Kapamilya actor-singer Brent Manalo officially welcomed fans into his “Lover Boy” era during his first-ever fan concert and EP launch held on Friday, May 22, at the SM North EDSA Skydome.
Brent kicked off the show with an energetic performance of “Since Day One” by Skusta Clee, sporting a red leather jacket that perfectly matched his “young stunner” image. He later performed one of the tracks from his debut EP, “Pareho Tayong Nahihiya.”
“Welcome everyone to my Lover Boy era!” Brent happily greeted his fans.
Beyond the performances, the night became an intimate bonding experience between Brent and his supporters. The Kapamilya star answered playful questions about being a “lover boy” and even reacted to pick-up lines sent in by fans.
Fans also enjoyed a series of cute and funny role-playing scenarios where Brent acted as their boyfriend. One lucky fan even received a mock proposal from Brent while another was jokingly introduced to Brent’s mother, who was present at the event alongside his family and friends.
For the next segment, Brent performed another song from the EP, “Tell Me How” before reading heartfelt confessions written by fans before the show began.
In the second half of the fan concert, Brent expressed his appreciation to his fans who became one of his motivations.
“It never gets old kasi every day nakakabasa ako sa comments, sa DMs, even in person kapag may nakakasalubong ako, ‘yung gratitude hindi nawawala talaga. Parang, ano bang nabibigay ko sa mga taong ito for them to support me this much, to love me this much? It keeps me grounded also and makes me work even harder every single day,” he said.
Brent also celebrated the success of his debut EP, Lover Boy, which recently surpassed more than one hundred thousand streams and entered music streaming charts shortly after its release.
“As in wow. It’s already been a few days and grabe ‘yung hundred thousand. Maraming maraming salamat po sa lahat ng nakinig ng paulit-ulit. Sana pakinggan pa po natin,” Brent said.
The actor-singer admitted that he never initially imagined himself pursuing music seriously, but the support of his Star Pop family helped him discover a new side of himself as an artist.
“I never saw myself as a singer but then of course with the support of Star Pop, Sir Rox (Santos), Sir Roxy Liquigan — sila talaga ‘yung nagpush sa akin na I just have to find the right song for you and kapag nahanap mo ‘yung right song, even if I’m not a singer, true enough, doon ko narealize na ah ganoon nga siya and Lover Boy it is now,” he shared.
Among the tracks included in the EP, Brent revealed that his cover of “Malay Ko” (originally performed by Daniel Padilla for the film The Hows of Us) holds a special place in his heart.
“Yung ‘Malay Ko’ pinitch ko kina Sir Rox kasi kung magkakaroon man ako ng songs ‘yung mga ganitong klaseng kanta,” he shared. “I feel like this is my tribute to my supporters. Ayaw ko sila ma-feel bad or ma-feel sad. Gusto ko ‘yung ma-feel nila ay ma-inlove.”
Brent also shared that the song had long been one of his personal favorites, saying: “Lagi ko itong kinakanta sa karaoke and sa Kumu and then noong pinitch ko ito, sabi ‘why not do a cover?’ I was in disbelief na to sing one of my favorites.”
Toward the latter part of the fan concert, Brent was surprised with a heartfelt video tribute from fans showcasing special moments from his journey since the beginning of his career. Holding back tears, Brent reflected on how much he had gone through over the years.
“Minsan kasi sa buhay, lalo na kapag maraming nangyayari and parang ang bilis-bilis lahat and they are times na parang nakakalimutan mo na you’ve been in so many past versions of yourself. Seeing this now — grabe ang dami ko palang ginawa, ang dami kong buhay na na-experience and sa lahat ng pagbabago na iyon, isa lang ang di nagbago: sila; ‘yung suporta nila sa akin,” Brent said.
Brent also acknowledged the unwavering dedication of his supporters through the years.
“I’ve been doing this for six or seven years now, pero until now pumipila sila, gumagastos, naghihintay sila sa init sa ulan, nag-streaming, nanonood, humihiyaw. Walang nagbabago. May umaalis pero may dumarating at dumarami sila,” he added.
Before ending the show with a performance of “Malay Ko,” Brent once again thanked fans for their endless support and promised to continue working harder for them.
“Maraming maraming salamat sa inyong lahat. Thank you so much. I promised to strive even harder and to prove to you that I’m worthy of your support,” he said.