G22 Chronicle The Making Of An Alpha In Their First-Ever Concert – Review
In their first-ever major solo concert, The Eve of an Alpha, the P-pop trio tells the story of what it took to emerge as the Female Alphas they are today.
A first solo concert is one of the most significant milestones in an artist’s career, where every performance carries the weight of proving why they deserve to command the stage on their own. G22 proved exactly that, but rather than simply celebrating the achievement, they chose to tell the story behind it.
In just a few months of following G22, I’ve watched pieces of that story unfold. It started while covering the teasers for “Groove On,” before seeing AJ, Alfea, and Jaz perform live for the first time during Billboard Philippines‘ inaugural P-POP UNITE: The Convention.
It was there that I saw what set G22 apart: powerhouse vocals, commanding stage presence, and a confidence that made the modest convention stage feel far too small for them. I knew I was watching a group destined for much bigger stages.
Seeing them again at Love Laban 2026 only confirmed what I’d seen the first time. In the weeks that followed, I found myself revisiting their discography and going down a rabbit hole of interviews, live stages, and behind-the-scenes content, making a Sunday spent at their first-ever solo concert an easy choice.
Walking into The Eve of an Alpha, I expected a showcase of one of P-pop’s strongest performance groups. What I didn’t expect was a concert so committed to telling a narrative.
Photographed by Gian Guevarra.
For nearly three hours, the concert unfolds chapter by chapter, tracing the experiences, struggles, and triumphs that shaped AJ, Alfea, and Jaz into the Female Alphas of P-pop. By the end of the night, the answer to what makes an alpha isn’t simply strength, but everything that came before it.
The evening opens like a ritual. A lone ballerina, accompanied by the haunting sounds of a flute and guitar, takes the stage before the trio emerges in shimmering red ensembles for “Pa-Pa-Pa-Palaban” and “Boomerang.” Two of the group’s defining anthems celebrating resilience and unapologetic femininity, the performances immediately establish what the rest of the night holds. Their fierce stage presence fills the venue, and even as three, the stage never once feels empty.
Photographed by Gian Guevarra.
That presence carries just as strongly into the members’ solo performances. AJ is first to step into the spotlight, delivering a gripping rendition of Gloc-9 and Rico Blanco’s 2013 track “Magda.” She showcases not only the rap that has become one of her defining strengths, but also the grit and control of her vocals as she navigates a song about judgment, exploitation, and survival before channeling that “pain into power” with “LAKUMPAKE!” and “LOKA.”
Dressed in earthy green costumes, the trio launches into the two songs closely tied to AJ’s creative hand as both writer and producer. While “LAKUMPAKE!” brushes off outside criticism, “LOKA” turns inward, tackling self-doubt and the thoughts that can consume a person from within. The latter, notably G22’s first original release as a trio, draws one of the loudest reactions of the night, with Bullets singing every word back to the stage.
After all the intensity, the members give the audience a chance to breathe. A conversation about their “superpowers” — from mind reading and transformations to vocal abilities — quickly turns into one of the night’s funniest moments, with Jaz joking that it had become a “sit-down comedy show.” More than comic relief, the segment highlights the effortless chemistry between the three, something that carries the concert just as much as the performances themselves.
Photographed by Gian Guevarra.
That conversation naturally leads into “Super Saiyan,” the manifestation of the trio’s “superpowers” onstage. Over an aggressive beat, the girls trade verses with confidence, with Bullets roaring especially loud for the intricate rap sections. Knowing the work they have spoken about putting into mastering the craft — studying rap history, learning double-time techniques, and refining multisyllabic rhyme schemes — makes the performance all the more satisfying to watch.
The spotlight then shifts to Jaz. Taking on RAYE’s “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” with ease, Jaz proves why she’s regarded as G22’s vocal powerhouse. Every run lands with confidence, while her natural charisma makes the solo feel just as engaging visually as it does vocally. It’s a performance that shows why she’s among the strongest vocalists in P-pop today.
Introducing one of the concert’s biggest production numbers, a tribute to women in music, Jaz tells the audience: “Now, every woman have the opportunity that we have today because of the women who paved the way for us generations ago. We are able to have this platform, be heard, take up space, and tell stories through music. So, with this next prod, we’d like to honor these women and be a voice for the next generation.”
Photographed by Gian Guevarra.
