The newest group in the K-Pop industry is here and ready to shake things up! Hailing from MLD Entertainment, the all-Filipino K-Pop boy group HORI7ON is a game changer. Described as a global group representing the Philippines in the K-Pop scene, HORI7ON debuted on July 24, 2023, with the upbeat pop track ‘SIX7EEN’ in South Korea and has immediately gained several fans within months!
Consisting of members Vinci, Kim, Kyler, Reyster, Winson, Jeromy, and Marcus, these talented youngins’ started out on a survival show by ABS-CBN, MLD Entertainment, and KAMP Korea titled “Dream Maker”, where they bested 55 other Dreamers, aiming for a spot to debut in the newest MLD Entertainment boy group to debut in South Korea. It was a long and competitive journey, but these guys proved their passion and dedication!
After months of training followed by their South Korea debut and promotions, HORI7ON finally set sail to their homeland, where they reunited with their Filipino Anchors for a concert, fan meet, and more activities lined up. First on the list, HORI7ON held an exclusive media conference last September 7, and we got to know more about them.
WHAT THEY MISSED ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES
Despite following their dreams, the boys still experienced homesickness and longing for their families here in the country. When asked what they mostly missed about the Philippines, they happily shared their answers. Vinci, HORI7ON’s leader, and Marcus, HORI7ON’s Maknae, answered that they missed their Philippines fans the most! Winston and Kim shared that they truly longed to be with their family again after months of distance. While Reyster, Kyler, and Jeromy answered, they’ve been craving Filipino food so much! For Reyster, he misses Filipino viands like Bicol Express, Adobo, Kare Kare, and Sinigang. Kyler shared how kakanin or Filipino desserts, is one of his favorites and that it wasn’t easily accessible in South Korea. Jeromy shared a sweet answer on what food he misses the most, and that is his parents’ cooking!
TRAINING EXPERIENCE IN SOUTH KOREA
HORI7ON has been training diligently in South Korea since being chosen as the newest boy group under MLD Entertainment. The boys shared their memorable experiences during their trainee days. Marcus expressed how it was truly hard for them. He also mentioned during the preparation of their debut song ‘SIX7EEN’, that for just 5 seconds worth of choreography, they had to practice hours for it! He frankly said how training was very challenging for them, and for him especially. Speaking of Marcus, Vinci also shared a raw experience during their early stages in training, their Maknae had a moment where he just broke down due to the hardships, along with being homesick and missing his parents especially. Good thing, the other members were very supportive of their youngest and gave him the utmost comfort he needed. Marcus felt much better knowing he had six older brothers to rely on when the going gets tough.
FAVORITE HORI7ON, K-POP, AND OPM SONGS
When it comes to music, HORI7ON has their fair share of favorites. First asked what their favorite track of their debut album is, the members were excited to share theirs. Vinci and Reyster both mentioned ‘Death Or Paradise’ as their favorites. Reyster chose this track because of its sexy concept, while Vinci gave quite a spoiler on how this song will have its own music video soon! Something to look forward to, Anchors! Kim and Kyler shared that their favorite track is their debut song ‘SIX7EEN’. Kim also added ‘Lovey Dovey’ as his favorite because of how the music video was shot in South Korea; a moment he will never forget. Winston with ‘Mama’ as this was a letter translated into a song dedicated to their parents. Lastly, Marcus mentioned ‘How You Feel’ as his favorite track since this was a unit song in all Korean, and they even had Haeun of Lapillus join them in this track!
When asked what their favorite K-Pop songs are, the members immediately gave their individual answers. As a girl group connoisseur, Reyster has been loving ‘ETA’ by NewJeans recently. Vinci with ‘Baggy Jeans’ by NCT, Kyler with ‘Bouncy’ by Ateez, Marcus’ with ‘Roar’ by THE BOYZ, Jeromy with ‘Criminal Love’ by ENHYPEN, Kim with ‘Seven’ by Jung Kook, and Winston has been very much into boy group TREASURE lately.
