[CONCERT RECAP] Vanilla Manila: Kai Returns to Manila After Six Years With a Sold-Out Solo Show

After six years, Mr. Rover returns to Manila! His last appearance was in 2019 as part of EXO, one of K-pop’s most influential acts. This time, he came back as a soloist and sold out his first solo concert in the country.

KAION in Manila 2025, presented by PULP Live World, was held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on June 27. The tour name, drawn directly from his own, marked more than a reintroduction. It framed the night as a full realization of an artist who no longer shares the stage but defines it.

Kai’s return to the stage came almost immediately after completing his military enlistment. Without pause, he released his fourth mini album, Wait On Me, and launched into a solo tour that signaled both urgency and intent. For EXO-Ls, it was more than just a comeback. It was a moment they had waited years for, and they met it with full force. From fan-led projects to carefully planned tributes across the venue, the welcome was personal and overwhelming. Kai took notice. What could have been a routine stop on a tour became a night marked by memory, gratitude, and a visible connection between artist and audience.

Here’s the breakdown of what happened that night.

Chapter 1: A Stranger in the Mirror

Kai has never treated solo work as a side project. From the moment he debuted alone, he reshaped the expectations of what a K-pop soloist could be. His albums have never arrived quietly; they come with their atmosphere, identity, and visual language. As EXO’s main dancer, he’s long understood that performance is not just movement but narrative. That instinct was clear the moment the show opened. Dressed in striking red from head to toe, he launched into “Mmmh”, his first title track from his first EP, with the kind of precision and power that only comes from instinct sharpened by years of stage experience. There was no warm-up. He came to remind, not reintroduce.

In between sets, Kai kept his words sincere. “Masaya ako!”, he told the Philippine EXO-Ls, radiating the obvious, and he spoke about feeling the audience’s energy as early as soundcheck, already moved before the show had even begun. He also noticed the fan-organized dress code, complimenting how pretty the crowd looked and how well they followed it, a detail he didn’t have to mention, but did. He also introduced the meaning behind KAION and offered a quiet but weighty answer: Kai ON stage will mark the beginning of eternity.

That presence was felt in every transition. With Nothing On Me, Hello Stranger, and Slidin’, he moved like someone who knew exactly how much silence to leave between notes. In Ride or Die, he switched into something cooler and more deliberate, commanding the stage with restraint rather than volume. Each set was stripped of excess, focusing entirely on movement, silhouette, and rhythm —a reminder that for Kai, choreography is not a support to the music, but its core.

Chapter 2: Reflections on Myself

The tone transformed subtly in the second part of the concert. Between songs, Kai slipped into something more relaxed, toggling between intensity and warmth with a kind of ease only years of stage experience can afford. On stage, he was precise. Off it, he joked, teased, and played with the crowd like the pause button didn’t exist.

He noticed the Field of Peaches — a coordinated sea of peach-colored light from fans during the EXO medley — and didn’t let the moment pass quietly. “I come to do a concert to meet my babies!” and he added, “You guys aren’t proposing to me, are you?”

By then, he had shed most of his green suit, performing in a fitted vest over a drenched white shirt, the heat and choreography leaving little room for subtlety. Still, there was something clean and composed about the way he carried it, not just handsome, but sharp, knowing exactly how to turn exhaustion into presence.

This section of the set leaned into contrast. Come In opened it with low, controlled tension. Vanilla followed, which is sweet and deliberate, with Kai noting later on that he had jokingly swapped the lyrics to “Manila” while performing, and he told fans to look for it in their recordings. Then came Peaches, the title track of his second album, delivered with the kind of familiarity that only deepens over time.

Adult Swim and Wait On Me carried weight, not just sonically but emotionally. Performed back-to-back, they balanced the vulnerability of return with the control of presence. Pressure introduced a different texture entirely. The mood became sensual, driven by his movements and the restraint in how he delivered them. Walls Don’t Talk was one of the night’s most anticipated performances. At every stop on the tour, this track featured a unique choreographic moment, led by Kai and echoed by his dancers. Manila’s version was clean, clever, and completely his. Then came Bomba, the song that had the crowd on edge from the moment it appeared on the setlist. As soon as the first note hit, energy in the venue surged. It was the track most fans had waited for, and Kai treated it as the climax it deserved.

