Keeping his promise to his Filipino fans, Rex Orange County returned to the Manila concert stage after three years last August 20 at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena for an exclusive Asia show.

OPM acts Over October and MAKI kicked off the night, warming up the crowd with hit tracks, including ‘Kaakit-Akit,’ ‘Paikot-Ikot,’ ‘Dilaw,’ ‘Saan,’ and ‘Kahel na Langit.’ Their performances set an upbeat tone for the evening, with fans singing along to the familiar tracks and bringing an early surge of energy in the arena. 

Fueled by the crowd’s enthusiasm, Rex Orange County soon launched into his set, easing through his discography with  ‘Television / So Far So Good,’ ‘AMAZING,’ ‘THE SHADE,’ ‘Never Enough,’ ‘ONE IN A MILLION,’ and ‘Face to Face.’

Just a day prior to his MOA Arena concert, the British singer surprised fans with ‘Indecision,’ a collaboration with Daniel Caesar that quickly racked up over a million YouTube streams. The fans’ anticipation paid off when he gave the track its live debut on the Manila stage.

Soon after, the tender intro to ‘Pluto Projector’ began to play, casting a warm glow across the arena as fans used orange-filtered phone flashlights to transform the venue into a breathtaking visual that perfectly fit the song.

Rex Orange County certainly had a few surprises up his sleeve for his Filipino fans. He treated the crowd to a Manila-exclusive performance of ‘Belly (The Grass Stains),’ added an unreleased song ‘Boyfriend’ to the setlist, and gave ‘Take A Drive’ its live debut.

But of course, the singer wouldn’t miss it for the world to perform his classic hits ‘Loving Is Easy,’ ‘Sunflower,’ and fan-favorite ‘Best Friend,’ the latter sending fans into a frenzy as they sang along at the top of their lungs.

As the show drew to a close, the poignant notes of ‘Happiness’ echoed through the arena, leaving fans to assume it was the final track. But the singer held out one last surprise and capped off the night with a stunning encore performance of ‘4 Seasons.’

The crowd’s reaction made it clear just how deeply Rex Orange County was missed. Whether revisiting beloved tracks from years ago or introducing brand-new material, his music continues to offer the familiar comfort of a warm embrace—sealed with a promise to return and sing for the Manila crowd once again.

INQUIRER.net BrandRoom/LP.

This event was made possible by Wilbros Live.