IVE shows what they are in Manila: Confident, mature and grateful

At the Manila stop of their second world tour, “Show What I Am,” IVE returned to the Philippine stage with a more confident, mature energy — and Filo DIVEs were absolutely here for it.

Held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on April 25, the nearly three-hour show, presented by Live Nation Philippines, turned into a celebration of IVE’s growth.

While Filo DIVEs’ eyes were glued to the stage, a cloth dropped to reveal the sextet — Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, Jang Wonyoung, Liz and Leeseo — in sleek dark leather outfits, immediately setting the tone with their entrance track, GOTCHA (Baddest Eros).

IVE barely paused between songs in their opening set, powering through hard-hitting tracks like XOXZ, Baddie, Ice Queen and BLACKHOLE, as confetti cannons and sparkular effects amped up the already electrifying performance.

“Kamusta kayong lahat? Na-miss ko kayo!” Yujin greeted, doing a quick breather and group introduction while Liz shouted “[Filipino] DIVEs, sigaw!” before proceeding to enthrall fans with TKO, Holy Moly and My Satisfaction.

Then came one of the highlights of the night — the solo stages, which gave each member their own moment to shine.

Wonyoung went first with 8, fully owning the stage as fans shouted along to the chorus, “I eight (ate),” a song to listen to if you want to feel confident, she said.

Rei followed with In Your Heart, bringing a cute and playful charm. Liz went into soft rockstar mode with Unreal. Gaeul performed Odd with a dreamy, artsy vibe, while the group’s maknae, Leeseo, impressed as she channeled a “cool and mature princess” in Super ICY. Yujin wrapped it up with Force, delivering effortless swag complete with a strong dance break.

A dance number by IVE’s all-girls backup dancers hyped up the crowd before IVE came back in angel-wing-inspired outfits for a more interactive segment, connecting with the crowd through [heart]beats and Off The Record.

It was only after this segment that they were able to introduce themselves one by one, after performing continuously without a break.

Some moments that stood out throughout the night were how much IVE engaged with Filo DIVEs. They kept throwing in Filipino phrases, cute gestures and other playful interactions.

IVE then switched things up again, heading into the final stretch in gold outfits, delivering hit after hit such as Attitude, Off The Record, FLU, Love Dive, Rebel Heart, I AM, You Wanna Cry, Wild Bird, Supernova Love and After LIKE.

Filo DIVEs’ “good energy” peaked during the closing run, with the crowd, especially the fanboys, screaming their hearts out and singing along.

During their talk segments, the members were clearly touched by the crowd’s warm reception.

Wonyoung said, “Since it’s been so long since we last visited the Philippines, I think we had more fun today,” even charming the audience by adding, “Ako lang tingnan mo.”

“Dalawang taon bago kami nakabalik, pero ang init pa rin ng sigaw ninyo. DIVE, salamat po!” Gaeul added through an interpreter.

Rei shared how they tried to see every fan from the floor to the upper levels, saying they could feel how happy everyone was.

“I’m so happy that we got to come back here after such a long time, and got to perform together. Thank you for making wonderful memories with us,” Liz said.

Leeseo thanked fans and ended with a heartfelt “Mahal kita!” while Yujin said she was happy to spend the day with Filo DIVEs, with all members promising that they would come back again.

The group was last in the Philippines for their first world tour, “Show What I Have,” in July 2024 at the same venue.

Since debuting in 2021 under Starship Entertainment, six-member girl group IVE has steadily produced hit songs with every comeback.