The Black Eyed Peas made their highly anticipated return to the Philippines with a one-night concert at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on August 27, transforming the stage into a vibrant showcase of Pinoy world-class talent.
Filipino-American rapper EZ Mil fired up the crowd with his viral hit ‘Panalo’ as the opening act. Later, he joined Apl.de.Ap onstage for a powerful performance of the iconic ‘Bebot.’ The moment brought fans to their feet, celebrating Filipino culture and pride.
Another surprise came when Sandara Park of 2NE1 fame, who proudly calls herself pusong Pinoy, appeared for a duet with Apl.de.Ap on ‘2 Proud.’ The collaboration sent fans into a frenzy as Dara expressed her love for the Philippines.
J.Rey Soul, the Fil-Am artist from Laguna who is now a full member of the Black Eyed Peas, also shared an emotional message of gratitude. “The moment that changed my life is when this man right here discovered me… From a small town girl in Laguna to now touring the world with the Black Eyed Peas,” she said, pointing to Apl.de.Ap.
The night reached a heartfelt peak when will.i.am publicly thanked Apl.de.Ap and their mothers for their sacrifices, crediting them for making the Black Eyed Peas possible.
“I just wanna say thank you right here. This guy, he changed my life… so if it wasn’t for Apl.de.Ap’s mom who took the hard choice to send Apl to America and my mom being his caretaker while he went to school, I never would have met this guy. And so I want to thank Apl’s mom, I wanna thank my mom,” he told the crowd. Turning to Apl.de.Ap, he added, “Thank you so much for being my best friend… That’s my kuya, my pare!”
The group kept the energy high with a string of their biggest hits, including ‘Let’s Get It Started,’ ‘Boom Boom Pow,’ ‘Pump It,’ ‘Don’t Stop The Party,’ ‘The Time (Dirty Bit),’ ‘Where Is The Love?’ and ‘I Gotta Feeling.’
Apl.de.Ap also made the show deeply personal, dedicating ‘Where Is The Love?’ to Filipino farmers. “This song is dedicated to all the farmers na nahihirapan. Farmers should be rockstars, right? We should support our farmers,” he said, adding, “Maraming salamat to you, guys, for always supporting the Black Eyed Peas. Simula hanggang sa dulo, maraming salamat.”
The Manila concert marked the group’s first return since their performance at the closing ceremony of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. Part of their 2025 world tour, the show also coincides with the Black Eyed Peas’ 30th anniversary, making the homecoming of Apl.de.Ap and J.Rey Soul even more special. (with reports from JR Ebora)
