The Round Festival, which took place at the Araneta Coliseum in April, featured a roster of artists from Asean and South Korea, highlighting cross-cultural collaboration. OPM acts TJ Monterde, Cup of Joe and Ben&Ben were among the lineup.
On the first day of the festival, P-Pop artists Kaia, Hori7On, and 1St.One performed a collaborative number of their original song “Sulong.” The anthemic track set the tone for the evening, with synchronized choreography and seamlessly blended vocals.
Right after, Myanmar’s rock band Velocity performed songs “Hope” and “Yote Ta Yet,” fervently hyping the crowd with their intensity.
South Korea’s duo balladeers, MeloMance, softened the tone as they serenaded the fans with some of their well-loved K-drama OSTs. They performed “Good Day” from Mr. Sunshine and “Love Maybe” from “Business Proposal” and “K-Pop Demon Hunters.” They also sang a short cover of Yeng Constantino’s “Ikaw” during their interview with hosts Gabbi Garcia and 10CM.
Malaysian soloist Mimifly delivered powerful performances of her songs “Superfly,” “Angkat,” and “Temberang,” with solid vocals and choreography. She also performed “Euphoria,” an unreleased song, exclusively for the festival attendees.
Following this, Brunei’s melodic pop singer Syafiq Abdillah performed his original songs “Suara Hidup,” “Sepanjang Malam,” and covered Sunkissed Lola’s “Pasilyo.”
One of the night’s crowd favorites, Filipino singer-songwriter TJ Monterde charmed the fans with hit songs “Tulad Mo” and “Palagi.” He also performed a duet of “Silver” with collaborator 10CM, greeting viewers tuned in to the KBS broadcast.
Indonesia’s Pamungkas sang “Riddle of the Night,” also surprising fans with an unreleased song “Talk to Me,” from his upcoming album. He closed his set with his hit song “To The Bone,” naturally leading the concertgoers to sing along.
Cup of Joe closed the first night by immediately connecting with the audience. As one of the country’s most prominent OPM acts, they delivered “Sandali,” “Tingin,” and “Multo,” while fans echoed every lyric.
On the second day of the festival, the P-pop artists returned with “Sulong,” surprising everyone with the unannounced production.
Lao PDR’s JoJo Miracle charmed the concertgoers with his songs “Missing You,” “Loneliness,” and “Always Love You.” The songs highlighted his clean, powerful vocals, complemented by his distinct charms.
Vietnam’s pop-rock band Chillies performed a laid-back set of their tracks. Despite meeting the Filipino audience for the first time, they shared, “Tonight, in Manila, we have a connection, and that’s music.”
Right after, Singapore’s Regina Song charmed the attendees with her sweet vocals, singing “Venus,” “Fairy,” and her TikTok viral song “The cutest pair.”
Cambodia’s G-Devith energized the audience with his charismatic and commanding stage presence. His songs “Once Upon A Time,” “Top of The Lady,” and “Devaraja,” highlighted his rap flow and culturally rich production, complemented by traditional dance and collaborator Tep Boprek.
South Korea’s 10CM sang his iconic K-drama OST “Tell Me It’s Not a Dream” from “Queen of Tears” and “Spring Snow” from “Lovely Runner.” He also delivered his tracks “To Reach You” and “Phonecert,” garnering cheers from the attendees as he thoughtfully included “Manila” in his lyrics.
P-pop group Hori7On returned to the stage with a high-energy set featuring “Sumayaw Sumunod,” “Dash,” and their latest single, “Fly With Me.” The members expressed pride in representing Filipino musicians on an international stage, with member Marcus demonstrating his fluency in Korean during the interview.
Thailand’s alternative rock band Tilly Birds followed with their songs “Dearest Tears,” “Shouting Eyes,” and “Same Page” from the show “Bad Buddy.”
“I hope you enjoy it, despite the language barrier,” they stated.
Lastly, OPM representative Ben&Ben, who recently surpassed 3 billion Spotify streams, delivered a polished set anchored in vivid storytelling and production.
They captivated the audience with “Saranggola,” “Heaven,” their collaboration with Tilly Birds, and concluded the night with “Ride Home.”
Ben&Ben also expressed their gratitude, noting how music transcends borders and continues to bridge audiences across countries, especially through events such as the Round Festival.
