Local clothing brand Penshoppe treated Filo Yeolmaes and EXO-Ls to an early Christmas gift as they brought K-Pop idol Chanyeol back to the Philippines! The Monster got the chance to witness the exclusive fan meeting held last December 16 at the Mall of Asia Arena, and we’re here to give you the rundown!

Before the show, Chanyeol had a press conference with the media and some lucky fans at the Conrad Hotel, where he talked about fashion and how fun it was to be back in the Philippines for that reason. "I think Penshoppe has a lot of daily clothes good for mix and match… it also captures my body really well." he said in Korean. “I heard that there is a very huge Penshoppe store here in SM Mall of Asia, so I would like to try and go shopping there!” Oh, what we’d give to join him on his shopping spree; we’d love to see his haul! 

He also talked about his plans for the next year. “I also have different projects in the future. I think I haven’t shown myself as a solo artist a lot so I would like to release a solo album if I could,” he said. “First of all, my wish is that my music will give you energy and hope. But also I would like to wish that my music can be easy to sing with and enjoy.” The Monster is definitely seated for PCY1!

Asked about his thoughts about coming back to Manila for the third time this year (the first being his EXO-SC fancon with fellow EXO member Sehun, and the second time for his fun meet with fans for a local make-up brand), Chanyeol says he always looks forward to meeting Filipino EXO-Ls. “You guys sing along with the songs very well and you guys are really enjoying it. I get really energized when I see you guys. Whenever I perform in front of you, it’s not like I’m just showcasing my talents to you but I’m actually enjoying the moment with you as well,” he said. “So let’s make tonight the best day of our lives! I’m ready!” 

And what a night it was! During the fancon proper itself, the excitement of the MOA Arena crowd was palpable as Chanyeol kicked it off with a charismatic performance of ‘Nothin’,’ his solo song off EXO-SC’s ‘1 Billion Views’ album. The fans’ energy was electric when he first appeared on stage. It’s amazing how it was sustained throughout the entire hour-long show!

After that thrilling start, host Kring Kim then joined him on stage to host the “Keeping Up With Chanyeol” segment, where the star was asked some fan questions. One of the highlights of this segment is how he shared that prior to coming to the country for shows, he actually went here when he was a lot younger to study English. That time, he went to Pagsanjan Falls, rode a horse up a mountain, and even went shopping. Clearly, his connection with the Philippines runs deep!

Next up was the classic "Fast Talk", where Chanyeol chose pop over hip-hop, speakers over headphones, a classic neutral style over baggy looks, denim over linen, beaches over cities, and “Mahal ko kayo” over “Miss ko kayo.” Best believe that last answer got all the Yeolmaes and EXO-Ls screaming their hearts out!

For the “Don’t Mess Up My Tempo” segment, Chanyeol had to watch a video of some fans dancing to different EXO choreographies but with the wrong song playing, and the challenge was to guess what they were actually dancing to. Our competitive king aced this portion, of course, and even busted some moves of his own!

To wrap up the first half of the fan meet, Chanyeol performed fan-favorites ‘SSFW’ and ‘Tomorrow’ back-to-back, making the whole arena swoon with his deep, smooth voice. 

Then it was time for some more fun corners: Chanyeol showed off his creativity as her designed three Penshoppe tees using art materials provided to him on stage, which was then raffled off to some lucky EXO-Ls. Imagine bringing home and wearing a shirt your bias has personally hand-designed — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity indeed!

He was also asked by the host to say “Mahal Kita” in different expressions, with an on-screen meter measuring just how enchanted fans were by his proclamation of love for them (spoiler alert:the kilig was through the roof!). Filo EXO-Ls and Yeolmaes made sure to make Chanyeol feel that love right back with their heartwarming fan projects: a rainbow ocean, sweet voice messages, a giant banner, and matching cherry crowns for him and the fans. It was truly a heartwarming sight to see!

Chanyeol then wrapped it up by serenading fans with ‘Rodeo Station’ and the much-awaited performance of his latest solo single, ‘Good Enough’.

"The year of 2023 is really ending right. I'm really happy that 2023 was a year that I was able to meet my EXO-Ls more often. Now that 2023 is ending, I think that this is only the start. I hope moving forward in 2024, I'll have the opportunity to meet and enjoy with you guys. Of course, to Penshoppe who made this possible, I thank you so much. I had so much fun, and Penshoppe – let's do this forever!” he said in his final ment.

‘Til we meet again, Chanyeol! Thank you for keeping your promise to make the fan meet “the best day of our lives,” and thanks as well to Penshoppe for making all of this possible!