Jaehwa Bernardo

Jisoo of K-pop megaband Blackpink performs during her 'Lights, Love, Action!' solo fan meeting at the Araneta Coliseum, March 14, 2025. Photo from Collective Touring Philippines

Article (news)

Heartfelt moments, laughter mark Blackpink star Jisoo’s return to Manila

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:958px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1742117098128Lights, Love, Action in MNL3.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Jisoo of K-pop megaband Blackpink performs during her &#x27;Lights, Love, Action!&#x27; solo fan meeting at the Araneta Coliseum, March 14, 2025. <em>Photo from Collective Touring Philippines</em></span></span></span></div><p>At the start of the Manila leg of her “Lights, Love, Action!” fan meeting tour, South Korean singer-actress Jisoo appeared in a video offering reminders for the event. In the clip, she encouraged the audience: “Don’t hold back. Cheer as loud as you want! Forget about the people next to you and let your energy flow!”</p><p>The 30-year-old artist hardly had to ask. From the moment she stepped on the stage to kick off the event with “Earthquake,” the lead single off her latest extended play “Amortage,” the excitement from the scores of fans that recently trooped to the Araneta Coliseum was unmistakable.</p><p>The audience’s loud cheers might not come as a surprise for Jisoo. After all, as a member of the K-pop megaband Blackpink, an act that Time Magazine hailed as “the biggest girl group in the world,” she’s no stranger to fervent adoration. Nearly two years ago, the quartet even managed to <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/03/29/23/blackpink-philippines-is-one-of-the-loudest-crowds"><strong>fill the Philippine Arena</strong></a> with thousands of their fans for two days for their “Born Pink” concert.</p><p>But after her opening number, Jisoo admitted: “At first, I was very nervous.”</p><p>“But as I came on the stage and I saw all my Blinks, I was overjoyed,” she said through an interpreter.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1900518920798527846&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-03-16T09%3A22%3A50.673845%3A9ab08ddf-2c50-4656-aaf7-4dde40c39630%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=3e19125205bdcdf56885f1dcca52ff0fc6199255&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:560px;height:316px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1900518920798527846"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>“Lights, Love, Action!” marked Jisoo’s first-ever solo tour, with Manila as the opening stop. For the most part of the event, she set aside the fierce pop star persona that she often embodies when performing her group’s edgy hits. Instead, the fan meet’s intimate setup allowed Jisoo to showcase her charming and quirky side.</p><p>Jisoo’s natural charisma shone throughout the two-hour event, especially in the small, endearing moments. When the word “Lights”—the title of the Q&amp;A segment—flashed on the screen, for instance, she playfully pretended to be blinded by the spotlight.</p><p>During the segment, she instinctively directed her microphone toward the crowd each time the host, YouTuber Jessica Lee, engaged them with a question. When asked to describe herself in three words, she ended with “cute,” flashing a warm smile and a V sign, prompting an eruption of cheers from fans.</p><p>Later, when the title for the segment “Love” came out, Jisoo instantly formed a heart with her hands and flashed it to the crowd. During this part, she decorated an acrylic frame holding her “Amortage” CD and a photocard, seeking input from the audience on which stickers and badge to use and where to place them. She later gifted the frame, along with a signed polaroid photo of herself, to a lucky fan.</p><p>While decorating, Jessica taught Jisoo the phrase “Mahal kita” (I love you) so she could write it in the frame. When she learned what it meant, she quickly said, “Mahal kita Blinks,” once again triggering cheers from the audience.</p><p>The phrase would come in handy later when Jisoo was taught Tagalog expressions. When asked if she already knew any, she cheekily and confidently replied, “Of course, Mahal kita!” before bursting into laughter as Jessica pointed out she had learned it earlier. </p><p>Jisoo picked up “Masaya ba kayo?” (Are you guys happy?), which she eagerly asked the crowd after learning its meaning. She then pointed her mic toward the audience, who responded with a resounding “yes,” which earned a thumbs up from the idol. She also learned “Charot” (Just kidding) and appropriately flicked her wrist in the air as she delivered the slang word.</p><p>A few fans also had the chance to personally interact with Jisoo during the “Action” segment, a charades-style game where the K-pop idol guessed what her fans were acting out.</p><div><strong>Performances</strong></div><p>The fan meet also sought to promote “Amortage,” Jisoo’s debut EP and her first record under her own agency Blissoo. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/music/2025/2/14/blackpink-s-jisoo-tackles-love-in-debut-ep-amortage-1835"><strong>READ: Blackpink&#x27;s Jisoo calls debut EP &#x27;Amortage&#x27; a collection of love stories</strong></a></div><p>Backup dancers helped Jisoo fill the Big Dome’s stage, particularly during “Earthquake,” where they delivered the song’s signature finger snap move as pyrotechnics burst from the perimeter.</p><p>Chairs were incorporated into the choreography for the fan-favorite “Your Love,” a love song that Jisoo described as “my message to the Blinks.” She also performed the bubbly “Tears” and “Hugs &amp; Kisses,” where Jisoo freewheeled across the stage to wave at audience members.</p><p>Much to her fans’ delight, Jisoo closed the main show with a performance of her catchy solo debut “Flower,” gracefully executing its signature chorus move where she forms a blossoming flower with her hands.</p><p>For the encore, Jisoo stepped off the stage and roamed the floor area, bringing her closer to the crowd as she sang “All Eyes On Me” and a reprise of “Earthquake.” Back on stage, she playfully tossed small heart-shaped balls to fans.</p><p>Reflecting on her time back in the country, Jisoo said: “It’s been a while since I last came back here in Manila and actually, it’s my first solo fan meeting. As I arrived, I saw a lot of banners and tarpaulins, it really made me happy and welcomed.”</p><p>Jisoo reiterated that while she was excited for her first solo fan meeting, she also felt worried. “But right now, having this time, I guess it was so much fun that the time just flew by. Spending time with the Blinks, I really just want to tell you how happy I am to be with all of you,” she said.</p>

<p>For the most part of her Manila fan meet, Jisoo set aside the fierce pop star persona that she often embodies when performing with Blackpink, showcasing her charming and quirky side instead.</p>

For the most part of her Manila fan meet, Jisoo set aside the fierce pop star persona that she often embodies when performing with Blackpink, showcasing her charming and quirky side instead.