Nostalgia and new music come together as 98 Degrees — Jeff Timmons, Justin Jeffre and brothers Nick and Drew Lachey — reunite with their Filipino fans for not just one but two shows in Manila. The ‘90s vocal group will be performing at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on the evening of May 30 and 31.
Speaking to the press ahead of their concerts, the four opened up about how carefully they curated their song selection to balance fan favorites, timeless hits and fresh material from their upcoming album.
“For us, this is very important,” the members shared. “We have a part of our new records that we can choose songs from. We will do some covers as well. And we’re actually going to sing something from the brand-new album ‘Full Circle,’ which is coming out soon.”
He added that fans can expect a variety of music — some they’ve loved for years, some from other great artists, and even “those little known songs that [audiences] are just getting to know.” Nick emphasized, “It’s a great combination of all those things… the more we get from the audience, the more energy we get, the more fun we have. I think we are enjoying each other’s company and performing together more now than ever before.”
When asked if there would be differences between the two nights, the group teased that fans might be in for a few surprises. “Well, we would [have] surprises in there,” said Nick, with a knowing smile. “We like to think we have a couple of things we don’t wanna give it away.”
“Both shows will be very exciting,” he continued, adding that they hope fans would come back for the second night simply because they had so much fun the first time around.
They said one night will be their “standard show” while the other could have a “naked” or stripped-down set, leaving fans guessing what exactly that might mean.
The love between the band and their Filipino fans is clearly mutual. When asked what message they’d like to share with their long-waiting Pinoy audience, the members spoke from the heart:
“The Philippines is one of the first and earliest places we experienced that felt like true stardom and success.”
They described their memories in the country as “incredible,” and added, “We wanted to come back for years… we might even be more excited than the fans are to be back.”
They assured their supporters that 98 Degrees has never taken this love for granted. “Their passion for us and our music — and for music in general — is something that gets us excited to come back and perform. We could not be more proud to be back. We cannot wait to be there in the Philippines doing what we love to do for fans who share our equal passion for music.”
The feeling is mutual — and when the harmonies kick in live, Filipino fans are sure to feel that decades-old spark all over again.