Chapter 3: When All Selves Become One

There was a noticeable shift when Kai reemerged on stage, stripped of earlier layers and sentiment. Dressed in a high-sheen leather jacket and matching pants, bare underneath, he presented a version of himself rooted entirely in physicality. His snapback sat low, obscuring half his face, adding distance and control to an already sharp silhouette. The softness from earlier was gone. This was Kai at his most distilled — deliberate, untouchable, and in full command.

Across Confession, Domino, and Reason, the choreography turned precise and weighted. Movements were held longer, transitions drawn tighter. Each track unfolded with intention. By the time Rover began, the transformation felt complete. What had once been a chart-topping hit was now a fully realized signature piece, carried not by trend but by presence.

This is the version of Kai that reaffirms why many in the industry call him the K in K-pop. Not just as a symbol, but as a standard — one rooted in discipline, artistry, and an instinctive understanding of performance. In these moments, there was no sign of Jongin, the offstage figure fans often describe as quiet and soft-spoken. What remained was Kai, and he needed nothing else.

Chapter 4: Welcome to the New Me

Before the encore, the spotlight briefly shifted to the audience as production engaged fans with the EXO-L Dance Challenge and highlighted fan dancing of Kai’s viral choreographies, including Rover and Mmmh. It was an energetic show of support that reflected how deeply his music and performance style have resonated beyond the stage.

A surprise fan project followed, as the entire arena sang Angel (Into Your World), a debut-era EXO track that holds sentimental value for many longtime fans. During the photo segment, he noticed a bear-shaped banner that read, In Every Universe, Kai is Always Worth the Wait. It was a clear reference to his enlistment and the long-awaited return, making the message all the more meaningful.

Kai took his time thanking the crowd in a longer-than-usual ment. He shared how grateful he was for the warm welcome, and even acknowledged how well-dressed the audience was, complimenting them for following the peach-themed dress code. Then came a statement that sparked hope for many: “Someday, I want to do a day 2 or day 3 show.”

He also pointed to a backstage photo of EXO from their previous Araneta show, saying, “I saw our photo over there, and I looked like a baby. Now I’m not a baby anymore.”

Most notably, he left fans with a quiet but loaded promise: Maybe next time, I’ll return with my EXO members. It was a hopeful signal to EXO-Ls who have been patiently waiting—not just for Kai, but for the group’s full return.

Kai addressed the crowd with heartfelt sincerity. “Thank you so much for singing along with me. Your singing skills singing along with me—out of a hundred, I’ll give you 100,” he said, smiling. “It includes your cheers and screams, and it’s making me a lot energetic.”

Grateful and overwhelmed, he then offered a quiet promise for the future. “I’m very excited that in 10 years, 20 years, 30 years from now, you will still get to see the great love that we’re building. Do you promise to still be with me until then?” The crowd’s unanimous yes echoed across the Araneta Coliseum.

Kai left fans with a sentiment that resonated beyond the night. “Thank you so much for waiting for me and for cheering for me. I promise to give back with a better self. Next time we see one another again, it could be through Kai’s concert or an EXO concert. I don’t know which one will come first, but promise me that we will see one another again, right? Promise?”

And just like that, the curtain fell—but not the emotion.

Kai’s Manila stop was a masterclass in solo artistry: visually rich, vocally sharp, and choreographically unmatched. Every detail, from the setlist to the sincere fan interactions, proved why he’s not just a member of one of the most influential K-pop acts of all time, but an undeniable force in his own right. It may very well go down as one of the most polished and powerful solo concerts produced in recent years.

As fans cheered and cried, one truth became clear: the K in K-pop isn’t just an initial. It’s Kai, and we’ll be holding our breath until he returns, whether as a soloist or with the full body of EXO, The Emperors of K-pop, with Kai at its center.

Event covered by Arielle Elep, Randall Villoria; Words by Arielle Elep

Special Thanks to Pulp Live World for the invite