Featuring iconic anthems “Lady Marmalade,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “Free Your Mind,” “Bills, Bills, Bills,” “Wannabe,” “Di Ko Na Mapipigilan,” “Buttons,” and “Golden,” the medley is among the evening’s most ambitious and entertaining numbers. Clad first in rhinestoned silver mini dresses before revealing flowing earth-toned costumes underneath, the trio moves confidently across decades and genres without losing their own identity. It becomes both a celebration of women in music and a showcase of one of G22’s greatest strengths: three distinct voices blending seamlessly into harmony.
The trio then strips away much of the spectacle with “Until When? (Kinakaya Ko Pa)” and “Babalik.” During the performance, Alfea becomes visibly emotional, but rather than interrupting the moment, it becomes part of it, with AJ and Jaz quietly supporting her through harmonies and reassuring smiles. The vulnerability only makes the performance feel more genuine.
The mood lifts once again with “KIAK (Kung Ikaw At Ako),” a dreamy R&B track about navigating an unstable relationship written by Alfea, followed by the return of the party version of “One Sided Love,” a welcome surprise that immediately gets the audience back on their feet.
Before performing “First,” Jaz shares how heartbreak doesn’t always come from romantic relationships, but from “the people we love first.” Having previously revealed that the song was inspired by her relationship with her parents, the track stands as one of G22’s most personal and vulnerable tracks. The emotion catches up to Jaz before the opening lines, momentarily holding back tears only to be met with an outpouring of cheers from Bullets, making the performance all the more heartfelt.
Photographed by Gian Guevarra.
The final stretch sees G22 emerge from that vulnerability with renewed confidence. Fresh off one of the evening’s most emotional moments, Alfea returns with a confident, sultry rendition of Tate McRae’s “Sports car,” trading tears for effortless charisma. The performance becomes a reminder of her versatility, serving equally as a vocal showcase and a display of stage presence. It sets the stage for “Groove On,” “Filipina Queen” and an explosive “BANG,” with the trio coming full circle and closing the main set with the same strength that opened the evening, now shaped by everything that came before it.
Between songs, the members repeatedly thank their team, staff, families, friends, sponsors, and Bullets — the people who helped make both the concert and their journey possible. That gratitude carries into the encore, when G22 leaves the stage to walk through the audience during “Musika,” greeting fans, hugging loved ones, and changing the lyrics to “kayo ang aming musika.” One final performance of “One Sided Love” transforms the floor into a celebration as Bullets are invited to the front to dance alongside them, bringing the evening to a joyful close.
Photographed by Gian Guevarra.
It is perhaps no surprise that the concert feels so cohesive. After the show, AJ revealed on social media that The Eve of an Alpha began as “an idea, a proposal, a Powerpoint presentation, a series of meetings,” adding that it “felt like a thesis defense.” The members themselves conceptualized everything from the title to the show’s thematic pillars, and that intention can be felt throughout the production.
The night I witnessed succeeded in bringing their vision to life and delivered exactly what a first solo concert is meant to: proof that G22 could command a stage of their own. It also made it easy to imagine them on a much bigger one.
G22’s first-ever major solo concert The Eve of an Alpha was presented by Cornerstone Entertainment and L-Squared Productions.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Eve of an Alpha is G22’s first solo concert, staged as a nearly three-hour narrative tracing how AJ, Alfea, and Jaz became “P-pop’s Female Alphas.” The trio sold out the show at New Frontier Theater on July 12, 2026.
G22 is a Filipino P-pop girl group composed of AJ, Alfea, and Jaz. The group debuted in February 2022 under Cornerstone Entertainment, originally as a four-piece with Bianca, who departed in September 2023, leaving the trio that performs today.
G22 performed “Pa-Pa-Pa-Palaban,” “Boomerang,” “LAKUMPAKE!,” “LOKA,” “Super Saiyan,” “KIAK,” “First,” “Groove On,” “Filipina Queen,” and “BANG,” plus solos and a women-in-music medley. The encore featured “Musika” and a party version of “One Sided Love.”
G22’s fandom is called Bullets, a name tied to the group’s firearm-referencing identity. G22 itself is derived from the Glock 22, linked to their debut single “BANG!” During the encore, Bullets were invited to the front to dance alongside the trio.
The Eve of an Alpha was presented by Cornerstone Entertainment and L-Squared Productions, with the production directed by concert director John Prats. G22 themselves conceptualized the title and thematic pillars, which AJ likened to a “thesis defense.”
