Historic. Star-studded. Inspiring. Tear-jerking. Romantic. Heartfelt. Inspirational.
TJ Monterde’s 3-day sold-out “Sarili Nating Mundo” concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last February 1, 2, and 3 has become a lot of things for those who experienced it. But if there’s only going to be one takeaway from the concert, it’s that it has cemented TJ Monterde as the biggest male recording and concert artist in the country today.
Part of the thrill of TJ’s concert is that the special guests were kept secret so the concertgoers only found out who they were the moment they stepped up on stage. On Day 1, young music stars Adie and Maki joined TJ. Adie came in during the chorus of “Mahika” and sang his own song shortly after, also titled “Mahika.” TJ sang “Kailan” with Maki after having mentioned that Maki’s inspiration for “Kailan” is TJ’s “Dating Tayo.”
On Day 2, TJ chose to sing “Puhon” with BINI Colet – allowing the BINI member to shine on her own given that it was her first solo gig. Then Champ Lui Pio of Hale (who is TJ’s second cousin) came on stage during TJ’s rendition of the Hale classic “Kung Wala Ka.” TJ revealed that growing up, he idolized Champ and wanted to be just like him.
On Day 3, fellow Cagayan De Oro native Arthur Nery sang “Mahika” with TJ – a performance they previously did for TJ’s 2024 concert at the New Frontier Theater. And to the delight of K-Drama fans, South Korean singer-songwriter and the mind behind the theme songs of popular Korean shows such as “Queen of Tears,” “Hotel De Luna,” and “Crash Landing On You,” 10CM, returned as a special guest as well, after having also guested for TJ’s 2024 concert. This time around, 10CM and TJ performed “Spring Snow” from the “Lovely Runner” OST. They also performed an original and unreleased collaboration song titled “Silver” which was an exclusive for Day 3 concertgoers. 10CM closed his special guest appearance with a medley of some of his theme songs and a humorous short song about TJ funnily titled “TJ Monterde.”
Asia’s Soul Supreme and TJ’s wife, KZ Tandingan, was at the concert as well for all three days to perform the duet version of “Palagi” with TJ to the delight of the couple’s fans. Having become a love anthem, many took the opportunity to propose to their partner on TJ’s cue during the song – being aware of how many of his fans have done the same on his previous shows. Even TJ’s very own bandmate, guitarist Makoy Portado, took the chance to propose to his girlfriend on Day 2.
Even the front act portion of the show was not spared from surprises. On top of the singer-songwriters that opened the show – namely: Keiko Necesario (Day 1), Ferdinand Aragon (Day 2), and Kenji Exaltacion (Day 3) – the one and only concert king and OPM legend Martin Nievera pulled off a surprise that no one saw coming. TJ was moved to tears backstage upon realizing that Martin volunteered to open the final show. Having opened Martin’s shows in the past, Martin mentioned that when TJ becomes a big star someday, he will humbly return the favor. And on the third day, the concert king did indeed keep his word.
The surprises also extended to the new and unreleased original songs that were dubbed “concert exclusives.” For Day 1, TJ sang “Unang Halik” which is inspired by the moment that KZ and TJ officially became a couple. For Day 2, TJ sang “Aurora” – a song that started out as a tune about the northern lights and ended up being “a prayer of longing and waiting.” TJ goes on to mention that if he and KZ ever have a baby girl, they would call her “Aurora.” And as previously mentioned, TJ wrote and performed “Silver” with 10CM – a song about unconditional love sung from the point of view of a beloved pet.
The magical experience of the concert wouldn’t have been possible without the man tasked to elevate the music of TJ – John Prats. As mentioned by TJ during his acknowledgements, the premier concerts and events director was crucial in pulling off everything they wanted to put in the show, from the ideation process to execution. From the programmed LED wristbands to the grand globe-like stage and striking visuals, John’s expertise, creativity, and vision as a director was on full display for three nights. Concertgoers raved online about the production quality and how he made the concert experience truly memorable.
More than a hundred celebrities and artists ranging from the most iconic names in Philippine entertainment to the fast-rising young stars of today came out to support TJ across all three days.
Online personalities that attended the concert include Panginoon ng Kababawan, Chichi Dela Cruz, Fonzi, Ser Geybin, and Fyang and JM of Pinoy Big Brother.
Actors that attended the concert include Michael Sager, Jillian Ward, Miles Ocampo, Elijah Canlas, Maymay Entrata, Isabel Oli Prats, Barbie Forteza, Empoy, Sam Milby, Marvin Agustin, and Jolina Magdangal.
Music stars that attended the concert include Ryannah J, Rhodessa, Illest Morena, mrld, Zephanie, Jason Dy, The Juans, Cup of Joe, Sam Concepcion, I Belong To Zoo, Yeng Constantino, Erik Santos, Kyla, and Martin Nievera.
P-Pop artists that showed support for TJ include AJAA, Yes My Love, G22, VXON, BINI, Mikki and Gelo of BGYO; Taneo, Mo, and Jao of Alamat; and Justin, Pablo, and Stell of SB19.
Ben Chan of Bench, Dr. RFD of Urban Smiles, Miss Philippines Tourism 2023 Herlene Budol, Miss Universe 2013 3rd runner-up Ara Arida, prominent showbiz personality and manager Ogie Diaz, actor, comedian and Showtime host Vice Ganda, and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray also attended the show.
Prior to the concert, allchartsPH reported that TJ has accumulated a total of one billion Spotify streams on all credits.
On the final day of the concert, Billboard Philippines took the opportunity to recognize TJ and KZ’s “Palagi” as the number one song on their Top Philippine Songs and Hot 100 charts for 2024. Shortly after, the Smart Araneta Coliseum management formally gave TJ the distinction of being the first Filipino solo male artist to stage three consecutive sold-out shows at the Big Dome.
Just a few days after the concert, TJ became the most streamed OPM artist on Spotify for the first time ever according to allchartsPH. He was previously named one of the most streamed male OPM artists in recent years. One could attribute this jump to number one as one of the effects of the concert’s critical and popular acclaim.
TJ will be taking the “Sarili Nating Mundo” concert on a world tour this 2025.
March 1 – Davao
March 9 – Hawaii, USA
March 14 – San Francisco, USA
March 15 – Los Angeles, USA
March 21 – Montreal, Canada
March 25 – Calgary
May 31 – Bacolod
July 25 – Cebu
August 9 – Cagayan De Oro
September 13 – Laguna
For more updates about TJ’s 2025 world tour, you can follow TJ Monterde and Cornerstone Entertainment on social media.
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