How Enhypen and Filipino Engenes Connected in New Clark City

The seven members of K-pop group ENHYPEN have always had the word “connect” in their dictionary, as it’s how they derived the name of their group as well; just like how hyphens connect different words to make new meanings, the members will connect, discover each other, and grow together.

It’s why the boys love communicating as much as they can with their Engenes too. With endless posts on X of pictures they took, back-to-back livestreams on Weverse - a livestreaming application - from each member, they’ll always find a way to be with their fans, transcending through every barrier possible.

On a fateful day on February 3, Jungwon, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-ki once again connected with their Filipino fans after exactly one year as they closed out their highly successful second world tour FATE in New Clark City.

Dazed, dazed, dazed

25,000 Engenes found themselves situated in Tarlac at the New Clark City stadium to see the boys of Enhypen after their first world tour ended in the Mall of Asia Arena with a three-day sold out show. Now, with one show left in the tour, Enhypen and Engenes were on a mission to make this a memorable night for everyone; and that, they did.

The venue was dazed and struck by amazement as the members of Enhypen opened the show with “Drunk-Dazed” and “Blockbuster;” each dance move was hit sharply, their vocals were at the top of their game, and the stage presence was immense and overflowing.

The crowd’s reaction was absolutely thrilling, and it didn’t die down even when the boys finished up the opening to introduce themselves.

When member Sunghoon mentioned that both Enhypen and Engenes are overflowing with energy that’s why he’s really looking forward to the rest of the show, you know everyone was in for a long and exciting night.

Fire burns inside

Enhypen went on to light the stage up even more, performing their old hits “Let Me In,” “Flicker,” and “Fever” consecutively, showing just how much they’ve grown since the first time they performed the songs in front of their fans.

From here on, any person in the audience can tell the difference from the boys during their first tour compared to now: the world is theirs, and we’re just living in it. Every move they do, every step they take, every lyric they sing out, it’s done with so much confidence you can’t help but be absolutely enamored and enthralled by the boys.

They were filled to the brim with passion and drive, with fire burning inside of them as they continued to take on New Clark City.

Take their hands, and run

Of course, what’s a concert without a little fun and spontaneity from the artists? As the show went on, Enhypen have become laid back, enjoying the stage as it is while basking in the cheers and love they’re receiving from their fans.

The opening guitar riffs to “Attention, Please!” starts playing and the crowd gets hyped up once again, moreso when member Heeseung tells everyone with all his might: “Sumigaw! (Scream!)”

The boys start having fun; running around on stage, sending a little wave here and a finger heart there, and even using their water bottles to shower everyone at the front rows with water. They start doing this all while giving the performance of their lives too, belting out the song with their hand-held mics, letting everyone know that they’re absolutely singing live.

A fun little moment of the boys connecting with their fans was during “Tamed-Dashed,” when Heeseung kissed a signed football from the boys before kicking it out for the audience to catch. It’s definitely memorabilia to keep and a memory to cherish forever for that fan.

Filipinos at heart

Enhypen’s appreciation for their Filipino fans go a long way; apart from the fact that they never go a Weverse live without saying “mahal kita” or how they’ve continuously visited the Philippines since 2022, they also delve a little into the Filipino media and culture.

Sunoo and Heeseung surprised the fans during the acoustic set of the show, covering hit songs “Moving Closer” by OPM band Never The Strangers and “Give Me Your Forever” by Zack Tabudlo respectively, capturing the hearts of many. But that’s not all! Sunghoon even showcased his phenomenal dance skills through SB19’s Gento. Additionally, Ni-ki also revealed for the first time a live performance of his dance cover to “Like This” from Vogue a few months ago, and Jake serenaded the crowd with his own rendition of Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself.”

Everyone’s hearts is pounding

A fun little section to look forward to Enhypen’s concerts is the part where the boys divide into units where they can serenade their fans through their mellow hits “That Feeling When” and “Just A Little Bit.” Jay took on the guitar to give a little “harana” to the fans along with Sunghoon, Jake, and Sunoo, while Heeseung played the piano accompanied by Jungwon and Ni-ki.

Everyone’s hearts were swooning, and Engenes all collectively fell for Enhypen and their charms again. That wasn’t the end of it though; the boys came out with their most popular song “Polaroid Love” afterwards, where they went onto carts to go around the stadium to reach fans one by one, even the ones that were seated right at the back.

Connecting our Fate

In the midst of all the hype and excitement, the boys still found the downtime to calm down from their highs and share their thoughts now that the last concert of their overwhelmingly successful tour is nearly over. Each member expressed their feelings sincerely, yet one thing they said stood out to me the most. The youngest of the seven, Ni-ki said, “Loving someone for so long is hard enough, so we’re always thankful you all chose to stay.” This quote in particular hit the hardest, as it’s such a raw admission of feelings that has probably been at the back of the 18 year old’s mind for a while.

During the time Enhypen were not on stage, the camera panned over to some of the fans’ handmade signs with the sweetest messages. The signs ranged from silly ones like “Hot Girls love HEESEUNG” and “Jake, Sunghoon, I ditched my finals for you!” to heartfelt and warm ones like “ENHYPEN, you saved me and my sanity!” and “Thank you for saving me, ENHYPEN.”

Love is everything that courses through the world, and it’s especially beautiful whenever it’s acknowledged and expressed as such. Maybe this is why Enhypen are able to connect with their fans the way they do. Maybe it’s why the boys promised they’ll always come back, no matter what.

It’s only by chance that the group name became Enhypen, it’s only by chance that it was derived from “connect.” Yet, after New Clark City, one can confidently say that through it all, it was fate that brought the seven boys together with their Filipino Engenes, connecting in a way that goes beyond the love an artist and a fan shares with each other.