Of course, we can’t miss out on OPM songs! With every mention of their favorite OPM songs, the boys gave us a short but sweet sample singing to their favorites. Marcus with ‘Habangbuhay’ by Zack Tabudlo, Kyler with ‘Isa Lang’ by Arthur Nery, Reyster with ‘Leaves’ by Ben&Ben, Vinci with ‘Raining in Manila’ by Lola Amour, Winston with ‘Biyahe’ by Josh Santana, Kim with ‘Ikaw Lang’ by Michael Pangilinan and Jeromy with ‘Paraluman’ by Adie.
Whether in English, Korean, or Filipino, HORI7ON can really hit those notes well!
WHAT'S NEXT FOR HORI7ON
Now that they’ve debuted and finished promotions in South Korea, the boys are now spending time with their Filipino Anchors here in the Philippines. With their successful fan meet and concert in Araneta, HORI7ON will still continue to promote here in the country! For what is about to come for HORI7ON in the PH, it is best to stay tuned!
Another accomplishment HORI7ON has is that they are currently leading as the Best Male Artist Nominee for the 2023 Asia Artist Awards! Anchors are truly on a roll! Continue with that energy, Anchors and we might see HORI7ON receive such a prestigious award in our home country as this year’s AAA will be held in Philippine Arena on December 14!
2 days after the media conference, HORI7ON held its first-ever concert in the country at Araneta Coliseum! We rounded up highlights on what went down at Friend-SHIP: Voyage to Manila.
ELECTRIFYING GROUP PERFORMANCES
One of the night's highlights was that Friend-SHIP: Voyage to Manila marked the first time Anchor witnessed the stage performance of HORI7ON’s debut title track ‘SIX7EEN’. You can only imagine how crazy the crowd went. You could clearly feel how proud everyone was of the boys and their success!
The boys also showed off their singing and dancing talents with other tracks ‘Meteor,’ ‘DASH,’ ‘Tiger,’ ‘Birthday,’ ‘Death or Paradise,’ ‘How You Feel, ’Mama,’ ‘Salamat,’ ‘Odd Eye’, ‘Hit Me,’ ‘Lovey Dovey,’ and ‘Take My Hand’.
CHARMING SOLO PERFORMANCES
While HORI7ON is outstanding as a group, one must remember that each member is a force of their own on stage! This was highlighted in the members’ solo performances, wherein they showcased their individual charms: Winston with ‘Teum,’ Marcus with ‘Light Way,’ Jeromy with ‘Bonnie & Clyde,’ Vinci with ‘Ready to Burn,’ Kim with ‘Like a Fiction,’ Kyler with ’Silhouette,’ and Reyster with ‘Cost’!
SURPRISE SPECIAL GUESTS
The night was more remarkable when familiar faces joined HORI7ON on stage!
Haeun of Lapillus gave a little oomph to Jeromy and Marcus’ ‘How You Feel’ performance, while virtual appearances of Noa and Leo of TFN on ‘Light Way’ and ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ got fans pumped up. HORI7ON also reunited with “Dream Maker” alums Jom, Thad, Macky, Wilson, and Josh, who were also revealed to be the members of the new boy group New:ID. Another rising boy group we’d look out for!
K-POP & P-POP DANCE COVERS
HORI7ON also surprised the Araneta crowd with dance covers of some K-Pop hits, paying tribute to their respected sunbaenims. Fans were delighted seeing the boys dance to ENHYPEN (‘Drunk-Dazed’), TXT (‘Sugar Rush Ride’), Stray Kids (’S Class’), and SEVENTEEN (‘Super)’. Reyster and Vinci even wowed the crowd with their twist to New Jean’s ‘ETA’ and Jeon Somi’s ‘Fast Forward’!
Not to be overlooked, of course, is their performance of P-Pop Kings SB19’s viral track ‘GENTO’! We hope the two groups could share the same stage one day; imagine how iconic that would be.
To conclude the show, leader Vinci showed his gratitude to HORI7ON’s loyal fans. “Thank you so much, ANCHORs. You guys are the reason why we're still here and I hope this still keeps going on for a long, long time,” he said.
This is surely just the beginning for these seven talented boys. Congratulations on an amazing first concert, HORI7ON! Fighting!
Huge thanks to DNM Entertainment for making this event possible.