TJ Monterde delighted his fans with an unexpected guest appearance during his sold-out two-night concert, Sariling Mundo, held on May 5 and 6, 2024, at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City.
The OPM balladeer surprised the audience by bringing out South Korean singer-songwriter 10cm, known for his song "Tell Me It's Not A Dream" featured on the hit K-drama series Queen of Tears.
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Even on the concert's second night, TJ remained on cloud nine, grateful for the opportunity to share the stage with the Korean artist.
Speaking to PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) and other members of the press, TJ shared his excitement about collaborating with 10cm.
"Yung kay 10cm hindi ko talaga ma-explain yon kasi he's an artist that I've been listening to since 2017, 2018.
"Tapos lagi akong nakikinig ng music niya, he introduced me to K-ballads. I listen to K-ballads because of him.
"Nagko-comment ako sa mga live niya ganon tapos bigla niya akong minessage last year... Nag-message yung team niya na, '10cm heard your song online, he love it.'
"And I was like, 'What? Paano nangyari yon?' So with 10cm, it's the hand of God. Yun yung mga ganong pangyayari na sure ako si Lord na yung gumawa ng paraan.
"Kasi impossible talaga yon na sa dinami ng artist sa buong mundo kanta ko yung mapapakinggan niya, di ba?
"So what are the chances. So yung reaction ko doon is si Lord yon, walang iba. Siya yung nag-orchestrate non."
TJ MONTERDE: GRATEFUL
Having 10cm at his concert was one of the most memorable moments for TJ, and he had plenty more during the second night of the show.
TJ opened his concert with performances of "Sariling Mundo" and "Tulad Mo," followed by sharing stories about his songs and those he wished he had written first.
He recounted the origin of his song "Puhon," meaning "In God's time" in Bisaya, and related it with how the concert came to be.
Initially skeptical about the concert's potential success, TJ confessed that it was the persuasion of his management, Cornerstone Entertainment, and his wife, KZ Tandingan, that ultimately convinced him to proceed.
Read: KZ Tandingan, TJ Monterde marry anew on third wedding anniversary
But the pressure to perform well continued to weigh on him, leaving him anxious even up to the first day of ticket sales.
"Hinding-hindi ko makakalimutan, it was a Friday," TJ recalled.
"After namin mag-announce, pauwi ako ng bahay, pagdating ko ng bahay alas dos, I cannot forget this, alas dos nasa labas ako ng gate namin tumawag yung handler ko sa phone.
"Sabi nya, 'TJ may bumibili na ng tickets ng paunti-unti, pero ganun talaga kapag first day walang masyado pa. Pero next week we will see movement.'"
That night, he prayed fervently, “'Lord, surprise mo naman ako, bago matapos ang Sunday.'"
TJ continued, "Friday na nun, bago matapos yung weekend, bago matapos yung Sunday, kahit 50% ng ticket makabenta kami ng tickets."
The next morning, he received a call from his boss informing him that there were only five tickets left.
"We sold out day one in less than 24 hours," said TJ, who was still in awe of what happened.
They ended up adding a second day, which also went on to be sold out.
He ended his first story with an encouraging message, “Sa tamang panahon, dadating din ang para sa yo.”
TJ MONTERDE: MORE CONCERT HIGHLIGHTS
Following "Puhon," he proceeded with his performance of "Nowhere," a heartfelt dedication to his wife KZ.
He revealed that he crafted this song during a period when he felt incomplete without her, and the performance was accompanied by visuals depicting their shared travels.
"Imahinasyon" swiftly succeeded this song, with a special acknowledgment to those who struggle to express their feelings to their admirers.
Then, he reminisced about how he expressed his intention to court KZ, through a voice note of him singing "I Fall In Love at the Coffee Shop," which he also performed for the audience.
Subsequently, he introduced his next three songs, each representing a different facet of heartbreak: "Kung Siya Man," inspired by KZ's "Mahal Ko o Mahal Ako"; "Malay Mo Tayo" for those who hold on to that "1% chance" of ending up with someone they like; and "Hanggang Dito Na Lang."
This was followed by his rendition of another heartbreak song titled "Huling Luha," a contrast to his previous songs that explored unrequited love and ambiguous relationships. This song also resonated with those clinging to the labels in their relationships.
The rollercoaster of emotions in his concert continued as fellow singer-songwriter and close friend Moira Dela Torre joined him onstage for a duet of "Dating Tayo."
After their performance, TJ expressed his gratitude to Moira for joining him onstage.
In response, Moira reciprocated the gratitude, telling TJ, "You are not just admiring an amazing singer and songwriter... you are admiring an amazing human being," after recalling the support he and KZ have offered her during her lowest moments.
Then Moira briefly took the spotlight to perform "Before It Sinks."
MORE ROMANTIC SONGS AND PROPOSALS
Afterwards, TJ sang “Walong Bilyon”, a song that he wrote when he and KZ were newlyweds. This sent him down to another trip down memory lane.
He sang “Sigurado”, a song that he doesn’t usually sing in public, and a song that he hasn’t sung since their wedding as this was his vow to her.
As an anecdote, he recalled a fan encounter in the mall wherein a fan told him how his song helped his marriage.
As TJ sang “Palagi”, three couples among the crowd proposed to their respective partners and got engaged.
TJ even gave the spotlight to one of his fans who reached out to him via Instagram for the proposal, namely Jeff Quizon and Diana Marquez.
Before the concert came to a close, TJ took his time to thank everyone in his fans and his team for making the concert successful. He sang “Mahika” as he walked among the crowd.
TJ ended the night with his first original song “Ikaw at Ako”.
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