I’ve been listening to Red Velvet since I first discovered them in 2019, and Wendy caught my attention immediately. Since then, I’ve followed all of Red Velvet’s group activities and Wendy’s solo projects. The track that first made me fall in love with her discography was her collaboration with John Legend, “Written In The Stars”—her voice is a perfect fit for R&B.

I highly anticipated her 2021 mini-album and immediately fell in love with “Like Water” and “Why Can’t You Just Love Me?” After her tour announcement last year, I knew I couldn’t miss the W:EALIVE Tour, especially as it was her first solo global tour.

Last night’s show was incredible. She playfully connected with the crowd, even sharing her “Pinoy food journey” involving Jollibee Chickenjoy, spaghetti, peach mango pie, and adobo. Her stage presence was electric; my favorite performances of the night were “Existential Crisis” and “Wish You Hell,” where the fans truly embraced the party vibes.

The evening took an emotional turn as Wendy performed a beautiful set of her iconic K-drama OSTs, including “Goodbye” (The Beauty Inside), “What If Love” (Touch Your Heart), and “Two Words” (Start-Up). She also treated us to her collaboration with The Black Skirts, “Airport Goodbyes,” and the Red Velvet classic “Light Me Up.”

Throughout the nearly three-hour show, Wendy made her Manila stop truly special. While she usually ends her shows with two songs, Manila was treated to a rare three-song finale featuring “Vermillion,” “Hate²,” and an encore of “Wish You Hell.”

She left a heartfelt message for Manila ReVeluvs, saying her heart was overflowing with gratitude and that her tour journey, which began in September, found its “beautiful ending” here in the Philippines. She promised to return more often—”closer and better.” To top it all off, Wendy personally said goodbye to every single fan in the venue after the show, even those all the way on the second floor.

Wendy’s show is definitely a top contender for my best concert of 2026!

Huge thanks to LSquaredProdPH for bringing her to the Philippines!

Written & Photos by Kevin Pableo