- The trio of Mackie Empuerto, Keifer Sanchez, and Francis Concepcion, known to be big fans of Ariana, thrilled the audience with their performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” when she showed up halfway through the song and joined them on stage.
- The TNT Boys is only one of the Filipino artists who broke into the international scene as ABS-CBN continues to champion Filipino talent on the world stage.
The international sensation TNT Boys got the biggest surprise of their lives when reigning pop superstar Ariana Grande surprised them with an unexpected appearance and duet on CBS’ “The Late Late Show with James Corden” Tuesday night (Wednesday afternoon in Manila).
The trio of Mackie Empuerto, Keifer Sanchez, and Francis Concepcion, known to be big fans of Ariana, thrilled the audience with their performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” when she showed up halfway through the song and joined them on stage.
“I’m obsessed with you guys. You guys are so incredible. That was so beautiful,” Ariana told the boys after their performance. The trio could barely muster a word, while Francis said, “Is this a dream?”
After the filming of the episode, the “Thank U, Next” singer spent time to talk and take photos with Mackie, Keifer, and Francis backstage, and admitted that she was nervous to sing with them.
James, who also hosts the international talent competition “The World’s Best” on CBS where the trio is competing, called the TNT Boys “the cutest boyband on the planet.”
In his interview prior to the trio’s performance on “The Late Late Show,” James recalled his meeting with the boys at the backstage of “The World’s Best,” where Francis’ first words to him were “Oh my God, you’ve met Ariana Grande.”
The TNT Boys continue to astonish the world with their talent after they moved on to the next round of “The World’s Best” after they wowed its American judges Faith Hill, RuPaul, and Drew Barrymore, as well as the show’s “wall of the world,” which is composed of 50 of the world’s most accomplished experts from every field of entertainment.
The TNT Boys is only one of the Filipino artists who broke into the international scene as ABS-CBN continues to champion Filipino talent on the world stage.
Before becoming a group, Mackie, Keifer, and Francis first impressed viewers as grand finalists in “Tawag ng Tanghalan Kids” on ABS-CBN. They were officially launched as a trio in 2017, and have since sung for international audiences in “Little Big Shots” US, UK, and Australia and have performed for several head of states, including Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, Singaporean president Halimah Yacob, and Papua New Guinea prime minister Peter O’ Neill. They were also hailed as the grand champion of “Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids.”
