SHINee’s Choi Minho may be known for his unstoppable energy and ‘Flaming Charisma’, but at his first solo concert in Manila on March 16, the K-pop idol took a moment to reflect on his journey, struggles, and growth as an artist.
During the final stop of his ‘MEAN: Of My First’ tour at the New Frontier Theater, Minho opened up about his experiences, sharing that his drive to improve comes from his fans.
“There are times when my energy wanes, too. There are times when I feel tired as well,” he admitted during a pre-concert press conference.
“But because of the love and support that a lot of people give me—when I’m on stage, I look for those people. There’s this thing that I tell myself: ‘I don’t want to let them down.’ That’s the driving force that gives me the passion and burning energy.”
Minho’s first solo concert tour was a major milestone, allowing him to step outside of SHINee’s shadow and showcase his own artistic identity.
“I never expected that I could hold a solo concert here in the Philippines or a solo concert in general,” he admitted.
But with the overwhelming support from his loyal Shawols, Minho made it happen. The tour not only strengthened his connection with his fans but also helped him grow as an artist.
“It helped me realize my weaknesses and strengths as an artist, which allowed me to improve on my weaknesses to give the best stage performances for my fans.”
Despite being in the entertainment industry for nearly 17 years, Minho remains hungry for growth. He acknowledges that his fans have seen many sides of him but promises to keep evolving.
“I just want to be creative and show new sides to my fans. So I’ll be an artist that’s going to try my best to show new sides of me to the fans who have supported me for a long time.”
However, he also admitted that he sometimes reaches his limits.
“There are times when I reach my limits. But because of the help I get from my staff members, we make a step-by-step process to make these projects possible.”
When asked about the secret to his long-lasting career, Minho answered simply: “I think it’s just me being honest with myself, true to myself. The fans really like that side of me.”
He vowed to remain transparent and authentic, believing that staying true to himself is what makes his fans genuinely appreciate him.
“In the future, I’ll just be true to myself, transparent and honest so that the fans will also appreciate me.”
Minho ended his Manila concert on an emotional note, treating fans to an unreleased song, ‘You’re Right,’ and his heartfelt track, ‘Choice.’
Fans refused to let him go, chanting “Walang uuwi” (Nobody leaves), to which Minho playfully responded by lying down on stage and teasing, “Stay here? Okay. Stay here!”
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Before leaving, he reassured fans of his commitment to return.
“I will come back to the Philippines very soon. I’m very, very, very happy tonight. Thank you! I love you!”
After the show, Minho left a special message in Filipino on SHINee’s official social media pages: “Salamat sa pagsasaya kasama ko . Magkita tayo sa susunod. Mahal kita .”
