / PhilSTAR L!fe
The show kicked off with their debut song, Happiness with just Wendy, Irene, Seulgi, and Joy, with Yeri having a solo stage at the end of the song before joining her unnies. The act referenced the group’s debut as a quartet in 2014. A few months later, Yeri joined in March 2015 for their first extended play, Ice Cream Cake.
The night was full of singalong to their old and new hits, from Ice Cream Cake, Sunny Afternoon, and Bad Boy to Sunflower.
The members also shone individually on their solo stages: Yeri during Ice Cream Cake, Joy for Underwater, Irene for Knock Knock, Seulgi during Bad Boy, and Wendy during So Good.
The fan con had fewer interactive segments compared to the usual setup, but the girls were able to express their appreciation to messages and grant some of the requests in the sticky notes; such as singing to EXO’s Ko Ko Bop and Yeri composing an acrostic poem on the spot using the word “Manila.”
Fan projects
Melanie Uson / PhilSTAR L!fe
Apart from Red Velvet giving the best stages, Filipino fans surprised the girls with their fan projects.
From simple banners, paper planes with song lyrics, confetti with messages for the girls, and a rainbow ocean that corresponds to members’ colors: Pink for Irene, yellow for Seulgi, blue for Wendy, green for Joy, and purple for Yeri.
Near the end of the show, they also showed a large banner that read, “Loving you is the easiest thing we have ever done.”
Throughout the night, the girls kept expressing their gratitude and appreciation to PH Luvies who did not falter in giving their loudest cheers to every song.
The group last visited Manila during their first solo concert, “R to V,” but Joy was not able to join due to health reasons.
“Bumalik kami dito sa Manila after one year, pero walang nagbago,” Wendy said through an interpreter. “Nagulat talaga ako sa energy at sigaw niyo.”
She added the crowd’s cheers from the beginning of the show didn’t make her feel that their three-hour run was long.
For her part, Seulgi said, “Simula pa lang, ang lakas ng energy ng Manila Luvies...you guys are singing along with us, we were able to make treasured memories together.”
The arena then turned into a rave party during the Hit That Drum and Zimzalabim stages before finally wrapping up the show.
“Thank you for bringing us with lots of love all the time,” Wendy continued. “We hope to visit you more often.”
“We promise you guys that we’ll come back here in Manila as five of us,” Wendy added.
The group is undeniably one of the standouts from the third generation for their unique concepts—from bubbly vibes with Red Flavor and baddie/sultry vibes with Bad Boy and Psycho, to bizarre and/or dark concepts of Peek-A-Boo, Umpah Umpah, Chill Kill, and Cosmic.
But more than their concepts, their passion for music and love for their fans is what makes them a group worth stanning for 10 years, and many years to come.
For ReVeluvs who have witnessed the group grow since their debut, the fan con tour was not just a celebration of their 10th anniversary in the industry. It’s also a celebration of their youth filled with years of dancing and singing.