Singer-songwriter, rapper, and producer Cho Seung-Youn, better known as WOODZ, brought his OO-LI World Tour in Manila last June 17 at the New Frontier Theater. Filipino Moodz was definitely in for a night to remember!
A day before his concert, WOODZ held an exclusive press conference at Gateway’s Quantum Skyview, where lucky fans also had the chance to see the artist up close and personal while he answered questions sent in by the media and press. WOODZ talked about music inspirations, what kind of artist he is, what to expect from the show, and his thoughts about returning to Manila.
If you didn’t know, WOODZ lived in the Philippines for a year to study at an international school. Even though he has stayed in the country, the artist never really became fluent in Tagalog and only knew a few basic words he mentioned in his press conference. “Salamat po”, “Para po”, “Diretso”, “Kuya”, and “Ate” are some of the Filipino words WOODZ knows. He also shared that he met one of his close friends here in the country, and are still good friends up to now!
Filipino MOODZ gave WOODZ so much love during the presscon and even made him feel very welcome! In return, WOODZ promised an exciting and explosive ‘OO-LI’ show for his fans in Manila. He also expressed how he wants to bring home good, happy memories to his fans and be closer to them, which was visibly seen in his concert.
WOODZ talked about his latest release, ‘OO-LI,’ and how it came to be. He shared that while he was in Paris, he was able to reflect and gather inspiration to write music. He also stated that he is a more “visual artist” and gets inspiration by visualizing his thoughts. Regarding what song is the hardest to write, the title track ‘Journey’ was the hardest for him, and frankly, he had difficulties with it since he had doubts about his energy and who he is. He also described the keyword for his latest album as HONESTY— stating that he wants to stay honest with himself in the present, who he was in the past, and who he’s about to be in the future. Regardless, WOODZ delivered and did a successful job with ‘OO-LI’ and its tracks, as MOODZ loved the album!
When asked what song to recommend for first-time listeners of his music, WOODZ recommended ‘Drowning’, which he hopes is the start of the entire journey to listen to his discography. A song he would like to dedicate to fans would be ‘Better And Better’, a track that could comfort those who are struggling.
WOODZ’s OO-LI tour kicked off the day after the presscon at New Frontier Theater, opening the stage with the high intensity of ‘BUSTED’ from his OO-LI album. Clad in a blue velour jacket, leather pants, shiny accessories, and cool sunglasses, his rockstar persona took over the entire theater as he continued with ‘HIJACK’ and ‘Love Me Harder’. The show continued with his hits from various albums, including ‘WAITING’, ‘Who Knows’, ‘Dirt on My Leather’, and ‘Trigger’.
WOODZ transitioned from an intense stage to a more mellow one as he sang his stripped-down viral cover of NewJeans’ ‘HYPE BOY’. He even gave Filipino MOODZ a treat and serenaded the crowd with Parokya Ni Edgar’s ‘Your Song’ and a sneak peek of his guitar skills as he sang a line or two of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’, which made his fans gush! WOODZ also took the time to interact with fans, reading and reacting to sweet, funny posters. He even granted one fan’s request and sang the fan-favorite ‘POOL’.
The show's vibe took a whole new turn and went on as the stage became livelier! WOODZ is an exceptional artist and a fantastic dancer; having the all-rounder brings his fans closer while having the best time! Serenading the crowd more with ‘MULTIPLY’, ‘Abyss’, and more, then shifting to enthusiastic performances of ‘Sour candy’ and ‘BUMP BUMP’.
WOODZ then slowed it down again with the heartfelt, emotional track ‘Drowning’, which led to Filipino MOODZ singing the song's chorus in acapella as part of their fan project. WOODZ felt joy seeing and hearing his fans and continued to sing along with them.
The night went on as WOODZ continued to enjoy his time on stage performing more of his tracks, including ‘Journey’, ‘Thanks To’, ‘Better and Better’, a request of ‘Deep Deep Sleep’ and wrapped it up with ‘Hope to be like you’. OO-LI truly lived up to its meaning as Filipino MOODZ and WOODZ felt closer than ever on a night filled with impressive performances, great music, and the unconditional love between WOODZ and his fans.
Thanks to PULP Live for making WOODZ OO-LI World Tour in Manila happen!